1/22

"Welcome back, Akechi-kun," Eirin smiled.

"It's good to see you as well," I bowed.

I returned to Eientei, both so that I could procure medicine for our infiltration into Byakuren's Fortress as well as to do a clinical trial. I was led to her office by a rabbit; Reisen was, regrettably, out at the moment, but Eirin promised she would be back soon if I didn't mind waiting.

"Reisen told me all about the other night," she said. "How you went down to the Underground and had drinks with some of Byakuren's acolytes, how you beat one of the oni at darts and how they poured sake down your mouth?"

"Er… yes," I said back. "I… still feel like it's working its way through my system."

Eirin giggled. "Well, it's alright. Reisen can hold her liquor very well, and can hold her own even against an oni. Still, to think you would take her to a bar so soon, especially to a bar down there…"

I shook my head. "It was a prior arrangement with the acolytes, Reisen simply offered to come along and buy my drinks in exchange for bringing her some seeds and soil from the Netherworld."

Eirin smirked. "Oh really… oh my. A handsome guy like you surrounded by girls who can even show up a proud oni. You truly are a 'charismatic ace detective.'" She turned to some charts behind her and directed my attention to them. "And just the sort of fellow I need to conduct drug trials. I trust you've been taking my cleansing drug each day since your last visit?"

"Every morning with breakfast," I nodded.

"Excellent. That will mean the likelihood of my drugs reacting with chemicals in your bloodstream is minimal." She reached into a fridge and grabbed a small cup from it. "Of course, I won't start you with anything crazy. I've already tested this with some other people, so I'm fairly certain you won't grow a third arm if you consume it."

I took the cup hesitantly. "...what is it supposed to be?"

"A treatment for 'airless sickness," she explained. "I'm sure someone has told you by now, but it's a viral infection unique to Gensokyo, originating in oni but spreading to humans and other youkai species. It's a coronavirus, much like most cold viruses, and spreads in much the same way, through little droplets we all sneeze and exhale. My name for it is 'Oni Coronavirus,' or OniCOVI for short. As an oni disease, you could imagine it is quite severe: not everyone develops symptoms, but those who do often become critically ill with pneumonia and gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea; in rare cases it's even caused heart failure."

"That sounds very intense," I said, sitting up a little.

"It's quite the diabolical little bug, isn't it? And because it's so very picky about who it decides to kill or sicken, it's almost impossible to contain."

"How often do outbreaks happen?" I asked.

"I've seen cases at every time of year, but it's most active in winter, when people are more likely to spend most of their days huddled together in their warm homes away from the cold. Even if it may have some supernatural properties, it otherwise behaves like a normal coronavirus, and can be stopped with face coverings, keeping apart, washing your hands and cleaning surfaces regularly. It can also be vaccinated against, and that medicine does include the 13th version of it, which has very few noticeable symptoms in humans. The rest of the medicine is untested in human males, however, and that's where you come in: I will record observations of your body's reaction to it."

I looked down at the reddish medicine again. It gave off a slightly bitter odor, and looked somewhat like blood. But, I realized, I had to do this in order to get the medicine for our missions. So, without further hesitation, I gulped it all down at once.

"Hah...hah…" I panted. The aftertaste was just as bitter as the smell. "Can I have some water?"

"Not for a few minutes, unfortunately," she said. "The medicine will need time to be absorbed into your system, and water could affect that."

"Ah, I… see…" I said, as I began to notice something was off. Within moments of consuming the medicine, I started to feel heavy, as though I had lost all the strength in my muscles and the effect of gravity in my immediate vicinity strengthened. I lied down, and started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. The ceiling above me blurred into a fuzzy, brown matte with a bright glow from the light, and my conscious thoughts began to mix with subconscious ones as my grip on cognizance loosened. I closed my eyes, and felt the sensation of the room spinning around me as colors swirled in the darkness of my closed eyelids and lost track of the passage of time.

Then, the next thing I knew, I felt a sudden, forceful smack on the side of my face, snapping me up on the bed and fully lucid. "What the- where in the- where am I?"

"Seems the medicine knocked you out," Eirin said, holding a paper fan with "coffee" in kanji printed on it. She then took out a clipboard and started writing. "It didn't happen to my female volunteers, and I would think it certainly wouldn't happen to a strong man in peak health…" After a few moments, she finished taking down her notes. "Hm. Well, maybe I'll just have to look into it some more. There might be something I'm missing."

I rubbed the side of my face. "That was quite the smack."

"Oh, you mean this?" Eirin held up the fan. "This will make anyone, even the groggiest drunk, come to their senses in a flash. I made it with Sanae's help. I would have asked Reimu, but she's grouchy on good days so I had to make do with the less experienced of the two." She reviewed the notes she had written. "So, I'll look into addressing the side effects of the medicine, but that shouldn't make it ineffective. The medicine, if it works as intended, will kill any instances of the virus in your body, and keep working until the vaccine component kicks in, which should be one to two weeks. Assuming you come back for boosters every year, your chances of catching it are now only 2% of what they used to be, your chances of getting sick are 2% of those cases, and the chances of you dying are 0.05% of that. "

I nodded. "Impressive. That's exceptional even by Outside vaccine standards, I would imagine."

"Indeed," she smiled. "I do a booster campaign every September to get as many Villagers and youkai inoculated as possible by handing out vaccine packets to mix into their tea. Version 13 in particular has been a big success; ever since I introduced it, there have been no deaths."

"That's wonderful," I smiled. "You truly are a genius doctor."

"My old title, the 'Brain of the Moon' was well earned, after all," she smiled.


After the appointment, I was offered to look at the 'special stock' once again, and took things which seemed the most helpful for our Metaverse investigations. I then left Eientei, intending to simply head back to the Village for the day.

"Oi," came a voice. I turned around, and there was Mokou, leaning against a cluster of bamboo stalks. "What'cha doin' out here in the freezin' cold and wet snow?"

"I could ask the same of you," I answered. "I thought Keine said you didn't like winter."

"Well, I was thinkin' about dueling Kaguya again, but then I saw you come out and was like, 'eh, maybe I'll bug 'im instead."

"I see… but, why would you find me more interesting than the great Princess Kaguya, your eternal rival?" I said with a smile.

"That's - er…" Mokou's face reddened. "...i-it's just because I, er, don't talk to a lotta guys and I - ah - wanna get better at it and -"

"Offer to make miso soup for me everyday?" I joked. "In all seriousness, I'm sure you won't find making friends with me to be much different than making friends with anyone else. It's not like men are a different species from another planet."

Mokou spaced for a second, before sighing. "Well, I mean, I've spent the better part of the last few centuries not forming ties with anyone other than Eientei, since I'm immortal. Even when I was mortal, I talked with almost no one my own age, since I was always holed up in the back to keep my family from bein' shamed." She looked down at herself. "Besides, the men always sought after Kaguya. She's damn lucky, born with beauty no Earthly woman can match, compared to me, just a ragged, antisocial hobo who's murdered countless people across history."

"But you also hide nothing," I mentioned. "That you openly talk about having blood on your hands and being a bastard is quite audacious and brave."

"Yeah, but that's only because, again, anyone who would care has been dead for ages. And I don't gotta hide things if there's no one for me to talk to to have to hide it from."

"Except you are talking to me, so that must not be the case." I breathed deeply. "I am not turned off by your past, because I will not judge you for it." The hypocrisy of that statement couldn't be overstated, coming from someone too spineless and ashamed of his past to tell other people about it at the risk of everyone here calling me a murderous monster.

Mokou looked at me for a moment, then chuckled. "Y'know, when I found 'ya in the snow and especially after you woke up and looked at me with those reddish-brown eyes of yours, I knew there was somethin' different about 'ya. Like, iunno, maybe it's just 1300 years of intuition, but 'ya ain't no helpless Outsider or Villager who's scared of everythin' and dies in like three days. Yer already doin' spellcards and gettin' tangled with all sortsa funny business without a care; actually, Reisen told me you all went down to the Underground to drink sake and you took three whole bottles of oni mash like a champ."

"Can we not dwell on that?" I sighed. "I swear, it's been nearly a week and I still feel like it's not fully out of my system."

"Alright, yeah, I getcha. And you got the witch and the shrine maiden as friends; I can't imagine better friends for a human to have. Although then again, I guess they are the age where they're lookin' for husbands…"

"It's not like that," I insisted. "We're friends, no more, no less."

"Hehe, well alright. To be honest, I can't imagine any man bein' able to keep up with either of them. They both got strong wills and take-no-prisoners attitudes. Reimu's honest about everything, right down to bein' extremely blunt about sayin' you suck, while Marisa's a compulsive liar and a witch who likes big explosions but is also outgoing and everyone's friend. And they both go out, get into fights while calling it 'incident-resolving,' and then get drunk afterwards. No matter how you look at it, they're more like the youkai they claim to always have to put down then the humans they insist they defend. I think any normal guy, or any normal person for that matter, would be put off. And then here you come along and mix in with everyone's business like it's nothing, Mr. Charismatic Ace Detective."

...just how did I come to be so proficient at socializing with people, I wondered? Was it my Persona awakening, discarding all of my negative emotions and feelings? Or perhaps Ren's personality was rubbing off on me; we did spend a decent amount of time together in Kichijoji throughout the summer and fall, shooting pool and playing darts, enjoying drinks at the Jazz Club and visiting food stalls. Perhaps the two of us were more alike than I wanted to believe.

"I suppose I have fully earned that nickname, then, if I was able to get through to them," I smiled.

"Damn straight." Mokou shivered. "Now, if 'ya don't mind, I hate the cold, so why don't we head back to my place? I'll brew up some hot tea for us."


"...and most people don't know this, but Yoshitsune was actually kind of a whiny bitch as a kid."

"Is that so?" I mused. "I take it you knew him personally?"

"Off-and-on, kinda weaved in and out of the Minamoto clan's lives during that time, and I also killed a few soldiers during the Gunpei war before catchin' a boat to China sometime later and beginnin' the trek that ultimitely led me to Istanbul, where I squatted for thirty years as a merchant."

"Very interesting." I sipped my tea. "Hearing how legendary figures were like as people at the time."

"Yeah, well, I mean, people writin' history like to embellish some details and gloss over the others, then as the story's told it just gets even more muddied."

"It sounds almost like a thousand-year game of telephone," I chuckled.

"Eh?"

I shook my head. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a saying we have Outside."

"Ah, gotcha." Mokou lit up a cigarette.

"Do you… smoke a lot?" I asked.

"Yeah, helps me calm down. And since I'm a Hourai Immortal, I can just regenerate the lung damage, unlike humans. I ever tell you that Eirin sometimes has me over to test things? 'Cause my body doesn't have a concept of a lethal dose and all."

I scratched my head. "I can't imagine dying and then regenerating over and over again. It must be very painful each time."

"Eh, you get used to it."

"I… see." I paused, trying to think of a topic. We had been conversing for a while about different things, about Mokou's life, about everyone she killed and how she was a bastard…

"...why… are you so open about being a bastard and a killer? Those are both rather sensitive things most people try to hide…"

"It's like I said: everyone who would care died over a thousand years ago. It ain't taboo if literally no one gives a shit, am I right?"

I shrugged. "Well, I suppose so."

Mokou suddenly leaned over the kotatsu. "Why are you so hung up on that, though? You a bastard yourself?"

"Er, no, but-"

"Look, if you are, I don't care. Won't judge, can't judge. You can share anything with me and I won't tell anyone else. Trust me, you're hardly the only person I keep secrets for. Keine, Eirin, Reisen, Reimu, Marisa… hell, I keep some things quiet for Kaguya, and we're sworn enemies!" She quickly snuffed out the cigarette and flicked it into the fireplace. "Point is, you can lay anything you want on me. You've got my word on that."

I looked down, and smiled. "Well, thanks, I suppose." I leaned back and sipped the last of my tea. "Even now, I still have difficulty trusting people, simply because of my life and the type of people I had to deal with on a daily basis. Most criminals are also habitual liars, so you have to take anything they say with a grain of salt."

"Preachin' to the queen of lies over here," Mokou snarked. "You don't live over 1300 years and not have to lie outta yer ass about who you are and your life story. I've gone by so many aliases over the centuries I don't even remember half of them. Really, though, everyone lies, some people just lie more than others. I've seen waaaaaay too many completely honest men die early deaths because they refused to lie even when their lives and the lives of people who trusted them depended on it." She kicked back. "Point is, you can't not trust people just because they lie. And you ain't a bad person for lyin' or not telling everything. It just depends on when you lie, what you lie about, and why yer lyin'."

I looked down. "Hmmm… when you put it that way…"


1/23

I came up to the Shrine to practice Spell Cards with Reimu, but when I arrived I found her already deep in a conversation with Marisa.

"I'm sorry, can I come in?" I asked.

Marisa looked over. "Oh, uh, hey! Wasn't expecting you!" She scooted over slightly in the kotatsu. "Yeah, sure, you can come in!"

"A-HEM," Reimu said. "This is my house, only I can let guests in." She then looked at me. "But, then, you're always welcome here. Come, have a seat. There should be enough tea in the kettle for you."

"Ah, don't mind if I do." I seated myself down and Reimu brought over a teacup for me. On top of the kotatsu were several blank cards and strips of paper, along with a couple of pots of ink with brushes in them. "May I ask what is going on here?"

"Oh, these?" Reimu organized them. "Well, Marisa had an interesting thought the other day. You know how those shadows sometimes drop cards, or how we'll sometimes find them in chests? How some of them have designs and others are blank?"

"Yeah, I suggested to her, maybe we could try and copy those and see if we can make 'em work somehow."

I picked up one of the cards, inspecting both sides. "This is very well-made, Reimu."

"Well, I make my own spell cards, and all the enchantment, sealing, and good-luck amulets as well. Next to combat, creating these is the most important skill for a Hakurei to master. Since I'm constantly using skill and spell cards as part of my job, and placing wards around people's houses, as good as I am at it, it still takes a significant amount of time for me to keep replenishing them all." She picked up a Media card. "So when we started finding these in the Metaverse, I couldn't ignore them or wonder what their purpose was."

I gently took the card from her. "These are also called 'skill cards.' They are not used like skill and spell cards in the real world, however. Instead, these are used to teach a Persona a skill it cannot normally learn. One does this by focusing in and envisioning the skills their Persona knows, then crushing the card in their hands. Obviously, cards can only be used once, and if the skill is forgotten there is no way to recall it, unless it was a skill the Persona can already realize on its own."

"So, in other words, they can expand a Persona's strategy," Marisa said. She leaned back. "Although, I'm still curious, what causes Personas to learn different skills in the first place? Like mine and how it gets healin' and nuke attacks?"

"I've thought about that as well," I said. "I've come to this conclusion: since Personas are extensions of ourselves and our psyches, then their abilities reflect our own personalities as well." I turned to Reimu. "I suppose I should try asking you: why do you think Marisa is our healer?"

"Our healer?" she said.

"I still don't understand why myself," Marisa said. "I mean, I specialize in high-power offense!"

"And that could be where the Nuclear comes in," Reimu added. "But then… I suppose you don't really think about it, but you help people out more than you realize. You always come by the Shrine with food and donations on occasion, not to mention you revived me that one time after I ate spoiled food. You're also always out talking with people and encouraging them to be at their best. I've seen you leave offerings to that one jizo statue in the forest. You're perhaps the only reason Alice isn't a reclusive hermit. Hell, you even stopped a duel with Patchouli halfway to resuscitate her when she was having an asthma attack."

"Eh…" Marisa started blushing.

"And let's not forget," Reimu continued. "Your spell cards include stars, and I think Patchouli once told us that stars and suns are giant nuclear reactors."

Marisa paused, then chuckled. "...heh. Never thought of it that way. But then, what about you, miss fire-and-bullets?"

Reimu looked down. "Hmm…" She thought for some moments, before looking back up. "I have often been told that, while on incident-resolving and youkai extermination business, I'm like a force of nature, strong and unstoppable as a wildfire, who strikes down all in my path until the job is done. Then there's the fact that my main attack is unleashing a flurry of needles, which I'm told, by their victims, pierce like bullets from a gun. So, perhaps it's because of both of those that my Metaverse abilities manifest that way."

Marisa laughed. "Well, that certainly describes you . Shoot first, ask questions later, I tell 'ya."

"And you're like 'steal first, ask questions never.'"

"Eh, it ain't stealin' if no one misses it," Marisa snarked. She then turned to me. "What about you? You can wield all those Personas, but that one… Bond? That one seems closest to you."

"I may have the Fool card," I said, "but that Persona was the one which awakened from my own shadow."

"Then he's the one who represents your heart, your personality…" Reimu said.

My true heart… my true… personality…

"You mean a charismatic, flamboyant, charmin' ladykiller?" Marisa said bluntly.

"Precisely," Reimu nodded.

For once, I was the one blushing and stuttering like an idiot. "W-what do you - I-I mean-"

"But it's true, ain't it?" Marisa smirked. "You know all the girls like tall, dark and handsome bad boys with big hearts. Ain't no other reason you got a Persona like that!" She and Reimu giggled. "I'm not wrong, am I? After all, I'm always right!"

...well, that was one way of looking at it. My ideal, at least: a truly charming, charismatic man, not the mask I put on for the public. Although, they did say that if you keep an act up for long enough it stops being an act…

"Heh. Perhaps you are…"

I paused. Marisa took a sip of tea. "Somethin' botherin' 'ya? Was it somethin' I said?"

"...how much stock do you put in the truth?"

Both of the girls leaned back in surprise. "Where's this comin' from, all of a sudden?"

I sighed. "I talked with Mokou yesterday, about her keeping secrets from and for people. As an Outside detective, I swore to uncover the truth, as I had a conviction that all lies were evil. But the more I dwell on the topic, the less sure I am about that assumption…"

"The truth…" Reimu mused. "To be honest, I've never really thought much about it. I do go out resolving incidents, and that of course means finding the facts. But as far as truth being the opposite of lies, that's not really part of my job to enforce." She sighed. "That doesn't mean I don't have an opinion on it, though, I guess. The way I see it, lies undermine relationships, and if we can't trust each other, we'll only ever fight each other and no one would be safe. So I would support telling the truth all the time myself."

Marisa kicked back. "Don't 'ya think that's too simple a way of thinkin' 'bout it, though?"

"How do you mean?" Reimu asked.

"I mean, to me, truth is subjective. Different people consider the same things to be true or false based on what they believe. I remember Yukari herself tellin' me that the boundary between truth and lies is muddled and hard to bend, even for her, for that reason. Hell, the Hakurei Border itself is a border between truth, lies, fantasy and reality, and you of all people should know that."

"I do know that," Reimu objected, "but I'm sure you would understand that it acts as a hard barrier between the fantastic and the real. Therefore, my point still stands."

"Oh really? Well, consider this: thousands of years ago, people knew that the stuff around them was caused by gods and monsters, and that belief became so widespread that the gods and monsters started existin'. Then, all of a sudden, people knew there were 'scientific' reasons for the same shit they used to attribute to gods and monsters, so guess what? They stopped existin'. Also, people hate bein' told they're wrong, so they'll do whatever to prove and swear up and down that they're right. And who knows, maybe they are, maybe they aren't, but that ain't the point. The point is, your concept of truth and lies, right and wrong is flawed, because that hard line simply doesn't exist."

Reimu exhaled in frustration. Marisa smirked. "Guess I finally got one over 'ya, huh?"

"Alright…" I nodded. "...then are you saying it's okay to lie to your friends and deceive them?"

"...eh?"

"Let me put it this way," I said in a colder, harsher tone. "What if you found out that someone whom you had been friends with for a long time, and to whom you confide your deepest secrets with, eventually revealed to you, one way or another, that they were a cruel, remorseless killer who could snap and turn their knife on you any second? Or if they were a con artist attempting to play your strings before swindling you of your wealth and everything you hold dear?"

Marisa looked at me wide-eyed for a moment, before smirking again. "Listen, buddy. I know what 'yer gettin' at. It's true I make friends with everyone, but at the same time you gotta have a plan for everything. Everyone's got their own agendas and they never fully overlap, not even if they're friends or family. Everyone looks out for their own self-interest first and foremost, and for many, like myself, that means havin' friends and allies." She got up. "I'm just a weak, squishy human in a land fulla man-eatin' monsters. Sometimes, you just hafta know how to twist the truth, fudge the facts, do whatever to keep the heat offa yourself and those you owe debts to. Most of my friends happen to be youkai, magicians or otherwise, and for me, that's a way of gainin' power, havin' 'enemies' on my side."

"Right," said Reimu, crossing her arms, "and I'm sure if you had a penis they'd all be pregnant with your kids by now."

"WHA-" Marisa flushed right up and tackled Reimu to the floor. "I'M NOT SOME KINDA SLUT, YA DUMMY! I GOT A REPUTATION TO DEFEND HERE!" The two wrestled, threatening to break the kotatsu and forcing me to have to move it, with Reimu struggling to get Marisa off of her simply because of how hard she was laughing. I, meanwhile, decided to show myself the door before things got awkward, swiping an assortment of skill cards as I did so.


1/24

"Good afternoon, Akechi-san."

"Good afternoon," I said to Shou, who opened the door to the Myouren Temple for me.

"It's been a little while. I didn't see you at the Sutra Concert last week…"

I shook my head. "I was there, but I was near the back of the crowd, so you might not have seen me."

Shou bowed. "Ah, so that was the case. Very well, Hijiri-sama would surely like to see you."

Shou led me toward a room in the back of the temple, one whose doors were larger and more ornate than the others around it. She lightly knocked on the door. "Hijiri-sama? Are you in there?"

"I am," Byakuren said simply.

"Is it okay for Akechi-san to come in right now?"

"He may come in."

Shou undid the latch and slid the door open. The room inside was filled with hazy smoke, emanating from incense jars placed on the corners of a square mat, in the middle of which sat Byakuren, meditating. Her room also had a futon off to the side, an attached private bathroom and back patio door, and shelves holding what I assumed to be Buddhist artifacts. There was also a pedestal, atop which a scroll was perched.

"Namaste, Akechi-kun."

"Namaste," I said back, wanting to be polite. "It has been a while since we last met. Sorry I wasn't able to come by more often; I had other things which I had to attend to."

Byakuren got up, and opened her illustrious eyes, which looked down into my own. "Keeping busy and fulfilling your obligations to others are important virtues, but drowning yourself in work and never taking time to care for yourself will lead you off the path to dharma," she said. "Still, I do appreciate your coming to visit today. Will you be meditating with us again today?"

"Perhaps," I answered. "Mainly, I am here to visit you personally."

Byakuren nodded. "Then, if that is so, I hope I will provide excellent company." She walked toward the door. "I will go get some tea for us. Please, do make yourself comfortable."

I found a suitable spot on the mat to sit down. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Byakuren smiled, before closing the door behind her and Shou.

I sat there, alone, in Byakuren's room. Nary a sound could be heard, either within or without.

I looked around to ensure I was alone. Once I was certain no one was watching, I reached under my clothes and pulled out a small drone which Nitori had given me before I came here. It came to life on its own, a small screen flashing on with Nitori's face on it.

"Alright, good, this thing is on," Nitori said.

"Are you sure this is alright?" I asked. "We will be spying on a woman in her room without her knowledge or consent…"

"Hey, you're the one who insisted we make sure Byakuren is a legit target," Nitori answered. "What better way than to install a hidden camera in her room where she doesn't have to put on a face and will act like how she does in the dark?"

I shook my head. "But this is unethical. Outside, this sort of evidence would be tossed out of court."

"This ain't Outside, buddy. Besides, I'm not gonna use this to blackmail her or anything. I'm going to dispose of the footage once we see it as a group, as promised."

"If you say so," I said, rolling my eyes. The screen turned off, and I gently released the drone, which levitated toward a corner of the ceiling, affixed itself, then trained its eye on the center of the room before activating its cloaking device. Within seconds, it was as though there was nothing there at all.

Byakuren soon returned with some tea, and I continued the conversation naturally so as not to make her suspicious. She asked some more about my previous life as a detective, and I described to her some of the cases that I worked on. "You are a very admirable young man, Akechi-kun. Apprehending so many criminals despite being a child…"

"It was my passion, and I have a natural gift for it," I said.

"Mmn. Still," she took a sip, "to think the Outside has devolved to the point where the populace lulls in a pit of vice and despair. I should be grateful that individuals such as yourself exist, and yet…" She shook her head. "That world has lost faith. The humans outside need a figure to guide them to enlightenment, and oh what would I give if I could be that person."

"I must ask, though." I looked up from my glass. "Is it not the duty of each person to look up solely to Buddha himself as a guide to Nirvana?"

Byakuren shook her head. "Oh, young man, you wouldn't understand. Saints throughout history have come to those whose lives are clouded in fear and uncertainty, unable and unwilling to find the path to the light for themselves."

"So you're calling yourself a saint," I said sharply, "even though no true saint would ever do that."

"Erm…" Byakuren hesitated. "I…"

"My my," I clicked. "It would seem as though sister Byakuren has herself failed to realize she has strayed off of the path to enlightenment." I looked her in the eye. "After all, to try and lead youkai down the path to dharma, in spite of that running completely contrary to their very nature as manifestations of man's fear and weakness…"

Byakuren sighed in frustration. Just as she was about to say something, she squeezed her eyes shut and held her head, seemingly in pain. She then looked back at me, regaining her composure, and said simply, "it would seem as though you are still lost. Please, you are invited to come back here frequently."

...something wasn't right. Was this caused by the distortion, I wondered? Was it strong enough that it could "course correct" if any attempt was made to steer her away? Had… was she being mentally imprisoned by her own distortion?

I got up, and bowed. "I appreciate the offer, but I do have other matters to attend to today." I walked over to the door. "I do promise I will return, though."

"Safe travels, Akechi-kun," Byakuren said. "It was a pleasure having you today."

I smiled. "It was a pleasure talking to you, too." I left the temple, and headed back toward the village. Hopefully, Nitori's camera would do its job and capture evidence of her abuses in real life.


1/25

Once I was out of work, I took to the streets to contemplate what to do with the rest of my day. As I neared the Temple School, I could hear a commotion coming from the school's courtyard. Curious, I went over to inspect, peering over the fence to see a group of children seated on benches, with Keine off to the side, facing an elaborate diorama where several figures moved about; once I realized they were actually dolls, a familiar voice started narrating the scene.

"And so the brave knight neared the castle, crossing the rickety bridge over the moat of boiling lava surrounding the tall, black spire atop which it loomed. But the knight was fearless, destined and determined to save the princess held captive in the top of the tallest tower." A pair of dolls swooped in to remove the diorama and replace it with another, made to resemble the inside of a castle. "The knight marched through the desolate castle walls, before coming to a room filled with gold and priceless treasures. Then, suddenly, emerging from the endless pile, a fearsome dragon roared at the knight!" The dragon in question popped up from a trapdoor beneath the set, which when I looked carefully was actually just three dolls with a western dragon costume draped over them. "The knight and the dragon fought, with the dragon spewing its deadly fire breath at the brave knight, but he deflected it with his magic shield before striking the dragon with his holy sword! As the dragon fell over, dying, the knight pierced its tail and drew a golden greatsword, a symbol of his victory."

The children all clapped and cheered as the dragon was slain, and I had to hand it to Alice: her doll control and manipulation was splendid, her costuming and set creation unrivalled, and her storytelling quite good, if somewhat set changed to the castle tower, where the princess looked on from a window at the top. "The knight ascended the tower, and met the fair maiden, ready to save her. Just then, the castle began to collapse! Surely it was the end for the both of them, but the great raven which the knight had befriended swooped in to save them both! The kingdom was saved, the knight and princess were married in a lavish ceremony, and they-"

"Divorced after three years once the princess was caught sleeping with the ratcatcher," I snarkily filled in for her as I waltzed into the courtyard.

Each of the kids looked over at me, Keine appeared shocked and appalled, and Alice slinked out from behind the curtain with a tired glare in her eyes.

"Having fun entertaining the kids on this fine afternoon, I assume?" I chuckled. "I do apologize, though, I just wanted to crack a light joke."

"That joke was in no way called for, or appropriate for these kids!" Keine exclaimed. "I know this sort of story seems rather childish for an Outsider like you, but these kids are all-"

"Are you Akechi-san?" one of the kids asked, coming up to me. "I've heard all about you from my friend! You're the Charismatic Ace Detective!"

"Er… hehe, that's, well-"

Within moments, all the kids, who at the most came up to just below my chest, got up from their seats and surrounded me. "It's Akechi-san! Akechi-san!" they all exclaimed. "Whoa, he's really big! He's taller than my dad!" I was used to throngs of fangirls surrounding me wherever I went, but I had never really had young children fawn over me in quite the same way. I had to watch where I was going to make sure I didn't accidentally run over or step on any of them. "Is it true?" one of them asked. "Do you have one of those hand tablets that shows everything on it?"

I looked over at Keine and a rather dejected Alice standing next to her. Keine snickered. "Seems big, strong Goro over there stole all of your thunder."

"I can see that," Alice complained. She directed her dolls to pack up all the supplies and compress them into a crate which was tied and suspended in rope and carried by a squad of dolls. "Do me a favor and call all the kids inside. I want to have a little chat with him."

"Whatever you say," Keine smiled. As promised, she waved all the kids back inside the schoolhouse, leaving me alone in the snow with Alice.

"Good afternoon, Goro," she said. "And… thanks for the impromptu plot twist."

"My pleasure," I smiled.

"I was being sarcastic," she complained.

"Even so, I'm sure you would agree telling the same story over and over gets rather boring, and that these children need to be introduced to realism, sooner rather than later."

Alice sighed. "Perhaps so, but you didn't have to put it as crudely. Next time, just shut up and stay at the side when I'm doing a show, okay?"

I gave out a hearty laugh. "Well, if you insist. It is rather impolite to steal someone's thunder during their moment of glory."

"Well, yeah." She called the dolls to her side. "Anyway, I'm going to have to take you back home with me to punish you."

"...oh?"

"Don't 'oh?' me, mister snark. Just come with me." She lifted into the air, and several dolls with swords drawn appeared behind me, goading me into following her to her home in the forest.

Upon arrival, Alice instructed me to help her stow away her supplies into a storage shed behind the house, before leading me inside.

"I'm home," Alice said.

"Welcome home, Alice-sama," came Mamiko's voice from the kitchen. She emerged with a silver platter with a tea kettle and cups atop it, still dressed in the same frilly maid-like dress she had when she came alive. "Dinner is under way, and I made you some tea."

"Thank you," Alice smiled.

I came forward. "Hello again, Mamiko-san. How do you do?"

"Ah, Crow- er, Goro." She placed the platter down and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you once again. Alice informed me you would be coming today."

"She… did?"

Alice turned to me. "Sorry for being a little deceitful. The truth is, I was going to seek you and invite you to my house today after my puppet show to discuss some things with you. You just so happened to barge in on me first."

"I see." I took a seat and allowed Mamiko to pour me a cup. "I take it you are adapting to life in the real world quite well?"

"I am, thank you. Alice-sama is a great teacher."

Alice sat down in front of me. "I will admit, though, it is a bit of an adjustment for the both of us. While she's learning to live in this world, I'm adapting to life with another person besides myself." She picked up her cup and blew on it. "Of course, one could argue Marisa is a semi-permanent resident, given how often she comes to visit. Still, Mamiko is a good servant. I've taught her how to sew, how to do chores, and she guards the cottage while I'm away." She took a sip. "I will say, for someone who's only had a few days of experience in the real world, she's a rather good cook, although…" A smell wafted from the kitchen, a distinctive blend of sweet, spicy and savory. "...right now, it seems South and Southeast Asian cuisine is all she can whip up confidently."

I thought for a second as to why this was, then said, "well, she is a shadow representing a major figure in both Hinduism and Buddhism. I would expect her to know those cultures inside and out, including their cuisines."

"I had obviously never cooked food before," Mamiko said, "but being a shadow who took the form of Godly General Vajra, I suppose you are right. Alice-sama presented me with ingredients, and it was almost by instinct that I gathered them and turned them into a dish I did not know the name of."

"Coconut chicken curry, in that case," Alice clarified. "Tonight, it's chicken tikka masala."

I smiled. "That sounds delicious. I look forward to trying some."

Mamiko worked on getting dinner ready while Alice and I caught up. Some of what we discussed had to do with our deal, but mostly, Alice wanted to talk even more about the Metaverse, in particular everything Mamiko was able to share with her about it. Eventually, we moved to the dinner table, where Alice had her dolls hand out plates, cups and silverware, and all of us were able to dish up.

I took my first bite, and instantly fell in love with the rich flavor of the sauce, and the tender, marinated chicken pieces which fell apart between my teeth.

"This is very good," I complimented. "You are a wonderful cook."

"Oh, er… thank you," Mamiko said.

We spent a few more moments savoring Mamiko's cooking, before Alice cut the silence. "So, getting back to what we were discussing about the Metaverse, you, Marisa and the other mystery people in on your operation…"

"The others are Reimu, Youmu and Nitori," I said.

"...huh?"

I shook my head. "You are already in on our secret, so you deserve to know who else we're working with. Together, as a group, we are the 'Day Breakers.'"

Alice chuckled. "You, Marisa, Reimu, Youmu and Nitori. Quite the group for someone like you to put together."

"Indeed." I took another bite. "Our first operation was during the week between Christmas and New Years. Yuyuko Saigyouji had a Fortress projected over Hakugyoukoko, in the form of a castle which catered to her gluttonous excesses and hedonism. We recruited Youmu somewhat accidentally over the course of taking it down. Then, to get to Ethos, we had Nitori build us a boat, but naturally she was curious as to why we needed one, so she followed us in. She awakened her Persona during the fight in which we encountered Mamiko in her shadow form, in the process not only saving our lives but also cutting her free of the tower's distortion. Now, we are investigating a Fortress belonging to Byakuren Hijiri: a grandiose cathedral in which she sees herself as the center of worship."

Alice put down her fork. "Distortions… in other words, places in the real world twist and turn into how these people perceive them in their minds…"

"That's one way of looking at it. And there are several others Outside, just like those two, which the Phantom Thieves took down."

"The Phantom Thieves… what were they like?" Alice asked.

"As a detective, I had deduced they were all high schoolers, a deduction which turned out to be completely correct. All of them were misfits and societal rejects in one way or another, which was part of why they banded together to take on society's injustices. There was Ryuji Sakamato, a former track athlete whose leg was broken by a rotten gym teacher who claimed it was self-defense and pulled weight as the school's volleyball coach; Ann Takamaki, who was sexually abused by the same man; Morgana, a strange cat-like creature who gathered the founding members and led all of them through the Metaverse; Yusuke Kitagawa, a painting prodigy who was used and abused by his master who claimed credit for his works; Makoto Niijima, a student council president who was actually ostracized for that position and was used by the school administrators to do their dirty laundry in exchange for university recommendations; Futaba Sakura, a genius hacker who was driven into suicidal depression after being framed for her mother's death before being saved by the Phantom Thieves; and Haru Okumura, the heiress of a multibillion dollar conglomerate who was to be pawned off for marriage to an abusive drunk by her father for political purposes." I took a deep breath. "And then there was the group's leader, Ren Amamiya, or Joker, as he went by in the Metaverse. He defended a woman from a drunk who was assaulting her, but said drunk was a highly corrupt and connected politician who managed to get him arrested, causing Ren to be expelled and have to transfer to a school in Tokyo for his probation. Somehow, he gained the power to access the Metaverse and use Personas, and united the rest of the group to fight for dark justice."

Alice smiled. "And now you follow that young man's example right here in Gensokyo."

"I will admit, I did not expect to. But, it is clear to me that Gensokyo has injustices, and as long as I have the means to solve them it would be irresponsible for me to be idle."

"That's very commendable," Alice said, applauding. "You're a very good man, and very… interesting if you can win Reimu, Marisa and others to your cause so quickly."

"I form relationships through deals," I said to her. "All of them get cuts of our war spoils and make contributions to the effort; Reimu teaches me spell cards, Youmu and Marisa both come up with supplies to replenish our energy, Nitori forges our weapons. I also perform favors for them in real life as well."

"I see, I see…" Alice glanced over at Mamiko, who seemed deep in thought. "...Mamiko?"

Mamiko then looked at me. "Could I… perhaps be of help as well?"

I sat up in surprise. "Could you… help? What do you mean?"

"You all freed me from that distortion. For that, I am forever in your debt. If you are currently working to free others from distortions, then I, as a former victim of the Metaverse's twisted machinations, would like to assist you in seeing justice done. As a shadow, I am quite capable of fighting there, even without a Persona which you all require."

"But…" I paused. "You also possess a magical doll's body, which would shut down in the-"

"Actually, I've already done tests," Alice explained. "Her magical enchantments do indeed shut down in the Metaverse, but even without them she is still capable of movement and action. Even long-term exposure had no detrimental effect on her, as she required no energy or nutrition in the Metaverse like she does here."

"Wait," I cut in. "How… were you able to travel to the Metaverse without us helping you?"

"With this." Alice produced an orange Metaverse key. "This appeared on my coffee table not long after our last meeting. It works just like all of your keys."

"Interesting…" I inspected the key. "Each of us received these keys around the same time as or immediately before awakening our Personas. I have taken this as an indicator that whoever receives these keys is destined to come with me to the Metaverse and help me take down Fortresses."

"Is that so?" Alice said. "Then, that must mean we will be of assistance to you."

"Presumably…"

I looked across at Mamiko. "Tomorrow, we are gathering at Nitori's to go over more evidence, before immediately beginning our main infiltration of Byakuren's fortress. We do not know what threats we will find inside. As a being who does not possess a Persona but who claims to be able to fight regardless, without seeing it in action I will not be able to fully take you at your word." I stuck out my hand. "That being said, I do respect your will and wishes; you have a very personal stake in this matter. Furthermore, having a shadow on our side could confer considerable benefits to our cause. And, I also swear to help you discover the world and interact with people outside of this cottage. With all this considered, will you accept my deal?"

Mamiko seemed unsure, at first, before Alice clarified, "if you agree with what he is offering, shake his hand."

"Ah… I see." Slowly, she stuck out her own hand, then took mine and shook it. "I accept your terms."

I smiled. "Hmhmhm. I see. Welcome aboard, Mamiko-san. I'm sure we'll make a great team."

I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Aeon Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power...