AN: Thanks for all your reviews so far! I can't reply to Guest reviews sadly, so I'm going to address the few I've had here.
1: I may do something with Minotaur at one point, not sure if I want to base him off his SMT IV design or see if there's another appearance I could use.
2: A Comedy club could work - it'd probably fit best in Tarumi, and I am considering other 'Anomalies' akin to Astraeus and Nox, but I don't want to give any names yet. I don't really want to reveal too much about what I've got planned though...
3: I kinda already did a 'Troll' type of enemy Persona user with Pierre in Duality, granted his gimmick was using illusions to trick his foes before fighting normally. None of the members of Bythos (yes, I've planned and named all nine of them.) really fit an all elements + Megido set up either. Not to say that other characters don't, though...
Other Note: As far as I'm aware, Saturdays in Japanese High Schools are half days. However, there are plenty of schools that don't have school on Saturdays, which is a bone of contention with some teachers. Persona 3/4/5 seem to prefer the Mon-Sat school week, however, so how common Saturday schooling is in Japan, I'm not sure.
Chapter 17: The Truth of Fatherhood
|Komatsu Home|7:30 am|
Shigeru was in the kitchen with his wife Kaiyo, having a healthy breakfast and reading the local newspaper. As expected, there had been much speculation on what had happened in Kaleidoscope, and Mizuho was still in a state of panic. Bythos support had suddenly diminished to practically zero, when it had been so high just before.
"Are you alright, darling?" Kaiyo asked, looking over to him.
"Yes, dear. It's just...all this mess in Mizuho is giving everyone in the council a massive headache." Shigeru said, drinking his coffee.
"I can imagine." Kaiyo said, sadly. "Please, try and keep it together. I know you and everyone else on the council can get through this."
"You don't have to worry so much -"
"I do, though." Kaiyo said. Her smile faded, however, when she took a glimpse of the date on the newspaper.
"...Is it him?" Shigeru asked. Kaiyo nodded, sadly.
Even after so many years, she still can't forget what he did. Damn you, Toki Hayashi...
He grabbed his wife's hand tightly, their wedding rings catching the light coming from the window.
"I'm with you now." Shigeru said. "I made a promise to you, and I never break my promises. As long as I'm here, you won't have to be afraid of him. And I swear I'll protect Noburo, too."
"What do I need protecting from? Bad casting directors?"
Noburo had entered the room, utterly confused.
"I was talking about Bythos, actually." Shigeru said, hastily. "They've been quiet the past couple of days, but if they try anything else, we'll stop them."
"But your job's in education, right?" Noburo asked. "What are you going to be able to do to stop them?"
"Mayor Ashikaga is already hard at work at stopping Bythos in their tracks." Shigeru said, grimacing. "And I will give her my full support. Or do you not think that counts for anything?"
"Hey, that's not it at all!" Noburo said, frowning.
"Don't give me that look. This isn't an easy time for anyone in this city." Shigeru said.
"...Alright. Sorry, dad." Noburo said. He sat down at the table, and Kaiyo went to prepare him some breakfast. After a few moments of silence, Noburo sighed.
"What's wrong now?" Shigeru asked, still irritable.
"Well, I was trying to talk to some of my senpai yesterday at school, but Teruko-chan kinda...got mad at one of them." Noburo shook his head. "It...it doesn't matter, really -"
"Don't be like that." Shigeru said. "You know you can talk to me about anything. You're my son, after all."
"It keeps happening. Whenever she sees me talking with any other girl at school, she blows up and makes sure they know I'm hers, not theirs." Noburo said, head in his hands.
Teruko Yoshikawa, huh? How long has it been since he first introduced me to her? She seemed so sweet, but from what I've heard lately, she's a little too passionate about him.
"You need to work this out with her." Shigeru said. "You still feel the same way about her as you did in middle school, don't you?"
"Of course I do, dad." Noburo said. "I don't want to lose her. No, I can't lose her. But I can't just avoid every single girl at school. I need to apologise to Kohaku-san, too."
"...What?" Shigeru said, surprised.
"She's one of my senpai at Kansei. Along with Shintaro-san. We saw each other when we bought the tickets for Electric Sea, remember? You got out of work early and met up with me..."
"Ah yes, I remember now." Shigeru said, trying to stay calm. Of course Noburo wanted to befriend his senpai, he was a charismatic young man – which had already landed him a few minor roles on TV. Yet it had to be those senpai, the ones who were working with Shigeru to stop Bythos. He had to make sure they kept Noburo out of the Theio Kosmos, and anyone else for that matter. But he couldn't simply forbid him to talk to other students, at least not with any sort of excuse.
"Sorry dad, I know you're really stressed at work right now." Noburo said. "I'll talk to Teruko-chan. She usually hears me out when I'm worried about something."
"...Do what you have to do." Shigeru said.
Toki Hayashi could be around the corner, Noburo. If he appears, I may have no choice but to fight him. I don't want you to ever know about this. Ever. Not you or Kaiyo. I've got to protect the two of you.
|Kansei High School – Mathematics|11:21 pm|
"Alright, carrying on our lesson yesterday on the euclidean algorithm..." continued Tetsuya Horiguchi, a Mathematics teacher of Kansei. A kind man, he was one of Kohaku's favourite teachers, and she was usually engrossed in his lessons.
But not today.
Shintaro didn't come home last night...
She sat there, staring at her desk, trying her best to take note down. But every time she saw the empty chair next to her, her heart skipped a beat, and she was reminded that her one constant in this school was missing.
"...What's the matter, Teruya-san?" Mr. Horiguchi asked.
"Um..." Kohaku muttered, nervous. "I..."
"Ah, I see. Nakahara-san's absence is unprecedented." Mr. Horiguchi said. "Please try not to worry. I'm sure Shintaro will show up soon. I'll ask the other faculty and students to keep an eye out for him." He gave her a smile, one of confidence.
"Thanks, Horiguchi-sensei." Kohaku said, yet she still felt numb. Kei and Akari looked at her, with concern, but kept quiet. She had been emotional during lunch, more than she had expected. If Shintaro had just been ill, she would have left been assured he was at home, and she could come round later and share study notes so he wouldn't fall behind. Yet no one had any earthly idea where he was.
She would text Natsumi about the situation – and ask if they could meet up at Chieki. Maybe the four of them could come up with something. She could only hope that Shintaro was safe for the time being...
|Chieki Academy – Front Gates|13:45 pm|
Kohaku had already contacted the twins about Shintaro, and she and Kei were going to meet them at Chieki. Fortunately, Asami had already gone home for today, having been extremely quiet the entire week, so they could hopefully avoid conflict. While Akari had been worried about Shintaro, she was eventually persuaded to go home. Keeping her in the dark about the Theio Kosmos seemed harsh, but it simply was too dangerous to involve outsiders. If she wasn't capable of using a Persona, she'd be doomed.
"Kei, where do you think Taro-kun is?" Kohaku asked.
"If he was to run away from home, wouldn't your house be his first choice to go to?" Kei asked.
"Probably. It's weird..." Kohaku said, as they reached Chieki. The twins ran up, looking worried.
"Any news?" Masato asked, anxious.
"Unfortunately, not yet." Kei said. "His parents must be out of their winds with worry."
"So are we..." Natsumi said. "I've already sent a message to Shigeru. Don't worry, Asami didn't see it. He hasn't responded yet, so maybe we should wait somewhere until he gets in touch with us."
"No need to wait. I can see you're all present."
Kei's Gnosis was receiving a video call – and this one was from Shigeru. She held up her Gnosis, and this time it displayed his face clearly. Also on the call were Novalie and Hiroyuki.
"I've already began searching for Nakahara's Gnosis." Shigeru said. "From what we've learned, each one of them can be tracked via a special app that lets you detect where your 'friends' are. Now that you're all synced with each other, I can see you all gathered outside Chieki Academy."
"So...we can spy on each other?" Masato asked, a little disturbed.
"You can disable this option, of course, by sliding towards 'Private' mode. This makes it so only you can see where you are in Shinshuto. Unfortunately, Nakahara's Gnosis is currently in this mode, but whether it is of his own accord is unclear."
"...Are you suggesting he was kidnapped?" Kohaku asked.
"I was afraid that was the case...but I didn't want to say it out loud." Kei said, anxious.
"It's out of character, as far as I understand, for Nakahara to take any time off school, and even more so for him to disappear from home." Shigeru said. "Come to the hotel suite. We can discuss this in more detail."
The call ended. Without any pause, the team swiftly made their way to Ginumi via their phones. Kohaku had only one goal in mind – to save Shintaro. Everything else could wait.
|Grand Laguna Hotel|13:56 pm|
"Welcome back." Hiroyuki said. "We've already been informed of the situation."
"I can't believe something like this would happen..." Novalie said.
"If a Gnosis is switched to private mode, does that mean it's impossible to tell where it is at all?" Kohaku asked. "There must be some way to bypass it!"
"As a matter of fact, there is." Shigeru said. There was a knock at the door, and Shigeru looked up. "Come in, Rimando."
The door swung open swiftly, revealing a young lady, and while Kohaku didn't recognise her, Natsumi practically jumped up in surprise. The new guest, in her mid-twenties, had purple spiky hair, in a small ponytail that went down and across the left side of her face. Her emerald eyes scanned the room, and she nodded at everyone curtly, ignoring Natsumi's apparent glee – as well as Masato's confusion.
Who is she? She's not exactly dressed for battle...
She wore a lilac sequinned top, with a highly sparkly amethyst necklace, and matching bracelets. Also, coming down her knees was a purple and white flowing skirt, with a small slit. To show off her height, she had on black high heeled boots.
"Hey." The young woman said. "...Um, what's with her?" She pointed at Natsumi, now somewhat apprehensive."
"I've no idea..." Masato said. "Do we have to sedate her?"
"Shut up, you ass!" Natsumi snapped. "This is Reia Rimando! You know, the woman who owns Veil Valour, only one of the coolest stores in Hiyashi!"
"Ah." Reia said, now calm and collected. She picked up a blueberry muffin from the table, one that Novalie had apparently made, and began eating it. "Yes, that's my day job. I've been designing the clothes there for a little while now. But, as you can probably guess, I got a Gnosis and a Persona – which is pretty awesome – and I'm helping out Shigeru when I can."
"Rimando was attending a fashion event during the events of Kaleidoscope." Shigeru said. "Otherwise, she would have come with us."
"Relax. I'm here now." Reia said. "And I already know about you guys. I remember you now. Natsumi Yoshinaga, is it? You've been in my shop a lot, I remember that hair now. Too bad you're not in Kansei, though. Green is so not a good colour."
"Hey..." Masato said.
"Don't we have more important things to discuss?!" Kohaku shouted, frustrated. "Shintaro could be out there dying and we're bickering about the colours of our uniforms!"
"Kohaku..." Novalie said, sadly. "Please, try to stay calm. We will find Shintaro, no matter what."
"His Gnosis is on private mode, huh?" Reia said. "Check this out." She got out a laptop – naturally, it was purple – and connected her Gnosis via a lilac USB-C cable.
"What exactly are you doing, Reia-san?" Natsumi asked, walking over.
"Gimme a sec." Reia said, typing furiously. "I took a few computing classes during my fashion design degree. I learned a lot in my five years in London. In particular, the myth about their teeth is just that, a myth. Apart from that one guy who used to run the student union. Made our only date pretty awkward..."
A black window appeared, displaying text in white that, while mostly undecipherable for Kohaku, seemed to be displaying the internal code of Reia's Gnosis. "Shigeru sent me the data he had on Shintaro's Gnosis. Which means, if it's still powered on, we should be able to bypass whatever privacy settings he has and get a GPS co-ordinate. It might be a while, but I'm working on it."
"Okay. Do whatever you have to do!" Kohaku said, anxiously. "Shintaro's life might just depend on it."
"Hey, I'm under enough pressure as it is." Reia said, without raising the tone of her voice. "Natsumi-san, I know you wanna chat some more about the store, but -"
"No, this is much more important." Natsumi said. "I only just became friends with Shintaro-kun again. I can't lose him."
"Nor can I." Masato said. "It took us so long to meet again..."
"While we're waiting for Reia to finish, we should discuss the situation with Bythos." Hiroyuki said, moving over to the monitor. He displayed a giant skyscraper of Shinshuto. "Inoue Bank – that's one of the Divine Nine skyscrapers, by the way – has heightened security. Strange activity has been happening there."
"What do you mean, Kita-san?" Kei asked.
"Well, objects somehow moving without anyone having touched them. Security alarms going off even with no actual intruders. Or at least, ones that appear on camera." Hiroyuki continued. "Inoue serves many customers around the world, so they already took security rather seriously. But now they're suspicious of everybody."
"The thing is, no actual customer data has been compromised." Novalie said, pouring a cup of tea for Reia, who was carefully scrutinising her data. "Inoue Bank have always been upfront about their business, from their many successes to their failures. Nothing has been hidden from the public – so what exactly Bythos are hoping to achieve is still unknown."
"We've got someone else keeping an eye on the building." Hiroyuki said. "He's rather busy as well, so he couldn't aid us in Mizuho. But he promised to devote more time to our efforts."
"He promised me that he'd take me out for sushi..." Reia said, dryly. "He still hasn't. Too busy with rehearsals and writing new songs. At least, that's his excuse."
"Rehearsals?" Masato asked, curious. "Who is he -"
"Later. I've got Nakahara's location down now." Reia said. Before long, she had switched the projector to her laptop's input, and displayed several screens. One of which was the coding she had been looking at earlier, while the second was of a satellite view of the Hiyashi district. The red arrow pointed to somewhere away from the busy shopping streets the area was known for – the Chiho TV Studio, the building appearing in a third window.
"Huh?" Masato asked. "Why there?"
"Beats me." Reia said. "The area used to be some run-down neighbourhood. Before this was Shinshuto City, there were a lot of crappy areas like those, and that was the last one to get torn down. I don't know much about Chiho TV, really, other than they mostly do kid's shows."
"Do we know roughly where in this building Shintaro is?" Kei asked, anxiously.
"According to this, it's underground. We're going to have to warp to Hiyashi to take a closer look." Reia said, standing up. "The nearest Aeon Pathway we have to Chiho so far is a few miles away in Keyaki Hills. Sending it to you all now."
Kohaku checked her Gnosis, and saw it being added to her list of destinations. Also, she now had been synced with Reia's own Gnosis.
"Who's all going to Chiho?" Reia asked, looking at Shigeru.
"There's no way I'm staying back here! Not until I find Shintaro!" Kohaku said, clenching her fists. Kei nodded in agreement, as did the twins.
"...I'm coming as well." Shigeru said, icily.
"Same." Reia said, somewhat dispassionately.
...You don't even care that my best friend is in danger, do you? Why not show some concern like that others?! I don't care if Natsumi buys out your entire store, I don't like you one bit!
"We'll remain here as backup." Hiroyuki said, looking at Novalie. "Not so much for you guys. If you're with Shigeru and Reia, you'll be in good hands. But our agent in Inoue Bank is all alone. We ought to be ready in case he activates the distress signal."
"Oh yeah, I made that app myself." Reia said, casually. "It wasn't that hard to do, really. Basically, all you do is tap your screen a number of times – with the correct pattern – really quickly, and then that gets sent to our little command centre here. Despite what I said earlier, our guy at the bank is pretty reliable. He won't call distress unless he means it. And he never forgets anything. Ever."
"He your boyfriend, or something?" Natsumi asked.
"...He wishes." Reia said, frowning. "Anyway, we're heading out to Hiyashi. All ready?"
"Yes, Rimando-san." Kei said, politely.
"Very formal. I like it. You'll do well, Kakusa-san." Reia said. After Novalie and Hiroyuki wished them good luck, the six of them were transported to Hiyashi.
|Hiyashi, Where Prosperity Gathers – Keyaki Hills|14:10 pm|
Keyaki was one of the 'hip' youthful shopping centres within Hiyashi, most known for the gigantic Hills, filled with elaborate stores. The dark blue glass windows were illuminated by bright white lights. Natsumi's eyes lit up themselves when she looked up at it. Normally, Kohaku would have been excited to wander in, but she had a mission to focus on.
"I should have asked earlier. Did you check the history of his device's location up until this point?" Shigeru asked.
"The last tracked point before now was a neighbourhood in Totsuka. Most likely near where he lives." Reia said.
"How did Bythos learn that?" Masato asked. Reia shook her head, unsure.
"Those bastards!" Natsumi shouted, finally looking away from the Hills building.
"This way." Reia said, pointing towards a tree-lined road, passing through some rather high-end houses. "The quicker we get to Chiho, the better."
"Then let's hurry up!" Kohaku said. The group began to wander, when suddenly, a quintet of identical Shadows appeared. These were strange dog-like ones called Inugami.
Reia stood forward. She summoned her weapon, a large white gleaming scythe with a fearsome spike at the end, and held it downwards with just one hand, the other on her hips.
"Whoa! That's so cool looking!" Natsumi asked, cheerily.
"It's just a weapon." Reia said, somewhat annoyed.
"Ha! What a bunch of babies! You'll never beat the Black Condor!" One of the Inugami said.
"...What did you just say?!" Shigeru asked, suddenly furious.
"What's he so pissed at?" The second Inugami said.
"I dunno. Can we just fight already, so we can go shopping in the Hills?" The third Inugami said.
"We don't have any Yen, you stupid dog!" The fourth Inugami said.
"Shut. Up." Reia said, fiercely tapping the ground with her heel. "Show me your true power! Persona!"
From the violent blue winds, a feminine form appeared, gracefully landing onto the ground and bowing to her confused enemies. Her lavender hair went down to her back, swaying somewhat in the wind, and occasionally had golden streaks flash. Her golden eyes fixed upon her opponents, and her purple lips curled into a smile. As with her 'master', she was dressed exquisitely, with a long sleeveless white dress, tightened around the waist and with a large slit, and she had white long heels with golden accents.
However, she was not here simply to look pretty. She clicked her fingers, and in her hand was a blade so thin, Kohaku could barely make it out. It was almost like a needle, except it had a faint white glow.
"I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Eunomia, and I shall sentence all who oppose me to a death that surpasses the pain of all others."
The Inugami whimpered with fright, but before they could beg for mercy, they were blinded by the scintillation of Eunomia's Banishing Beam. She held her left palm, and fired a laser of pure light at the four enemies. Their bodies could not keep it together, and they were disintegrated.
"Whoa!" Natsumi said, stunned.
"It's not that big of a deal." Reia said, sweeping a hand through her hair. "Those Shadows were pretty weak - you would have easily beaten them yourself."
"But you freaking slaughtered them!" Masato said, still in awe.
"The time will come when you're at our level." Reia said. "I'm still behind Komatsu-san, really."
"Reia, we need to leave. Now." Shigeru said, noticing Kohaku's growing restlessness.
"I know. I'll lead the way." Reia said, taking command. She guided the six of them through Hiyashi, briefly pointing out the Shrine. Shadows kept coming their way, but they were all slaughtered by their combined effort. Kohaku simply wouldn't let them stop her. Shintaro was in peril. It didn't matter if she was exhausted. Saving him was all that mattered.
|Unknown Basement|?|
"Ugh..."
Shintaro looked up. His vision slightly blurry, he blinked a few times, and everything came into view. He was lying on a plain white bed, with no other furnishings in the room that he could see. The floor was stone, and somewhat grimy looking, and so were the walls. A bare bulb shown overhead, allowing Shintaro to look around.
"...Where am I?" He asked. He looked towards the door, and gasped. A man stood there, with his arms crossed. He appeared strong, and much stockier than Shintaro's lithe frame. Around his neck was a thick black scarf, with golden flame designs. He also had something of a ninja uniform, with a think black vest, gold armoured bracers, etc.
"You were out for hours. Was starting to worry." The man said. He pulled out a bottle of water and a ham sandwich, and offered them to Shintaro. However, the boy wasn't quite in the mood for pleasantries. "Hey. You need to eat sometime."
"Why am I here?! Who the hell are you?!" Shintaro demanded. He felt for his Gnosis in his pockets, but couldn't find it anywhere. The man shook his head, and sighed.
"Listen, kid. This ain't anything personal."
Shintaro was quiet, and looked at the man now that he was closer. He had a decent physique, but his eyes were rather weary, and his hair had started to turn grey. He also had a rather scruffy beard. It was as if he and Shintaro were polar opposites...
"Okay. This place is the Chiho TV Studio. Hiyashi." The man said. "This is just some old storeroom, though. You wanna know why you're here, kid? Simple. Your girlfriend Kei -"
"Girlfriend?!" Shintaro shouted.
"Easy, kid. Considering your situation right now, the details of your relationship with her aren't that important. Think about it." The man said, almost smirking, as he scratched his chin. "Okay, whatever Kei is to you, she's got Mizuho in the palm of her hand. That Cognition Core is something we at Bythos need."
"Why?!" Shintaro asked. "Are Keiya and Asami in on this too?"
"Nah, not this time. The Princess has them doing something else in Ginumi tonight, but I can't remember what it was." The man said. "Why the Cognition Core? Well, someone with a really strong will can use it to alter the will of the people of an area. And with even more power, the area itself. The Theio and the Akartharto Kosmos are linked, kid. I got you here cause I was able to cause a crack between the two worlds, that you fell through. Not that it lasted very long, but it did the job."
Dammit. I was careless. This guy's probably been skulking around since we got back from Hanashima. Now what the hell do I do?
"Truth is, I dunno what exactly Nisa Liat wants to do with this city once she gets all the cores. But if we have all six, then whoever owns them is basically a God. They choose how everything works. And the nine of us that are helping her get in on the deal...our own shitty lives will be improved, little by little."
Shintaro, while angry at this man, didn't want to risk infuriating him. Without his Gnosis, there was simply no way he could fight back. Instead, he decided he had to be as obedient as possible. And hope that Kohaku would find a way to get him out of here.
"So like Asami and her three friends?" Shintaro asked.
"Yeah. That was pretty hard on her. She's only your age, too." The man said, looking at his feet. "Keiya, he...well, he used to be an actor, until some other asshole ruined everything for him. Now he's doing the card magic shit."
"...What about you?" Shintaro asked. "Natsumi overhead the name 'Toki' when she was in Kaleidoscope. Is that you?"
"Heh...guess Keiya can't help but badmouth me. He's so full of himself." The man said, laughing to himself. "But yeah. The name's Toki Hayashi. You probably were too little to remember, but there used to be a time when everybody knew my name. Or my codename on TV. Black Condor."
"What? That's Phoenix Featherman Ranger R..." Shintaro said, confused. "You were on that show?!"
"Yup. Long ago, I used to be on TV." Toki said. He took out his own Gnosis, and showed a picture of what appeared to him when he was younger. Clean shaven, with bright, almost innocent eyes, and dark hair. He was wearing the Black Condor uniform in an earlier iteration, with his helmet in his hand. "I had other roles before this, but this one really put me on the map. All the kids used to say I was their hero. The one that lead the team to victory, episode after episode."
"...I haven't watched it in years." Shintaro said. He did like the actress currently playing Pink Argus, but he couldn't remember her name, other than she was a master at archery. "What the hell happened to you, then?"
"I..." Toki said, trailing off. "It's...well, it's a long story. I let everything go to hell. They fired me, replaced me with some dumb fuck who had no business even making tea for the camera crew, and..."
"...And?" Shintaro asked.
Toki looked down at the ground, and it seemed like he was ashamed. Finally, he spoke up.
"I lost everything. Everything that ever meant anything to me." Toki said, gravely. "There's nothing out there for me. No one will ever want me on TV again. Bythos is the only place I can belong. So that's why I can't screw up this job. Without Bythos, I'm back to being less than nothing."
All was quiet. This was a man who carried a deep self-loathing, worse than any Shintaro had ever experienced.
I was trying to think about who 'Toki' would be yesterday. That picture in that newspaper. Should I ask? He looks depressed enough as it is. If I tick him off even more, when I'm his prisoner, I could end up even worse off.
"I...I'm going outside to double check everything." Toki said. "Your friends are out looking for you. It's only a matter of time until they show up and try to take you back. I wonder what's more important to them. Keeping the Cognition Core to themselves, or your freedom...? Your fate's in their hands. Better hope they make the right choice."
Toki left the room, and now everything was deathly quiet. Shintaro cursed himself for his own carelessness. Now, Kei would be forced to hand over the Cognition Core, and they would lose Mizuho to Bythos. What an underhanded trick, and yet, it had worked.
I'm sorry, everybody. Maybe it would be better to just leave me here.
|Chiho TV Studio – Front Entrance|15:01 pm|
The building was rather plain, a white large box building, with some red logos. Yet the place seemed to be teeming with Shadows, if Kohaku's Gnosis was anything to go by. The long walk here had been somewhat tiring, but she didn't care. Now she would get Shintaro back home.
"This place looks much the same as the Akartharto Kosmos." Reia said. "It didn't seem like they have a Cognition Core for this facility, so we shouldn't expect too much to be different inside. I've already downloaded the floorplan for this place. Here."
She sent the images to everyone's phones, which detailed the various studios within, as well as the various other rooms. Reia lead the way inside to the dimly lit reception area, which aside from a few potted plants, was a rather drab room.
"Rimando, where do we go from here?" Shigeru asked.
"There's a big studio on the basement floor. That's where the signal's coming from." Reia said. "There are Shadows all over this place, so getting there won't be easy. We normally would need special keycards to get through the restricted areas, but while we were walking, I downloaded the needed information onto our phones. All we need to do is display the keycard image and hold it up to the scanner."
"Alright! Reia's so cool!" Natsumi said, happily.
"Novalie is the one with Bufu spells, not me..." Reia said. "If we follow this path, we should get to the basement. Come with me!"
The group went through the door to the right, through a dark corridor. As they went through it, however, it started to get brighter. Shadows continued to appear, including Sarutahiko – a god in Shinto mythology, married to Ame-no-Uzume, whose name meant 'Price of the Monkey Fields'. Kei recruited him, and before long, the group were at the stairwell.
"Nice work, Kei." Reia said. "Your Wild Card ability is coming in handy. What Personas do you have right now?"
"Ostara, Sarutahiko, Nekomata, Jack Frost, Koppa Tengu and Angel." Kei said, looking at her Gnosis. "For some reason, the last one looks like a bondage queen."
"That doesn't sound very Catholic..." Masato said, gawking at Kei's handset. "She's kinda hot, though."
"Whatever!" Kohaku snapped. "Rimando-san, we have to find Shintaro now!"
Suddenly, however, another Shadow came running down the stairs, blocking the way down to the basement. It was rather human like, but it radiated a strong force regardless. It seemed to be a blonde young woman wearing armour, with a cape bearing the colours of the French flag.
"You must be the ones Black Condor spoke of. I am the Maid of Orleans – Jeanne D'arc. You will not escape!"
"This isn't good. She's really strong..." Reia said.
"Leave her to me." Shigeru said, summoning Dis Pater. "I'll have her eliminated quickly."
"You mustn't be so overconfident. It will only lead to your downfall. By my sword and my honour, I will slay you all!"
"You really think you can accomplish such a feat?" Shigeru said, taking up a fighting stance. "Then face me! Wraith Cross!"
Dis Pater's large laser blades protruded from its hands, and slashed the Shadow in a cross formation. It then hurled her backwards onto the ground, leaving her in pain.
"Hurry up and go!" Shigeru said, pointing to the stairs. "I'll rejoin you as soon as I've defeated her!"
Reia nodded, and ran towards the basement. The others followed, and as they did, the heard the sounds of a fierce battle. The Maid of Orleans was formidable, and strong willed, but she would learn soon enough that a human's heart was stronger than all others.
|Chiho TV Studio B1|15:32 pm|
After navigating through more corridors, the group of five reached a large, rectangular studio, with a full sound set and cameras pointing at what appeared to be a home's rather luridly pink and yellow kitchen. Natsumi seemed sickened by the sight, much to Masato's amusement.
"Nakahara's Gnosis seems to be around here." Reia said, looking at her notes. "...Don't worry about Shigeru. He's a black belt in karate. So even before he was hurling around Curse spells, he was already a badass."
"It's hard to imagine him in the full karate uniform." Masato said.
"He's all about the business suits, the long coats, that kind of stuff. Not my forte, really." Reia said. She checked her Gnosis, but sighed. "Damn. He's still fighting Jeanne D'arc. I bet no one else in the council can say they beat up Joan of Arc..."
Kohaku looked around, but couldn't see anyone else. She had never seen the show that was filmed here, but the set design was just atrocious to look at. There was a door towards the back, with a sign above saying 'Storage'.
"What kind of shows do they film here?" Masato asked.
"Obviously, hard-core porn." Reia said.
"...How do you even say that with a straight face?" Natsumi said, bewildered, while Masato cracked up. Kei couldn't help but laugh as well.
"It's just one of my many talents I learned in London." Reia said.
Kohaku was now at the door, and grabbed the handle. However, it wouldn't budge at all. Grunting, she grabbed it with both hands, but only managed to hurt her hands.
"Shintaro! Are you in there?!" Kohaku shouted. She heard footsteps coming closer. Finally, when she heard the voice she had been dying to hear, her heart soared.
"Haku-chan?! Is that you?!"
"Thank god! We've been looking all over this stupid studio for you!" Masato said, relieved.
"Are you alright?! You're not hurt, are you?" Natsumi said.
"I knew we'd find you in the end. Don't worry. You'll be out of here soon enough." Kei said, calmly.
"That's right." Kohaku said, overjoyed. "I'm sorry it took us so long..."
"No, don't apologise. It's so good to hear you all..." Shintaro said. "It was -"
Kohaku suddenly was pulled away from the door by Reia, who had her scythe ready. She had nearly been sliced apart by a pair of swords, one a katana, the other a wakizashi. And their wielder was Shintaro's kidnapper, a man with a world-weary expression, yet still strong and agile. Immediately, Reia rushed forward with her scythe, only to be blocked by the man's swords.
"You!" Kohaku shouted. "You're the one who took Taro-kun, aren't you?!"
"So are you his girlfriend, or is it Kei?" The man asked, trying to force himself past Reia. Yet the fashion guru had no intention of letting him off easy.
"...I suggest you quit joking around, unless you like having your throat cut open." Reia said. Her eerie calmness sent a shiver down the man's spine, but he continued to hold his blades out.
"Wow. Pretty and badass. You'd make a great Pink Argus one day." The man said.
"What's with all the Featherman, anyway? We heard Shadows talking about the 'Black Condor'." Masato said.
"That's him! He used to be Black Condor years ago!" Shintaro cried from behind the door. "His name is -"
"Toki Hayashi. I was born here, but after I got into acting, I went to Tokyo. Now my home town's a huge city too. My old house used to be here. Everything changes so quickly..."
"So you're famous?" Natsumi asked. "I guess all you Aeon Admins are celebrities..."
"Celebrity? Famous? Oh, I was, back when I was in Featherman." Toki said. "Black Condor used to be everyone's favourite, and that was down to me! But I fucked it up. Badly. So I can't lose here. Kei Kakusa, hand over the Cognition Core. It's the only way I'll let your friend get out of there alive!"
"What?!" Natsumi shouted. "Oh, that is one sneaky..."
"That's not what Black Condor does to win!" Masato said. "...Wasn't that your catchphrase? You said it every single episode!"
"Oh, you remember me from back then?" Toki said, impressed. "...That was a lifetime ago. I ain't fit to be Black Condor anymore. But I haven't forgotten any of my old tracks. Especially not now that I got a Persona giving me a major leg up."
"Kei..." Reia said, looking at her sternly. She did a backflip, avoiding Toki's deadly blades. "Shintaro is at great risk here. Do you really think we can safely retrieve him and keep the Cognition Core?"
"What?" Kohaku said. "Surely we don't have to go along with his demand!"
"Yeah, that's bullshit! We fought the Astraeus together so we could stop Mizuho from becoming some kind of hell! I won't just hand it over to him! Chieki Academy will end up as some kind of brainwashed cult."
"If I wanted them to have it, I would have sided with Asami!" Natsumi said, annoyed. "We can't possibly agree to this. We must find a way!"
"...No." Kei said, glaring at Toki. She withdrew her katana, resolutely. "You're handing Shintaro over. If not, you'll see what I do to win."
Toki sighed in despair. He took up a fighting stance, and became surrounded with a blue aurora.
"So I have to fight you kids after all..." Toki said. "Fine. Just remember. I'll let you survive if you give me the core. Otherwise, you might not make it..."
His Persona appeared, and it was far from graceful or merciful in visage. Wearing a red and white oni mask, complete with bloodstained horns, it bore a long mane of untamed black hair. Its outfit was a black skin-tight suit, akin to the Black Condors, but it was ragged and torn, and its boots were covered in sharp spikes, as where its gauntlets. Completing the look was a black scarf, almost identical to Toki's own. In its hands were two rather sharp swords, one shorter than the other.
"I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Shuten Doji...and all but one sword is powerless to stop my wrath!"
"You heard the man..." Toki said, smug. "Bring it!"
"Oh, we will! Magna!" Kohaku shouted. Airmid attacked with the force of earth, yet it didn't seem to hurt Toki that much. "Huh?"
"...Still wet behind the ears." Toki simply laughed, and rushed forward. She gasped, and tried to block with her naginata – but his pair of swords were too fast. She was hit, and badly.
"Kohaku!" Natsumi yelled. "You'll pay for that! Eat this! Agi!"
A burning flame of Brigid's hit Toki, but it was barely enough to make him sweat. Frustrated, Natsumi swung her staff at him wildly, and tried aiming a few hard kicks too. She had been developing her fighting style throughout the evening, and was getting into it – yet she was a novice compared to Toki.
"You're even more of an amateur than the others..." Toki said, unimpressed.
"Yeah, well...you're annoying!" Natsumi chided. "Get him, Masato!"
"Zio!" Masato cried. A bolt of Camulus's lighting hit Toki, flashing through the room. However, Toki actually laughed out loud, much to Masato's consternation. "What the hell? Our attacks aren't doing anything!"
"Would we have been like this if we had fought Keiya and Asami...?" Kei asked, now looking worried.
"Those two? Man, they're always talking shit about me." Toki said, grimacing. "They've not been in Bythos as long as I have. Until the new guy last week, they were our most recent members."
"If we can beat you, then we have nothing to fear." Kei said, yet she was shaking. She hit Toki with her katana, while Masato's club hit him from behind. While he was in pain, his sword attacks were far more destructive, as he quickly showed them. "Argh!"
"Damn..." Masato groaned.
"I've not even had to use any of my real attacks yet. You sure fighting Bythos is all that smart?" Toki said, laughing a little.
"It's not the smart thing, perhaps. But it is the right thing." Kei said.
"...You know that movie?" Kohaku asked, impressed.
"Know it? I almost dressed up as Kida for halloween!" Kei said, amused. "Now! Koppa Tengu!"
The Persona, a strange Japanese creature with a long nose and huge wings, appeared, and attacked with a powerful Wind Beat – a flap of the wings, sending gusts of sharp wind at Toki. The minute he was hit, Reia's scythe slashed through him.
"Argh!" Toki cried. "So you're not as pathetic as those kids, huh?"
"Don't insult them. All they want is to save their friend." Reia said, glaring at him with disdain. "Eunomia!"
Reia, angered by her foe, called down the blessing of Kouga. Stronger than the Kouha that Angel could cast, it seemed to cause Toki a lot of pain, far more than any other attack that had been launched at him.
"Let there be light." Reia said.
"...Wow. That was almost as lame as the writing on Featherman these days." Toki said.
"Yes, because it was the pinnacle of drama during your era." Reia said.
"Tch. Go to hell!" Toki shouted. "Maeiga!"
Heavy amounts of cursed power hit the entire body, to devastating affect. Kohaku could barely stand – one more hit, and she was done for. The others were in the same boat. Even Reia was in great agony – Eunomia couldn't handle Curses nearly as well as Blessings.
"Guess I've found your Achille's Heel." Toki said. He looked at her heels, and raised an eyebrow, bemused. "You still got the receipt for those, by the way?"
"I made them myself, you arsehole." Reia said.
"...Still got some Londoner in you?" Natsumi asked.
"Man. I'm glad you don't work in TV costume design." Toki said.
"Shut up!" Kohaku shouted. "I've sick of your shit! Media!"
Her faithful Persona granted her healing power to the others, healing them considerably. Prior to this fight, Kohaku had used her Gnosis to purchase a new 'accessory', a type of bracelet that increased her medical powers, extending to her magic and her items. Perhaps for the remainder of this fight, she would have to solely be the medic.
"That was great!" Masato said. "Now, Camulus!"
A strong Iron Impact hit Toki, but he didn't even flinch, and even yawned.
"Kid, weren't you paying attention? Weapons like those barely even scratch me. They're even more useless than those entry level spells you're slinging around. It's not too late to give up and hand over the core..."
"You seriously think we'll just cave in?" Natsumi asked. "What the hell are you even going to do with the Cognition Core?"
"My reasons...are none of your fucking business." Toki said, glowering. "We need all six of them to have any chance of making this city an actual utopia. Mayor Ashikaga...wow, she's involved with some shady stuff."
"And you know this for a fact?" Reia asked.
"Nisa Liat's never been wrong..." Toki said. "She invited me to join Bythos when I was at my lowest ebb. Becoming an Aeon Administrator was my second wind. It's the closest I'll ever get to filling the void inside."
"Sorry, are you trying to make us feel sorry for you?" Kohaku asked, incredulous. "My sympathy lies with my best friend you've got holed up in there!"
"...I don't need anyone's sympathy. It won't help me. Not until I get that damn core back!" Toki shouted.
"Like hell that's going to happen! Searing Circle!"
Natsumi launched Brigid's fiery ring, which while burning hot, couldn't singe Toki particularly well. Frustrated, she hit the ground in anger with her staff.
"What, you throwing a tantrum cause you're that inexperienced?" Toki shouted. He rushed at her, but Kei got in the way. To his surprise, she managed to fend off his slashes, even with one sword less. "What the – you trained in sword combat?"
"I joined the Kendo club this week, if you must know." Kei said. "My sword is an extension of my own will. And my will is to find out just what's going on with this world..."
"Huh?" Kohaku asked. "What are you talking about, Kei?"
"The...Theio Kosmos, no doubt." Reia said, rolling her eyes.
"Don't take that tone with me!" Kohaku shouted.
"We're supposed to be fighting that old guy, not each other. Cool it!" Masato said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Exactly..." Kei said. "It doesn't matter how many times I have to fight you. I will win! Angel!"
Her divine messenger appeared, casting the holy spell of Kouha. Not quite as intense as Kouga, but it seemed to hurt Toki more than any other element.
"Good work, Kakusa." Reia said, giving a thumbs up. "Eunomia! You're up next!"
The Persona took out her needles, and stood facing Toki and Shuten Doji. She was eerily still for a few seconds. Just as Toki was about to attack Kei, something flew right through him in the blink of an eye, and he fell down, clutching his sides. Eunomia was right behind him, laughing in a 'posh' manner, having sliced through him with the Virtuous Needles.
"Damn..." Toki yelled, standing back up. He grabbed his swords, and flipped away from Natsumi's kicks and staff. "You still haven't defeated me yet. Don't look so confident! It's time I cut you down to size. Kagenui!"
Shuten Doji laughed ominously, as the area suddenly turned dark. Kohaku couldn't see anything, but there was a flash of light around Kei – as she was struck by the Oni's blades. Another flash occurred for Masato, then Natsumi. Kohaku braced herself, but even she was struck down, and collapsed to her knees. Reia took the hit, wincing, but still standing.
"...You guys can't take much pain, huh?" Toki said.
"Go...to...hell!" Kohaku shrieked. She stood up, furious. "I've...I've never hated anyone so much in my life! Mark my words, Toki Hayashi, I will make you regret this day!"
Airmid's Media replenished the team's health, numbing the sheer pain from the previous bloodbath.
"We've got to fight more strategically." Reia said. With a holler, she leapt through the air, catching Toki off guard, and slicing through him with her scythe. "...Me and Kei are the only ones who can really hurt him at the moment. Kohaku, I need you to focus on healing. Masato, you know a spell that can help me hit this guy harder. Natsumi, you've got one that might just work."
"Here!" Masato cried. Camulus bestowed upon Reia a mighty Tarukaja, enabling her to wield her scythe with even more brutality than before. Toki leapt out of the way, and tried attacking Masato – but Natsumi blocked both swords with her staff, and kicked Toki back.
"Ha!" Natsumi said. "Makajama!"
A peculiar force emanated from Brigid, and for a moment, Toki panicked. Yet nothing happened.
"Aww, come on..." Natsumi whined.
"You really thought that would do it, didn't you?" Toki said, laughing. "Too bad. This scarf of mine always helps me remember exactly who I am, and what I'm capable of..."
"Did you all have those kinds of scarves back in your Featherman days?" Masato asked.
"Oh yeah. They were pretty badass, too." Toki said. Distracted, he was engulfed by Kei's Kouha. "Shit!"
"Still think you're unbeatable?" Kei asked, proud of herself. "You shouldn't lose sight of your own weakness."
"Precisely. Your brain clearly isn't as strong as those biceps you like showing off..." Reia said, shaking her head in disdain. "Eunomia, would you be so kind as to finish Hayashi off?"
The goddess nodded, and pushed forward with her palm, sending forward another Banishing Beam. Toki fell over, dropping his swords, seemingly out for the count.
"Alright!" Kohaku cheered. "Now we can get the key off him. Taro-kun, you'll be home soon!"
"I just hope he still has it on him. Otherwise, we may have to scour this entire studio." Reia said. Suddenly, she gasped. Around her was a massive cluster of shadowy energy, which enveloped her. As it took hold, she screamed, falling down.
"...The hell?" Kei shouted. She gasped. Toki was back on his feet, still wielding both swords. "How?!"
"What, you thought that really was it?" Toki asked, amused. "Get serious. It's a little trick I've been working on. Playing dead, but casting Mudoon at the same time. Cursed Image, I call it."
"Are you kidding me?!" Natsumi shouted. "You conniving coward!"
"I'm done playing around with you guys. Your trump card's out of play, so you're kinda screwed. Demonic Distortion!"
Four black spheres appeared, each with a bright blue oni-like face floating within. They started to laugh, and the room got incredibly hazy, and seemed to twist around them, until Kohaku and the others seemed to be on the ceiling. Finally, gravity took over again, and they collapsed into the dark orbs, fully succumbing to their corrupt power.
"No..." Kohaku said, holding her heart in agony. "How could...I let this happen?!"
"Kohaku..." Kei said. "I should have...seen through his duplicity..."
"It hurts..." Masato groaned. "Shintaro-kun...I'm sorry..."
"I...I'm not strong enough!" Natsumi said. She looked over to Reia, who was still unconscious. This seemed to be their darkest hour yet. "I...I'm so weak.."
"What's going on?! Kohaku?!" Shintaro yelled, banging on the door. "Hang on! I'll fight too!"
"Not without your Gnosis! And you're supposed to be the smart kid!" Toki said, swinging his swords rapidly. "So, you calling it quits? Gimme the core, guys. It's like I said before. It's the only way you and your friends are gonna make it out of here alive."
"You're disgusting..." Kei said, grinding her teeth, barely able to stand.
"Agreed."
"Huh?!" Toki shouted. He turned around, and saw a man of the same height – and his countenance glowed red, burning with the fire of pure hatred. "Dammit, you -"
Kohaku gasped at what happened next, with hands over her mouth. Shigeru slammed his fist hard into Toki's face, sending him flying to the ground with a heavy thud.
"...Recarm!" Kei shouted to her Angel. The blindfolded winged young woman flapped her wings, and blessed Reia with rebirth. The clothing maestro opened her eyes, and got to her feet.
"Reia!" Natsumi cried, running over.
"I'm...I'm alright now." Reia said. "But...what's happening? Shigeru...?"
"Argh! Fuck...!" Toki said, clutching his face in a feeble attempt to numb the pain. A Gnosis had came flying out of his pocket, and landed on the floor. It reached Kohaku's feet, and she grabbed it quickly.
"Thank goodness you got here." Reia said, relieved. "We...we ran into some major trouble."
"Of course you did. This man causes no end of trouble, especially to his own family. Right, Toki Hayashi?!" Shigeru shouted. "What the hell were you thinking, becoming an Aeon Administrator?! Did you think Kaiyo would come back?!"
"You...you bastard!" Toki yelled, getting up to his feet. "You're the one who took her from me!"
"Don't flatter yourself, you piece of shit!" Shigeru said. "Dis Pater!"
The Persona's own aurora had become one of vehemence, matching Shigeru's surprise loathing of this man. Kohaku shuddered, and stood back, still feeling the pain of the fight.
"Damn! Shuten Doji, don't let me down!" Toki shouted. Despite his earlier bravado, the previous fight had drained his stamina. "Nakishigure!"
The oni warped in front of Shigeru, and began stabbing at him rapidly. Despite the ferocity of these swords, the politician stood tall. Looking up at Dis Pater, he deeply Concentrated, and his already considerable power was heightened.
"I see your Persona is as monstrous as your past conduct..." Shigeru said, icily. "Now you've resorted to unlawful imprisonment, of a minor no less, and you were prepared to murder his friends? I shouldn't be surprised. Kaiyo still has nightmares about the beatings you gave her."
"...What?!" Toki said, taken aback. "Kaiyo-chan..."
"Don't you dare refer to her like that. Not in front of me." Shigeru said. "I was there for her and Noburo, not you. We're a proper family. One you'll never be part of again."
"What are you saying?" Kohaku asked. "Is Noburo...not your son?"
"You're telling everybody that he's your kid?!" Toki asked, shocked. "He's mine! You got no right passing him off as your son, you hear me?"
What?! You've got to be kidding! Noburo can't be...he's Toki's boy?!
"...Dis Pater." Shigeru said. "Finish the job. Open...the Phantom Nexus."
Toki was trapped by a demonic looking glyph, that had a dark blue aurora. It began gathering darkness itself from the atmosphere, then caused a tremendous blast - shattering the kitchen set in its entirety, and enveloping the room with smoke.
"Bloody hell." Reia said, impressed.
"Argh!"
Toki, unable to stand, dropped his swords. Looking up at his foe with fear, his eyes went wide with horror.
"Your son, is he?" Shigeru said. "Why would he ever turn to you as a father ever again? The last time he saw you...he almost died. He wants nothing to do with you. Noburo needs someone he can count on. And that would be me. He's the one he calls father. I've been there when he needed someone."
"Shigeru..." Reia said, sadly.
"...Does he really hate me that much?" Toki asked, dejected.
"He hasn't seen you since he was four years old..." Shigeru said. "He has no fond memories of you he can clearly recall anymore. And that's all down to you. You drove them both away. It wasn't until I met then that they could trust someone again. So to answer your question? Yes. He does. And that's not going to change anytime soon."
"...Yeah. I know it's my fault now." Toki said, shutting his eyes. He reached into his pocket, and hurled a key forward. Kohaku went to fetch it, while Reia and Shigeru moved in on the former Black Condor. "I'm only with Bythos cause no one else wants me...sad, right?"
"We finally agree on something." Shigeru said. "Kaiyo confided in me all about you. I held her in my arms, as she wept. You caused her a lot of pain...both physically and mentally. Even to this day, she still panics when she sees someone that looks like you. But now that you'll be in prison, you won't be able to come near her. Noburo can safely go to school without you lurking around as well. Everyone will be much happier with you out of the picture!"
"...You're probably right. But I'm gonna fix everything. That's what Nisa Liat promised she'd help me do..." Toki said. He hastily grabbed his Gnosis, and before it could be seized from him, he used it to vanish. Yet he had left something behind, a photograph from a wallet.
"...Huh?" Masato said, picking it up. "This...this is -"
Shigeru seized it, and frowned. He seemed like he was about to rip it to pieces, but relented, and simply put it in his pocket.
"It's a wedding picture. Of Kaiyo and...him."
He stared at it, still in fury, but exhaled deeply, putting the photograph away.
"So that Noburo kid at your school. He's Toki's kid?" Masato asked, looking at Kei. Shigeru looked away, sighing.
"It appears so, Masato. Komatu-san, are you going to be alright?" Kei asked, with a look of concern.
"Yes. I'll be fine. I don't need you kids worrying about me." Shigeru said, now calm again. "...But thank you for your concern."
"Don't let him get to you. You're Noburo's real father. After all, you raised him for most of his life." Reia said, smiling. "And from what you've told us about him, he's turned out really well."
"Yes. Toki may be his biological father, but that doesn't make you any less of a parent. You might be the best thing that ever happened in his life." Kei said.
"...I'm lucky to have you two on my side, aren't I?" Shigeru said. "Hayashi is nothing but an waste of space. I won't let him anywhere near my son. But we came here to save Nakahara. Teruya, are you alright over there?"
"Yes...this key's really beat up, but I can do it!" Kohaku said, putting all her strength into turning it. Finally, she got the door unlocked – and immediately, Shintaro ran outside, and embraced her out of sheer relief. "Whoa..."
"Haku-chan...it's so good to see you again!" Shintaro said, weeping somewhat. "I...I'll never let this happen again. That's a promise. You won't be without me..."
"...I know." Kohaku said, tearing up herself. "I was never going to just leave you there...was I? Toki's gone, but we shouldn't stick around. We're taking you straight home."
"What are we going to tell his parents?" Masato asked, worried.
"Hmm." Shigeru said, worried. "Worry about the details later. All that matters is you going home."
"Kohaku will give you a copy of her notes later." Kei said, happily. "So don't worry about school. All the teachers were wondering where you were...they'll be so glad to see you again. Like me, of course." Her face went red, and she looked away.
"Kohaku, please take Shintaro home. Whatever you tell your parents, you must put their minds at rest." Shigeru said. "Reia, we should check to see if there are any developments at Inoue. Masato, Natsumi, and Kei, you're free to go home."
"Okay. Let's go, everyone." Kei said. Before long, the group warped away to the Akartharto Kosmos, finally having saved Shintaro from a potentially grisly fate.
|Shintaro's House|17:30 pm|
"Shintaro!"
His parents, having seen him from the window, ran outside and wrapped their arms tightly around their son. Kohaku stood there, smiling, yet tearful.
"I'm sorry..." Shintaro said, his mind racing for a story to tell them. "I...I needed to get away for a bit."
"It doesn't matter..." Takuya said. "You're finally home, my little boy..."
"Thank heavens you're safe..." Eriko said. "Kohaku, where was he?"
"He...He was in Hiyashi. I found him there after school." Kohaku said, trembling somewhat. "Taro-kun, you're...you're really okay, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I'm going to be fine now. I promise I won't let any more pressure get to me." Shintaro said. He felt silly, using that as an excuse. Middle school had been a terrible experience for the most part, but even then, he hadn't ran away from home.
I can't just tell them I was kidnapped by some former actor, can I? I mean...it all happened in the Theio Kosmos. Should I tell the police what happened? Even if they did, they'd never be able to find him. He'd just slip into Theio and they'd be none the wiser. I want Toki to face justice, but the normal police can't do it. It has to be us.
"Come inside, Shintaro. You must be hungry...I'll make you dinner. Your favourite." Eriko said, her arms still tightly around her son.
"You mustn't let the threat of Bythos scare you, my boy..." Takuya said. "It's our job to keep you safe. Kohaku, thank you so much for bringing him here..."
"...It's alright. It was the least I could do." Kohaku said. She left for her house, and Shintaro was ushered inside his own home. He never thought he'd be so relieved to be back in the safety of this place.
Tomorrow is the day I get to meet Celestine Courtois. I won't let Bythos get in the way. They're not going to succeed, not now, not ever!