AN: Halfway through Arc 2, and this one took a big longer than I expected, but overall I like how it turned out. As for who the sixth member of Shigeru's group is, that'll be revealed sooner or later. Thanks to everyone for reading, and please review/favourite/follow. On we go! (And yes, I threw in a reference to Duality again. And to Persona 3 and Devil Survivor 2.)
Chapter 20: A Son's Choice Leads To Strength
|Saturday, April 22nd|Sodai Concert Hall – Outside|17:45 pm|
The fated day had come. Aika Makino's concert was tonight, and it had completely sold out. In fact, Kohaku had been lucky to get tickets at all. She thought about it, long and hard, but finally asked Natsumi if she wanted to go. They would make a girl's night out of it, she thought. The two girls had arrived, after heading home to get changed in their best outfits.
"Wow. You've always been able to rock that orange colour, haven't you?" Natsumi asked, as she arrived in her favourite pink dress. Kohaku had an orange one, with long brown tights and fancy orange heels, complete with some matching bangles and a red jewel necklace.
"I guess. Like how you're always in pink." Kohaku said, grinning. "Too bad Chieki has that awful green uniform."
"Oh come on, Kansei's purple isn't that nice. Besides, you always go for an orange blazer anyway." Natsumi said, pouting. "How come you didn't go with Shintaro, or someone else?"
"Well..." Kohaku said, thinking to herself. "It's been so long since the two of us spent some time together. Now that we're talking again, and kicking ass together in the Theio Kosmos, we should have more girl's nights out. Don't you think?"
"I did miss spending time with you..." Natsumi said. "After some of things I said about you and Shintaro-kun, I never thought you'd want to speak to me ever again. And I wouldn't have blamed you either."
"That's enough of that. We're older and wiser now. Well, as wise as two sixteen year olds can be." Kohaku said, giggling. "Anyway, believe me, you're going to love hearing Aika live. I've heard all of her music."
"What's the story behind her, anyway? Wasn't she in some really controversial band?" Natsumi asked.
"Yeah, that's right. The manager turned out to be a complete perv. She quit before that scandal broke, though, and they replaced her with some other girl. Without Aika, they had no talent at all. Then it all came out. Their manager tried to deny it all, but there were so many stories about him and the other girls he'd worked with..." Kohaku said, shuddering. "Eventually, he got fired, the band split up for good, and now Aika reigns supreme."
"What a creep. At least no one else has to suffer at his hands." Natsumi said, indignantly. "C'mon, let's grab our seats. I just hope nothing goes wrong in the Theio Kosmos tonight..."
They ventured inside, and managed to get the seats. Soon, they would be witnessing one spectacular show – yet not far away, another event would take place, with an even greater impact on those witnessing it.
|Tarumi – Oracle Cinema|17:56 pm|
Noburo and Teruko were leaving one of the many screens here, having watched an enjoyable foreign comedy. They still giggling as they reached the front doors, their faces hurting from laughing so much.
"Wow..." Noburo said, still trying to curb his giggling. "That elevator scene...amazing!"
"It was perfect! We got so many angry stares from those jerks in front, but who cares! It was the best film I've seen all year!" Teruko said, still in peals from laughter. Seeing her laugh always made her boyfriend smile – and usually join in.
As they left, Noburo saw an older boy, perhaps about 20, hanging around. He looked quite tall, just about the young actor's impressive height, and well built. Yet he had a boyish, almost innocent look in his face. When he saw the younger boy, he looked panicked, and suddenly walked away.
Huh? What's wrong with him? Do I know him from somewhere?
"C'mon, let's go eat somewhere. I want to try that Spanish tapas place. Please?" Teruko said, with her most innocent smile. "I promise I won't complain this time if they're out of my favourite dish..."
"How can I resist that face. Let's do it, senorita!" Noburo said, putting aside his earlier confusion. He kissed his cherished girlfriend on the cheek, and reached to check his wallet – but he couldn't seem to find it. "Oh no..."
"What is it?" Teruko asked, concerned.
"I left my wallet in there. Sorry, can you wait out here for a moment? I'll be right back." Noburo said. She nodded, albeit a little annoyed, and he ran inside back to the screen. Most of the staff had seen him many, many times, and waved at him. A large amount of their ticket sales had been through him and his family, and he loved coming here. With any luck, he could grab his wallet and go for another romantic evening with his beloved.
As he walked to his row, he felt strange. Like a pulsing sensation in his head, that wouldn't go away. Trying to ignore this, he found his seat, and to his relief, saw his wallet, a black one he got in an attempt to look more mature. It went straight into his pocket – but when he started to walk away, something happened. He felt a massive pain in his head, and everything momentarily went blank.
|Tarumi – Oracle Cinema?|18:03 pm|
When Noburo's vision returned, everything felt entirely different. The movie screen looked the same, but there were no sounds, and the screen completely went dead. He thought he had heard glass shattering around him, too, but saw nothing around him but rows of empty seats.
"What happened?" Noburo asked himself, a chill going down his spine. "Am I just...really tired?"
He heard something behind move behind him. Anxious, he turned around, and screamed out loud, falling backwards. There was indeed someone else here, but they sure weren't human, nor were they friendly.
"What the hell is that thing?!" He shrieked.
"You have spoken unwisely, foolish one. Do not think you can leave here alive. Do you commit this outrage knowing that I am Mahamayuri?"
The yellow-skinned figure seemed to be a Buddhist god with four arms, each carrying different items, one of which was a yellow lotus flower, another peacock feathers, and the other two appeared to be carrying fruit. He had a handsome face, albeit with a haughty expression, and was rather ornately decorated with graceful wings and peacock feathers.
"W-Whoa?!" Noburo said. "You're not human at all! I have no idea who you are...What's going on in this world?"
"Those with power rule this world. This is the battlefield, a precipitous peak. I shall bring all my might to bear in defeating you. Can you overcome the power that reigns over this land?"
"Stop! I...I don't want to die! My girlfriend is outside, waiting for me. Please, just let me go?"
"A ignorant mortal like you, lacking my grace, has a girlfriend? She can wait a thousand years for all I care. Die, now -"
Before 'Mahamayuri' could strike with unknown power, something else struck him rather powerfully. A pair of scissors made out of pure energy. Startled, Noburo got to his feet, and looked up. Another figure was right in front of the Buddhist god, one of Celtic origin.
"What?! Show yourself, you cretin!"
A young man, the same one that Noburo saw earlier, leaped down from the ceiling, through a hole that had yet to have been fixed.
"Eat THIS!"
|Sodai Concert Hall|18:06 pm|
The audience, having waited for several minutes, screamed as the light shone on the stage. There, dressed in a dazzling pink dress, sleeveless and elegant, was the dainty Aika Makino, now a celebrated singer-songwriter in her own right. Having cast aside the shadow of her idol days, she had enraptured a new audience, the most enthusiastic was none other than an exuberant Kohaku.
"Hello, everyone!" Aika said, taking the silver microphone. "It's wonderful to finally be here. As some of you know, it's not been easy getting my real music out there. Until this year, I was starting to feel it was hopeless. But, every disappointment is a new journey. I've made some wonderful friends that have helped heal my heart, dampen my sorrows, and made it possible to start anew."
New friends, huh? Whoever they are, they must be really incredible if they inspired her this much.
"This concert is based on my new album's material. Performing live is something I used to do a lot back when I was with my old band. Now that I'm able to do this solo, I have nothing more to fear. Let's begin!"
She moved slowly to the piano, and the lights dimmed. The minute she began playing, the audience fell silent, almost under her spell. This was everything Kohaku was hoping it'd be. A local talent finally rising to glory.
This is perfect! I bet no one else is having such a great night. Oh yes, Noburo and his girlfriend will be seeing Netuno perform. That's going to be awkward, isn't it? Oh, who cares! I love this music!
The concert continued, with Aika's powerful vocals and the ethereal piano melodies capturing the heart and soul of the entire audience. It was nothing like any concert Kohaku had been to before, and even better, the girl she was sitting next to was no longer an enemy. Yet further within Tarumi, more trouble was brewing.
|Theio Kosmos – Oracle Cinema|18:14 pm|
It all happened too fast for young Noburo to understand. The mystery man was able to command 'Grannus' to attack the strange being, made of a shadowy energy. It tried its best to attack with the power of both wind and what appeared to be psychic energy, but failed, and Kaii's power prevailed. The god knelt down, slowly dissipating.
"I can't believe this...I've been slain! We are born from humanity, yet we are slain by them. Must humanity destroy everything they create? What a disgusting world...may I never suffer here again!"
The god's body vanished, leaving just Noburo and the other man. There was an awkward silence, as the mystery man checked his phone.
"Um...uh...thanks for saving me." Noburo said. "But what the hell is going on?"
"Looks like you're okay. Thank god." The man put aside his phone, and smiled. "It's good to meet you, kid. My name's Kaii Murayama." He held out his hand to shake.
"Okay..." Noburo said, raising an eyebrow, as he shook Kaii's hand. The way he's acting, you'd think we were at one of my dad's dinner parties, not fighting strange gods with too many arms. "I'm Noburo Komatsu."
"Nice." Kaii said. "Don't worry, that jerk's staying dead."
"Fine, but – oh my god! Where's Teruko?! She's okay, isn't she? There aren't more things than that snotty four-armed freak, are there?"
"Whoa, easy!" Kaii said, putting his arms on the younger boy's shoulders. "Your girlfriend is safe. Here's the thing. This world may look a lot like the one you know, but it's not the same. It exists parallel – right in the same spot. They can't see each other. So back in the normal world, your girl is safe and sound."
"The fuck are you talking about?" Noburo asked. He didn't usually swear, but his confusion and fear were rising, and he didn't care how outwardly friendly this Kaii seemed to be. "Listen, whatever the hell just happened, I want to get back outside and find Teruko! She'll be wondering what's taking so long!"
Kaii shook his head. "Thing is, you don't have the means to go between worlds. You went through a 'crack' of some kind, but those are only temporary. This phone I got is the only way to go back and forth normally."
"...Then you'll just have to take me back yourself, won't you?" Noburo said, marching closer to Kaii. The older boy got flustered, looking away. "Wait. That crack you mentioned. Was it...you?!"
Kaii didn't respond. He let out a heavy sigh, and looked up at the ceiling.
"Answer me, you total flake!"
"Whoa, what's with the name calling? Not cool, bro." Kaii said. "Okay. I'm gonna be honest with you. There are a lot of other people like me that I'm working with. One of them...is someone I think you should meet."
"Thanks, but as you might have heard, I already have a girlfriend -"
"Not like that!" Kaii said. "I don't want to give it away just yet. But he really wants to see you again, believe me. Come with me, okay? He's not too far from here. Once we're done, then you can go back to Teruko."
"...You seriously got me stranded in this other world just to meet this guy?" Noburo asked, frowning. Kaii nodded, but he looked away, unable to bear the young actor's harsh stare.
Fine, whoever this guy is, hurry up and take me to him..." He was still infuriated, but without a means to defend himself in his alternate world, he had no choice but to follow this Kaii around. "Where exactly is he?"
"At the big theatre in Tarumi." Kaii said. "I'll explain as we go. Don't worry. If we run into any more Shadows like Mr. Peacock, I'll crush them."
"...Fine. This better be worth my while." Noburo said, annoyed. The two of them walked out of the screen and through the empty movie theatre, with no one in sight. For someone with such power, Kaii had a harmless air about him. Yet he kept hoping this would turn out to be all a dream. Or that his father would come and get him away from here.
Yeah, right. My dad's probably never been to this other world. How he's gonna find out I'm here?
|Shigeru's Office|18:27 pm|
It had been a invigorating day at work, with Shigeru approving several key documents and making some productive calls with the government in Tokyo. For most of his working life, his passion for his career had been applauded, especially by his lifelong friend Yuko. To be working right alongside her in such a prominent office was challenging, yet so fulfilling.
Just as he was about to leave the office, his mobile phone rang. He didn't recognise the number, but he decided to answer it anyway.
"Hello, Komatsu speaking?"
"Oh! This is Noburo's dad, right? It's Teruko!"
What? Why is she phoning me now? Did he give her my number in case of emergencies? Then...
"Yes, it's me. What's the matter?" Shigeru asked.
"Have you heard from Noburo since this morning? Only, we went to see a movie after school, and he went back inside because he forgot his wallet...and I can't find him anywhere! The staff said they saw him go in, but they never saw him leave! I don't know what to do..."
Shigeru stood there, comprehending this. His son, disappearing? Leaving his girlfriend high and dry? That wasn't like Noburo at all. Something was up. His heart felt tense, and there was a huge shiver down his spine.
"Haven't you tried phoning him?" He finally asked.
"At least ten times! But nothing...it was fully charged last time I saw him look at it!" Teruko shouted. "Please, do something. This is really scary...what if Bythos got to him?!"
"...I'll check with him and his mother. I'll call you back. Try not to panic." Shigeru said, trying to be calm, yet he just couldn't convince himself. Teruko hung up, still frantic, and he just stood there, anxiety overtaking.
He tried calling his son's mobile, but nothing. Now his panic was rising ever steadily. He then dialled his wife's number, and she answered quickly.
"Hi, darling! Are you on your way home?" Kaiyo asked.
"Just heading out. Listen, have you heard anything from Noburo this evening? He was out on a date with Teruko, but he seems to have vanished."
"...What? No, I haven't heard anything..." Kaiyo said, concerned. "Should we call the police?!"
"No, not yet. Leave it with me. I'll find him soon enough. I promise." Shigeru said.
"A-Alright...please, be careful." Kaiyo said, sounding rather peturbed. The call ended, and Shigeru stood there in silence.
There could be no other explanation, in his eyes. Someone had abducted Noburo into the Theio Kosmos. Most likely none other than the one who had once been his father.
"...DAMMIT!" Shigeru screamed, banging his fist on his desk. His hatred for the man burned hotter than any flame, and he had no intention of letting this slide. Whatever Toki had planned for Noburo, he would put a stop to it and bring his son home.
You may be his biological parent. But you're no father to him. You had plenty of choices, and now you're nothing to him but the occasional nightmare. Ever since Noburo called me father for the first time...he's been part of my life. I can't...I won't imagine life without him. I have to save him. Now!
There was no time to lose. He would call for everyone to arrive as soon as possible. That |included Noburo's own senpai, at least, the ones that were available.
|Grand Laguna Hotel|18:35 pm|
There was a tense atmosphere, as the group assembled – sans Kohaku, Natsumi, and the sixth senior member, who remained an enigma. All they had been able to ascertain was that they were an older woman, but they were rather elusive.
"...Is this everyone that could make it?" Shigeru asked, barely able to contain his anger.
"Y-Yes, Shigeru-san." Novalie said, nervous.
"What's the situation?" Hiroyuki asked, full of concern.
"My son...Noburo. He's been abducted by Bythos, just like Shintaro was."
The group was deathly quiet. The boys and Akari were shocked, looking at each other.
"What?! But I saw him leaving school with that Teruko girl..." Akari said, stunned.
"This is bad...we've got to do something." Shintaro said. "Noburo's a good kid. I've only spoken to him a few times, but -"
"Yeah, I know what you mean. He's got a kind, honest heart. That's the feeling I get from him." Akari said.
"Where was he when it happened?" Netuno asked.
"He was in the Tarumi Movie Theatre with Teruko. After he went back inside to find his wallet, he never came outside. No one saw him leave, but plenty of the staff watched him go in. They checked the fire exits, but nothing. I called the theatre myself to double check." Shigeru said. "...Dammit! This is all Toki Hayashi's fault! That fucking piece of shit has taken my son!"
"Hey!" Reia said, standing up. "You're not going to get him back by swearing and screaming at the top of your lungs. We need a plan. First step is to look at Tarumi in more detail. I've a feeling he's probably still there."
"Good point. Let me show you all something." Hiroyuki said, taking control of the projector with his Gnosis. It displayed a grid map of Tarumi, with prominent buildings indicated with red dots. These included the Sodai Concert Hall, the Oracle Cinema, Kujou Dancing School, Tomochika Comedy Club, the rather posh Swan Libraries function room, and the Aoi Studio, which was where Electric Sea recorded their material.
"Sodai is where Kohaku and my sis are tonight..." Masato said. "You don't think they're in danger, do you?"
"We didn't detect that building being massively different in this Komos, so it's probably not there. Out of all these buildings, we did detect a slight increase at the Kyutai Playhouse." Hiroyuki said, pointing to another building.
"I've been setting up some cameras around Tarumi recently. Don't worry, they only capture footage in the Kosmos they're installed in. It's just a way of monitoring and studying Shadows...but if I go to the cameras at the Playhouse, we can see what's going on around there." Reia said, pulling out her laptop from her stylish purple bag.
"You didn't put any in our studio, did you?" Netuno asked, wary.
"Not in the Theio Kosmos, anyway. Or in the Akartharto, for that matter. I hear enough of your music as it is -"
"Enough! Just shut the fuck up and find out if my son's in there or not! NOW!" Shigeru bellowed. Akari flinched from the volume, while Masato gripped her hand tightly to calm her down. No one had seen him like this before – and no one dared to make his mood even worse, if they could avoid it.
Without any more pauses, Reia opened a camera feed on her laptop, for the outside area of the right hand side entrance to the Playhouse. It showed several high end stores and businesses, including a major law firm that Hideki's fiancée Setsuna worked at, but nothing particularly interesting except for a happy looking Cu Sith chasing a rather flustered Cait Sith.
"Um..." Masato mumbled.
Reia didn't respond, and immediately moved onto the left most entrance. She rewound the footage, hoping for a result. For a moment, there was nothing except the long path and the elegant street lights on either side, but after a moment, two figures appeared, walking in the dusk.
"Noburo!" Shigeru shouted, pushing Reia aside. Netuno glared hard at him, but said nothing. "What the – who is that man with him?!"
"It's...Kaii!" Akari said, shocked. "That's Kaii from work...and also of the Nine Aeon Administrators."
"That guy again? Not Toki...?" Netuno said. "Any audio?"
"One moment. I had to make do with a limited budget, so it's not the highest fidelity microphone ever." Reia said, adjusting the volume. She played back the short footage of the two men walking towards the doors.
"It's going to be okay, Noburo. Those Shadows aren't going to get you when I'm around." Kaii said.
"Dammit. Teruko's probably already called my dad and mom about this." Noburo grumbled.
"Your dad, huh..." Kaii said. He seemed slightly annoyed by this, which seemed to rattle Shigeru even more. Reia gripped her laptop tightly, perhaps to protect it from any violent outbursts.
"Look, this better not take too long. I already nearly got killed by that Mahamayuri. If this place is full of more things like that, I don't want to be in there for longer than I have to." Noburo said.
"Relax. You got nothing to worry about, my little man. Although we're almost the same height, aren't we?"
"Yeah. In fact, you and I look kind of similar. Almost like...nah, it's nothing. Let's get this over with." said Noburo, somewhat anxious. The two disappeared from view, most likely heading inside the Theatre.
"...He's taking him to Toki?! That fucking idiot!" Shigeru shouted. "That's it. I don't want any more delays. If the others aren't coming, so be it. We'll handle this ourselves. But I want to take care of Toki with my own hands. Are we clear?!"
"Yes, sir..." Akari said.
"Got it." Shintaro said. In actuality, his heart was racing. His brief time with Toki had not been pleasant, and having to be near him again was a harrowing prospect. Yet there seemed to be no alternative. He would have to face his fear, and do what he could to protect Noburo.
"The nearest Aeon Pathway to the Theatre we have so far is at Oracle Cinema...it'll only take five minutes from there. On your feet! Now!"
The group warped to Tarumi, each one of them preparing themselves for another encounter with Toki and Kaii. There may be other dangers lying in wait, but with Shigeru's rage, they might just find the danger had come to them.
|Kyutai Playhouse|18:49 pm|
Despite the relative youth of this city, this theatre had existed for many decades, inspiring countless performers over the generations. Its foyer, carefully maintained as always, was spotless, with shiny brown marble flooring, grand Ionian columns through the entrance hall alone, grand arched windows with rich red curtains framing them.
There were some historical posters on the walls depicting some of the theatre's most well-loved shows, as well as a very trendy, albeit expensive, wine bar through a door to the right that the more affluent frequented before seeing a performance.
"You say you've been here before?" Kaii asked.
"Hundreds of times. Tarumi is like my playpen." Noburo said, smirking. As angry as he had been about being whisked away to this world, he was starting to enjoy talking to Kaii. "See that poster up there? Solar Ray, written in New Motus City. It's pretty good, I went to see it when I was ten. But you know that one next to it, Death By Moonlight? I'm going to be in this year's performance."
"Holy cow. I didn't know I was with a famous actor." Kaii said, happily.
"Not 'famous', exactly..." Noburo said, blushing. "But it's been my dream, ever since I can remember. I just always liked watching old movies, and going to the cinema. I've been going up for auditions for all sorts. This is the biggest thing I've ever been in."
"You nervous?" Kaii asked, thoughtfully.
"Yeah, a lot..." Noburo said. "But everyone I know is supporting me. Come opening night, I'm going to wow that audience. And from there, onto new heights."
"Awesome. Wish I'd had that kind of ambition back when I was your age." Kaii said, sadly. "Truth is, kid...I flunked my entrance exams. I just couldn't do it. Something was holding me back. This huge empty feeling..."
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Noburo said. "There's a lot more support for people like you these days, though. My dad works with education in the city. He's helping a lot of cram schools and their curriculum."
"You sure are proud of him, aren't you?" Kaii said, suddenly frowning. The boy nodded, a little unsure of his companion's reaction. "...I never knew mine. Still don't even know his name. You're a lucky kid, alright. Almost wish I was in your shoes."
Before Noburo could respond, there was a rush of footsteps. A group of three young people in blue uniforms ran down the carpeted stairs, their leader a male, the other two girls.
"Yo, Aritomo, my man!" Kaii said, casually waving. "What's up?"
"Murayama-san! We heard voices, so we thought we'd take a look. We...didn't expect this boy to be with you, though." Aritomo said.
"Ah, sorry about that." Kaii said, scratching his head. "This kid's Noburo. Don't worry about him. He's a good kid."
"Hold, on, miss, aren't you at my school?" Noburo said, looking at the girl with lilac hair. "Konomi?"
"Yes...I'm a first year student of Kansei." Konomi said, looking away. "I'm in the homeroom right next to yours and Teruko-san's. I've heard her get into fights with other girls many times. Mostly over you."
"Ah, good to see you're already friends!" Kaii said, cheerily, while the others stood there in awkward silence.
"Um...why is he here? Does he have a Gnosis yet?" The other girl said.
"Relax, Fumika, it'll be fine." Kaii said. "First, I gotta take him further inside, then we'll get him set up. I gotta hunch we might just have our tenth administrator."
Administrator? Of what? This theatre? But these guys don't look like actors at all. Especially the girl with the blue hair, she looks so nervous even being herself.
"Oh..." Fumika said, forcing a smile. "That's...great! Right?"
"Right. Good luck." Aritomo said. "Were any other Admins coming here tonight?"
"Yeah. The big guy's gonna be here any minute. You guys go out on patrol for a bit, I can handle things here."
"Understood. We'll be on our way." Konomi said. The three left the theatre, leaving the two boys alone again.
"What was with those three?" Noburo asked.
"They're the Azure Squad, under my control. Well, mine and someone else's. And that someone else will be with us really soon. C'mon, let's go inside. I've asked him to meet us on the stage."
This still isn't making any sense. Dammit, my head hurts. How the hell am I going to get back to the 'real' world? Am I ever going to see Teruko again? My parents? This Kaii seems nice enough, but what if we run into trouble that he can't save me from? I don't want to have to depend on anybody else. I want to be the one that protects people.
The two left through a door to the left, making their way to the grand stage that Noburo had witnessed many a performance on. Tonight, however, he might just be part of one himself...
|Kyutai Playhouse – Stage|
"Wow..." Noburo couldn't believe his eyes. "This is way better than I imagined!"
The two had waded through some hallways to reach here. Even without any of the sets or lighting up, just being on this stage like hundreds of other actors was a thrill. Soon enough, each one of the iconic red seats would be filled, watching a play that had been written right here.
"I know, right?" Kaii said. "This building in this world, or 'Kosmos', is usually empty. But lately me and my team are using it as a base of operations."
"...What kind of operations?" Noburo asked.
"Well, our group have the power to summon Personas, like I just did. We can use this world to uncover dark secrets of the real world, and enlighten the people. The city council has some really shady skeletons in their closets. Perhaps literally. So rather than let the people live in a false age of ignorance, we want to expose the secrets and let people be aware...so they can move towards a better future."
Noburo stared at him, now even more uncomfortable. Just what was he accusing Mayor Ashikaga of? He had known her since he was young, and she had attended his mother's wedding to Shigeru. That had been the day he called Shigeru 'dad' to his face, finally trusting him completely. He still remembered how happy the man had been to hear that, giving him a huge hug and the family celebrating with a huge crowd.
Mayor Ashikaga was so nice even back then. And her daughter was there too. It was before that horrible break-in at her home...
"Noburo. I'm going to give you something that I think will come in handy." Kaii said, interrupting the boy's thoughts. He reached into his coat's pockets, and pulled out a light blue smartphone – one that looked like the black one he had used earlier. "You need this to call your Persona here. It's how this world works. These help us move between worlds, fight the Shadows, other stuff."
Noburo slowly reached for the phone, but before his fingertips touched it, the doors to the stage swung open. There, standing looking somewhat annoyed, was a tall, muscular man with scruffy short dark hair. One that Noburo took a few moments to recognise.
When he did, he immediately hid behind Kaii, shaking. No, surely it couldn't be. Why this this man here? Kaii would protect him from this monster, right? Then it hit him. It had been this man that Kaii wanted Noburo to meet this evening. Why was this happening? Why did he have to be near him again?
"Okay, what's so important you called me out here for?" Toki said. "...Who's that hiding behind you, boy?"
"Don't get mad...hear me out." Kaii said, slowly, as Toki started to approach.
"...What have you done this time?" Toki asked.
Noburo had frozen – he had heard that voice many times throughout his nightmares sometimes, and it had never failed to scare him even as a teenager.
"I know you told me not to do anything. But...the longer the two of you are apart from each other, the more it's hurting you. And him too, I bet." Kaii stepped away, leaving a fear-stricken Noburo. The two locked eyes, both bewildered.
"...Nobu?!" Toki finally said. This had been the closest Noburo had been to his father, since that fateful time in the car. He had spent quite some time in the hospital after that night, and ever since then, his father had stayed away. Until now, it seemed. "It's...really you, isn't it?"
The son didn't speak at all. Terror had seized him. Nothing but awful memories were coming to his mind. Things he had heard his father say...
"Shut the fuck up, you stupid woman! It's not my fault the stunt double died! They keep saying it's because I drink too much? Screw them! After all I did for that show, they just blacklist me! So get me another beer, now! What reason I got to stay sober now, huh?!"
"...Are you okay, Noburo?" Kaii asked, somewhat foolishly.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU BITCH! YOU CAN'T TAKE NOBURO FROM ME! HE'S ALL I HAVE!"
This man...I can't...
"Why the hell did you take me to him?!" Noburo shouted, tears streaming down his face. "Don't you have any idea why my mother left him? Why he's never been around?!"
"Noburo, I -"
"I could have died thanks to him!" Noburo yelled, heart pounding harder than it had ever done before. "He didn't tell you about that, did he? He tried to take me away from Mom! I was crying, begging him to let me out, but he just kept driving! On and on, and I had no idea where we were. And then...drunk behind the wheel, he goes offroad. It's the middle of winter. He drives the car straight into an icy pond...!"
"Kid..."
"Stop calling me that!" Noburo shouted, slapping Kaii's hand away. "When I was little, he...always used to come home, drunk. Mom would try to stop him, but he...he hit her! I kept seeing him doing it...and he kept saying he'd never do it again, he was so sorry, but it never stopped!"
Toki stood there, shameful, and gazed at his son with an agonizing face. Every single word from his son must have been like a knife at his heart. Being reminded of his past must hurt – which is what Noburo wanted. To finally express his hatred.
"Why the hell did you have to come to Shinshuto?!" Noburo shouted. "Everyone would be better off if you had just stayed in Tokyo. A stunt double died because you turned up to work drunk. You got arrested for punching three people in a bar. Whenever you're around, all you do is fuck things up and waste every opportunity that's handed to you! What kind of moron would you have to be to think I want anything more to do with you?!"
"...I-"
"Don't even bother!" Noburo said. "Kaii, you said these things help you go back and forth between the worlds, right? I'm going back to my world right now! If you follow me, my dad will have you both in jail!"
Quickly, he grabbed the spare Gnosis, and tried desperately to get it to work. Yet it seemed dormant. It wouldn't activate. If it wasn't going to send him to the 'Akartharto Kosmos', as he had heard it named, he was stuck here. With these two, his estranged father and his young comrade, who didn't seem particularly bright.
"Noburo. You can't get it to work, can you?" Toki finally said, still shaken from his son's words. "Please...give me a chance to help you."
"Toki -"
"Shut up, Kaii. This wasn't going to be some happy reunion – you knew that. I told you everything about how I fucked up my life! My career, my marriage, nearly killing my son..but did you listen to any of that? No, you didn't. Now you've just made everything a million times worse! The least we can do is get him back home, so he'll never have to see me again."
"But Toki, that's...that's not what you really want, is it?!"
"...It's him that matters. That's why I didn't go near him on the beach. Look at him. Being near me is hurting him."
What? He saw me with Teruko last night?! How long has been around? Has he been watching me before?
Noburo, still shaking at the sight of his father, had had enough. Even with a dud of a smartphone, he had to get out of here. He ran, back the way Kaii took him, down to the main entrance. He heard someone run after him – but he didn't falter. He ran ever faster.
|Kyutai Playhouse – Entrance|
Shintaro had barely stepped inside the theatre, and yet chaos erupted immediately. A door swung upon, and a boy in a Kansei uniform ran outside, incredibly frightened.
"Noburo!" Shigeru cried. The boy ran immediately into his arms, sobbing. "...You're not hurt, are you?!"
"N-No...I'm okay now." Noburo said. "He's here..."
"I know." Shigeru said. As if on cue, two others appeared from different directions. There was the boy that Shintaro assumed was Kaii, and the other was none other than his kidnapper. Toki.
"Get the hell away from me!" Noburo shouted, as Shigeru held him closer. "I...I won't join you!"
"So what was the plan here, boys?" Hiroyuki asked. "Trying to turn the boy against us? You've turned sinking to a new low into an art form."
"Sinking..." Toki said. That very word seemed to just lay there for him, painfully.
"Kaii..." Akari said. "What Toki did to Shintaro was bad enough. Do you have to repeat it with Noburo?"
"...Shintaro?" Noburo said, finally looking up. He let go, but stayed close to his step-father. "Senpai...?!"
"Yes." Shintaro said. "...Toki, I'm not going to run away anymore. You kidnapping me isn't going to break me. I'll prove to you who's right!"
Shigeru, without a flicker of emotion, cracked his knuckles, setting his sights on Toki. "You have no right to come near my son. And yet I can't just let you walk away. The police won't take kindly to your career with Bythos -"
"Shut up for a second. Your son?!" Toki shouted. "What makes him yours? He's my flesh and blood. Mine! I was there when he was born. You sure as hell weren't!"
"Didn't we discuss this before? Noburo still has nightmares about you. Even to this day, the winter is a miserable time of year for him. You've scarred him. Ever since I've known him...I've looked after him to the best of my abilities. I came here all this way to bring him back home. Once again, you've got his mother worried sick. Haven't you given Noburo and Kaiyo enough pain for one lifetime?"
"Maybe it doesn't have to be more pain..." Toki said, albeit his voice didn't seem confident. "But he's still my son! Maybe you're Kaiyo's new love, but to Noburo, you're just his step-father - not a real one!"
"...Dis Pater."
The Persona appeared, right at the same time as Shuten Doji. Noburo, looking at both these Personas, trembled.
"Netuno, Reia. Keep him out of harm's way. I need to take this slime down once and far all." Shigeru said. "Hiroyuki and Novalie, back me up."
"Should have known it'd come to this..." Toki said, as the soldier and college student went forth. "Fine. I'm not gonna lose this time."
"Damn you guys! Hold on, man, I'm -"
Before Kaii could wade in, Epona appeared in front of him, and her horse neighed at him angrily.
"No, Kaii. This man isn't your friend! He's every bit as nasty as Komatsu-san says he is..."
"You don't know him like I do!" Kaii said, angry. "Are...you really going to fight me?"
"Not by herself." Kei said, withdrawing her blade. "You'll see for yourself what happens when a Wild Card takes on a Joker."
"...Aren't they the exact same card?" Shintaro asked.
"Whatever. Let's just fight this clown. Then we can take them in for questioning. They're criminals, after all." Kei said.
"I didn't want to have to fight kids..." Kaii said ruefully. "But there's no way around these things, is there? I'm not going to hold anything back. Don't hate me if it hurts."
"Likewise. Epona!"
Akari let out a Psi spell via her Persona, igniting one half of the battlefield. Adding to the flames, however, was Kei. She called upon Jack O'Lantern, a brother of sorts to Jack Frost of the fire variety. With its flames of Agilao, she scorched Kaii rather fiercely.
"Ow!" Kaii said. He ran forward, and let out a flurry of rapid punches. Each one came harder than before, and Kei was knocked down, dazed. "Don't take me lightly..."
"You've more brawn than brains, at least." Shintaro said. "But don't think you'll get away with hurting Kei! Garu!"
A burst of wind hit Kaii, sending him spinning – and making him an easy target for Masato's club. Not quite finished, the sparks of Zio came crashing down from Camulus.
"Wow...pretty good Personas you got there. But I'm no slouch either! Grannus! Turn these guys into atoms! Or molecules, or...electrons? Whatever, just hit him with some magic!"
The Persona complied, unleashing the far-reaching Mafrei. The nuclear energies struck Shintaro and the others, quite harshly as well. Thankfully, it didn't seem to have the power to cause radiation poisoning, but it made Kaii no less dangerous.
"Atta boy, Kaii!" Toki said, flipping backwards – narrowly avoiding Novalie's blade. "You sure you wanna waste your time hanging out with these losers, girly?"
"Do not insult me. I do this for the peace of this city." Novalie said, standing her ground. Toki rushed at her, but she gracefully leapt out of the way, striking him with her sharp rapier. "Saga!"
A cluster of ice, in the form of Bufula, engulfed Toki, much to his surprise. Hiroyuki finally managed to get a good shot at him.
"Not bad, man..." Toki said. "Where'd you learn how to be such a good shot?"
"None of your business." Hiroyuki said, angrily. "Maihadare!"
Masamune pulled out another sword of its mighty collection, this time one that seemed to be made of pure ice. Its coldness was such that an icy mist was constantly emanating from it. It struck Toki hard across the chest, and shattered, leaving ice shards all over the floor.
"Damn...don't you feel sorry for whoever has to clean that up in the morning?" Toki asked, smirking.
"This isn't a game, you fool." Hiroyuki said. "Your group's disturbing the peace of this city. I swore an oath to protect Japan. Going down your route would have me end up the same way as you...alone and unloved."
"...That's it, you're going down!" Toki shouted. "Kagenui!"
Shuten Doji laughed ominously, as the area suddenly turned dark. There was a flash of light around Hiroyuki – as he was slashed by demonic swords. Another flash occurred for Novalie then Shigeru.
"You gonna give up yet?" Toki asked.
"I'll never yield to the likes of you." Shigeru said, adamantly. "Try as hard as you might. You'll never win. Megido!"
Toki gasped. A massive explosion of Almighty power was about to take hold of him, and before he could flee, he was caught in its blinding path, and faced the full brunt of it. Crying out in pain, he felt agony surge in every vein in his body – even more so when he was punched right across the face, crashing into one of the playhouse's potted plants.
"Alright!" Shintaro said. However, this distraction left him at Kaii's mercy, and his punches hit him hard in the stomach. "Argh..."
"You should focus more on me than those guys!" Kaii chided. "Aren't you supposed to be the smart boy?"
"Good point." Shintaro said. "Well then...Ogma!"
A Jet Flash hit the boxer harshly – and an even harsher sword hit from behind. It was a strange sensation, being teleported from one spot to another, but it was becoming second nature of Shintaro.
"Media!" Akari called to Epona, who helpfully gave her healing blessing to everyone. "I don't want to do this, Kaii..." She rushed forward, spinning her Tofa, and inspired somewhat by Natsumi, threw in some kicks.
"Neither do I, but..." Kaii said. "I'm not gonna leave Bythos. And you guys aren't going to join us. It's just how it is."
"At least you're not a jerk like Keiya." Masato said. "Or were you trying to have me killed as well?"
"Oh, you former bully, I'm not a murderer." Kaii said. "Yeah, I know about what you and your sis got up to. Asami-chan sure talks a lot – and it was some pretty shitty stuff you did. How the heck did they forgive you?"
"I saw for myself...how far he was willing to go for me." Shintaro said, thinking back to that fateful night on the Chieki Academy rooftop. "Your EX-NIHILO nearly killed me, but he risked his own life to stop it."
"...That so?" Kaii said, ducking under Masato's bat. However, he was too slow to avoid an Iron Impact, which hit him painfully hard in the head.
The redhead nodded, angry. "Truth is, I'll probably never forgive myself for letting things get so bad. But I wanted a chance to make things right. You're probably the same about your own life, aren't you?"
"There must be a better way to turn your life around than fighting alongside Bythos. You, Toki, Keiya, Asami, and everyone else." Kei said gently.
"If there is, I wish I knew what it was..." Kaii said, despondent. "But I failed my exams, got kicked out of my home, no other family to fall back on. I'm not like you guys...I don't have what it takes to find my own happiness."
"That's not true!" Akari said, in despair. "You musn't think that like! I know we haven't known each other very long, but your life is more valuable than that. I know that much!"
"Sorry...but I can't stop fighting now. Not when I'm so close to my goal." Kaii said. "Atomic Scissors!"
Shintaro gulped – in a flash, he was under attack from Grannus and his nuclear shears. The energy from the cut was intense, and he cried out, his scream echoing throughout the place. He thought he heard Noburo's voice, but the pain made it hard to focus.
Kei stared at Kaii right in the eyes, and he recoiled from the harshness of her gaze. "You're only taking the easy way. By ignoring your own worth and siding with Bythos, you're losing touch with your real self. If the only way we can resolve this is via battle, then...it's sadder than words can describe. Persona!"
A new Persona emerged, this time a half-human, half-snake being of Hindu mythology – a Naga. With a Giant Slice, it attacked Kaii with great vigour.
"Keep it up, Kaii!" Toki called from across the hall. However, he was getting quite flustered, with all the punches Shigeru was throwing at him. Clearly, the man's karate lessons had kept him fighting fit over the years, and had Toki not had a Persona, he would have few unbroken bones.
"You don't expect to last much longer, do you?" Shigeru said. Novalie's role as a medic had served the team well, much to the former tokusatsu star's chagrin. However, the sure power Toki possessed made it hard to keep up.
"I got plenty of energy to spare!" Toki said, full of vim and vigour. His blades struck hard and fast, cutting into Hiroyuki rather painfully.
"Hiroyuki-san?!" Novalie cried out.
"Ugh...I'm okay! Don't waste all your energy healing us. Attack!" Hiroyuki barked.
"Alright." Novalie said, valiantly calling upon Saga. "Freezing Tonic!"
Sága flew over Toki and turned her urn upside down – and with her hand gestures, she turned the water that flowed from it unbearably cold. When it touched his body, it froze over, but not before his face changed to an expression of sheer terror.
"That look suits you!" Novalie said, doing a bow to her allies.
Alas, Toki broke free, and despite the cold he had been subjected to, his anger was burning hot. His swords slashed straight at Novalie, who shrieked, barely able to block this onslaught.
"If you're screaming this much, you should head back to college instead of fighting us!" Toki snarled. "Don't think you can beat us by being all dainty – argh!"
He had been hit by one of Hiroyuki's bullets, before he could finish his tirade.
"You shouldn't insult my friend like that." Hiroyuki said. Although he seemed calm, his eyes were full of fury. "Let's just say that neither of the Shadows we've faced have compared to your malevolence."
"Are we really just gonna hurl insults at each other?" Toki said, exasperated.
"You kidnapped a child days ago. I have no kind words to say to you." Hiroyuki said. "Masamune!"
The ensuing rain of tanto forced Toki to act fast – he managed to avoid most of them, but a fair few had pierced him, and they hurt deep. Lashing out, his swords hit his nearest opponent – Shigeru.
"I should have known I'd end up coming to blows with you." The education minister said, darkly. "Ever since I learned about you from Kaiyo, I just had a feeling you wouldn't stay away forever."
"Can't believe she settled for a stiff like you." Toki said, barely avoiding a jab to the face. "Touched a nerve?"
"You've been on my nerves the entire time I've known your name." Shigeru said. "How could you lay a hand on that woman? Kaiyo didn't deserve that. No woman does."
"I..." Toki said, dropping his smirk. "I know..."
"Do you really?" Shigeru asked. "...She still won't let anyone see the scar you left on her body. You can barely even see it, but it still terrifies her. No matter how far you go, the pain you inflicted never leaves."
"Dad..." Noburo whimpered.
Toki looked to his son, but he glanced away. Sighing, he called down Shuten Doji. With his demonic blades, he pulled off another Nakishigure, this time even sharper than before.
"...Argh!" Shigeru shouted. "Your blades won't be enough to stop me!"
"Neither's anything you have!" Toki taunted. He regretted saying this, however, when the imposing Dis Pater appeared in front of him. The energy claws it wielded grew in size, and their glow became a scarlet red. It impaled Toki with both Wraith Claws, and forced him off onto the ground with a blast of dark red power.
"Your buddy doesn't look so good over there..." Masato said.
"Dammit! Toki..."
Kaii grimaced, looking over to his friend. With the four enemies surrounding him, he couldn't quite get to him to provide his support. Even if he did, he might not have the raw power to make a difference. At least, that was Shintaro's belief.
"You're not looking so well yourself." Shintaro said. "If you concede now, we can spare you more pain."
"I'm not a coward! I'll fight until the end!" Kaii shouted. "Grannus!"
Setting his sights on Masato, he summoned even greater nuclear energy, in the form of a Freila. Akari, however, planned to attack with the power of the mind. Epona, with sorcery, conjured a sphere of phantasmal energy, formed of pink and purple, and it formed a strange sword with a wide blade. Guided by her telekenesis, she slashed Kaii with the Soul Blade.
"How'd you like that?" Akari asked, smiling with pride at her Persona. "Go get him, boys!"
"Okay!" Shintaro cheered. "Masato, it's time!"
"Cool!" Masato said, punching the air with his fist. "Let's tear the sky apart!"
Ogma raised his sword high in the sky, and called forth a foreboding tornado. Camulus did the same with his weapon, sending mighty thunder and lightning into it. The wind now glowed brighter, and accelerated in speed at Kaii – engulfing him before he could get out of the way.
"Volt Vortex!"
The tempest passed, dropping Kaii to the ground with a heavy thud. As he struggled to stand, Kei decided to replenish some of her energy. She summoned Ostara, and with the Persona's deep Meditation, spiritual energy came to her.
"You guys aren't getting any more Cognition Cores!" Toki said. Shuten Doji cursed the three enemies with Maeiga, yet it barely seemed to hurt Shigeru. "We won't make the same mistakes as we did in Mizuho."
"Mistakes?" Hiroyuki said. "Because of your comrade's stupidity, at least three people are dead, one of them is on life support, the other is in a coma! That goes beyond mistakes. Persona!"
Masamune appeared, and the katana floating behind him flew into his hand. He grabbed the hilt, and prepared to draw it. There was a brief moment of silence, then there was a massive flash – Masamune had struck with the Raijinken, shocking Toki to his core.
"Well done!" Novalie cheered. "As for me...I refuse to retreat. I don't know why any of us were chosen to wield a Gnosis, but as long as I have this privilege, I won't waste it! Saga! Baleful Brook!"
The Norse goddess emerged, and this time raised her urn high above her head. A strange purple aurora surrounded it, and a geyser of dark water burst out, pouring onto Toki with ominous pressure.
"Guess you're pretty tough after all...shouldn't have underestimated you." Toki said, oddly apologetic for someone the Norwegian girl had just attacked. "Next to these dudes, you sure don't look intimidating."
"Shadows often say that before I turn them into sorbet..." Novalie said, with a sly smile. Hiroyuki shuddered. Apparently, her idea of sorbet was something far more bloody.
"Yeah well, you ain't getting rid of me that easily!" Toki shouted. "Demonic Distortion!"
A trio of jet black spheres appeared, each with a bright blue oni-like face floating within. They started to cackle evilly, causing the area to become misty. It then twisted suddenly, until all three were on the ceiling. Finally, gravity took over again, and they fell upon the spheres of darkness, fully succumbing to their corrupt power.
"Argh!" Hiroyuki shouted.
"Such power..." Novalie said, in awe.
"Dad!" Noburo cried.
"...Stop calling him that! I'm Dad! Not him!" Toki demanded.
Shigeru immediately got back to his feet, and looked back at Noburo.
"Reia. Netuno. Can't you get him back to the Akartharto Kosmos?" He barked.
"We...can't. It's not letting us." Reia said, distressed.
"Then...I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see me this way...Dis Pater!"
The former Black Condor was once again trapped in a dark dark seal, that exploded violently. Masses of cursed power lingered around, leaving a weary, yet indignant, Toki. He clutched his chest, and looked up at his son, pitifully.
"Noburo...you can't let him do this, right?"
"Don't you dare start begging him for help!" The amount of hatred between both the boy's actual and step fathers was constantly rising, and witnessing Shigeru's fury was a fearsome sight to behold.
"Damn you!" Toki shouted. "...Are you really going to kill me?"
"Kill? Don't put me on your level." Shigeru said, aiming a punch at his rival's head. He missed, and leapt out of the way of Toki's swords. "I heard about the stuntman's demise! If you hadn't turned up to work drunk, he wouldn't had died so needlessly."
"Junichi-kun..." Toki said, sadly.
"Yes, that's the one. The show you were so proud to be working on nearly was cancelled thanks to your behaviour. I read about it in the paper. Do you ever wonder what happened to his family? His children are still grieving!" Shigeru yelled.
"...There's no way I can put anything right, is there? Not when you're some perfect city councilman, or whatever! With you around, it's like I never existed! I wasn't always..."
"Always what? An alcholic wife-beater who almost got his son killed?" Shigeru said. "What's the use in trying to remember happier times? You've gone too far down your dark path to ever turn back. No wonder you're with Bythos. What other group would want you in their ranks?"
"GO TO HELL!" Toki screamed. Just as he was about to attack, someone came rushing at him. Kaii had broken away from his fight with Kei's team at last.
"What the – get back here!" Kei shouted.
"Let's show this guy not to screw with us!" Kaii said. "Go, Grannus!"
"Alright. Come forth, Shuten Doji!"
A dark sphere of power erupted around Shigeru and the others, and began gathering a blue atomic energy in it. Finally, it glowed a strange dark blue, and was flashing brightly.
"Daemon Supernova!"
There was a gigantic burst of energy, sending Shigeru and his allies flying. It was a huge explosion, creating a large crater in the ground. Noburo watched in horror as he saw his father painfully land on the ground, as particles of red, black and blue matter slowly disappeared.
"Shigeru-san!" Kei yelled.
"...I can still fight!" Shigeru said, despite his injuries.
"Really? You can barely stand..." Toki said. "You wanna live? Give me the Cognition Core for Mizuho."
"Like hell!" Shigeru shouted. He attempted to attack, but stumbled. Sighing, the disgraced actor prepared his swords, and stepped forward.
"...No!" Noburo yelled. The Gnosis in his hand, once blue, had changed to a dark black. Kaii, in deep pain, saw this, and gasped – and the others fighting him stopped to look, too.
"Noburo?!" Toki shouted. "Wait?! You're actually -"
"No!" Shigeru said, frightened. "Don't be careless -"
"I won't let him win!" Noburo hollerred. "I've been afraid of him for too long. But that's not who I am at all...Persona!"
A gigantic blue force exploded around him, sending Toki flying high – and his swords clanging to the ground. Shigeru got up, and stared in awe. The blue aurora subsided, leaving a being almost purely white.
This new force had a kindly smile, and dazzling white hair in a boyish spiky cut. A light blue headband decorated his head, bearing a handsome face, clean-shaven with sapphire eyes. His outfit was a short-sleeved white and gold tunic, with black smart shoes and matching gloves, and in each hand was a golden long and thin sword, one of which was in a reverse grip. An azure cape was tied around his neck, flapping in the wind created by the awakening.
"I am thou. Thou art I. From thy sea of thy soul, I cometh. I art Aengus, whose swords shall carve poems that inspire a thousand legends!"
Shintaro couldn't believe it. One minute, he had been a scared boy, cowering behind his step-father. Now, however, he was strong, composed, and determined to protect his new father. Even if that meant striking down his real one.
"Incredible..." Reia said, stunned.
"Another Celtic one? Cool!" Netuno cheered, giving two thumbs-up.
"Nice swords." Masato said, impressed. "They're not just for decoration, though, are they?"
"They're for protecting everyone I hold dear." Noburo said, with vehement anger in his voice. Toki gazed in awe, and yet with deep sorrow. Indeed, his son had awakened to a powerful Persona, but it was not one that would be an ally.
"Son..." Toki said.
"You stay away! I won't let you hurt my dad anymore!" Noburo shouted. "Beannaithe Lann!"*
Aengus, charging up, garnered vast reserves of strength in his arms. Then, his blades becoming rays of light, he span at Toki, and a gigantic light engulfed the whole area.
There was a loud glissando, echoing throughout the theatre, and the dazzling light vanished. Toki was soundly defeated, and Kaii was too weak to even stand.
"...Ugh." Toki said. "I can't...no, I won't..."
"Looks like we're taking you into custody. Whatever comes of you after this, don't ever come near my family ever again."
Before they could get any closer, however, two others appeared – Keiya and Asami.
"What the hell happened here?" Asami said, running to Kaii's aid. "You screwed up again? Why am I having to clean up your mess?"
"I didn't ask you to come here..." Kaii said.
"I think we can classify this as another disaster, directly attributed to yourself." Keiya said, deeply unimpressed. He reached Toki, angry. Just then, three others ran inside – the trio of the Azure Squad.
"Kaii! Toki!" Aritomo shouted. "What's happened?"
"Your superiors were defeated. Those two are the leaders you're meant to aspire to, but they've failed miserably." Keiya said, folding his arms.
Asami sighed, shaking her fists. "Why must we accept everyone who can use a real Persona? These two are pure losers! Without Nisa Liat, they'd be all on their own, powerless to change anything! Let's go. ...Tell Natsumi I'll see her at school."
The Aeon Administrators and Azure Squad vanished, leaving the theatre in silence at last. Noburo gazed at the spot Toki had been, then down at his phone. This smartphone would give him the ability to bring out his true self. He had adopted many roles over his short acting career, and Aengus would be another. He looked up at Shigeru, hesitantly, but the man smiled.
"You did well, my boy..." Shigeru said. "I wish I had told you about all of this sooner. I've been fighting Shadows and Bythos since last December. But I couldn't just tell you and your mother about it."
"I had a feeling something was going on, but..." Noburo said. "You and my senpai from school? You all have this Persona power? It's pretty amazing."
"It's not been an easy road, this." Shigeru said. "The last thing I wanted was for you to get dragged into this. You don't have to fight with us if you don't want to."
Noburo shook his head. "No. I can't just run away from this. Toki had his chance to be my dad, but he ruined it. Now he's going along with that crazy Bythos group. I can't just let him have his way. Especially not when he's fighting my father."
Shigeru stood there, wiping away several tears. "Son...It's been nearly ten years since you first called me your father. Every time you call me 'dad'...it reminds me what's important. How glad I am I met your mother and you. Without that, I probably would have devoted myself to nothing but my career, leading a lonely life..."
These two really are the real deal, aren't they? I need to tell my own dad I love him more often. He works so hard as a teacher. Maybe everyone else feels the same way about their parents. And then Hiroyuki and his daughter. Wonder if I'll ever have a son? If I do, it won't be for a long time. I've got too many other dreams to chase after first.
"Dad..." Noburo said. "You're the only father I need. Whenever I get flashbacks about him, you're always there. You and mum."
"...Noburo." Shigeru said, softly. "You may not have my blood...but obviously, that doesn't matter to either of us. Right now, I've never been so proud."
"Thanks dad...I love you." Noburo said, wiping away an tear from his eye. "Shintaro-senpai. I'm...going to work hard, so I can be as strong as you. Let's work together for a peaceful world. Okay?"
"...Of course we will." Shintaro said, happily. "Good to have you on board. We'll look out for you."
"You better let your mother and Teruko know that you're safe." Kei said. "...What about you, Akari? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, honestly..." Akari said. "...I just wish I could get Kaii to side with us. But it's not that simple, is it?"
"Life never is." Hiroyuki said. "His dream is so important to him that he's willing to be a lapdog for Bythos to do it. More fool him."
"I feel a little bad for him...but he'll come around someday. People sometimes take a while to realise they've made a huge mistake." Reia said, wisely. "I know. Back when I was in London, I...no, never mind. Another time."
"It's hard having to fight with your friends." Netuno said. "Electric Sea was born because of that. We all had friendships go bad, so we found each other, and made a song about it. Then another. Akari, you want to help Kaii? Leave him be. Let him realise what a fool he's been."
"Okay. Sorry for getting so sad." Akari said. "We should go home, then. It's a pity, I'm never in here..."
"Maybe we could get you all some special tickets for one night of the play?" Noburo asked. "Oh, and Kohaku-senpai too! She seems to like her plays as well. Where is she, anyway?"
"At Aika Makino's concert. It'll probably be over by now." Masato said. "She's with my sister, Natsumi. You'll like her. If you like constant fashion advice, that is."
"Huh..." Noburo said. "I'm going to like spending time with you guys. Tomorrow, I'm going to see Netuno in action. You better put on a good show. Me and Teruko have been looking forward to it for a while!"
"Relax. I'm not gonna disappoint you guys. If I did, Shigeru here would break my guitar in half!" Netuno said, laughing. "He probably could, actually. All his karate lessons have made him one badass old guy."
"...Why must forty-six be old to you?" Shigeru asked, although he couldn't help but laugh as well.
The group left for the Akartharto Kosmos. Shintaro would return home soon, to read another chapter of Leanne Rouge as well as go over the lecture notes he had been given by Kohaku. Soon, he would have to do his best to set an example for the newest member of the time.
|Sodai Concert Hall|20:00 pm|
The concert was drawing to a close, and there was just one more song to play. Kohaku had been waiting for this. Indeed, she had left the best until last. As the talented Aika began to play slowly on the piano, the light concentrated into one bright pillar above her head, illuminating only her and the piano. This was none other than the song The Land My Mother Promised, a hauntingly beautiful melody. The story of the song detailed a young girl and her mother, travelling across a vast distance to reach a promised land of eternal peace.
I love this song...every time I hear it. It makes me cry. Even right now.
"Wow..." Natsumi said. "This is a beautiful song..."
"Here I am, and here I shall stay...in the land my mother promised." Aika's voice was followed by one last piano solo, and as she played the last key, the lights came back on, she got up from her stool, and the audience cheered. Kohaku practically jumped out of her seat, grabbing Natsumi by the arm.
"WOW! YOU'RE AMAZING, AIKA-SAN!" The brunette screamed, drowned out by the adoring fans.
"Kohaku, you're hurting me...!" The redhead said. Aika took a bow, and walked towards the stage, waving fondly to everyone.
"Thank you all for your wonderful applause. I..." Aika began, wiping away a tear from her eyes. "I worked so hard to bring you this concert tonight. I would never have come this far if it weren't for all of you. May we all share bright years filled with new hope!"
Bright years, and new hope? Where have I heard that before? Is that one of her last album's tracks? I don't remember. Ah, it's probably some other track.
"Please remember, my album is now for sale. I'll also be helping the wonderful School of Music at the Shinshuto City College! If any of you are students there, I'm looking forward to meeting you again. And my piano tutorials are online, if you want to learn how to play." Aika said, cheerily. "Have a good night, everyone! Remember, no matter where you go, the memories of the forest shall dwell within!"
As she said this, the amber-garbed girl thought Aika was staring directly at her. But it could have been due to the euphoria of the moment. She loved this concert hall, and she loved good music.
Eventually, Natsumi and Kohaku were able to make their way out of the concert hall, and into the busy streets of Tarumi. They had both felt their phones going off in their bags, but had ignored them to avoid disturbing everyone else.
"I can't believe it! Aika was the best she's ever been!" Kohaku raved. "Have you ever been to such a great show? Well?!"
"Easy there, Kohaku-chan." Natsumi said. "It was pretty emotional. I can see why everyone looks up to her in the music industry. It's like she's been performing for decades. Makes you wonder what goes on in her life to make her write such powerful material."
"Maybe it's a little like your clothes designs. Her songs, your drawings, both have pure soul in them. I wish I knew how to make my own songs, rather than just play ones written by other people. I guess what I'm saying is, I wish I could be more like her...and you, Natsumi-chan. I'm so glad you came with me tonight."
Natsumi smiled, red in the face. "Geez...it was nothing. Hopefully you get to see her again. I mean, you saw her once after going to see that weird movie, right? I bet she hangs out in Tarumi all the time. You never know, you could end up playing the flute alongside her piano."
"That'd be...fantastic. If only I had her talent." Kohaku said. "Anyway, we should be -"
Natsumi, having checked her Gnosis, stared at it in shock. "Oh..."
"What's the matter?" Kohaku asked.
"...Looks like we missed out on some major action in the Theio Kosmos."
"Really? What's happened?" Kohaku asked. She looked at her own Gnosis, and saw a message from Shintaro. When she read it, she gasped.
Had a bit of a crisis in the Theio Kosmos. Noburo got taken there by Kaii, but he's okay now. In fact, we've got a bit of a surprise for you two, but that can wait until school next week. Hope you two had a good night.
"Man..." Natsumi said, annoyed. "I hate missing out on things like this."
"Well, it can't be helped. We can't expect the enemy to schedule things around us, right?" Kohaku said. "Besides, even without us, they won. I hope Noburo really is okay."
"Oh...your face just went red!" Natsumi said, playfully. "Didn't know you were into the underclassmen, Kohaku-chan..."
"Hey!" Kohaku said, embarrassed. "He's...handsome, okay? That's all! I don't even know him that well! And Teruko would kill me if I even went near him!"
"Then obviously, you need to wear protective gear to school. I can find some that still looks pretty nice." Natsumi suggested. The girls laughed, and walked off. Little did they know that they'd both get to know Noburo Komatsu rather well, and very soon.
*Irish for 'Blessed Blade'