Arc III: Lessons from Lost Souls
Must sorrow always follow joy?
A heartfelt reunion was merely the prelude to a heartbreaking end.
Even worse, the shining girl was almost overtaken by that selfish phantom.
I cannot allow that loathsome girl to interfere with the path I have taken.
She will continue to suffer eternal torment for the pain she caused us all.
No matter how hard she begs for death, I cannot let her curse end until my life begins again.
Very soon, a stark realization will be made by two close friends.
They will be faced with the truth behind those they thought they knew.
Although strong-willed, their hearts will no doubt waver with the events due to come.
That girl of the Wild Card continues to vex me.
She is unlike any of the others that have come forth.
Who the hell is she? Will I be able to control her like the others?
I shall continue to plot the return of all to normalcy.
Chapter 26: You and I, Unfulfilled Feelings
|Kansei High School – Assembly Hall|8:45 am|
The school's assembly hall was a suitably large facility, mostly white in décor, enough to hold the three years of students. An urgent assembly had been called by the Principal, and the entire school was to attend, staff and students.
"What do you think it is?" Hidetoshi Nagasawa, of the baseball team, asked.
"I don't know. It sounds serious." replied his friend Daisuke Koshibuki, a member of the Go club.
"Is it about all the stuff going down in Tarumi?" Haia Oshiro asked.
"...I haven't seen Noburo-kun or Teruko-chan." Minae Saito said. "I hope they're alright. There was a massive riot at the Kyutai Playhouse, and a lot of people were injured..."
"...What do you think it is, Katashi-kun?" Manami Inoue asked, looking at the boy to her right. This tall, athletic boy with messy dark hair and a dour look was none other than the fabled Katashi Yamaguchi, the star of the track team. In fact, he was touted as the best sportsman the school had ever seen, just as Manami was heralded as the most academically gifted.
"Who knows? I just hope it won't take too long. It's an important time for the track team right now, and I need all the practice I can get." Katashi said, sighing. "Dammit, why won't everyone stop worrying and shut up?"
Manami looked away, with sadness in her eyes. "They're afraid, Katashi-kun. Bythos are causing a lot of havoc, and the police can't do anything to stop them. If only there was something I could do. Being clever and dancing isn't enough."
"You're not a messiah, Manami-chan. You can only do so much. Besides, are Bythos really the ones at fault? They aren't the ones that killed Kazuko Onishi." The unsmiling runner said, crossing his arms.
"Everyone, can we please settle down? Principal Hashimoto has an announcement to make."
Mrs Suzuki stepped aside from the microphone, and stood with some of the other teachers. Approaching the stand was Principal Bunko Hashimoto, an elderly woman, with her white hair tied into an austere bun. She was never seen in anything other than her black dress with white sleeves, but her glasses changed to some new and expensive pair every month or so. Why this was, no one seemed to know – some say she had a bad habit of breaking them, others say she just got bored of one pair and moved on to another. Today's pair were black, and with a fetching silver chain.
"Hashimoto-sensei doesn't look very happy..." Haia said, nervous. "Are we in trouble? I swear, whatever it was, it wasn't me this time."
"Oh, knock it off. Not every incident is down to you. Only most of them." Minae mused. "Although she does seem rather serious."
Even with her short stature and advanced age, she had a sharp intellect, and a forceful tongue – she had been known to reduce grown men to tears. But today, she wasn't in the mood for lecturing her student body. Today would become a day of sadness.
"I have some terrible news I must impart. One of our first-year students – Teruko Yoshikawa – has passed away."
There were many gasps, and muttering immediately began between the shocked students.
"Teruko is dead?!" Minae said, her heart racing "But...that can't be! She seemed perfectly healthy yesterday..."
"How did that happen? Was she involved with those riots?" Hidetoshi said.
"That was crazy. One minute, everyone's rioting there, the next they're all calm. Doesn't make any sense." Daisuke said.
"This isn't real, is it?" Manami asked, completely shocked. "Someone from our own school?" She looked at Katashi, who stared at the Principal, deeply concentrating. "Katashi...?"
"...I'm fine. I just...I didn't think it'd be anything like this." He mumbled.
"As this time, we don't know the exact cause. I must urge all of you not to speculate, or say anything unnecessary. We must think of Teruko's family and friends, and band together in this time of grief. In all my years of teaching, I've never seen a student die...until now."
She wiped away the tears from her eyes, holding onto her cane. Everyone else was quiet, hanging on to her every word.
"Please, whatever you may have thought of her, respect her, and her memory. Myself and the other teachers here will be there if you need someone to talk to." Ms. Hashimoto continued. "Classes will proceed as normal for the rest of the day."
The assembly continued, but there were those in the second year particularly depressed about this announcement. When the students were finally dismissed from the hall, they stayed behind, and finally were able to express themselves.
"It's...so final, hearing it from Hashimoto-sensei's mouth." Kohaku said, tearfully.
"Indeed. When they pronounced her dead right in front of Noburo, I..." Shintaro said. "I didn't get any sleep last night. I don't think any of us did."
"What should we do?" Akari asked. "That was the third time we fought that thing, right? Is there no way we can kill it for good?"
"If there is, I don't now what it would be." Kei said, painfully. "If only we could have defeated it earlier. But we were spread out, dealing with all the other Shadows. My Wild Card powers aren't much good if I can't save one girl..."
"That's enough, Kei. I spent most of last night telling myself the same sort of things. That my Persona ability was worthless." Shintaro said. "...It's not going to get us anywhere if we think like that. Bythos are still active, even if Kaii and Toki might defect."
"So we have no choice but to keep going?" Akari said. "I don't know if I can. When I stopped sensing any kind of life in Teruko, it scared me so much. What if we can't save someone else?"
"We did save someone." Kei suddenly said. "Toki."
"What? But it was Noburo who got him to accept himself, right?" Akari asked.
"Yes. But he wouldn't have been able to do that without our help." Kei said. "And that's what he needs right now. For now, let's leave him to Shigeru. We need to deal with this in our own way."
"...Okay." Shintaro said. "I don't know if I've got the energy for studying right now."
"With an assembly like that, I doubt anyone does." Kohaku said. "But if it takes my mind off last night, I'm willing to try."
"Then let's go." Kei said, leading the group out of the school. She and the other girls left, with Shintaro bringing up the rear.
Why is this happening? Only yesterday, she was giving us attitude. Had she become a Persona user for real, maybe we should have become friends. We could have shown her that we weren't a threat to her and Noburo. But it's far too late now.
Even if they had helped Noburo reconnect with Toki, in the same night, the boy had lost his beloved. It all seemed so hopeless. What was Bythos planning to accomplish? As he walked, he suddenly bumped into someone, and fell to the ground on his backside.
"Ow!"
"Ah! Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
He blinked. Manami was there, her face red with fright. She offered him a hand, and he gratefully took it, getting back to his feet.
"It's alright, Manami-senpai. It...it's my fault, really." Shintaro.
"Oh, you're Nakahara, from the second year. I've heard the teachers say some wonderful things about you." Manami said, politely.
"Everything okay?" Akari asked, coming over.
"We're fine. I just need to watch where I'm going." Shintaro said, embarrassed.
Manami smiled, yet it was a fleeting smile.
"I'm...still struggling to take it all in. One of our own students..." She said, sweeping her blue hair behind her. "It's not fair. She was only in her first year of high school. I never even knew her name until today."
"You look like you're taking it to heart, Manami-senpai." Kei said. "Have you had problems with Bythos yourself?"
"Bythos? Well...yes. I shouldn't really discuss this openly, but they're trying to steal industry secrets from my family's banking firm. Inoue Bank, you'll know of them. Their marketing campaign is a bit aggressive. Too much, not that my parents listen to anyone except themselves."
Wait, that's the bank Kaii ended up taking Akari too by accident. So she's the heiress? I knew a lot of wealthy families have children here, but the size of their HQ is incredible. And they have such cheesy commercials all over the media, about how awesome and secure their new bank app is. And their highly trained and dedicated anti-fraud team.
"Manami, what are you doing talking to the underclassmen for? We've got to get to class!" Katashi said, tapping his foot impatiently. "You better watch out, geek with the books."
"Geek with the books." Kei said, barely containing her laughter. "You may be an athlete, Katashi-senpai. But you sure as hell can't trashtalk."
"...I leave the talking for those too weak to act." He said, rolling his eyes. "Let's go, Manami! We've no time to waste on kouhai."
"I'll see you around, no doubt. Bye..." Manami said, waving goodbye.
"So that was Katashi Yamaguchi and Manami Inoue, our school's top romance." Kei said, crossing her arms. "...She could do so much better."
"At least Noburo and Teruko were..." Kohaku said, but stopped herself. Tearful, she ran to class, the others following. The day was going to be long, and emotional. If they were to have any hope of getting back to normal, however, many more days like this would have to come.
|Chieki Academy – Class 2-1|15:30|
In Chieki, few students had any idea who Teruko even was. Of the ones that did, however, the Yoshinaga twins were in the most despair. They had barely focused in any of their lessons, resulting in both of them receiving a tongue lashing from Mr. Koyanagi.
"Seems ineptitude must run in the family. Isn't your older brother a teacher as well? He can't have done very well if Kansei was the only school hiring him. Now, if you don't want detention, I suggest you two pay attention. And that goes for you, Fusuno."
"...Yes, sir." Eiji said, with as much icy sarcasm as he could muster. "Dammit, if you two hadn't caught his attention, I could have gotten away with daydreaming! You owe me for this -"
"Whatever..." Masato said, listlessly. Eiji scowled but kept quiet. The latter had tried to get the former's attention most of the day, but failed at every turn.
The lesson ended, after what felt like an eternity. Rather than talk to Eiji, or anyone else, Masato stormed out of the room.
"Wait! Masato, get back here!" Natsumi yelled, but he didn't respond. "Dammit."
She followed, ignoring Asami's harsh stare. Try as hard she looked, she couldn't see her brother anywhere. Yet according to her Gnosis, Masato was still within Chieki's area. Even though she was hurting, she knew she had to find her brother. So they could talk, alone, about what had just happened.
Desperate, she tried the Practice Building. From there, she peered in as many rooms as she could, until she saw two familiar students from the upper year. In the Electronics Club, they were tinkering away with another of their pet projects and could be heard chatting.
"...The new bodyguard your dad hired sounds pretty cool." Toshiaki asked, as he put on his safety goggles, and grabbed the soldering iron. He was putting the finishing touches on a computer controlled vehicle, equipped with various light sensors.
"She is. But she's so secretive." Evelina said. "Apparently she was with the police before she decided to start her private security company. With all the stuff going on with my father's business, he decided we needed more protection. I'm just glad he hasn't got a task force watching my every move at this school."
"Probably cause you've got me around, right?" Toshiaki said, smug.
"...Nah, if he knew how much of a wimp you were, he'd hire even more guards."
The two giggled as they continued to work. As they did, Natsumi continued to watch, ignoring the odd looks the other students in the building gave her.
Toshiaki-senpai...you look so carefree. How do you do it, with everything that's going on in the world? I wish I could tell you how I'm feeling...maybe you'd be able to cheer me up. But, I can't just watch you all day. I have to find my brother, before he does something stupid and shove Koyanagi-sensei out of the window.
She quickly snapped out of her trance, and ran out of the building, back into the grand main facility of Chieki. As she did, she wondered what had become of Fumika, of the Azure Squad.
I never saw them later on that night. Surely they made it out of there alive, right? Kaii wouldn't have let him them die. No, he wouldn't have. Maybe Fumika's been to school and I just haven't seen her. Strange, though, two of the Aeon Admins were with us last night, but their Squad appeared.
Finally, she got to the rooftop. Still, no sign of her brother. At this point, however, she couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears came flooding, and she fell to her knees, dropping her bag. She buried her head in her hands, sobbing.
"Why...why couldn't we save her? Me and Masato beat the EX-NIHILO! But...why couldn't we help Teruko...?! We swore to protect her...she might not have liked us, but...why?!"
The harsh sun bore down on her, and she grimaced at the sky, her face wet from the many tears. She had scuffed her knees from falling to the ground, but that was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Defeating EX-NIHILO had led to her awakening to Brigid, and discovering just how passionate she could be. But defeating it last night had led to heartbreak.
"We failed, didn't we...? We couldn't do it! We weren't enough...and if we can't save Teruko, who can we save? Is it even worth carrying on?" Natsumi pleaded, standing up. "...I can't...I can't fight like this anymore."
Just then, the door opened. For a moment, she thought it was going to be her brother, but when she saw it was Asami, she turned her back.
"What are you doing here?!" Natsumi shouted.
"You've been crying. I can tell." Asami said. "...We're not in the Theio Kosmos right now. I don't have to tell anyone in Bythos we're speaking like this."
"How can you still call yourself an Aeon Administrator?!" Natsumi shouted. "Your group put the EX-NIHILO in a Gnosis, and gave it to Teruko! The girlfriend of Toki's son! Don't you know what happened?!"
"I...I didn't want this either!" Asami pleaded. "I never gave her that Gnosis..."
"Bullshit!" Natsumi yelled. "Teruko was one of us. Even if her Persona was that disgusting Shadow in a disguise. She should still be here. Her and Noburo, together as one. If Bythos are so just, how can they use such Shadows like that?"
"...You know why I work with Bythos." Asami said. "The one who tortured my friends is gone. But there are countless others like him. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them from ruining anyone's life. Even...if I have to ruin my own."
"But...you can't mean that, can you? Do you really not care what happens to you?" Natasumi asked, now facing her sorrowful friend.
"I'm prepared for whatever comes next. The city is on the verge of either becoming a corrupt hellhole, or a new utopia that Mayor Ashikaga can't stop from glistening." Asami said. "I want that paradise, even if I'm not around to live there. Although, what I'd really like is you and I to build that paradise together."
"Me? What about your brainwashed fan club?!" Natsumi asked.
"...They're not brainwashed. They're enlightened. Not all of them are up to the task of fighting with a fake Persona. That's why we've not used any of them against you yet. Natsumi, please believe me. I never wanted Teruko to die. Nor did any of the Admins."
There was a moment of quiet, until the door opened again. This time, it was Masato, who gasped at the sight.
"I'm going now. Even with this, we won't stop...not while there are still four Cognition Cores out there. We'll get all six, sooner or later. Even if it means we have to make sacrifices. Ones we don't want to, but if they're necessary..."
She left, leaving the twins to their own devices. Masato ran up to his sister, and held her hands.
"Sorry...I just needed some time alone. Koyanagi-sensei was getting on my nerves, Eiji was being a dumbass..."
"What do we do, Masato?" Natsumi asked. "Do we just carry on as normal? Fight Shadows, go to school? If we can't stop EX-NIHILO from killing Teruko, what can we possibly accomplish?"
"I...I wish I knew." Masato said. "Noburo loved her so damn much. His face lit up whenever he saw her, or talked about her. Like me with Dorothy. If Bythos decided to infect her with that freak -"
"If they try anything like that, I'd kill them all." Natsumi said, clenching her fists.
"What? Even Asami?"
"...I don't know what I'm saying anymore." She walked over to the wall, looking at Mizuho all around her. Sadness was overflowing in her heart, and she wiped away several more lingering tears. "I just want a way to stop Bythos from doing anything else like this. I thought Brigid would be the way forward. But fighting Toki, EX-NIHILO, and all those Shadows hasn't gotten me any closer."
"Then are you going to quit?" Masato asked, standing close to his sister. "It's not like we can stop being who we are. Denying ourselves would cause us to become like Toki last night."
"Quit? Now?" Natsumi said. "Even what happened to Teruko-san, we still have two Cognition Cores. We've stopped Mizuho and Tarumi from becoming fully brainwashed. ...Maybe that's what we need to focus on. Not what we couldn't do. What we could."
"That sounds more like my sister."
The two of them laughed, despite their tears, and hugged each other.
"Let's go home," Natsumi said. "It might be a while before we see Noburo again. When we do, let's make sure we're strong enough to help him."
"Right. After all of this, he'll need us more than ever. And maybe we need him even more." Masato said. The two of them finally left the sunlit roof, as the gentle spring breeze shook the branches of the famous Chieki Academy tree.
|Hanashima Hospital – Ward 02, Room 5|16:00|
"...Huh?"
Kaii opened his eyes, and saw the bright white hospital room all around him. He had been fitted with one of their blue hospital gowns. Blinking repeatedly, he looked around, and noticed a drip had been attached to him. His muscles felt ache unlike any he had ever felt before, and even sitting up was an ordeal.
"Whoa, easy!" Another voice said. Kaii's vision was still blurry, but when it cleared up, he saw a worried older man in the chair next to him. "...It's me, Toki."
"Where am I? Hanashima?" Kaii asked. "It smells funny in here."
"It's the stuff they mop the floors with. It kills germs that haven't even been born yet, or something. You got transferred here, and I've been sitting here keeping an eye on you for...god knows how long. Went through a lot of coffee just to stay awake." Toki said, finishing his last cup. "Didn't want you to wake up alone. Sounds like you've been lonely for way too damn long."
"You got that right. I've not had good human friends for a while. Course, you're a lot more than a friend now." Kaii said, smiling.
"Kid, we got a lot to talk about. You okay? If you wanna rest up, I'll come around -"
"No. Stay. I wanna hear about what happened last night." Kaii said, seriously. "After I defeated Dionysus, I just had to reach you guys. The Azure Squad were too weak to come with me. So I told them to get somewhere safe."
Toki nodded, relieved. Unlike their Claret counterparts, this squad appeared to have survived. Which was more than could be said for a certain girl.
"After I fainted...you killed EX-NIHILO, right?" Kaii asked. "Please, tell me you -"
"Yeah. We did." Toki said. "Everyone fought that thing head on, giving it all kinds of hell. Course, I was still too weak to fight. You weren't there to see Shuten Doji turn into my Shadow...it was a shameful sight. All of my sorry past, turned into some show. But Noburo got me to accept it as part of who I am, not something to keep running away from."
"I always knew you could do it." Kaii said, albeit nervously. "...I really am sorry I said all that shit to you before, though. You didn't deserve all that."
"Hey...you're my boy, after all. I'd forgive you for everything. Well, maybe not risking your own life to save mine." Toki said. "I'm supposed to protect my kids..."
"Fine, you can do the heroics next time." Kaii said, laughing slightly. Then, he turned serious. "...Answer me. Did Teruko make it?"
There was complete silence. Toki just sat there, with a stony expression. Finally, he hanged his head in despair.
"...No. By the time the ambulance got there, she was already dead. We couldn't..."
"What?!" Kaii screamed, angrily. "How? EX-NIHILO didn't kill the last few people it possessed -"
"It didn't kill the twins, sure. But there was that other boy who got his soul sucked out of him." Toki said. "I looked it up...he only lived four more days after he was checked into hospital. Don't you get it? If the person it possesses doesn't have a Persona, the EX-NIHILO will only kill them."
Kaii shook his head, tearfully. "No...that can't be right. There must have been a way to save Teruko."
"Whoever gave her that infected Gnosis is gonna pay. I'm gonna find out who in Bythos did it. Which means...I'm going back to being an Aeon Administrator." Toki said, grimly.
"You've got to be joking! Why?!" Kaii asked. "One of us...did this to her?"
"Maybe it was Nisa Liat herself. Whoever it was, I wonder if they realise just what they've done. They've ended a child's life before it ever begun. What could have happened to Noburo all those years ago...happened to his girlfriend. And now he's devastated. I can't just let that go." Toki said. "Kaii, you're not returning to Bythos, are you?"
"Well...I don't know if Shigeru will let me in his team. Even if I am Noburo's brother." The younger man said, gazing out of the window. He saw Chieki Academy, far in the distance. This seemed to get his mind racing. "Course, with my body the way it is right now, I can't join any team."
"You need to make your own mind up." Toki said. "Just think of me as a double agent. I'm only fighting for Bythos so I can get top-secret info on their plans, and leak it all back to Noburo and his friends. It's not like any of the other Aeons are going to throw them a bone and help them out. So it has to be me. I'll take the risk, even if..."
"...You better be careful. If something happens to you, me and Noburo will never stop grieving." Kaii said. "...He's already lost someone he loves. You can't be the next one to go. Not now..."
Toki stood up, resolute. He clenched his fists, and stared his son deep in the eyes.
"I'll fight with everything I've got to stay alive."
"...You damn well better." Kaii said. "...I've got to get my recovery on track, soon as possible. This is really going to set me back in my boxing lessons, huh?"
"Relax. I kept up with my martial arts over the years. I'll keep you fighting fit, no matter what side you choose to be on." Toki said. "I'm not exactly a soft instructor, though..."
"That's cool with me. I need a teacher that I won't surpass too easily." Kaii said, smirking.
"Hey. Just a thought. You can say no if you don't feel like it, and I won't hold it against you." Toki said. "How about, once you're out of here...you come and live with me?"
Kaii blinked, in confusion. "Me...and you?"
"You've seen my place before, haven't you? It's got a great view of the theme park." Toki said. "It's kind of lonely, being a bachelor. It'd be nice to have some company."
"...Are you sure you want me as a room mate?" Kaii asked. "I'm not the easiest guy to live with, you know."
"Come on. I'm your dad, remember? I don't want to miss out on any more time. We've missed out on so many things. Let's start over." Toki said, reaching out with his hand. Kaii grabbed it, and gripped it tightly. "Whoa. Still got a lot of strength in there, my boy."
"Wonder where I get it from?" Kaii asked. "...I'm glad I don't have to wonder anymore."
"...You and Noburo are the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Hey...don't go crying in front of me. You're supposed to be tough, aren't you?"
Toki laughed, wiping his eyes. "Even badasses get weepy sometimes. Crap, the nurses are coming. Think they want me out of their hair. But I'm coming back tomorrow, you hear me? Every day until you're ready to walk on out of here."
"Every day?" Kaii said, laughing. "And here was me thinking I'd get a break from you! Listen, when you get the chance, tell Noburo I'm gonna be right by his side. If he wants me there, that is."
"You got it." Toki said. After a moment's hesitation, he gave his son a huge hug, and walked out. As one of the young nurses came in with the day's lunch, Kaii smiled.
"Good afternoon, Murayama-san. How are you feeling today?" She asked, serving up the soup and tea.
"You know something? My body hurts like heck. But deep down, I'm feeling better than I have in a long time." Kaii said, cheerily. "Maybe being surrounded by beautiful nurses helps."
The nurse frowned, but Kaii just laughed. Despite the tragedy, he felt hope surging within him. He would recover as quickly as possible, and devote himself to avenging Teruko's death.
|Komatsu Household – Upstairs|16:30 pm|
Ever since coming back from the hospital, Noburo had locked himself in his room, refusing to come out or even speak. Despite urging from his mother and step-father, he wouldn't budge, or acknowledge their prescence.
"Noburo, honey?" Kaiyo said. "Please, let me in. I know how awful this must be for you...but don't shut out your own mother. Not at a time like this. Please, I want to see you..."
She saw Shigeru walking upstairs, his face weary, with bags under his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping too well recently, and the previous evening he hadn't managed to sleep at all. Caffeine was all that was keeping him going.
"He won't talk to me at all." Kaiyo said, shaking her head. "I can hear him moving...and crying."
"Perhaps he needs some time alone..." Shigeru said.
"But he's our son, Shigeru."
I know he is. But I'm the only one of us who knows how Teruko really died. If you knew, Kaiyo...no, I can't. Especially not about Toki.
"I know." Shigeru finally said, taking his wife in his arms. He wiped away her tears, despite ones of his own welling up inside him. "We need to be here for when he needs us. Sooner or later, he'll come out of there. And once that happens, we can support him."
"He was so in love with that poor girl..." Kaiyo said, looking at her son's bedroom door. "And she was madly in love with him. It's not fair, Shigeru. Why does he have to go through this? First he almost dies thanks to...him. Now this. It just isn't fair..."
"...I know it isn't." Shigeru said. "You and him have been through so much...I wish there was more I could for the two of you."
"Let's...leave him be for now." Kaiyo said. "I just hope he remembers to eat. He hasn't eaten anything since he came home."
The two of them walked downstairs, and sat down on the sofa, silent. The couple looked at each other, and he put his arm around her shoulder, holding her close.
"I promise I'll take care of you both. You understand? I'll never leave your side. Not yours, not Noburo's."
"Shigeru, I..." Kaiyo said. She leaned closer to him, and smiled. "Thank you...with you, I know things will be alright in the end. I'll make something for dinner. Do you think I should leave something for Noburo?"
"Might be a good idea. I'm sure he'll be hungry at some point." Shigeru said. As Kaiyo left to the kitchen, he let out a heavy sigh.
So even Bythos can't control EX-NIHILO. What can they possibly hope to accomplish if their experiments run rampant, and ruin my son's life? I've got to do something. Hayashi is probably at the hospital with Murayama. I'll have to talk to them at one point and find out what their plans are. Then, I need to make sure everyone knows about what happened. Especially her.
He took out his Gnosis, making sure Kaiyo couldn't see it, and began composing a long message. It was time for an absent ally to rejoin the team, especially at this crucial moment. For right now, he couldn't focus on eliminating the threat of Bythos. He had to stay here, until he could begin to heal his son's broken heart.
|Tarumi Promenade|17:00 pm|
The Kansei students, not feeling particularly like going home yet, decided to go to Tarumi. Not the Kyutai Playhouse, of course, but the promenade, the calmest part of the area. Kohaku and Akari were leading the way, talking amongst themselves, and Shintaro and Kei followed close behind.
"Do you remember the last things Teruko said?" Shintaro asked. Kei looked at him, alarmed. "Sorry. Maybe we should save it for -"
"I do. She didn't sound like herself at all. And the EX-NIHILO seemed to sense some other presence within her. Her talk about wanting to die, the things she had done..."
"Teruko, right before then, was all about her future with Noburo. And the worst she did was mouth off at us." Shintaro said. "If someone else was trying to possess her, who was it?"
"I...don't know." Kei, looking to her right at the ocean waves. "The Gnosis she had was destroyed, so we won't be able to get any answers that way."
"Answers? To what?" Akari asked, as the group stopped.
"We were wondering about what happened to Teruko. How she went from a lifeless doll to speaking like a whole new person." Shintaro looked at Kohaku, pleadingly. Didn't someone have an answer for him? So he could avoid this crippling anxiety spreading throughout his heart?
"Well, I don't know." Kohaku said, tearfully. "I just wish last night had never happened. I mean...no, that's not quite right. If it had ended just as Toki and Noburo reunited..."
"If only my healing abilities were stronger." Akari lamented. "Why does the EX-NIHILO exist? How can we make it stop existing, forever?"
"The more we wonder, the more painful it'll be." Kei said. "Someday, we'll find out. We'll stop Nisa Liat and all her loyalists. That should put an end to EX-NIHILO, too."
"I was hoping after Natsumi, that'd be the end of it." Shintaro said. "What happened to her and Masato was bad enough. But..."
Suddenly, his phone rang. He gasped. Celestine was calling, and he had set the ring tone to a popular French pop song she had recommended him.
"...You should answer it." Kei said, somehow crossly.
Slowly, he accepted the call. Normally her voice would lift his spirits, but today, they couldn't cut through the gloom of the atmosphere.
"Hi..." He said, awkwardly.
"Shintaro, are you busy this weekend?" Celestine asked. "There's a great book festival planned in Hiyashi. I'm going to be giving a speech alongside some other local novelists. Perhaps you'd like to attend? We can have a meal afterwards...in fact, we can go for the Golden Dragon again."
The girls nearby exchanged uneasy looks. Their friend had met Celestine quite a few times now. Despite Shintaro's protests, they seemed to believe it had become somewhat more complicated than him being a fan of hers. And he was starting to believe it himself.
"...Are you okay, Shintaro-kun?" Celestine asked. "I heard something happened to a student at Kansei. If it was a friend of yours, I'm so sorry..."
"I'll be alright." Shintaro said, fighting back the tears. Alright was the last thing he felt right now. But perhaps, if he could see Celestine, she could help him express his pain. "...and yes. I'll come see you at the festival. I go there every year anyway."
"Well, if you're sure you're up to it. I don't you forcing yourself. I worry about you quite a bit, you hear? It can't be easy at Kansei right now. Or anywhere in this city. Please take care of yourself, Shintaro. Au revoir."
The call ended, and the others gazed at him in wonderment.
"Are you sure now is the best time for another date?" Kohaku asked, folding her arms.
"I'm not sure of anything right now..." Shintaro said, despondent. "But...I don't want to push her away. She's..."
"You're in love with her. Just say it already. Whenever you talk about her, it's written on your face. Even I can see it." Akari said.
"L-Love? I...I don't know about that, but...she's...really special..." Shintaro blurted out, face red.
"Perhaps it's best we try to carry on as normal," Kei said, albeit coldly. "If we pass out on these sorts of things, it'll drive us further into despair."
"But..." Kohaku began. "...We should be thinking about Noburo right now."
"Kei's got a point, though. Weren't you planning to go to some event Makino-san is planning? About teaching music in schools? You shouldn't miss out on that. I don't think Noburo would want us to be miserable..."
"...Maybe. I wouldn't mind talking to Aika again. She might be able to help me get through this..." Kohaku wondered.
Kei didn't seem much happier at this suggestion, but nodded. "You two shouldn't stop trying to enjoy your lives. But remember what's most important. We still have to get the next four Cognition Cores and dismantle Bythos."
"I know." Akari said. "But while we're here..."
"Huh? What's up, Akari-chan?"
Akari didn't answer Kohaku's question, and instead went down the steps to the beach. After much consideration, she found a gorgeous blue and white seashell. She picked it up, and pressed it into a clean patch of wet sand. Swiftly, she etched Teruko's full name, in kanji.
"Noburo was telling us how much she loved it here. And I can see why. When you gaze at these waves, no matter what time of year, you feel at peace, don't you?"
"You know something? I sort of do." Shintaro said.
"It's a beautiful spot, at every angle." Kohaku gazed out as far as she could, and smiled. "It's almost enchanting."
"I've not had much of an opportunity to come here, but I can see what you mean. My worries seem less when I'm on the sand, and the waves come towards you." Kei said.
Maybe she didn't like us that much, but I hope wherever she is, she can be at peace." Akari said, hopefully. "Let's make this a memorial she'd be proud of."
The others nodded, and held their hands together, in prayer. Shintaro, Kohaku, and Kei added their own seashells above Akari's, and left, leaving an empty beach with the sounds of seagulls chirping. With that, Teruko would always be at Tarumi beach, the one place she loved more than any movie theatre.
Goodbye, Teruko Yoshikawa. We'll watch over Noburo from now on.
|Noburo's Room|17:30 pm|
On the windowsill of the room were several framed photographs. One of which was from Shigeru and Kaiyo's wedding, in which the happily married man proudly had Noburo sitting on his shoulders. There were others of various moments in the boy's life, but there was one taken months ago, during the Spring Break.
He was dressed in his best white shirt and black tie, and next to time was Teruko in her beautiful fuchsia dress, her hair tied in a ponytail with a white ribbon. They were all smiles, standing on the promenade, with the full moon casting its magnificent light on the clear waves.
Back then, it had just been a typical date, to celebrate them going to the same high school, and with any luck, the same class. The future seemed bright for the pair, who had known each other for years. Now, to think about that date, Noburo felt nothing but deep sorrow.
"Why...why?!" He screamed, gazing deep into her eyes in the photograph. "Why did you have to go...?!"
It felt like no matter where he looked, he could see the EX-NIHILO, forcing his beloved to fight on its behalf. It had been an ordeal to face her, in the hope she could overcome this oppression. If she had just been fortunate like the twins, she might still be here. Perhaps he could have talked her round to accepting the others as friends, rather than threats to her relationship. She might have supported him in getting to know Toki.
What's the point anymore...?! My dream of being on the stage was dashed, but as long as I had Teruko, everything would have been fine! But now she's gone, what's the point? Mum and Dad keep trying to get me to leave this room, but...
Everything seemed futile now. Him becoming a Persona user didn't seem to have brought him much joy. Whatever happiness he had attained by reuniting properly with Toki seemed to have fleeted already.
Kaii must still be in hospital, Noburo thought, suddenly thinking of his brother. Kaii, you and Toki really weren't the ones who gave her that Gnosis, were you? You were only trying to help. But it's too late now. For her, and for me...
Should I even go back to school, just to see that empty seat? Or have to deal with everyone's platitudes of sympathy? Only my senpai would understand, and...I don't get to be with them during classes. What should I do, Teruko? How do I go on without you?
His eyes were still tearful, after quite some time crying. As he stood up from the plush chair, he looked at his phone. There were quite a few messages from his friends from school, but the one he opened was the most recent. It was Kohaku's.
Noburo, I want you to know we're all thinking of you. Please, don't worry about us. We'll wait for you as long as it takes. If there's anything we can do for you, please let us know. Akari said she's going to visit Kaii tomorrow, in case you wanted to see him.
"Kohaku-senpai..."
His eyes welled up with tears once more. Every time he had been around Kohaku, he knew she was an honest, kind-hearted young woman. Right now, he didn't know when, or if, he'd return to being a Persona user, let alone a student of Kansei.
Kaii...I shouldn't forget about him. He could have been another victim. He's still my brother...I'm going to see him too. I might see my dad, as well. He'll be worried sick about me, bless him. Just like everyone else.
He walked over to his bedroom door, as the smell of his mother's cooking wafted in. As long as it wasn't miso soup, he tended to greedily devour her meals.
I'm going downstairs. I have to face my parents at some point. And I still need to eat...
He finally left his room, and headed down the carpeted stairs towards the dining room. Although silent, he was at least able to eat the pork cutlet with rice, and keep it down. His parents looked on, concerned, but he couldn't quite bring himself to talk. Not yet.
She you always used to love eating with us. You even liked that damn soup. If only you could have come round one more time. How do I deal with our unfulfilled feelings?
|Gold Laguna Hotel|18:00 pm|
The atmosphere was tense in the suite today. Of the senior members of the team, four had arrived. With Shigeru trying everything he could to support his son, the others had gathered to share their thoughts.
"...I'm still in shock." Novalie said. "Teruko was only 15. She had so much planned in her future, and Noburo was part of it every step of the way."
"It doesn't make sense. How could she be gone? It was only days ago that we put her through those virtual battle tests." Reia said, bitterly. "EX-NIHILO...I want to tear it apart. It doesn't deserve any studies."
"But how many times do we have to defeat it?" Netuno said. "Shouldn't we try to get more information about it? The more me know, the better chance we have of stopping it from repeating this!"
"Teruko wasn't much older than my daughter." Hiroyuki said, arms crossed. "She was an only child. Her parents might never recover from this. If anything like happened to my Kaori..."
"When I think about it..." Novalie said. "It's really like Nisa Liat has opened Pandora's Box. Already, a large number of people have died. Like your friend's fiance, Netuno..."
"I know. I ain't gonna forget about that. We gotta do what we can for Shigeru. He's our boss, after all. Tough as he looks, this is going to be rough on him." Netuno said. "Right now, we have to work on what to do next."
"Right. We need to be pre-emptive, more now than ever." Reia said. "I've been doing some research on Bythos, actually. You guys familiar with Svante Solberg?"
"...Is that a Swedish beer?" Netuno asked, puzzled.
"As a general rule, you shouldn't be the first one to answer." Reia said. "Novalie, you told me you were doing a business class in college, and his name came up as part of your studies. You'll know all about him, right?"
"Not everything. To keep it basic, Svante is a Swedish businessman -"
"I was half right, then!"
After dodging one of Reia's sharp coloured pencils, Novalie continued.
" - who owns a Japanese branch of a fashion & furntiure company, 'Aramis'. While very popular in Europe, especially the Nordic countries, their products have surged in popularity in overseas markets. Thus, they built a Japanese HQ here in Shinshuto, and Svante – the CEO's youngest son – was put in charge."
"Both my wife and daughter like their stuff. Their men's range is way too glitzy for me, though. I'm a simple guy when it comes to fashion." Hiroyuki said. "So what's with this Svante man? Is he involved with something worse than tacky t-shirts?"
"You could say that. I've done some digging, and you know those uniforms the regular Bythos soldiers are wearing?" Reia asked. "They're heavily customised, but from my analysis, they're Aramis produced."
"...What?" Netuno asked. "I did think those uniforms were a little too well-made, but..."
"Not just that. There's been some strange stories going on. Rumours about a massive re-structuring. Employees mysteriously becoming sick or being fired, and then barely appearing in public. Most of it's under the radar thanks to the other scandals in the news." Reia said. "Basically, Aramis Japan might just be in league with Bythos."
"Then we might just have to arrive without an appointment."
The others gasped. Another woman had arrived, dressed in a purple coat. She adjusted her glasses, and smiled.
"Shigeru told me everything." She said. "The time has come for me to finally overcome my Persona problem, and become useful to everyone. Especially after what happened to one of my own students."
"It's great to have you back, Michiko." Novalie said, joyously. "I've been worrying about you since you stopped coming to our meetings."
"I know. I'm sorry, everyone." Michiko Suzuki walked to the sofa towards the window, and sat between the girls. "But I'm here to stay now. With Shigeru out of the picture, I have to do what I can to make up for his absence."
"Don't worry. We'll do what we can to support you." Hiroyuki said, warmly.
"How do you think your students will react when they find out their Suzuki-sensei is a Persona user like them?" Netuno asked. "It's gonna blow their freaking minds!"
"...Not that you have much of a mind." Reia remarked, prompting a chuckle from Hiroyuki.
"Oh, I think they'll get used to the idea in time. They can consider it extra tuition." Michiko said, with a mischievous wink. However, she turned serious. "I must protect them all. Let me work on controlling Nidaba properly. In the mean time, let's focus on how we're going to handle Svante Solberg and his affiliate."