Chapter 44
Preparations; Nanako's Boot Camp; Mission: Date; Grave Digger
Important Author's Note: Okay, dangstaBOI here. I know you're not used to me writing at the beginning of the chapter, but I just want to let you guys know that social links will be maxed out at Lv 5 for the sake of saving pages and making the main focus the story. If some characters are requested to have all 10 Lv Social links, I will create an alternative story marking that social link on Fanfiction or some other website, but the main points will be highlighted in this story. Okay, that's all I had to say. I'll shut up now.
July 20, 2021; Saturday
Nuzoko Mall Center
(Afternoon)
"Man, I'm so excited! What should we do over the break? Something big?"
Johei kept on blabbing while Kaz stayed a ways back.
"Why decide right now? We still have a lot of time. Not to mention the homework assignme-"
"Don't you dare utter a word about those!", Iselin shouted at Kaz as she covered his mouth.
"I want to at least go through the gist of my vacation until the last month to worry about that."
Kaz shrugged and Iselin took her hand off. Daichi, meanwhile, decided to look over at the sales section.
"A lot of swimming stuff is on sale right now, plus some kimonos… maybe I should get one for the festival… "
Yoichi's ears perked up at the mere mention of festivals.
"Ah, the summer festival's always a good time. Let's take note of that too!"
Nanako and Mikan nodded along with each other, while Yuriko mused the idea.
"A summer festival with everyone… hot damn! Just thinking of all those hot girls in cute yukatas is making my blood boil!"
This earned a few questioning looks from passerbyers, but the pinkette didn't seem to care. Johei shrugged at the thought.
"I guess, yukatas do look nice, but isn't it defeating the purpose if you're looking at them as a mature act than a youthful one?"
"Eh, who cares when the girls are showing off their curves?"
"Good point, good point"
"Perverts", Mikan said as she walked past him.
"Oh, that reminds me, will you be wearing a yukata, Yuriko?"
Yuriko froze in her tracks.
"U-um, well… I haven't wore one for some time… "
Suddenly, she bumped into Kaz on accident.
"Huh? What's up?"
Kaz stood there as still as a statue, not moving a muscle. Nanako waved her hand in front of his face.
"Hey! Bestie, what's u- oh for the love of… "
He wouldn't deny the fact that what he was doing was ludicrous, but he would make them understand the power of such a thing that was on the rack. It was absolutely fantastic; the sheer slick black beauty and it's strength had been the stuff of dreams for him as a child, and now it was realized as he matured. Without a moment's hesitation, he marched up to the item and beheld it in his arms.
"This… this is crafted to the absolute perfection of its kind! The dreams of man are imbued within every fiber of its being!"
"Dude, it's a fishing pole"
Kaz snapped out of his trance and set the rod down on the rack. Mikan cast a worried glance to Nanako.
"Has he always been like this about fishing?"
"As far as I know, he went fishing at least twice a week, rain or shine. Big bro was one of the reasons why he's so infatuated with it."
"A-anyways!", Kaz interrupted
"The summer festival is a ways off, so how about we worry about things coming this month?"
Everyone looked at each other and shrugged.
"There really isn't anything worth doing around now, so we're all kind of free."
Kaz sighed and checked his phone.
"Nothing going on? Guess we'll just have to hang out with each other until they do roll around, huh?"
The group went their separate ways in search of items that they would need, but few of them stuck together. Kazuhiko, however, went off on his own.
"A fishing kit would be quite ideal if there was a place to go fishing", Tyr offered.
"Perhaps we could take the train to a nearby pond? We are near the outskirts of the city, after all."
Kaz shrugged.
"I'll look into the subway map just to make sure. For now, let's try to see if any of these things will help our escapades. Ooh, new costumes for sale."
Somewhere else…
"Man, shopping together on the first day of vacation really beats anything", Iselin said.
Daichi grunted as he compared two different shirts. Over the past few days, he noticed that his clothes had taken some damage when they went training in the Mirror Dimension. Fortunately, the recent summer sale for clothing appeased his need for clothing and the weight of his wallet.
"I just hope that there will always be a sale for clothing if things keep up as it does for me."
"Nanako-nee, this yukata looks like it could fit you!", Toyotama exclaimed.
Nanako eyed the garb and pressed it against herself.
"This could work… guess I got yukata shopping out of the way for now."
HIldr scratched her chin.
"Perhaps we should go looking for yukata now too, Iselin-san."
Iselin nodded and turned towards a stand that was showing off a light blue yukata.
"Ooh, this looks nice", she said. Then, she looked at the tag.
"Now this, not so much."
Daichi looked over her shoulder and shrugged.
"I'll buy it for you if you want. I just got a raise at my job, anyways."
Iselin looked shocked.
"Wait, really?! Why would you buy this for me?!"
"Why not? You'd look good in it."
Iselin slowly registered what Daichi said and turned around, clasping her hands on her burning cheeks.
"I… I never thought that you would".
"Is what Kitagawa-senpai told me. He pulled me aside during our trip to Tokyo and asked me to send a picture of this so he could paint the scenery."
Iselin deadpanned, then grabbed his cheek.
"Wha- OW! What the hell?!"
Looked over her shoulder and shook her head.
"Why can't he see what's right in front of him? There's no way he could be this dense."
"I've lost count so many times on how he's been like this", Hildr said to them.
"What are you talking about?", Hugin asked.
"I thought human beings were usually 985 kg/m^3", Munin cawed.
"... You know this much yet you can't understand the situation unfolding before us?"
Somewhere else… else…
"Why did I have to get stuck with you?", Johei complained as he pushed a cart full of items and clothes.
"I could say the same thing. Why couldn't I have stuck with Kaz-senpai or one of the girls instead of an egghead pervert like you?", Yuriko shot back at him.
"Like you're one to talk", Loki mumbled.
Yuriko looked at a swimsuit and pressed it up against her.
"Hm, maybe… maybe."
Johei shook his head.
"It's depressing to see that you're considering that. You want to catch a guy's eye, you need something that brings out the tone of your body."
Yuriko turned to him
"Oh really? I guess I need some male insight on this kinda thing?"
"Of course you do", Johei said as he walked off to look for something more of her size.
"Well, I think he might be right. You haven't exactly been gearing up for guys for some time", Sieglinde told her.
Yuriko sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Huh, maybe he might be a real help to me after all."
"I'm back", Johei said.
"Great! Let's see what you- WHAT?!"
Johei was holding a toddler's size swimsuit in his hands, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"See? It fits everything! Even your forever-flat chest!"
"On second thought, you might be better off shopping on your own"
"Or beating the crap outta him again."
… Just how big is this place?
Mikan was eyeing the large coolers on sale while Yoichi picked out some umbrellas and sunscreen on sale.
"Hey, do you think SPF 50 is good enough for Daichi-kun? I remember you guys saying that he slathered bottles of suntan lotion the last time you went to the beach."
"It's alright, I'm pretty sure he'll stockade later", Mikan said.
"For now, though, should we get a portable stove to cook our food or try our luck at making a fire at the beach?"
"If we're trying to make a fire, we should get some firewood from home. I'd say it's better to make the fire ourselves in the long run"
Mikan nodded and picked up a reasonably sized cooler.
"God, I feel like we're the parents of this group; everyone else is having fun while we have to shoulder the most responsibility."
Yoichi nodded.
"Then again, we are their senpai, at least in this world."
Mikan chuckled.
"Wouldn't it be weird if we were actually a big family?"
Yoichi turned to see Johei being chased around by Yuriko, Nanako trying to break up Iselin and Daichi, and Kaz checking out winter outfits for some reason.
"Yeah, Johei and Yuriko are the youngest two that constantly fight, Daichi and Iselin are the oldest two, Nanako's the peacemaker, Kaz's the smart but aloof one, you're the mom and I'm the da-"
Yoichi paused for a moment, then realized what he was about to say. Mikan just looked confused.
"Huh? You stopped for a second. What's wrong? You said that I was the mom and you were the da-"
The fire alarm was pulled when a passerby saw steam rising from a sector.
Afterwards…
"Okay then, let's try to meet up tomorrow to get some plans together. Sound good?", Kaz asked everyone.
They all nodded but didn't seem to have any heart in it. For one, the two eldest had just made a fire in a department building, and two, the others were pissed off at each other.
"Or we could just take a few days to relax. Whatever's fine."
They began their separate ways until the only ones left were Iselin, Daichi, and Nanako.
"Jeez, what made you act like that anyways? I'm outta here… "
"Wait! Hold on!"
Nanako grabbed the back of Daichi's shirt and stopped him from leaving.
"I want to try training in there again today. I'll need you two to come with me."
Iselin tried slipping away in the confusion, but Nanako grabbed her collar as well.
"BOTH of you."
She dragged the two of them to the mirror, Iselin crying silently.
"A lot of scary women like Kaz, huh Daichi?"
Daichi looked somber and didn't say a word, as if accepting his fate.
"Master Daichi! Answer us!"
"Can you hear us? Master?! MAAAAAAAAASTEEEER!"
Kazuhiko's POV
Kaz was walking down the street breathing in the atmosphere. Some thoughts were bothering him, mostly concerning his teacher, the organization she belonged to, and why he felt strange, or rather stranger, around Nanako.
"Why does this all seem to happen at once? Could there be something bigger at play here? And how are we supposed to find the Harbingers if Johei and I can't remember a single thing about that last month?"
Tyr shrugged and shook his head.
"I'm not sure how this is supposed to play out. Maybe something painful happened that you didn't want to remember or something forced you to forget… "
Kaz suddenly turned to Tyr.
"Hm? Did I say something strange?"
Kaz scratched his chin.
"What you just said now… maybe that might be… but is it even humanly possible… no, the supernatural's already involved so there's definitely a chance… "
"What are you whispering to yourself?"
"Nothing really, just the beginnings of a theory that might explain for why I don't remember anything. I'll tell you when I have enough evidence and when everyone's gathered together."
Tyr made somewhat of a pout while Kaz ignored him and continued walking back to the hotel.
"Come on, Kazuhiko. Why won't you tell me? I'm practically you, so wouldn't you trust me?"
"... Since you're technically me, wouldn't you know what I was thinking about?", Kazuhiko asked out of curiosity.
"... no, not like that."
"Whatever, you'll just have to wait like everyone else."
Tyr sighed and gave up while they opened the doors.
Mirror Dimension; Niflheim, Floor 22
"Alright, Nanako-san, finish it!"
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The Magician's Hand shadow fell on the ground after being peppered with holes and melted into a gooey paste that dissipated. The team had decided to rest for a quick ten minutes before continuing. The Persona users of the group had been holding together quite well on their own. Nanako, however, seemed more fatigued than frustrated at her personal progress.
"*huff* that was pretty tough… ", she said while fumbling to pull the cap off a water bottle.
"It was a common shadow on this floor. Seriously, I think that this training isn't going very far in terms of getting a Persona", Iselin muttered.
Nanako gulped down some more water and slapped the cap back on.
"Toyotama is already a Persona, she just needs to manifest into a physical form."
"Really? I thought you said she was invisible.", Hugin questioned.
"No, I don't have a physical form. All I have is my voice and vision, nothing else."
"What if I do this?", Munin asked as he flew towards the direction of Toyotama's voice.
*BAM*
Munin crashed headfirst into the wall. Toyotama sighed as she continued.
"I just told you I don't have a physical form. Flying to my voice won't do any-"
"How about this?"
*CRASH*
Hugin flew straight into the ground approximately where Toyotama's voice would have been.
"Don't try to explain it to them. They're idiots", Hildr explained in a worn out voice.
Daichi leaned on his sword and sighed.
"I feel as if Iselin might have a point about this, Nanako-san. When we got our Persona, it was when we overcame a large mental obstacle within ourselves. Why don't we start this from the beginning and wonder why Toyotama exists as a voice and mind, but not as a physical being."
Nanako put her hand to her chin and thought about it.
"Well, if I had to guess, it was when I was still recovering at the hospital… "
Flashback
"I wonder when Big Bro's gonna be back. He and Iza- Izzy- Izinaga-, his friend will be back."
"I hope they come back soon", a random voice said.
"It was nice when they brought in Yukiko-nee and Amy-chan with them. They were really nice to you!"
Nanako nodded but then paused.
"Who said that?"
There was several moments of silence after Nanako spoke.
"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. What's your name?"
"I don't know… "
"You don't know your name? That's sad. Can you come out?"
More silence. This time, however, it wasn't the nervous kind. Nanako looked around the frame of her bed but saw nothing.
"I'm sorry, but I can't see you."
"I-I'm sorry, but I think it's because I'm invisible."
Now, this perplexed the young girl even more.
"In… visible? Why are you invisible?"
"I don't know… I'm not sure."
"Maybe because you don't want to be seen? Are you shy?"
"... Yes… a little."
Nanako pressed her index finger on her lip.
"How about I give you a name? You're a nice person and you deserve a name."
She thought for a moment before coming up with one.
"How about… Toyotama?"
"Huh?"
"You know, the lady from the story that Big Bro read to me… well, us. She was a really pretty lady, but she didn't want to be seen when she was having a child."
"W-what?! I don't have a child!"
Nanako giggled.
"She was still pretty shy though. But do you not want to be called that?"
"... no, I think Toyotama is a very nice name. Thank you, Nanako-chan."
"You're welcome, Toyotama-chan!"
Flashback End
"And that's what I've been calling her ever since. We still have been trying to find her name while trekking through here", Nanako concluded.
Daichi let out a deep sigh, taking in the essence of the tale.
"Well, now I know what the problem is."
"You do?"
He nodded and continued.
"You're focusing too much on the physical aspect, which I am sure you are more than capable of. What you need is to search for something inside of yourself that you still feel despair about. Maybe something like a childhood trauma or along those lines."
"Childhood trauma… hm… "
*rattle* *rattle*
"Huh? What was that?"
Nanako turned to Iselin and Daichi, both having looks of utter terror in their eyes.
"That was our cue to leave. Haul ass like your life depends on it!", Iselin yelled as she made a mad dash for the stairs.
Daichi followed in suite while Hildr was dragging the crow brothers by the scruffs of their necks.
"Unhand us!"
"We must have our revenge on that menace!"
"You guys were the ones to attack it in the first place!"
Nanako looked confused.
"Um, what's going on?"
"N-N-Nanako-nee… look behind you… "
Nanako noticed a shadow forming on the ground in front of her. Reluctantly, she looked up and came face to face with the most dreaded shadow known to all of Persona-kind.
"... Boo"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
As Nanako left a trail of dust behind in her wake, the Reaper chuckled to itself as it took off its mask.
"Ah, that is never gonna get old", Tatsuya said to himself.
Okay, that's not what actually happened, but it's just that the connection between Tatsuya and the Reaper was too good to pass up.
"And that is why we never stay too long on one floor or in Niflheim ever"
"Understood", Nanako said as they all left the tower.
July 21, 2021; Sunday
Kazuhiko POV
City Square Park
"Let's go, Kaz-senpai!"
Kaz was currently being dragged around by his hyperactive, pink-haired kouhai towards a food stand. After paying for a batch of dango, the two sat down on a bench to enjoy their sweets. Yuriko, who would have usually been able to finish off an entire order herself, shared with Kaz because of the atmosphere.
The night before…
"Okay, so when we have an odd number of sweets, I'll be like, 'Oh, looks like we'll have to share this one'. I'll take the first couple and pass him the rest. It'll be like an indirect kiss!"
Back to the present
"Oh, looks like we'll have to share this one", Yuriko said as soon as she noticed there was only one skewer left.
Kaz gave her a confused look.
"What are you talking about? I ordered six so we could have three each."
Yuriko then began to sweat, having a wrench thrown into her plans.
"Oh! Uh, right!"
She took the skewer, happy to have some more food, but depressed because of her failed attempt.
"So Yuriko, how have you been coping with everything?"
"Hm? Whaddya mean?"
"I mean about Soratsu-san."
Yuriko flicked the skewer into a nearby trashcan and sighed.
"I honestly don't know. I mean, Soratsu has an excuse to hate me, and he has every right to do so, but lately, we haven't even talked."
"Nowadays, I just feel like I'm faced with a problem I should address, but I never have the courage to follow through."
She laid back, staring at the bright summer sky.
"I know it's not an excuse, but everything just seems to be a bigger priority than my own personal problems."
"Then what about Soratsu's problems? As far as I know, he suffered a lot too. We may have saved him from committing suicide, but having your horrible acts realized does do a number on you", Kaz pointed out.
Yuriko hung her head and closed her eyes.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe I should try talking to him soon."
She stood up and stretched.
"Well, that's all I wanted to talk to you today. Later, Kaz-senpai!"
"See ya."
Rank Up!
Lovers Arcana Lv. 3
Cemetery; Office
(Evening)
"Any reason to why you called me here?", Kaz asked.
It was kind of late, and Kaz felt like turning in for the night, but Shirou just had to give him a call asking to meet.
"Yeah, kind of a big one. And I'm not talking about kids breaking in again, I've already taken care of that."
"How did you do that?"
"... "
In the front of the Graveyard…
"So, who should we visit this time?"
"Hey, what's the sign say?"
Intruders shall be shot by the angry monk who lives here.
"H-he's gotta be kidding, right?"
*BLAM*
A burst of light and a spray of what seemed to be bullets whizzed into a nearby sign, causing it to fall to pieces.
"RUN!"
Back at the Office…
"Never mind, I don't want to know."
Shirou took the kettle and poured two cups of tea.
"Go ahead and take a seat, kid. I just feel like I should do some explainin' about what happened last time."
Kaz sat down on one of the old wooden chairs and raised the cup to his mouth, letting the tea seep into his mouth as Shirou continued.
"Toru, if you didn't remember, is my nephew. He's the son of my older brother, who I really don't have a good relationship with. Mainly, it's about the cemetery duties here and I just got these responsibilities shoved onto me. I'd rather not go into detail about that."
"The important thing is that my brother might find out sooner or later that Toru is still coming here, so when he comes up to you, I want you to deny anything you've ever heard right now. Got it?"
Kaz nodded. Shirou let out a sigh.
"Good. Well, I could also use your help with changing the flowers, so give me a hand with that too-"
*knock* *knock* *knock*
"Speak of the devil", Shirou muttered under his breath as he stood up.
"Kazuhiko, don't you find it strange that he's opening up to you all of a sudden?", Tyr asked.
"Shirou doesn't really seem to be the kind of person to share his life, so why is he doing it to you now?"
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, I'm sure he has a good reason."
"You better not be filling his head with ideas, Shirou!", an annoyed voice said at the front door.
"Geez, would ya give it a rest? I'm already tired after working and I don't need you to be yabberin' on about Toru."
Kaz stood up from the table and crept to the front door. From his angle of view, he could see a man with short black hair swept into an organized fashion and wearing worn-out glasses. Additionally, the man was wearing a suit and was standing in a perfect posture
"Is this his brother? They hardly even look related", Kaz said to himself.
"Indeed, they look like polar opposites to be accurate", Tyr interjected.
Shirou waved his hand.
"Why don't you just leave me alone, Taka? After all, you were the one who left the responsibilities to me after pa di- "
"Don't you even start! It was your fault to begin with and you should take the responsibilities!"
The man turned inside the house and noticed Kaz around the corner.
"Hey, who are you? What are you doing here so late at night?"
Shirou was about to speak, but he received a glare from his older brother that clearly stated 'back off'.
Kaz scratched the back of his head, trying to come up with an answer.
If I say I'm a part-timer, he'll definitely see through it; nobody would work part-time here. I can't be a family member, nor can I be a friend.
"I'm talking to you!"
"I-I was caught pulling a prank! I'm really sorry and it won't happen again!"
Kaz bowed down to Shirou quickly, leaving a stunned brother at the doorstep. Taking the opportunity, Shirou cleared his throat.
"Yeah, I was kinda busy here already. With you showin' up, I couldn't deal with this knucklehead. So if you'll excuse me, good night."
His brother stood for a few seconds, then nodded.
"I'll talk to you about this when I have the time."
He left in a huff as Shirou closed the door and let out a deep breath.
"Thanks for having my back there, kid. I guess I owe ya one now."
Kaz shook his head.
"The more pressing matter would be what would happen if he saw me here again when I help you out."
Shirou scratched the back of his neck and chuckled.
"Fair point. Oh well, I guess I should let you go now. Be safe on your way back."
Kaz nodded as Shirou opened the door from him. Before he was back onto the street, Shirou called out to him again.
"Oh, and don't say anything about that little scuffle to Toru if you see him, alright?"
"Okay. Good night, Shirou."
As Kaz walked out of the gates and onto the street, Shirou sat down onto his chair and poured himself another cup of tea. Sipping it, he relaxed for a little while as he closed his eyes.
"Damn, Taka. You just had to say that, didn't you?"
"..."
"What?"
He turned around, somehow feeling an unexplained presence in the room, but saw nothing out of place. Turning back around, he stood up and walked towards a drawer. Hidden underneath a large stack of papers was an old picture frame. Shirou picked it up and stared for a while at the three smiling figures within the frame, forever captured in time.
"When did everything turn to shit?", he asked as a tear escaped from his eye.
The silence was his answer.
Rank Up!
Death Arcana Lv 4
Aaaaaaaaaand we are BACK! Hey guys! How are you all doing? Probably doing pretty fine, evidence being the massive amount of firearms pointed at me, heh heh (sweat-drops). Okay, I might as well get back on track with everything. First, I'd like to apologize for the extreme delays, I still am in school and I also recently picked up a part-time job so I have less and less time on my hands as of late. Second, let's get on with welcoming more people to the family; UltraRiderSenshiChronix, Chocman24, Bladeofdreams, and TragicNoir. If you guys were in search of a frequently on schedule updating story, you're in for a big disappointment. As for everything else, let's hope Atlus has another successful year of games, especially Catherine Full Body, Persona Q2 (which won't have the dub voice actors and we'll have to put up with Yosuke's dumb-ass voice), and the mysteriously shrouded Persona 5 R (I'm calling it out as P5 Red, just so you guys know if somebody tries to pass the idea off as their own). I can't wait to see Devil May Cry 5 come out on Friday! In your reviews, just answer what character you look forward to playing the most: Dante, Nero, or V. For me, I'm sticking with Nero, but Dante seems to be tempting as well. V, I think it's interesting and new, but I was really used to playing Devil May Cry 4 and old habits die all that being said, let's get to the omake!
Behind the Scenes; Part 2
Johei: How about this? It looks just like your size!
Yuriko: But how will I fit my dick in that?
(awkward silence)
Cast: HAHAHAHA!
"Damn, son! That's not even a trap! That's a goddamn ambush!"
*tap* *tap*
Nanako: Hm? OH MY GOD! IT'S YOU!
(She wraps her hands around the Reaper in a bear hug)
Nanako: Holy crap! I thought you were gone after Persona 2, Tatsuya! Where have you been?!
The Reaper just awkwardly looks around while Daichi and Iselin ebb a bit further away.
Daichi: Nanako, that's not Tatsu-
The Reaper: Hey, don't ruin the moment, man! I rarely get hugs!
Taka: Hey, what are you doing here, kid?
(Kaz hesitated before Shirou blocks him off)
Shirou: Look, this is just another one of my hobbies, okay?
(Everyone's eyes go wide after what Shirou says and bursts out laughing. Shirou just looks confused)
Shirou: Wh-what?! What's so funny? I'm just here to discipline you, kid!
(Kaz starts rolling on the ground, gasping for air while Taka leans on the doorframe)
Shirou: Isn't this in the script? I'm supposed to drag you over to my shack and give you a stern-
dangstaBOI: Okay, cut! *wheeze*
Kaz: Geez, even though I'm supposed to be a child rape victim, I can't stop laughing!
(Shirou's eyes go wider once he realizes what he said)
Shirou: Wh- aw come on guys! Oh, this is really mature of you!
Updates:
3/7/19
- Included Shirou's brother's name, Taka
- Changed Social Link Death Arcana Lv from 5 to 4
- Added additional "Shirou picture" scene at the end
-Fixed grammatical mistakes
