"You may as well torture me. I have nothing to say."
Ren knocks his knuckles against Fox's mask.
"No one here is going to torture you genius. I already know who you work for."
Fox grows tense as Ren pokes at a symbol on his shirt.
"That's Madarame's Company Logo. It's his signature for all his paintings. It's also an image not attached to a family of blood but that of teachings. You're part of his school of killers, huh? What's that old man up to these days?"
Fox opens his mouth wide and tries to bite down on his tongue. Blood drips from his mouth as Ren's fingers keep it from closing. He displays a genial expression speaking with a gentle tone.
"Sorry but I won't let you do that either. You see, I'm familiar with Madarame, I know he's an all business kind of man. It's why I haven't taken your mask off to see who you are underneath. However..."
Ren's pales face darkens as his red eyes seemingly glow with an inhuman intensity radiating from him. Fox has never felt such murderous intent in his life.
"The two you've attacked are precious to me. I can't just ignore that. Do you, me, and Madarame all a favor. Stop trying to kill my kids. I don't have to keep my hand in your mouth do I?"
Fox slowly shakes his head and spits to the side after Ren removes himself. Fox scoffs and looks away from Ren.
"Kill me if those are your demands. If I cannot complete my task, then my master will simply send another, and another until the job is done."
Ren curses under his breath turning to the rest of the party.
"Great, this one's completely indoctrinated."
Haru looks between everyone before asking.
"Who is Madarame, Ren-sensei?"
Ryuji tilts his head speaking his own mind on the matter.
"Yeah... I get you're old and all but you know a lot of people- Ow!"
Ryuji flinches from Makoto slapping his head.
"Don't be so rude. The word is elder."
Ren glares at them both with a tired voice.
"I ain't old or your elder you shitty brats... The age for old is sixty! Besides! Madarame is the one who trained my brother before his death. He used to be utterly unrivaled in the swordsmanship. In fact, Inari...?"
Ren looks back to see Fox subtly struggling against the knots on his wrists in vain attempt for freedom. He responds in silence and lets Ren continue.
"Did Madarame teach you his techniques personally? He only gives the title, Fox, to his most trusted and prodigal students."
"..."
"You know you've failed him. He won't want anything to do with you now."
Fox, for the first time in a long time, erupted in passion and irrational anger. With all his might he tries to tear himself of his bonds to teach the snow-haired fool a lesson.
"That is where you are wrong! I am his prized pupil! His greatest masterpiece! Your lies will not sway me off the path he has woven for me! I merely need to bide my time..."
Ren raises a brow with a smirk.
"Oh? What did you call him or something before you got captured?"
"As a matter of fact, I did."
Ren's smirk vanishes as fear grips his heart. He snaps at the kids with a wild look in his eyes.
"Ryuji, get Haru and go!"
"But-!"
"GO!"
Ryuji reluctantly obeys. As he is now, it took all he had to fight Fox as well as he did, all he would do is be dead weight. Even Haru has to help him up as they leave. Makoto stays for a moment eyeing Ren.
"Ren what should I-!"
"You go with them. Keep them safe. Ryuji can fight as he is but they'll want it that way. They want to tire him out to make killing him easier. Besides..."
He pats the cast wrapped around his leg before breaking it with a punch freeing the limb.
"I needed to stretch my legs anyhow."
She scoffs at his dramatics but obeys catches up with them quickly as they're surrounded by masked group with their backs to a car. Makoto lets out a shout as she kicks one behind the knee before throwing him to the ground. Two try overwhelm her in a pincer attack. As their assault comes, her memories flash for a moment, for this is the moment she waited for...
Several weeks ago, Makoto stands in front of Ren, who at the time was known only by his alias Yamatachi, right after Ryuji had left from training. He sits on a piano seat as he stares at her perplexed from a most surprising question.
"Makoto... You really want me to teach you to fight?"
She nods with resolute determination. He sighs shaking his head.
"Unbelievable. I guess I gotta really talk about this now, huh."
"If this is about how I'm not strong enough-!"
"You're a perfect candidate for this culture."
Makoto stops dead in her tracks. She's simulated this conversation in her head for hours and hours of every day since her attempted assassination. It hurt her having to let Ryuji wallow in the fight alone as she watched. She wants to pull him out of it, and if she could not do that, then at least join the fight to protect him. With how near super human these fighters became, how insidious the foes grew, with how heavy the burden is...
She hadn't expected the one person to help her be so obliging. In fact, she couldn't believe his words at all. Perfect? Her?
Ren could see it all in her head and continues.
"With your lifestyle and upbringing you never needed to be violent in your life. I bet you don't even know about your own anatomical secret."
"My... Secret?"
Ren nods and taps the side of his eye.
"Gifted individuals like you, Ryuji, and myself all have one. There's a name for it in the game. They call them, Persona. It's because each one is tailored to that unique individual. My own Persona allows me to see the world in a different way than others. You could call it like a Third Eye."
He shrugs and looks to the side with a distant expression.
"I've been keeping it a secret since the early days, but Ryuji's is his skeletal structure and metabolism, physically speaking he's a human freak. I don't know anyone strong enough to punch a building so hard it shook. Don't even get me started about his teeth..."
He points to her with a scoff.
"Yours is far more interesting though. Whereas mine is strictly my sight and Ryuji is his body, you have such a higher brain functioning than most humans, it's a miracle you're not already in college."
"T-That's all I have...? Brain functioning?"
She frowns with a somber slump. Is all she good for is, thinking? It bothered her until she flinches from being flicked in the head.
"Ow-!'
"You aren't using that gifted brain of yours. Ryuji limited himself with self-doubt, loathing, and even lethargy before he met me. Look at what he can do now?"
"So...?"
"... Let me show you what I mean. Work with me here. I'm going to punch you in the face-"
Makoto pales and stumbles back shaking her head repeatedly.
"No-! No, no, no, no! I don't like that!"
"I said work with me. I'm going to warn you every time before I do it so you can dodge. Dodge every punch, okay?"
She's reluctant. She's seen how hard he can hit. She's heard it, felt it through Ryuji from watching them spar, she does not want to feel that at all.
But... How can she protect anyone without willing to be in any pain in first place?
She's proven she can take a hit before. A fist is nothing to a car. She reluctantly nods and stands still as she can.
"I'm ready."
"Okay here comes the first one."
She is almost insulted how slow it was. She dodged it as awkwardly slow as it had came. She gives him a look but shrinks at his ruby eyed glare.
"They're gonna get faster with each one. Next one is a lefty."
He wasn't kidding. She narrowly dodges it. He had told her and she saw him raise the fist. It isn't until the moment it was thrown that Makoto came upon trouble. She nods in silence waiting for Ren.
"Jab. Right."
He slows it down and it becomes easier. There's a moment of silence in the pause. Then, without any warning, a fist blurs to her and she leans out in the nick of time. She hadn't even realized it had happened until Ren pulls his fist back.
"W-Wh... What? Was that, me? Everything slowed down so much and I moved without thinking-!"
"That's what I'm talking about. Calculations, reflexes, all that is just the tip of the iceberg for your Persona. By the time we're done training you'll be stronger than Ryuji. Brains beat brawn, remember?"
She nods. From that day forward, she would train with him in various ways, from exercising her reactions to using her studies in a fight. Physics equations to determine in but a moment the best course of actions. Regardless, her body could certainly exert the force, but she doesn't have the endurance that Ren and Ryuji share. At the end of each day she felt like dying. At the end of every night to the next morning her body screamed in agony.
That only pushed her more.
If Ryuji is supposed to be her weaker, the one she must protect, she has to work harder. She has to keep up and surpass him...
Today is the day she shows the fruits of her labor. She guides their attacks into hitting each other, saving stamina for the real fight to come, she side steps from between the two as they meet in a cross counter punch. She takes their heads and slam them together.
This is her first real fight. The moment she's waited for. She looks in Ryuji's direction internally pleased to see him watching with awe. It was Hell keeping this a secret from him for long. Seeing that goofy and almost exaggerated look of his is worth the agonizing wait.
Just as she planned, some of the masked individuals come for her now as they see her dispatch three of them within a minute.
"Ryuji! Go! I got this!"
The blonde delinquent narrowly dodges a knife thrust for his shoulder. The knife breaks the car window behind him, and Ryuji pulls the arm down on the jagged glass. The masked assailant cries in pain before Ryuji savagely punches them hard enough to break the mask. He quickly reaches for Haru and pulls her close.
"Even if I wanted to leave you behind, we can't!"
"There's too many, Mako-Chan!"
Makoto curses under her breath as she dodges incoming attacks until stumbling forward with a blurry gaze. One of the masked assassins struck her head from behind with the blunt end of a sai. She raises her arms to block the assault from the front, but has overestimated herself, knowing full well they had intended to stab her in the back. She only realizes too late to do anything about.
She fights on waiting for it and stops at the sound of flesh being torn. Her enemies all leap back with some displaying fear.
Behind her, a sickly looking man with a large coat and medical mask severed the hand of the would-be backstabber. The man sighs as he watches the sai wielder fall on their knees grasping their bleeding stump.
"Pick your targets carefully."
He wipes his machete on the shirt of his victim before sending a fireman kick to the face. He turns fast with his free hand throwing several scalpels past Makoto and into the group. She blinks looking back at him with her face paling.
"T-Takamata!? Why are you here?!"
"... Eggs and salmon."
He pulls out a small shopping list before pocketing it. Makoto and the others all stare at him bewildered by such a simple answer. He smiles behind the mask at their reactions before approaching her.
"Ingredients for dinner. Excuse me."
He pulls her back swinging the machete to meet with a large katana.
"You end up in the most interesting circumstances, Niijima-san."
"Why are you helping?!"
He pushes them back before taking out a syringe from his sleeve, a hidden motion as he had only flicked his wrist, he waits for the opposing swordsman to attack again before entering a clash of blades. Their metal meets after a few swings grinding against each other, until the monotone doctor injects his newest patient with the needle, and watches him fall unconscious. Takamata points to Ryuji without breaking eye contact with his next victims before him.
"I guess I feel bad for him. I'm on your side now. No money required for my services."
Despite her unease and past experiences, she reluctantly brings her back to the doctor's, looking around as the rest of the ambush party surrounds them.
"Did you bring anyone else?"
"As a matter of fact..."
Haru pulls Ryuji away from the fight only to be blocked by a wall of masked figures. The ground begins to tremble before the wall is blown apart from a massive man charging through. Ryuji grows tense bringing Haru behind him.
"K-Kuma...! Look, now ain't the time for a fight!"
Kuma rolls both his arms with a big sneer.
"There you are!~ I wanted to say sorry! My uncle told me everything about why you hit him! You're actually a really nice kid!"
The fat fighter stomps past them both with a frightening leer as he faces the ambush.
"I don't know if you'll ever forgive me but I'm here to do right by you!"
Ryuji looks at him conflicted, yet reassured, nodding at him before looking to Haru.
"I don't like it but I gotta take you somewhere safe."
"You're in no state to fight so please don't force yourself too... Ah!"
She shouts as an ax comes flying at them from one of the men Kuma ran through. Ryuji turn to see it caught in the air. A devilishly looking man walks out with a low cut suit and foul scowl.
"You're way too open, Sakamoto."
"Do I know you?"
The man's eyelid twitches as his face twists into anger. He throws the ax into the air before kicking it back into the sender's shoulder. Haru gasps as she recognizes the style immediately.
"Notaka-san!"
Ryuji looks between them both before shooting a glare at him.
"Kun Woo Li... You here to help us?"
The Korean fighter runs a hand through his hair softening his expression into a suave smile.
"Haru, I'm only doing my job of protecting you. Your father was worried something like this would happen. I should be the one to take you out of here but Ryuji is useless as ever. I'll make a path for you so keep running."
Kun Woo Li sprints for the crowd before taking out a pair of brass knuckles. Ryuji and Haru run past him as he keeps the masked figures occupied...
Fox stares in astonishment before snarling with his jaw clenched.
"You lie! You could have never met my Master! He would never abandon his students!"
Ren merely tilts his head before making his way to the kitchen.
"Is that what he told you? He ever tell you about his prized student before you?"
"There isn't one! I am one of a kind talent-!"
Fox goes on but Ren continues with him as they speak in synchronization.
"He has crafted me into his greatest weapon! Without me there is no future for Japan."
Fox grows quiet as he and Ren lock eyes again. The albino walks back to the assassin holding a photo of a much younger Madarame, an middle aged man with a stoic face, and a boy with black hair and eyes between them both in a similar uniform Fox wore in his younger days. Ren speaks then.
"That boy in that picture was my brother. That boy was supposed to be the Fox of today. Your master and a group of his friends, killed him."
Ren's voice became cold and unstable. He pauses to compose himself. He has to remain in control. He has to make sure this boy doesn't end up dead because of a couple of old men felt like he became an inconvenience.
"He always has a Fox around. You're not a masterpiece or a chosen one. You're a kid being conned into thinking you're something greater. You're a tool alright and after this failure? He's gonna have you thrown out the shed."
"He..."
Fox trails off as Ren interrupts him.
"I bet growing up with him you met the Fox before you. What happened to him? Why is he not here and you are?"
Fox wanted to answer that he proved the better. He surpassed his predecessor. That is not the case. His superior was his own mother after all. She had died shortly after giving birth to him. If anything, he inherited the mask and title, but not without earning it for himself. He earned the right to be Fox. He was born for it.
So why is he learning about this now? And why does this fill him with such, contempt, and confusion.
"You paint?"
Fox looks up at Ren curiously but remains silent.
"He put yours up on display, makes bank on it, but you don't get a dime."
"I do not need wealth-"
"Nor any credit. Your sword arm, your art, your entire being is taken and stolen by an old man who probably has at least ten replacements for you."
"You never met him... You don't know who he is..."
"Kid."
Ren's eyes flash in the perspective of Fox.
"I was raised by men like Madarame. Everyone has their masks on in life. Not all of them are masks of ceramic clay."
Ren doesn't move as Fox ponders on this. The room soon floods with masked men, all wearing fox masks, which catches Fox off guard.
"W-What is this...? Why are there... So many of you...?"
"You failed, Yusuke. We've wanted to get rid of you for years. You can't imagine how terrible the wait was. Madarame-sensei finally sees you alone can't handle being Fox."
Yuskue's eyes widen behind the mask as he sees a myriad of shuriken fly for him. Ren's blood trickles down his arms. He catches most from the air with hands, but with those he couldn't catch between his fingers he caught with his own arms, ninja stars and small knives stick out of his flesh like barbed decorations.
"So if I heard right this means that, in Yusuke was it, isn't part of the Madarame Assassination Clan? That's all I needed."
His arms blur sending the projectiles back. He uses the ones stuck in his flesh to tear into the cloth and skin of tge surrounding Foxes as he fights them back. They were nothing like how he had seen Yusuke fight Ryuji. Skilled, certainly, but no better than the average lightweight MMA fighter. He isn't in the mood to play with his food either.
As they attempt to surround him, drawing their blades at their hips, Ren uses the very same shuriken to parry the blades away hissing each time. Every parry left one open for a blow, and he'd knock them out in one hit, ending the fight as soon as it started. Yusuke is left enthralled having never seen such display of deftness, fortitude, such unequivocal skill.
Ren removes his unwanted accessories before freeing Yusuke and taking the mask off of his face.
"Look here... You've got a couple a choices. Do what you want but here's my suggestion. Pursue a normal life. Leave the bloodshed behind. If you can do that then go to Yamatachi Headquarters. If not? Whatever. Just stop coming after Ryuji and Futaba, okay?"
Yusuke only lools to the ground, but nods slowly before leaving the room, with Ren looking at the unconscious bodies in his hideout.
"I worked so hard to keep this place a secret too... Now everyone's just barging in."
Makoto rubs her arm blushing as Sae glares daggers at her as the police put the masked men away.
"I can't believe this... I simply can not believe this! My own sister!? Street fighting like some drug addled thug?!"
"S-Sis it was self-defense...!"
"I'd believe that Makoto if it weren't so clear you fought with a group! Who were the others? Was the Vigilante involved?"
"He wasn't! I didn't see him here at all-!"
Sae glares into Makoto's feeble eyes full of disappointment and disbelief.
"Not in his costume maybe. I... I'll deal with you later."
She nearly dismisses her until a voice of authority stops them both.
"Now hold on a moment there, Niijima-san. I'd like to have word with your sister here."
"Director? Sir, maybe you can her it through her head. I've got other things to tend too."
Sae rubs her temple as she leaves Makoto with the SIU Director. The younger Niijima sweats slightly meeting this man in person. Why is someone of his status here? Unless...
"You put on quite a spectacle back there. You must already know about the Atlus Fights."
Makoto says nothing. She thought these cruel games were simply called The Game. She merely nods not wanting to give him anymore to work with.
"You fought with a bit of reckless abandon, but that's real talent behind you as well, and I must say that I'm impressed. Trust me my girl, I am not easily impressed."
"Thank you, sir... But why approach me about this? Violence isn't-"
"I'll be blunt with you, violence is how the world flows, but it must be contained and regulated. This Hebi is unfortunately the beginning. You see... The Vigilante is a bit of an inspiration to me."
That has Makoto's attention. The Director speaks much quieter as he gestures for her to follow.
"I've tried to figure out who he is but I only have a handful of possible suspects. Perhaps... I was wrong in assuming them to be male."
He looks back at her with a suspicious leer. He then laughs at her startled reaction.
"I jest, I jest!~ However, as you are aware there are those with representatives for the Atlus Fights. I used to have one employed, but eventually retired him as the times no longer required his services, but services he could provide are needed once more."
"Then where is he? Why tell me?"
"He's dead."
That put a familiar sense of fear in her. She wants to fool herself in thinking it was natural cause or accident. She doesn't ask and lets the elder continue.
"He was a phenomenal fighter. A unique style, efficient form and strategy, he could execute an entire plan in a thought and end the fight almost as fast... I thought I'd never find such a person again until today."
The SIU Director grins at Makoto.
"We used to call him the King of Law... He wanted to end these games of violence and business. I didn't believe him when he said things would get out of hand."
His grins turns to a cold grimace.
"But now I see he was absolutely right. Do you understand why I want to seek the Vigilante out myself now?"
"You... You want to end this all too?"
The SIU Director raises a brow at her comment.
"So he and I do share similar goals... That's good. Niijima-chan. How would you and the Vigilante like to be the King and Queen of Law?"
Makoto leans back expecting him to take the proposition back, but she realizes soon enough that isn't the case, and breaks eye contact with him.
"I-I... I can't be a fighter-"
"You fight like the old King of Law. I understand if he won't join us in fear for his life or anything of the sort. However, Niijima-chan, you should at least think about it. The sooner we end this nightmare of the Atlus Fights, the better."
He starts to walk away but pauses for one last statement.
"I think it would be rather nice to see you outside of Sae-san's shadow."
He leaves her with that thought echoing in her head for what feels like hours. There isn't anything more she wants than to bring things back to normal. To be rid of this senseless violence and unreasonable aggression within society. She can do that with the friends she has now, can't she? Her lineage is tied to the law however. As she mulls this over, Ren calls her out of her stunned stupor.
"Hey, got a call from Haru. They made it to her penthouse just fine. You alright? You were just standing there for a minute."
"I'm fine... What about you? If they found out about your hideout here in the club..."
Ren shrugs with a dismissive tone.
"It's only one out of couple hundred hidey-holes. I managed to snap the kid out of it. We won't have to worry about Madarame's assassin's for awhile... You sure you alright?"
Makoto perks up forcing on a smile.
"Of course! I'm just weary from fighting so hard... I don't get how you or Ryuji can do this on a near day by day basis."
Ren rubs his chin thinking on how to properly respond.
"For Ryuji, it's his mentality. If he thinks he needs to do something then he'll do it, no matter how impossible it may seem. As for me... I guess this is just the life I live. It hasn't been the happiest life all in all, but meeting you and the others have made fighting worth it, so I still keep going now."
"I thought you were fighting for revenge...?"
The albino scoffs and pats her head much to the young woman's annoyance.
"People change, Makoto. Right now my top priority is making sure you kids make it out on your own okay. If that means I have to keep fighting than I will."
"That sounds horrible..."
"Maybe, but it doesn't have to be you either. If you think it's bad then find a way to fix it. If got any ideas then come to me or whoever you think can help you out. That's the essence of being an adult Makoto. Learning from others and doing your own thing."
He leaves her knowing there's more she won't tell him. Unaware of her inner debate between choosing her friends or her goals. She looks down at her hand, knuckles bleeding and bruised from her own street brawl, and her mind wonders. She's learned all she can finally putting her knowledge and training to use. She's been given an opportunity to set into motion to disassemble a system she despises greatly. She has before the chance to stand out on her own and save people from an otherwise secret threat which rules over their lives. If she brought this up to her friends surely they would understand and join her.
But they're dealing in the system now. The more she thought the more she came to realize. They have been feeding the machine known as violence. Haru and Ryuji's contract entering them officially into the Atlus Fights. Ren's constant dealings in and out of the legal system as he actively abuses loopholes, living multiple lives even now, despite her gratefulness it had occurred to her then. Even after all this time together, practically living with the man after their own secret training from the others, she can't find it in herself to trust him.
These are her friends. People who have gone out of their way for her and herself for them... Yet now, excuses turn to reason as she reaches for anything that will allow her to be in the front lines, not for renown nor thrill. She's desperate to end it all. Desperation can lead someone to do foolish things and she recognizes this. Her desire conflicts with her logical thinking.
She perks up at her phone buzzing from a text message. Ann has reminded everyone in their group chat about the vacation the second year class is going on tomorrow... Only to do a double take as she swiftly corrects Ann mistake. The poor girl typed that the entire school is going. That's when Haru breaks the grave news.
Due to an increase within the school budget from an unnamed donor earlier last month, as well as the small damages done by the "earthquake", Principal Kobayakawa had changed the vacation to be the entire school.