A/N Little bit later than I had wanted, but the chapter's here nonetheless. I wanted to post this last Friday, however I kept wanting to make changes to the chapter and it ended up getting pushed.
Next chapter will be posted next Friday as a heads up, so this being posted late shouldn't really affect it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.
Chapter 20
July 31st — Sanshou Hotel: Mid-Level Dining Area, Early Evening…
"Aaaaand, cheers!" Chie exclaimed.
The members of the Investigation Team tapped their glasses together before leaning back towards their seats.
"Easy there, Chie," Yosuke began, though he clearly fought a laugh upon seeing her enthusiasm. "It's not like we're toasting with champagne here. No need to be so into it."
"But the occasion calls for it!" she countered. "I mean, Yukiko just got a life-changing amount of money for the inn! How am I supposed to not be excited?!"
"It is a pretty big deal," Yu remarked. He threw a smile in the direction of the Amagi heiress. "At the very least, you won't have to worry about hiring enough people to help out with all the work. And budgeting maintenance on the inn will probably be a lot simpler."
"I can't deny that," Yukiko admitted cheerfully. "It still doesn't feel real, you know? It's not as if the inn was in need of money or anything like that, but this… It's just very surreal."
"Speakin' a' the inn though," said Kanji, a curious look about him. "Are you planin' on headin' home anytime soon?"
It was a fair question, and one that everyone immediately keyed in on. After all, three of those present, being Yu, Chie, and Yosuke, were in Tokyo for the near future while even Kanji and Teddie were present at least until Rise's concert in about two weeks' time. With her business settled in Tokyo, and the threat of the White Masks no longer looming, Yukiko could very well head back home within the next few days should she so desire.
"I'll be staying at least until after we have our celebratory dinner with everyone," Yukiko replied, sporting a bright smile. "I'd also like to stay at least for Rise's concert. Truth be told, I'm not in much of a rush to get home."
"You sure your mom is gonna be okay?" Chie pressed. She quickly started to flounder. "N-Not that I'm trying to get rid of you or anything like that."
With a giggle, she replied. "I know. I called her the other night and she's doing well—better than ever, in fact. Though the news on the funding we received nearly gave her a heart attack though…"
"Is that good or bad?" Yosuke wondered aloud.
"If she's sitting here smiling about it, obviously good," Chie replied with an eye-roll. "But we're more than glad to have you here for as long as you can stay!"
"Thanks, Chie."
"Still, there's one bittersweet note to tonight, ain't there?" Kanji mused.
He looked over towards both Rise and Yu, who had been thus far uncharacteristically quiet as dinner had unfolded. They didn't seem to be in the brightest of moods either, on account of their no longer staying in the same hotel as their closest friends. They hid that fact well, though.
"I still can't believe you two are neighbors," Yukiko uttered in amazement.
"I can," Chie chuckled.
She gave a cheeky smirk towards a certain mischievous redhead, who took offense to the clear insinuation.
"It was purely coincidental," Rise stated pointedly as she stared down the brunette.
"Uh-huh…"
"I'm serious!"
"Suuure you are."
The songstress pouted before pivoting towards the silver-haired man at her side. "You know I'm not lying, right, Yu?"
"Of course," Yu replied with a nod.
"Glad to know her puppy dog eyes are all it takes to sway your opinion," Yosuke joked, allowing himself a good-natured laugh. "Not that I can blame you though."
"No, she's actually telling the truth," Yu replied.
"Uh, how can you even tell?" Kanji uttered confusedly. He received a dirty look from the idol in question. "What? Oh, c'mon, what I mean is that you're such a good actress, it's like impossible to tell if you're lying or not."
"Where's Naoto? I bet she could tell," Chie mused.
"She's busy, unfortunately," said Yu.
"Now that I think about it, I haven't been able to get ahold of her for a few days," Rise thought aloud.
"Huh, me neither," Chie uttered. "I wonder what she's been caught up with…"
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's important. She'd be here otherwise," Kanji pointed out.
"Truly shocking that you'd say that," muttered Yosuke sarcastically and with a wide smirk etched across his lips.
Without even bothering to look, Kanji punched his leg, and hard enough to make it hurt if the brunette's yelp was anything to go by.
Shinjuku: Central Police Precinct
The doors to the police precinct were wide open as a practical caravan of detainees were ushered through them. A number of officers stood at the sides of the line and maintained order, ensuring that none of them started to resist arrest as they neared the metaphorical finish line.
Naoto watched closely as the suspected criminals walked by. She took distinct note of their body language and facial expressions, noticing how confused and frightened they appeared to be. Though these were not uncommon feelings when being arrested, it was rare to see them in such overabundance.
"I had hoped this wouldn't become a common occurrence, but it's quicky becoming the norm…" Chief Kentaro somberly remarked from the blue-haired young woman's side.
The detective responsible for the batch of arrests—a prim and proper brown-haired young man— came up to both the Chief and Naoto, nodding his head as a sign of deference as he did so.
"Chief, Detective Shirogane," he greeted plainly.
"What can you tell us about this batch?" asked the Chief.
"The rackets are what we expected: Drugs and prostitution. Each of these arrests were made off the streets just recently," answered the young detective.
His response was respectful and dutiful as they came, but Naoto could only sigh internally upon hearing him speak. Though most people likely wouldn't have been able discern the subtleties of her mood, the two policemen in her company were an exception.
"Apologies, but have I said something wrong?"
"Detective… Saeba, is it? How many arrests have you made in the past week related to drugs or prostitution?" inquired Naoto.
"About… eighty, I suppose. Though the last few days make up the vast majority of that total."
"So, you're saying you've been consistently having to arrest individuals in droves for the same crimes in a recent uptick?"
"Well, yes, of course," he replied, clearly confused.
The blue-haired beauty was sadly caught between a rock and a hard place. She had hoped the detective would understand the veiled meaning of her words, but perhaps he was too inexperienced to fully understand. She wanted to avoid making this seem like a lecture in front of his boss in the form of the Chief of Police, but such seemed unavoidable.
It so happened that there was someone else nearby ready to lend a helping hand.
"Our friend here means to say that your approach is flawed, though clearly she's trying to be nice about it."
The voice came from an approaching black-suited man who himself was a detective. His hair was short and dark, and though it was spikey, it was kempt enough to the point that his bangs weren't covering his forehead. He had brown eyes, and a short, well-groomed chinstrap beard that matched his hair color, although a small tinge of gray could be seen near the end of his sideburns.
He had a subtle dignity about him, and an aura of a season veteran all but oozed out of his person. Judging by the stiff reaction the younger detective had in the face of his words, that last part was wholeheartedly true.
"Pardon my intrusion," he said respectfully, stopping in place next to the Chief. "I didn't mean to steal your thunder, Detective Shirogane."
"By all means," she invited.
"In that case…" he began, eying his younger coworker dispassionately. "Detective Saeba, would you say that this sudden uptick of these same types of criminal offenses is coincidence?"
"No, of course not!" the young man quickly exclaimed.
"Good, that means you were paying attention at the academy," replied the older detective, his tone still uncaring and his voice still pleasantly gruff. "To use a metaphor, you've stepped onto the first foot of a ladder and stopped in place, not realizing the rest of the ladder remains for you to climb. Of course, these bottom rungs you've brought in might have some useful information, but it's far easier to follow the trail up the ladder than to squeeze it out of them in the first place. In other words, let them go about their business, track their movements, and follow them to the top."
"Worth noting is that the bottom layer is the most interchangeable as well," Naoto added. "You can arrest as many of them as you want, but they will ultimately be replaced, and continuously so until the source is dealt with."
"I see you're point," he replied, nodding in understanding. "I apologize for my shortsightedness and shall adjust my methods accordingly."
"Good man," said the Chief, unable to help a smile at his subordinate's receptive attitude. "Still, it isn't a total loss that you've brought these people in. Go see that they're processed and questioned accordingly."
"Yes, sir."
The young detective headed off to do just that, leaving a somewhat amused trio behind in the wake of his departure.
"With that out of the way, I believe introductions are in order," said the Chief. He cleared his throat, gesturing towards the brown-haired man that had so casually entered the conversation just moments ago. "Detective Shirogane, I'd like you to meet Detective Tetsuo Jirikishi. I've asked that he work as liaison between yourself and my department regarding the current crime spree, among other mutual interests. He knows the Streets of Shinjuku better than anyone on the force, and he happens to be one of my best men for that very reason."
"Your words, not mine," Jirikishi replied.
"A rather humble response, and yet you clearly don't have any qualms about flaunting your experience," Naoto pointed out.
"Not when it's used to educate others, no," he replied, smirking amusedly.
"In any case, we—"
What the Chief was meant to say was lost to time as an officer came up with an urgent expression stretching from ear to ear. Naoto and Jirikishi in particular could only frown upon noticing this, each far from in the mood to hear more bad news.
"Chief, sorry to bother," said the officer. "The Commissioner General is on the line for you. I tried to tell her you were preoccupied, but…"
"That's fine, sergeant," sighed Kenatro. He looked apologetically towards the two detectives in his company. "I'll need to take this. I have full confidence in each of your abilities, so I'm sure my presence will be unneeded."
Despite his words, it was clear that the Police Chief was demoralized. No one could blame him though, after all the district was headed towards hell in a handbasket and the blame would rest squarely on his feet if nothing was done.
Nevertheless, the problem itself was Naoto's to focus on. Thus, she turned to Jirikishi, intent on getting right down to business.
"I'd like to start by reviewing the questioning of any dealers or handlers you've brought into custody," Naoto spoke firmly.
"That's fine with me, but I'll save you the time and energy," Jirikishi replied, eliciting a quirked brow. "That isn't to say that we haven't brought any in or that they've all refused to talk. In fact, it's the opposite. They've all talked, but the problem is they're all saying the exact same thing."
"…how do you mean?"
Allowing actions to speak louder and briefer than his own words would allow, Jirikishi pulled out his police-issued phone and started to play recordings he'd taken in recent questionings.
"Your name is Takahara Inousuke, correct?"
"Yes."
"Please, look at these images caught on camera. Is this you?"
"Yes…"
"Is this a drug deal playing out in these photos?"
"I-It certainly would seem so…"
"You were picked up off the streets for selling fentanyl. You were found with 1kg in your possession."
"This is true."
"And yet you deny any recollection of these actions?"
"I do, yes."
"What do you remember?"
"E-Everything else! My name, my address, where I work, my brother's name—!"
"Calm down, Inousuke-san."
"Sorry, but I'm telling you, that I…! *sigh* I'm telling you I don't remember doing any of that. The last thing I can remember doing was going to bed—I don't know what day, sometime late last week? And then I woke up in a police car."
Naoto's brow furrowed upon hearing the tape, though it was merely the beginning. Bit after bit played out, increasing her apprehension and concern all the more with each passing second.
"I'm telling you I don't remember!"
…
"I swear, I'm—why would I lie? Why would I do any of this in the first place?! I've got an honest job, and—you know what, I want my lawyer!"
…
"That's me, but I…!"
…
"It goes on like this along those lines for quite some time, but I'm sure you get the gist by now," Jirikishi said calmly, placing the phone back into his pocket.
A deep, agonizing worry started to overtake Naoto's very being. She felt a cold chill run down her spine, a sensation she was very much so not used to. The pieces of a very dark, twisted puzzle started to come together in her mind, and the image they showed was not a pretty one to say the least.
"Detective?" muttered the brown-haired man.
"Sorry, I have to make a phone call," Naoto stated.
She soon rushed off outside as quickly as she could, coming into a nearby alleyway off to the side of the precinct near a dumpster. Though it was hardly an ideal location to enjoy a breath of fresh air, the solitude was what she had been looking for.
'I suppose the White Masks aren't quite as done as we thought them to be…' Naoto thought with a scowl. 'But none of this makes any sense. Why now? And why the change in their modus operandi? Regardless, I need to get Yu here immediately.'
The blue-haired young woman immediately took out her cellphone, readying to call the one person that above all else she wanted by her side at the moment. However, she stopped herself just as she was nearly about to press 'call' on account of noticing that she had company.
"You know," spoke Naoto, her eyes closed in mild agitation, "it's rude to eavesdrop on people."
The esteemed Detective Tetsuo Jirikishi casually walked up from the top of the alley, his hands in his pockets as if he hadn't been affected by the accusation in the slightest.
"I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I was here," he replied. "Though I'm smart enough to know how pointless it would've been to even try something like that on the Detective Naoto Shirogane with the expectation of getting away with it."
"Yet you're here all the same."
"True."
In a quick, suave sequence of motions, the brown-haired man took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. He stopped just short of lighting it, wanting not to be disrespectful of the living legend before him even in spite of his more laid-back demeanor.
"You don't mind, do you?" Jirikishi inquired.
"Help yourself," she answered.
"I know we're outside, but some people are sensitive about this kind of thing in this day and age, ya know? So it never hurts to ask first," Jirikishi muttered.
He lit the cigarette, taking a big inhale before blowing out a large buff of smoke that permeated through the night's air. He was oddly silent, almost as if he was goading Naoto into asking for the reason behind his presence. Perhaps he simply wanted to know how she would approach the situation before he said anything directly.
"Let's not waste either of our time," Naoto stated pointedly. "Why did you follow me out here?"
"Straight to the point, huh? I like your style," he chuckled, taking one last puff from the cigarette before throwing it on the ground and stomping it out with his black leather shoe. "I'll return the favor then. I'm aware of the similarities between the people we've recently detained and those that were arrested during the White Masks incident. So, I can't help but wonder… is that the reason you ran off so quickly?"
"And if it were?"
There was a brief but deep silence that strangled the airs of the conversation. The two detectives were analyzing the situation with razor focus, and though their expressions were stone-cold, it was beyond obvious to each of them that neither trusted the other at current.
It wasn't that they had a particular reason to distrust each other either; it was simply that their very nature was to withhold any semblance of trust until it was properly earned. The question now was who between the two of them would reveal their hand first.
"The rumors were floating around that it seemed as if the White Masks we arrested were brainwashed or something. All of them claimed they had no idea they'd done what they were accused of… And wouldn't you know it? That's exactly what's happening right now with the perps we're brining in on an hourly basis," spoke Jirikishi, his onset aura of seriousness still present.
"I take it you suspect the White Masks aren't quite so finished, then?" Naoto mused.
He was clearly surprised that the question was even asked. Realization stuck a second later as he realized his fellow detective's lack of knowledge on one specific detail.
"I see, you're unaware. That's the only way you of all people would ask me that," Jirikishi uttered to himself. His gaze locked with Naoto's. "The evidence from the raid on the White Masks is missing."
Just hearing that sentence had the former Detective Prince's body go numb for a few seconds. She believed, and desperately hoped, that she'd misheard at first, but realization that she had not quickly donned on her.
"What?" Naoto seethed, her fists baling. She did her best to keep her composure and was astonishingly able to do so for the most part. When she received a nod of confirmation, she nearly snapped. "I take it the Chief is fully aware?"
"My take is that he's in denial and hoping it was just misplaced or that the report wasn't filed correctly," Jirikishi replied. "Truth is, we only found out a day or so ago. It's possible that we'd have known sooner, but given the pissing contest that's been going on way over our heads regarding who actually gets access to the stuff, it's just been sitting there in purgatory with strict 'do not touch' orders on it."
"That hardly excuses withholding that kind of information once it was found to be missing," Naoto stated pointedly. Her eyes narrowed as thin as daggers. "And rest assured, I will certainly be having a word with Chief Kentaro in the near future."
"More power to ya," he said with an uncaring shrug. "But with that evidence now missing, and the similarities we're seeing between now and White Mask incident… it's a bit too coincidental, don't you think?"
It was then that the blue-haired detective started to understand his situation, and in doing so she couldn't help but feel sympathetic. Though Jirikishi clearly had an inkling that something sinister was at play, there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that he'd be able to figure it out on his own, let alone do anything about it once he did. In truth there was no greater pain for a detective than to be incapable of solving a case, and he was certainly in that position.
Still, the fact remained that he was just an officer of the law in the 'real' world. Even if he had the will, he hadn't the tools to do the job. Though harsh, and perhaps unfair, it was nevertheless the truth.
"Even assuming you're right: What would you do?" Naoto pressed.
"You sure know how to make a conversation seem like an interrogation," Jirikishi chuckled. His demeanor seemed to relax somewhat as his hands found their way into his pockets once more. "Whatever you need me to. That's my answer."
"…you're serious, aren't you?" said Naoto, appearing surprised by the realization. "You don't intend to press further?"
"Look, I'm not one for superstition, but I'd have to be an idiot not to realize that what's happening right now is the furthest thing from normal that you can get," Jirikishi replied, sporting a good-natured expression as he did so. "I got the same general vibe from the White Masks incident. If you managed to solve that, then it seems reasonable to me that I defer to your expertise on this case as well."
"Then I thank you for both your offer and your understanding," replied Naoto.
"Sure, sure," he replied, waving off her appreciation as kindly as he could. "Then I'll leave you to call your partner."
He started to walk off, though the blue-eyed young woman had one question tugging at the forefront of her mind.
"Before you go…" Naoto began. "It's clear to me that you intended to offer your help at an arm's distance away from the start, so why lead in to that the way you did?"
Jirikishi looked back over his shoulder, a cheeky look to his eyes as he replied, "I'm sure you already know the answer, Detective Shirogane."
Naoto couldn't help but laugh quietly in response. For all intents and purposes, Tetsuo Jirikishi simply wanted her to know that he was both not an idiot and someone she could use. She couldn't help but admit it was perhaps the most unique way she'd ever been told that by someone.
"Oh, and one more thing," he called out, turning back to say his parting words. "I don't like to be kept out of the loop. I'm making an exception here and leaving it up to you to decide what I need to know and what I shouldn't know. Don't abuse that trust and we'll get along great."
With that, he was gone, leaving the esteemed detective to contact her partner after a rather eventful conversation. He picked up very quickly after she had dialed in the first place, though she hadn't the time to feel relief at that fact.
"Yu, we have a problem," Naoto spoke with urgency. "Even if you're busy at the moment, it's critical that you meet me in Shinjuku. I'm at the central police precinct, please get here as fast as you can."
Yongen-Jaya: Café Leblanc, Some Time Later…
Ren and Ryuji sat in place across from one another in the quaint little café, acting as the only two 'human' customers at this hour of the night. Morgana kept himself in their company as well, though he mostly stayed quiet as the two went back and forth on any number of topics.
The door abruptly opened, giving way to the last male member of the Phantom Thieves.
"Apologies if I'm late, I…" Yusuke trailed off. He looked strangely back at the door for a moment, stopping in place and adopting a puzzled expression. "Something feel's off here."
"The bell's broken," Ren explained. "Sojiro actually went out to get a new one at the shop down the street. He should be back in a bit."
"Weirded us out too when we came through earlier," Ryuji said with a chuckle.
"It bothers me more than I thought it would…"
"Stop focusing on it and come sit with us, dude. Worry about the bell later."
Fox did exactly as Ryuji had suggested and took his seat next to Ren, quickly regaining a relaxed demeanor in spite of the bell-situation.
"Have the girls not arrived yet?" Yusuke inquired.
"Not yet, no," answered Ren. "They messaged the group chat saying they were running late after getting dinner together."
The aspiring artist found the need to check the time on his phone, raising a curious brow.
"They sat down to eat several hours ago, did they not?"
"They say time flies when you're having fun," Ren replied.
"True, but in their case it's cuz' they talk waaaay too much," Ryuji uttered.
"With an attitude like that, it's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend~" Morgana taunted.
The blond's reaction was both immediate and predictable. He glared deeply at the feline, who in turn appeared as smug as could be, his tail wagging back and forth almost tauntingly.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Ryuji growled. "And also, just so ya know, I ain't got an issue with it normally. It's just that we had plans to see a movie, and now we're sittin' here waiting and might miss out cuz' of them. It's just called manners to be on time for shit like that!"
"Well, that much is hard to argue against…" admitted Yusuke.
"Come on, it's not that bad. Plus, they haven't gotten a lot of time with just each other, so isn't it pretty understandable they'd want to enjoy it for as long as they can?" Ren chimed in.
"Dude, you don't gotta defend 'em. They ain't here to get all goo-goo eyed hearin' you say stuff like that," Ryuji teased.
There was a round of laughter and a brief silence as the thuggish Persona user rested his cheek on his fist and appeared to be deeper in thought than any of them had seen him before.
"What're you thinking about?" Ren asked conversationally.
"*Gasp* Ryuji can think?!" Morgana
"That's strike two, cat."
"Hmm," muttered Yusuke analytically. "If it's Ryuji we're talking about, then the only thing he can be thinking of so intensely would have to be girls."
"Man, two points for Yusuke. I'm impressed," he chuckled. He gave a cheeky look to his definitive best friend. "Still, you've got a ways to go before you catch up with Ren. Crazy bastard probably knows what color underwear I wear on any given day."
"Naturally," Ren answered.
Ryuji initially laughed at what he perceived to be a joke, but he soon took note of the deadpanned tone and expression with which it was delivered. He looked at the raven-haired teen disbelievingly at first, but soon enough a tinge of fear began to show.
"Uh, that was a joke, right?"
"Sure."
Once again, the deadpanned voice and demeanor threw him off, and his friend noticed this fact.
"Why so nervous?" Ren asked, tilting his head innocently as he did so.
"Okay, I know I started it, but I'm gonna need to hear you say you don't actually know!" Ryuji exclaimed.
In response, the Ren cupped his chin and appeared to look at the Ryuji's lower body even beneath the table. Though he knew the bespectacled teen didn't have x-ray vision, the blonde covered himself in a panic all the same as if he did.
"Dude, don't take a guess either! Just tell me you don't know and let it die!" Ryuji all but begged.
Fox allowed himself a laugh, though clearly, he was trying to keep it contained due to the somewhat vulgar nature of the back and forth. A panicked Ryuji was just too amusing for him to resist.
"Alright, alright," relented Ren, himself chuckling at his friend's overreaction. "Obviously, I don't know something like that."
"Getting back to the topic," began Yusuke, clearing his throat. "What girls specifically were you thinking about, Ryuji?"
The blond's previous panic dissipated within a half-second. He appeared almost excited by the question.
"Wait a minute, did you just ask me to talk about girls?" Ryuji asked rhetorically, clearly shocked. "This is a milestone! Aw man, I'm so happy I could cry!"
"I retract my question…" muttered Yusuke.
"Oh c'mon, don't be like that!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Okay, okay, I was just thinkin' about how our girls are kinda… ya know."
Not a single one among the three across from him had any idea what he was talking about or what he could possibly be referring to, and it showed.
"I'm not really sure what you mean," said Ren.
"You know, how they stack up to the girls from Yu-san's group," Ryuji stated. An almost bittersweet look came into his eyes. "I mean between us guys, they're all knockouts, am I right?"
There was a bit of an awkward silence as it seemed each of the other three Phantom Thieves present had their qualms about actually answering that question. Ryuji crossed his arms and gave them a look that all but forced them to give their honest opinion.
"Well, I can't deny that each has a certain charm," Yusuke admitted. "Amagi-san in particular has such a high degree of elegance and natural beauty."
"L-Lady Ann is still the most beautiful, but…" Morgana trailed off.
He looked away guiltily, though he'd already started and as such he wouldn't be getting off the hook.
"C'mon, it's just between us guys, dude," Ryuji prodded.
"W-Well, it's nice to just be 'one of the guys'," muttered the feline. He gave an honest answer, though his head hung low all the while. "I think that Rise-san is extremely beautiful. Naoto-san too, and even Chie-san and Yukiko-san are pretty as well."
"Mona, I've got newfound respect for you," Ryuji said with a proud grin. His attention soon shifted. "I notice a certain someone is staying silent though."
"…they're all pretty, of course," Ren meekly replied.
"Then we're in agreement that they're knockouts," Ryuji concluded.
He was given a begrudging nod from the other three. Clearly, they had reservations about his line of thinking, which the black-furred cat was all too quick to point out.
"We all agree they're pretty, but that doesn't mean they're better than Lady Ann, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba!" Morgana said in protest.
"It ain't all about looks," Ryuji countered, waving off the feline's words. "Naoto-san is a super-famous international sleuth that was solving murders when she was our age, Rise-san is an idol that's been famous just as long, Yukiko-san literally runs an official cultural site, and Chie-san is one hell of a badass cop! All that, and they're all super nice and considerate to boot!"
"They are rather easy to talk to," conceded Yusuke. "But Futaba, Ann, Haru and Makoto are all incredibly impressive in their own right. One could argue equally so."
"And yet swap our group with theirs, and I doubt we'd be left hanging around waiting for them to show up half an hour late so we could finally go see a damn movie," Ryuji grumbled. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm just sayin', it feels like we got kinda jipped is all."
"I think you're being too hard on them," Ren stated honestly.
"Oh, is that right?"
The way Ryuji spoke and his body language thereafter all but giveaway that there was a rant incoming that nothing, not even god himself could put a stop to.
'Oh brother…' thought Mona with a sigh.
"Okay, yeah, let's just say that they're all pretty good looking. Alright, fine," began Ryuji, shrugging the presumed truth off as if it were barely a minor detail. "Here's the thing, they all got problems. And I mean all of 'em, and they sure as shit ain't little."
Each of the other three wanted to speak up and actually counter, but he would give them no such opportunity on account of how riled up he'd become.
"So let's start off with Makoto. She's pretty hot and really smart, right? But she's so bossy, and on top of that, she scares the shit out of me! I sometimes feel like I'm gonna get my ass kicked just by making eye-contact with her. She's a real shoulder-pads-senpai through and through."
"Ryuji…" Yusuke quietly uttered.
"Then there's Haru, who yeah, like I said, plenty cute and she's even super nice. Here's the thing, am I the only one that hears the stuff she says when we're in the Metaverse? Ya know, when she goes on about getting a kick out of murdering a Shadow? Sorry, but she might be the scariest girl we know."
"Um, Ryuji…" Ren attempted to cut in.
"Hold up, Ren, I'm almost done here," he replied. "Then there's Futaba; again, plenty cute and seems nice, but then there's the whole 'Alibaba' side of her… Yeah, terrifying too. Any girl that can track your location on her computer whenever she wants is terrifying by default."
"Ryuji, seriously, pump the brakes," Ren cautioned urgently.
"Dude, hang on, just lemme finish. Geez," he replied, sounding somewhat offended. "Anyway, last but definitely not the least of the offenders is Ann. Yeah, she's hot, but nowhere near hot enough to make up for all the damn negatives. Not enough time in the day to go over 'em—but yeah, in her own way, even she's damn terrifying too! I'm just saying, we kinda got screwed over compared to the other group when you really take the time to think about it."
With all that now being said, Ryuji took a sincere breath of relief. Clearly, he'd had quite a bit of that on his chest for a while and was happy to have said it all out loud. After he finished basking in the afterglow of said relief, however, he finally got a good look at the three Phantom Thieves that sat across from him.
Each of them, be it Morgana, Yusuke, and even Ren, were frozen in place with expressions of unimaginable terror and disbelief showing from ear to ear. At first, he thought he'd simply crossed the line even by 'dude talk' standards and began to feel somewhat guilty.
"Too much?" Ryuji asked innocently.
He received no response from them whatsoever, though at that point he realized that their eyes hadn't been locked on him. They were looking slightly off to the side behind him, and so, still completely confused, he began to turn around so as to see what had caught their attention.
"What are you guys…"
Ryuji's voice died in his throat the moment that he finally turned his head fully. His pupils, alongside a few other choice body parts, shrank upon seeing Makoto, Haru, Futaba, and Ann standing overhead.
The worlds most talented artists, writers, thinkers, psychologists, and scientists could have put their brilliant minds together and still not been able to explain or properly describe the sinister aura that emanated from their very being as they stared down at Ryuji with menacing smiles in some cases and razor-thin glares in others.
There were any number of things that were going through Ryuji's head in that moment. He first wondered how it came to this, blaming both the lack of a bell on the door, his own big mouth, and his inability to stop when Ren and Yusuke had tried to warn him.
He wondered what he should do next as well, believing that an apology was of course necessary. Begging for his life was probably a must as well if the bloodthirsty look in their eyes was any indication. Groveling, whimpering—any of these would have been good options in truth.
However, stricken with fear and regret as he was in the face of his likely demise, there was only one thing he could bring himself to say.
"Oh… fuck…" Ryuji uttered.
The girls continued to speak not a word, though the sound of knuckles cracking soon echoed throughout Leblanc.
Shinjuku: Central Police Precinct
"You're kidding me," Yu uttered in absolute disbelief.
The esteemed leader of the Investigation Team sat in place across from Naoto in an isolated meeting room within the SPD's main hub, having just been explained the situation on their hands.
Granted, he half-expected things to be on the grimmer-side given Naoto had contacted him so urgently, but something like this was beyond even his imagination.
"I wish I were," answered Naoto with a scowl. "Sadly, we can't even confirm if this is truly brainwashing as we'd feared given that we lack the access to the materials collected from the White Mask's base. Although it remains a safe assumption in my mind."
"Any idea how the evidence went missing in the first place?" asked Yu.
The door opened, giving way to the raven-haired detective Naoto had met just recently. He held a file in his hand, placing it squarely in front of the blue-haired young woman as soon as he entered the room.
"Found something interesting when I was looking into the report written to file the evidence. I thought you'd like to take a look," he stated plainly.
"Perfect timing," replied Naoto, smiling as she picked up the folder. "Yu, this is Detective Tetsuo Jirikishi, and he'll be our contact in the SPD for the duration of this investigation."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Yu Narukami," he introduced.
The mentioning of his name seemed to draw out a sense of familiarity from the detective. It caught Yu's attention given they'd never met or run into one another before, but it was quickly explained away without the need for him to even ask.
"Ah, you're the hot-shot from the SIU, right? I hear the new director's taken a liking to you," Jirikishi said amusedly.
"Hot-shot is a bit much," Yu replied with a smirk.
"And accurate as far as I'm concerned. It's a title that suits you quite well, too," Naoto added with a throaty laugh. "As for Detective Jirikishi, please consider him to be an uninformed-informed party as far as our usual matters are concerned."
"Got it," answered Yu.
"Wait, you actually understood that…?" Jirikishi muttered in surprise.
"I'm used to it since Naoto always talks like that. It's part of her charm," chuckled Yu.
The mentioned detective reflexively buried her face further into the report.
"…I see," Jirikishi replied, eying the blue-haired woman's response with evident curiosity. "Either way, I look forward to working with you, Narukami-san."
"Just Yu is fine," he permitted, sporting his characteristic friendly smile.
"Personally, I prefer my last name."
"Then Jirikishi-san it is."
"I appreciate your understanding, Yu-san."
"More to the point…" spoke Naoto, finally lowering the file she'd held so closely up to her face. "This report appears to be accurate relative to what was actually confiscated in the raid. It bears the signature of an officer certified to review."
"He's missing," Jirikishi stated. "Well, not in an official capacity. Officer Ichinose called out sick shortly after the bust and hasn't shown up to work since. Some people have tried to get into contact with him, but no one's managed to get through. I just sent a few of our men to go pay his home a visit, but all thing's considered, I have my doubts they'll find him. So, I started to do some digging, and long story short, I happened to find this…"
The esteemed detective placed a file indicating a recent and extremely largecashdeposit had been made to Officer Ichinose's primary banking account. Though what ultimately became of the officer in question was still shrouded in mystery, the root cause of his sudden departure could not have been more obvious.
"Clearly we're not dealing with a criminal genius if he's foolish enough to deposit this much cash into his main account. It was also made only just yesterday, meaning there's hope he's still in Tokyo," Naoto uttered. "Any idea as to where we might find him?"
"A few, actually," Jirikishi replied, subtle confidence underlying his gruff voice. "I'll hunt him down to the best of my ability, and of course I've already put out an APB to all other law enforcement bodies in Japan to be on the lookout for Ichinose. Even if he's left Tokyo, he won't be getting far. Should I happen to find anything, you two will be the first to know."
"That'll be a big help, thanks," Yu stated.
"Then if you'll excuse me."
Just as the brown-haired man had one foot out the door, Naoto called out to him, wanting to say one last thing prior to his departure.
"Oh, and Jirikishi-san," spoke the former Detective Prince. "Just so that you know, there is an additional priority that sits on our end. We'll keep you appraised regarding what we find."
"I see… Good to know."
There was an unmistakable, albeit slight, smile of appreciation that donned on the man's lips. The sounds of his footsteps soon disappeared altogether as the door closed and he went about his business.
"So how much does he actually know?" Yu questioned.
"He seems to mostly be going on suspicion and speculation, so that is to say he's aware of precious little," she answered.
"Ah, gotcha," Yu muttered. "Then why bother saying what you did just before he left?"
"Call it a gesture of good faith," Naoto answered. She then released a deep, nostalgic sigh. "That, and perhaps I sympathize with his situation. When I was investigating the serial murders in Inaba all those years ago, it was incredibly frustrating to be so close and yet so far simply due to the otherworldly aspects of the killings. I hadn't figured everything out fully until I was shoved into the TV world myself, and naturally I would prefer to avoid putting an innocent officer in a similar situation. But I digress…"
The blue-haired detective shook her head of any concerns regarding Jirikishi and began to map out the tree-diagram of possibilities for what had happened to the evidence within the confines of her mind. She quickly took to a white-board, drawing it out when she had a clearer picture.
"So, let's start with our presumed root: The raid on the White Masks Palace," said Naoto as she began running her finger down the diagram. "From what we know, it's likely Officer Ichinose simply sold off the evidence taken in by the SPD to the highest bidder."
"Given the White Mask's notoriety in the underworld, it had to be plenty easy to find willing buyers," Yu mused. "Still, should we already be assuming this isn't the White Mask's themselves? I get that the MO is different here, but Futaba had mentioned their hardware was heavily encrypted and so I find it hard to believe anyone would be able to make use of it this quickly, if at all."
"I agree," sighed Naoto, almost reluctantly. "It's strange, but it remains true that the behavior we're seeing is certainly what you would expect if you gave an average mid-level criminal the ability to brainwash people to do their bidding."
"There's really only one way to find out."
"Indeed."
In unison, the two then pulled out their phones and opened the Meta-nav within them. They shared the same tired look as they gazed down at their phones, seeing that Shinjuku, in its entirety, was now an open area in the Metaverse.
"I'll send a message to everyone right away," Yu stated.
Yongen-Jaya: Café Leblanc
'Ryuji Sakamoto lived a good life… he was a good friend, and I will miss him,' thought Ren.
The raven-haired teen was getting an inward head-start on his teammate's eulogy. If appearances were any indication, he was definitely going to be reciting it in the near future.
Yusuke and Morgana were practically hiding behind him holding onto his back for dear life like frightened children, having been barely able to stand watching the beatdown that had just occurred. Ren on the other hand watched with wide-eyes, though he was genuinely shocked that four of the nicest girls he'd ever met in his life were capable of such an affront to human rights.
Ryuji's pained, barely-audible whimpers escaped his throat, showing a small sign of life as he lay flat on the floor of the café. Nevertheless, his body was broken and beaten, and perhaps so too was his very soul.
The blond's four female assailers stood tall and proud with bright, cheerful smiles etched across their faces as if they'd just finished a relaxing day at a spa. Noir even sighed blissfully, cracking her neck in the wake of the kill.
"That felt rather good," Haru stated.
"And, with that out of the way…" Makoto began.
The girls' attention shifted squarely to Ren, Yusuke, and Morgana. Though their smiles were as sweet as honey, their eyes held a veiled bloodlust to them that sent a chill down even Joker's spine.
"You three don't think we're scary, do you?" Makoto asked, the pleasantness of her voice a stark contrast to the ferocity of her aura.
"No, they wouldn't think that~," Futaba cooed.
"Especially Ren, right?" Haru added.
"Of course~ Ren would never think that. He'd never think any of those horrible things about any of us…" Ann remarked. Her head tilted and her eyes closed in an almost twistedly playful manner. "Right?"
"Nope, never," Ren immediately replied.
True to form, no one could question his flawless survival instincts.
"M-Me too!" Morgana exclaimed, though panic lined his voice.
"I agree. Emphatically," a clearly nervous Yusuke stated.
"Good," said Ann.
Just then, the door to the café opened, giving way to its owner who returned with a plastic bag in his hand.
"I'm ba…" Sojiro trailed off.
He paused, naturally, upon seeing the unconscious teenager on the floor. Nearly at a loss for words, he turned to those that seemed like they were not on death's door.
"What the hell happened to him?" Sojiro asked, his tone one of disturbed confusion.
"Oh nothing," Haru replied. "Just a little justice is all."
The shopkeeper took another glance at the beaten and battered blond. He heard a small high-pitched squeak escape his lips, which at least let him know he was still living.
"Uh-huh…" Sojiro muttered.
In what had to be one of the most amazing things Joker had ever seen, the four female Phantom Thieves quickly moved past their crime against humanity with grace and ease. He was almost impressed, though he settled on being inwardly terrified.
"So, what movie do you guys feel like seeing?" Futaba asked.
"I-I think the girls should pick…" Ryuji weekly spoke, a semblance of his voice returning to him.
Clearly, he was trying to offer an olive branch of some kind. It didn't work.
"Oh, it appears he can still manage to speak… How odd," Haru uttered.
The sadistic nature of her voice gave every male present goosebumps, and for good reason. It was a mystery how someone so cute and pleasant on the surface could manage to accomplish that so easily.
"We should fix that," Futaba stated, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed like daggers. "Shall we, ladies?"
"Dibs on first crack," said Makoto.
Yet another high-pitched whimper could be heard in response.
"Sorry girls, but we'll need him alive for the time being. Looks like we've got business to take care of," Ren stated.
He flashed his phone as if to tell the others to check their own, at which point they saw Yu's recent message. Given the urgent nature of it, they quickly, albeit begrudgingly, readied themselves to depart.
'…little late on the save there, pal!' Ryuji thought.
He'd have said it aloud but in doing so he knew he risked agitating the four horsewomen of his own personal apocalypse all the more. All things considered, staying quiet was the right decision.
Outskirts of Shinjuku, Some Time later…
Just outside the train station, Yu and Naoto waited in place alongside Sae, Yosuke, Yukiko, and Teddie. A train soon pulled in, giving way to a number of late-night arrivals to Shinjuku among which happened to be the entirety of the Phantom Thieves.
"Looks like we're the last to get here," Morgana thought aloud.
"Actually, it looks like we're missing a few people," Makoto pointed out. "I assume they had other business to attend to?"
"Rise and Kanji are preoccupied with her upcoming concert while Chie is on duty tonight," explained Yu. "They offered to get out of their commitments so they could be here, but Naoto and I talked it over and told them not to sweat it for now."
"Huh? But didn't you say this was super important?" asked Futaba.
"That's very true, though given this will be more of a scouting effort than anything else, having three less people shouldn't hinder us meaningfully," Naoto replied.
"Fair enough," shrugged Ryuji.
Knowing the drill all-too-well by this point, the team made its way to the nearest area devoid of people and waited a short period of time to ensure it would likely stay that way. However, just as they had taken out their phones and were in the final steps it would take towards entering, the blue-haired detective among them spoke up.
"Before we head in," began Naoto, grabbing everyone's attention in the process. "I want to share some background information with all of you. Truth be told, there are some things that Yu and I as of yet have withheld from you because it was only theoretical until recently, but circumstances make it necessary that you all be aware."
It was then that the former Detective Prince laid out recent events as simply and straight-forwardly as she could. The entire bit about the potential brainwashing in particular caught some significant attention, and for obvious reasons.
"Wait, the White Masks could seriously just brainwash people?" Ann uttered in disbelief. She quickly donned a look more akin to confusion. "But then why did they ever kidnap people in the first place?"
"I was wondering the same thing," both Makoto and Sae remarked in unison.
The two sisters shared a look with one another while everyone's eyes darted back and forth between them.
"The twinning thing seriously needs to come to a stop, but I agree. It doesn't make much sense," Futaba stated.
"I'm afraid the exact reasons for that are unknown at current. I suspect, however, that it is due to some form of strict limitation," Naoto replied.
"Regardless, it seems whatever methods the White Masks were using have fallen into equally as horrible hands," Makoto stated.
"They may perhaps be even worse if the state of Shinjuku is entirely their doing," Sae mused. She looked to the blue-haired detective yet again. "Although at this point, we're just theorizing, no? A direct venture into Shinjuku's Metaverse equivalent should give us a clearer picture."
"True," Yosuke uttered, nodding his head along casually. "Speaking of which…"
Metaverse: Outskirts of Shinjuku
Mere seconds passed and the group of Persona users had ported into the bleak and drab cognitive world they were oh-so-used to by this point.
"Huh, you know, it feels weird making the transition without hearing Chie complain about it…" Yosuke thought aloud.
"You know what, you're right," said Yukiko.
"That aside, let's make our way out of the station. Be on guard in case we're attacked by any Shadows," cautioned Naoto.
"I don't think there's any need for that," spoke Futaba, her goggles down as she scanned the nearby area. "I'm not detecting Shadows or anything else in the station. We're all good for now."
With that information communicated, they set about leaving the train station, quickly at the staircase leading to the grand exit. Their boring and uneventful ascent, however, was the complete opposite of the sight that greeted them once they were out the door.
When the exit finally opened, a sinking feeling washed over the Persona users like never before. It was as if their very beings were under attack by the foul malevolent aura that exuded from the cityscape.
"What the hell is that…?!" Ann grunted, bracing herself as if under some kind of physical pressure. "I'm not the only one, right? Everyone felt that?"
"Yep, looks like it," said Yu. His eyes fixed towards the city before them, fixed in a glare. "And I have a pretty good idea as to why."
Slowly but surely, everyone took in the sight of the surrounding area, and hardly any of them could believe it. There was an ominous, foreboding aura that flowed through the streets with such intensity that you could almost see it physically manifested. The twisted atmosphere was beyond suffocating.
Perhaps most disturbing of all, however, was that the buildings were coated in a bright red, dripping graffiti that simply repeated the same word over and over again: MINE.
The word practically screamed out at them no matter where they chose to turn. Across every building, ever window, every lamppost, every fire hydrant, was the same phrase repeated over and over.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
"Holy shit," Yosuke uttered, fighting the urge to take a step back. "This place is even more messed up than Shibuya was."
"This paintjob is creepy as hell," Skull remarked. He began to look deeply at the frame of the train station behind them, eventually touching the words themselves once he mustered the courage. "Oh thank god, it ain't blood…"
"T-That's actually a bit of a relief to know…" Panther muttered.
A curious Makoto walked up and grazed her finger over one of the graffiti pieces nearest to herself, doing so slowly so as to properly observe it.
"It feels more like it's a part of the structure of the buildings themselves, which is incredibly bad news for us," Queen thought aloud. Her scowl, already present, deepened noticeably. "Mona, is this whole place…?"
"A Palace?" uttered the feline. "I was thinking the same thing after that warm welcome we just got. Honestly though, I'm not really sure… but I am sure this place is bad news."
"Agreed," Teddie added, a rarely-seen serious expression showing gracing his features. "I don't know if it's the same as the White Masks Palace, but… something here is definitely interfering with my schnauzer."
"Then let's see if I've got any better luck checking out what we're in the middle of," volunteered Futaba.
The aptly-named Oracle went to work, analyzing the surrounding area to the best of her abilities. Her instruments, much to her joy, were working perfectly.
"Yes! No issues on my end!" the navigator cheered.
"What do you see?" asked Yukiko.
"Shadows," she replied lackadaisically.
"Other than Shadows," said Fox, rolling his eyes.
"Honestly? I got nothin'," Oracle replied. "I can't see as far as Rise-san can, but I can still see a good distance, aaaaand…"
"Nothin'?" Joker said, finishing her sentence with an amused smirk.
"Yep."
"Though that is unfortunate, it doesn't really affect our approach," Naoto mused. "Given this is unknown territory, I believe our priority should be to gather as much information as possible without raising any attention towards ourselves."
"So, you suggest sending in a small scouting party then?" Yukiko questioned.
"Exactly so. Provided no one takes issue with the approach, of course."
"No arguments here," Skull replied uncaringly.
"Question is: Who are we gonna send out?" Yosuke chimed in. "I mean Ren-kun and Yu are a given, but who else?"
There appeared to be a great deal of thought amongst the group members when the question was asked, though ultimately the first to speak up was the talking cat among them.
"I think I should go in case we need a speedy getaway. And while I'm definitely no Oracle or Rise-san, I should still be able to sense Shadows that are close in distance," Mona stated.
"I think two more should do the trick then," said the detective.
There were two pairs that were on the cusp of volunteering, namely Panther and Skull, and Yosuke and Yukiko, though they were beaten to the punch by a sisterly-duo.
"I'll go," Queen volunteered.
"In which case, I'll tag along as well," Avenger remarked.
The last two members of the scouting team fell almost naturally like a pair of dominos. As no one doubted their abilities, no one found the need to protest, and with that the team was complete.
"We'll remain in place here. Be sure to message us for backup immediately should you require our assistance," Naoto stated.
"Will do."
Metaverse: Southern Shinjuku, Some Time Later…
The atmosphere of the city remained constantly eerie and foreboding as the squad made its way through the beginnings of the city. It inspired an ever-present fear that they would be attacked at any moment, and yet they hadn't encountered anything even resembling a Shadow thus far.
Morgana would constantly stop, feeling out the surrounding area and wondering if his senses were working properly on account of finding absolutely nothing. That they hadn't been attacked yet, however, was a pretty clear indication that nothing was hunting them as of yet.
They almost wished for an ambush to finally happen just so that they'd no longer have to stew in their anxiety.
"You know, I never thought I'd be so freaked out over not being attacked by Shadows…" Morgana remarked.
"I know what you mean," replied Yu. "We've made it a decent bit into the city and still nothing. Even when we were exploring Shibuya, we at least found Shadows every once and a while."
"Why do you think that is?" Joker inquired.
"Honestly? I'm not sure."
"Then we're on the same page," Joker mused with a chuckle. He glanced around, eyeing the imprints of the word 'MINE' on the buildings nearby. "Maybe the creepy paintjob on these buildings will turn into Shadows or something."
"Uggh, why did you have to say that?!" Queen exclaimed.
"Sorry, that's my bad. I forgot…" Joker muttered, sounding somewhat bashful as if he really hadn't meant to spook her.
Though Morgana was well aware of the interaction's significance, the two oldest members of the group couldn't help but quirk a curious brow in response.
"Forgot what?" Yu asked.
"Queen's not good with scary things," he replied casually. "She's normally fine with Metaverse stuff, but let's just say this version of the Metaverse is a bit creepier than we're used to."
"Really?" asked Sae, almost as if she couldn't hold it back.
The genuine surprise that showed in her sister's face had Makoto blushing out of sheer embarrassment, though her mask thankfully hid it well.
"W-Why are you so shocked?" Queen uttered. "Do you not remember that one time we watched The Shining together with dad?"
"Yes, of course. If I recall correctly, you spent most of the movie with your face buried into my shoulder," Sae answered. She seemed to laugh amusedly as she added, "But that was almost seven years ago. Surely you've outgrown that by now?"
An awkward paused ensued as the answer to Sae's rhetorical question became clear. The silver-haired beauty cleared her throat and looked forward, a bit of guilt building up as she'd
"My apologies," Sae muttered.
Ever the gentleman, Morgana quickly saw fit to change the topic of conversation.
"Y-Yes, well, we should focus on—"
A loud banging sound echoed from a nearby alleyway and immediately put the five Persona users on high alert. They made no hasty moves and paused to observe their surroundings in case it had been caused by an approaching enemy. All, however, remained quiet in the aftermath.
"I think it came from over there," Joker stated.
"That's what my ears are saying too," agreed Mona. "C'mon, let's get a move on!"
They stealthily took their places at the forefront of the alleyway, hiding behind the edges of the buildings that formed it. Sadly, it was far too dark to get a good look into it.
There were a few miscellaneous objects that lined the sides of the alleyway that looked like they could provide good cover, allowing them to move forward discretely. They reached the end and could see the street on the other side.
Peering into said street also revealed nothing as far as their eyes could see. Everything was deathly quiet as it had typically been.
"Well, that was fairly anti-climactic…" sighed Morgana.
Without warning, a door on one of the nearby buildings quite literally shot out of its frame and slammed into the building across from it. The reconnaissance team quickly took cover, not wanting to risk giving away their position so readily.
From their relatively hidden position, they saw a trendy-looking young woman run out of the gaping hole where the door used to be. She ran forwards as if her very life depended on it, constantly looking over her shoulder all the while.
Her fear was soon explained as a rather large winged creature, clearly a Shadow, swooped forwards in one swift motion, grabbing the woman and carrying her off down the streetway. A loud, ear-wrenching scream gradually faded in the distance, leaving those that had witnessed the turn of events almost speechless.
"You were saying?" Joker uttered in a deadpanned tone.
"What is it you like to say? Famous last words, I think?" Morgana sighed.
"We should head after them at once," Avenger quickly stated. "They went down the streetway. If we hurry, perhaps we can catch them."
"Agreed," said Yu.
Their course of action quite clear, they ran after the Shadow as fast as they were able. When they reached the end of the streetway, however, Mona urgently cried out to stop them from advancing further.
"Wait, hold on! Stop here!" Morgana exclaimed.
Though confused, his comrades did exactly that, believing the feline had to have had a good reason for having them do so.
"Something wrong?" Queen inquired.
"Yes and no," replied the feline, his eyes holding a serious look to them. "We're close enough that I can sense the Shadow now. It's holding position at the center of the intersection up ahead, and it's got company."
"Meaning we should approach with caution," Yu uttered to himself.
"Then let's head in together, shall we?" Avenger chimed in.
The group did just that, walking along the sides and cautiously leapfrogging their way to the center of the intersection behind car after car to keep themselves covered. They eventually arrived at a suitable vantage point, taking note of the fairly large number of Shadows that formed a circle around the girl they'd just taken.
It wasn't just the one girl they'd seen before, however. There were a dozen in total, each appearing to be around the same age and each certainly attractive in their own right.
"Those Shadows look like Succubus," Joker remarked.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Yu stated as he scanned the demonic creatures. "They don't look like someone's Persona, either… So that makes them the first Shadows of their type we've seen so far, right?"
"True, which makes me all the more curious as to what they're doing," Joker uttered.
"Hmm… You know what, now that I get a better look, that girl isn't really human either," Morgana abruptly remarked. "Yeah, I'm sure of it. She's a Shadow, just of an actual person as opposed to a Shadow like those Succubae."
"Let's move in and get a closer look," said Queen in a hushed voice. "I've got a feeling we're about to see something incredibly important play out."
"I was thinking the same thing," Joker stated.
The two silver-haired members of their group shared a look between themselves as well, knowing they too were of the same mind without the need for words to express it.
"Then we've got a happy coincidence," Yu remarked with a smirk. His eyes facing forwards, he said, "Joker, you head in first. We'll follow your lead."
As the Persona users bolted and edged ever-closer towards their target, the Shadow's voices became progressively more audible. It reached a point when they were nearly too close for comfort, but it was far too good a vantage point for them to pass up. Joker motioned for the others to stop and hold their position, which of course they did in keeping with his instruction.
"Come now dears, you should know that running away won't do you any good," one of the Succubae cooed, flapping its wings in an almost taunting manner as it spoke.
"And try not to struggle. It will be over quicker that way," another cooed.
It seemed the girls that the winged demonesses had gathered were too frightened to give a reply. That seemed to work just fine for them, however, as they soon closed in on their prey.
Within seconds, each of the Succubae had grabbed ahold of a girl by the shoulders. What happened next, none of the observers could have predicted. The demons' physical appearance began to shift, changing from that of a beautiful winged woman into a black ichor.
The obsidian fluid latched onto each of the human Shadows instantaneously, coating their entire bodies as it stretched and mended its own form overtop theirs, forming a pair of tarry wing-like appendages on their back as an additional feature. Each of the transformations gradually finished in due time, giving birth to what could only be described as a fusion of the Succubus and their apparent victims.
"Ah, so much better," one of the girls uttered with a giggle. She flexed her hand as if to ensure she had full control over the limb. "I feel like a million yen."
"Speaking of which, isn't that our quota for the week?"
"A little low for knockouts like us~"
As the newly-formed demonesses began to laugh girlishly, a certain Thief of Hearts chose to make his move. The black-clad Persona leaped forward, landing stylishly on the hood of a car and gaining the attention of each of the female Shadows.
"Sorry ladies, hope you don't mind me dropping in," Joker called out.
"It's only a problem if you can't afford us, handsome," one stated, her glare and posture breathing her discontent at seeing the Persona user. "So, unless you're here for a good time, I'd suggest you get lost."
Another walked up, eyeing the trickster as if he were the last piece of meat at a steak house. She propped her breasts up with her arms, practically bouncing them out of her top towards him before she spoke.
"So are you game to go a few rounds? I'll even let you cop a feel on the house just cuz' you're so cute~."
"Aw, I wanted him!"
"Sorry ladies, I'm here on business, not pleasure," Joker replied. He then took out his knife, twirling it stylishly before letting it rest in the palm of his hand. "Catch my drift?"
The fused Succubus that had stepped towards him sighed heavily, a look of clear-cut disappointing crossing her features as her eyes met with the black-haired teen.
"It's always the cute one's…"
Without warning, she extended her hand and launched a barrage of ice shards directly at Joker from the palm of her hand. He in turn put his incredibly dexterity to good use and performed backflip before dodging off to the side, using a nearby car for cover.
Several of the others had taken to the skies and were already swooping down towards them with clawed hands at the ready, striking down at him like hawks after their first meal of the day.
Ren dodged off to the side with ample time to spare, even smirking as he did so. He landed on his feet and stood tall, earning a few icy glares from the Succubae that clearly wanted to rip him to shreds.
"Was it something I said?" Joker couldn't help but ask.
"Mmmh, my boytoy senses are tingling," one uttered, licking her lips as she eyed her would-be prey. "Can we at least have some fun with him before we rip him to pieces?"
"You can most certainly try," taunted Joker.
Half a dozen of the Succubae were gunning for his throat within an instant. It was true that if they actually managed to land an attack, it could very well have done some serious damage. Nevertheless, Joker stood in place, set to take their onslaught with absolute confidence breathing from his very being.
The reason for this, of course, was because he had backup.
Both Izanagi and Astrea slammed into the attacking Shadows from their flanks, cutting them down with ease given their preoccupation with Joker. Both of their wielders had dealt with several others off to the side, leaving only a small handful of the Succubae left to finish off.
Those Shadows that had been stricken by the 'surprise' attack fell to the ground, quickly giving in to their grievous wounds. A black fog began to exude off of the fallen demons' bodies, which in turn gave way to the base human Shadows that they'd previously occupied.
The remaining Succubae, seeing their comrades' demise at the hands of Yu and Sae, began to flap their wings and retreat towards one of the nearby streetways. They didn't make it far, however, before a unison of nuclear blasts and wind attacks dropped each of them out of the sky in one fell swoop.
Queen and Mona soon rejoined the other three, taking position at their side as they approached the one last Shadow that had neither been culled in the sneak attack nor cut down on retreat. The Succubus backed away in fear, sweat dripping down her cheek like pellets of rain.
"Hold on, if it's the human you want…!"
The demoness separated from its human host, splitting into two separate entities once more in a scene not dissimilar to what they'd already witnessed upon defeating the other Shadows. She held up her hands as the human-half fell to the ground, clearly trying her best to surrender.
"See?" the Succubus offered meekly.
Sae was certainly in no mood to let the creature off so easily. She brandished her blade with impressive speed, sending a force of wind and even small chunks of rock flying out in all directions. Her actions elicited a frightened yelp from the Succubus, though said Shadow dared not make a move.
"That's all well and good," Avenger spoke, her tone holding a razor-sharp edge. "However, what we really need is information. Give us that, and perhaps we'll consider letting you crawl away."
"W-What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb," stated Queen, her fiery eyes fixed on the winged demon like pointed daggers. "Why did you possess these people's Shadows?"
"I… I don't know!"
Without missing a beat, Sae brought her weapon to bare and jammed its blade into the side of the car directly next to the Succubus's head. She panicked in turn, her eyes wide as saucers even as the blade was retracted.
"How about now?" asked Avenger, her tone as harsh as her stern gaze.
Though clearly afraid, the Shadow seemed to find some form of resolve.
"Just do what you want! I know you'll just kill me anyway!" it shouted back. "Just get it over with already, will you?!"
"Hang on, let's not get too hasty," said Yu, walking up to diffuse the situation. He looked pleasantly at the demoness, his charming smile shining in full force. "After all, she seems like the reasonable type to me."
"I think so too," said Joker.
"W-Well, yes. At least some people can see that…" she replied, shooting a nasty glare at the other two females present as she did so.
"Glad to hear it," Yu uttered, almost amusedly. "Do you mind if I ask you a question though?"
The previously icy attitude of the Succubus seemed to thaw as her eyes met Yu's gray orbs. If anything, she seemed to do a complete one-eighty and became somewhat bashful.
"You don't need to ask permission."
"I insist," replied Yu.
"After all, it's just common courtesy, don't you think?" Joker added.
Under the wake of the two charming gazes that the Wild Cards were giving off, the Succubus averted her gaze and noticeably blushed.
"Y-You're both so considerate and… sweet," she muttered quietly, her face turning an even deeper shade of red upon realizing she'd said that out loud. "Ehem… Ask away."
"Leave it to Yu-san and Joker to turn on the charm when it counts," Morgana quietly chuckled.
Though the feline was clearly amused, Sae and Makoto were not. The sisters could barely stomach watching the display, each doing so with their arms crossed and their eyes fixed in a glare. It seemed more reflexive than anything else, though given that quite literally no one noticed their reactions—including each other—this would remain an unanswered mystery.
"All we'd like to know is to confirm how and why you were possessing those people," Yu said pleasantly.
"Easy enough," she mused with a shrug. "Truth be told, we were made to do it, so you could call it our very purpose. The actual act of possessing a human or relinquishing our grip is like switching a light switch on and off—we can do it at will. As for why? We were ordered to so that we could 'work the streets', I believe the term was. We're were supposed to bring them here and meet with some random human… a handler, I think they called it? He'd tell us where to go."
"You said you were made to do it, but by who?" Yu pressed, maintaining an even tone. "Is it the same person that gave you your orders?"
"I'm… not sure how to answer that first questions," the Succubae admitted, appearing genuinely puzzled. "Even for the second, I'm unsure. We always get our orders from our mistress or the tall bald man she often speaks t—"
Without warning, the Shadow froze entirely. Her pupils began to shake and small cracks started to form all around her body, and from said cracks a dark mist began to seep. She looked at her body in a panic to try and understand what was happening, though as she moved her limbs, they simply shook as if to resist the motion.
"W-What the…?!"
Yu and Ren quickly rushed to her side, though there was nothing they could do to help. She shattered like glass, her skin turning to dust as the stereotypical dark fog signifying a Shadow's demise was carried off by the winds.
"Drats," muttered Morgana. "Oh well, I guess it's good we at least got some information out of her."
"We must have triggered some kind of failsafe by getting her to speak on her masters," Queen mused.
"I was thinking the same thing," Sae replied. Her eyes drifted towards the silver-haired young man at her front. Her lips formed a slight but evident scowl before next she spoke. "I suggest we meet up with the others and tell them what we've seen. Unless of course you'd prefer to stay here a while and flirt with that Shadow's ashen remains."
"Well, I could try, but I doubt she'd be very responsive," Yu uttered in a deadpanned tone.
"You're missing the… you know what, never mind," replied Sae, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.
"Actually, I've got a better idea," Joker spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. He flashed his phone, showing the Meta-Nav open on his screen. "That Succubus said they were here to meet up with someone in the real world, right? Well, it just so happens we're at an exit point in the Metaverse. So… anyone feel like checking out the other side?"
The suggestion took with the others almost immediately. If they were lucky, they'd likely be able to find the 'random handler', and in the worst case, they'd likely come across the human's that were just recently freed from the control of the Succubae.
With it being obvious that everyone was behind that course of action, Joker simply did the honors with a mere push of a button, sending them back to their reality shortly thereafter.
The Persona users found themselves in an alleyway, mirroring their prior location at the very least on the southern side of Shibuya. And, true to their thought process, the human counterparts of the Shadows they were just tending to in the Metaverse surrounded the area they'd transitioned into upon entering the real world once more.
"Looks like we were right," Makoto remarked.
The girls began to look around as if they hardly even knew their own names. Their confused mutterings echoed through the alleyway, though the sounds thereof were cut off by a man that began approaching from the streetway.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in a suit minus a tie, had plain brown hair and eyes of matching color, and sported a short but scruffy beard. Though his body language was relaxed enough to appear more or less harmless, his general aura oozed a certain sleaze that made it difficult to look at for too long.
"Alright girls, time to…" the man began.
He paused mid-stride, looking strangely at Yu, who was the first person in the alleyway to catch his eye given that he was not a woman. His vision then shifted to Ren, his brow furrowing before next he spoke.
"Uh, is the talent swinging both ways now, or…?"
Deciding to work with his improvisation skills to the best of his abilities, Yu let out a friendly laugh, passing the remark off as a joke.
"Not quite, we're just here on what is hopefully a one-time basis," he said, sporting a calm and approachable demeanor. "This batch ran into some problems with some people. We were sent in to take care of it, and… Well, let's just say things were certainly taken care of."
Thankfully, the man seemed to pick up on the intended between-the-lines meaning and nodded along, even smirking noticeably in the wake of Yu's response.
"I see, I see," he muttered amusedly. "This new guy doesn't mess around at all, huh? Makes it worth dealing with all this big-time anonymous crap. But hey, I could care less about being in the dark as long as the money keeps rollin' and the girls keep comin', ya know? Makes for easy money."
"So you don't know him, huh? That's unfortunate to hear," Yu replied. "But all the same, I'm sure whatever it is you do know we'd certainly like to hear down at the police station."
The man froze in place and at first believed he'd heard a joke told in poor taste. Judging from the look Yu was giving him, it hadn't been. Though clearly a bit unnerved by the revelation he was likely dealing with a police officer of some kind, he remained relatively calm.
"…you're shittin' me," he sighed. "You a cop or somethin'?"
"Would it matter if I was?" he shot back.
"Heh, nah, I guess it wouldn't," he muttered. He quickly drew a switchblade from his pocket, whipping out the knife bit and aiming it directly towards the gray-eyed man in a clear attempt at intimidation. He started to back away slowly, adding, "And that's because either way, I'm walking out of here and you're not stopping me. Got it?"
"Sorry, but that doesn't really work for me."
"Tough shit, cuz' that's how it's gonna be."
He started to pivot as if about to make a run for it, but Yu had been faster and was already rushing towards him. Faced with a fight or flight decision, the brown-haired man held his ground and opted for the latter, perhaps believing that his would-be pursuer was likely too fast for him to outrun.
The knife lunged directly for Yu's face, though just as he had all those years ago at Tokyo University's Eastern Plaza, he caught the knife with his fist, letting the blade slide between the gap in his fingers. He just as quickly sent his fist flying into the man's face, launching him into the nearby wall and effectively knocking him out cold.
His observers were impressed to say the least.
"Woah," Morgana remarked. "Lookin' cool, Yu-san."
"Oh wow, he really can do that…" Makoto thought aloud.
"Did you really think I was lying when I told you before?" asked Sae, sounding a bit indignant.
"…I'm lost," Ren uttered confusedly.
"It's… um, never mind, I'll tell you later," Makoto replied. "For now, I think we have other priorities."
Everyone's attention collectively shifted to the dozen young women in the alleyway who could not have appeared more lost if they tried. No one could blame them though, but nevertheless they were just another item that needed to be dealt with.
"Well, I need to hand knife boy over there to the police. I'm sure I can find some officers on patrol nearby," Yu mused. "Sae, do you mind—"
"I'll explain everything in a way they'll understand and keep an eye on them until you can arrange for the paramedics to arrive," she immediately responded. She eyed the other three members of their team. "The rest of you should get out of here as soon as is possible and meet up with the others. They'll want to be caught up to speed on the situation."
"Will do," Ren answered. He turned to Mona and Queen. "C'mon guys, let's get going."
A/N And there we have it. The next chapter will be next Friday, so in ~5 days. Hope you all enjoyed!
Explanations:
The Shinjuku Arc: Shinjuku will be the next focal point for the story. Not much more I can divulge, at least at the moment.
Tetsuo Jirikishi: Given that what's happening right known in Shibuya is very out in the open, I wanted to add someone in to act on behalf of the SPD, so we get him. I know people generally tend to dislike OC's at least in my experience, so I hope the fact that he's present a decent portion during the arc is at least tolerable. Feel free to let me know otherwise if you just really hate 'im—it won't change anything, but it'll at least make me regret my decisions haha :P
Ryuji's Beat 'em Up Scene: I know people tend to dislike these kinds of scenes in general, but this is a bit different from usual in that it isn't happening after he did something super heroic, and it also isn't a misunderstanding. He said that shit, and I feel like this is in general just something he would do xD
The Succubae: Just to clarify, the Succubae are just the Persona Succubus. These would be the first 'naturally occurring' enemies that are the typical P5 enemies that they've encountered, and that's what Yu/Ren were talking about earlier in the chapter. The base Shadows they've seen so far are just enemies from P3/P4 or custom enemies made in the image of P3/P4.
Yu & Ren Sweet Talking the Shadows: How could I not put that in there?