Chapter 19: Repossessed Heart of Vanity
June 1
"Man, we really don't got a good place to train, huh…" Ryuji sighed as he walked with Ren. The leader of the Phantom Thieves had been spending some of his free time with Ryuji to help the blonde train in Track, but the two had recently had trouble with students Nakaoka and Takeishi, former track team member that were mad ay Ryuji for getting the team disbanded. "I mean, we'd prolly run into Nakaoka and them if we stuck around here. You got any ideas?"
"We can train at my place," ren offered.
Ryuji shook his head. "I bet we'd just end up eating ice cream and playing video games all day long. That's just kinda what happens, y'know?" He shrugged. "Eh, I guess it won't hurt to peek around the gym. If they ain't there, maybe we can-" Ryuji was cut off by the sound of someone grunting in pain. "…Nakaoka?"
Heading over there, the two found Nakaoka being cornered by two of the track team members and Takeishi. "Takeishi? The hell you guys doing?"
Takeishi turned to face Ryuji. "We just have a few questions for Nakaoka here. It's none of your business."
"So what, you gonna ask him questions with your fists? And anyways, ain't a three-on-one kinda cowardly?" Ryuji questioned.
"The only coward here is Nakoka!" Takeishi shouted. "All the shit Kamoshida put us through is his fault… He was telling that bastard secrets about us the whole time!"
"Huh? That's a load of bull!" Ryuji shot back.
"You guys should trust Nakaoka," Ren added.
Ryuji nodded. "That's right! You've been training together for freaking forever! Plus, ain't the track team coming back? You don't gotta fight!"
"Sh-Shut up!" Takeishi stammered. "I'm telling you, this piece of shit sold us out! How do you think Kamoshida found out about your parents, Shakamoto?" That got Ryuji to flinch.
"He's gotta be a snitch!" one of the track members said.
"H-Hold up!" Ryuji said, taking a stand in front of Nakaoka.
"Out of the way, Sakamoto. We'll beat the shit outta you too if we need to," Takeishi warned.
"If you think that's gonna make you feel better, go for it," Ryuji said calmly, before looking over Takeishi's shoulder to see a figure approaching. "But you're gonna wish you didn't. Trust me, it feels really bad looking back on shitty stuff you've done. Look… Even if Nakaoka wsa working with Kamoshida… ain't it fine now? The bastard's gone, so you guys can just put this crap behind you. There's no reason to fight, yeah?"
"We can't keep people around who're gonna try and undermine our team," Takeishi insisted.
"But… I didn't do anything. I wasn't working with Kamoshida," Nakaoka said. "No matter how much you hit me, my answer's gonna stay the same."
"Oh yeah? We've got proof," Takeishi said. "Yamauchu told us all about it."
There was a loud cough, and the two other track members gasped and backed off as Takeishi turned around to find the Bully Reaper standing there, his eyes intense as he locked them with the leader of the track team. "Yamauchi, huh?"
"C-Come on, Takeishi, we gotta get out of here!" one of the track members said in a panich. "If the Bully Reaper is here…"
"I know," Takeishi growled, before giving one last glare to Nakaoka. "Shit like you isn't welcome on our new track team. You'd better remember that." With that the three track members ran off, leaving the Bully Reaper to shake his head.
"I didn't even get to teach them a lesson," he sighed. He then looked at Ryuji and nodded. "Heard what you said. Good stuff. I'll just go make sure those guys don't mess with Nakaoka again…"
"R-Right… But don't beat them down too bad, okay?" Ryuji said, a bit nervous at the third year's presence.
"I think they just need a scare," the Bully Reaper said, giving a grin before going after Takeishi.
Ryuji shuttered before turning back to talk to Nakaoka. "You okay? What the hell was all that?"
"Just stay out of this, Sakamoto. It has nothing to do with you," Nakaoka said.
"But…" Ryuji insisted.
"When you hit Kamoshida, you were really hitting all of us who tried so hard to endure his bullshit," Nakaoka explained. "You might've felt relieved, but it only made life harder for us… 'Cause of you, we lost the one place we could vent our frustrations… the one place we could really belong. Tensions got pretty high after that… and things've just been kinda rough from then on… You really think it's all fine now, huh? Well what if I told you they're right about me? Would you think it's "fine" if I was the one who told Kamoshida about your parents?"
Ryuji crossed his arms, before responding. "Yeah. If you told him, you told him. I'm over all that stuff with my parents anyways. Besides… I've realized something, Nakaoka. I might've messed up Kamoshida back then, but hanging on to the past ain't gonna help anything. I'm just gonna focus on being myself now… on being free."
"What're you talking about?" Nakaoka asked. "Free, huh?" He laughed a bit before walking off.
"Ren… You get what I'm trying to say, yeah?" Ryuji asked.
"Absolutely," Ren nodded.
"Right? He's the one who wasn't making any sense," Ryuji said. "I guess being free is like… It's like how I feel when I'm talking to you, man."
"Can you explain that?" Ren asked.
"Uh, I don't know how else to explain. I just feel… free," Ryuji admitted.
"I really don't understand," Ren shook his head.
"What, we stuck on repeat or something?" Ryuji laughed. Ren soon joined in, the two sharing a moment of levity. "Man, that was some funny shit. So much for training though, huh? Didn't expect the Bully Reaper to show up either. C'mon, let's get outta here. Oh, we should grab ramen on the way home!"
'That guy… Why does his presence feel strange…?' Ren wondered. 'It's not just an intimidating aura, either. I think there might be more to him that we know. I'll ask Octavia about it if we run into that guy again…'
Yusuke: I assume you are all curious, so I'm sending you an update, just in case. Madarame is still bedridden. He hasn't spoken a single word. My apologize for not being able to provide anything more solid…
Ryuji: C'mon, it's not your fault. Don't worry about it.
Octavia: It is June already, though.
Collin: The exhibition will be ending soon…
Loona: At least it doesn't seem like Madarame's had a mental shutdown.
Ryuji: But there's no point if he don't have a change of heart and call off that legal bullshit.
Yusuke: Was this how it was when you defeated Kamoshida?
Ren: Pretty much.
Ann: yeah, Kamoshida was out of school for a while.
Yusuke: Either way, there has been no palpable progress. It appears only the target themselves can tell whether or not their heart has changed.
Loona: It's a goddamn pain in the ass, but yeah. We just gotta hear from Madarame himself what the deal is.
Collin: There truly is nothing we can do…
Ann: Let's just try waiting a little longer.
[***]
June 2
Loona: Yo, I'm tired of just waiting around for something to happen. I need to stretch my legs a bit. Think we could do some one-on-one training in Mementos? I'm sure the others won't mind.
Ren: Sure.
Loona: Cool. Meet you and the entrance later. Let's kick some ass today!
"Madame Queen!" Lycan shouted, calling on her Persona to decimate a Shadow. Once the battle was over, the hellhound stretched her arms over her head. "Oh yeah, I really needed to get that aggression out of my system. It's hard having to focus on school when you just want to punch something."
"It can be stressful at times," Joker nodded.
"Back in Hell I had to learn everything by myself growing up," Lycan explained. "Hellhounds get treated like shit, and when you grow up in the pound, you have to learn fast or die young." She noticed the concerned look on Ren's face. "Big surprise, Hell is an awful place to live. There's a whole caste system, and hellhounds are just barely not at the bottom. That dishonor goes to imps, but both of our kinds are treated as nothing more than slaves most of the time. You have to be pretty crazy to strike out on your own and not get squashed by Overlords and others like them."
"Sorry you had to go through that," Joker said.
Lycan shrugged. "Nothing you could do about it. You're half-human and half-Goetia, so even if you had been born in Hell, it's not like those royal jerkoffs would have done anything about it. You humans think you have it so bad up here, but trust me, what's waiting down below is so much worse."
Suddenly her phone started ringing, surprising the two of them. "I thought our phones didn't work in the Metaverse," Joker said.
"I thought the same thing," Lycan said. Pulling out her phone, she sighed as she saw who was calling. "I've got to take this…" She answered the call, stepping away from Joker as she answered it. "What do you want, Blitz, and how is your number even going through? Uh-huh… I don't need you to baby me… I'm 22, I can take care of myself and the princess… Look, just tell your- I know he's not, just- Oh, why don't you whip out your dick and shut him up then!? Seriously, I do not fucking care about your fucked-up relationship. I want nothing to do with that… Ugh, fine, I'll tell Octavia to call her dad when I get back home. Goodbye… Whatever, Blitz…"
The hellhound hung up her phone, letting out a frustrated sigh before stopping the ground. "Seriously, why'd he have to call me now?"
"Who's Blitz?" Joker asked.
"Blitz is the imp that adopted me. I'm pretty sure you saw him when we first got here," Lycan explained. "Not that I needed him to. I was almost eighteen, about to get out of the system and strike out on my own. Then some psycho imp comes in and takes me home. What a pain in the ass… He's part of the reason that I'm even here with your cousin to begin with."
"If Blitz took you in, that must mean he cares about you, right?" Joker questioned.
"If by "cares" you mean he treats me like a baby, sure. But I'm a grown-ass woman, and I don't need his protection," Lycan growled. "The only thing Blitz has done for me is given me a job and this gun. I don't owe him anything… Ugh, now I'm in a shit mood. Let's just go home already…"
Joker wanted to press further on the issue but knew that Lycan wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment to talk about her adopted father. The two left Mementos after that, though if they had stuck around just a bit longer, they might have noticed the distant sound of rattling chains…
[***]
June 4
"It's been getting humid lately, huh?" Maruki noted in class that day. "But it's times like these when you've just gotta push through the funk! Don't let the weather get to you!" He frowned. "Well, that was the plan, anyway. Then I got police officers asking what I was up to. Do I really look suspicious…?" He shook his head. "Oh, but speaking of looks… Have any of you seen someone you thought was cute, and immediately decided they must be nice, too? That thought is totally normal, if not always accurate. There's even a name for it. Any guesses, Goetia-san?"
Octavia perked up in her seat. "Huh?"
"What do you think the name for this phenomenon is?" Maruki asked.
The princess thought about the question. 'To perceive someone as nice on a surface level… That makes me think of Collin, and while he really is a nice guy, that's because he's an angel, so…' She paused, making a connection in her brain. "The halo effect!" she answered.
Maruki smiled. "Correct! I'm surprised you knew. You get distracted by superficial qualities, and your broader perception of someone can get biased. Once you get that far, it's hard to make totally objective judgements. Like "that person is quiet, so they must be scary." Stuff like that."
'Makes me think of that guy from the other day with the book…' Octavia thought. 'He was into poetry though, despite his reputation… I wonder of having a negative perception of someone is called the "devil effect" or something like that…'
"Good job, Octavia!" Morgana whispered.
"The halo effect isn't all bad, but… I recommend you give people the chance to define themselves instead of making snap judgements," Maruki said. "After all, it'd be a shame if your biases kept you from noticing something truly wonderful about someone, right?"
[***]
"No better time than today to get this…" Octavia mumbled to herself, stepping into the bookshop in Harajuku. The princess was here to find the odd poetry book she'd seen the boy with white hair have, as well as to see if she'd run into him again. Going to where the poetry books were held, Octavia perused the shelves before finding a copy of "The Golden Path" sitting there. Pulling the book from its place on the shelf, she flipped through the pages before stopping on one of the poems. It went something like this:
Eternal Midnight
For mornings when I cannot see you
Spicy mint tea…
For brunch a marmalade muffin.
A touch of bitter fits my mood.
A sigh is stardust.
It's like our own Milky Way.
I can't catch up to your distant back.
Look! Twilight creeps up on us.
The distance to you
Is like an eternal night…
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice asked her. Octavia whipped around and almost smacked the boy behind her with the book, only for him to easily catch it. "Woah, didn't mean to scare you. I did have a feeling that you'd come here to find this book, though."
"What, have you been stalking me?" Octavia scoffed.
"This is only our second time meeting," the boy chuckled. "I just enjoy coming here to read poetry, and maybe buy a book if I'm interested. The weather at least makes for a relaxing atmosphere, don't you think?"
Octavia simply nodded. Rain wasn't as common in Hell, so getting to experience it more in the human realm was interesting. She had to admit that it was better than just plain silence. "Still… you should know better than to creep up behind a lady."
"And I apologize for that," the boy said. "The name's Igami, by the way."
"Octavia," Octavia replied.
"Ah, a foreigner. I thought your accent wasn't from around here," Igami said.
"So… What's the Bully Reaper doing reading poetry?" Octavia asked.
"They're still using that name, huh?" Igami shook his head. "Not that I blame them. If rotten adults aren't going to do their jobs keeping the peace, then someone else had to step up and do it for them. Don't let the rumors get to you, though: I only take down people that truly piss me off, especially those that lord their power over others or think they know better."
'A very Phantom Thief mentality,' Octavia noted. Seeing this as an opportunity, the princess decided to press further. "Say, how about we go somewhere else to discuss poetry? I know a small coffee shop over in Yongen that would work."
"Sounds good to me," Igami nodded. Octavia bought "The Golden Path" before the two stepped outside, the boy pulling out an umbrella and holding it over her head. "For you."
"…Thanks," Octavia said. As the two took the train over to Yongen, they had some small talk about the book, with Octavia reading poems from it while Igami gave his own commentary about them. Once they arrived at Leblanc, they found Ren working behind the counter while Sojiro had stepped out for "personal reasons."
"Hey, I remember you," Igami said. "You were the kid with Sakamoto the other day. Your friend was pretty brave standing up to those punks on the track team."
"You know Ren?" Octavia said in surprise. "You just get around, don't you?"
"I am said to have a certain charm about me," Ren mused, pushing up his glasses.
"Not with a dorky grin like that," Octavia shook her head, smiling a bit. "Anyways, if you've met before, I suppose there's no need for introductions."
"To be fair, we never exchanged names," Igami said. "Shin Igami, Third Year."
"Ren Amamiya, Second Year," Ren replied. "Octavia's my cousin on my father's side. Our families were estranged until recently." The teen poured the two guests some coffee before going back to tending the counter. "So, how did you two meet? Via isn't one to get into trouble."
"Let's just call it a chance encounter, followed by a mutual interest," Shin said vaguely. "And trust me, if she was getting into trouble, I wouldn't be taking her out for coffee."
"More like I took you here," Octavia said with a smirk. She looked around Leblanc a bit. "Actually, this is my first time being in here. Your boss has a nice place, Ren."
"The downstairs looks better than the upstairs," Ren admitted.
"You've got that right," Morgana whispered, sitting next to Octavia.
"Anyway, I wasn't being entirely honest about why I brought you here, Igami," Octavia said. "You see, I'm sure you've heard about my cousin's reputation at school, and it's caused a few problems with other students."
"Just give me some names and I can straighten them out," Shin said.
"Woah, this guy's intense," Morgana said.
"Actually, we'd rather deal with the problem ourselves," Octavia added quickly. "So I was wonder if maybe you could give Ren some pointers on self-defense. He already knows some basics, but…"
Shin hummed, taking a sip of his coffee. "I don't take students. I'm more of a lone wolf, defending those that can't defend themselves. However… both of us have a bad reputation at Shujin, Amamiya-kun, so perhaps it would be for the best if you could fight back." He gained a serious look. "However, you have to promise to only use what I teach you on those that intend to harm you. I don't want to find out that the bullied has become the bully, or else I'll have to teach you a lesson as well."
"I won't cause any trouble," Ren assured him.
Shin nodded. "Good. I'd like to add one more thing to this deal, however…" He turned to Octavia. "In exchange for helping your cousin out, I'd like to get to know more about you, Goetia-san. I think you owe me that much for tricking me into doing this."
"Eh, fair enough," Octavia shrugged. "I've been meaning to get out into the city more anyway. I'm sure you can show me around."
"Then it's a deal," Shin nodded. "I'll teach Amamiya-kun techniques to take down his foes- non-lethally, mind you- and in return, Goetia-san and I will hang out. I'm sure that having someone else with me will help others get past my imposing presence."
'We made a deal with Igami…' Ren and Octavia thought, feeling as if a new bond had been forged between the three of them. Octavia looked at her phone before sighing. "Well, for as interesting as this all was, I should get home soon. I need rest for tomorrow."
"Oh? Is something happening?" Shin asked.
"Just need a proper sleep tonight," Octavia said, faking a yawn.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it," Shin nodded. "At least let me take you to the train station, then."
"Good night, Ren," Octavia waved goodbye as the two left.
"Igami… That guy gives me a weird vibe," Morgana said as soon as the boy was out of earshot.
"But he is notorious for knowing how to fight," Ren argued. "With his training, the Phantom Thieves will be an even more formidable team."
"True," Morgana nodded. "A Phantom Thief should always look for ways to improve their skills. I trust you on this, Ren."
I am thou, thou art I.
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakth thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Void Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
Ann: The exhibition ends tomorrow… Madarame must have had his change of heart by now, right?
Octavia: I'm sure it'll be fine.
Ryuji: Yeah! So far nobody's come to charge us with anything, yeah?
Collin: But wouldn't he wait until AFTER the exhibit to press charges? What should we do if someone contacts us tomorrow…?
Loona: Yo Yusuke, you're still Madarame, right? What's going down?
Octavia: Where is Yusuke?
Ann: I wonder if he'll be OK with Madarame…
Yusuke: Sorry I'm late to contact you all. It seems something will certainly be happening tomorrow. Madarame is on the phone as we speak.
Ren: What do you mean, something?
Yusuke: I believe he is preparing for a media announcement. I didn't hear anything about pressing charges.
Ryuji: Guess we just gotta wait then.
Yusuke: Let us meet in Shibuya tomorrow.
Ann: OK! See you then!
[***]
June 5
Gathered in Shibuya square, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, watched the big screen as Madarame came on with his announcement. They all were holding a silent breath as to what was about to happen. "Is he… crying?" Loona questioned.
"I… I have committed crimes that are unbecoming of an artist," Madarame said in the TV. "Plainly put… I, um… plagiarized work… I-I tainted this-this country's art world… and… even "Sayuri"! H-How could I… I possibly… apologize to-to everyone for… for what I've done…" The disgraced artist soon broke down into tears.
"He is crying way too much…" Octavia shook her head. "Serves him right for what he did."
"And that was from the urgent apology conference by Madarame that took place just a moment ago," the newscaster said. "After reporting to the association, Madarame has agreed to the police's request to turn himself in. On top of charged of abuse to his pupils, Madarame is under suspicion of claiming their works as his own. Some doubt the validity that his maiden work "Sayuri" was stolen, believing it was used for fraud. This large-scale criminal act has caused a great shock to the art world, and…"
"Oh yeah, he's done for," Loona said.
"After the conference, Madarame was taken to a police hospital for interrogation due to his age," the news cast continued. "However, initial psych evaluations state that he is mentally sound and likely responsible for his actions. Also, a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves posted a dubious note at Madarame's exhibit. The police will investigate their relation to this case, but for now, did not identify them as suspects."
As the crowd around them was abuzz with the talk of Phantom Thieves, a boy with brown hair looked at the news cast in wonder. "Phantom Thieves, huh?" he said to himself before walking away.
"Phantom Thieves again…" Nijima muttered as she glanced at the news cast.
"It's just like what happened to Kamoshida!" Ryuji said with enthusiasm as the gang all moved away to talk in a more secluded place, away from prying eyes and ears.
"And they mentioned the Phantom Thieves!" Ann grinned.
"Man, this is starting to get interesting… If we do it right, we can change people's hearts," Ryuji stated. "With this power… we might be able to do more than just getting back at society. It'll be a big deal!"
"This'll be fun alright," Loona nodded.
"I don't know…" Ren shook his head.
"Don't be so indifferent," Loona sighed.
"Then again, doesn't it make him more trustworthy as our leader?" Octavia countered.
"As for me, I hope we just keep getting more and more famous!" Ryuji said.
"Something like this happening twice is massive too. It's too great a coincidence to occur normally," Morgana pointed out.
"If we continue doing this, we'll definitely be able to give courage to everyone who needs it," Collin smiled.
Yusuke looked around to see a police officer over passing by. "We may want to quiet down a little," he warned.
"Shit, attendance officers," Octavia cursed.
"Hello there. May I speak with you for a moment?" the officer asked as he approached the gang.
"Ah, yes! How can we help you?" Ann said, putting on her "acting" voice.
"The monotonous acting of hers never fails to send a chill down my spine," Morgana noted.
"What are you all doing here? Are you friends?" the officer asked.
"What do we look like?" Ren questioned.
"What did you say?" the officer's partner accused.
Ann laughed nervously. "Th-That was a joke! He didn't get much sleep last night."
"Well, all right. Just make sure you disperse before it gets too late, okay?" the officer said. "There have been some odd happenings lately, and the news about that artist has caused quite the stir."
"We'll be careful!" Collin nodded, letting out a sigh as the officers walked off.
"It's still light out… those pigs have too much time on their hands," Loona shook her head.
Ann gave an annoyed look to Ren. "Hey, don't go making stuff up on the spot like that, okay!? I totally panicked 'cause of you!"
"From now on, we'll need to be even more cautious than before," Morgana warned. "Look at us! Right after the second Thieves incident, both prior victims are meeting up."
"So… people might be listening to us," Octavia said, crossing her arms.
"Eh, it'll be fine. Look around. We're the only people worrying about it," Ryuji dismissed.
"No, Morgana has a point," Octavia shook her head. "We should be more discreet. That's why our hideout is so far away from being out in the open like this…" She turned to Yusuke. "Hey Yusuke, were you able to get anything out of Madarame? Maybe something about that black mask person?"
Yusuke shook his head. "Well… I pressed him for answers, but he doesn't even understand what happened to him to begin with."
"It's not like he actually saw his desires get stolen, after all," Ann pointed out.
"It's rumored that he may be sent to prison. In that case, gaining information will be difficult," Yusuke said.
"So, what're you gonna do now?" Loona asked.
"I'll be leaving that house. I can't draw in such a place anymore," Yusuke answered.
"Do you have somewhere to go?" Collin asked.
"The school dorms. I can stay there free of charge thanks to my fine arts scholarship," Yusuke explained.
"Damn, you got a scholarship!?" Loona let out a whistle. "Now I really need you to finish that portrait of me!"
"Although, Takamaki-san's house would do as well," Yusuke noted.
"Wait, what!?" Ann exclaimed.
"You know, you could ask her to model for you whenever you wanted!" Ryuji said, only to get a slap on the head from Loona.
"You moron!" Loona and Ann chided him.
"Now that Yusuke is living alone, it will make it easier for him to come to meetings," Octavia pointed out.
"For the time being, we should wait and see how this case plays out," Yusuke said.
"It will take more time to find another big target as well," Collin sighed. "For now, let's all just act like normal students until that time comes, okay?"
"We'll be entrusting finding the next target to you, Ryuji," Morgana said.
Ryuji nodded. "All right. I guess it's just more prep 'til then."
As the gang went their separate ways, none of them saw Nijima watching them from across the way...
[***]
In an uncharted part of Hell…
Azazel staggered as his legs gave out under him, both knees blown out by angelic bullets. The fallen angel gave a strangled cry as he tried to crawl away from his assailant, only for his hands to be shot through as well.
"Now then, there's no need for that," said the assailant, taking pleasure in their job. "No one's gonna miss you once you face Oblivion anyway."
"Fuck you!" Azazel spat out, coughing up blood. "What's happening to me? I shouldn't be this weak; I am a Deadly Sin!"
"Not anymore, you aren't," the assailant shook their head. "Last I heard there were seven rings, not eight, unless you want to count the nine circles… but that's not the point of why we're here, is it? As for what's happening to you… well, Mr. Vanity, I suppose I can at least tell you that…"
"I've had plenty of people come after me but you… You're the closest that's come to killing me," Azazel said. "Tell me, what makes you different?"
The assailant grinned, pulling out their gun. "The difference? Let's just say that I have a higher calling, and an informant that told me you'd be especially vulnerable this day. Say goodnight, Azazel." And with a pull of the trigger, the Deadly Sin of Vanity was no more. The assailant sighed, holstering their gun before pulling out their phone. "There, it's done. I think I've proven my worth to you now, wouldn't you say? You want to fill me in on what's actually going on now?"
In response to that, a portal opened up next to the assailant. He looked through it and grinned. "Well, that wasn't who I was expecting… So Boss, what's next…?"
[***]
At IMP Headquarters…
"Moxxie, pick up the damn phone!" Blitzo shouted, stomping out of his room. "My Looney Tuney could answer the phone all day no problem! What's your excuse!?"
"I'm sorry sir, but no one will listen to me!" Moxxie said, stepping back as Blitzo picked up the phone. "When will Loona be back, sir? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss having her around…"
"Yeah, the hellhound might have been a bitch, but she was our bitch, and a damn good receptionist at that," Millie nodded.
"Like I told you two, Loona is on a special mission that's for eyes only, namely mine and Stolas'," Blitzo explained, slamming the phone down. "And don't call my daughter a bitch, Millie. I'd think being her babysitter would have made you have more respect for her."
"Meh," Millie shrugged.
Blitzo sighed. "Look guys, I know it's been rough not having a receptionist, but at least Stolas has been giving us odd jobs to fill in the pay gaps for all the clients Moxxie loses us."
"Hey!" Moxxie shouted.
"You need to have balls to stand up for yourself on the phone. We're assassins, and our customers expect a take-no-shit attitude that Loona brings," Blitzo explained. Before he could go on more of a tirade, there was a knock on the door. "It's open!"
The door swung open, revealing a Sinner on the other side. His form was that of a fat Tanuki, with two Tengu guards in suits flanking either side of him. "You're the Immediate Murder Professionals, correct?" one the Tengu asked.
Blitzo pointed at the Tanuki. "See Mox? You need that kind of package to answer the phone."
"Sir, not in front of a client!" Moxxie gasped, blushing slightly as he took notice of the Sinners "package."
The Tanuki laughed. "At least someone finds humor in my new form. I must admit, despite all the stories my homeland told of the mythical Tanuki, I did not expect all the details to be accurate. I can attest that certain ladies down here find them amusing." He snapped, calling on his Tengu guards to return to the front door and stand guard. "Now then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Saburo Donyoku, a former Yakuza leader in life, now looking to continue my work here in Hell. In fact, I've already made some connections to a notorious mob family down in Greed."
"Oh really?" Moxxie questioned, his own past coming to mind as the Sinner talked.
Saburo nodded. "Yes, but that has nothing to do with why I come here today. You see, I was under the impression that the one who sent me down here was already dead, however…" The Tanuki frowned, his body suddenly poofing in a cloud of smoke as he transformed into a monstruous form. "THOSE BASTARDS WERE BOUGHT OUT BY HIM TO DO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE! ME, SABURA DONYOKU!"
"Okay sir, calm your balls," Blitzo said. "If the guy that did you in is still alive, IMP will handle it. Revenge murder is kinda our thing around here."
Saburo calmed down, transforming back into his normal from. "I apologize for that outburst. This body is more… reactive to my emotions." He pulled out a photo and tossed it to Blitzo, the imp catching it and studying it. "That man is Junya Kaneshiro, and I want him dead by the end of the month. I don't care how you do it, just kill him so that I may wring his fat neck down here in Hell and avenge the Donyoku name."
"Shesh, that guy looks like a stuffed pig," Millie said, glancing at the photo.
'Crap, I've been trying to avoid taking jobs in Japan…' Blitzo thought. 'I don't need M&M running into Loona or Octavia…'
"If you do this job, I'll make sure you're handsomely paid," Saburo said, snapping his fingers and calling on one of his Tengu, who dropped a large bag filled to the brim with cash. "This is only the down payment. You'll be getting another bag this exact size after you kill Kaneshiro."
Moxxie gasped, jumping into the bag and pulling out stacks of bills. "With this much money, sir, we could hire a whole new secretary and then some. And we'll be getting another bag this big after the target is dead!?"
"I promise that it all won't turn into leaves once I leave as well," Saburo laughed. "Sorry, just a bit of Tanuki humor, but yes."
"Come on Blitzo, he's practically giving us free money!" Millie said.
The tall imp looked between the money, Saburo, and the photo, before sighing. "Well, how can I say no to this offer? Pack your weapons, M&M, because we're heading topside to the Land of the Rising Sun!"
"I'll go back those fancy ninja tools we stole off those DHORKS!" Millie exclaimed. "I wanna go native for this job!"
"We should stop by a Kabuki theater while we're in Japan as well!" Moxxie stated, following his wife.
"I trust you to get the job done well, Blitz," Saburo stated, shaking he imp's hand.
"You'll have this fat bastard in your paws soon enough," Blitzo said. 'And if we're lucky, Loona will never even see us. After all, what are the odds that she's gotten involved with the Yakuza…?'
New Confidant Forged
Confidant: Shin Igami
Arcana: Void
Profile: A mysterious third year known as the "Bully Reaper" at Shujin. He has a strong sense of ideals that align with the Phantom Thieves.
Rank 1 Description: You made a deal with Shin to learn advanced combat skills. In return, he has asked for Octavia's companionship to explore Tokyo together.
Rank 1 Ability: Arcana Burst- gain additional EXP when fusing Persona of the Void arcana.
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Loona Nyx
Arcana: Twilight
Rank 3 Description: You trained in Mementos with Loona. She somehow got a call from her adoptive father, Blitzo, and she explained her relationship to him.
Rank 3 Ability: Vile Talk- If negotiation with a rude Shadow fails, you can try again.
Author's Note
I didn't plan on starting this chapter with a Ryuji Confidant scene, but during my most recent playthrough I remembered the scene of Nakaoka being cornered by the track team and new that it would be a good scene for the Bully Reaper to appear in. Plus it gives Ren some familiarity with what he looks like, so that's a win as well!
Loona gets her Rank 3 Confidant this time, explaining to Ren who Blitzo is to her. If you couldn't tell, confronting her past as a hellhound orphan and her relationship with Blitzo is going to be a major part of Loona's confidant. As for why her phone still works when Blitzo called her? Well, that's to be explained later. For now, Loona gets a new Confidant skill "Vile Talk"! Like all the other "Talk" skills in Royal, it gives Joker another chance at a negotiation if certain conditions are met. For Vile Talk, it'll activate on Shadows that are considered rude or gross, such as Incubus or Black Ooze.
And we get our fourth and final new Confidant that I've added to this story, the Void Arcana, tied to the "Bully Reaper" aka Shin Igami! Before you ask, yes, his name is a pun. This Confidant was designed in part by my fellow author TalosLives, who helped to give me ideas in the early stages of this story. Shin's Confidant is going to be a lot like Kasumi's, in the fact that there's only five ranks to start with and it's more about getting to know the character at first and building their relationship with Joker, or Octavia in this case. Shin's skills are going to be focused around combat, so get ready for the Phantom Thieves to be even more busted in a gameplay sense.
Madarame has his change of heart, which like before seems to have an effect on Hell. The real Azazel has been taken out by an assassin, and one that seems to be working for someone else. Is this related to the oncoming Ruin that Raoul warned Octavia about? And to make something clear, Asmodeus wasn't killed off-screen when Kamoshida had his change of heart. He was affected by it, but whoever this assailant is was only specifically tasked to take out Azazel. We'll see where this goes in the future...
And finally, IMP make their full appearance, and they're coming to Japan for the Kaneshiro arc! The Sinner Saburo is just a one-off character I made to get IMP into the story, but he was a lot of fun to come up with. "Saburo" means "third son" in reference to this upcoming Palace being the third one, while "Donyoku" means "greed" at least according to Google Translate. While not appearing in this story, I did throw in a reference to Moxxie's mafia dad from the most recent Helluva Boss episode since we'll be dealing with the Yakuza in the next arc. What will happen when the Phantom Thieves and IMP meet? You'll have to wait until next time to find out!