Author's notes:
Not much to say. I actually wrote this chapter fairly quickly, it was my other story that took awhile, delaying this one.
On that note, Chapter 13 may be awhile out as the next chapter for my other story is probably going to be quite long and take me longer to write.
Enjoy :)
Chapter 12: The Endless Cycle
Monday May 30th, 20XX Early Morning
"Heeeelllo? Is anyone alive in here?"
"Urgh…" Groaning, Sumire's eyelids flickered weakly. The sound penetrated her sleep but wasn't nearly enough to stir her sleeping mind.
"Earth to Suuumiiireee…"
"Hrngh…" Groaning, Sumire felt something land beside her. As well as something digging into her cheek. Probably Kasumi's finger. Only she could be this annoying. The thought brought some life back to Sumire's consciousness. "What are you doing? There's no school today…"
Even as she spoke, Sumire did feel a little guilty. Why was she sleeping in? She should be getting up and using the free day productively. Still, the blissful warmth of her bed made that argument as ephemeral as a spring snow.
"I guess… I just thought that we would help with the park clean-up anyway. If you are anything like me… Your school reputation is probably not the best, I thought this would help. Not that I may need it anymore…"
Sumire barely caught the final mumbled sentence. Still the words jolted the fogginess from her mind. Kasumi was right. It really wasn't proper for them to sit out, even if they didn't technically have to go since they were honour students.
"Also… You may get to work with your Senpai…"
"Urgh, fine, I'll come." Grunting, Sumire agreed with her sister. Definitely not because she may get to see Senpai. That couldn't be the reason. Though the phantom thieves were meeting afterwards anyway.
Raising a hand with a bit of vindictive revenge, Sumire shoved hard in the general direction of her sister's voice.
"Eep!" The surprised squeal was shortly followed by a groan of pain. "Oww! Remind me not to wake you up ever again!"
"That was for the teasing," Sumire explained, finally opening her eyes. The sight of her sister's head beside her bed was all that remained after she had been shoved off the side. And for the lies.
Adding on the second part mentally, Sumire couldn't pull her eyes from her sister's brown hair. Even as she finished extracting herself from her blankets and moved to her closet. She couldn't extract that scene from her mind. Racing back from the conversation with Makoto only to see her sister talking to Senpai. Him reaching out to rub her head, her blushing cheeks.
Striping off her night clothes quickly, Sumire decided to ask her sister that was still rubbing her bottom. "So, I understand why I should go to this. But why are you going?" Flitting through her closet, Sumire half searched for a clean uniform while waiting for her sister's answer.
"Well… I just thought it would be fun to go together! Help the community in the morning, then we can do some training in the afternoon. It's been a while since we've gone together."
Freezing in the process of selecting a uniform, Sumire panicked slightly. Her probing question had gotten turned around on her. "Er… I can't go with you this afternoon. I have plans after school."
"Huh?" Kasumi's head twitched to the side from where she was sitting on the floor. "Hey, I hope you aren't standing there naked because you're imagining me as Senpai!"
"W-What, no of course no-"
"Wait…" Kasumi interrupted, her eyes narrowing. "This isn't your 'plan' for this afternoon, is it?"
"This isn't my…" Kasumi's words had moved for fast for Sumire. For not the first time, Sumire felt herself being left behind by her more intelligent sister. The embarrassment from her first comment was just fading when it rushed back with a fervor. "N-NO!"
Practically screaming, Sumire waved her hands in front of her in a thin defense. "I-I would never. I mean, we aren't married yet. Not that you have to be, or that we will be, but uh…"
"Haa, you really are too cute." Kasumi laughed, giggling to herself. "Alright, get dressed quick. I'll warm up some leftovers we can have before heading to the school."
"The school?"
"We can't exactly pick up garbage in our normal uniforms, can we? We need to change into our gym attire!"
"Whatever you say…" Mumbling, Sumire shook her head at the closed door. Sometimes, dealing with Kasumi felt like fighting a storm. Whenever you felt confident that you understood what was happening, it hit you from a different direction.
"Ah, well… Even if she does take Senpai from me… As long as she's happy…" Balling up her fist, Sumire couldn't help but taste the sourness of the lie that coated her tongue. She had thought she had grown. She had thought she had changed enough to beat back these dark thoughts that kept creeping up on her like tendrils. "I am the light… That's what my outfit is all about. So why am I still so weak?"
Mumbling to herself, Sumire proceeded to get ready with machine-like movements. Trying to encourage herself that at least she'll get to see Senpai, Sumire left the room.
Monday, May 30th, 20XX Morning
"So… Where to now?"
"Hmm… Let us see…" Mumbling to herself, Kasumi surveyed the park with her hands on her hips. She could tell that something was eating at Sumire but wasn't sure what. She didn't think it was the naked event, they used to shower together all the time, Kasumi had been mostly kidding.
However, due to Sumire not initially planning on coming, and that man in Shibuya hadn't helped, they had arrived a bit late. The student council president had just finished her speech and the groups were breaking off to go to their sections. That left the two of them with nothing to do.
"Let's talk to Makoto, I'm sure she will come up with something for us." Kasumi decided quickly. She didn't want to waste too much time and be conspicuously late. That would only bring them bad press. Not showing up at all was far better than casually sauntering in late like your presence was a blessing.
"…Sure."
Once again, her sister's voice came out dampened. It made Kasumi want to turn around and scream at her. Shake her shoulders and snap some sense into the girl. The only thing holding her back was knowing that it wouldn't help. To be honest, she was hoping she could find Senpai here and get him to talk to Sumire. At least he was usually able to cheer her up.
Walking past a couple of groups of students, Kasumi felt their gazes track her but little to no chatter. She wasn't all too surprised since they appeared to have been divided by grades. Therefore, no one was really friends with anyone else in the group.
Soon, they arrived at a fold-up table that Makoto was managing, a few of the other student council members surrounding her. Stopping on the other side, Kasumi watched for awhile with interest while Makoto made markings on a sheet of paper. No, a map, Kasumi quickly rectified. It was a rough sketch of the outline of the park and the different areas that the groups were designed to cover.
"But won't these groups miss this section?"
"Nah, I'm sure at least one of them will think to check…"
The two on the either side were arguing about something. Perking up, Kasumi jumped in. "Hey! Sorry, we got a little delayed. Can we have a section to cover? Or a group to join?"
"Huh? Oh, Kasumi…"
Staring into the student council president's somewhat embarrassed looking face, Kasumi winked. She was a fan of their president. Standing up to Kobayakawa had taken guts.
"You have two students eager and ready to work, Ms. President!"
"Please don't call me that…" Makoto mumbled back, her eyes averting in embarrassment. A moment later, she seemed to have found something surprising behind Kasumi because she stared intently past Kasumi's shoulder.
"My group says they need more garbage bags…"
"Huh?" Flinching in surprise at the familiar masculine voice, Kasumi turned around and followed Makoto's gaze. "S-Senpai?"
"How can that be true?" Makoto asked suspiciously. Kasumi had figured the two of them were at least friendly after having eaten lunch together, but that seemed to not be the case. "I made sure each group had more than enough for their area, also you should have barely started collecting."
"…"
Senpai's awkward silence was more than enough for Kasumi to figure out what was going on. Following her hunch, Kasumi gazed past the boy to where a group of Shujin students were not-so-subtly peeking out from behind a tree.
"Must be rough, huh Senpai?" Kasumi muttered compassionately. The boy only winced slightly as way of answer.
"I see…" Makoto murmured. "In that case, give them these bags, then I want you and the Yoshizawa sisters to pick up these areas over here." She explained, gesturing at the map in front of her.
"Huh?" Blinking in surprise, Kasumi turned to look at Sumire, wondering how her sister felt about this development. While Kasumi had been hoping to give them a chance to talk, she didn't want her presence to interfere.
Kasumi had expected some sort of nervousness on Sumire's face or maybe happiness, but instead, she looked… focused? Kasumi couldn't understand the expression before she was forced to look away and face Makoto again.
"I'm assuming this arrangement is fine?" Makoto asked with a hint of a smile that said she already knew the answer to her question.
"Yes, Ms. President!" Kasumi confirmed with a smile, ignoring her previous words.
"Urgh, I told you to… never mind. Just go start cleaning."
"As you command," Senpai smirks, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment. His eyes sparkled slightly behind his glasses. "Well, let us head out girls."
"You got it!"
"Okay…"
Flanking Senpai, Kasumi enjoyed watching his old group's faces change from confusion to shock to disbelief as he told them what had transpired. With Kasumi right behind him to verify the story, they could do nothing but take the excess bags and depart to their assigned positions. The third-year student who masterminded the plan casting them a sullen glare.
"Well, that was a pleasure to watch," Kasumi spoke happily. She hoped the other two would match her mood. If she had to pick up garbage at least she had a good group to do it with.
Senpai seemed to agree with her as she was wearing a slightly broader smirk when he turned to look at them. "While I appreciate getting the chance to do that, why are the two of you here?"
"Kasumi made me come…"
"Don't be like that Sumi!" Kasumi pouted in response to her sister's melancholy answer. "We wanted to help out!"
"The school that's done so much for you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hesitating, Kasumi realized she had never considered that. She realistically had every right to be a stuck-up bitch when dealing with any school event. At this point, there was practically nothing they could deny her.
"I guess… I just want a normal school life, you know? It got off to a rough start, I'll admit, but I have almost three whole years to go. Hopefully I'll be just another student at some point."
"Yeah, right…"
"What was that Sumire?" Senpai asked, apparently not catching the mumbled words that Kasumi did.
"Er, nothing. W-We should really get to collecting…"
"I suppose…" With that Senpai began heading toward the location. It was quite a trek, almost the other side of the lake. Probably why they didn't have enough teams to cover it.
Grabbing Sumire's arm as she tried to follow, Kasumi whispered in her ear. "What's wrong with you? The boy you like is right there and you're acting like you've never seen him before!"
The hissed words startled Sumire. Her face went through many different emotions before settling on a sullen pout. Kasumi saw it as a slight improvement, even if she still couldn't figure out what made her so depressed.
"Me? Why are you so excited to work with him if you've, 'moved on', or however you put it?"
"Are you seriously caught up on that still?" Kasumi growled, struggling to keep her voice low enough that the boy only a few metres ahead of them wouldn't be able to hear. "If he is what you want, of course I'll support you!"
"You say that, but then every time… Urgh, forget about it."
Left speechless, Kasumi could only watch as Sumire ripped her arm from her grasp and sped up. In an instant she was right behind Senpai, far too close for them to continue.
"What was she saying…?" Narrowing her eyes, Kasumi forced her mind to work. To figure out what was going on. Confident she'd figure it out in no time, Kasumi kept apart from them and watched.
Monday May 30th, 20XX Morning
Using a grabbing arm, Ren carefully removed pieces of plastic from a tree. He didn't see how this could have happened, but there were numerous plastic wrappings of all descriptions coating its branches. The small twigs and knobs that grew from its numerous limbs grabbing tightly to anything that crossed its path.
Even as he proceeded with the task, Ren kept an eye on Sumire who appeared to be sticking next to him. While he didn't mind, in fact, if he was being honest, he enjoyed her presence, however, today she was acting strange. She said nothing and barely reacted to the few comments he had tossed out. He couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with why Kasumi took every excuse she could to distance herself from the two of them. All the while staring at her sister with an intense expression.
Having had enough of the ominous tension, Ren spoke. "Not the easiest work. Do you regret showing up yet?"
"No. It will make things easier after…"
Another barebones answer. With her here, the only person they were missing was Yusuke before infiltrating Madarame's museum. "Did I do something to offend you?" Speaking bluntly, Ren was at his wit's end. He barely recognized this girl in front of him. Had the Principal's arrest really shaken her that badly?
"N-No, of course not Senpai!" The girl retorted, still refusing to look at him. "I mean, I don't blame you for choos… uh, I mean…"
Latching unto the sentence the girl hadn't meant to speak, Ren wasn't ready to give this up yet. "Choose? Or choosing, perhaps? What did I choose?"
Sumire only buried her head further into the ground, her hair swirling around her to obstruct her face entirely. Still, Ren could imagine the way her eyes were shifting behind that veil of hair, never settling in one place.
"You can't mean..." Ren looked between Sumire and where her sister stood off to one side, still dutifully picking up any garbage she found, even while staring directly at the two of them. "When do you think I choose your sister?"
"…Yesterday."
"What?" The mumbled word was too low for Ren to make out. "I didn't catch th-"
"Yesterday!" Sumire said again, cutting him off, her voice gruff. "I saw the two of you. Makoto told me I should keep an eye out because you seemed interested in Kasumi, then I come back and find you petting her and playing with her hair!"
Sumire was practically panting at this point, her shoulders shaking. Despite that, she never lifted her head to stare at Ren. Just as he was wondering what to say, she continued.
"Then… You left. Kasumi told you I'd be back… And you just left. Without even talking to me…"
This is what's bothering her?
Ren understood that it looked bad the way she described it. But Sumire's a reasonable girl. By this point they should have been close enough for her to just ask him about it. "I didn't stay to talk to you for two reasons. I knew I would see you today and I wasn't sure how suspicious it would be to wait around for you. Besides, I know how much you wanted to patch things up with your sister."
"Urgh…"
Ren didn't know how to interpret that noise. "Is that really all that this is about?"
"Yes… I mean, no…" Sumire's voice was weak and confused. "I just… I still feel so helpless. Even after doing so much with you all, and making it so far… I still have all of these same thoughts. These same doubts…"
"Sumire, I…"
Ren cut off his words as the sound of walking approached them. "Ah, Miss Yoshizawa and Amamiya. Still hard at work I see! Well, you will be pleased to know that your lunch will be scrumptious! The chef can guarantee it! Before that though… Could I have a word, Sumire?"
Dr. Maruki? Looking over in surprise, Ren was shocked to see him here. The trip from the cooking space on the other side of the lake wasn't short. The doctor was wearing his standard white lab coat, glasses and not quite combed hair. On the surface, he appeared to be the same, but something seemed different to Ren.
He clearly wanted something quite badly with Sumire to come all the way here while he was supposed to be supervising the cooking of lunch. What it was, Ren had no idea as the two moved away from him.
A short while later, Ren felt a presence beside him. "It looked like you were struggling to get through as well."
Flicking his eyes over briefly, Ren confirmed the presence beside him to be Kasumi. After that, he stared at the doctor and her sister. "Yes. She saw us talking yesterday."
"That's the conclusion I came to as well," Kasumi replied, her voice hard. "But I just don't understand! I thought she was over all of that! She was fighting so hard and shining so bright and now…"
"Now she's struggling to see past the darkness," Ren agreed with a sigh, rubbing his head. "Maybe Maruki can help her. He is a councillor after all."
Kasumi's snort caught him off guard. "You honestly think Mr. Pretty Boy will be of any help? She already knows that she needs to help herself."
"I don't know." Admitting his weakness, Ren turned back to collecting garbage. It would look bad to be the only group that didn't finish their assigned section. More importantly, Ren honestly had no clue. He wasn't a psychiatrist. He wasn't a life coach. He was a regular high schooler that got dealt a bad hand. Now, he was trying to make the most of the chance he had given.
Without a word, Kasumi fell in beside him, the two working quietly as they waited for Sumire to return.
Monday May 30th, 20XX Lunch
"Does this mean the day is done?" Kasumi asked gruffly. Still cupping the bowl in her hands, Kasumi sipped at it regularly. It was good, if not quite filling enough to be a proper meal.
The subject of her question glanced up from the table. "Oh, yeah, I should announce that. Thank you for your help today."
Watching the student council president leave to do just that, Kasumi sighed. After having gotten lunch, she didn't see where Senpai or Sumire went off to. Hopefully, they were talking to each other, resolving things. This day had put an unexpected damper upon Kasumi's mood. She had been hoping to be able to have fun with her sister. Maybe train a bit afterwards.
Instead, all she had learned was exactly how far Sumire was from making a full recovery.
It's only been two months.
Trying to remind herself of that, Kasumi drained the rest of her soup. It looked like she would be off to training by herself. After all, Sumire had 'things' to do.
"You look upset. Ren didn't hit on you, did he?"
"R-Ren?" Speaking the name, it was almost foreign on Kasumi's lips. She knew it was his proper name, but at the same time, she always referred to him as Senpai, even when thinking about him. "N-No, nothing of the sort."
"That's good," Makoto sighed wearily. With that, she began folding up the notes on the table, stacking sheets of paper back into a binder. Everything was highly organized and laid out well. It spoke to a master of studying. Someone able to absorb information, break it down into its primary pieces and memorize it all.
"Where are your helpers?" Kasumi couldn't see the other student council members who had been here when she arrived.
"They took the order to go home to mean them as well." The president answered wearily. "Unfortunately, that means I'll be spending the afternoon cleaning it all up. Cleaning a clean up rally, isn't that funny?"
"You aren't laughing." Kasumi remarked drily. "Why don't I help?"
"Are you sure?" Makoto queried. "You weren't even supposed to be here. You really don't have to."
"Honestly, I'd be glad to." Kasumi explained with a smile. "Are they usually this flaky?"
"Yes," Makoto grumbled with a nod. "It can be a struggle to get reliable help."
"Well, if you ever need more help…" Nonchalantly leaving her words there, Kasumi threw a plastic bowl into an overflowing garbage bag. Taking it from the bin, she tied it off. "Do you have a backpack or something you brought this all in?"
"Not really. We packed it into Maruki's car on Saturday. That's what we were doing when…" Trailing off, the president took a moment to compose herself. "When the principal got arrested. We never discussed how to get it back to the school."
"I see…" Muttering, Kasumi considered it for a moment. "Has Maruki left yet?"
"Seeing as his fan club has, I'm assuming so."
Kasumi couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's dry tone. Like she had thought, the two of them were pretty similar after all. "He does seem a little out of it for a doctor."
"Yes, I agree." Makoto frowned. "Thankfully, his claim of being able to cook was at least accurate."
Starting to speak, a more important question came to Kasumi's mind. "Why were you worried that Senpai… I-I mean Mr. Amamiya would hit on me?"
"Huh? Well, I had a conversation with him yesterday." The president cut off, waving her hands in front of her. "I-It isn't what you think, it was just an apology for some er, actions I had done."
Actions!? That sounds even more suspicious!
Unaware of Kasumi's thoughts, Makoto continued talking. "He seemed interested in you when I mentioned your interview is all. It really was quite moving…"
Still uncomfortable about the interview, Kasumi focused on the surprising words. "He was… interested in me? Like… Romantically?"
"Er… W-Well… I have no idea."
"…What?"
"I-I don't know anything about romance!" Makoto admitted, her face bright red. Kasumi was shocked by this break down. She looked more unsure than most junior high girls.
"Haha… Well, anyway, to move this back to the school…" Continuing to explain her thoughts, Kasumi's mind was still focused on one thing. Was this romantically stunted third-year correct?
Monday May 30th, 20XX Evening
"Ahh… good work today everyone." Releasing a sigh, Ren left his Joker self behind in the other world. Stretching his neck, Ren was extremely satisfied with the progress they made today.
It had been rough going for a while, but eventually they reached a strange different world with different versions of the painting Sayuri. With Yusuke identifying the real one, they breezed through it in no time. Upon finding Madarame guarding his treasure, they took a break for the day. One more time in to establish how to steal the treasure, then a day for the actual heist.
Convinced they would have more than enough time to change Madarame's heart before the exhibition ended, Ren set off for home. His Shujin bag slung over his shoulder and Morgana already inside.
"Umm, Senpai."
Sumire's hesitant voice bid Ren to turn around. "What's up?"
"Umm…"
Catching the meaning of her eye flicks, Ren jerked his shoulder, jostling his bag. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"Yeah, whatever." Morgana grunted, not pleased about being kicked out.
"Oh, you didn't have to do that…"
"Your voice says a different story." Ren teased. As the words finished, the tension was still there. Ren remembered how their previous conversation had been awkwardly cut off by Dr. Maruki. After that, they had worked in silence until lunch, Ren unable to bridge the gap to start another conversation.
"I was, am… having a bad day. I know it wasn't your fault, so I wanted to apologize."
"Is there anything I can do to make it better? After all, we are teammates now. We watch each others' backs."
"Teammates, huh?" Sumire's voice didn't sound overly thrilled.
"T-That's right… So, do you need anything?"
"Umm…"
Ren struggled to see Sumire through the setting sun's rays. Staring right into it, her face was cloaked in shadow. Making up for that, her hair looked resplendent, bathed in a corona of red light.
"I… I wanted to know if teammates are all that we'll ever… What I'm trying to ask you is…"
"Whoa! Hard day in there, eh leader?" Ryuji declared, slapping Ren heartily on the back.
"…"
Closing his eyes, Ren struggled not to sigh. The tension in the air had vanished. Chances were he'd never get to hear Kasumi's words anymore.
"Haha, umm… I should probably go. I've slacked off on training, so I'll run home… Bye Senpai."
"Later…" Watching her walk away, Sumire turned around once to look at him. As she turned back to the front she entered into a jog. Ren didn't know exactly where she lived, but he guessed that she wasn't actually running all the way. Just far enough to dispel the awkward atmosphere between them.
Creeping out from where he had gone to hide, Morgana sighed. "You're an idiot Ryuji."
"What was that cat!?"
"Read the mood idiot!" Morgana fired back, jumping dextrously into Ren's bag from the floor. "This is why I never have a chance to talk to lady Ann…"
"Whatever dude," Ryuji sulked. "So, what was up with Violet?"
"That's what she was trying to tell me…" Ren spoke slowly, trying to contain his exasperation. Ryuji was a good guy, but sometimes…
"Ah, shit. My bad. She was definitely fighting slower today. Staying at the back and casting magic with her persona the whole time. Anyway, I'm heading home. I'll leave her to you, leader!"
"See ya," Ren smirked, waving a farewell hand at Ryuji. Ann and Yusuke had already left for their own homes. With how far Madarame's palace was from Yongen, Ren doubted he'd have time to do anything else today. Maybe read a book on the trip home and some homework when he got there.
"So, Ren," Morgana his voice serious.
"Yeah?" Tapping his card, Ren entered onto the train platform. Morgana stayed quiet for awhile as a crowd of late-night workers exited the station.
"While you were off picking up garbage, I did some investigating."
"Is that right?" Ren replied, only listening with one ear. Most of his attention was still remembering Sumire. The words she had been struggling to say.
"The Boss' house is quite big. I'd guess three bedrooms."
"Hmm…" Morgana's claim did send a spike of annoyance through Ren. He was stuck in the attic of a café while his 'guardian' had a large empty house to himself.
"I found the Boss' room. Pretty much what you would expect, but… there was another…"
"Another?" Paying a bit more attention at this point, Ren assumed his seat on the almost empty train. Focusing on Morgana's words, Ren ignored a sidelong glance from a passerby.
"Yeah, this room was shuttered with dark curtains. Getting closer though, I could have sworn there were lights on inside."
"So… Someone else lives in the house?" Ren wondered. "It would explain a lot…"
"Like what?" Morgana questioned.
Left with explaining to do, Ren took a self-conscious glance around the interior. He didn't care much about how strangers viewed him, but at the same time, talking to himself would be a new low.
"Every now and then, Sojiro takes a strange phone call. At first, I thought it was a lady friend, but what if it was this person?"
"Who is this person though?" Morgana wondered. "I know this started out as a curiosity… But what if the Boss is keeping someone captive!?"
"It… It isn't impossible," Ren muttered. "But why take me in then? Plus, if that person was the one calling him, then they can't be in there against their will."
Leaning his head against the window, Ren turned his attention fully to this new issue that Morgana had discovered. He didn't doubt the cat's words. Morgana's surveying skills were top-notch. Still though, they had too many inferences right now and not enough facts.
"Should we just leave this alone?" Ren wondered. "Is there a point to investigating this?"
"Of course!" Morgana answered shocked. Poking his head out of the Shujin bag, Morgana glared at Ren. "Aren't we trying to reform society? Bring shitty adults to justice? How can you ignore something extremely fishy right in front of you?"
"…Fine." Muttering the word, Ren whipped out phone. Opening the app, Ren spoke two more words. "Sakura Sojiro."
'No Match found.'
The app reliably replied. Ren wanted to believe that anyone guilty of kidnapping a person and keeping them locked in a room would at least have a palace. As long as it wasn't a criminal matter, Ren was hesitant to get involved.
"Still!" Morgana insisted, "aren't you curious?"
Ren was.
This strange man that had taken him in and abandoned him in an attic. While he seemed to have a soft spot for cats, Ren had gotten little more than harsh lectures, until yesterday. Sunday with his impromptu 'date' with Makoto had led to Sojiro opening up for the first time.
"How about this," Ren proposed as a compromise, "I subtly ask him if he wants to watch a movie together at his place? Then we can decide based off his response."
"You're going to ask him to watch a movie together?" Morgana asked sceptically. "Won't he be suspicious? Also, does he even have a television in his house?"
"Good point…" Ren murmured. The fact was, it had been so long at this point, that it was hard to come up with a reason why he should enter the house. Was there any way to stage a visit and not be suspicious?
"I got it!" Morgana sat up at attention. "You ran out of change to use for the bathhouse. Therefore, you want to shower at his place."
"…Not bad," Ren muttered. "It's innocuous enough that he has no reason to say no. Plus, if you come with, you can investigate the inside this way."
"So, are we on?"
Debating for a moment, Ren felt the thrill of the metaverse starting to rise within him. "We're on."
Monday, May 30th, 20XX Evening
Ding dong!
The sharp sound of the doorbell rang through the building. Even standing outside the door, Ren could hear it. For some reason, it seemed almost haunted. As if the house was abandoned, only a front Sojiro pretended to use.
"…No one is answering." Ren muttered to Morgana who was curled around his feet.
"Be patient, the café is closed, he has to be here."
Shifting his feet, Ren struck the doorbell again. Surrounded only by the light of lampposts, the night had an eerie quantity to it.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." A gruff voice called out. A moment later, the front door was thrown back to reveal Ren's guardian, Sojiro.
Staring at each other, Ren tried to seize the initiative. However, Sojiro cut him off.
"What do you want?"
"Uhh, well…"
"The change!" Morgana hissed.
"Change."
"Change? Change what? This better not be a joke of some sort."
"Er," having been thrown off by Morgana and Sojiro's own over-the-top anger, Ren struggled to come up with a coherent statement. "I need change."
"Money?" Sojiro scoffed at him. "How much you think I make at that Café. You want money, get a job."
With that the door began to close, removing any chance of Ren finding out anything. "Wait!" Yelling, Ren stuck his foot in the way, effectively halting it. Facing down Sojiro's glare, Ren spoke quickly. "I ran out of change to use the showers in the bathhouse. Can I use yours?"
"Urgh…" Sojiro stopped pulling on the door, however, he didn't let it open either. His gaze awkwardly drifted off to the side. It was clear to Ren that Sojiro was struggling to find an answer. "Well… I don't let guys use my shower. So… No."
Mind whirling quickly, Ren spat out the first argument that came to mind. "B-But, if I don't get a shower, all of your effort to make my date a success will have been wasted!"
"Urgh!" This time, Ren's words seem to have dealt a physical blow to Sojiro. The man's eyes glazed over, and his mouth started moving. Mumbling words to himself that Ren wasn't privy to. "It… Should be fine. Stay here, I'll be back in a minute."
"What do you…?" Ren didn't get a chance to voice his confusion as Sojiro finished closing the door. "…What the hell was that?"
"Whatever it was, it seems to have worked," Morgana mumbled. "Take your time, I should only need a couple of minutes."
"You got it…" Left with nothing to do but wait, Ren shifted his weight back and forth. Having been told it was fine, then having the door shut was… weird. It made Ren even more suspicious that he was hiding something. In fact, it was almost impossible not to come to that conclusion!
As the thought was crossing his mind, the door was ripped open. "Close it behind you, leave your shoes at the entrance and follow me."
"…Sure. E-Excuse the interruption…" Barely remembering his manners, Ren followed closely behind Sojiro. Morgana had disappeared from his legs, so Ren assumed he had already left to examine the house.
To be brutally honest, the house didn't feel lived in. The interior was dark and dusty. Sojiro was too busy at the café to clean, and it seemed like no one else did either. Rather than creepy though, the house felt sad.
"Here. You have ten minutes."
"Uhh, sure. Thanks…" Feeling a little bit bolder, Ren decided to press his guardian. "You know… it would save me a lot of money if I could shower here all the time…"
Sojiro's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yeah, no. This is the first and only time I'm allowing it. Keep pushing your luck and I'm dropping you on the street!"
Keeping a straight face, Ren struggled to contain the swirl of emotions. He wanted to yell at the man that he wasn't guilty. It wasn't fair that everyone treated him like a criminal. Clenching his bag a little tighter, Ren closed the bathroom door behind himself. Thankfully, the washing apparatus appeared to have decent upkeep. He wasn't sure if he could have managed otherwise.
Stripping his clothes, Ren got to work on washing his body. It may be just an excuse to get in here, but he still wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to have a proper shower. Getting lost in the warmth of the hot water, Ren could practically feel the stress begin to flow away. Once Madarame's heart was changed, he really did need a break. Nothing more stressful than homework. Thankfully, for whatever reason, school seemed to going well these days. His marks were decidedly above average. He wouldn't be kicked out because of that.
Soon, a sharp rap on the door woke him from his reverie. "Time's up. Dry yourself and hit the road."
"You got it…" mumbling into the water, Ren reached for the tap and shut it off. Shaking his head like a wet dog, Ren grabbed the towel that he had brought with him. Thankfully, since Sojiro probably would have taken offense to Ren using one of his two.
Two?
Moving to the sink and vanity cabinet, Ren opened it and found what he was looking for. Toothbrushes. Two of them. Not just that, one of the things was coloured a bright pink. Ren was sure now, this is what Sojiro was hiding. Morgana was right, someone else was living here.
"Come on, get dressed and get out!"
"Sure, right away." Struggling to contain the laughter in his voice, Ren quickly dried himself and got dressed. It almost seemed obvious now, all of Sojiro's gruff remarks, and how he kept him out of the house.
Opening the door, Sojiro's irate face was there to meet him. "I said ten minutes! Now, get!"
"Thank you for letting me use your facilities." Bowing politely, Ren turned to leave.
"Err, yeah, sure."
Smirking at Sojiro's confused words, Ren found Morgana with his shoes. The cat cockily licking his paws with the aura of a mission accomplished. Staying silent, Ren opened the front door and exited into the night.
"So there really is someone else living there." Ren muttered once they got far enough away.
"You bet." Morgana agreed. "I found them quickly enough."
"Oh, what are they like? A woman I'm guessing."
"W-Well… It's hard to say."
"Hard to say?" Ren replied confused. He then continued with how he knew, based on the extra towel and toothbrush.
"I never actually saw them," Morgana explained. "I found the door is all, in the dark it was a struggle to read, but the whole thing was covered in 'stay out' warnings and the like. Also, I'm guessing it was why Sojiro needed that minute, there was a rag jammed at the bottom to stop the light from pouring out."
"I see…"
"Anyway, figured I may as well try to get in, see the person and all that."
"…And?" Ren pressed as Morgana paused in his talking.
It took a moment more before Morgana spoke. His voice was as serious as Ren had ever heard.
"The door was locked."
"…What?"
"The door was locked from the inside. There isn't a way to override it from the outside. You literally can't get in unless they let you in or you break it down."
I… I see." Ren commented heavily. Reaching the café door, Ren unlocked it briefly to let himself in before locking it again. "What's clear is that Sojiro isn't abusing this person at least. But it still doesn't tell us anything about them."
"I could hear them laughing a little." Morgana admitted. "My guess is that they are a young girl. "Probably a little younger than you."
"A daughter?" Ren mused. However, there was no answer in sight. The only thing that was clear was that this problem would not be solving itself tonight.
Tuesday May 31st, 20XX Lunchtime
"Thank you for making time to see me. Please, have a treat."
"N-No problem." Accepting Dr. Maruki's offer, Sumire hesitantly picked up one of the individually wrapped candies from the bowl. Even as she fiddled with it, she didn't eat it. Her exercise had been far too lax to justify having a sweet. Even if she had ended up doing an impromptu 10K yesterday. Sumire didn't know the exact distance, only that she shouldn't have actually ran home. The creeping terror and worry had propelled her feet.
She wasn't upset with Ryuji-Senpai. In fact, part of her was glad. Glad she wouldn't have to know the answer right now. Pretend that things may still work out. Pretend that she wanted things to work out between Senpai and her.
So, accepting the proposal Dr. Maruki had made of her yesterday, Sumire found herself in his office over lunch. She hadn't eaten yet, but she didn't have an appetite for some reason. She felt better than yesterday. That had been rough. Now, the things that seemed daunting were almost silly. Yet, the tight ball that had formed in her stomach had yet to fully dissipate. A fear occupied her thoughts that those feelings would return.
"Well," Dr. Maruki began relaxing in his chair. "Is there anything you would like to say first?"
"Err," the overly direct questioning was too much for Sumire. Averting her eyes, she stayed silent.
"Hmm, in that case, why don't I tell you something fascinating about cognition!"
"Cog…nition?"
Nodding in confirmation, Dr. Maruki held up his two hands. "Let's say, that I have two boxes of donuts in my hands. The one on the right, contains only one donut."
"Whose right? Mine or yours?" Sumire interrupted. She couldn't help but wonder if Kasumi and the thieves were rubbing off on her. This is exactly something one of them would do.
"Uh, well… It isn't really important, but mine I guess."
"Alright."
"G-Getting back on track. The box on my right has only one donut in it. The box on my left, a dozen. All the donuts are the exact same. Which do you think would taste better?"
"Neither. Donuts are too sweet for me."
"T-That's not really the point," Maruki laughed awkwardly. "Imagine instead of donuts they were something you do like."
"Umm, so like tofu? I imagine both boxes of similar tofu would taste the same." Sumire stated matter-of-factly. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Dr. Maruki had made it seem important yesterday that she show up. But what was this?
"…I-I suppose. It works better with a dessert example." Maruki was clearly flustered at this point. "Anyway, it was been shown that things in limited quantities are more desirable and create the sensation that they are better. This is why limited-edition merchandise sells so well. Even if it is more expensive, people still think they are getting the better end of the deal."
"So… Creating the illusion of scarcity… Is a good marketing trick?"
"Yes! I mean, no, that's not the point. It's about how people perceive things! For example, what if we had those boxes of donuts, and you gave them to someone you like."
Senpai. Maybe I should buy him a donut…
"First they try one from the left box and say it's pretty good. Prompting, you then get them to eat the only donut from the right box. What if, that's the best donut they ever had? They don't know that both donuts were identical."
"…?" Staying silent, Sumire wasn't sure what Dr. Maruki wanted from her. Fiddling with the wrapper again, she was starting to miss lunch.
"They have had an exceptional experience, that's all an illusion to you, but real to them. What if you tell them that both were the same? They probably wouldn't want to believe you. They wouldn't want to admit that they'd been tricked."
"But what they tasted was real?" Sumire argued back, not understanding where Maruki was going with this. "If they liked the donut, they liked the donut."
"That's the thing! Their perception of the taste being superior is only an illusion. Yet at the same time, it is as real as they perceive it to be."
"So it's a placebo. Is there a point to this?"
"Haha, getting there." Maruki smiled back. Suddenly though, his aura changed. Threading his fingers together, Maruki leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin upon his laced hands. "Now, as a councillor, the problem with helping people, is that I can't see their injury. I can only work with what they tell me."
Someone like me…
"But what if this principle could be applied to help them? It would then become possible to reach a far greater number of people."
"Err… I don't follow." Feeling as if she was someone letting the doctor down, Sumire had to avert her eyes from his intense stare.
"What I'm saying…" Maruki emphasised, his voice sounding a little stressed. "Is that a simple change, thinking the donut is one-of-a-kind for example, may be all someone needs to move past their trauma."
"I guess…" Remembering their last session, Sumire's face went blank. "Are you talking about that same thing as last time?"
"Precisely," Maruki smiled heartily, the tension dissolving from his face. "I'm surprised you remembered. If you could see inside their heart, it would be easy to find the root of the problem. Once there, one change would be enough."
"…I don't think that will work."
"Excuse me?"
Struggling to raise her gaze from her lap, Sumire stared into Maruki's wide brown eyes. For the first time, it appeared her words had shocked him.
"One event, a single change… Sometimes those things aren't enough. Even if things go right for a long time, a single event can derail them, sending you spiraling back to the beginning. Change takes consistent effort. Every day, doing everything you can to work towards being better."
As she spoke the words, Sumire felt more and more sure of what she had said. That had been her issue. She had been granted a great power through her hard work. By continuing to work, she had gotten to fight by Senpai's side and grow. Even encountering another version of her sister. An illusion, as Maruki said, but an illusion founded in reality. After that though, she had given up. She had been shocked by the arrest; how pointless her efforts had been. Rather than continuing forward, Sumire had stopped moving. It had taken this conversation for her to realize that.
"H-How can you say that!? What about Kamoshida? Was he not completely changed by a single event?"
"Maybe," Sumire smiled in answer. "But what exactly makes it permanent? Could not those old feelings resurface, dragging him back down that path? Last time I talked to you… I said I was in a good place. Yesterday… I wasn't."
Standing up from her chair, Sumire pocketed the wrapped candy that she had been playing with the entire time. Her hands fell calmly to her sides.
"I know that I'm going to have more bad days… But I won't forget to keep moving. That's what your idea is missing. It doesn't include people helping themselves. Please excuse me."
Bowing, Sumire departed the room. As she left, she felt the knot in her stomach get left behind as well. In its place, a bottomless pit was revealed. "Maybe I will get some lunch after all." Smiling, Sumire made her way to the cafeteria.
Tuesday May 31st, 20XX After school
"Is everyone ready?"
"You bet Leader!"
Staring up at the gaudy Museum, Joker nodded his acknowledgement. He could still feel the exhaustion from yesterday's long day; however, they only had a single thing left to do. For that reason, Joker had made the call to do it back-to-back. This way, they could rest until the change of heart on Saturday.
"Let's get started then," Flashing them a fearless smile, Joker led the charge into the palace. Knowing where everything was from the previous trips, Joker tore through the hallways. His pace was relentless, yet he moved like a wraith. The shadows never even noticing his presence as he slipped past them. The others followed, doing their best to keep up.
Past the previously closed gate, Joker entered the section that they had only cleared yesterday. His mad sprint though the palace bringing him into strange other-worldly portraits and through sections once guarded by lasers. All too soon, they were in that strange other world that contained the final obstacles. Unlike prior, it was easy to get out. The exit had already been activated due to Yusuke identifying the correct paintings.
Then, for the second time in as many days, Joker led the party slowly into the final room. As before, Madarame stood guard at the front. He hadn't moved from that position since yesterday. Joker took it to mean that while the exhibition was ongoing in the real world, the shadow wouldn't change positions from this place.
While it was convenient to know where he would be… Joker struggled to contain a sigh. There was absolutely no way they could blitz through for the treasure. Shadows would jump them from all side. Plus, the ruler tended to have a power beyond the other occupants. It made sense; each person was the master of their own mind. Altering that meant overcoming a person's personality and beliefs.
"Hey… Can we take a minute… In the safe room?"
"Huh? Yeah sure." Brought out of his reverie by Skull's pained words, Joker led them to the nearby location. It was from here that they would have to determine a strategy for stealing the treasure.
"Urgh, thanks man."
"…Don't mention it. Sorry, I forgot about your knee."
"Nah, it's all good." Skull insisted. Despite the tough words, his face was a rictus of pain as he flexed his left leg while sitting down.
"Is that an injury from Kamoshida?" Violet asked.
"Yeah," Skull nodded sharply.
"I'd like to hear this story," Fox asked. "You all know so much about me, yet I am still in the dark about your origins."
Waving Skull to go ahead, Joker leaned against the wall and watched through hooded eyes. Not Skull, but Violet. He hadn't found a chance to talk to her before entering today. Yet, despite his worries, she appeared to be doing better. Still, it made him worry. Would these periods of brooding and strange moods be a regular thing?
"Truly, he was a horrible person," Fox shook his head in disbelief. "It is almost even more incomprehensible how he had the power to expel you when he had no evidence either."
"Tch, I know!" Skull raged back; a fire lit in him. "All these shitty adults are nothing but a pain in the ass. Let's get this one!"
"Yes… Sense… Er, Madarame deserves a change in heart…" Fox's words were less than inspiring to Joker. Still, Joker knew that Fox believed in what they were doing. Otherwise he never would have agreed to this. "I do wonder though, is it possible that the same thing will happen here?"
"Same thing?" Panther asked.
"Yes, will Madarame be arrested right as we attempt to change his heart?"
"No." Violet spoke resolutely. Her voice left no room for argument. "The principal's case was special. No one is after Madarame."
"…I see."
Deciding that was long enough, Joker pushed himself off the wall. "Enough socializing. Let's get to it."
Despite the gruff words, Joker hid a smile as he led them back into the hallways of the museum. It was moments like this where he really felt like they were growing closer as a group. The small teasing words, the inside jokes. And especially in the stories. Reaffirmation of the wrongs they have suffered. Confirmation that they were on the right path. Stopping those with twisted hearts from continuing to inflict injuries upon innocents.
Straight out from the safe room, a hallway ran. It was part of a corner where the branch to Joker's right went back to the main entrance to the giant room. Following this secondary path, Joker quickly ran into an interesting feature: a security booth. Nearly identical to the ones from earlier, Joker slid himself in.
"So, what do we have here…" Mumbling to himself, Joker analyzed the panel. Taking a moment, Joker stayed silent as he analyzed the different options. "It looks like we can switch the lights off here."
"Could be useful." Mona agreed. "Does it work though?"
"That's not everything," Joker sighed at the impatient cat. "Over here on the panel, we can open the shutters. We'll need to do that if we want to proceed further up the right path."
"Got it!" Skull agreed happily, smashing the button Joker was pointing at.
"Umm…"
"Skull you idiot! What if it turned on an alarm before we finished!?" Panther scolded him.
"Well, it appears to have worked," Fox sighed, his expression agreeing with Panther.
"Anyway…" Drawing out the word, Joker tried to bring the conversation back on track. "There is one more option. It's to turn off the protective infrared lasers surrounding the treasure."
"Oh, do that!" Skull chirped happily, undaunted by his previous daring.
"Is that necessary?" Violet wondered. "Won't Madarame feel more protected if we don't shut them off?"
"True…" Joker muttered, scratching his head. It was at times like this when he wished he had a strategist in the party. Someone who could lay out the options clearly and what each would entail.
"I say go for it," Mona chimed in.
"Hell yeah!" Skull agreed.
"I too, do not see a reason not to," Fox added as the final person to weigh in, Panther and Violet abstaining from saying any more.
Nodding, Joker operated the switch that should execute the command. Instead of the lasers flicking off as they expected, nothing happened. A moment later, the screen in front of Joker flashed red, an error message popping off. "Only Madarame can turn the lasers off, figures. That leaves just the lights then."
Without waiting for anyone else to comment, Joker flipped the main power off. As if just to spite them, even through the darkness, the red glow of the lasers could still be seen. Their presence was a final hurtle in the thieves' way.
Madarame's rage in the middle of the room was clear. About ten seconds later, the lights came back on. It was disturbing, but it made sense that there was a backup generator that would kick in. "Find out what happened!"
"Uh oh… Prepare to fight." Only a few seconds passed from Joker's order to the door bursting open to reveal one of the palace's guards. Before they could do anything, the guard burst apart and formed into three separate shadows. Forming into three dog-like beings, they attacked.
"Skull, Fox!" At the same time, Joker began firing out instructions. Their coordination improving to the point that the two boys reacted to nothing but their names. Charging forward, they absorbed the first attacks from two of the shadows. That left only one unaccounted for that Joker tracked with his eyes.
To his disappointment, the creature divebombed Panther. Perhaps the most vulnerable person to melee attacks.
"Ha, like I'd let you!"
Crying out, Mona replied with his own attack against the shadow attacking Panther.
"Kruu!" Releasing a small noise of pain, the shadow turned its focus unto the cat. With a solid battle line established, Joker was confident that they would prevail. After doing Kobayakawa's palace, Madarame's hadn't seemed quite as difficult.
Keeping himself to the back, Joker landed nimbly beside where Violet was standing, weapon at the ready. Holding out a hand, he stopped her from trying to rush in. There simply wasn't room for more than the four already involved to fight.
Without needing an order from him, Panther utilized the boys' distraction to unleash hellfire upon the three shadows with her persona. The heat from the blazing flames could be felt even metres away. There was no doubt in Joker's mind that she was, they all were, slowly getting stronger.
"Good work, keep up the attacks."
Following Joker's orders, Skull and Fox attacked the respective shadows in front of themselves with persona enhanced physical attacks. Each damaging ability shaving away a large portion of the remaining stamina allocated to each shadow.
Growing desperate, the shadows reared back their heads and brought forth their own magical energy. It cackled with a power Joker hadn't witnessed before. For some reason, the word nuclear crossed his mind as he saw it. Joker knew that actual nuclear energy should look nothing like this, yet it seemed to fit for some reason. The energy from the attack washed over all four of them, once, twice, and a third time as all three shadows unleashed the same move.
"Everyone!" Violet cried out in fear from beside Joker's shoulder.
"They've been through worse," Joker assured her, presenting a cockier front than he actually felt.
"Heh, that stung!" Mona cried, unleashed a healing light across the four of them. Joker estimated it recovered under half the damage they had taken.
Sill, Joker felt that it should be enough as long as they finished off one or two of the shadows this turn.
"Burn to ashes!"
"Hiyah!"
"Be vanquished into nothingness!"
Each one releasing their own individual line was followed by their attack. The two more heavily damaged shadows that Skull and Fox had been attacking writhed as they turned into black energy that faded into the void.
"Kruu?" Murmuring with a confused sound, the final shadow now recognized its own desperate situation. Still, its back refused to bend as it fought through the impossible situation. Attempting one final attack against Panther, the shadow was cut down mercilessly by the three boys' protection.
"Aww, we're you all worried about me?" Panther teased them.
"Like hell I was!"
"Of course, Lady Ann! It is my job to protect you."
Shaking his head, Joker didn't comment on the two vastly different replies from the boys. In his opinion, Fox took the smart route of remaining silent.
"What do you mean you weren't worried about me!? And you, who said I was so fragile I needed you to protect me!?"
Exchanging a long sidelong glance with Violet, the pair of them struggled to contain their laughter as Panther dug into the boys for their opposite answers, both of which proved to be the wrong choice. How, Joker wasn't sure.
"Umm, Senpai, won't more enemies be arriving soon?"
"Yeah, let's get out of here." Snapping his right hand, the conversation died instantly. "We need to ditch this place. See what else is around here that we can use to finalize a treasure route."
"Got it." Fox agreed readily, perhaps worried he as well would be dragged into the melee that was threatening to develop.
Hoping they would get out in time, Joker led them quickly through the exit of the room and into the safe room just down the corridor. With the entire party disappearing inside, Joker felt confident they got away.
Receiving a few askance glances, Joker pulled an item from his coat. "Here, share this." Joker still wasn't sure why, but many regular items in the real world gained rather mystical properties in the metaverse. This was one of them. For some reason, it couldn't be used in combat, or while exploring a palace, but could while lounging in a safe room. Even as they ate the snacks, Joker could practically see all the injured members' stamina returning. The injuries they had taken vanishing into nothingness.
"Let's get to it." As they finished eating, Joker led them out and right. Back across the entrance where Madarame watched and up the right-hand path. Indeed, where the shutters had been stopping their path was opened.
Exploring the new possibility, Joker led the thieves in a slow line, hiding behind the various sculptures that lined the gently curving hallway. It sloped up and back to the left, making a circle around the chamber where Madarame kept his treasure.
"Shadow." Mona hissed.
Nodding, Joker waited for the oblivious guard. The fight would be over quick if he got the drop on it. They were fully rested and far stronger than these random shadows. Leaping from the corner, the female secretary looking shape dissolved.
Surrounding the surprised shadow, Joker leapt on it, tearing at its essence with his knife. Hitting something important, Joker felt a jolt run through his knife as the shadow collapsed under the blow.
"S-Spare me!"
"Finish it." Not in the mood for recruiting, Joker mercilessly ordered its death. A few seconds later, there was no evidence that the shadow every existed.
"Damn dude, you're getting ruthless," Skull commented, not quite casually enough to hide the awe in his voice.
Joker shrugged. "These cognitive beings aren't worth worrying over. Let's just finish establishing a strategy to steal the treasure.
"There's also the last of the will seeds," Panther reminded him.
Frowning, Joker forced himself to consider the possibility. When they had found all three in Kamoshida's palace, it had turned out to be pretty powerful. They hadn't found any in Kobayakawa's, not to say they weren't there somewhere. However, it was likely that the final seed here was once again guarded by a powerful foe.
"Treasure route first. We can decide after if we want to try and take the final seed."
"Duh, of course we want to," Skull snorted.
"It may be selfish of me to say so, but I as well would like to remove every last bit of Madarame's distorted desires," Fox added on.
Joker felt the silent pressure from the women as well. With Violet being somewhat of a perfectionist, and Panther enjoying the thrill of combat, even if she denied it, Joker knew that he had no choice. They would be fighting for the third will seed if they found it.
The rest of the hallway was fairly standard, except for a suspicious painting on the left wall. Based on his gift from Igor, Joker knew that something lurked on its other side, just not how to get there.
Taking out another shadow, Joker arrived at the back of the large chamber. Having risen through the hallway, Joker could look down upon the treasure that Madarame was fiercely guarding, shadows at the ready. Joker ignored the presence right behind him, he really didn't need another safe room at this moment.
"I'll be right back."
"Wait, what?"
Smirking at their startled looks, Joker pulled out his grappling hook and fired. Latching unto one of the many support beams in the ceiling, he swung himself to a different balcony.
"I knew it." Pleased with himself, Joker opened the treasure chest that lay there and extracted the item within. Not giving it a second glance for now, Joker would analyze it later and whether it would be of value. For now, he had to get back. Unfortunately, he had fallen far enough that getting back would be challenging.
Examining the room he was in, led to another smirk, it was the far side of the painting. The one-way door cleverly hidden. Opening it, Joker dashed back up the hallway to where the rest of his party was waiting for him. Expecting some eyerolls, Joker wasn't prepared for the fierce glare that he met.
"Senpai! What were you thinking!? What if there was a trap or something!?"
"B-But, I was pretty sure…"
"No buts!" Violet continued with a glare. "If you want to go swinging off into unexplored territory, you have to at least bring me along!"
Joker struggled not to writhe in embarrassment under the lecture that was mixed in with Skull's snickers, and Panther's laughter hidden behind an upraised hand. "…Sure."
"G-Good. Umm, where to next?"
"Well," Joker smiled sardonically, "you are taking a trip with me to the balcony on the far side."
"I-I see."
Joker did get a bit of perverse satisfaction from seeing Violet's discomfort following her speech and realization. It was one thing to agree to swinging into the unknown, another to actually do it. "Here we go!" Wrapping an arm around Violet, Joker pulled her body against his. He would be lying if he said it wasn't pleasurable. Shooting his grapple with the other hand, Joker launched them into the air.
While it was slightly harder with one person along for the ride, it wasn't impossible by any means. Dropping them off in a rather large open balcony, Joker motioned for Violet to hide. Darting behind a potted plant, Joker watched anxiously as a shadow guard searched for them. Even with their rather limited capabilities, the shadow had noticed the rather dramatic entrance. Casting a look over at Violet, the pair shared a synchronized nod.
Darting out of cover, Joker unmasked the guard to reveal the shadows inside. There were a pair of them. Thankfully, it was a type of shadow that Joker recognized from their travels through the palace. He had recruited one, Shiisaa, a strange dog-like thing with a large beard, and almost humanesque mouth. The yellow colour dominating its body almost reminded Joker of the pictures he'd seen of lions.
True to that yellowish colour, they could attack with both powerful lightning abilities as well as strong physical moves. The most annoying part was that they resisted all types of physical attacks and completely nullified Violet's magic. They were worthy opponents.
Turning their strength against them, Joker switched personas to match the foes he was fighting and fired their lightning back at them. The bolts digging into both shadows and turning their attention to him.
"Urgh, I hate these things!" Pulling out her rapier, Violet ineffectually stabbed one, unable to do anything else.
"Ha, bet you wish you left me to do this by myself, don't you?"
"Not al all!" Even as she talked, Violet dodged an attack from a shadow that turned to her. The other sunk its fangs into Joker. Ignoring the paltry damage, Joker took advantage of the mental stamina that had refreshed overnight. This was his first fight for the day, and as such, he had no need to hold back. Once again, lightning scorched their bodies.
"Here Senpai!"
Giving Violet an excited smile, Joker felt the small amount of damage he had taken disappear under Violet's ability. With it, an additional power coursed through him. Joker had finally figured out what her light did. It healed the target, but it also applied a random buff, increasing either damage, defense, or agility. The downside being, it took Sumire far more mental stamina to heal than the others. This time, it was defense.
The boost was just in time as the two shadows recognized Joker as the primary threat and worked together to take him out. Both shadows howling at the sky, they unleashed twin lightning blasts upon him.
"Urgh!"
Grunting under the force, Joker staggered slightly as bolts of light crossed his vision. He felt like his hair was standing on end from the electrocution.
"Just die already." Contemptuously swinging his hand, Joker ripped off his mask to call forth his persona a third and final time.
"Hruu!" Letting out twin howls, the shadows dissolved back into nothingness. The room was identical to how it was before, even the scorch marks from the magic faded as they disappeared from Madarame's cognition.
"Well, that finished that," Joker declared, rolling his neck to stretch it out, "I should go get the others."
"Umm, Senpai?"
"Yes?" Joker asked somewhat warily. He still wasn't sure what she had been getting at last time they talked.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I…" Trailing off, Violet seemed to realize how bad her timing was. Nonetheless, her eyes remained resolute as they remained fixed on Joker. "You helped me so much… and yet, I forgot that because of one interaction. I doubted you, and I doubted myself… So, umm… Sorry."
"Violet…"
"Y-Yes…"
Staring at the girl, Joker wished he had wiser words for her. Something that would help this girl move past whatever kept haunting her. "No matter what happens, you can count on all of us to help. Doesn't matter what it is, you can count on me. I'm here for you."
"T-Thank you…"
Speeding away on the grappling hook, Joker hoped that his words would help a little bit. She deserved happiness. She deserved to see how amazing she is.