Chapter 36: The Wrong Kiss
Monday, August 8th, 20XX Noon
Kasumi's days continued to be full. That in of itself was not novel, but the things that now filled them were unusual to her.
Friends.
Every single day since Sumire had left for Kyoto, Kasumi had met up with Minami and some of the others. That included one particularly awkward time playing billiards with Akechi and the girl.
Notably, the long-awaited relationship between Yuuki and Yoshito had finally sprouted into existence. Being with them should have been entertaining for Kasumi. The new couple should have been a prime source for teasing.
Instead, every time she tried, they simply blushed and stole nervous glances at each other. That would be followed by some nauseating confession and a kiss.
It was because of those constantly awkward interactions that Kasumi and Minami found themselves sitting alone in a restaurant, trying to cool off as they ate ice cream. As temperatures hit extreme highs in the mid-summer heat, the air conditioning was a welcome change. For not the first time, Kasumi wished that she could go braless as the underwear clung to her body, coating her with sweat. Minami shared a knowing glance as Kasumi pulled on her loose top again, trying to vent cool air down her front.
"Hey, what are you doing on Wednesday?"
"Hmm?" Kasumi looked up with her tongue still licking the cone free of its dripping Mint chocolate goodness. "Err, training… Then a break, then training again."
"How about a longer break in the middle. Like… a movie and then dinner?"
Kasumi shrugged noncommittally. "Uhh, yeah, that should work. So that's like an afternoon thing? Like movie at 2 then straight to dinner?"
"Yep!" Minami exclaimed. Her cheeks had an odd tinge to them. It seemed like the air conditioning was not helping her as much. "Oh, wear something nice for the day by the way!"
"Something nice?" Kasumi made a disgusted face and looked down at her own clothes. It was short shorts and a loose tank top. She was chilling in flip-flops for now before she was forced to put socks and shoes back on.
"L-Like heels and a dress!" Minami pouted. "For a proper night out!"
Proper night out? Kasumi waved a hand dismissively as she continued on her ice cream. "Fine, fine. Text me the details, I'll plan my day around it."
"Thank you!" Minami threw her arms around Kasumi pulling them awkwardly together. It thankfully only lasted for a few moments before Minami pulled away.
"Your face is even redder now!" Kasumi chastised her. "You shouldn't make body contact if you're already overheated."
"Urgh!"
Sighing at her hopeless friend, Kasumi felt a momentary warmth for the girl. This new life of friends… Yes, Kasumi could get used to this.
Monday, August 8th, 20XX Afternoon
"Oh, this is good dango."
"Yeah… It is…" Ren agreed listlessly as he walked side-by-side with Ryuji and Yusuke. Their days in Kyoto were passing in a blur. Ever since they first entered the palace the day before last, no one had brought up returning.
It was practically a subconscious agreement that they would visit shrines and take pictures, so they had proof of them visiting. During the day though, they said little and laughed less.
Ren knew that Ryuji was right, the dango was good… however it was ashen in his mouth. Like eating with a heavy cold, none of the flavours were registering. Almost as if he was still in shock from the palace. His body and mind not registering the time passing or the places around him.
Today, they stood in the last one. Outside of Mamemasa dessert stand, they looked over Kinkaku-ji. The iconic gold temple was the last on Yusuke's list making it the final destination in Kyoto that they were visiting.
In Ren's heart, he knew already that they would be heading home tomorrow. When they did, it would be in defeat. A wasted trip that allowed a murderer to run free. Even Yusuke could not get excited as he haphazardly threw his hands up in a square to view the temple through a horde of people without even complaining.
It was only because Ren was looking at him that he saw when the boy whirled around and ducked his head. "I do not deserve to see it."
"Huh? Vat vas dat, Yusuke?" Ryuki asked in muffled words with a mouth full of dango.
"I should not be here!" The boy lamented. Placing a hand on his heart, he collapsed to his knees, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
I could not agree more… Ren thought but stayed silent. Despite Yusuke's suffering, Ren had nothing to say to the boy.
Ryuji seemed likewise stunned. His mouth hung half-open with partly chewed food visible. "Dude…"
"How could I let myself do this!?" Yusuke raged, slamming a fist on the pavement as bystanders began to notice. "To let myself gaze on such uninhibited beauty while being defiled myself!? How could I have been so naïve!?"
With a commotion brewing, Ren finally stepped into action. Kneeling down beside Yusuke, Ren whispered in his ear. "Calm yourself. You do not have to look at the temple. I'll go take a few pictures and we will leave it at that."
"Ren…" Yusuke said in a broken voice, glancing up at him. "Are we… friends?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't we be? Where is this coming from?" Looking into those dark blue eyes though, Ren understood.
"You only contact me for phantom thieves' business…"
Ren could probably dispute the claim with a couple of examples, but Yusuke was not really wrong. Of the entire group, he was the only person that Ren had not gone out of his way to have one-on-one conversations with. This was also not the time for this conversation.
Yusuke seemed to read Ren's expression and chuckled wryly. "Sorry, I should have realized."
Quickly conferring with Ryuji, Ren sent them to the pre-arranged supper location before continuing into the temple by himself. If he was right, the girls would not be long either. They had broken off earlier to 'do girl stuff' with Morgana accompanying for some reason, but they were going to meet up at Kinkaku-ji and then go for supper.
In the midst of his picture taking, Ren's phone screen was blocked by a notification of Ryuji. It was a picture attachment with the caption 'You were right'.
The picture was of the girls lounging on a bench with vacant expressions.
Are they planning on coming to the temple? Ren typed back furiously.
No. They are just waiting for us. Came the terse reply.
"Is that so…" Ren spoke to himself. Sighing, he stared listlessly at the gorgeous scenery. It was hard to even look at right now. Yusuke was right, they did not deserve to be here. They were the worst kind of pretenders that the purity of the temple made more apparent. Ducking his head, Ren rushed from the temple.
The rest of the afternoon passed by in a slow, languorous stupor that allowed Ren and the phantom thieves to stew in their failure. Conversations halted awkwardly or simply did not exist. None of them were able to focus on their meals much either.
Putting down his chopsticks, Ren finally whispered the words. "We should book tickets tonight."
The room was silent for a moment. Ryuji looked down and away, clenching his hand in frustration.
"Yes, I think that is wise Ren," Makoto agreed. "Why don't you swing you by our room later and we can finalize the purchasing and schedule."
"Sure."
His noncommittal agreement left another deep silence. One-by-one they dropped their utensils, each one of the phantom thieves accepting their failure. It was the moment that they had been dreading for the last few days.
Thud!
A fist hit the table as Sumire stood up, her long red hair fanning around her head and obscuring her face as she bent over the table. She slammed the table again, only slightly more softly. Everyone looked at her. Her disturbance loud enough to draw attention from the sparse other patrons.
"We make and send the calling card for tomorrow."
Ren could not even berate her for revealing them as she did. He was too busy being astounded by her bravery. He had thought that of all of them, it was Sumire and Makoto who wanted to give up the most.
"We can't," Ryuji reminded her, "unless you want to sleep with a bunch of imaginary women."
"We drop the whole 'Phantom' thing," Sumire growled, her voice cast low to avoid others overhearing. Even as she spoke the rest of the occupants were turning back to their meals. "We break through to the heart of this bath, beat the shit out of the murderer, and take the treasure."
Ryuji gaped at her. After a moment, his expression morphed into a smile as he shook his fist in satisfaction. "Hell yeah! Why didn't we think about this ages ago!?"
"Because it is idiotic!" Morgana broke in. "Do you know how many shadows are roaming a palace? We could get swarmed by half a dozen at a chokepoint!"
No one else added on top of that. Ren's mind felt sluggish and unable to keep up. He'd been so mired in the depression and consequences of failure that he had nothing to say as Sumire took control again.
"That does not matter Morgana." Sumire replied smoothly. "Either you help me to make a calling card and come tomorrow or I will do it myself and go tomorrow solo."
"…Even though it could kill you?" Ren asked quietly, his thoughts finally catching up. Thinking about Sumire in any palace by herself… it froze his insides. The memories and nightmares of his own time came flooding back. He refused to let her face that alone.
"An assault may work," Makoto said without giving Sumire a chance to reply. "If the palace design follows standard convention, the next set of stairs should be right next to the first."
"Exactly." Sumire agreed. "Compared to other palaces the shadows are weaker and the building smaller. We can ignore whatever messed up games that Owada has created for us."
Just minutes earlier they had been defeated, ready to book tickets back to Tokyo. Now, they all nodded acceptance. Ann, Yusuke, Futaba, Morgana, Makoto, Haru, and finally Ren himself.
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheered loudly, joining Sumire on his feet. "Let's get this done!"
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Afternoon
Sumire waited somewhat patiently outside of Owada's mansion. It was not the easiest place to loiter, but there was little activity here and the mansion was likely vacant as Owada himself was in Tokyo. That had complicated the calling card greatly.
"We're ready!" Ryuji whooped happily.
"Yupp!" Futaba confirmed. "Owada has replied to the commotion. He has officially received notice of the calling card."
"Nice." Senpai spoke. "Good job on this card Futaba."
"Hehe."
Sumire cast a baleful glare at the orange-haired girl momentarily but dropped it. That was just her standard reaction to praise.
"Now," Senpai continued, "if you fall behind—"
""Get out!"" The whole group spoke as one before laughing slightly. Senpai had spent the entire morning reminding them in much the same words.
It would be impossible to tell what was happening by the end. There would be no slow crawl, no dodging enemies, only a mad rush to the top. As Futaba started their navigation, Sumire looked around at the group as their environment changed. This may be the last time I see some of them…
They should have let her go alone. Even if Sumire failed and it cost her life, that would be fine. The others shouldn't—NO! She yelled at herself. I will protect them! Stepping forward, ivory cape sparkling as it flung out behind her, Violet looked up at the hated bathhouse.
Then, she burst into motion. Scaling the fence, she ran along it, making for their previous infiltration point. Even if this was an assault, there was no point attempting to break in through the front door. They may as well sneak to the first staircase.
All too soon, Violet found herself on that same maintenance balcony. Looking down at that same pool that had shattered something inside of her not too long ago. Now, however, there was only a handful of women in the pool, no men. She did not like Senpai looking at their beautiful naked forms, but there was nothing for it.
Unlike last time, the guards at the stairs were doubled. Four shadows stood tense, glancing around the bath as if expecting an attack.
Because we told them we would… Violet could not admit it out loud, but she had planned her assault off of the security they had seen during the first time they entered the bath. The doubled security told Violet that she was right. This was the only way in. That meant either defiling themselves or doing this her way. Either way, they were attacking now.
"Everyone ready?" Senpai sighed heavily.
"Hell yeah!" Skull gave too loud of an outburst. Thankfully the guards did not appear to hear. Giving him a strong nod herself, Senpai smiled warmly at her.
Turning away frantically, Violet shifted in place as her heart beat frantically in her chest. Maybe if Senpai was the one… Shaking her head to dispel the traitorous, licentious thoughts from her mind, Violet was late to react when Skull burst from the balcony falling the four meters to the bath floor below.
Shit! Cursing, she followed on his heels, adding some extra force to catch up. Pulling out her rapier, the steel glistened brilliantly in the lantern light. Steam curled around her boots as she ran, the wispy tendrils swirling around her as if dancing.
In moments they closed the distance to the guards. Their entrance was not quick enough to stop all four of them from squaring up. It was however, fast enough to stop the guards from rushing them. As Skull lunged at the front left one, Violet jumped at the front right, stabbing it with her rapier.
Queen and Noir punched through that gap to engage the back two. Violet instantly lost the ability to pay attention to anyone else as her shadow shrugged off its contained form and assumed the form of a muscular humanoid. It was similar to the one that punched Skull in the face in the maintenance tunnels except it stood about twice as tall.
Looking up at it, Violet growled. "Get out of my way!" Tracking the trajectory of its meaty fist, Violet lunged straight at it, the air from the passing appendage blowing out her ponytail behind her. Drawing her rapier back, Violet twisted with every muscle in her body to launch the weapon straight into the giant guardian's face.
"Gruh!" Clapping a hand to its face in pain, it staggered back and feel to one knee.
"Now die." Violet commanded as she ripped off her mask. She barely felt the pain of revealing herself now. Her persona appearing behind her, its magic coalescing into an area of true death. The prone shadow could not escape the area.
With a single angelic note, the cards of light formed, trapped the monster, and then vanished in a puff of light. The shadow remained behind completely unaffected. It was immune to that skill.
The large shadow took that moment to return to its feet. The gesture was meaningless as waves of magic crashed against all of them. Fire, wind, lightning, and then ice. With each blast, the shadow weakened noticeably, the attacks stripping sections of energy from their bodies.
Unfortunately, it was not enough to finish the guardians. These ones were made of stricter stuff than the average shadow floating around a palace.
"Stop tryna ruin our paradise!" The one attacking Violet roared in a nasally accent.
Tracking it as it lunged at her again, Violet calmly side-stepped the powerful punch. She did not want to think about what would have happened if it had hit her. She did not have the same defensive capacities as meatheads like Skull and Queen.
Taking advantage of its over-extended position, Violet over-extended herself. She did not take the safe option of attacking its arm. Instead, she lunged for the head again.
The shadow smirked at her, bringing its other hand up to block her attack. Violet, however, had never been aiming for its head. As her trajectory took her lower, Violet grabbed her rapier in two hands and shoved it into the shadow's chest up to the hilt.
Hanging from her embedded blade, Violet pulled herself up and fell. Once, twice. The monster's cries of animalistic pain were nothing to her as she worked surgically to achieve her goal. As she had hoped, the blade jerked and began to descend cutting a massive rent into the shadow's essence.
By the time she had finished getting through its stomach the shadow had begun to dissolve into particles of black energy that buzzed in the air before disappearing. Next. Taking a step towards the stairs that pulled at her, Violet turned to watch the others. They had played it safe and not recklessly attacked. Some were injured and Mona was patching them as the second barrage of magic hit and felled the other three.
"We're slow," Senpai suddenly said, adding a curse. "We have company coming from behind."
"Go!" Skull roared, "I'll hold the stairs, they should be narrow enough that it is doable."
Violet nodded in respect and began running up the incline. There was not time enough to distrust Skull. It was a job that at least one of them needed to do. Violet did not notice that she ran alone until she completed an entire loop. Leaning over the banister, she yelled down, "come on!"
She could not hear the exchange, but a decision was clearly made as they sped up after her. "What was that!?" She yelled at Queen when the girl caught up.
"Skull needed help; Panther is staying behind as well."
"Ah." That was all there was time for. At that moment, they burst onto the second level. Due to the sloping nature of the dome structure, the second bath was smaller than the first. However, the rich luxuriant atmosphere was ramped up to eleven. It reminded Violet of the pictures of Greek baths that she had seen in pictures. Except instead of white, gold. Everything glistened with the metal.
Most appalling however were the numerous statues of naked women drawn with a more traditional beauty, with streams of hot water pouring from them. The largest one depicted a woman with one hand to her mouth, the other clenched behind her with her legs spread and water gushing out from the interstice.
Even as she turned to find the stairs up, Violet felt her cheeks heating. The indecency was shocking! Set to take off again in a random direction, Violet was stopped by Oracle's voice.
"Strong enemy to the left, probably the stairs!" Oracle called out.
"Yupp!" Queen agreed, pointing in that direction.
Dragging her eyes away from the bath's decorations, Violet finally noticed the shadows lingering at the exterior of the bath and the lack of inhabitants. There were no naked girls here, it was completely devoid of cognitive humans.
Violet paused for only a moment on the oddity and turned to look for the mythical staircase. Once she glanced over, it was easy to spot. It started at the wall and spiraled up the wall. It was, of course, a golden railing and what looked like glass stairs.
Pushing off the slightly damp tiles, Violet darted for the bottom. There was nothing blocking the way. That was good. The sooner they got to the top the sooner they would… Nothing in the way.
Before the instinct could turn into conscious thought, Violet threw herself to the side, rolling along the hard ground until her left leg sunk into water as she went partially over the edge. Even before she hit the water the surface of a nearby pool exploded as a whale-like creature's mouth closed on where her head had been only moments before.
"I think I figured out where the bathers went…" Violet breathed. Her body shook from narrowly avoiding death. Or maybe just a lot of damage? It was hard to tell what would happen in the metaverse.
Even as she glanced nervously through the divided waters, she could not get a track on the beast. There was an implicit terror in fighting against something that could appear from nowhere that she had never felt before.
"Come!" Senpai called, ripping his mask off. Violet watched as a lightning bolt struck against the water's surface. "…Well?"
"No change," Oracle called. "Either its immune to lightning or conductivity is messed up here."
"You can see it?" Violet asked the goggled girl, surprised.
"Ah, I can track it. For now… it is just circling."
"…We don't have time for this." Violet said seriously, staring at Senpai, waiting for him to make a decision.
"I'll distract it." Oracle said suddenly while he waffled. "I am the only one that can reliably dodge its attacks."
"You can't fight though," Senpai said, not sounding completely against it.
"I'll stay with her." Fox declared, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "With her help I'll turn it into sashimi before you reach the final bath."
"Deal." Senpai said. "Get it to attack again, everyone else up the stairs when that happens."
No one complained as they lost another two members of their group. Including Violet, they would be down to five. The seriousness of the situation set in as Fox rushed forward, expression hidden behind the large mask. He paused between the water, waiting.
"Now!" Oracle called out and it leapt. As before, its trajectory was projected to carry it straight for Fox. Maybe just because he was taller, the meter wide mouth was aimed for Fox's chest, not head.
As per his claim, Fox moved with graceful motions, falling to one knee below its arc and striking upwards with his katana at the shadow. With a hissing clang of metal on metal, the katana failed to pierce its hide.
Either way it mattered little as Violet ran forward with the others. Crossing by the pools that it was currently in, Violet leapt over another large pool that was in front of them and next to the stairs. If the monster had just waited here, it would have caught one or two of them with ease.
"Watch out!" Oracle's voice rang out again.
Unable to help herself, Violet cast an eye over her shoulder to see the monster with its head out of the pool, mouth closed and angled back. Its aim was at them. At the mouth of the staircase there was nowhere to dodge except back in the water, exactly what the monster wanted.
"Pointless!" Fox declared, standing directly in its path. "Come, Goemon!"
Fox's ice met a streak of high-powered lightning somewhere in the middle. Standard physics warped under the cognitive belief present in the metaverse, and the magic collided and exploded.
"Gah!" Fox was thrown to one knee as ice and lightning slammed against him.
"GO!" Oracle roared, "we are fine!"
Pushed by Senpai and Queen, Violet began moving again, leading the way up the stairs. Each step felt like the gong of death. This was her plan. The implications of that were only now setting in. Everyone had eventually gone along with it, but they could be safely back in Tokyo right now. Instead, they were splintered into three groups, with two pairs of people facing impossible odds.
Please, please survive.
Praying with all of her heart, Violet reached the final bath.
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Afternoon
"How much longer do you think?" Skull asked, panting. The bath teemed with shadows glaring at them. No matter where he looked, he could see their baleful gaze directed in his direction. Skull had never even seen this many shadows before. Now they circled, detecting weakness, waiting to break through and help out their master.
From only a few fights, Skull had already lost functionality in his left arm as it hung limp by his side. Behind him a few steps up, Panther was panting from the amount of magic she had used, both healing and fire.
"We should maybe head up…" Panther suggested between gulps of air. "We've held off long enough… right?"
"…" Skull did not reply. They both knew the truth already. She was trying to give him a way out. Instead, he asked a question. "Do you think its worth it?"
"…I have to believe that it is," she said quietly, accepting his denial of escape.
Two more shadows made the decision to approach them. Forcing himself from the wall, Skull rolled his right shoulder, weapon in hand. The spiked club had been upgraded a few times from his original, but it still felt just right in his hand. A trusted partner. It was one of the reasons he felt more alive in the metaverse than he ever did back in the real world.
Here he had a goal, here he had a purpose. Skull would not go down without a fight.
The two security guard look-a-likes shifted into their true form of the conjoined dolls that were frequent here. Rushing forward to meet them, Skull swung a heavy attack down onto the far most left one. While it created a satisfying crater in the head, it did not kill the two-part shadow and left him vulnerable to follow-up.
As he was not Violet or Joker, Skull could do little more than grit his teeth and bear it as the counter attacks hit him. He did his best to absorb with his weapon, but he still felt the impact on his arm and side. Staggering backwards, Skull's body was replaced by fire as Panther's magic tore into the shadows.
"Hey! You're supposed to be conserving that!" He yelled at her, stepping forward to finish the pair off. One was already down so it was easy to bat the other into a bath where it could dissolve slowly.
"Ha… Well I think the next few… are yours."
The voice trailed off and Skull heard a soft thump. Heart stopping, he raced back to where Panther should have been standing. Instead, she was slumped against the ground, breathing softly.
"Idiot," Skull cursed rushing over to her. He hadn't kept track of her magic usage. "You went and ran out of mental, huh? Good thing I lied to you."
From in his pouch Skull pulled out an adhesive that he had gotten from Joker. There was no reason to tell Panther about it. Applying it to her, he watched anxiously as her eyes fluttered and then opened.
"Huh? I'm… alive?"
"Like I'd let you die. Now pull out that gun and start contributing, yeah?"
The smile that she gave him made the entire endeavor worth it. "Yes!"
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Afternoon
"Another shadow approaching from five o'clock, ice resistant, gun damage recommended."
Oracle's robotic voice filtered down to a panting Fox who smiled upon receiving the update. Without a glance he drew his assault rifle, turned and fired. Without care he unloaded the entire clip into the approaching foe bringing it down as it collapsed into one of the baths.
"Jump attack in two, one…"
Rolling to the side, Fox did not flinch nor attack as the shark monster passed by only a hands breadth away again. Its anger cry buoying his spirits. With Oracle's airborne assistance he had been able to survive and distract, but not escape.
It had now been more than ten minutes since he had stopped the lightning breath attack and still no change. Whatever the others were doing, it would need to be soon to guarantee his survival.
Which means Skull and Panther have been holding out for even longer… A glance at the staircase down confirmed that nothing had come up from the first level. That meant they were holding on… Or they died and the shadows simply don't change floors…
Fox shook his head once swiftly to dispel the distracting thoughts and turned back to his own fight. He was trapped where he began in the middle of the three pools. Trying to escape led to a directed lunge from the fish followed by a lightning breath. In this manner it stayed close to him, constantly lunging, desperate for a hit.
So far, Fox had managed to prevent that. From the one time it had hit a shadow, Fox was aware that any mistake would be his last. As long as he was fast enough o listen to Oracle in her floating UFO, then this was the safest place for him. The shadows had seen what happened to those that drifted too close and were not eager to replicate that.
"You have two more shadows approaching, nine o'clock. Don't bother with guns."
The instructions were clear, if unhelpful. Fox prepared himself to unleash more ice magic, but was worried about his reserves. He had no items that could restore his mental fortitude and—
"Behind!" Oracle's sudden scream froze him. Hand halfway to his mask, Fox paused only that short moment before stumbling to the side. It was barely enough as the whale shadow unleashed an angry roar as its teeth nibbled at his robe.
"Bad!" Fox yelled out. His trajectory had him falling right into a bath. If he did, that would indeed be bad. Actually, bad was probably an understatement. Shadows would kill him while he was slowed and disoriented.
"Fox!" Suddenly, his path was stopped as he crashed into a hard object.
"Oracle…" He breathed out gratefully. "That was a nice save, thank you."
"Grr…"
The bone-chilling sound made Fox turn his head. The whale had apparently given up on jumping. Far faster than it could have lined up another jump, it now prepared to breath lightning.
"Go Oracle!" Fox yelled, trying to shove the large UFO out of the way. It was too heavy, and he could not make it deviate. Instead, it moved into him knocking him to the ground as yellow lightning flashed, slamming directly into Oracle.
"ORACLE!" Fox screamed as Necronomicon sank into the nearby bath.
"Hahaha." The whale laughed; its small beady red eyes fixed on Fox.
Gritting his teeth, he stood up gripping his katana as the other shadows arrived as well. Fox could not even know if Futaba was still alive. That beautiful yet fragile life that had lived so long in shadow… He would not let it end right now.
"Come, foul beasts of the abyss! I shall cut you all asunder and make you regret the day you followed this heretic's depraved form of love!"
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Afternoon
"You dare interrupt me, petty thieves!?" Owada roared from his sauna at the top of the pile. As per last time, he was flanked by naked women. In his right hand he cupped a breast and in his left a backside as the women moaned and plastered him with kisses. Violet could not be sure, but she thought there may be a third woman underwater doing who knows what.
"Vile man," Violet grated at him. "Transform and fight me! When you beg for mercy properly I may spare you."
"Fight you?" Owada laughed boisterously. "Myself? I am politician little girl, not a soldier. I make others clean-up my messes. Lily darling, deal with them."
"Aww, no far!" The young woman on his left complained. She looked barely older than Violet herself. "Make Orchid do it!"
"Calm yourself my flowers." Owada commanded. "Now go, Lily. Do not disappoint me."
"Fine!" The naked women jumped dextrously down from the top central bath to a lower layer, and then finally landed on the ground where Violet and everyone else stood.
It was an impressive jump and an impressive room. Light filtered in through the stained glass that Violet could now make out the patterns of. Abstract depictions of naked women were cast in red glass that contrasted with the white, blue, and green patterns.
As far as Violet could tell, this final bath was not really special way in other that it had the best view and was elevated according to its surroundings. As she had expected, another woman did pop up from underneath the water. Assuming the position of the absent Lili, Owada had the grace to stop fondling them as the three leaned forward to watch.
Lili, the first girl with pitch black hair struck a pose, one arm in the air. "Flower transformation!" A nimbus of white light coated her body and began to coalesce into pieces of armour. It was a performance reminiscent of the great shoujo anime of old, played out in real life.
When it finished though, it was clear that this would never get aired on television. The armour did the exact opposite of what it usually did. The armour hid everything… except her privates. There was a hole around her groin and backside where the bottoms were connected to the top by a single string of fabric on the outside of the thighs. Likewise, two circles of metal were missing allowing the girl's prodigious bust to hang completely visible. Lastly, a circlet of metal with lilies engraved on it suspended her hair which had turned a light pink, so it fell in a loose wave down her back like a high ponytail.
If it wasn't for the lewd nature of the armour, Violet would have called it pretty as the pink material flowed in beautiful waves that did invoke powerful imagery of the lily flower. In fact, there seemed to be an unnaturally powerful aura around that armour…
"This feeling…" Mona said. "She's the treasure!?"
"Impossible!" Senpai snapped back immediately. "There's no way that some random whore is Owada's treasure!"
"Random… Whore?" Lily's eyes shone with a malevolent light. "I am Junny's daughter!"
"Junny?" Violet repeated with wonder, but there was no time. A whip with thorns appeared in the girl's hand and she swung it at Violet with no preamble. Reacting instinctively, she raised her rapier lengthwise to block it.
Crack!
The tip wrapped around the blade and smacked her in the head, filling her vision with stars. Staggering back and falling to one knee, Violet tried to blink the stars from her vision. If she was alone, her mistake may have ended up costing her life.
"Burst this one." Senpai ordered coolly. "Thunderbird!"
"Zorro!"
"Milady!"
"Johanna!"
Magic fell, one blast after the next on the unsuspecting warrior. Lightning, wind, psychic, and nuclear. It was a terrifying array that struck.
"Gah!" Crying out, Lili stumbled into the wall of the lower bath. Her armour was steaming, and the glistening decorations were scratched and marred. The bare skin of her breasts that should have taken the brunt of the attack still appeared whole somehow.
"Girls," Owada spoke in a bored voice.
"Ugh, she's such a loser…"
"You both are," the third girl spoke for the first time. Violet was not sure why, but she felt like the girl's gaze was directed specifically at her.
The first girl, Orchid, did a front flip as she dove from the upper bath to the ground. In mid-air her fall slowed and then stopped as her own set of armour formed around her before she slowly touched down, yellow garments exposing her in the same way. In her hands she wielded dual knives shaped like leaves, if not exactly Orchid petals. Short blond hair framed an imperious European face that had ice blue ices that bored into them like awls.
The one who drew Violet's true attention was the central one that had been under the water. Her long hair curled in an entrancing spiral the color of the dawn sky, only a few shades lighter than Violet's own hair.
Her armour seemed to grow on her with a red light that started at her naval and spiraled out. Even when it finished, it was by far the most revealing of the three outfits, which was saying something. In her left hand she bore a blood-red rapier with the impression of a rose carved in the center of the crossguard.
"That one is mine," she declared in a melodious voice, pointing her blade at Violet.
"Fine!" Lily and Orchid acquiesced as they broke off to attack the other four.
The sounds of yelling and weapons clashing washed over Violet without penetrating her mind. It was like the cheers and sounds of the audience in gymnastics. Something completely external that she could not even notice.
"Die, girl."
Violet was ready for the attack, but the speed still caught her off guard. Rose was so fast! Violet was thrown off balance by the high-speed slash. Her weapon may have ben thin, but Violet realized that it was more of a longsword than a rapier with the weight it carried. Forced against the stained-glass window, Violet dodged her head slightly to the side as the red blade broke a panel as it shot through where she had been.
Responding with her own slash, Violet scored a direct hit against the sparse red armour that repelled her easily with only a few sparks. Unwilling to leave it there, Violet drew back for a thrust at the poorly defended skin but rose had fled, drawing back for another rush.
"Jeanne!" Even faster than the girl could move, Violet summoned forth her persona to unleash rays of light that cut into the red-haired beauty.
"Guh!" Gritting her teeth in pain, Rose rushed forward anyway.
Meeting that rush with her own, Violet thrust at the thicker sword, trying to parry it. Rose saw and countered, changing the trajectory. Dancing past each other in this manner, Violet stopped and rushed again. Slash met slash, thrusts were parried, and feints were read.
With the first rush finished, Violet found herself a match for this girl named Rose. Their speed was tied, and neither could manage an advantage in the physical fight. Despite that, there was one difference that Violet felt more and more every exchange.
Rose's heavier blade knocked her rapier back further than Violet's blade could. That meant with which successive iteration, she was steadily getting pushed back to the wall. Once there again, Violet did not think that Rose would let her out so easily.
"Ready to die?" Rose hissed.
"N-Never!" Violet bit back, her squeaky voice cracking a bit. Perfect! Now I can…
"Violet! Are you alright!?" Senpai cried out. An explosion of force later and Lily and Orchid were blown away. Lily was panting extremely hard, staggering wildly as she tried to maintain balance. Her once beautiful armour now cracked and falling apart. Orchid looked better, but she was still taking damage. It seemed the four vs two was extremely one-sided.
"Stop!" Owada's voice rang soundly through the entire top floor. As much as Violet hated to admit it, she found herself obeying instantly. Her sword lowering as she looked up at him.
She found him looking directly at her. "Your name girl… is Violet? And you can match Rose in a fight… Interesting."
"She cannot match—" Rose's outburst was silenced by a wave from Owada.
"Violet… Cute, Japanese features, but with exotic hair. Slim, yet curvy… Humph, I see. Perhaps I shall rename you in the Japanese fashion, Sumire… As yes, that could work. But it does have a bit of dissonance with the others."
"Master!" Rose protested again in that melodious voice of hers.
Violet shivered from Owada's words. It was like he had looked into her soul and seen the real world her beneath the outfit.
"Very well then. Violet, cast down that weapon, strip and join me in the bath. If you taste as good as you look, I shall add you as a fourth flower. The others… leave now."
Clang!
Violet jolted at the sound of her rapier bouncing along the flagstones. She glanced over at Senpai, but he was staring at the door. The other three had begun taking a few steps in that direction.
Gritting her teeth, Violet fought against the powerful manipulator. He was so used to getting what he wanted that it carried into his palace. Or maybe this was his true form and power already. An irresistible charm.
Senpai… Turned away from me! Clutching onto that anger, Violet allowed that to guide her actions rather than sensible thought. Lifting her gun, she emptied the rifles bullets into Owada.
"Ah!" The politician fell back into the bath as the stone wall he was grabbing burst, shards flying everywhere.
"I missed…" Upset about that, Violet shook her had to clear the influence. Likewise, the three who had been leaving the room turned around with horrified expressions on their faces.
"You dare reject an offer to join us!?" Lily spat at Violet, swinging her whip again.
Learning from last time, Violet sidestepped the vertical attack easily.
"We'll show Junny that you were never worthy!" Orchid followed up, copying Lily's nickname for the old politician. She spread the dual knives then threw them at Violet. With her gun in her left and quickly grabbing the rapier from the ground, she crossed the weapons and deflected the thrown weapons upwards.
Rose did not complete the tri attack. Instead, she bore a worried expression, looking up at Owada, waiting for the man to re-emerge.
"And that's game!" Mona declared happily.
In sync, the three girls whipped their heads to the side where the four forgotten phantom thieves now stood. Expressions morphed into horror as the quad personas sent a deadly wave of magic that consumed the three of them.
"Daughters!" Owada cried, leaping the edge of the upper bath to fall into the water below. As Violet assumed, he was completely naked, but that barely mattered. He moved perhaps faster than a man of his age should, but not significantly. With the vantage point of being closer to the man naked than she ever wished, Violet could tell that he did not have the body of an old man. His face may have been unchanged, but he had the body of an athletic forty-year-old.
"Curse you…" Rose muttered standing up. She was the only one to rise. Orchid was stirring but Lily… well she had been hit a lot.
"Now, you die too." Violet exploded forward far faster than she had during their last sparring contest. The now injured Rose could not respond in time. Violet took aim at the exposed left breast, aiming for the cognitive heart that should beat beneath.
"Guh!" Bright red blood was coughed up from the body that Violet's blade had completely impaled.
"Huh?" Violet stared in confusion at Owada's face. Rose was underneath him looking just as stunned. "You… saved her?"
Owada coughed even as he died. "Of course I did… My daughters… are my true treasure…"
With only those words, the ruler of the palace slumped off of Violet's blade and fell to the ground dead. Rose's scream pierced Violet's ears until all four of the bodies dissolved into nothingness.
The blood-stained blade fell from Violet's hand for the second time today as she slumped to her knees. Around her, the palace began to shake but she could not feel it. She could feel nothing. Eyes glazing over, she was oblivious to Joker grabbing her and running back down the stairs.
Outside the stained-glass dome, a figure in black cackled. "That should make this easier."
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Afternoon
Fox's blade flashed brightly in the mood lighting of the bath as he cut down two different shadows with a single powerful stroke. It was executed with the absolute pinnacle of grace and skill if he did say so. Those thoughts trickled slowly from his crippled mind.
After the strike, Fox's leaden arms slumped to his side as he bent over wheezing. He could not continue fighting like this. And Oracle is…
Growling away the sense of despair, he forced his feet forward, one step at a time. "Damn you Whale thing…" Fox growled at its white form. It did not hide under the water anymore. It circled with one yellow eye fixed on him at all times. Fox had screwed up one of his dodges without Oracle and had gotten hit hard in the side. Even with Goemon's protection, it was hard to walk and harder to breathe. Recently, his vision had started going black at the edges. Surely that was a bad sign.
Despite it all, Fox had the presence of mind to rip his mask off and fire a bolt of ice at another encroaching shadow. There were only a few left besides the whale. Fox did not think that thing was even inured. It did fire less lightning than usual, however.
As a massive migraine sent him to one knee, Fox knew that he would not be casting any more magic today. That was, of course, the moment that the whale struck. Fox could not dodge, so he just planted his katana before him and waited for death.
"Urgh!" Moaning, Fox wondered why death hurt so much. It really was unfair. "What cruel god would design such punishment…"
As he complained, Fox's vision slowly cleared from white back to normal. As it did though, the full extent of his injuries began to set in.
"Gaaaah!" Howling, Fox pulled himself by his elbows and grit his teeth to cut off the screams. Instead, he whimpered like a wounded animal. Fox found himself on the far side of the bath that he had been standing next to. It made no sense that he had survived the attack from the whale. Even blocking with his sword.
"My blade…" That thought finally brought some clarity and imperative to his movements. Pushing through the pain, Fox found his katana impaled into the stone floor six meters away. The final two shadows stood in front of it and smirked at Fox. Even worse, these were the hard to cut ones. Hand feeling at his mask, Fox let it drop away again.
"Ha… HAHAHA!" Laughing wildly, Fox's eyes filled with tears. A mix of humour and overwhelming pain bringing them about. "Oh, mischievous night! Damnable spirits and despicable fates!"
Staggering to his feet, Fox whipped out his assault rifle and swung it towards the two shadows. "Let us travel the river Styx together, shared voyagers of Charon's raft. Hasta la vista, baby!"
Pulling the trigger, Fox heard the predictable clicking noise indicating a lack of bullets. He was not all that surprised, just a tad disappointed. He supposed that these shadows must have been around since the beginning when he kept the shadows back with the entire magazine.
Completely out of options, Fox sighed heavily. He would be killed shortly. Do I run? But no, he could not. Not just because his morals kept him there, but he literally could not run away. The final impact had done too much damage to his body.
"Cog…nitive… Restructuring!"
That voice! Fox's eyes snapped open. There was a column of light surrounding his body. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Amazing Oracle…"
Sighting his assault rifle, Fox smiled wildly at the two shadows guarding his katana. They stumbled back a step. Perhaps they were considering fleeing. Fox pulled the trigger and held it down, not giving the choice.
Darting between their fading energy, Fox retrieved his blade and turned around. For once, the whale's attention was no longer on him. Body alight with rejuvenated life, Fox's stomach sank as he realized the reason. It was circling where Oracle must be in the bath.
Without thinking, Fox ran towards the white shadow with the beginnings of electricity sparking along its body.
Leaping into the air, Fox landed in the bath as he brought his katana straight down upon the shadow.
Pierce! Willing the blade on, Fox howled with all of his might, muscles flexing as steel ground against scales. The tip scraped, and then caught. With a sudden rush, the blade plunged into the powerful shadow.
Falling up to his waist in water, Fox jerked to a stop as he found himself mounted astride the whale shadow. Never having ridden a horse before in his life, let alone a bucking angry shadow, Fox could only hold onto the handle of his katana for dear life.
He may have been revitalized by whatever Oracle had done, but Fox still found his head jarred in moments as his lower jaw snapped shut at a sudden drop hard enough to make him wonder if he broke teeth.
The shadow broke from the pool, flailing through the air. Air rushed around Fox for only a moment before it was crushed out of him by an impact with the water. Just as he got his bearings, Fox was back in air, then water, then air. Over and over, until he lost any concept of what was happening or how long it had been.
With a white-knuckled grip on the hilt, Fox breathed when there was air and held it in water. Anything else had long since been eliminated from his mind by the harrowing experience.
Finally, Fox noticed something different as they hung in the air for too long. Then, after a slow rotation in the air, Fox came down face first on the hard ground between tubs of steaming water. Vision flashing white, Fox was slow to recover from the experience.
Oracle may have restored his vitality to full again, but he was already close to passing out.
"Damn… you…"
The deep voice was one he had heard only once before. Tilting his head, Fox found the whale laying on its side, one yellow eye fixed upon him. It was clearly the owner of that voice. Fox could see that his katana was still all the way through its body, the tip poking out from th bottom of the body and leaking black energy.
It may have taken many minutes, but the shadow was finally dying. Its body dispersing in small amounts over a course of many seconds.
Rolling onto his back, Fox chuckled. He had done it. He had held the bottom of the stairs and succeeded against superior forces. It was not possible on his own, but… Thoughts trailing off, Fox sat up sharply. "Oracle! Futaba!"
Sitting bolt upright, he found her. Goggles raised, she stepped out the bath, wringing out her long orange hair. It was not until she met his gaze and smiled that his heart restarted.
Rushing over, Fox did not think, he acted. Wrapping the shorter girl in his arms, Fox held to her as a young child may cling to their mother. She lived! That was all he could have hoped for.
"Three…"
Fox ignored her chant. His stress slowly leaking out. Until she hit zero and punched him quite soundly in the gut. Staggering back, Fox composed himself. At that moment, the palace shook.
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Afternoon
With a loud crack, Panther's whip struck down an encroaching shadow looking to scale the railing of the staircase and flank Skull. As it reeled back, Panther darted away to come in behind Skull and support him by distracting one of the shadows pressing in. There was a never-ending horde of the things.
Panther had the sickening suspicion that the entire outer structure was built to contain and host these shadows. Maybe that meant the others were encountering less resistance… hopefully.
It did nothing to relieve pressure here as any other three shadows entered the door to the right. With those, Panther counted twenty-four in the room.
An impossible number.
Maybe Violet or Joker could do it in a series of one-on-ones, but they had no way of killing them.
"Switch with me," Panther begged for not the first time. "You still have the ability to use magic."
"These bastards…" He panted back, "would tear you apart in moments."
Panther's heart twisted. She wanted to cry and shout and beg at the impossible situation. At what the others were demanding from them.
"We don't know if they will follow us up," Panther pleaded, bringing up the old arguments.
Her time finished as the shadows fired off more magic at them. Ducking in sync, Panther hid behind Skull's back as he raised an arm to block the barrage of ice.
The instant it had passed, Panther stood up and whipped at the shadows, driving them back. Unfortunately, another was rushing at them, physical type. Ann's whip left a painful furrow in its cheek while doing only superficial damage.
"Now…" Skull said softly, "Captain Kidd!"
As she was straining for his words, the screamed shout of his persona made her stumble backwards on the uneven stairs. Without using a hand to rip it off, Skull's mask melted away revealing a determined face.
A barrage of lightning fell on the shadows present. It crackled across the baths, spreading through the room that had water spread across the tiles from the furious fight and… My fire! Panther realized belatedly. Again and again, the heat of her attacks had increased evaporation and subsequent condensation.
The effect had created essentially a single layer of water that Skull now used to full effect.
Shadows screamed and writhed as the lightning hit almost all of them. Captain Kidd remained out and fired blast after blast. Hitting every area of the room, every enemy. When the barrage ended, Skull slumped to the ground.
Panther rushed in and just caught his upper body. "You brilliant idiot…" She whispered in awe looking around the smoking room. Sparks of lightning still cackled here and there. In the midst of it were dozens of slowly dying shadows, their energy rent from them by Skull's barrage.
"Haha… It actually worked. My idea—"
Panther looked up as Skull cut off. Standing unharmed in the middle of the room were a pair of shadows that floated just off the ground. She swallowed. Of course, the shadows would not be considerate enough to just die when Skull does something worth celebrating.
"I'll be right back." Leaning him gently down against the stairs, Panther approached the shadows.
No bullets.
No magic.
The only thing she had at her disposal was the whip in her right hand and a desire to protect the boy behind her. It would have to be enough.
Tentatively placing a foot on the ground level, Panther received a small shock, but nothing her metaverse strengthen self could not handle. Eyeing the two-dolphin looking creatures with needle-like noses carefully, a plan formed in her mind.
Weaken them, and then take them out with magic.
It was far from ideal. Panther could feel that she was at her limit. It was not that she could not cast magic, but that she should not. It was a very fine distinction. To do so here would surely make her lose consciousness. Already, it was hanging by a thread.
As they stepped into range, Panther whipped the one on her left. They responded by blasting her with missiles of pure light. Unprepared for the instant magic, Panther took every hit, staggering to one knee.
Losing her chance to respond as she recovered, Panther staggered to her feet and held strong in front of the stairs. Skull had not left her, and she would not leave him. "Leave or die…"
Her threat went unheeded as the shadows continued to approach, now within a few meters. Taking the opportunity to attack, she dealt a superficial blow to the other one this time.
Once again, her attacks seemed insufficient to deal real damage. How many would it take to bring them within magic range?
Plagued by doubts, she missed the tail swipe of the one to her left that hit her in the side. Stumbling from that, Panther almost had her head taken off by another one's charge. The dangerous needle-like nose barely missing as she fell backwards.
Growling, Panther threw herself to her feet, whip swinging wildly. The finesse weapon doing nothing as it slid across the shadows without properly cracking. It was a desperate attempt to keep attention on her, but a whip was a horrible close-range weapon.
Receiving another hit, Panther was flung practically on top of Skull. "Ah, sorry Ryuji," she mumbled, body aching. "I failed you. You put in so much work, you killed almost all of the shadows! And I… I can't even."
Breaking off into sniffles, Panther watched as the last two enemies drew back, floating a little higher so thy could angle down at her. Preparing for a charge that would impale both of them at the same time.
"You can…" A weak tired voice spoke. Feeling Skull's hand bump against her, Panther grabbed it and found something inside. "I… also stole this for you."
Panther met his eyes. Those warm brown pools did not contain a hint of fear or worry. They only conveyed his trust in her. Ripping away from Skull, Panther shoved the onion thing in her mouth and swallowed, feeling its power burn bright inside her.
At that moment, the two shadows came, and Panther smiled. They crashed into her, both of their noses piercing deeply into her abdomen. She clutched unto the shadow's very bodies for support.
Coughing up not blood, but her life force within the metaverse, Ann spat out three words. "Dance, Carmen! Maragion!"
From within her raged a torrent of fire far stronger than anything she had ever cast as the item Skull had given her vastly increased its output. The water on the ground re-vaporized from the heat of her power.
In moments the writhing shadows began to dissolve. They were the only thing supporting Panther. Crashing hard against the ground, she moaned in pain, the edges of her vision going dark. She was not sure what would kill her first, the overuse of magic, or the physical damage that she had incurred.
At least… I saved him.
Turning over, Panther smiled up at the ceiling. She wanted to see him one more time, make sure that he was going to make it. Like a god granting her wishes, Skull's face appeared in her vision. No, this was Ryuji, the mask was gone, as was his outfit. He was back in street clothes.
Panther wondered briefly what she was wearing but could not hold unto that thought. It was not important enough. Reaching up, she tenderly stroked his face with one hand, the last bit of energy she had remaining. Her ears were ringing, and she could not hear what he was saying; screaming by the looks of it. It was like the world itself was falling apart.
Still smiling as she felt no pain, only numbness, she spoke again. "We won." Getting those last two words out, Panther's hand collapsed to the ground, and she passed out.
Tuesday, August 9th, 20XX Night
"There you are," Ren said, hoping his words did not come out too harshly. "Everyone is worried about you."
Standing outside in the Kyoto night air, Ren wished he could call it beautiful. Unfortunately, it was just loud and urban. Even at night, the city never truly slept. Ren walked up and stood beside Sumire who looked out at the park near their hotel. It was a rare dark spot in the city. Most parks had streetlights lining them, this one did not.
"They should hate me…"
Ren deliberated his words for a moment, "they don't though. So…"
"So, what!" Sumire ranted, throwing her hands up. "I am still a murderer!"
"You don't know that," Ren answered quickly. Too quickly.
Sumire whirled to face him, looking up at him in the streetlamp light. Her bright red irises glistened with unshed tears. "I was not with you for Kamoshida, but I still remember those few conversations. The fact that forcefully removing all desires will cause a mental shutdown. That is what I have done, isn't it?"
"…That is very likely." Ren admitted.
Sumire's lips trembled. She looked so helpless that Ren's heart screamed at him to wrap her up in a hug. To do something. Standing there, looking at her upturned face and full lips, he finally admitted something to himself. I want to kiss her.
Not because she was the most beautiful girl he knew, but simply to convey his feelings. Ren wanted Sumire to know exactly how important she was to him, how he would help her bear everything.
While Ren froze with hesitation, Sumire continued the conversation. "Did we… do the right thing today?"
"I… I think so. He's a murderer, we have a duty to change his heart."
"A murderer, huh?" Sumire hooded her eyes, a self-deprecating tone entering her voice. "So even a murderer can sacrifice themselves for people that they love. Love… I don't even know if I know what love is anymore."
The desire to kiss her strengthened deeply inside Ren. He hated seeing her like this. He just wanted to protect her, to wash away her fears and worries. Could he? Was this what she wanted?
"All of the prostitution… the multiple partners… Is that all love is?"
"No!" Ren responded loudly. "Love… Love is…"
I can't kiss her…
With a horrifying realization, Ren realized that he could not act on his desires. He could not rely on physical contact so very like the actions that had left a deep wound on her heart. There had to be something, but nothing came to mind.
"So you can't be sure either," Sumire laughed drily, beginning to turn away. "I mean, its insane, isn't it? To fornicate with random women and then sacrifice yourself for your daughters? The ones that you are bedding?"
"I may not understand Owada, Sumire, but we love you."
"Huh? Senpai? Y-You love me!?"
Staring at her side profile, Ren caught the hints of a blush and felt a matching one rising on his cheeks. "W-well, yes. But I mean we all do. The entire group is like family to me. I know the others feel the same."
Sumire did not move for a bit. Her unseeable eyes still staring towards the darkness that no light pierced. "A family, huh? I guess I should go pack, I have one of those to talk to tomorrow. Goodnight, Senpai."
When she bowed before leaving, Ren knew that he had screwed it up. He should have said something else. Staring at the place that she had been, Ren waited until she was gone before sinking to the ground, head between his knees.
He'd screwed up.
He wasn't sure how, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to have done, all he knew, was that he desperately wished to do it all again.
Wednesday, August 10th, 20XX Afternoon
"Oi, Minami!" Kasumi called casually to the girl. As had been requested, Kasumi was wearing something nice. Her thigh-length dress swirled around her with a slight flair. The dazzlingly blue garment drawing attention from all sorts of passers-by. Kasumi had let her hair down and placed a matching blue flower ornament in her hair. She had not gone to the length of wearing full heels though. Even the three-centimeter ones that she was wearing were taller than she'd like.
That still did not explain why the girl had changd their plans at the last minute. They were now getting supper first at 4. By the time the movie was finished, it would be far too late for an evening workout.
As Minami approached, Kasumi examined her friend. She was wearing… pants! It was a stylized suit for women. With her hair tied up in a tight bun, she had a more masculine outline to her body.
"You don't have to call me such a formal name, Kas," Minami smiled brightly, her friend's eyes searching up and down Kasumi's body. "You look amazing in that dress though. Thank you so much for agreeing to this. I won't disappoint you!"
Blinking slowly, Kasumi got hit with that same feeling where she felt like she was missing something. "Uhh, what's wrong with your name?"
"Call me something cute, like Min, ya know?"
Minami sounded so cheerful that Kasumi could not rain on the girl's parade. "Sure thing, Min."
"Eeep!" Emitted a cute shriek, Minami jumped up and down on far more comfortable looking men's shoes before clutching Kasumi's arm. "Oh, today is going to be great, come on!"
Getting pulled by the arm through the metropolis of Tokyo, Kasumi shook her head at her friend's silliness. All of the people they were passing would see them as a couple. Could Minami really be blind to that?
As people's opinion of her did not really matter all that much, Kasumi went along with it to make her friend happy. In moments, they arrived at their destination. "Whoa, this place. What are you thinking Minami, we can't afford to eat here!"
"I thought you were calling me Min," she whined, walking in the door.
Forced to follow, Kasumi groaned helplessly. The expensive restaurant had been featured in numerous articles about it being one of the best in the city. They did not take walk-ins, and they were definitely not within Kasumi's allowance range.
"Reservation for two, under Minami?"
"Ah, yes. Please follow me."
Gaping at the tuxedoed waiter, Kasumi followed along in stunned silence. That lasted until the moment they got their seats and menus. They confirmed what Kasumi already knew. "I can't eat here, Min. Like literally, I cannot afford the items on this menu." Every single one was approaching or exceeding five digits.
"I told you it's fine," Minami blushed as she pouted. "I'll take care of the bill; you just enjoy yourself."
"Sure…" From there began the most awkward evening in Kasumi's life. She had no idea what to talk about or how to act. Minami was acting like this was a special occasion, but was it? Kasumi thought she was coming to hang out with her friend. Even as she puzzled over these things, Kasumi's upbringing forced her to fall in with certain engrained habits.
Back straight, demure eating, a reserved smile. All things learned to impress her dad's superiors at dinner get togethers. Thankfully, now that he was at the top, they didn't have to go. It was the other employees that would have to impress him.
The food was, as advertised, excellent. Drinking non-alcoholic wine, Kasumi tore into each dish and was always left disappointed by the small serving. It did not take away from the top-tier presentation, nor its immaculate taste. Still, Kasumi knew that she would need to buy a snack to survive the movie that would be coming after.
The dessert arrived, and Kasumi started counting in her head. It took her to the count of five, two longer than she expected before Minami spoke up.
"Hey Kas! Say Ahh!"
"Ahh…" Kasumi said dutifully, opening her mouth for a bite of Minami's delicious pie. It had that perfect mix of sweet and creaminess that brought happiness with every bite.
"Oh my dear, look at that young couple, so dignified and yet playful. Our future is in good hands."
"Err, isn't that a girl in the suit?"
"Huh? Oh, oh my… how scandalous!"
Kasumi sighed internally. They had almost finished the whole meal. Was it really so hard to not voice your opinions in a public place? Kasumi herself would never do something like that…
"Hehe, they think we're a couple."
Kasumi raised an eyebrow at Minami, but the girl was not paying attention. In fact, Kasumi did not think that the girl had noticed at all.
In a rush, Minami stood up. "I'm going to go pay, you wait here!"
"Ah…" Kasumi could do nothing as the girl left her behind. Leaning against the backrest, Kasumi crossed her legs and took a sip of her water, the wine long since having been drained. "Well, as long as she is having fun."
But was that enough? No.
Her small smile turned into a broader one. Kasumi would enjoy this evening as well. It wasn't often that she got to do these kinds of things. Dressing up, going to expensive restaurants. Even the movies were kind of a luxury for her.
Dabbing her face, Kasumi put the napkin back on the table and rose, the meal finished. When she returned from the washroom, the table was cleaned up and Minami wasn't there. Assuming she should leave, Kasumi walked to the door and found Minami outside gesturing excitedly as she talked into the phone.
"Hey, is everything…"
"Urk!" Making a strangled sound, Minami flushed bright red and hung up the call.
"Umm, what was that?"
"N-Nothing! Come on, onwards to the movie! We have ten minutes to get there!"
"Huh?" Once more, Minami pulled at Kasumi's arm, forcing them into a very close walk. Remembering her promise, Kasumi did not mind and let it happen. "What about your call. You seemed excited about it."
"O-Oh, it was nothing. Just giving my family an update."
"About why you need to sell a kidney?" Kasumi prodded drily.
"The meal was not that expensive." Minami shot back.
"Either way, I'll pay for the movie—" Kasumi cut off as Minami drew two pieces of paper from her pocket and waved them in front of Kasumi's face.
"Where do you think I was before meeting you?"
Kasumi laughed weakly. "You set a high bar. I doubt I'll ever meet a guy who can match your hospitality on a date."
"Hehe, well that's what you have me for!" Minami clutched Kasumi tighter to her.
Laughing along, Kasumi allowed herself to get pulled into meaningless topics. How the volleyball season went, plans for next year, club season, classes. Topics came and went like the wind, none were deep, but thy kept the heart of the conversation alive. Each one another beat where life and happiness could flow.
Then, they were at the theater. Minami got them through the checkpoint and into the theater. The timing was impressive. The movie would be starting soon so the best seats were already taken. That did not seem to bother Minami in the slightest as she picked them chairs at the front.
Finally stealing one of the tickets, Kasumi read the title to the movie. "My wife's dream? What is this?"
"Oh, it is super popular right now. Apparently, it's a great film."
Kasumi let the topic die, leaning back to wait for the start. Minami had managed to tell her two things about it while giving her no information. Truly an impressive talent. Still, it was only a few minutes before the movie started and Kasumi received her answer.
A romance? Really? It didn't even seem to be a Romcom. This was a straight up romance. The couple met and got married all within the first five minutes. And then the screaming started.
An hour and a half later, Kasumi pulled a shaking Minami from the theater. For most of the movie, the girl had screamed at the horror film and clutched unto Kasumi. She had even gone so far as to bury her head against Kasumi's shoulder for a portion.
It had been a stupid plot where the husband bought some strange voodoo item that allowed him to enter dreams. It turned out that his wife dreamed about killing him and he had to try and avoid that. It ended with him waking up and stabbing his wife in the heart. Even then, it was a cliff-hanger as her body seemed to be moving, giving the impression that maybe he really was still stuck in that dream. Or perhaps he had already been in a dream and then entered a dream within a dream…
What a fascinating concept. Considering it, Kasumi lazily patted hr friend on the arm and moved her along all the while muttering placating platitudes.
Minami was mostly recovered by the time that thy had left the theater. By then, night had fallen. Not that it was truly dark. Tokyo glowed regardless of the time. Still, there was that primal instinct that made Kasumi and Minami mov slightly closer together.
"Thank you." Kasumi murmured, smiling softly.
"Oh… Y-You are welcome."
"No, seriously," Kasumi followed it up. She did not know why Minami had gone through all of this effort for her, but she deserved something in return. Turning to face her friend, Kasumi grabbed her hands. "I'll treasure this day. Having a friend like you… it mans a lot."
"Kasumi…"
As Minami staggered forward toward her, Kasumi stepped back. That worked once until her back hit a wall. Briefly disoriented, Kasumi managed to look up just in time to find Minami kissing her.
Going rigid with shock, Kasumi could not reply at all to Minami's insistent lips. She felt nothing in the moment. No emotion: No revulsion, no desire. Minami was simply… a friend. Kasumi had never felt a desire to kiss this girl.
Eventually it ended. Minami pulled away, eyes opening. And in those black eyes, tears sprang up and began leaking rapidly. "You don't love me."
Even Kasumi could figure out the context that she meant. "Not in the way you mean."
"B-But he said… He said!" Wailing, Minami fled, sprinting away from Kasumi down the sparsely populated roadway.
"Ha… Hahaha." Laughing weakly, Kasumi slid down the wall she had been forced against until she was on the ground. Her dress would be getting dirty, but she didn't care. Tears eluded her, but Kasumi wished she could cry.
Again.
It had happened AGAIN!
Another group of friends ripped away for her just like that.
"Maybe I should have responded… Faked it for her… Didn't she deserve that for the date she gave me?" Kasumi felt hollow. She hated the part of her that wished she had. The part that thought it was better to live a lie than to live alone.
Everyone… except Akechi. "That damnable detective… maybe… maybe I should…" Shoulders slumping inwards, Kasumi lowered her head. Because she did, she missed the figure on the other side of the street sauntering away happily, goal achieved.