Chapter 37: The Second Semester Begins
August 30
"Whew, I'm done…" Ann yawned as she sat back from the table. The Phantom Thieves were gathered in Leblanc for a surprise study session at Ryuji's request. The gang knew it was because he probably procrastinated on his homework, but they decided not to bring that fact up to spare him his feelings.
"As for me… I'm done for," Ryuji groaned.
"Talk about a clichéd way to end your summer vacation," Futaba smirked.
"I can't believe you hadn't even touched your homework until last night," Octavia shook her head.
"Well, everyone's free to spend their time as they choose. I guess some people just can't help themselves," Loona said smugly.
"I'm sorry…" Ryuji groaned.
"Come on, I think he's learned his lesson," Sojiro said. "More importantly, why don't you folks take a break?"
"Boss! You're a lifesaver!" Ryuji cheered.
"I'm gonna go pick up some groceries. Mind the shop for a bit," Sojiro instructed Ren. With Boss out for the moment, Collin turned on the news to give the team something else to focus on.
"The sports club has aggressively applied kinesthesiology to their team's practice," the newscaster stated. "By incorporating their lab's findings on human efficiency into the training regimen, they've developed a…"
"…Oh, that reminds me: isn't there a female athlete from our own school who's made the news?" Ann recalled.
"An athlete… do you mean the one in gymnastics?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, her! The one everyone's saying is super-cute!" Ann nodded.
"Oh yeah- Yoshizawa, right?" Loona said. "Ren knows all about her."
"She just gave me some tips on being flexible…" Ren said, blushing.
"She was participating in a summer conference of some kind if I recall," Octavia mused.
"Ah, about that…" Makoto winced.
"Makoto?" Yusuke said.
"Well… I just happened to overhear a couple teachers discussing it when I was heading to school the other day. Yoshizawa-san's results in the meet… They weren't exactly stellar," Makoto explained.
"I see…" Octavia looked down.
"There seemed to have been a great many people expecting her success there. It's got to be tough for her…" Makoto sympathized.
"Yeah…" Ryuji nodded. "Ain't there one more meet left this year in gymnastics, though? Shit must be rough right now, but if she can nail that one, who cares what anybody at school says?"
"Oh. That also reminds me…" Ann said suddenly. "So, I just so happened to bump into Mishima-kun before summer vacation started."
"And?" Collin egged her to continue.
"He seemed really mad. I asked him what was wrong and he showed me some posts on an underground site about our school," Ann explained. "It pretty much said that the school's planning on abandoning any honors student who isn't actively making Shujin look better."
"What, wait a sec…" Loona growled, having an idea of where this was going.
"There was no name, and it sounded like just another rumor at first.. But, could this be about Yoshizawa-san?" Ann wondered.
"Who knows?" Collin said with concern.
"Still, ever since the case with Kamoshida… The school's been frantically trying to improve its public image, right? At the very least, this abandonment of honor students would fall in line with the school's real mission," Makoto said. "I can't deny the possibility that they would do this to Yoshizawa-san…"
"They dump all their hopes onto their athletes, and if they don't cut the mustard, they're out like the rest of the trash, huh?" Futaba summarized.
"Regardless of whether it's true or not, such behavior is extremely self-serving," Yusuke said.
Ryuji gave a tsk. "Just like we've thought this whole time… There's still tons of shit wrong with society."
"Yeah…" Morgana nodded. "We don't know what will happen to Yoshizawa's spot on the team… But at the very least, we can keep up our efforts to prevent the worst-case scenario."
"Right," Ren nodded.
Ryuji: So the more famous we get, the more Mementos opens up, yeah? I can't get that outta my head…
Futaba: And that's why you couldn't focus on your homework until today, right?
Ryuji: Yeah, exactly!
Makoto: Sounds like an excuse to me.
Ann: Still, I've been wondering about that too. I wonder why it works like that? Does Morgana know anything?
Ren: He doesn't remember.
Octavia: Might be a question to ask my uncle.
Yusuke: It will likely become clear if we continue as Phantom Thieves. The important thing now is the identity of that criminal using the Metaverse.
Futaba: That might be the person who killed my mom! I'm gonna find them, no matter what it takes.
Loona: And we'll be tracking that fucker down as well, Futaba. With your hacking skills, we're gonna do so much more than before.
Collin: Yes! Futaba is a great addition to our team, even if was unexpected for her to gain a Persona.
Futaba: Aw, you're making me blush!
Ann: We'll be counting on you, Futaba!
Ryuji: This feels way better that having some dumb-
Octavia: Finish that sentence and I'll burn another manga volume.
Ryuji: O.o
Ren: Morgana's laughing now.
Ryuji: Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, cat!
Loona: We'll get you some wins soon, Ryuji. Can't let Morgana take all the Ws.
[***]
Chihaya: The ADP situation is a lot tougher than I thought. I don't know what to do… Can we talk about it?
Ren: We'll come talk with you.
Chihaya: Sorry to be a bother… I'll be waiting for you!
"The ADP… You know, even Hell has annoying cults to deal with," Octavia said as she walked with Ren to meet Chihaya.
"Oh yeah? I bet they can get pretty crazy," Ren said.
"Like you wouldn't believe," Octavia laughed. "When you get the worst of humanity sent to one location, you get a lot of awful people trying to make it big in Hell. Unless you're the Fuhrer, of course; that guy was so despised that even Lucifer wouldn't tolerate having to deal with him."
"Fuhrer?" Ren questioned. "Isn't that the title of-"
"It's taboo to say his name," Octavia shushed him. "There's superstition that doing so might bring him back. So just… don't, okay?"
Ren nodded, leaving the conversation as they finally arrived at Chihaya's stand. "So, the chairman's pushing me as hard as ever to sell those fake stones… I've been trying to use this as an opportunity to investigate into the ADO's seminars so I can expose him… But the deeper I dog, the scarier everything becomes," Chihaya explained.
"What have you found?" Octavia asked.
"The ADP apparently doesn't profit very much from the sales of Holy Stones. It's nothing more than a front. Most of their revenue actually comes from the seminars," Chihaya said. "There, they give their patrons some sort of mind-altering drug… After which, they're encouraged to donate their life savings to the "benefit of the ADP." People have even gone missing after seminars… Families have been torn apart by the madness…"
The fortune teller looked down. "And I… I was a part of it all. By selling these fraudulent stones, I was in direct support of their horrible actions. I know this doesn't make up for what I've done… but I want to help the others come to their senses. Barely anyone within the ADP will talk to me though, and those who do won't actually hear me out. What should I do, Amamiya-san, Goetia-san…? These people are all heading down a path towards great ruin…"
'Ruin…' Ren thought darkly, reminded of his own supposed fate.
"There has to be some way I can deal with the chairman… Right. I'll just have to admit to everything that's been going on, even if I get dragged down too… That's… the only way…" Chihaya despaired. Octavia and Ren shared a knowing nod. "I'm the only one who can stop him… right?"
"Or you can reach out for help," Ren said, making the fortune teller look up. "We had the Phantom Thieves help your customers in the past, right? Well, how about they return the favor and help you?"
"But, how?" Chihaya asked.
"All you need is Fukurai's name- his full name," Octavia explained. "The Phantom Thieves will do the rest."
"It's… Yuichi Fukurai," Chihaya said. She looked at her cards in thought. "Hm, how strange… it seems the cards have changed somehow… My future is in line with that of the Trickster… What does that mean…? Even so, my fate remains unchanged. I'm destined to stay a monster… Hm…"
"The Phantom Thieves will help you, Chihaya," Octavia said as she and Ren stood up to go home. "You'll see that you're not the monster you think you are, trust me…"
[***]
August 31
Futaba: The sushi was so delicious. We even ate the cat's share. If only Sojiro had more money. There's actually one place I want to go more than sushi. Any idea what it is?
Ren: A ramen shop.
Futaba: Oooh, washing down our sushi with some ramen? That sounds stylish, but we can do that another time. I want to go to Akihabara. I wanna buy a game, but I'm sacred to do it alone. Do you think you can help?
Ren: Of course.
Futaba: You're a nice guy. OK, it's late so let's just meet there! I know how to ride the train after that trip to the beach, so I can get there fine. Well then, I'll be waiting.
Akihabara, the tech district of Tokyo with the world's largest electronic store. If you're into video games, electronics, or similar subjects, it was like heaven-on-earth. "Is this where we're supposed to be meeting?" Morgana questioned as he and Ren wandered into one of the stores. "Is she not here…? Try checking around?" After some searching around, the duo found Futaba with a surprising familiar face.
"Woah, just be chill, okay?" Loona said, stiffening up as Futaba buried her face into the hellhound's chest. "Why are you even all the way out here…? You didn't come on your own, did you?"
"Futaba!" Ren called, the redhead giving a gasp before turning around and running into the young man's embrace.
"Ah, so you came here with Ren and got lost," Loona said.
"We were supposed to meet up here, but we couldn't find her," Morgana clarified. "Futaba, are you okay?"
"S-Sorry… I thought I conquered my fears back at the beach…" Futaba apologized.
"What happened?" Ren asked.
"There wasn't anyone I knew with me, so I panicked. Felt like my hearts was gonna pop… I got so scared all by myself… then I just sorta curled up into a ball…" Futaba explained. "Then all these people started staring at me… but then I saw Loona… and it was all over…"
"Look, Futaba, if you're ever in trouble, just call Ren or me," Loona said.
"…Okay," Futaba nodded, moving closer to Ren. "Hm… I feel kinda calm when we're this close. You're okay being like this, right?"
"Are you a remora?" Ren joked.
"Maybe," Futaba smirked. "Urgh… Couldn't even go buy a game by myself. I'm a failure…"
"Futaba…" Morgana sighed.
"But I'm okay outside as long as I'm with Ren or Loona… are they some kinda key item?" Futaba muttered. "Please, Ren and Loona! Be my key item! I'll try and get better at navigation if you do!"
"I'm not an item…" Loona shook her head.
"Is this a deal?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, a deal! That good with you?" Futaba asked.
"Sure," Ren nodded. "Looks like we'll be hanging out with Futaba more often, Loona."
"Fine by me," Loona shrugged. "Someone has to make sure she feels safe."
"All right! Now that that's over with, let's go!" Futaba cheered.
"Hm? Where?" Morgana asked.
"Need. Buy. Game," Futaba punctuated.
"…Weren't you bawling your eyes out a second ago?" Loona chuckled, ruffling Futaba's hair.
"Yeah, but I have my key items now! Victory conditions met!" Futaba said. "C'mon, let's roll!" The four of them soon got Futaba's game and said their goodbyes to Loona as they went their separate ways home. Inside Ren's heart, he felt a new Confidant being born on the train back to Yongen.
Ryuji: Whoa, this approval rating's insane. It's over 60% now!
Futaba: Aw, you're making me blush!
Ryuji: I'm not talking about you!
Makoto: No, this is definitely thanks to Futaba silencing DHORKS.
Futaba: See? How about that!?
Collin: It's kind of frightening how strong this momentum is…
Ren: I'm worried.
Ryuji: C'mon, you too? What're you saying!? Everyone's got high expectations of the Phantom Thieves. Let's make sure they're answered!
Makoto: On top of that, this case has shed light on something important.
Octavia: you mean the Black Mask. It's obvious by now he's the one that's behind the mental shutdown incidents.
Futaba: That's the one who killed my mom…
Makoto: We can't leave them be. Let's talk more in detail about this tomorrow at school.
[***]
"Here I am in Club Velvet again," Octavia mused as she found herself in the familiar blue walls of her dreams once more. "Kinda expected this since we cleared another Palace recently."
"Welcome, Aeon," Belladonna greeted in her operatic voice. "I trust that you changed your fate since we last met?"
Octavia nodded. "Yeah, Mom's had a change of heart, and Dad's safe as well. Things are going good for us."
"Very nice," Nameless nodded, plucking away at his piano. "A new friend has joined us today, by the way, introduce yourself, will you?"
Octavia turned to see a man in black clothing with long hair, sunglasses and a beanie. "I am the Demon Painter. I express my emotions through my art. I'm not much for chatting… But I think I can make an exception for you."
"Nice to meet you," Octavia replied.
"Come, take a seat. Take a look at my art," the Demon Painter said, motioning to a stool that appeared next to him. Octavia sat down an observed the artist at work, watching him draw many familiar shapes and creatures she'd seen before. "…I take it you recognize some of these forms I'm drawing?"
"The look like the Shadows we've faced," Octavia vocalized.
The Demon Painter nodded. "Indeed. The human subconscious creates these forms, but I seek to capture the inspiration behind their forms in my art… Did you know that, unlike the other residents of this room, I'm actually human?"
"Really?" Octavia questioned.
"Yes. Decades ago, my art was said to have even rivaled the gods and demons when I lived on Earth. One day I stumbled into the Collective Unconscious and found the Velvet Room. Philemon let me stay here to paint Shadows, and I've even met Duke Raoul whenever he would stop by. I haven't seen him for a while now…" the Demon Painter explained.
"That's because he's locked out of this domain, probably by whatever's at the bottom of Mementos," Octavia stated.
"Yes, that… I cannot say much to help you there, but perhaps my art will give you some guidance." The Demon Painter took up his brush and started painting a picture for Octavia. It depicted many different strange things, but the princess could pick out a few key details: three men in black masks, with one of them being the mysterious biker; the vastness of space; a fancy lady with a masquerade ball mask; and a broken ring of some kind that was glowing.
"This is even more vague than the song…" Octavia muttered.
"Art can have many interpretations," the Demon Painter said. "What matters is you find the truth that will lead you to overcome this ordeal."
"Three Black Masks… Either they're all connected, or there's an imposter, and only one of them is true killer we're after," Octavia said to herself. "And space with the fancy lady… another Palace with a masquerade/space theme? And I have no idea what that ring means…"
"You'll understand in time, Aeon," the Demon Painter said. "But for now, awake in the real world and go forth. Oh, and I do hope you enjoy some of my creations if you meet them. I'm sure you'll run into one of my favorite designs soon enough…"
[***]
September 1
It was the first day of September, which meant that now was the time for the Phantom Thieves (minus Futaba) to return to school. The talk of the town was the Phantom Thieves, with even the prime minster of Japan talking about them on the morning news. It wasn't uncommon to catch of a glimpse of the Phan-Site on fellow student's phones when walking the halls of Shujin. Mishima had even added a new poll feature for people to vote for who the Phantom Thieves should change the heart of next.
"Second term's already started," Ann yawned out. "I think this every year, but isn't summer vacation too short?"
"Totally," Ren agreed.
"It's like, it always ends right when you get used to a life without school," Ann said.
"I wouldn't really know the difference. I've been homeschooled for my whole life," Octavia shrugged.
"Lucky…" Ann grumbled, before perking back up. "Then again, I guess we did some fun things this year."
Ms. Kawakami then walked in and cleared her throat. "All right, let's begin homeroom. Let's see. We've just gotten back from vacation, but starting next Monday is the school trip."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Ann remembered.
Kawakami sighed. "You students are so lucky. You get an entire month off for summer and get to go to Hawaii too. Make sure that none of you cut loose too much, okay?" The crowd started cheering at the trip announcement. "Okay, settle down! That concludes homeroom."
"School trip, huh?" Ann mused. "I guess we won't be able to act as Phantom Thie-"
"Takamaki-san," a female classmate interrupted. "You can speak English, right?"
"Basically, yeah," Ann nodded.
"That's amazing!" the girl's friend said.
"I lived over there, so it's nothing special," Ann said humbly.
"Hey, if there's something we're not sure of in English, can we ask you about it?" the first girl asked.
"Huh!?" Ann was confused. Suddenly their phones went off with a message from Ryuji.
Ryuji: All people're talking about in my class is the Phantom Thieves. Is it the same for you? Talk about being popular. Anyways, now that a new semester's started, let's have another operation meeting.
After school, the gang met up at Octavia's place where Futaba had already set up her laptop. "There you guys are…" the redhead said.
"Futaba! Did you come here by yourself?" Octavia asked. "How did you even get in…?"
"I went to get her since I got out of school early," Yusuke explained.
"What a patronizing Inari," Futaba grumbled.
"Well then, let's get talking. Whadda we do now? Should we go after another big target?" Ryuji asked.
"That's important too, but what about the black masked villain in the Metaverse?" Collin questioned.
"It's almost certain that this person exists," Makoto said. "What's more, they're inducing mental shutdowns… We certainly can't turn a blind eye."
"Yeah, but we don't got any clues…" Loona shook her head.
"But! You know how we're totes popular right now? Everyone at school's talking about us, and not a day goes by when you don't hear about it on TV either!" Ryuji interjected. "We totally made it big, don't you think?"
"True," Ann nodded. "The rankings on the Phantom Aficionado Website have been crazy too."
"You mean this?" Futaba pulled out the Phan-Site's poll page.
"Woah, first place keeps changing by the second," Octavia said.
"People are voting around the clock, after all," Futaba said.
"If we go after these guys, I'm sure we'll score some big cash at least once," Ryuji said. "What would you use money like that for, Ren?"
"I'm not thinking about it," Ren shook his head.
"Acting all stoic like that ain't cool, you know," Ryuji rolled his eyes.
"Neither is bragging about being something we're supposed to keep secret," Loona jabbed.
Makoto turned her attention back to Futaba. "Are you fine with that, Futaba? Even though it's related to what happened to your mother?"
"It's not okay! I'm definitely gonna punch that guy!" Futaba said with determination.
"The culprit forcing mental shutdowns… if you think about it, that would be the biggest target we could go after," Collin mused. "If we can change his heart and get a confession out of him, think of all the good that would do."
"Should we reveal our identities then? I bet chicks will be all over us then!" Ryuji laughed.
"Whoa, whoa, you want us to show our faces?" Ann said in shock. "…I guess that might be okay?"
"I see. If the true culprit confesses, the existence of the Metaverse will become known…" Yusuke mused. "There would be no need for us to remain in hiding in such a questionable manner…"
"Hey! We're not doing this to stand out, you know!" Octavia said. "And if you all forgot, I'm currently supposed to be dead, so suddenly having an Octavia Goetia popping up on public news in Japan is sure to get some demon's attention."
"Being "unknown" is the allure of being a phantom thief," Morgana added.
"But considering the hype now, it's gonna be one hell of a huge deal if we pull this off!" Ryuji argued.
"Are there really no clues regarding those mental shutdown cases?" Morgana asked. "If I remember right, wasn't the older Nijima sister investigating it?"
"Yes… I can try and ask about it. But she'll just tell me to mind my own business and get angry with me," Makoto replied.
"If you can't ask her, wanna just extract that data?" Futaba asked. "Does she have a personal laptop or something?"
"Don't tell me…" Makoto gasped.
"I can lend you a storage device with my special gimmick on it," Futaba said, pulling out a flash drive. "Just stick this baby, and it'll clone the internal hard drive! It'll even bypass the OS password! You'll have to plug it directly into her laptop though. Can you do it?"
"Sis does bring her laptop home sometimes…" Makoto said. "But I'm not comfortable going that far…"
"Ooh, is Futaba gonna do something amazing again?" Ryuji asked.
"Are you scared of seeing how your sister truly feels?" Collin questioned.
"No! …Of course not," Makoto replied. She sighed, taking the flash drive. "Fine, I'll do it."
Ann: These rankings are insane!
Yusuke: Yes. If you look away for even a single moment, the order changes completely.
Ann: It's hard to decide who to actually go after!
Ryuji: They're flooding in!
Futaba: We can choose anyone we want!
Octavia: We should wait for now though. It'll all settle down soon enough. More importantly, how are things on your end, Makoto?
Makoto: Sis isn't home yet. She may not come back at all tonight.
Ryuji: Man, just think of how great it'd be to narrow down our targets!
Makoto: That's true, but… Aren't you guys taking this too lightly? All the pressure here rests on me?
Ren: That's not true.
Makoto: To be clear, we'll all be in major trouble, if I fail, yes?
Futaba: Don't worry. We all know you can handle this, Makoto.
Loona: Yeah, you got this!
Makoto: …I suppose I'll do it.
[***]
September 2
Ryuji: You guys see!? Akechi showed up in the rankings!
Yusuke: Perhaps it's due to the negative comments he made about us.
Ann: Seems that way.
Ryuji: God, this is freaking amazing!
Ren: I feel bad.
Octavia: Same.
Ryuji: C'mon, you don't gotta pity a jerk like him.
Octavia: Despite popular belief, he's not actually a jerk when you get to know him.
Ryuji: By the way, how's it going, Makoto? You get your sister's data yet?
Makoto: I think she's been busy. She didn't come home at all yesterday.
Collin: That's worrying.
Ryuji: What're we gonna do? We can't do a damn thing till we get that.
Makoto: Don't rush me. I assure you, I can handle this. More importantly… Everyone at school has been on edge since that tabloid article. Please be careful not to stand out, OK?
Loona: Don't have to tell me twice!
At the art museum, Ren, Octavia, Loona, and Collin all met up to see Yusuke's latest painting that he entered into the local competition. It actually ended up winning the competition, and his fellow Phantom Thieves were proud of his accomplishment. "I still have much to learn, but I finally painted something that I can be satisfied with," Yusuke said. "Yes. This is the true heart of humanity. The title is "Desire and Hope." What do you think?"
"It turned out well," Ren said.
"When I look at it, I deficiently feel something in my soul," Collin nodded.
"I'd hang this up in my room for sure," Octavia added.
"Great job, dude," Loona said. "So, you added hope, huh?"
"I added aspects that were previously lacking. This light… is all of you," Yusuke explained. "The title lists hope, but in my mind, it's a much more concrete thing. I can't believe I didn't realize that until now…"
"Hm…" Kawanabe mused, walking up and looking at the painting.
"You…" Yusuke recognized.
"…It's a good painting," Kawanabe said.
"Huh?" Yusuke was surprised at the response.
"It's not trying to be eccentric for the sake of being eccentric, like last time," Kawanabe said. "To think the same painting can change this much…" He turned to look at Yusuke. "So this is the answer you've come up with?"
"…It is," Yusuke nodded.
"Desire and Hope"…I see. Beauty and ugliness… Humans are creatures that possess both. It seems you understand that," Kawanabe said.
"What are you playing at?" Yusuke questioned.
"You provoked Yusuke on purpose?" Ren said.
"I apologize. Although my intent was to encourage you, it was rather crude," Kawanabe said. "Still, I believe that this ploy needed to be done in order to ignite your competitive spirit."
"But… why would you do that? What's your objective?" Yusuke asked.
"I wanted to do something for you as another person who is free from Madarame's chains. That's all," Kawanabe replied.
"Huh?" Yusuke said in shock.
"Madarame held a grudge against me for supposedly stealing his customers from him. To start, I couldn't get anyone to rent me space for exhibits… He caused me no end of hardship," Kawanabe explained.
"So that's why…" Yusuke realized.
"Yes… The heart of man is painted with desire, even if it's coated entirely in black at times. However, it seems you have the strength to not look away from it, and chose to stand up against it. If only he had your strength…" Kawanabe said.
"Do you mean Madarame?" Octavia asked.
Kawanabe nodded. "Madarame and I go back a long way. First as classmates, then as teachers at the same art school. He used to have a noble spirit. Said he wanted to aim for the top of the art world one day." Yusuke gave a noise. "But in the end, even the art world has its share of politics… Those who are cunning win. Our hearts were stained black in that manner. But the human heart is a strange thing. It can't completely separate black from white. I was shocked when I heard that he took you in. He never liked children, you see."
"Oh?" Yusuke said in surprise.
"This happened just before we cut all ties from each other, but I got a call from him. He was panicking that nearby clinics were closed and that his kid had a fever," Kawanabe recalled.
"Sensei…" Yusuke gasped.
"That was another aspect of him," Collin said.
"…Yeah," Yusuke nodded with a small smile.
"I don't want any more losers like me or misguided winners like him being born from this world. That's why I started this foundation," Kawanabe went on. "So how about it? Would you like our support? Without the overbearing marketing production, of course."
"It's a truly kind offer… Thank you for your generosity," Yusuke gave a bow. "However, I must respectfully decline."
"Huh/ What's makes you say that?" Kawanabe questioned.
"I am not Madarame. I won't be stained by desire. After all, I can see hope. If I am lost, they will extend their hands. If I am wrong, they will chastise me. As long as I have my rays of hope to guide me, I will be fine," Yusuke said.
"Hah, Madarame really did have a good eye," Kawanabe laughed before walking away.
"What a strange man…" Yusuke mused.
"You're stranger, Yusuke," Loona chuckled.
"Are you sure about this? That was a good offer," Octavia asked.
"It is a tad wasteful of me to decline. Still, I believe it's for the best. I feel contradictory, but that's the human heart, correct?" Yusuke replied. "…Interesting. That's exactly what I should be painting. It must have been troublesome dealing with me. But for some reason, I knew that you wouldn't abandon me until everything was said and done. Thank you… my friends."
'I feel a strong bond with Yusuke…' Ren thought.
Octavia's eyes went wide as she felt a new power stir within Yusuke. 'Did his Persona… change somehow?' she wondered.
"Now that I'm out of my slump, I need to make up for the time I wasn't able to paint," Yusuke said. "I reiterate my promise to you. I'll extend my assistance to you, should you ever stumble."
"Got it," Ren nodded with a smile.
"Now then, shall we go?" Yusuke asked. "In order for me to learn more about our heart, we need to work hard on our Phantom Thief business." With that, the group of friends left the museum, happy that the eccentric artist had come so far in his craft and understanding the heart.
[***]
September 3
Makoto: I got it.
Ryuji: What're you talking about this early in the morning…?
Makoto: I extracted the data from my sister's PC.
Ren: Well done.
Makoto: I'm not entirely sure I did it correctly though…
Futaba: Oooh, I've been waiting for this! Gimme, gimme, gimme!
Makoto: I have to head to school right now though…
Futaba: Whoa! My bad! Bring right after then. I'm gonna punish you if you're lateeee!
"…Here you go. I think I did it right," Makoto said, handing over the flash drive to Futaba.
The redhead laughed. "Leave it to me."
Ann looked at all the magazines strewn about on the floor. "Whoa, you grabbed all these? Are they for Hawaii?"
"If we're gonna lay low, we might as well enjoy it," Ryuji said, flipping through a travel guide. "Aww, look at this one! Gigantic sea turtle sightseeing on some beach."
"Come on, food's more important than some turtle," Ann said. "You really don't find stake this big and thick in Japan!"
"Mm… Steak…" Loona drooled, looking through a food magazine. "Also… mahi-mahi? Is that some kind of fish? Think it's good?"
"Oh, I've had that before when Mom threw a tropical-themed party one time," Octavia recalled.
"Your mom had a non-ballroom party?" Loona raised an eyebrow.
"Well, it was still fancy dressed, but it was a tropical garden party," Octavia shrugged.
"It seems that it's the season for schools all around. We're going on our school trip as well," Yusuke said.
"Oh? Where are you going, Yusuke?" Collin asked.
"I believe it's Los Angeles," Yusuke recalled.
Ann laughed. "That doesn't suit you at all, Yusuke! I bet you wanted to go somewhere like Nikko or Nara."
"Anywhere is acceptable. After all, the mineral pigments used for Japanese art were originally imported," Yusuke said.
"Hawaii and Los Angeles, huh? Which would you wanna go to?" Ryuji asked Ren.
"Hawaii," Ren said.
"Good choice. I've heard from some Sinners that LA can be indistinguishable from Hell at times," Loona said.
"Ironic, considering the name of the city…" Collin sighed.
"Don't I seem like an LA guy?" Ryuji asked. "Like, a total gangsta?"
"That makes no sense at all," Yusuke shook his head.
"Hawaii's more of a resort place than LA, so I'd rather go there," Octavia said, getting an agreeing nod from Ann. "Besides, I've heard LA is only good for seeing the stars, but I can do that just by asking Dad for a portal."
"I think that refers to movie stars, princess," Loona shook her head.
"So we won't be seeing each other for a while," Morgana sighed.
"Actually…" Octavia said. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a charm, attaching it to Morgana's collar. "There we go."
"What's this?" Morgana asked, batting at the new charm.
"It's a modified version of the portal spell I know," Octavia explained. "With it I can effectively summon you to Hawaii when we get there. No pet carrier for you, Morgana."
"Thanks Octavia…" Morgana said with a smile. "But will Futaba be okay here all by herself?"
"She's tough. Futaba can handle it," Loona assured him.
"Oh, here comes some interesting data," Futaba said, fully focused on her hacking. "This is just from a quick glance… But it says "perpetrated" and "connected."
"It means that the mental shutdown aren't coincidence- that this is a "case" with a culprit behind it," Makoto clarified.
"Actually, it's not just about people having shutdowns. Looks like she's inferring that the psychotic breakdown incidents are connected to the same case," Futaba analyzed.
"Go, Makoto's sis!" Loona cheered.
"How long do you think it'll take to analyze this?" Makoto asked.
"Hm, there's a lot, so it's not happening overnight," Futaba said. "But I'll manage by the time you guys get back. I demand souvenirs from Hawaii and LA for my reward."
"I don't really get all this, but you're amazing as always, Futaba!" Ann praised. "I guess it's called an information war? It's so high-tech and modern, it kinda reminds me of a movie."
"We're the Phantom Thieves, so it's not that big a deal," Morgana said. "I mean, I can turn into a car and stuff too…"
"There's no need for competition. Both you are invaluable members, be it our guide in the Metaverse or as a hacker to get us more information," Collin said.
"He's right. You're fine the way you are, Morgana," Ann said. "Like, you're cheeky cute?"
"Cute…" Morgana looked down. "Lady Ann… I…"
"It'll be okay, Morgana…" Octavia whispered, giving him a pat on the head. "And hey, this Hawaii trip might be the time to turn your relationship around…?"
"Maybe…" Morgana said with a sad smile.
"Welp, we'll continue this when we get back from the trip!" Ryuji declared. "I can't wait to see how much the Phantom Thieves' popularity has increased by then!"
Makoto: Don't forget to prepare yourselves for the trip, OK?
Ryuji: You're really sounding like a teacher right now, man. What're you even saying that for?
Makoto: Didn't I tell you? I'll be coming along.
Ryuji: What?
Makoto: The teachers have asked me to chaperone the trip in their place.
Ryuji: Wait, what!? I didn't hear a damn thing about that!
Loona: I'll be there too, bitches! You got a problem with us showing up!?
Ren: I'm glad we can go together.
Makoto: Yes. I was worried about how many troublemakers will be there.
Ryuji: Are you talking about us!?
Ann: But why are they having you go at all, Makoto and Loona?
Makoto: I seems some of the teachers have to stay behind to deal with that tabloid article. So, they decided to get a couple of third-years to act as additional chaperones. It seems a few others besides myself will be going as well.
Ann: Oh, I see.
Yusuke: Either way, this overseas trip has been truly long-awaited. I expect leaving Japan will be a great eye-opener for us. This is a wonderful opportunity, so we should be sure to enjoy it.
Octavia: If you ever want to do it again, just call me up and Dad will have a portal ready for us.
Futaba: Don't forget souvenirs!
[***]
September 4
With nothing better to do that day, the Phantom Thieves decided now was a good time to get some Mementos missions done before they all went off on vacation. They had ten requests to do at the moment, so there was no time to lose! A new part of Mementos had opened up as well, so there was that to explore as well.
"It's gotten even bigger," Mona mused.
"This happened because we stole another Treasure… right?" Panther asked.
"I feel like it's gonna keep getting bigger and bigger," Lycan said.
"I don't think Mementos' territorial expansion is caused by us stealing a Treasure," Oracle said. "I bet it's things like the number of searches for "Phantom Thieves," the ranking of trending words… And the access counter on Mishima's website and stuff. Even now, it's slowly expanding."
"The more we become the topic of conversation, the more Mementos spreads?" Fox surmised.
"Maybe it's the other way around…" Queen guessed.
"What do you mean?" Templar asked.
"We're the ones expanding it… Or perhaps, Mementos grants further passage as we become more prevalent in the general public's cognition," Queen clarified.
"Like… getting free admission for being popular?" Skull said.
"That's rather well-put," Fox said.
"For real? That's amazing!" Skull exclaimed. "Actually, you're amazing, Futaba! How'd you figure that out?"
"Piece of cake," Oracle smirked.
"I didn't know at all…" Morgana crossed his arms. "What have I been doing…?"
"You've got amnesia, remember?" Omen said. "It's okay to let us figure things out too, Mona. You've had our backs, so now we'll fill in the gaps that your memory left behind."
"She's right," Joker nodded. "Now then, let's move out!"
Up first was the Shadow of Shoichi Oyamada, the doctor that ruined Takemi's credibility in the medical world. "Everyone is trash…! As head of the medical office, I'm superior to everyone! I deserve all your respect!" the Shadow spouted. "You should be begging me to examine you! Be grateful I have the compassion to fix your trash!"
"That's enough!" Omen shouted as they approached.
"Ah, you're the kids that were at Takemi's. So how's she doing?" the Shadow taunted. "She was sooo depressed when she heard her patient died. Oh, I'm so worried about her. Poor girl…" He laughed evily. "It's been so long since I've felt so exhilarated! Did she quit being a doctor yet? If she hasn't, then tell her she better hurry up!"
"You're the one that should quit," Joker growled, his demonic aura flaring as his human form was suddenly shed for his demonic one. "What the…?"
"Woah dude, you're are bird person now!" Skull exclaimed.
"His need bring to justice for Takemi has brought out his demon side once more…" Omen said.
"You dare talk to me, your superior, like that!? Your diagnosis is "arrogance with no chance of recovery." I better "Treat" you right away! And I'll blame your death on Takemi messing up again!" the Shadow shouted before turning into a Thoth. It didn't last long, however, as the power of Joker and Omen's Personas (and Gravity spells) were enough to take Ohyamada down and change his heart.
"We should talk to Takemi soon to see how she's doing now that this guy isn't a problem," Omen stated. "And to tell her that her patient didn't actually die…"
Next were the Shadows of Toshio and Hiromi Takase, parents that had been blackmailing Ms. Kawakami by using an incident that led to their son's death to extort her for money. Their Shadows took the form of Titania and Oberon, but the Phantom Thieves blasted through them in no time, freeing Kawakami from their control.
Going onwards, the team took down a lovesick cyber-stalker and a guy that abuses cats (Morgana took much pleasure in taking that guy down). Soon they came across another high-priority Shadow, that being Yuichi Fukarai, the chairman of the ADP who had been using Chihaya's fortune telling skills to brainwash people into joining his cult. He was another target Joker and Omen were looking forward to facing.
"You don't want sadness and tragedy in your life, do you? Pay me and I can save you! Give me money or you'll suffer grave misfortune! You could even die!" the Shadow laughed.
"Destiny can change!" Omen declared as they confronted their opponent.
"You sure are naïve. People really believe this holy stone will save them if the Maiden predicts bad fortune! Even if it doesn't actually work, what does matter if it makes them happy! People want to be deceived! Don't you see? They're all desperate to feel safe!" the Shadow said.
"That's all a lie," Ren shook his head.
The Shadow turned into a Baphomet before growling, "Shut up, shut up! Don't you get in the way of me giving sublime salvation to the masses!"
"We'll show you true salvation by freeing those innocent people from your control!" Templar declared. After some weakness-targeting magic from Fox, Templar, and Joker, the Shadow was defeated, meaning Chihaya was free from her controlling boss.
"Guess we can cross "took down a cult leader" off our bingo of targets," Lycan quipped. Continuing onwards, the Phantom Thieves faced off against a man that was assaulting random people, a man who was treating his coworkers like slaves, and a man trying to evict people through force. Further down they went, facing stronger Shadows as they descended into the depths.
Following a lead they'd gotten from Mishima, their next target was set to be Yoshikuni Nejima, a forty-year-old man that took joy in cheating at arcade games. "Wow is this guy pathetic," Lycan shook her head. "Time to give him the business- Phantom Thief business, that is!"
The Shadow was laughing to himself. "It's useless. In the Gun About world, no one can defeat me! Cheating? I don't know what you're talking about… The winners are the ones who are right! It's the winners who decide what justice is! And what greater winner is there than me! I'm the god of the Gun About world!"
"…I have the strong urge to punch this guy right now, and I can't say for what reason exactly," Omen said dryly.
"I am the god of the Gun About world! I am invincible! No one can ever hope to defeat me! No matter how many comes against me, no one can ever wound me!" The Shadow turned into an Ose, prompting the team to get ready for combat.
"Idiot! Let's get him!" Skull shouted.
Ose laughed. "I'm strong! I'm the most powerful! Ain't no matter what you throw my way, you won't put a scratch on me!"
"We'll see about that!" Lycan shouted, pulling out her flintlock and firing, only for the attacks to miss entire. "What the-!?"
"Let me try!" Templar called, rushing forward with his spear. He gasped as the attack phased through the Shadow.
"Hua!" Omen called, using a powerful Gravity spell on the Shadow, only for it to not connect. "That's impossible!"
"I told you it's useless! There's no way you can win against me!" the Shadow laughed.
"Look at him, acting all smug because of his cheats…" Oracle scowled. "We can't do anything to him at this rate though. Let's retreat for now and rethink our approach." One escape later, and the Phantom Thieves were in a safe spot to discuss what had just happened.
"What they Hell was that!? Our attacks did nothing against him!" Lycan snarled.
"Yes… Unfortunately, it appears we do not have even a chance of victory," Fox said.
"Yo, Morgana. Ain't there anything we can do?" Skull asked.
"I'm not sure," Mona frowned. "As I already mentioned, the Metaverse is a place where people's cognitions materialize. Even I can't predict what will happen in here…"
"Damnit! If only we could figure out what his ability is…" Lycan cursed.
"He's cheating," Joker said.
"That's exactly right!" Oracle nodded.
"So we'll need to figure out a way to break through his cheats…" Queen guessed.
"That's fine, but's let do it somewhere else," Mona said. "It's not exactly what I'd call safe here. We should talk more when there aren't Shadows."
"We can make it our homework then. Let's think about some solutions once we return to the real world," Omen nodded.
"Leave it to me," Joker said confidently.
"I hope it doesn't add too much work to your plate," Queen said.
"Homework… Eh, I guess that works. Anyways, back to exploring Mementos," Skull said. With the cheater on the backburner for now, the Phantom Thieves had another target to go after: Mitsuyo Togo, the mother of Hifumi that was trying to ride off the fame that her daughter didn't want. Templar was ready to help his friend get the life she truly wanted by changing the heart of her mother.
"Hifumi is my daughter. I am Hifumi's mother. I gave birth to her. I raised her! My child should be devoted to serving me! I can finally be happy once Hifumi becomes a famous shogi player!" the Shadow stated.
"Hifumi isn't yours to use!" Templar exclaimed, flying up to face the Shadow.
The Shadow huffed, "She thinks she rose in rank on her own skill, but most of those matches were fixed. I'm the one who's been building Hifumi's commercial value! If I didn't get rid of all her rivals, she wouldn't be where she is now! I enlisted private investigators and even criminals to find their weaknesses and destroy them! I paid off anyone who might have complained or spoken out. Oh, and I even sold stories to those weekly magazines. Heroines and tragedies go hand in hand! One more step, and my vision for Hifumi will be realized. I'm so close to victory! I won't let anyone get in the way!"
"Geez, now I'm secretly glad my mother wasn't so overbearing…" Omen muttered.
"Focus on the here and now, Omen," Templar said as the Shadow transformed into a Lilim.
"Just the slightest effort is all I'll need to finish you!" Lilim taunted.
The Phantom Thieves got to work fighting off the Shadow, and as the battle concluded, Templar suddenly got an idea. "Fox, I think it's time we show off that secret skill we've been working on!" Templar said.
"Yes, let's do it!" Fox nodded. The two jumped up into the air, the world changing to one of watercolor as the artist and cherub pulled out paintbrushes. "Let us paint the world in beautiful form!" Fox declared, attacking the Shadow with his brushes.
"And lift the darkness with the fires of hope!" Templar shouted, attacking with his own brushes.
The two then jumped back, suddenly growing large as they recreated the famous "Creation of Adam" painting, with Fox as Adam and Templar as God. Instead of going for a finger touch, though, they did a fist bump, squashing the Shadow between them due to forced perspective before they finished the attack by doing the crucifixion pose.
"Fantastic! Simply Marvelous!" Fox exclaimed as the world turned back to normal.
"Looks like I'm the one who's finished…" the Shadow said as it went down.
"That was awesome you guys!" Oracle cheered. "Those Showtime attacks are super cool!"
"Oh, i-it was nothing," Templar said, embarrassed by the display.
"Nah, it was cool, Lambchop," Lycan said, giving a sincere smile that made the cherub blush under his mask. "Dorky, but cool nonetheless."
"Still, Hifumi's mother should lighten up on Hifumi now," Joker said. "Let's hope she'll be able to do what she truly wants going forward…" With their main missions cleared out, the Phantom Thieves went was deep as Mementos would let them, running into another stop where the wall wouldn't budge.
"Guess this wall's a no-go unless we can get more people to accept us…" Oracle guessed.
"Hey, can't you just use your Oracle power or whatever to do something about it?" Skull asked.
"Prolly not. I'm not some kinda go, you know?" Oracle shrugged.
"Speaking of gods… have you heard of the god who performed a lewd dance to open a sealed rock door?" Fox asked.
"W-What!?" Templar blushed.
"Hm… I think I see what you're getting at" Lycan grinned. "Go for it, Skull!"
"I'm outta here…" Skull rolled his eyes, walking off. "We're done here, let's just go home already…"
Wither their missions completed (all except for the one with the cheater), everyone hopped back into the Mona Bus to get out of here. As they drove through the tunnels of Mementos, something suddenly came out of nowhere and flipped over the car, forcing everyone out as the sound of rattling chains came to their ears. "Of, fuck us…" Lycan cursed as the form of the Reaper loomed over them.
"Crap, this is bad!" Mona shouted. "We can't fight that thing. It's suicide!"
"Not like we have much of a voice…" Joker grit his teeth. "We need to hold it off long enough for you to get your energy back and drive us out of here."
"Okay team, protect Mona at all costs! If you have defensive spells, now's the time to use them!" Omen ordered.
The Reaper started by using Concentrate, prompting the group to guard as it assaulted them with magic attacks. Templar, Panther, and Queen kept the party healthy as Oracle tried to scan for any weakness. "No good, I'm not finding anything!" the redhead cried in dismay.
"This can't be the end…" Templar fretted.
Suddenly, the sound of a motorcycle engine roared to life, and the mysterious biker burst out of the darkness, grinding the wheel of his bike into the Reaper's face before jumping off the vehicle, pulling out a minigun from nowhere and firing into the monster's chest. "Sorry I have to save your asses, Phantom Thieves, but you can't go dying on me yet," the mysterious biker said, tossing his gun into the shadows as the weapon ran hot.
"What's that supposed to mean? You want to kill us yourself, Black Mask?" Lycan accused.
"Black Mask? What, just because I wear a bike helmet that means I have a black mask?" the biker questioned. The Reaper roared and aimed a gun at the man, but the biker pulled out a scythe from nowhere and deflected the bullets. "If you need a name for me, let's go with… Tensei. How's that sound? Now then, you guys aren't ready to take the Reaper down. You've got to get stronger first. When you are ready, though, I'll be waiting…"
"Wait, we can't just let you fight that thing by yourself!" Panther called out.
"I'll be fine… for now," Tensei replied. He stared down the Reaper and glared behind his helmet. "This game of ours is going to have to end sometime, you know… So, is it going to be you, or me that has the last laugh?" The Reaper only replied with a scream.
"Tensei…" Omen said.
The biker gave a glance back to the princess. "Octavia, you've got to go, now!"
Before Omen could wonder why Tensei knew her name, she was dragged into the Mona Bus as they made their escape back into reality.
[***]
"Man, that shit was crazy!" Ryuji shouted as soon as they were back in the hideout.
"If Tensei did not show up when he did, we surely would have perished," Yusuke nodded.
"Well, at least we know the Black Mask killer and the mysterious biker are separate entities now," Makoto mused.
"But we still don't know who either of them truly is," Octavia shook her head. "Tensei knew my name, so maybe he's a student at our school? I couldn't tell you who, though, since his voice was all distorted by his helmet. Or why the Reaper seems to always be where Tensei is…"
"The guy didn't even have a scent I could pick up on," Loona said with a sigh. "For now I guess we'll just count ourselves lucky that we don't have another enemy on our plate. Ugh, I'm tired. Let's just go home already…"
Ryuji: What do we do about that cheater? Ain't we screwed if our attacks can't do anything?
Octavia: He's invincible in the game, so he's invincible in Mementos as well… Cognition is a wild thing.
Collin: Do you think if we beat him in real life his cognition will change?
Loona: Won't he just use his cheats to win, though?
Futaba: How 'bout we ask for help from a skilled player? Supposedly there's an insanely good gamer they call the "King" somewhere in this city. I've seen all over the forums how he managed to beat this cheater himself with orthodox methods.
Ryuji: For real!? Where can we find him?
Futaba: I checked his account from the official server… But I couldn't pinpoint what arcade he goes to. Sorry…
Ann: But if he's really that famous, won't it be easy to find him?
Makoto: That's true. OK, we should gather intel on the King at the arcades around the city.
…
Futaba: I'm boooored!
Ryuji: What're you talking about!? Analyze that data!
Futaba: my PC's doing all the work. That leaves me with nothing!
Yusuke: We are preparing for our school trips. None of us have the time to entertain you right now.
Ann: Oh, shoot! I need to go shopping!
Collin: What's wrong, Ann? Did you forget something important you need for the trip?
Ryuji: Don't we just need a toothbrush?
Ann: There's a lot I need! Shampoos, lotions, conditioners…!
Yusuke: Ah, that reminds me… I should pack a canvas. This trip will be a prime painting opportunity. Will one be enough though…?
Ren: Why even bring one?
Yusuke: Drawing, of course. I will bring three, including a spare. Now, regarding canvas side, bigger is better, yes?
Loona: Yusuke, you'll have to spend extra money for going over the weight limit for luggage. You know that, right? Just bring a sketchbook or something. Don't break your non-existent bank, dude.
[***]
September 5
Shin: Yo, it's time for some more training… Is what I would say, but I think I should treat you guys to a nice day out. The school trip is coming up, after all.
Octavia: Oh, are you coming as well, Shin?
Shin: Yeah. Student Council President roped me into chaperoning. So, how about we go to Akihabara. I hear the arcade scene there is sick.
Ren: Sure, let's do it.
Shin: Great. I'll try to fit in a lesson too if I find one…
"…Whos' that kid? He's amazing," someone in the arcade said as the trio walked in. Everyone was gathered around the Gun About arcade machine, where a kid wearing a red hat was dual wielding the controllers and playing like a pro.
"That's the King," another spectator replied.
"Oh, I've heard about him," Shin said. "He's pretty small, huh? Probably still in grade school… And that dual wielding? Must be pretty skilled to take on two people all by himself."
"And it's still too easy for him," the spectator said.
"Well, I guess that's that," The King said as the game ended in his victory.
"What a monster…" the spectator breathed in awe.
"Think that kid could tell us how to beat the cheater?" Ren whispered to Octavia.
"Wouldn't hurt to ask," Octavia shrugged.
While Ren went off to talk to The King, Shin and Octavia looked around the arcade for something fun to do. The princess' eyes were drawn to the crane machines, filled with all sorts of plushies and knick-knacks. While she'd moved on from plush toys in favor or taxidermy during her youth, Octavia still had a passing interest in plushies, with one machine in particular catching her eyes.
"What. Is. That?" she asked, face pressed up against the glass of the machine as she stared at the plushie inside. It was an unusual creature with a body covered in blue fur with two colorful wings sticking out of its side, standing on two spindly legs with two fuzzy antennae sticking out of its head. Its face was in a perpetual expression of shock, with large red eyes are stared into your soul. It gave off the vibes of either wanting to be your best friend or becoming your next sleep-paralysis demon, but Octavia could not look away.
"Oh that thing? It's Mothman," Shin explained. "Apparently it comes from a town in West Virginia, first showing up in the 60s. Some people think it's an alien, others say it's an omen of disaster. I think some famous Japanese artist came up with this design back in the day, and it's had a mild cult following ever since."
'Did the Demon Painter make this design…?' Octavia wondered. "Well, I can't explain why, but I want it." She took out some money and put it in the machine, the game coming to life as a chiptune beat started to play. Octavia maneuvered the claw over to one of the Mothman plushies, pressing the button to send the claw down. It latched onto the wing part, started pulling up… and dropped the plushie, making a noise before shutting off. "Darn it. I never was good at these…"
"Why don't I try?" Shin offered.
"Be my guest," Octavia said, stepping aside.
Shin put in his own coin, moving the claw over to the same plushie Octavia had tried to grab. Looking at the positioning carefully, Shin waited until the last second to let the claw drop, the prongs getting on either side of Mothman's body before clamping down, dragging the toy up into the air and over to the drop chute. The game made a noise of triumph as Mothman was dropped down the prize hole, with Shin pulling out the plushie and holding it out to Octavia.
"There you go, Via. Your very own Mothman," Shin said.
"Thanks Shin," Octavia said, taking the plushie in her arms. It was one of those oversized plushies, so it took both of Octavia's hands to hold it properly, being about two-thirds of her size. "You really didn't have to do this for me, though. I have plenty of money…"
"But I wanted to do it, Octavia," Shin replied, making the princess blush a bit. "I like hanging out with you and getting to do something nice for a girl like you… Seeing your smile is all I need."
"Heh, you charmer…" Octavia blushed fully.
"Is something going on here?" Ren asked, rejoining the two.
"Oh, Ren! I-It's nothing…" Octavia said, hiding behind her plushie to mask her burning red face.
"Just two friends playing skill crane games. Though there's little "skill" to these things really…" Shin said.
"Uh huh…" Ren said, not believing there wasn't something more going on here. "So, I just got some tips from The King that I think will be helpful."
"Really now? I don't see how a video game will give you the skills you need for self-defense… unless you have a gun or something," Shin crossed his arms.
"No guns here. Just a way to fake out a bully that's been messing with people," Ren said.
"Well then, allow me to give you another lesson to expand those skills of yours," Shin said, he handed over a book to Ren from his bag. "We're going to study some light anatomy and see where the weakest parts of the human body are. If you know how hitting a certain part will affect your opponent, you can easily disarm them or make it so they can't come after you."
"Figuring out the cracks in the armor, so to say," Octavia mused.
"Yeah, like that," Shin nodded. "So, let's try out some more games and then we'll get to the lesson." The trio spent the rest of the day at the arcade before studying the anatomy book with Shin. With his lesson and the skills Ren learned from The King (who was really a kid named Shinya), the Phantom Thieves were sure to have the advantage the next time they faced off against that cheater in the Metaverse, as well as any other opponents they had to fight in the future.
[***]
September 6
"The school trip's tomorrow, huh? I always got excited the night before my trips," Maruki said in class the next day. "You leave tomorrow, right? It'll take six or seven hours to get to Hawaii, so… it'll be morning when you arrive. Oh yeah, watch out for that jetlag. Hawaii's time is nineteen hours behind Japan's time zone. Which means you'll get there on the morning of the 7th. You're leaving at night, but arriving in the morning of the 7th… That might be quite a shock to your systems. Jetlag is one thing, but our perception of time itself can become distorted sometimes."
'Try being in a place that barely has a day and night cycle and then moving to Earth,' Octavia thought.
"Have you ever looked at your watch and felt like the second hand stopped for longer than a second? Say, Amamiya-kun." Ren held his head up as Maruki called on him. "Do you know the name of that phenomenon where the second hand looks like it's stopped moving?"
"Chronostasis," Ren responded.
Maruko gave a golf clap. "Yeah! That's correct. When a person changes their viewpoint, there's a moment of time that goes unaccounted for in their mind. In order to fill that blank, the brain experiences a fictional moment. That's where this phenomenon comes from. The human brain is incredible, right? It can make you feel like time has stopped."
'Imagine a Persona that had the power to stop time…' Octavia mused before shaking her head. 'Nah, that sounds like something you'd only see in a bizarre adventure manga…'
"Oh, but my time's already up," Maruki stated. "I want to hear all your stories when you get back, okay? Have fun!"
"We're going to Hawaii tomorrow!" Morgana whispered excitedly. "Futaba can hold down the fort while we're gone. This is going to be so much fun!"
Ryuji: Aw yeah! This time tomorrow, we're gonna be in Hawaii! I can't wait!
Ren: You have your time wrong.
Ann: Yeah, we'll still be in Japan at that point…
Futaba: Ryuji! You know you're not leaving until tomorrow night, right?
Ryuji: Wait, for real!?
Makoto: Enough of the chitchat. You should be concentrating on class.
Ryuji: I don't care about that after what I just heard. I'm totally outta motivation to work…
Loona: Sounds like business as usual.
Ryuji: Welp, time to research sightseeing spots in Hawaii!
Octavia: (sent a link) Already did that. Also, you got over that pretty damn fast!
Collin: Octavia's really prepared for this trip…
Ryuji: Oh yeah, are there any famous places in Los Angeles?
Loona: Hollywood!
Futaba: Hollywood!
Loona: Jinx!
Futaba: Jinx!
Yusuke: It has a vibrant art scene as well. I expect the trip will prove quite stimulating.
Ryuji: That doesn't hold a candle to Hawaii's beaches though.
Yusuke: There are a multitude of fabulous beaches near Los Angeles as well, you know.
Ryuji: Huh? It's that close to the ocean…?
Octavia: Do you… know where LA is?
Ryuji: Well, it's the capital of America so… in the middle somewhere?
Futaba: What about Hawaii?
Ryuji: Dunno. Some ocean, I guess?
Futaba: You're hopeless!
Collin: Makoto, add geography lessons for Ryuji when we get back to Japan…
Makoto: How long are you all going to keep this up!?
[***]
When Maruki returned to his office, he was surprised to find Loona already waiting for him there. "Oh, I wasn't expecting any students to come in today, especially since the second years' trip is so close," the doctor said.
"Yeah, well, my friend recommended that I talk to you, so here I am," Loona said, crossing her arms.
"You're Nyx-san, right?" Maruki said.
"Just call me Loona. The Japanese honorifics annoy me," Loona said.
Maruki nodded. "All right then, Loona. What brings you in today. It doesn't have to be anything specific we have to talk about. I'm just here to listen and help you work through your thoughts and feelings."
"Right…" Loona said slowly. She looked away from the doctor, hiding behind her hair as she spoke. "So, as you can probably tell, I'm not Japanese. Came from America, got tossed around the foster system like a used tissue, then finally got adopted by a dad who's too overprotective. I've resented a lot of people for the longest time, but thanks to my friend… I realized that it's made me act like a bitch towards everyone."
"Well, self-reflection is a good first step to change," Maruki mused. "From the sound of it, you probably have some sort of trauma related to having your trust in relationships broken repeatedly. Would it be wrong to say that you find it easier to push people away than to let them in?"
"…Like a psychic…" Loona shook her head. "Yeah, it is, but I want to be better than that now. I've got a group of friends that seem like they really care about me, and I don't want my bad habits to come up again… I also want to make amends with a friend back home. We didn't leave on the best of terms, but it's different with him…"
"Oh, a boy? Well, you are at the age where romance starts to form," Maruki said. "I take it something happened that soured your relationship?"
"Yeah, me being a jealous simp for the guy," Loona laughed bitterly. "I knew he had a girlfriend for months but still thought I had a chance with him. She was actually nice to me when we met as well, but I just… couldn't let my feelings not get in the way. Ugh, I wish that I could just get rid of my stupid crush on the guy…"
"I think everyone has some part of themselves, a pain on in the inside we wish could go away," Maruki said. "I've had trouble in the past moving on from someone that didn't love me back as well. Sometimes you just have to let that part of yourself go so your friend can be happy."
"…Yeah. Tex is still my friend, and while I wish I was with him instead of Bee, I don't want to lose his friendship because of my crush," Loona realized. "Ugh, it's going to be a pain to let it go if I see him again. What if I just turn into a lovesick puppy in front of him again?"
"A relapse isn't uncommon when it comes to a change in our perception," Maruki explained. "But if you can recognize your flaws and work to improve them, then I'm sure you'll be able to fix your old friendships and keep your new ones. Of course, friendship is a two-way street, so this Tex and Bee will have to accept you back as well."
"You know… I think I just need to give them a call and try to clear things up between us," Loona said. "It's gonna suck, but if I have to hurt a bit in order to keep my friends, then I'll do it."
"That's the spirit," Maruki said, handing her a juice box. "Still, it would be nice to eliminate that pain, wouldn't it?"
"Amen to that, Doctor Juice," Loona said with a laugh, tapping their boxes together.
[***]
It'd be a while since Ren and Octavia had been to see Takemi, but with her boss' heart changed, now was the time to speak to her. "What's up, doc?" Ren joked as they entered the office.
"…Is there something you want?" Takemi raised an eyebrow.
"We want to talk to you," Octavia replied.
"There's nothing to talk about…" Takemi looked down.
"It's about Oyamada," Octavia said.
"Oh fine… I'll go to you, so wait there," Takemi sighed. The trio sat down in the waiting room to speak today. "So what did you need to talk about? I thought I asked you not to come back here…"
Suddenly the girl and her father walked into the room. "Oh, Doctor! Doctor! …And you two!" the father exclaimed.
"Yes?" Takemi asked with a glare.
"I wanted to speak with you right away!" the father said. "The hospital that was on the news is the same one you used to work at, right!?"
"The hospital on the news?" Takemi questioned.
"Oh, dear. I'm afraid everyone was thinking the same thing," the old lady they'd help before said, coming into the office. "But I knew you weren't capable of doing those terrible things."
"Wh-What's going on?" Takemi asked.
"Oh, my. You really don't know, do you?" the old lady said.
"Chief of Staff Oyamada turned himself in. He was manipulating things behind the scenes," Octavia said, pulling up a news article to show Takemi. "Turns out he was the one who made that terrible medical error and laid the blame on you."
"Is that… true?" Takemi gasped.
"It's been on news channels all over the country!" the father said.
"I haven't… seen it…" Takemi admitted.
"I just knew something didn't quite add up about that story," the father said.
"I never believed someone like you could have ever done something like that," the old lady said.
"Hooray! Doctor!" the girl cheered. "But… What's a medical error?"
"What? Um… It's something that shouldn't be allowed to happen… I guess," Takemi tried to answer gently. "Is this all some elaborate joke? Oyamada surrendering himself… at such a convenient time… Why…?" She shook her head. …It doesn't matter. It's too late. It doesn't change the fact that I couldn't save her…"
"Miwa-chan is alive," Ren told her.
"What…!?" Takemi gasped. "There's… no way… Did the news mention anything about the patient involved in the medical error incident!?"
"She got moved to another hospital… That was another lie Oyamada told you," Octavia stated.
Takemi covered her eyes as tears started to fall down her face. "What's the matter, dear?" the old lady asked.
"Are you okay, Doctor!?" the girl asked.
"So she's… she's alive…" Takemi whispered through her tears.
"Let's get to work, Doctor," Octavia said with a confident look.
"…Yes, of course!" Takemi nodded. After the patient trio left, Takemi turned back to the teens. "You'll help me, right? I take back what I said. We'll resume development right away."
"You got it, doc," Ren nodded, feeling their bond with Takemi grow even closer.
"We're going to move quickly today, so you may experience some pain during the examination," Takemi warned. "…Sorry. Just hang in there, okay?"
"It's for Miwa-chan," Ren said.
"We'll support you all the way," Octavia added.
"Thank you. You're… good kids," Takemi said. "Once the medicine is perfected, I'll introduce you to Miwa-chan and tell her how much you helped. All right, into the examination room you go." With Takemi's faith restored, they got to work on completing her medicine to help Miwa-chan.
Yusuke: We will be parting ways tomorrow. I pray both trips go safely.
Makoto: Thank you. Take care of yourself, Yusuke. And Futaba, we'll be relying on you for the analysis.
Futaba: Leave it to me.
Loona: Let us know if anything comes up, k?
Futaba: A-OK!
Ann: Then off we go! See you when we get there, Morgana.
Ren: He's excited to come too. Thanks for that, Octavia.
Octavia: Nothing a little Goetia magic can't fix, huh? Make sure Sojiro has the excuse we came up with for Morgana, okay Futaba?
Futaba: Right, Mona's staying at one of those fancy pet hotels while you're gone. I even forged some e-docs for the "stay." Have a nice trip!
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Shin Igami
Arcana: Void
Rank 4 Description: Shin taught you how to pinpoint weaknesses of the human body. He also is growing closer with Octavia…
Rank 4 Ability: Critical Strikes- raises the chance of a critical hit on non-weakness moves
Author's Note
The second semester has started, and the school trip will be the entirely of the next chapter! Since I've made it my mission to make sure the Morgana fallout arc doesn't happen, I came up with a clever way for our favorite not-cat to join in on the trip thanks to Octavia's magic. I would have liked Futaba to come along as well, but Sojiro would get suspicious if she disappeared for a week.
Speaking of that, Futaba's Confidant was started this chapter, and reveals Loona's second joint Confidant for this story! I want the two to bond and expand their budding sibling dynamic, so look forward to seeing more of Loona's soft side. Yusuke also got his final Confidant rank this chapter as well. I didn't expect to cover his Confidant as much as I did, but he had too many fun scenes to not let the Helluva Boss characters get involved.
Octavia met another Club Velvet resident, the Demon Painter! If you didn't know this character is based on the real-life artist Kazuma Kaneko, who is best known for designing many of the iconic demons of the SMT series and by extension Persona. He gave our princess a painting depicting future events... I wonder who the three black masks are supposed to represent...?
We did some Mementos exploring this chapter, including getting to see a new Showtime attack with Collin and Yusuke. Their attack is called "The Passion of Painting", which is named after both "The Passion of the Christ" movie and "The Joy of Painting" show by Bob Ross. The Reaper almost got our team, but the mysterious biker, who goes by Tensei, jumped in to hold the monster off. Tensei knew Octavia's true name and didn't know who the Black Mask was... hm, I wonder who this guy really is...? (I say as if I don't know and just like teasing you all)
Shin gets a Confidant rank this time, getting some bonding time with Octavia (who's crush on the guy is becoming pretty obvious now). Octavia's sudden interest in Mothman is sort of a callback to the Helluva Boss episode "Loo-Loo Land" where Millie wanted a thing plush, but also comes from Mothman being one of my favorite SMT/Persona demons. He's just so cute and derpy and I want a real-life plush of this alien moth guy! Shin also manages to sneak in a lesson for Ren, giving him the "Critical Strikes" ability that makes critical hits easier to land. This ability sounds broken, but if this were a game the boost would only apply to moves that don't target a weakness and at most would be about a 10% chance to land a critical to keep it balanced.
Finally, we get our first Helluva Boss character session with Dr. Maruki! Loona promised to go see the guy in her last Confidant and talks to Maruki about her own self-improvement and wanting to make sure she doesn't fall into the trap of old habits when it comes to making friends. If you know Maruki's story then you know that Loona's talk about her unrequited crush on Vortex hits home for the doctor. We'll see in the future what Collin and Octavia's talks with Maruki bring up...