Author's note:
As promised, last day of July, last chapter until September!
I was pretty burned out writing this, but at least I think I managed to end it at a fairly good location.
Hopefully you enjoy it, and I'll be back with more at a later date!
A few notes though since there was some confusion, Johanna, Makoto's persona, is based of the fictional female pope, not the saint Joan d' arc like Sumi's new one is. Also, While Sumire was been getting a lot more screen time these past few chapters and will in the next one as well, it should balance out in the future.
See ya!
Chapter 8: Divergent paths
Saturday May 21st, 20XX Evening
"I'm home…"
Jerking up at the kitchen table, Kasumi rushed to the door. "Sumire! Why are you so… What happened to you!?" Panicking, Kasumi rushed to her sister's side. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Sumire's face was pale and drawn. Her whole body was listing side to side as if she may fall at any moment.
"Oh… Hey Kas…"
"What's with the awkward greeting?" Kasumi replied, growing seriously worried for her sister. "Did you mistake me for someone else? Wait… Did someone give you something weird!? You haven't done any drugs, right?"
"N-No," Sumire stuttered back to Kasumi's relief. "Nothing like that. I just umm… was doing some training."
"Here," Kasumi offered, propping up Sumire so that she wouldn't fall over. "Must have been some pretty intense training," Kasumi commented lightly as they walked along.
"T-Thank you, and yeah… It was pretty hard. But… It made me realize something."
"What's that?" Kasumi asked curiously as they paused briefly outside of Sumire's room.
"That I didn't stay in gymnastics just because of you."
"Huh?"
"I love the sport. I want to compete in it and win… But also… I want to defeat you Kasumi. The real Kasumi…"
Real Kasumi?
"Are you sure you didn't consume any suspicious substances?" Kasumi narrowed her eyes at her sister. "You're talking kind of funny."
"Ha… Sorry about that." Sumire apologized with a weak laugh. "I just… I guess I've found my own light."
"Your light, huh?" Taking another side-long glance at Sumire, Kasumi felt like she knew what Sumire meant. Even completely exhausted and barely able to stand, Kasumi could feel it. Or to be more accurate, she could feel an absence of something Kasumi had just begun to acknowledge the presence of. That shadow of doubt and fear that surrounded her. Now, to Kasumi's eyes, it had been vanquished. The sight of her sister beaming, pure happiness on her face… It was transfixing.
"Yeah… and I'm going to help you out with it Kas. I know I told you this yesterday as well… But I can really do it now. I can really help!"
"I'm sure you can," Kasumi smiled back at her, heart hurting a little as she did. "I've always known you can do anything."
"Thanks Kas… Goodnight."
"Yeah… Night Sumi." Mumbling the words, Kasumi staggered back to her own room. The whole time, Sumire's words echoed through her head. Along with that smile, that blinding smile.
Kasumi hurt as she stumbled onto her bed. She'd never felt as pathetic as she did now. Sumire had done… something. Kasumi didn't know what, but it was clear that Sumire had gone and solved her own problems. She was the exact opposite of weak Kasumi. Rather than fight for herself, Kasumi had given up and made a deal to buy her freedom.
"Thank you for trying… Sumire."
Sunday May 22nd, 20XX Morning
"Umm… Can I get that one more time? I-I don't really think I understand… I'm so sorry Senpai!" Apologizing awkwardly, Sumire shuffled from side-to-side with her head bent low. Standing above the Shibuya crosswalk, the morning sun was just peering over top of the nearby skyscrapers, illuminating the crossing beneath. Compared to weekdays, it was empty here.
Sumire already felt embarrassed enough from having arrived slightly late. Her body had been completely exhausted from the events of yesterday that she didn't even wake up to her alarm clock until Kasumi came in to complain about the noise.
"We have some time I suppose," Senpai shrugged. "We'll probably have some more as well when we're waiting inside the palace. Anyway, the basis of the plan is that Ann is going to model for Madarame's pupil, earning her entrance to his house. She'll bring Morgana in with her who will then get that door open which Ann will show to the pupil, Yusuke. Around this time, we hope Madarame will come home from his early morning interview, and find the open door changing his cognition."
"Hehe, model nude…"
"Nude…?" Sumire queried, catching unto the word. Blinking in surprise, Sumire turned her gaze to the only other girl in the group. "Oh, I didn't realize you were into that Ann-Senpai… Is that where your outfit comes from? The latex and whip?"
"W-What!? No!? Ryuji, stop spreading lies you idiot!"
"Don't hit me! It's not my fault!"
Not heeding Ryuji's denial, Ann lunged at him. With Ryuji hiding behind Senpai, the three of them darted back and forth, forcing Morgana unto Senpai's head for safety.
"Actually," Senpai chuckled, ignoring the shenanigans whirling around him. "Our outfits resemble our rebellious will. In a sense, what we imagine as the ideal thief.
"Thief?" Sumire muttered puzzled. "I don't think that's what my outfit represents though…"
"Well," Morgana clarified from on top of Joker's head, "all of our outfits awoke in response to rejecting an authority figure. Maybe yours was a little different?"
"I…" Despite knowing very little of the world that the phantom thieves used, Sumire felt the truth resonate within her at Morgana's words. "You're right… It wasn't really about trying to get back at Kobayakawa or anything for me. I was just trying to help my sister… and help myself."
Blushing Sumire paused her words as all four of them stared at her. It was a truth that she hadn't thought about in a long time.
"I was so lost for so long… It wasn't until recently that I realized I had the power to change things within me all along. I found my light, my reason, my determination to keep dancing. That's what my outfit is about."
"It's about giving hope to others…" Senpai murmured, his eyes still those unreadable black pools.
"Y-Yes," I admit weakly.
"That's awesome!" Ryuji jumped in, flashing me a thumbs-up. "It's way cooler than a certain dominatrix that I know!"
"Another word Ryuji and I will kill you this time!"
"A-Anyway," Senpai jumped in. "We need to get on the train. Our timing is pretty tight here."
"Y-Yes!" Sumire agreed following closely behind the group.
Sunday May 22nd, 20XX Morning
"Today is the day…"
Hand shivering in anticipation, Yusuke put together the materials he thought he would need. Setting his easel just right. Preparing a stool for Ann. Doing and redoing a myriad of small things, Yusuke couldn't calm down.
He could feel it. Today was the moment of truth. Yusuke would paint the masterpiece of his dreams. The piece that would rival the Sayuri in capturing true beauty.
Glancing at his phone again, Yusuke couldn't help but shoot off another message. A small query to Ann wondering when she would arrive. Her first message had said she would be here five minutes ago. After a couple of impatient seconds, Yusuke received a reply.
Five more minutes.
Setting the phone down, Yusuke cradled his head in his hands as he waited.
"This is the painting… It has to be."
Saturday May 22nd, 20XX Morning
Walking through Madarame's palace, Joker silently led them through the halls they had travelled before. When the destination became clear, they began walking side-by-side. Without noticing, Sumire took the lead, walking slightly ahead as Joker and Skull flanked her.
Casting a sidelong glance at Skull, Joker had to supress the urge to roll his eyes as he caught Skull leering at Sumire's form. Her outfit, like Panther's, was tantalizingly revealing. It fully displayed her long, toned legs that she had sculpted through years of rigorous stretching and conditioning.
Walking like this, Joker couldn't help but feel like Skull and him were bodyguards for a princess. With the difference in palettes between them, it was hard not to get that feeling.
"Wow… This place is so weird."
Nodding, Joker didn't know what to say. Rushing through the previously cleared halls, it wasn't long before they found their way to the closed off area. Those sealed doors with a peacock-esque pattern transcribed upon them.
"So… This is the place that Ann and Morgana are going to open back in the real world?" Sumire asked as the three of them came to a halt.
"You bet!" Skull nodded, flashing her a thumbs-up. Something Joker was realizing he was doing fairly frequently.
"Thanks Ryuji-Senpai!"
"You should use code names," Joker instinctively berated her. He had no idea if Morgana's reasoning mattered, but there was no harm in being safe. If the real-world could alter the palace, it only made sense that events in the palace could alter the person in the real-world. After all, that was how the change of heart was truly conducted.
"O-Oh right! Umm… What are everyone's nicknames?"
Before Joker could answer, Skull butted in. "He's Joker, I'm Skull, and the other two are Panther and Mona!"
"I-I see… And what's my name?"
"Well it's…" Faltering, Skull had no answer.
"I guess we may as well brainstorm," Joker shrugged. "We have nothing else to do except wait for them to get the door open."
"Yeah! So… Uhh… What about… Dancer?"
"Very literal," Joker murmured, "but not bad. Especially coming from you Skull."
"Damn it, Joker. Why you always got to be so ruthless in here?" Skull whined.
"You make it too easy. Anyway, what do you think?"
"Umm… It's a little… literal, no?" Sumire hesitated awkwardly.
"You can say no," Joker teased her lightly. Pausing, he took a moment to take her in. Put simply, she looked resplendent in her outfit. It was so bright that it stood out from the general tones of black and red that the rest of them had. Calling her something as simple as dancer just didn't seem right.
"Umm… Okay Senpai, then… No!"
Nodding along, Joker smiled slightly as he took another look at her outfit. Staring at her from the front for almost the first time, Joker was able to take in more details that weren't readily apparent the first time he saw her. This was also his first time he had a chance to really stare.
"S-Senpai…"
"Hmm? What's up?"
"I-It's embarrassing when you stare at me like that…"
Tilting his head, Joker smiled at the strange girl. She was shifting side-to-side, her arms crossed in front of her. He couldn't exactly not look at her though.
"Wow… what a reaction…"
"Stuff it, Skull. Besides, we still need a name…" Trailing off, Joker's smile twisted as his eyes sparkled with delight. "What about saviour?"
"Sa-Saviour?" Sumire muttered in confusion while Skull just looked lost.
The English word falling on uncomprehending ears, Joker rolled his eyes as he translated for them. "救世主."
"Whoa!? That's pretty bold!" Skull burst out. "But… It kind of fits."
"Huh?" Not expecting that response, Joker blinked in surprise.
"Saviour…" Sumire mumbled, her cheeks heating up. "Do you… Do you really think I'll be able to live up to that name?"
"W-Wait… You actually like the name!?" Completely thrown off guard, Joker didn't know what to say anymore. If Sumire wanted it, he couldn't veto the name, at the same time, he couldn't imagine saying it out loud seriously.
'Saviour, knock that enemy down!' or 'Saviour, we need healing!'
Even thinking the words made him want to chuckle. It was possible he would get used to it, but at the same time… probably not.
"O-Oh… You think I won't be able to Senpai? I see…"
"W-Wait…!" Caught on the backfoot, Joker didn't know wait to say anymore. His own joke had thoroughly backfired at this point and each second continued to wreak more havoc. "I-It's not that I don't think you can save people, it's just… The name's a bit… much, I guess?" True feelings bared; Joker waited nervously for the backlash.
"Ha… Maybe…" Sumire winced, still visibly down-trodden. "Why don't we go with Violet then? It's Sumire in English."
"Violet…" Joker turned the foreign word over in his mouth.
"Ehh? Kind of sounds like violent, don't you think?" Skull mused, scratching his head.
"…Do you want me to get violent Senpai?"
"H-Huh!? Ahh, no I just… Never mind."
"Please ignore Skull," Joker laughed quietly. "If you like Violet, then stick with it. If you want something else… that's fine too." Pausing, Joker tried to convey the fact that she could take Saviour or something else as her code name if she desired. There was no reason for her to appeal to his tastes.
"Ah no." Sumire shook her head denying him. "Now that I think about it, you're right. I don't deserve a grandiose title such as Saviour when I've done nothing yet. All I am is a flower, trying desperately to bloom and show off the true me to the world."
Smiling back at Violet's beaming expression, Joker laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll succeed, together."
"Uhh… I'm still here, you know that, right?"
Turning away from Violet, Joker faced a miffed Skull. Keeping his expression neutral, Joker simply tilted his head in query, as if not understanding the meaning to Skull's words.
"You seriously…? No, never mind. Do you think that something…?"
Like the world was listening, the gates cut Skull off by sliding open with an impressive display. The sequential movement of each successive gate creating a dizzying swirl of blue feathers.
"Beautiful…"
Silently nodding his agreement, Joker couldn't help but wonder if the door was from a time before Madarame fell into corruption. It was just so radically different from the rest of his palace so far with the abundant gold and identical portraits.
"What we waiting for?" Skull yawned, not impressed at all. "Let's turn that security off."
"Yes," Joker nodded heading off quickly down the corridor. He got the feeling they really didn't want to be caught inside the corridor when Madarame got the door closed again. "The room should be just… Damn it."
Swearing quietly, Joker hid along the wall, staring daggers at the security guard that wasn't budging. There was one way in, one way out. They also didn't have time to try anything else.
"Looks like we're in for a fight. Violet, just stay calm and trust yourself. You can do this."
"I know Senpai. I want you to rely on me."
"…?" Taking a quick glance at her from the corner of his vision, Joker didn't question the strange wording. Jumping from cover, Joker dashed to the alert guard. There was no point in trying to surprise it, the guard didn't have a reliable blind-spot to approach from.
"You dare infiltrate my Lord Madarame's beautiful museum!? Die thieves!" Yelling out, the guard's outward appearance melted away in a manner that Joker was becoming increasingly familiar with. In its place, rose up a monster. It was some strange amalgamation of different animal parts. Its head resembled a monkey, while it had the legs of a tiger and the body of something Joker couldn't identify.
"Oh my god… You weren't kidding about the monster part, huh?" Sumire mumbled, freezing slightly.
"Not at all," Joker smirked. Casting a careful eye over her, he wanted to make sure that she didn't freeze. While she had proven her power against the shadow of her sister yesterday, Joker understood how different this was. Then she had been proving something to herself, now this security was just a random monster that she had to kill.
"Let's hurry up and beat the shit out of it," Skull tsked. Taking his own advice, Skull called forth his persona to rain lightning down over the creature's head.
"For Madarame!" Crying out, the beast released a wave of curse energy over the three of them. Gritting his teeth, Joker rode out the wave, feeling only a sliver of his life drain away from the attack.
"Gah!" Crying out in pain, Violet collapsed to the ground. Her face was trapped in a rictus of pain from the attack that clearly injured her a lot more than either of the boys.
"Hang in there, Violet!" Joker cried out. Before the words were even finished, the security guard took advantage of the distraction to attack again. Leaping forward, the beast attacked with a physical move. The powerful blow knocked Joker slightly off balance as he stumbled, fighting to stay upright.
"You… Will not hurt Senpai!" Crying out, Violet pulled herself back to her feet. "Come, Jeanne!"
For the second time, Joker felt that golden light wash over his body. Breathing a sigh of relief, he felt some of the stamina that the shadow had drained away return. Casting an appraising look at Violet, Joker looked for any indication of a secondary effect. While he had been under considerable distress last time, he would have sworn that the ability had increased Sumire's strength. This time though… It didn't look that way. If anything, she looked faster now, slightly lighter on her feet.
"Jack Frost!" Unable to lounge around any longer and think, Joker used his go to persona to unleash its devastating ice move against the shadow.
"Haha…" Chuckling, the monster barely flinched under the assault.
"Tch, looks like ice is out then."
"Maybe," Skull smirked. "But what about good ol' trusty lead!" Whipping out his shotgun, Skull buried both blasts in the monster's face.
"Gragh!" Crying in pain, the monster retaliated, landing a blow against Skull. With his considerable vitality, Joker wasn't worried about him. That's what Skull was there for, taking hits.
"Try hitting it with an offensive move this time!" Joker called out to Violet, instructing her in combat.
"Umm… Yes Senpai! A-Alright… Let's do this Jeanne, Hama!"
"Ha! Your paltry attacks will never..."
With a slight flash, the shadow was cut off in the middle of its sentence. Its entire essence appeared to have been deleted by the holy symbol Violet summoned under its feet.
"W-What the hell!?" Skull screeched. "How strong are you!?"
"Umm… S-Sorry?"
"Don't apologize," Joker sighed shaking his head at her. "You did well." Ruffling her hair as he went by, Joker took a final look at where the guard used to be. "My guess is that it's an insta-kill technique. Further testing is obviously required, but to me at least, it looked like she exorcised the shadow."
"I… I think you're right Senpai." Violet agreed after coming to her senses. "It had a long activation time, so most shadows will probably be able to dodge it."
"I agree," Joker nodded confidently, positive that they had put the truth together. "Despite its limitations it will still be plenty useful, as you demonstrated."
"T-Thank you Senpai! I'm so glad I was able to help!"
"So you mean we won't be able to just blow up everything we find from now on?" Skull sighed dejected. "Went and got my hopes up for nothing…"
"Oh, come on," Joker teased him. "Wouldn't you get tired of leaving all the work to Violet after a while anyway?"
"Hmm… True. I got to say, fighting here is awesome. Reminds me of the thrill of my track days."
"…"
With no reply, the mood grew somber. Clearing his throat, Joker led the two of them into the security room. With a few keystrokes, Joker successfully deactivated the security system.
"I hate to say it…" Violet broke in cautiously. "But won't they just turn it back on the moment we leave?"
"Uhh…"
"W-Wait, you didn't think about this!?" Violet shouted in surprise.
Joker blushed awkwardly at the criticism. It seemed so obvious now that she pointed out. Why wouldn't the other guards just turn it back on? Except… They'd never encountered anything like that during their forays into palaces so far.
"I think… we will be okay." Taking a moment to compose his thoughts, Joker explained. "We've changed Madarame's cognition that the door is openable. Furthermore, we've defeated the shadow in here that guarded the operation of the security for the garden path. With both of those done, it will no longer be an inaccessible path because Madarame's cognition should have been permanently changed to register the fact that it is possible to get through that door."
"Wow… You're so smart Senpai… When you put it like that even someone like me can understand it!"
"B-But I still don't understand…"
"Don't worry about it, Skull," Joker soothed him with a clap on the back. "Let's return to the entrance and wait for Panther and Mona."
"Oh yeah! Are we doing more infiltrating today!?"
"I'd like to. After all, we're completely fresh. No reason to waste an entire day only getting through the door."
"That's what I like to hear!"
"Hehe, this is quite exciting, isn't it?" Violet added on, sharing a smile with the boys.
Joker was glad she was quickly warming up to them. The metaverse seemed to do that. After having taken down Kamoshida together, Joker could feel the bonds between himself and the other thieves had grown a lot thicker. Or it could have just been from escaping near death situations multiple times.
"Huh?" Musing interrupted by a splitting sound; Joker looked up in astonishment as Mona fell from the sky right in front of them. Quickly following him were two more shapes. Panther and Yusuke. For some reason, Yusuke's arms were wrapped protectively around her. It didn't nothing to help him however as his personaless body was crushed under the force from the fall and trying to hold someone's body.
"…What the hell?"
With Skull echoing his thoughts perfectly, Joker scratched his head as he approached. "So… What led to this?"
"Hey!? Where are you touching!? Get off of me!" Ignoring his question, Panther first dealt with her own situation. Shoving Yusuke back to the ground, his head let out an ominous thump as she smashed it into the ground in her efforts to disentangle herself.
"Well?" Asking the question, Joker was glad that his voice sounded a lot calmer than he was feeling. Having Yusuke follow them into the metaverse was extremely dangerous. Never mind how they managed to drop halfway into the palace itself, this could spell disaster for their group.
"Urgh… Hey, the plan worked!" Mona crowed in satisfaction as he picked himself off the ground.
"Yes… Now why is he here?"
"Oh… Kind of followed us as we were running away…" Panther admitted awkwardly as she also climbed to her feet.
"Will he rat us out?" Joker asked, glancing between the two of them.
"No," Panther answered instantly shaking her head. "We discovered Madarame's treachery together. He's selling forgeries of the Sayuri for money."
"…I see." Turning to Yusuke, Joker paused for a moment as the boy picked himself off the floor. His tall, lithe body overshadowing all of them as he drew himself to his full height. "Well, what do you want to do with Madarame?"
"Do…?" The boy mumbled back clearly in shock. "W-Where are we?"
Rubbing his head, Joker realized he had started far too fast for a newbie to the metaverse. Having just explained the basics to Sumire this morning, Joker quickly recapped where they were, and what it all meant.
"Inside… Sensei's heart? This repulsive place… I can't believe it…"
"We should take him outside since he can't fight… Right, Senpai?"
Nodding to Violet's question, Joker waved an arm and set off for the entrance. The museum sounded thankfully empty. While this would disrupt their exploration slightly for the day, it shouldn't be too bad. Drop Yusuke off in the real world and continue from here.
Going back through the palace, Yusuke continued to grow more and more outraged as truths were laid bare before him. The repetitive paintings that showed the depth of Madarame's current talent. All his pupils that were no more than pieces to him. Yusuke's eyes were glowing with an indignant pride. The pride of an artist realizing the one they had looked up for their entire life was nothing more than a fraud. A man who took no pride or joy in the creations of his pupils, merely a perverse satisfaction in making money off them.
"This statue… I can't believe it…"
They had finally returned to near the infiltration point. Standing in the main entrance way in all of its glory was the fountain of youth. A continuous spiral of fresh, young artists that Madarame took advantage of to create his exhibitions and masterpieces.
Lowering his eyes from the sight, Joker had nothing to say to comfort the boy that had repeatedly driven them away. While Joker felt no camaraderie with him, his heart still went out to the boy who was undergoing a horrible series of realizations. The inescapable truth laid bare to his eyes. No longer could Yusuke hide from it.
"What of it?" A voice sneered. Walking down the ramp above them, Madarame was followed by two security guards. Joker realized it was his first time laying eyes on the shadow. It was as ugly, no, probably even uglier than Joker would have guessed based on the museum's appearance. While the strictly gold attire wasn't surprising, the long decorative crane's head sticking out of the top seemed a little excessive.
"S-Sensei!?"
"Ah, Yusuke… My favorite pupil. It really was a stroke of luck that you turned out to be so talented."
"How dare you!? I trusted you! I defended you!"
"Hmm… It sounds like you've been broken like the rest. No matter, guards, eliminate these thieves in my museum!"
"NO!" Yusuke yelled, stopping everyone in their tracks. "You trod on dozens of lives, ruining their goals and aspirations! If that wasn't enough, you defiled your own masterpiece, copying it and selling off replicas for profit.
"For too long I blinded myself and looked away from the truth, but no longer! This is the end for you Sensei… No, Madarame! With my clear vision I will pursue true beauty with a clear mind!"
"Tsk, impertinent brat! Guards, get him!"
"Grahh!" Letting out a scream, Yusuke fell to one knee, cradling his head as his outfit shifted. A shockwave of force emanating form him, preventing anyone from getting close.
"W-What's happening!?" Violet asked worried.
"You don't recognize it from yesterday?" Joker teased. "He is awakening to his persona."
"Ah… Not fun…" Violet murmured in sympathy.
Turning back to him, Joker understood why. Yusuke was leaving a stomach-churning sight behind as he scraped his hands roughly over the stone floor, four streaks of blood following his fingers. Even that pain though was no doubt inconsequential to the voice echoing inside his head.
"Come, Goemon!"
"Let's go," Joker smirked as the contract between them was finalized. "Violet, Panther with me. Skull and Mona, provide back-up and prepare to switch in."
"You got it!"
"Imitations they may be, but together they make a fine spectacle… Though flowers of evil blossom, be it known… Abominations are fated to perish!"
"Kill him already!" Madarame whined to his stricken guards.
True to Joker's predictions, they morphed into shadows and began to attack. "Are you ready for this?"
"Of course! No matter what it takes… I will bring him to justice!"
"That's what I like to hear. Keep a cool head and follow my instructions." Leaving it at that, Joker turned his gaze to the rapidly encroaching shadows. There were five in all. Four were copies of each other that Joker recognized from the palace. The last was larger and lumbered slightly behind. Even from this distance, Joker could tell that it was tough, and would hit hard with physical moves.
Turning back to the other four that were swarming, a large smile grew on Joker's face. "Jack Frost!" Releasing a wave of cold over them, all four of the small ones hit the ground, the ice attack penetrating their defenses.
"Amazing Senpai!"
"Good thinking Joker."
Not bothering to respond, Joker followed it up with a second wave of ice. To the already injured foes, the damage took most of the shadows' rapidly draining stamina. A stiff breeze should be enough to take them out.
"Panther, lower the big one's attack! Sumire, try your magic. Yusuke… impress me."
"Hee, as you wish." Smirking back at Joker, Yusuke prepared himself. With a stylish flourish, he summoned his new persona. It struck forward with its blade at the large shadow in the center that ice hadn't felled. The attack did decent damage. With Panther following up, the shadow's aura of decimation faded slightly, its power reduced.
"I'll do my best Senpai!" Brandishing her own mask, Sumire called forth her persona and used another move that Joker hadn't seen before. Rather than the circle of destruction from before, these were rays of light. Each one striking an opponent. With the damage added on top of what joker had done earlier, the four bird-like shadows burst into pieces, their final stamina drained, returning them to the sea of souls.
"Grr!" Seemingly upset that it was alone already and it hadn't gotten to attack even once, the shadow slammed its hammer against the ground. Not in an attack, but Joker could its aura of power returning, offsetting the effect Panther applied.
"If that's what it wants to do…" Shrugging, Joker led his party forward to attack it. One after another, their attacks rained down upon the shadow that was now hopelessly outnumbered. In short order it was destroyed, having not even gotten an attack off against them.
"It seems like Madarame fled…" Skull noted as he returned from where he had been resting.
"You didn't notice?" Mona scolded him. "He ditched as soon as Joker wiped the floor of his goons."
Smirking at the praise, Joker tried to reign in his cockiness as Yusuke collapsed to the floor, the fading adrenaline rush leaving him weak. His soul still desperately calling out for Madarame to return so that Yusuke could reap justice upon him.
"Let's get out of here. We have some explaining to do… And a plan to make."
"""Yes!"""
Sunday May 22nd, 20XX Afternoon
"Why are we meeting again? You know Kichijoji isn't exactly next to my house."
The detective's face didn't change expression as he patiently withstood Kasumi's assault, to her disappointment. Pulling up a chair she angrily sat down and waited for his explanation. The café was exactly as she remembered it last time. They were even sitting in the same chairs around the same table.
"Straight to business as usual with you, Huh? You need to learn…" Trailing off, Akechi's expression morphed from his typical detective prince outlook into the one Kasumi had begun to understand as his true personality. "My my, quite the change to see you with your hair down. Could it be you're trying to impress a boy you fancy?"
"You wish," Kasumi spat back narrowing her eyes at Akechi. "I was using my day off to get my hair cut. Not everything is about you."
"Uh huh. You're getting better I see, that lie was almost believable."
"I'm not… Ugh, you're impossible. Is that why you called me out here? To make fun of me?"
"You don't enjoy it?" Akechi answered with a small, fake pout. "Many girls would pay dearly to find themselves in a chair across from me at a café. Trust me, I've read the forums about how much they would be willing to pay to go on a date with me."
"Is that what you think this is? A date!?" For some reason, Kasumi found her temper fraying already. Akechi was being almost civil compared to some days. Even so, Kasumi was moments away from screaming at him and exiting the café.
"Isn't it? After all, we are a boy and girl of similar age, hanging out together. What else would you call it?"
"A client meeting with her obnoxious aide." Kasumi quipped back instantly. "Clearly you haven't learned the difference between professional and personal acquaintances."
"…"
For the first time since they'd begun these meetings and bandying words back and worth, Kasumi felt like she had gotten the upper hand. While Akechi tried to hide it, his eyes simmered with resentment, and just a touch of embarrassment.
"Hmm… I see you have sharpened your tongue, but not your wit."
"Huh?"
"This can't be a professional meeting, because there is no trail of paper indicating an official arrangement between us. All you have is my word that I'll help you." Pausing, Akechi leaned forward over the table to get closer to Kasumi. "So, if someone you know sees you with me. Then you will tell them that this is a date, yes?"
"…Fuck off." Blushing with embarrassment, Kasumi stood up. She couldn't deal with Akechi's bullshit, not today. She had better things to be doing than getting harassed.
"If you leave, our deal's off," Akechi warned as Kasumi tuned to do just that.
"…You wouldn't."
"Oh, I absolutely would. I get very little from our arrangement. The information you provide me with is nothing more than a curiosity, while without my services you are in a world of trouble. Do you understand now little girl why I'm the detective here? And why you do what I say?"
"Tch," blushing profusely, Kasumi sat down back in the chair with a thud. Averting her gaze from Akechi she stared out the terrace to where shoppers were conglomerating, moving back and forth as they browsed the interesting stores in this area. Kasumi barely understood how he did it. How every time she felt she was getting used to his banter, to finally holding the upper hand, he flipped it around.
"Much better. Things will go far better for you if you sit still and obey my every whim."
Looking out of her peripherals, Kasumi watched aghast as Akechi stretched his hand out and stroked it once through her hair. Even without making contact with her skin, Kasumi shuddered under his touch. Once again, the anger rose within her. Glaring at Akechi, she gave him her own ultimatum. "I understand how helpful you are Mr. Detective, but get no delusions that I'll become your willing slave as you exert your pressure to continue blackmailing me."
"Hmm, so it seems I've found your limit."
"…What?"
"My words, no matter how sharp aren't enough to reach the limit of what you are willing to sacrifice for my help. The mere thought of me touching though… Appears to awaken something within you."
"A-Awaken!? What are you blabbering about?"
"Nothing," Akechi responded with a knowing smile.
Crossing her arms, Kasumi shifted uncomfortably on the chair. She didn't like the knowing look in Akechi's eyes. As if he had discovered a new and interesting toy to play with.
"This 'limit' we will call it, exists for every person. You need to find Kobayakawa's."
"We already discussed this," Kasumi growled at the detective, thinking back to their last meeting. "I have an appointment with him at school on Wednesday. Trust me, I can handle that bully of a principal."
"That's why I called this meeting, to make sure that you can."
"Tck, you could have just asked last time!"
"You needed time to digest the plan and understand how much rides on your success in this endeavour."
"I know, I know!" Kasumi burst out, clenching her fists in anger. "I need to get him to hit me so that you can arrest him on my claim. From there, you will extract a confession from him to blackmailing a student, as well as collaboration with Kamoshida. After this, you will arrange a talk show to build on your current fame and claim that this whole time I was acting as your disciple and my appearances were bait to force Kobayakawa's hand. I get it."
"Say it a little louder why don't you," Akechi glared, "I'm sure there are some people in China that didn't hear you."
"Oops," flushing under his hard gaze, Kasumi took quick glances from side to side. Despite Akechi's reaction, Kasumi couldn't see a single patron that seemed to have heard them or was paying attention.
"Whatever. Now, what advantages do you have on Kobayakawa?"
"Advantages…" Drawing out the word, Kasumi thought it over. However, nothing was really coming to mind. She had no advantages. Kobayakawa had an inescapable grip on her as soon as that first interview aired. Opening her mouth to say such, Kasumi closed it again as she stared into Akechi's expectant eyes, eyes that were waiting for her failure.
Staring into the black surface of Akechi's coffee, Kasumi wondered if that was really true. After all… "Limits." Eyes lighting up, Kasumi looked up to stare triumphantly at Akechi. "I have no need to treat him as a principal. He can't retaliate without risk of having me break off the agreement and deal with the backlash to the best of my ability. Plus, he had put me in a position where I can fairly easily get another public appearance. If I use it to admit to being blackmailed and lay the blame on him, we won't recover either."
"Precisely," Akechi nods, his face an unreadable mask. "In a sense, you can saunter into his office and freely insult him. Call him by his first name, or even a nickname. He'll threaten to punish you, and you threaten to quit. Claim it isn't worth it anymore."
Kasumi nodded idly, listening with only one ear. Thinking about it, she realized she had done something similar the last time she had talked to the principal. Threatened him and stormed out without permission. Like Akechi said, no punishment had come to her because of it.
"You need to convince him of it. There is no room for slip-ups. As soon as the principal figures out what you're doing, or calls your bluff, you're finished. He will tighten the noose around your neck even more if he realizes how much your public standing means to you."
"I get that…" Kasumi whispers. "How… How do I get him to hit me? And why, I didn't really understand that part."
"Oh? Akechi smirks. "Admitting you don't know something. What's next, the sun rising in the West?"
"Insufferable man…" Kasumi muttered to herself, looking away as she blushed again. Kasumi hated that she always lost control of her cheeks during these conversations.
"Such an obvious thing as well…"
"Are you going to tell me?"
"I need a crime." Akechi answered simply, raising his hands in defeat.
"Extortion is already a crime, genius." Kasumi glared at Akechi. "Why do we need a second?"
"Physical abuse is more eye grabbing," Akechi sighed as he rolled his eyes. "We need the public to be sympathetic of you. Somehow, I doubt, 'I lied to maintain my honor's status' is going to garner much sympathy.
"What you need is to set Kobayakawa up as the ringmaster of everything. Abuse, Kamoshida, extortion, you'll become an even bigger public hero. …As my disciple of course."
"Of course," Kasumi sighed. "After all, I'm nothing more than the pawn you used to take down the ringleader behind the Shujin crimes, isn't that right?"
"Without a doubt." Akechi smiled haughtily. "Now, run through with me what you're going to say to Kobayakawa."
Taking a deep breath, Kasumi tried to compose herself. Even as she mentally overlapped Kobayakawa with Akechi in front of her, it didn't help. The detective's eyes were far cleverer, and in many ways, crueler as well.
Sunday May 22nd, 20XX Afternoon
"…And that about sums it up." Ren finished his long monologue while once again leaning against the railing above Shibuya crossing. They couldn't exactly stay right outside Madarame's house after he had threatened to sue both Yusuke and Ann.
"I see…"
"Do you though?"
"…Not really," Yusuke admitted wincing. Pulling himself to his feet, Yusuke stared Ren in the eye. "Please let me join you. I want to change Sensei's heart!"
"Of course," Ren answered easily, not surprised in the slightest by the demand. "We need to stop him before he ruins Ann's and your lives. However, before we do so, we need to plan out our days carefully."
"Yeah, we need to take care of Kobayakawa first!" Sumire reminded them, sounding very defensive as she did so.
Unable to resist, Ren ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to Kasumi."
"S-Senpai, y-you shouldn't just touch people like that…"
Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Sumire's face wore a happy look that was completely different from her words. "A-Anyway, I want to deal with Kobayakawa this week."
"W-What!?"
"That's impossible!"
"Don't you remember how many times we had to enter Kamoshida's!?"
Waiting for a couple seconds for the instant dissent to die down, Joker explained his thinking. "We have six people now. Reasonably, only four of us can fight at any one time. This should give us the additional energy we require to carve a large path through the palaces. With having two at the same time, we don't have a lot of time to take this slow. I was thinking, Tuesday and Wednesday in Kobayakawa's. We send the calling card Saturday morning, and do the change after school."
"I mean… It sounds feasible when you say it like that, but still… Three days in a palace?" Panther replied uncertainly.
Seeing the uncertain faces, Joker just shrugged. "To put it simply, we have a deadline of June 5th to deal with Madarame. That means changing his heart by the fourth. That's the Saturday after next. If we don't deal with Kobayakawa by this Saturday, then we'll have both palaces to do in one week."
"Oh shit…"
"When you put is like that there really is no other option, is there?" Mona chuckles weakly, his usual bravado missing.
"I like the plan Senpai!" Sumire stood up for Ren, walking closer to him until their shoulders were almost touching, the two of them staring down the others. "If you want, I can go in some other days as well and do solo investigating."
"Too dangerous," Ren denied immediately. Thinking it over, a small smile played across his lips. "However, I suppose the two of us can always go if the others are tired."
"Like hell!"
"I'm not that weak!"
"You have saved me in my hour of need. I will not turn my back on you when you need help!" Yusuke dramatically declared, bringing that discussion to a close.
"So, the timeline for this week is settled then. Is there anything else we need to do before breaking for the day?"
"Yeah," Ann frowned. "What if Kobayakawa has an unopenable door? Won't that screw up everything?"
"It would…" Ren agreed tentatively. "However… I doubt it. After all, it is the school that has been transformed in his palace. There is no room there that only he can enter. Also, the distortion seems to be one of power. If you prove yourself strong enough, you can challenge him for rule of the playground."
"Oh, like King of the Hill!" Ann broke in excitedly, snapping her fingers as memories of playing the game seemed to flash before her eyes. "That makes sense!"
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, what are we doing for the calling card again, posting it around the school?" Ryuji asked.
"That is a problem we kind of ignored," Mona sighed. "It would suck if the school started being watched. It would become almost impossible to do anything."
"Well, only the person being changed needs to see it, right?" Sumire asked.
"That's correct."
"Then why don't we sneak it onto his desk. When he walks into his office Saturday morning, he'll be shocked to see it there!"
"How do you plan on accomplishing that though?" Yusuke asked doubtfully. "It is no simple matter to break unnoticed into the principal's office."
Yusuke's words put a damper on the conversation. Ren bent his head, going through possibilities in his head. Ever since awakening to his power of persona, Ren had begun to notice how lacking he was in certain areas. Yet again it seemed to be striking as his brain refused to solve the issue before him.
"Why not just let Morgana pick it again," Ann suggested like it was no big issue. "Show up early, waltz in and waltz out with no one any the wiser."
"Could work…" Ren mumbled, still lost in thought. "Dangerous though. Prone to failure."
"That office has a window," Sumire suggested, seeming to hide within herself a little even as she spoke. "I-I'm not sure if it will help…"
"A window, a window… Hey Morgana, do you think you can climb the outer wall to the window and get in?"
"Hmpf, what to you take me for! That'll be child's play!" The cat sniffed back disdainfully.
"You're being serious, right?" Ren queried, locking eyes with Morgana. "I can't make a plan built on you getting through a window if you can't actually get through it."
"W-Well… How high is it again?"
"Third floor." Sumire answered instantly. Ren got the impression she'd been there quite a few times.
"Could just throw him, yeah?" Ryuji offered with a happy smile. "What's the worst that can happen?"
"I am not a toy!" Morgana protested.
"Actually though," Ren found himself nodding in agreement with Ryuji's idea. "I like it. You'll be safe falling from that height. With a good toss to start you off, it should be pretty easy for you to get in through an open window."
"But why would the window be open?" Yusuke frowned, poking another hole in the plan. "Would not the principal shut it before he leaves?"
"Not if the A/C isn't working," Ren suggested with a nasty smile, calling upon his more carefree Joker personality to carry the conversation. "The system must have an exhaust somewhere, correct?"
"You're right Senpai." Sumire nodded along happily. "I think it's on the roof."
"A place no one goes and is left unlocked, perfect." Joker nodded as the plan slowly came together. "I guess, the only issue is if the Principal closes it as he is leaving the school. Any ideas on how to stop that?"
"Throw Morgana again?" Ryuji suggested happily.
"Ugh, as much as I hate the oaf's tone, he is probably right," Morgana admitted with a glare a Ryuji. "I can jam it open with a rock or something."
"Sounds like we have a plan then," Ren smirked, adrenaline coursing through him. "It will be our first heist in the real world."
"You bet it!"
"Now we just need to make the metaverse side work…"
Sharing one last smile, the group broke up and dissipated with the exception of Ren and Morgana. Standing atop the crossing, Ren waited for the politician he remembered to show up and begin speaking. There was a deal he wanted to make.
Tuesday May 24th, 20XX After school
"Wow, you even have a tail… I didn't notice before…" Walking around Yusuke, Violet poked at the tail that came off his outfit. "So, your rebellious will… Is a fox?"
"Guh!" Snorting loudly, Skull tried to hide his guffaws behind a hastily risen hand.
"How cold…"
"Ah, s-sorry," Violet apologized instinctively. Blushing, she looked away from the group. She had no idea what she was doing. When she entered this world though… She just felt so much more confident. Able to speak her mind without worrying about the repercussions.
"She does have a point though," Panther laughed.
"She does… Are you alright with Fox for your codename?"
"Fox…? I would have preferred something like Davinci, but I suppose this will do."
"Yeah, no way in hell that was happening!" Skull informed him with a clap on the back.
"Our animal line-up expands," Joker comments casually.
"You're right," Violet tags on, nodding to Senpai's words. "We have three now."
"Yeah, true!" Panther nods along as well. "Panther, Fox, and Mona!"
"W-Wait, why am I getting added to this!?" Mona moans dejectedly.
With the group sharing a small laugh, the atmosphere quickly grew tenser. While they had a safe path through the first floor, there were supposed to be six more after it. Violet couldn't help but shiver as she thought back to the gang that had accosted her. Fighting through six more of those would be no easy feat.
Running through the first floor, Violet followed along near the back. While she had thought she would be the most familiar with the layout, Senpai took every turn without asking for directions. It was like he could see every corner in his mind and knew exactly where the stairs from before would be. Moving at this pace, it was only a couple minutes before Senpai slowed to a jog, the bright red stairs right in front of them.
Shivering from the memories, Violet climbed them cautiously, the doors still flung wide open from last time. As they entered, Violet froze in place, expecting shadow Kasumi to make another appearance. After a few seconds however, neither she nor the shadow of Sumire appeared.
"So far so good…" Joker muttered, his thoughts in line with Violet's.
Nodding silently behind him, she didn't say anything and no one else broke the tension in the group.
"There's a big room a few hallways to the north of here. It seems to be where the second group resides."
"How do you know this?" Violet was forced to ask at this point. "You've never been past here, right?"
"We have a map," Joker teased, flashing a shoddy piece of parchment before her eyes. "Unfortunately, it doesn't do any of the further up floors."
Accepting the terms, Violet still wasn't satisfied. Senpai had spoken extremely confidently for someone that hadn't even been looking at the map at the time. Also, his familiarity with the first floor wasn't one of someone that studied a map of the place.
"A shadow is coming."
"Huh?" Broken out her thoughts, Violet blinked in confusion with the rest of them. While she finally knew what they meant by a shadow after being in Madarame's palace, she was shocked there was one here. After all, she hadn't seen anything like the mass-produced security guards here.
As Joker waved them to the hallway corner, Violet surreptitiously looked around. True to his word, a figure rounded the corner and approached them soon after. As it resolved from the still heavy darkness that coated this floor, Violet was shocked to realize that she recognized the downcast figure. It was a teacher. Carrying a clipboard, their face was shadowy and unresolved, a mask hiding any features that may lurk beneath.
"These must be the monitors that the first-floor group spoke of," Senpai whispered to anyone in earshot.
"Are we fighting?" Violet asked, half nervous, half excited. It was just like before a routine, Violet could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, giving her the ability to perform at her best.
Not like I ever did…
"Grr…" Growling to herself, Violet quickly shook her head and cleared the thought away. Rather than clinging on and dragging her down as they used to, she saw the way forward clearly. She, Violet, had underperformed numerous times in the past. But that's all it was, past results. Moving forward she would no longer let weak mental fortitude stop her from rivalling Kasumi.
"Let's go."
Caught slightly off guard, Violet was glad her body reacted perfectly, shooting from cover as Senpai leapt on the shadow, ripping its mask off. The teacher-esque disguise vaporized before her eyes, in its place a trio of monsters took form. Each one resembled a dice, one of the sides containing a large eye that rolled around, staring listlessly a the environments.
"Ugh, creepy," Panther commented.
"You got that right!" Skull jeered, stepping up as their first member.
Violet looked to the back where Mona was instructing Fox on what was happening at the fight would go down.
That should be my place.
Rapier shaking slightly as she drew it, Violet couldn't help but feel slightly unprepared for the roll that had been thrust on her. She could tell that Senpai was including her in these fights to get her as much experience as possible. Yet, this was only her second time with the phantom thieves. The first she had barely done anything.
"Seriously?" Joker scoffed. "A bunch of weaklings. AOE attacks everyone." Following his own advice, Joker summoned his persona that unleashed a wave of ice at them.
Not to be outdone, Violet ripped off her own mask. She may be new at this, but she wasn't about to hold Senpai back. If he wanted to clear the last six floors in two days, Violet would give everything she had to make that happen. "Jeanne!" With her persona appearing, clad in golden light, Violet instantly felt more relaxed. Her persona looked so strong, so regal, that Violet struggled to understand how it had come from her heart. Her believes.
But… "I will be worthy of you… Go!" Waving her hand, Violet commanded Jeanne to release that wave of white light over the enemies like she had in the fight against Madarame's guards. "…Huh?" Blinking in confusion, Violet was surprised to find the three enemies' keel over to the ground. Instinctively, Violet could tell that she'd done something important. Her attack had done… something, that Senpai's hadn't.
"Oh yeah! Pass ii over here!" Skull called.
"Do it," Senpai agreed in a commanding tone.
"U-Umm, alright!" Unsure of exactly what she was doing, Violet raised a shaky hand just in time for Skull to jump past her with a giant high-five. Shaking her hand in pain, Violet watched wide-eyed as Skull called forth his persona and ripped the last life from the shadows with a storm of lightning bolts. "Amazing Senpai! What a powerful attack!"
"Hehe, I know right!? Aren't I awesome!?" Skull preened under the compliment.
"Stuff it," Joker sighed. "That's what we call a baton pass. Each shadow and persona has it's own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Violet, here your persona's speciality, those light-based attacks hit these shadows weakness. Just like the security guard we fought on Sunday hit your weakness with its dark attack.
"When you strike a weakness, it… I'm not quite sure exactly what happens but it opens up the person who did it to another action. One of those actions is what we call a baton pass. It passes that extra action to another party member and powers them up."
"O-Ohh… I don't get it."
"Which part?" Senpai asked patiently as they started down the corridor again.
"W-Well… This whole weakness thing. What does it mean to be weak to something?"
"Like the basis for it?" Joker asked. "That I don't know. "I can only imagine that it has to do this the persona and their energy that they summon. For example, the persona I'm using right now, Jack frost, uses ice magic to attack. As a result, he is resistant to ice damage but weak to fire. …Make sense?"
"Y-Yes Senpai. I guess my question was kind of… Like back in the real world, lightning or fire would both hurt. It's not like I resist one or the other. So…"
"So why don't they kill us here? That one's easy. Our personas protect us and provide us with power. They're the reason why we can perform amazing physical feats here and endure attacks from shadows."
"O-Ohh… Sorry." Slightly abashed, Violet blushed from not figuring that out herself. Once Senpai put it into words, it seemed obvious where their power was coming from.
"It's more than alright."
After that, conversation died yet again as they continued on. With a fight beneath her belt, Violet felt more at ease with the group as she continued along. Sneaking past another monitor, Senpai didn't look eager to engage it in combat. Maybe he considered them too weak to bother with.
"Are those… classrooms?"
At Panther's mumbled words, everyone stopped and looked inside. Indeed, off of the hallway were classroom door like structures. Looking through one of the windows, Violet was shocked to see, rather than a normal classroom, it looked like a boxing ring. Faceless children were watching and jeering as a pair of students wailed on each other. Bare fists sending trails of blood flying through the air. After one particularly vicious blow, one of the figures fell to the ground. Rather than end the match, the winner bent down and did something out of sight. A few seconds later they stood up, a pair of pants gripped victoriously in their hands.
"This is horrible…"
"We… We have to do something!" Violet cried, looking desperately at Senpai. To her shock though, he shook his head.
"They are just cognitive beings, they don't really exist, we need to keep moving."
"B-But!"
"Violet." Laying a hand on her shoulder, Joker locked gazes with her. "I am not abandoning anyone. This isn't actually happening in the classrooms. The students are fine."
"Y-Yes… Sorry Senpai."
"It's fine. Let's keep going."
Staggering along, Violet couldn't wrap her head around what she had seen. If Senpais' explanation of palaces was to be believed, then that was how Kobayakawa viewed the classrooms. As places where students competed against each other, competing to see who would be the bully and who would be the victim. It made no sense. How could someone have such a distorted view of reality?
"We're here…"
Forced back to the present, Violet, once again, shadowed Senpai cautiously as he glanced around a corner into a larger room.
"They're here, let's go."
With no more warning, Joker strode forward out of sight. "Grr…" Growling at the impatient man, Violet dashed after him. Or was panning on it. When she saw into the room however, her legs froze. It was a gymnasium. Or similar to one. The entire floor was coated in hard cushions. Softer than hardwood and considerably more comfortable to fall onto. At the halfway point between them and the other side was a line of balls. There was really only one explanation for the setup. "…Dodgeball."
"Oh, hell yeah!" Skull cheered excitedly. "I could get down for some dodgeball."
"We aren't actually playing," Panther scolded him, rolling her eyes.
""We aren't?" Violet and Skull talked on top of each other in confusion.
"B-But how are we going to get the key to up without beating them at their game!?" Following it up with another question, Violet didn't understand. She had to surpass the Fearsome Five twice to get the card to the second floor. Sumire had expected it to be the same here.
"We beat the shit out of them of course," Panther answered with a nasty smile as she strode forward.
"O-Oh…" All of a sudden, Violet figured out where they had gotten that map from. No wonder they didn't encounter the fearsome five wandering the first floor.
"Muwahaha, you dare challenge us intruders!? We are the slippery six! Never before was anyone landed a blow on us. Our moves shall leave you speechless as…"
Bang!
"W-What the hell man, you shot him!?"
"Give us the pass to the third floor and the map you possess," Joker commanded turning his smoking gun on the leader from his fallen comrade.
While the move didn't sit quite right with Violet, she couldn't deny the efficiency of his actions. Besides, if they really were composed of those monsters then… Any sympathy she felt began to fade.
"Urgh… Uhh… You know I would give you the map but…"
"But what!?"
"I-it doesn't appear until one team has been eliminated!" one of the others complained.
"…That makes things easy, doesn't it?" Joker commented, throwing a sly smile back at the group.
"Y-Yes Senpai." Not wanting to disappoint, Sumire stepped forward as well, drawing her gun with the others. To her untrained eye, it resembled Senpai's except her gun had more silver accents. Pulling the trigger with the rest of them, the slippery six dissolved into dark energy in no time.
"And there they are," Senpai pointed out happily as a pedestal rose in the middle of the gym floor. Going over to it, it seemed like the contents satisfied all of Joker's conditions. "let's go, third floor time."
"Doesn't it feel… Like we're cheating?" Violet asked guiltily as they ran along. "I mean… I don't know."
"Oh yeah!" Panther remembered, "you must have played by the rules on the first floor, yeah?"
"Y-Yes Panther-senpai… I assembled a puzzle faster and won at an obstacle course."
"All without a persona? That's amazing!"
"T-Thank you for your kind words. I almost lost both times though. It also took a long time…"
"Haha, but still! I know I would have lost!"
Smiling haltingly back, Violet felt the beginning of friendship forming between her and the other woman in the group. Something told Violet that Panther had been missing having a girl to talk to.
Turning another corner, Violet was unsurprised to find another staircase up. The only difference here was the colour of the plastic stairs. Rather than red, these steps were orange. The third floor. She felt like they had just arrived and already cleared a floor. At this pace they could finish the whole thing today.
As Joker pressed the cheap paper badge against the door, it groaned as it unlocked and swung open. Walking tentatively through, Violet could instantly tell the difference between the floors. While the first had been extremely dingy, like a reject floor, the second had been the classroom floor. If that was true, then the third would be described as the recess floor. The faceless children were everywhere, joyous laughter echoing down the halls as they ran through their own personal mega-sized playground. Thankfully, it was even brighter here. Violet now had no problem seeing everything about the entrance.
"Once again you come here. Once again you break our rules."
"Be on guard!" Shouting, Joker quickly drew his knife and assumed a defensive stance.
Crouching on an alcove near the roof that Violet hadn't seen, was her sister. Or the shadow of her sister. Kasumi was glaring at them but didn't try to come down and fight them. With all six of them, she no longer had a chance of emerging victorious.
"For that, you will be punished!" Leaving it there, Kasumi disappeared.
"W-What was that!?"
"Wait here." Still calm somehow, Joker brought out his grappling hook and shot it at where Kasumi had been. Flying through the air, Violet couldn't help but be impressed by how he controlled his body. He may not have had any formal training, but his balance was exceptional. After a short while, he returned. "There's a secret passage up there, I can't get it open though."
"Amazing…"
"Do you think that's how she gets around so fast?" Mona asked, deducing the truth behind the girl's appearing and disappearing acts.
"Must be," Joker nodded confidently in answer. "I'm certain that these 'chosen' have access to secret tunnels that allow them to navigate through all seven floors easily."
"Makes sense… Did you see a door?"
"Kind of," Joker shrugs, "no obvious way to open it. It probably needs a special key like the normal doors all have their own. Let's keep going for now. If we find one of the chosen, however, we will prioritize taking them out and stealing their exclusive access."
"You got it!"
"Umm aren't you worried about her punish line?" Violet asked. "What if she does something to us?"
"If she tries, then we secure our access to the exclusive passages." Joker answered with a tight expression.
"Are you… Out for revenge?"
"…"
"Hehe," Giggling slightly, Violet was surprised to find that Senpai had this side as well. For a guy that never seemed to get flustered, seeing him embarrassed by being defeated and out for a rematch was an unexpected development.
"I just… Ugh…"
"Mhmm… So, which way is it?"
"It's just… Damn it! More monitors, a lot of them."
"Just call them shadows dude," Skull complained. "I don't need more jargon cluttering up my head."
"Yeah, Skull can barely function as it is," Mona quipped.
"Stuff it, cat!"
"Shut up! They're coming." Forcing a silence on the group, Joker led their way through the encroaching shadows.
"Urgh…" Panting by the end of it, Violet wanted a break. The fights had come one after another. No rest or time to stop in between. The only saving grace was that the shadows were still weak. However, they were stronger than the second floor. If the trend continued…
"We could really use a safe room…" Joker muttered as he scanned over the map. Chewing his lip, it was the first time Violet had seen him looking distressed in their time adventuring together. Even surrounded by Madarame's guards, Joker had been unflappable. "Alright, I think I've found one… Maybe."
"Well, let's go," Skull moaned. "I want to take a load off for a couple minutes."
"It's just… The map is strange in this section. I don't know what's over there."
"Only one way to find out!" Panther declared with forced energy.
"…You're right, let's keep pushing on everyone."
"As you decide," Fox moaned, breaking his silence as he pushed himself off the wall.
"S-Senpai…" Violet whispered as they walked. "What exactly was on the map?"
"Well, it almost looked like the path ended. But there were horizontal lines running through it at various places. To be honest I'm not sure…"
Blinking, Violet had to raise a hand to cover her eyes from the bright light she found herself bathed in as she emerged outside the palace. "W-What!?"
"Ah… So that's what that marking meant…" Joker muttered, as he led them further along the corridor that had become a dangerous walkway.
Once the initial burst of light faded, Violet was able to look up at the outside of the sprawling palace. The blinding light was that spotlight emitting from the top floor. Not quite halfway up the structure, it was still insanely bright as this closer distance. Blinking the spots away, Violet walked to the edge of the walkway. Despite being confident in her balance, her stomach still lurched slightly as she stared at the ground at least 20 metres below where they were standing. She hadn't realized that the staircases had been quite that big, but the distance travelled was evident from this perspective.
Raising her head, Violet looked around at what must be the back of the school. One of the turns of the slide was hovering out of reach at eye-level. More shocking than that though, was that it still looked like a playground. Even out here, there was a rope net covering a gap between two pieces of walkway, swings hanging over the abyss as well. True to their dangerous nature though, no one was using them.
"Well, this is uhh… unsafe?" Skull commented, trying to keep the mood light.
"Yes," Joker nodded stoically, "unfortunately, that's where we need to go."
"Y-You can't be serious…"
Even Violet felt woozy staring at the path Senpai had led them to. The bars across his map, they didn't refer to obstacles, they referred to the path. Rather than a surface to walk to the other side on, they stared at a giant set of monkey bars. There were only seven rungs, but each one was spaced two metres away from the next. Too far to jump from one side to the other. The person would need absolute faith in their athletic capabilities in order to cross it. Swinging back and forth to generate the momentum necessary to cross each gap.
"Well, should be easy enough." Senpai commented casually, strolling up to it.
"A-Are you kidding?"
"S-Senpai!?"
Ignoring the complaints, Joker puller out his grappling hook once again and shot it around the central bar. Using it as a swinging point, he casually allowed himself to fall across the gap and land on the other side. Not resting there, he pushed off and came back to the start.
"Well, who's first?"
"Amazing Senpai…"
"I'll take that as volunteering."
"Huh? W-Wait!" Unable to do anything, Violet went rigid as she felt Senpai wrap his arm around her, pinning their bodies together. The three second flight across the gap was both magical and humiliating. Getting to stare up at him from close distance was a dream come true as their bodies were pressed together. At the same time… It was embarrassing that he had simply picked her up without permission.
Blushing profusely from the experience, Violet shuffled impatiently as Senpai left to retrieve the others. She understood why he did it like this. Passing the grappling hook back and forth was a risky proposition with a chance of someone dropping it.
Next to come across with Joker was Panther. The girl latched comfortable to Senpai in her revealing outfit. With her arms wrapped around Senpai's neck they looked like a real couple. Pouting, Violet felt an irrational surge of jealously hit her. She had thought that Senpai's treatment of her was special. Apparently, he did it for every girl.
"Is something wrong?" Panther asked as she landed and Joker left again.
"O-Oh… N-Nothing!"
"Are you sure?"
"Well…" Tracking Senpai with her eyes, Violet saw her chance with the two of them being isolated from the other boys. "Does Senpai… I mean, umm, Joker, have a… a special… You know?"
"A girlfriend?" Panther laughed. "None that I know of. He's so quiet about his life though that I wouldn't be surprised if he was seeing half a dozen girls with none of them knowing about the others."
"Ohh…" Violet's mood did somersaults as different parts of Panther's speech came into clarity. With Mona landing on this side though, Violet couldn't ask anything further. The only sure part of her statement was that Panther and Joker weren't a couple. A fact that under any other circumstances would have relieved Violet immensely. The rest though about Senpai having the capacity to lead on multiple girls hit a little too true for her tastes. He did have that special aura about him that Violet had felt instantly during that first Sunday she had seen him. Violet may not have long if she wanted to win his heart.
"But do I…?" Mumbling to herself, Violet spent the rest of the time the group used to traverse the giant monkey bar set frowning disconcerted. The her that had relied on Senpai and the phantom thieves was the old her. The one that couldn't do anything. Could she really keep moving forward if she kept trying to depend on Senpai?
"A safe room!" Skull moaned in relief once the group was all here. Running toward the strange shifting door, he didn't wait for Joker to throw it open and collapse on a chair within.
Caught daydreaming, Violet was slow to react as the rest of the group set off, eager to find some rest. "Hey, are you alright?"
"S-Senpai!?" Violet squeaked, caught off guard. "O-Ohh… It's just…"
"I'm sorry by the way."
"H-Huh!? Why are apologizing!?"
"Grabbing you," he explained straight up, his black eyes holding her red ones. "I guess without realizing it I had become so comfortable with you… That I acted without thinking. I'm sorry…"
Is he blushing!?
It's sooo cute!
Quickly sticking a fist in her mouth, it was all Violet could do to not break out in giggles. After a few seconds of staring down her embarrassed Senpai, Violet finally composed her words. "It's okay. But umm… If you want to touch me, just ask first, alright?"
"Will do, thank you for… W-Wait, what did you mean…?"
"Who knows?" Beginning to blush herself, Violet raced off into the safe room before she said anything she would regret.
Tuesday May 24th, 20XX After school
"Is everyone ready to go?" Speaking to the group as a whole, Joker was impatient to move on. Partly due to the time that they were losing. Unless they cleared the fourth floor today, tomorrow would take a long time. Perhaps more than that, his gaze kept flitting back over to Violet. She was lounging in the far corner by herself, not really talking with the others except when spoken to.
Every time Joker thought he was past thinking about her, that conversation made its way back to the forefront of his brain. How her gorgeous eyes which sparkled like rubies, had shimmered with delight as she spoke those words. How literal was she being when she said that? It continued to torment him as minutes of leisure ticked by.
"Yeah," Skull responded first, pulling himself to his feet. "You really should have sat down and taken a load off leader. Can't have you collapsing out there."
"He is correct," Fox added on with a sagacious nod. "I know understand exactly how central you are to the phantom thieves' success."
"While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm not tired." Joker answered truthfully. Whether the extra energy came from his wild card ability or something else, Joker wasn't sure. However, he was coming to appreciate the fact that his energy lasted longer than the others'.
"Where are we off to next then?" Skull asked, looking over Joker's shoulder at the map he had unfurled once more. What Joker hadn't told them was that the map was just for appearances. He honestly didn't need the thing. He couldn't explain why, but after acquiring it he felt like he knew exactly where every corner was and what hallways the shadows were patrolling.
"Crossing outside was a shortcut." Joker explained to them. "We're only a couple hallways away from where the stairs up are. I'm assuming that the group possessing the key card is there given that there is no indication of a special room anywhere else."
With explanations made, Joker led them out and on. One short battle later, and they were at the stairs leading up. They were painted an obnoxious sunny yellow that was far too happy for the atmosphere of the palace. Behind the staircase however, Joker frowned as he saw the telltale pattern of doors. Walking around it, he confirmed what his instincts told him. There was another area past here, one not on his map.
"They must be through here…"
Pushing on one of the large double doors, the cushioned door moved easily despite its size. As it opened, bright light assaulted him once more. Raising a hand, Joker proceeded cautiously into the new area. Back outside, his heart turned over beholding a massive structure. It was composed of the monkey bars they had crossed before. This time though, these bars composed an entire structure with a flag resting on top.
"It's a good thing we aren't planning on playing," Skull muttered just loud enough for the group to hear.
Nodding his agreement, Joker approached alone by himself. Unlike on the last floor, only two children appeared to be here. They were sharing a swing off to the side that hovered over an opening. Any mistake would leave them to plummet to their doom. Feeling a bit like a thug, Joker took out his gun and approached the two of them. It was clear from their sleeker outfits and actual faces that these two were the guardians for the third floor.
"You don't want to do that."
"!?" Whirling around at Kasumi's voice, Joker quickly locked onto the girl. Again, she was resting on top of an alcove that one wouldn't see until they were heading back into the building to the stairs.
Levelling his gun at her, Joker prepared to give the order to attack, when she simply pointed at the ground. Fear flowing through him, Joker followed her finger to where the rest of his party was being strangely silent. He wasn't sure how he had missed it, but a glass box now surrounded them. Their banging doing nothing more than creating small thumping sounds.
"You will play this game." Kasumi threatened him. "No cheating. If you try anything, I have the ability to drop them."
"Tsk. Fine, have it your way."
Agreeing readily, Joker took another look at his party and nodded once. With the gesture he tried to convey his confidence to win the game. If Violet was able to win without a persona, then he should be easily able to win with one.
"You two. I challenge you for the badge to the next floor."
Not answering, the twins sped up the momentum of their swing. After a few more passes, they dismounted. Their bodies twisting once in the air before landing easily right in front of Joker.
"We…"
"…Accept the proposal."
"When we win…"
"…We will…"
"…Take your badges."
"If you survive…"
"…That is."
Nodding his head, Joker accepted the conditions. He had no intention of losing here and resetting the progress that they had made. "What are the rules?"
"The first to grab…"
"…The flag…"
"…And return back to their…"
"…Starting platform…"
"…Shal be declared…"
"…The winner…"
Growing frustrated, Joker snapped at them. "Can't you talk normally? So, if I get the flag, you can try and intercept me?"
"Yes…"
"…By any means."
"Any means?" Joker queried. Eyes shimmering, a plan began to take form in Joker's mind at the phrase.
"Involving only your body." They clarified, perhaps picking up on Joker's intentions.
"…Very well. Let us start."
Turning away from the twins, Joker approached one of the two entrances to the structure proper. As he got there, he realized exactly how presumptuous his words were. The gaps between bars were too large to properly climb. He'd have to stand on one and use it to pull himself on top of the next. He would simply not be able to do it in the real world. Adding to the danger, Joker realized that there was no floor here. Only the bars existed, if he fell between those, he wouldn't be stopping for a long time.
"As you say. The competition…"
"…Starts in…"
"…Three…"
"…Two…"
"…One…"
""GO!""
The twins' voices overlapping with an excitement that he hadn't expected, Joker was slow off the block. Lagging slightly behind, he took a glimpse out of his peripheral to see how they would be conquering this course.
"W-What!?" Shocked, Joker forgot about the course to watch as one of the twins rapidly twisted around and hooked their legs around the shoulders of the other. The first twin ran to the first bar with the second hanging of them. Just able to grab the next bar, the first twin bent their legs as well, creating a symmetrical double body. Their swings quickly became higher and higher until they went all the way around. The upside-down twin grabbing onto the second bar and the first releasing.
"Oh shit." Now fully realizing the trouble he found himself in, Joker leapt up and grabbed at the first bar. Using his persona enhanced strength, he quickly pulled himself up. Placing a foot on the thin bar, he leaped for the second and tried to repeat the process.
As he pulled himself up it however, he could feel the fire burning in his arms. Each repetition required immense upper-body strength. Even as he struggled to gain each foot, the twins looked relaxed as they swung their way to the top, already grabbing the third bar.
Joker's hand instinctively went to his grappling hook. Freezing on it, he slowly released the device and stared instead at the structure. It was far larger than the exterior that he was climbing. There may be an easier way up inside. Hoping he wasn't costing himself the match, Joker grabbed unto the bar and swung forward.
Adrenaline putting too much force behind it, Joker's forearms contacted the next bar. Continuing forward, Joker grabbed at the bar as his hands went past. Groaning as the force pulled at his shoulders, Joker forced himself to keep moving. Swinging back and then forward, Joker let go and grabbed at the third bar. With the process of moving forward nailed down, his mind drifted. The interior was a maze. Each of the silvery bars reflected light in confusing patterns. Even as he twisted his head, Joker was unable to find what he was looking for. A section that was different. Some place where…
There!
Exhilaration coursing through him, Joker upped the pace, moving even faster across the giant spaces between bars. Right in the center of the structure, the sides didn't line up properly. It put bars at heights staggered from each other. A height where Joker should be able to navigate easily back and forth between them to quickly gain height.
Getting far enough in, Joker rested for a couple seconds when he got there. Looking up, he could tell that he had arrived in what was the central pillar. The staggered bars turning it into a really tall, awkward ladder as he straddled a ninety-degree corner.
Settling into a motion, Joker found that the exercise was easy work. Alternating right then left, he ascended far faster than the twins had been. Wearing a cocky smile, Joker declared the match as over. With this discovery he could reach the flag and be back down before the twins realized what had happened.
Pulling himself onto the only solid section of ground, Joker quickly pulled off the flag and tucked it into his bag. They hadn't said anything about keeping the flag in your hands after all.
"So you beat us up…"
"…Most Impressive."
"But can you…"
"…Beat us down?"
Paling slightly at the children that had managed to catch up, Joker tsked in annoyance as they split up. Abandoning their previous method climbing, the two jumped between bars like monkeys. Unable to easily go up, they were adroit at moving sideways. Each of the twins watched him like an orca eyeing a seal on a iceberg. Knowing that Joker would have to attempt a descent at some point. That doing so would leave his hands open for stomping.
Calming himself, Joker analyzed the situation with a clear mind. Each of the twins were hovering to a side, preventing Joker from going off to the side and potentially looping around them. Also, they were resting a few bars below the surface, faces calm.
A bar below the surface.
Crazy idea filling his mind, Joker didn't stop to consider the consequences. Not caring about potential risks he threw himself off the platform and ran straight ahead. Right between the two of them.
Each step was filled with danger as Joker lunged from bar to bar. The dextrous feat pushing his limits to the max. Laughing wildly as he did so, Joker's eyes burned with the exhilarating thrill of letting loose of his calm, controlled exterior. From leader to maniac in a mere instant.
"No way…"
"…He's too fast."
Smirking at them, Joker kept going. A few more steps and he reached the edge, leaving the twins in the dust. Throwing himself off the edge, Joker turned around in the air and grabbed the pole with his hand. Sliding down it, his descent was quick, broken only briefly by every bar that shot off it.
Landing on the ground, Joker sauntered over to his pedestal and threw the flag down upon it. Not bothering to look at the twins, they were secondary. The person he had truly won against was shadow Kasumi.
She was still hovering in the alcove where he had first seen her. All Joker received was one quick nod of defeat before she disappeared again. Glancing to his party, Joker was relieved to see that they were freed from their prison.
Turning around at the sound of footsteps, Joker faced the twins confidently. "Hand over the prize."
"As you wish…"
"…This is your prize."
Catching the thrown object, Joker nodded confidently. The material and make of this badge was superior to the lower ones. Each one was getting a little fancier and more official. "Where is the map?"
"We only have a map…"
"…For the first three floors."
"Tch," shaking his head at the twins, Joker turned and left. There was no reason to fight them. He had everything he needed.
"Nice work out there, leader!"
"You were so confident coming down Senpai!"
Smirking at them, Joker waved his hand to lead them further in. He wanted to clear another floor today before they left.
Wednesday May 25th, Morning
Taking a deep breath, Kasumi composed herself before striding into the principal's office. Like she had rehearsed, Kasumi didn't bother knocking. She threw the door open and made sure it shut behind her.
"What the!? Yoshizawa, how dare you…!"
"Shut up," Kasumi commanded her principal. Despite all the preparation that Akechi made her do, she still felt sick to her stomach. It just felt wrong to insult someone in a higher status than herself. Someone who was not only older, but an authority figure to her as well.
"S-Shut up!? Who do you think you are talking to!?" Kobayakawa raged, pulling his bulk to his feet.
Taking advantage of his new position, Kasumi strode over to his desk and slammed her hands against it. As she did so, her face was only a couple feet from his. "I'm someone who has had enough of your bullshit!"
"Ha! Don't forget girl, I practically own you! You do as I say, and you get rewarded for it. If you don't…"
"I think you've misread the situation," Kasumi smirked back. "Can you imagine, just a little bit, in that small head of yours… what happens to you if I go on a program and confess?"
"W-What!? Y-You'd be ruined! I'd expel you from the school! No one will defend you!"
"Maybe…" Kasumi answered sweetly, "but… So. Would. You." Each word she emphasized by tapping the principal on the nose.
He stood there frozen. The only change he exhibited was his face slowly growing redder and redder. Watching the change, Kasumi tried to keep the smile on her face, but found it gradually slipping as the outburst she expected grew rapidly closer.
"I am the principal! I am in control of the school! I AM THE BULLY HERE!"
"B-Bully?"
"That's right! I have fought too hard to let a piece of shit high school student order me around! You know nothing about the cruelties of life! Leave now and pray I don't order you to do anything else!"
Swallowing, Kasumi almost did as he instructed. The rage in his eyes and voice were overpowering. Her whole life, respect for people in charge had been ingrained into her.
"…No."
"What was that!?"
"I won't leave. You are going to listen to my demands principal, or you'll soon find yourself without that title."
"Grr…"
"First, you overgrown pig, I want to be exempt from homework. On account of needing time to practice… of course."
"Impossible!"
"Secondly, Botan, I need keys to the school. All doors so that I can come and go as I please. That includes your office for when I feel like messing with you."
"Why you little…"
"Finally, little Bo-bo, you will start paying me 10,000 yen a week as a 'service charge' for the actions that I have taken for you. Do you understand? Or do I need to repeat it for your small brain?"
"SHUT UP!"
Blinking as spittle was blown in her face, Kasumi didn't even see the blow. Falling to the ground stunned, she laid there unable to move. After a second, a throbbing pain came from her left temple. Holding a hand to it, Kasumi groaned. The blow had been far harder than she had expected. Laying on the ground, she stared up fearfully at the principal who loomed over her from behind his desk.
"You maggot, I will ruin your life! I am your principal!"
"I… Yes, you are…" Breathing out the words of admission, Kasumi dashed for the door to leave. A mixture of fear and excitement filled her. She had succeeded on her end… But would it be enough?
Also, while she would never admit to anyone, there was a seed of fear placed inside her. That blow had shaken her in more ways than one.
