Author's note:

'Ello again,

Awkward news first, definitly have a bit of a continuity error introduced last chapter. If I have the time I'll reword the section but in general everything stays the same. That's my bad for not storyboarding enough.

Moving on to this chapter... Not much action once again. Hopefully it isn't too dense. THe condensed plotlines will allow so much more time for chaos, muwahaha!

Lastly, I'd recommend playing/watching P5 strikers if you haven't already. It offers a few tantalizing story possibilities that I may use.

Enjoy,

-asdf


Chapter 19: The days when her mother was there

Sunday June 19th, 20XX Evening

Thin.

Small.

Weak.

Terrified.

The more Ren stared at the cowering girl, the angrier he got. Prisoners were treated better than this. Ren knew, he was one. What had broken the girl to this extent?

Ren's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of pounding feet. He didn't need to guess at who it was.

"Futaba!"

Sojiro's panicked voice sounded out as the glass-panelled door rattled in its hinges. The out-of-breath older man had shown up in pajama bottoms and a hastily thrown on nightrobe. The flapping fabric revealing far more chest hair than Ren had ever wanted to see.

"You… What did you do to her!?"

Ren wished he was surprised by the accusatory tone. Even staring down an irate, panicking Sojiro, Ren found himself strangely detached from the situation.

Fear of getting kicked out of his only place removed, Ren raised an eyebrow. "What I did? Look at her. Doesn't that look like something you did?"

"Why you…" As Sojiro's hand clenched into a fist, Ren tensed slightly.

Is he really going to punch me?

The tension was shattered by a moan from the corner. "N-No, not again! Leave me alone! …Please."

Ren froze at the sight of the orange-haired girl staring into space as if seeing figures surrounding her. She's insane? Ren thought despairingly. Heart going out for the poor girl, Ren fired a glare at Sojiro.

"What have you done to her? Locked her in her room until she went mad?"

Sojiro's clenched hand shook with anger. "That's it with you! Ever since you showed up you've been nothing but ungrateful and unrepentant."

"What part was I supposed to be grateful for, huh?" Ren shot back, all restraint fading. He had met the kind of man Sojiro could be. Seeing who he actually was disgusted Ren. "Was it the self-righteous lectures? Maybe the dusty, cluttered attic and shitty mattress? Oh no, it must be the nearby bathhouse that Ihave to pay to use."

"SHUT UP! Futaba needs me right now. I don't have time to deal with you!"

"You won't lay a finger on her," Ren hissed back. Forgetting in his anger crucial information he already knew. "Look at the state your care had left her in."

"Grr… I'm not dealing with this right now. Get out of my store and get out of my life."

"Kicking me out? If you are, you're losing her as well. I'm not leaving her with someone like you."

Sojiro's face twisted with pain. "You have no idea what I've done for her! I… I'd sacrifice anything to help her!"

A moment of indecision held Ren back. His anger fading briefly before the raw pain in Sojiro's eyes. That's right… he doesn't have a palace. Ren refused to believe that someone could be twisted enough to abuse a young girl into such a state and not be distorted enough to show up in either mementos or have a palace.

"I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. However… I demand to hear the truth."

Sojiro's aggressive pose melted in an instant. "Put on some coffee would ya? I'll be back in a minute."

Ren briefly considered denying him, but… I can't do anything for this girl. She needed professional help. That was instantly apparent, even to someone like Ren who had no experience with severe mental illnesses.

"Hey, it's okay Futaba…" Sojiro cooed softly. "They aren't real, remember? The doctors told you that. Just focus on my voice."

"S-Sojiro?" Futaba asked. Her voice was hoarse and ragged. Almost as if she'd been screaming.

"That's right. Come here." Leaning down, Sojiro scooped the girl in his arms and quickly departed the café.

Rubbing his temple, Ren let out a heavy sigh. "So that's how it is, is it?" Getting started on the coffee, Ren's body felt heavy, even as any exhaustion had been purged.

What is this feeling?

The progression of the coffee proceeded mechanically as he tried to figure it out. Ren wasn't sure. He didn't think it was new. But it also one he hadn't felt in a long time.

"…I'm back."

"Oh?" Murmuring, Ren looked up surprised. Time had ticked by without him realizing.

"Ah, coffee is done. That's good."

Sojiro heavily plopped down onto a stool. Without another word he grabbed a mug and poured himself some of the recently brewed coffee.

Standing on the other side of the counter, Ren spoke hesitantly. "Should you really be drinking coffee right now…?"

"Doesn't matter," Sojiro replied. "I wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight. I'll just leave the café closed tomorrow. Never get customers on a Monday anyway."

But I still have to go to school, huh?

Sojiro didn't appear to notice Ren's issue with the situation. Either way, Ren knew he wouldn't be able to sleep right now, he wanted answers.

"I guess… you're probably a little confused right now…" Sojiro started hesitantly.

"A bit," Ren bit back sarcastically.

Sojiro chuckled at the aggressive answer. "I suppose I shouldn't expect forgiveness from you. I shoved you in an attic without an explanation. I barely feed you. Make you pay for your showers and laundry… I'm a horrible guardian."

"…" Ren didn't know how to reply to this self-deprecating Sojiro. The man looked… worn. His eyes were sunken and filled with remorse. "Who is the girl?"

"Futaba Isshiki. Err, maybe Futaba Sakura now? I'm not sure what her view on that is."

"Sooo… You're daughter?" Ren asked.

"Ha," Sojiro chuckled slightly. "Not at all. When I worked for the government I was her mother's liaison, nothing more."

"…Sounds like it was more." Ren responded daringly. Sojiro didn't seem to mind, smiling faintly as a torrent of memories passed through his vision.

"No, only in my dreams. She was the one that created this curry, you know? Liked my coffee so much she showed up the next day with a recipe that she thought would pair well with it."

"She sounds… unique." Ren supplied in an attempt to keep the conversation moving.

"Ah, that she was. More force of nature than woman if you ask me."

"Force of nature, huh?" Ren wasn't sure how to interpret that statement. It reminded him of Kasumi and her tendency to bowl over conversations without a care for what anyone else was thinking.

"Yeah… I still can't understand why she did it."

"Did… it?" Ren asked carefully.

"This August it will be two years… Two years since…"

"She… Committed suicide?" Ren asked. An emotional nod from Sojiro confirmed his assumption. Stomach clenching, Ren took a cup of coffee for himself. The hot substance was bitter and familiar. Yet today, it felt like it was missing something.

"Hey, there's a bottle under the counter, grab it, would you?"

"Bottle under the…?" Confused, Ren had never heard of one when getting trained. Leaning down, Ren found it easily enough. Taking it out, he read the label in disbelief. "Is this…?"

"We could both use some I think."

"…Sure." Feeling slightly uneasy, Ren topped off both of their cups with the cream liqueur. Ren had never even shared an underage drink with his Father. Doing so now with Sojiro was slightly strange but not unwelcome.

Seeming to read his mind, Sojiro raised a curious eyebrow. "What? Strapping lad like you, surely you've had a drink or two by now."

"…No Sir." Ren answered quietly.

"Ah, well. Probably for the best. Don't want to get addicted to the stuff. I probably would have if I didn't have Futaba to look after. She's my… everything."

No matter how Ren tried, he couldn't find any anger for the man that had taken him in now. He was just trying to survive in this unfair world, just like Ren was.

Taking a long draught of the alcohol infused drink, Ren knew why Sojiro had recommended it. The liqueur had provided the coffee with the necessary change to differentiate it from a standard occasion.

Infused with temporary bravery, Ren broached the topic. "Did Wakaba really… Did she really commit suicide?" Ren wasn't sure why he doubted it. It was common enough in Japan, but still… Something about how Sojiro couldn't bring himself to talk about it.

"I… I don't know. T-There was a note apparently. I wasn't invited to the funeral but… I'm not sure. Futaba won't speak about it."

"About her…" Ren changed the topic. "Why isn't she in a mental hospital? She is very obviously severely unwell. She needs help."

"I tried," Sojiro responded, his voice breaking.

Are those… tears? Stunned, Ren couldn't respond as Sojiro continued.

"I took her to every doctor, but they can't figure it out. Mental strain, but kids are tough, she'll outgrow it they tell me. They don't want to put her on drugs at her age. They're worried that they'll interfere with puberty."

Ren opened his mouth to say 'but', after a moment though, he let it close. It was apparent that whatever he thought of, Sojiro had already done it. The man was clearly devoted entirely to this girl and would go to any length to help her.

Ahh, so that's what that feeling was.

Helplessness.

Access to the metaverse was a daunting responsibility. Ren could invoke death in any number of people without a trace. Yet with one girl who was unable to face reality, Ren was completely helpless.

"Hey… What was Futaba like when her mother was around?"

Sojiro's face lit up, eager to remember the good days. "Where should I start…"


Sunday June 19th, 20XX Evening

"Where should I start…"

Futaba sat curled up on her chair. Chin resting on her knees, her unseeing eyes stared listlessly at the monitor as the distorted sound filtered to her.

She had just finished replacing the microphone she used to keep an eye on Sojiro when the tenant Ren entered the building. Futaba didn't know him well from the recordings. He seemed like a strange guy though, talking to his cat when no one else was around. Even weirder, it seemed like the cat would meow back.

Futaba's overactive brain was able to think about such idle things without missing a second of the conversation. All the while, her relatives surrounded her, spiting her very existence.

This is all in my head… A distortion in how I see the world, right… Mom?

Glancing over at a cognitive psience book that her mother had written, Futaba's gaze returned quickly to the screen as Sojiro spoke again.

"I was the government employee but Wakaba, well… she dominated conversations. Her intelligence was so intimidating that it was hard to phrase sentences around her.

Sojiro's words got a hint of a smile from Futaba. Yes, that was the woman in Futaba's memories. The one standing over her right now.

"She sounds amazing… But why was a government official a liaison to her? What was she doing?"

"Oh, right, I skipped that part. Wakaba was a big-time researcher. A field called cognitive psience. She was positive that it was going to shake the entire world."

"It was, until someone drove me to kill myself."

Futaba winced under her mother's voice. Like always though, Futaba couldn't reply. She could only sit on her chair and shake.

The criticism was fair.

Futaba had sucked the life from her. Her mother would still be alive if it wasn't for her.

"Hmm, but isn't it strange that I've never heard of it before? What happened to it?"

"Hmm, I'm honestly not sure. I was so shaken up after Wakaba's death that I barely remember the next six months. After that, I finally won possession of Futaba from her bloodsucking Uncle."

"They call me bloodsucking!?" The man in question ranted. "Hah, the real parasite here is you!"

"Urgh…" Shrinking under his screams, Futaba could no longer restrain the tears that leaked out of her eyes. "Someone… Please… Save me."

"Save… you?" Wakaba asked haughtily. With a single spectral finger, she raised Futaba's chin to force her to make eye contact. Their almost matching grayish purple eyes containing opposite expressions. "You don't deserve salvation. You deserve to stay buried in this tomb forever!"

"AHH!" Screaming, Futaba fell to the ground on all fours, her stomach producing dry heaves. No more voices berated her. They had gotten their fill and had left. But at the same time, "Ah, I'm at my limit, huh?"

Leaving one final self-deprecating line, Futaba's limbs gave out as she collapsed fully onto her chest, her eyes shutting as nothingness consumed her.

Now unconscious, Futaba had no way to hear the rest of the conversation as Sojiro and Ren finished talking.

"You know, as smart as Wakaba is, I think Futaba is just as smart, if not even more so."

"Really? More than a fully credited research with a lot of funding?"

"Yeah. That girl could have changed the world. That's why… That's why I'll do anything to help her. I just wish I knew that was…"

"Don't worry. We can figure it out together now."

"Thank you."

"It's nothing. You should return home. Your daughter is waiting."

"She's not… I mean… Ugh. Go to bed already, one drink like this is no reason to miss school."

"…You got it."


Monday June 20th, 20XX Early Morning

"Am I… coming?" Reading his phone screen with blurry eyes, Ren shot off a quick reply to Ryuji. The boy had left a string of irate messages.

Raising a hand to his head, Ren winced in pain as he began finding the pieces to his school uniform. "So, this is caffeine and alcohol together, is it? Could there be a worse drink before bed?"

Mumbling to himself out loud, Ren was able to assess that his throat at least was working properly. The words weren't slurred as far as he could tell. He'd heard stories about alcohol but had no idea how it would affect him.

"If the school finds out I drank and expels me… I'm going to strangle Sojiro…"

Confident in his decision, Ren left the attic. Bag slung over his shoulder, Ren walked straight past the bar, only sparing it a glance. He didn't have the time, nor the inclination to grab breakfast. Ren honestly wasn't sure what his stomach wanted at this moment. Like his head, it seemed fuzzy and unsure of exactly what was happening.

"Urgh." Groaning as he stepped outside, Ren squinted as tears pooled in his eyes. The summer solstice was arriving imminently, as such, the sunlight was glaring at him even this early in the morning.

Like usual, the train station was just as busy. Swiping his card, Ren advanced through the barriers and took the Ginza line to his school. The AC in the train struggled to keep up with the press of bodies and hot outside air.

"Urgh…" Holding a hand to his stomach, Ren was very glad that he had forgone breakfast. He was getting very strong signals that anything he had scarfed down would be coming back up right about now.

It wasn't until Ren had left the train and returned to the sunlight that he finally realized that something was wrong. Ryuji had sent a host of messages earlier. Why had he never followed up?

Reaching to his pocket, Ren experienced that familiar stomach dropping sensation. His phone was missing. No, he had simply never retrieved it after setting it down on the nightstand.

"Ah, oh well."

Ren had never been one of those people tied to the cellular device. He didn't deny its convenience, but on the other hand, he wasn't important enough for people to need to get a hold of him instantly at any time.

No, I wasn't important enough before.

Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Ren continued for the school. As the leader of the phantom thieves, this could be a large problem. Thankfully, with Ann in his class, he wouldn't be entirely left out of the loop.

Ren was ripped out of his thoughts by the sound of pounding feet. Heading his direction from the school was Ryuji. Running, the blond-haired boy parted the crowd before him.

Rather than his speed, Ren assumed it was the manic expression in his eyes. Ryuji simply looked frayed, a man whose mental state was on the verge of the collapse.

"I found you!" Yelling with all his heart, Ryuji barely slowed down as he crashed into Ren, wrapping him into a tight hug.

"R-Ryuji, what are you doing?" Ren yelled at him.

"Oh my, are they…"

"They must be! I've never seen a gay couple hugging before!"

"Wow! It must be such a tender moment."

"True, it looks like a scene out of a movie…"

Feeling the tips of his ears heat from the passersby comments, Ren growled at Ryuji. "Are you asking for me to punch you."

"No, just…" Falling to his knees, Ryuji took his bag of his back and proffered it to Ren. "Just take this infernal cat away from me!"

Ryuji's impassioned scream split the packed street. As traffic swirled around them, the crowd slowed slightly to try and watch. Thankfully, being good Japanese people, the duty to arrive at their destination outweighed their curiosity to stay and watch.

Looking at the bag, Ren could see it squirming. The closed zipper preventing the denizen within from emerging. "Oh gods…" Cursing his luck, Ren felt his headache increase in intensity as he dragged Ryuji to the nearby alleyway. The same 'shortcut' they had used in April to end up in Kamoshida's cognitive world.

Getting around the corner, Ren freed Morgana from his cloth prison. "Why you miserable, vulgar ape! I'm going to claw your eyes out!"

With lightning reflexes, Ren snatched Morgana out of the air by the scruff of his neck. Without a word, Ren deposited Morgana into his own bag. "Ryuji…"

"I had to!" The boy pled miserably.

"Wait…" Cutting him off, Ren asked Morgana a question. "I thought you were planning on staying with Ann, what happened?"

"Urgh," the cat winced at the painful memories. "W-When we got to her door…"

Choked with emotion, Morgana's words halted. Taking a moment, Morgana howled the finale at the sky.

"Lady Ann said pets weren't allowed in her house!"

"Ahh… I see." Ren could see it now. Ann sauntering back into her parent's home. As Morgana moved to follow, Ann paused and looked back. Smiling innocently, the naïve blonde delivered Morgana his death sentence.

"So then Morgana came with me…" Ryuji took up the mantle, still struggling to speak as relief flooded him. "The damn cat kept telling me to sleep! What's up with that!? We should have been bonding playing video games and he kept telling me to sleep! AHHH!"

"Oh dear…" Ren sighed. "It appears you broke Ryuji, Morgana."

"It isn't my fault!" The cat hissed. "This oaf refused to get the sleep he needs! No wonder he is on the verge of flunking."

"No!" Ryuji rejected frantically. "How can you ignore the bro code in such a situation!? How does being tired for one day of school take precedence!? It doesn't! It can't! Think of the lost moments of youth!"

"Uhh…" Muttering, Ren's head couldn't take too much more of this. "How about this Ryuji. After we change Kaneshiro's heart, us guys will have a get together and do nothing more stressful than play games all day."

"Nice!" Ryuji fist pumped, some life returning to the boy.

"Now, we are going to school. I expect the two of you to remain amicable."

"Grr…"

"Ugh…"

Rolling his eyes, Ren marched to Shujin academy. The pounding in his head had changed from the front to the back. Ren took it as a sign that the troubles of the day weren't over.


Monday June 20th, 20XX After school

"Umm, Senpai, a word?" Sumire asked tentatively. She caught a covert giggle from Ann as she pulled Ryuji on.

Senpai shrugged, forcing Morgana to jump to the street and follow everyone else to the meeting point. Their group had grown to such an extent that it was getting to be a challenge to meet covertly.

With his eyes prompting her to continue, Sumire blushed nervously and let her eyes track down to the worn concrete. "D-Did you see my messages?"

"Ah, no. I forgot my phone at home today…" Ren scratched his head awkwardly.

"O-Oh, y-you did huh? …I see."

At least he wasn't ignoring me…

"Can you tell me what they said?" Senpai asked. Then, taking a quick glance to the rest of the rest of the group, he prodded Sumire. "Yusuke is here now. We need to decide on a course of action, or we will waste the rest of the day."

"J-Just a thank you for yesterday. D-Don't read too much into it!"

"Umm, sure?"

"We should go!" Breaking off the conversation, Sumire patted her cheeks to try and restore them to their normal color. Inevitably however, Sumire caught a sly smirk from both Ann and Haru. At least Makoto was as unobservant as the boys.

"It feels strange to be meeting again so soon after yesterday," Makoto spoke to start the meeting.

"Strange?" Haru chimed in. "I think its nice."

"I-I didn't mean I was inconvenienced or anything…"

"Huh?" Ann gasped, getting in Makoto's face. "Are you a tsundere, Makoto?"

"T-Tsundere?" Makoto stumbled over the unfamiliar word. "I-I don't know what that means…"

"She's certainly aggressive enough to be one…" Ryuji injected his wisdom into the conversation as he stroked his chin."

"I'm not sure why… But I get the feeling I should beat you into submission for that comment, Ryuji…"

"Eek! I'm so sorry!" The boy answered immediately.

"Ah, never mind," Ann sighed dejectedly, "she's definitely a dom."

"W-What are you calling me!?" Makoto whined again.

The antics got a chuckle from Yusuke. "You have all become much closer after yesterday. I was foolish to pass up such an opportunity."

"Weren't you painting, Yusuke?" Haru asked politely.

"No. I stared at a blank canvas, my brush laying still at my side. After hours of searching, I came up empty."

Right hand clenching, Yusuke slammed it against his chest.

"Why? Why must I be cursed like this!? After obtaining my freedom to paint, I find myself unable. Have Sensei's views clouded my eyes? Or maybe after finding true beauty in my Mother's original painting I know I'll never measure up…"

"Y-Yusuke…" Sumire muttered unhelpfully.

"Calm down bud," Ryuji sighed in typical him fashion. "You just need some inspiration, yeah? You joined because of the fantastical metaverse sights. Just try to get inspired by whatever you see today."

"Hmm…" Yusuke nodded thoughtfully. "For maybe the person least attuned to art, you speak wisdom. Perhaps I judged you too harshly Ryuji."

"Why you got to say that…" Ryuji whined as the group chuckled.

The mood ended quickly as Senpai cleared his throat. "Let's decide what we are doing today."

"What?" Makoto questioned. "We're teaching that cocky bastard a lesson."

Sumire was surprised by the aggressive word choice. Makoto looked so innocent and friendly most of the time. At certain times though… well, she understood where Ann's 'Dom' classification came from.

"…That is an option. However…" Senpai's gaze tracked over to Haru, making everyone else stare at her as well."

"M-Me?"

"Not you in particular," Senpai clarified. "But if we do some mementos requests, we may be able to fully awaken your persona while doing some good."

"Those have been stacking up…" Morgana muttered from the ground. As the cat looked so sad sitting there, Sumire picked him up so that at least he was on the same level as everyone else. "Thank you, Sumire. At least someone remembered me. Anyway, as I was saying, I had Ryuji check the phansite yesterday and…"

"Oh yeah! We did do that!"

"…As I was saying, our approval has been declining slightly. The more we ignore the minor requests, the more doubt sets in about whether we really care and support the people."

"…About how many requests do we have?" Senpai asked.

"Uhh…" Morgana muttered without an answer.

Yusuke, with his open phone came to their rescue. "As far as I can tell, there at least 50 requests with names. Of those… I'd say at least half a dozen look to be worth doing."

"Half a dozen isn't too bad," Senpai muttered. "We could even split into two groups and handle them all quickly. But… what about the forty or so other requests?"

"They appear to be petty demands. 'My boyfriend broke up with me on IM, please change his heart so that he apologizes and begs me to take me back so I can reject him.'"

Senpai nodded. "I need to get Mishima to do more on the moderation side. Prune out garbage like that so we can focus on the important requests."

"That's a good idea," Makoto agreed, nodding along with Senpai's words. "I haven't taken on these requests, but how hard are they? How much time do they take up?"

"Err…" Senpai struggled to formulate a proper response. "In general, they aren't too challenging. The shadows contain less power than palace rulers. Obviously we aren't killing them, but they have a 'seed' in them that we need to retrieve which removes the distortion."

"Hold on!" Ann interrupted. "Don't forget the unanimous rule. Everyone needs to agree about the hearts that we change!"

Sumire winced at the loud voice Ann used to declare that proudly. There was more than one person that glanced over at their large group.

"Damn, is that what I sound like…?" Ryuji asked.

"The ape was gained awareness," Morgana gasped.

"Oi! I'll throw you off a rooftop, cat!"

"Boys!" Makoto interrupted them. Her glare got them both to straighten up instantly. Sumire could only gaze at the student council president in wonder. Yet, Sumire knew it only worked because the boys believed that Makoto would actually hit them. Sumire knew that Ann and her at least wouldn't be able to it. Haru… was an unknown quantity. The occasional flashes of that terrifying smile indicated Haru could maybe do it better than any of them.

Senpai sighed heavily. "Okay, Yusuke, read them out and let's get voting."

Sumire stayed mostly silent through the procedure. Just nodding along with her consent. Sumire understood this rule, but also wondered if it would do anything. If Sumire was the only one that disagreed with a target… would she have the nerve to bring that up?

Honestly, she doubted she would. Especially if Senpai had already given in approval. As the rounds of requests wore on though, Senpai kept reserving his thoughts for last. Simply confirming with a nod. Sumire wondered if the boy had the same impression that she had gotten.

The process quickly got tedious. As Yusuke had said, there were maybe half a dozen people who truly needed their heart changed. The others were mostly petty, seeking revenge for something or looking to gain an advantage.

"Almost done," Yusuke sighed. "Another foolish one from a Yamazaki Azusa. 'My mother, Yumiko, is forcing me to accept my offer to study law at The University of Tokyo starting the second semester in October. I have never left Japan before and wish to spend at least a year travelling the world, learning about what else it has to offer. Please change her heart so that she accepts my desires.' I presume, we are skipping this one?"

"H-Hold on, Yusuke!" Ann butted in, "what do you mean? We should totally do it!"

Sumire bit her lip as she stared back and forth between the two. She was torn between both of their arguments.

"I agree. Azusa should be able to do what they want!" Haru declared.

"Now hold on," Makoto interjected quickly. "This is a familial dispute. They should resolve it on their own."

"Dude…" Ryuji whispered in awe. "Check out this disagreement. What's going on?"

"It's a fringe case," Senpai sighed, rubbing his head. "Yusuke, move on to the next, we'll save judgement for this one until the end."

The last few requests ticked by quickly. Tentative glances were exchanged at rapid intervals, searching for disagreement in opinion. All too soon, they reached the end. Sumire glanced at Senpai nervously as silence stretched awkwardly.

Eventually Morgana broke it. "Let's just leave it and go to mementos. Our day is slipping away. Besides, unless its unanimous we can't do it anyway."

"Agreed." Yusuke nodded sharply, tucking his phone back into his pants' pocket.

"N-Now hold on… " Ann pled. "I think this is important. She probably doesn't have long left until that form needs to be submitted. If we don't change the mother's heart now, it may be too late! Azusa's life could be ruined!"

"…" Again, there was silence.

Finally, Makoto shook her head sharply. "All Azusa has to do is take control of her life. Her mother isn't evil, she can reasoned wi…"

For some reason, Makoto's words ended. The older girl took a step back out of the prominent position she had put herself in.

"Mako-chan…?"

"…Please forgive me."

"Umm… Okay?" Ryuji accepted Makoto's apology. "Sooo… I'm kind of with the cat here. I'm dying to knock the piss out of some shadows."

"Oh wow! Shadows have a functioning excretory system!?" Haru asked fascinated, her eyes sparkling.

"Err, that's not what I…"

"Hehehe, the thought is sending shivers through my body," Haru chuckled, the sight of which made Sumire want to hide behind Senpai, "if I cut one cleanly in half with my axe, I may get to see its intestines!"

"Haru… you can be really scary you know that?" Ann muttered, visibly shivering as she crossed her arms.

Senpai sighed, drawing gazes to himself. "No, Haru, the shadows don't have bodily systems for you to autopsy. They are formed from the energy that lingers in the sea of souls. Now…"

"Whoa!" Ryuji interrupted, "how the hell do you know that!? What did that mean!?"

"N-Never mind right now!" Senpai declared. "Back to that request. I do not believe we should do it."

"How can you…"

Senpai cut off Ann's heated question with a hand. "Why do we change people's hearts?"

The loaded question sent silence through the circle. Fidgeting, Sumire felt foolish. Every palace so far, it felt like they were going with the flow. Kamoshida had threatened to expel Senpai, Kobayakawa was blackmailing her sister, Madarame had threatened to sue them. Now with Kaneshiro… how much of it was because of Makoto's threat? Would they have given up if Kaneshiro had not blackmailed them as well?

"We do it to give people hope!" Ann spoke strongly. "Every weak person who has given up thinking that they can't succeed with all those cruel people out there. Weak people like me! That's why… That's why I can't give up on Azusa! She asked for our help and I want to give it to her!"

"…What about her mother?" Senpai asked softly.

"She's being unreasonable," Ann declared. "Her daughter's life is not of her choosing!"

"I agree," Senpai said with a small smile.

"Then you mean you think we should…"

"No." Senpai interrupted. "We should not steal her mother's desires. I do not believe they are harmful based on the information we have."

"How can you say that!?" Ann argued back.

"Ahh…" Breathing out, it finally clicked for Sumire. Why she had been indecisive about it. Where Senpai's question had been aiming. "Ann, Senpai is right."

"S-Sumire. Not you too!"

"Azusa's mother probably just wants what is best for her daughter. What do you think will happen to her if we change that? Will we really be helping?"

"H-Huh? A-Are you saying that if we change the mother's heart… She'll hate her daughter?"

"I-I don't know," Sumire blushed as some whispers of surprise floated among the various members. "But there is one thing that my sister has taught me. We decide the future by our actions today. Only Azusa can determine her actions today."

"But her mother isn't letting her!"

"No one can force you to go to university!" Sumire fired back, feeling a strange passion about the subject. "I think… she wants an excuse to not go. She filled out the application, she put in the work to get the grades. She's probably scared she will fail and therefore doesn't want to try. I think Azusa wants to accept and go to law school."

"Why make the post then?" Ryuji asked.

Ann, with a pained expression supplied the answer. "Because she doesn't believe in herself."

Sumire winced as well, an expression that all of the girls shared. Sumire didn't know why Makoto and Haru knew the feeling, but Sumire understood explicitly. That formless darkness that sucked away her desire, her confidence. Feeling like she was fumbling in the dark.

"I-I still want to help her!" Ann spoke haltingly. "But… you're correct. Changing her mother's heart is not the answer. I can't imagine how devastated Azusa would be if we changed her mother's heart so much that she stopped caring about her daughter."

Having reached a consensus, Sumire and Ann shared a nod. They would not be changing the hearts of innocents.


Monday June 20th, 20XX After school

"AHH!" Flinching, Haru raised her arms in a defensive measure. Even as she did it, she knew the gesture was useless before the attack from the shadow's massive halberd landed.

… After a delay with no contact, Haru slowly lowered her arms. Standing in front of her was Makoto and the dissolving remains of the shadow. "Y-You killed it?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I was so late."

"O-Oh no. D-Don't worry about it, Mako-chan…" Stuttering out an uneasy response, Haru wanted to find a large hole and lay there. She was so pathetic in fights. Makoto should have been an amateur like her, but with her motorcycle persona, she tore through hordes with ease, before laying the hurt down with her brass knuckles.

Haru, meanwhile, was unable to fight even a single shadow. Her weapon would only form occasionally. Her persona was vague and shadowy. After talking with the others, the answer was obvious. Haru hadn't formed a contract, therefore, she couldn't utilize its full power.

Unfortunately, every single person had awakened to their persona in an extreme situation. They all had given Haru sad looks. Noncommittal shrugs that it wasn't their business.

Overall, the sentiment was clear. Unless Haru was able to fully grasp her powers, she would never be able to accompany them into the palace.

She'd be left behind.

"Grr…" Feeling a flash of anger, Haru leapt at a slimy monster. In her mind, Haru could see the movements she should make. High speed, a wicked slash from above that would deal critical damage to the unobservant shadow.

Instead, her body felt lethargic. Stumbling over the train tracks, Haru almost fell while trying to swing.

"Ow!" Her axe had twisted, sliding along the monster and hitting the hard ground. The reverberation jarred her wrists, making Haru release the axe which dissolved into nothingness.

"Haru!" Makoto yelled. "Watch out!"

"Urgh…" Grimacing at her failure, Haru backed away as the shadow turned to face her. Haru had nowhere to hide as its body began to fill with magical energy. Haru could sense the oncoming attack that had a decent chance of killing her.

Even now, staring down death, Haru wasn't sure what it was she was supposed to do. How did one properly awaken?

Would her persona appear a moment before she died and saved her?

Closing her eyes, Haru sighed.

I guess they were right. I really am useless.

"Go, Matador."

Really, again?

Haru was more annoyed than relieved as she turned to face the boy that had joined up with their group. Unlike Makoto, he didn't say anything, he just stood by her side as Makoto came sliding to a halt, panic in her eyes.

"What were you doing Haru!? You could have died!"

"Hehe, sorry Mako-chan…"

"Why don't you clear out the next passageway, Makoto," Joker suggested. "That should give us a straight shot to the final shadow we're hunting."

"…Got it." The girl accepted reluctantly. "Come on!" Makoto barked at the rest of the group consisting of Mona, and Skull.

"…"

"…" Blushing, Haru knew that she'd been seen through. As she processed the moments that had just elapsed, the fear finally consumed her body. "I-I can't believe I almost died…"

"Twice by the sounds of it," Joker spoke lightly.

"Urgh. Yeah… I-I just want to be one of you. Right now… I can't fight."

"Why is that a problem?"

"…Huh? Of course it's a problem! If I can't fight, I can't join you!"

"That isn't true," Joker denied with a smirk. Hiding behind that mask, it was hard to read his expression, but that smile was impossible to miss. "Even if you don't accompany us into the metaverse, you are still one of us."

"…What do you want me to be, the financer? Provide funds and plan out your parties when you succeed on another heist?"

"If that's what you want."

Haru was stunned by the answer. "H-Huh!? S-Seriously?"

"Yes. Err, actually no. It would be more fun if we all helped plan. Also, I can't let you continue to foot the bill for things."

"W-What…" Haru gaped again. She knew that Joker was being serious. If she decided this was her limit… then he was fine with that. After all, this was her decision. Lowering her head, Haru kicked at the tracks to nowhere. As she struggled to compose her words, Joker spoke again.

"You should talk to Sumire. She went through something similar."

Perking up, Haru didn't fully understand, but nodded anyway. "T-Thank you Joker."

"No problem." Winking, he left her behind as the rest of his group of Panther, Fox, and Violet emerged from behind a corner.

How did he know I was in trouble…?

With no answer approaching, Haru fell in beside Violet. Taking glances at her magnificent outfit, it was hard to not feel intimidated. When they were in the real world, she had a tendency to fade into the background. But with the glasses gone and the hair tied back, Sumire truly was a different girl. Her aura matched that of her sister.

Haru still struggled to believe how easily Kasumi had dominated the flow of the group when they had gone to the café together. One would have thought the first year was the student council president or the leader of the phantom thieves, not Makoto and Ren.

"Did you need something Haru?" Violet asked.

Hearing her real name spoken aloud emphasized the gap between them. Trying not to let it get to her, Haru smiled falteringly. "U-Umm… R-Ren, I mean Joker, he mentioned something about you going through something similar to me?"

"Similar to you? I never had these semi-awakened powers you have though…"

Haru tried to contain her pained expression. Hoping her face was normal enough, she spoke again. "N-Not that… But… Was there a time when you considered taking up a role that wasn't going into the metaverse?"

"Oh. That."

"…Umm," Waiting for an answer, Haru was surprised to see how blank Violet's face had gone.

"No. I never considered it. I rushed recklessly into a palace without a persona and almost died. My awakening was the only thing that saved Senpai and the others from dying as well."

"I-I see… So you regret almost getting them killed? Because you never considered not fighting?"

"No," Violet answered again. Turning to look at Haru, her large red eyes were swimming with guilt. "I've never managed to regret what I did that day. Not really. Awakening to Jeanne changed me. It has helped me move on and face reality.

"I'm sorry Haru, but I don't think I have the answer Senpai thought you would get from me. I did what I had to in order to help my sister. Now, I believe in the phantom thieves' goal and want to make it a reality. You're the only one that can decide if this is worth potentially dying for."

Potentially dying.

Haru glanced down at her hands. They were still shaking. She knew that tonight the nightmares would come. Shock was probably the only thing keeping her going. All of the others had had closer scrapes with death than this it seemed. Each of them had a reason for being here.

"Maybe I don't belong here after all."

"Huh?" Violet kicked a truss and almost faceplanted into the ground. "Damned mementos and its uneven floors… B-But more importantly. What did you say!?"

Blushing, Haru repeated her words. "I-I guess that maybe… I don't belong with you all."

"That's not true!" Stopping, Violet shoved a gloved hand in her face. Staring her down, Haru felt like a divine arbitrator had descended to pass judgement. "It was super fun having you around yesterday. We're your friends now, so don't go saying stuff like that!"

"B-But I'd be too embarrassed to face you all as equals if I wasn't fighting…" Haru blushed again.

Violet laughed at her declaration. "Are you saying that only people with similar skills and abilities should be able to be friends? They may bring us together, but they aren't why people are friends."

"You're pretty smart, you know that?" Haru replied, still embarrassed by the way that she'd been acting. "You don't have to hide it as much in the real world."

"Ahahaha… We all have our struggles."

With that wise tidbit, Violet resumed walking. Everyone else had already gathered at the final mementos shadow's gate. The portal to its small cognitive space. Currently, Morgana hypothesized that they were isolated outside of the main corridors of mementos because they were slowly splitting off. Their small domains eventually warping and bursting to the surface as distinct palaces. When that happened, they split from mementos and needed to be accessed from the outside.

Haru glanced at the axe in her still shaking hands. She wasn't sure when it had reformed. It was a simple design. The handle, made from solid wood, prioritized function over form. The head, likewise, was the usual wedge shape with a heavy back to increase momentum.

To Haru, this axe was already familiar. It brought back memories of when she was just a young girl. The days before her grandfather died. Sitting around a wood fire, Haru's dad used an axe just like this to chop more wood. His friend from Sapporo teasing his technique as Haru's grandfather talked about the café and his hopes for it now that he was passing it down to Kunikazu.

It was like a scene from a different life. One she had caught a glimpse of yesterday again. Haru knew those days of her childhood would never return. She was now thrust into life with a cold father and an even colder fiancé. But now… she had the phantom thieves. Maybe for just a while… a few months even, she could enjoy her life. She could help these incredible people change the world.

As the torrent of memories finished crashing through her, Haru realized that her hands were fine now. She knew what she wanted to do. The only issue left now was finding the path of least regrets.

"Hey, Violet?"

"…Yes?" Stopping, she turned and tilted her head.

"If I did what you did… I know I would hate myself for endangering you all. But… I want to fight! Will you help me?"

Smiling, Violet walked forward that she could lay a hand on Haru's uniformed shoulder. "Of course I will. We all will. Well… maybe with the exception of Skull."

"Hehe, thank you!" Pulling Violet into a hug, Haru ignored the groans of pain emitting from the slender gymnast.


Monday June 20th, Evening

"Still no answer…" Sighing, Kasumi let her phone fall to her lap. The evening train was fairly empty. Empty meaning that everyone had a place to sit. There were apparently places in the world that would consider this busy. For someone used to the rush hour in Tokyo however, this was a breath of fresh air.

Tinkering with her phone, Kasumi struggled to overcome her discontent. Makoto, of course, was not beholden to her and didn't have to answer, but… Kasumi was dying to know. Was what she heard in that parking lot real? Was Makoto in trouble with Kaneshiro?

It wasn't like Nijima was an exceptionally rare family name. Kasumi repeated that to herself as her eyes drifted down to her phone and the internet browser contained within.

Nijima. Prosecutor.

How many candidates would fit that list? How many would be left after Kasumi restricted it to the Tokyo area? She could already guess the number, one.

Bzzt!

"Finally!" letting out a sigh of relief, Kasumi unlocked her phone with a happy grin on her face. One new message had come through. The only saving grace for Kasumi was that her number hadn't gone public in the school yet. Her popularity there continued undaunted somehow, despite the distance Kasumi thought she kept from her fellow classmates.

Sender: Akechi

"Grr…" Tapping angrily against her uncaring phone, Kasumi scanned the message quickly.

Stay away from Kaneshiro. Something appears to have happened. He's talking big and seems to think there is a large sum of money coming his way in the coming weeks.

I'll repeat this again. DON'T DO ANYTHING! I can't save you if you're dead.

"I know that…" Kasumi mumbled out loud to herself. Just reading the message though brought an embarrassed blush to her cheeks. She wondered briefly what would have happened if the thugs from yesterday had seen her.

Smirking at the thought of Akechi straining with anxiety about whether or not she'd obey, Kasumi sent off a quick reply.

I will wait FOR NOW. If he is moving does that mean he may be easier to pin down now? Is there anything I can help with?

Kasumi went to lower her phone, but the reply came almost instantly.

I said don't do anything. Helping is doing something. Go practice your jumps, I'll tell you if I need anything.

"Grr… Practice my…" Ranting at the absent detective, Kasumi almost missed the announcement of her stop. It was more tuned instincts having taken this train dozens of times than active listening that made her rise to her feet.

Stalking home, Kasumi covered the corresponding distance in short time. Part of the reason her family lived where they did was the proximity to a station. Combined with their father's car, they had easy access to all parts of Tokyo and surrounding areas.

With the late hour, Kasumi was surprised that Sumire's shoes were missing from the entranceway. Everyone was already home. Kasumi had been at gymnastics, but Sumire…

"What is up with that girl…?" But Kasumi already had an inkling. She must be with Ren-Senpai again. "Tsk, not that I care."

"What don't you care about?" Shinichi asked from the kitchen.

"N-Nothing!" Kasumi replied. Entering the kitchen, she found her father reading the newspaper while her mother put the finishing touches on supper. "Did Sumire say when she'd be home?"

"Not to me," Shinichi sighed. "This new Sumire is getting to be a lot to handle. Out late on a school night, now again no message about where she is or when she'll be back."

"Haha…" Trying to laugh it off, Kasumi silently agreed. It wasn't that Sumire was being totally irresponsible. It was just that it was such a large change from what they were used to that Kasumi was still staggered by the difference.

"Oh, stop it with that nonsense," Kasumi's mother chided Shinichi. "You should just be glad that your daughter landed such a nice boy that's willing to take care of her."

"They aren't dating…" Kasumi interjected for the absent Sumire.

"Ah, jealousy is an ugly trait," Shinichi teased.

"Shut it," Kasumi yawned, the hard work from the day catching up to her. "I'll carefully select my harem of male servants when I'm a pro."

"That isn't usually what people mean when saying to set your sights high dear," her mother disparaged her lightly.

"Ah well," Shinichi shrugged. "As long as everyone is happy. You look tired, why not take a bath before supper? May as well wait for Sumire to get home before eating."

Kasumi thought about it briefly. Shaking her head, she denied the offer. "No, I showered at the training facility. No point wasting the water."

"If you say so. Coffee?"

"…Yes please." Grabbing herself a mug, Kasumi nursed it slowly as she coexisted with her family peacefully. The only sounds were her father slowly flipping pages as her mother prevented the already finished meal from cooling down.

Bzzt!

Flinching at the noise, Kasumi realized she had placed her phone on the table. The vibration drawing her family's attention.

What does Akechi want now!?

Grabbing her phone, Kasumi flicked it and rapidly typed in her password. Apparently there were some phones prototyping face unlocking technologies. With the way it kept progressing, she wasn't surprised.

"Now what does Akechi… Makoto!?" Kasumi blinked in surprise. Without realizing it, Kasumi had almost given up on getting a response.

Sorry I missed your request to talk after school. Should I call you tonight?

Kasumi mused it over for a moment. It would have been awkward enough to broach in person. Honestly, Kasumi was miffed that Makoto hadn't told her. Yet Kasumi wasn't one to worry about prying.

I was worried that something had happened to you. Do you want to talk about it during lunch tomorrow?

Kasumi determined that message was both suitably prying and guilt-trippy enough to get something of a response.

I… Thank you for your concern, I'm willing to have lunch with you but I will be busy after school again.

Kasumi rolled her eyes. Who put an ellipsis in a written message!? It was written confirmation of Makoto's guilt and desire to talk.

It's a date then! I look forward to our… exacting talk. ;)

Determining her message to be threatening enough, Kasumi put her phone away happy. Tomorrow she would finally get her answers.

"You shouldn't smile like that…" Shinichi murmured. "All of your 'male servants' will flee in terror."

"Oh shush," Kasumi replied, sticking her tongue out. Even her father's statement could not stop the expression from rising back to her lips.

"Oh dear," her mother sighed. "We raised a scary one dear."

"You got that right…"


Monday June 20th, 20XX Evening

Opening the door to LeBlanc, it tinkled with a familiar chime. As has been his routine for the past few weeks now, Ren took a glance to the right where the original Sayuri hung.

As usual, Ren's heart thumped as he viewed the exquisite painted. Somehow, it felt like each induvial stroke was filled with endless love. Just the short glance helped put Ren at ease.

"Yo, you're back late."

"Ah, sorry about that…" Trailing off, Ren wasn't sure how he stood with Sojiro anymore. He guessed they were fine… unless the alcohol had hindered too many of his memories.

"No, you should have fun with your friends."

"…"

"…"

Unwilling to just leave and retreat to the attic, Ren stood around awkwardly. "I see you opened…"

"Yeah, a little later than usual, but I was awake so…"

"…"

"…"

"Well, it's getting a little late so…" Gesturing at the stairs lamely, Ren made to climb them.

"H-Hey, wait. If you aren't too busy… can you do something for me?"

"…What is it?" Ren asked warily. Based on Sojiro's hesitancy this wouldn't be an easy thing.

"This is a key to my house…"

Taking it instinctively, Ren's question slipped out. "Why?"

"Futaba's room is the last one down the main hallway. Do you think… you could try talking to her? You're pretty close in age…"

"Err…" Ren didn't want to deny Sojiro. Especially when the request wasn't particularly hard. He did promise to help with Futaba after all. "She kind of collapsed in terror seeing me yesterday. Will this be different?"

Sojiro nodded. "Yeah, she won't talk face-to-face, just through her door."

"Oh. That's…" extremely awkward. Leaving the end unsaid, Ren deposited his school bag with Morgana inside on the table and headed back out of LeBlanc, the for-once silent cat following after.

Pausing in front of the building he had only entered once, Ren realized that Morgana had no idea what was going on. He hadn't said anything about Futaba or the things he had learnt.

"Try not to spoke her," Ren spoke quietly. "Things happened yesterday; I'll explain after."

"Of course, the one day I'm subjected to sleeping at that oaf's house."

"You shouldn't insult Ryuji, at least he let you stay." Before Morgana could reply, Ren unlocked the front door and entered.

Taking off his shoes, Ren had to admit, it looked deserted. All of the lights were off. Sojiro may as well have been living by himself.

After a moment, Ren's eyes began to adjust. Down the hallway, there was a faint flicker of light. It was an odd colour, almost a green.

Following it, Ren arrived at the end of the hallway. Indeed, there was light leaking out from a doorframe. It cast a faint illumination over the door itself.

WARNING! KEEP OUT!

"Friendly gal," Ren muttered. Before he could hesitate, Ren knocked on the door.

"…"

As time slowly ticked by, Ren could hear someone moving in there. Even the occasional giggle and click of a mouse. Raising his fist, Ren knocked louder.

"Just leave it out there Sojiro, I'll get it later!" A young voice called out. "Wait… but Sojiro is still… W-Who's there!?"

"It's me, Ren."

"R-Ren!? T-That student Sojiro shoved into the store attic!?"

"Yes, that's the one," Ren smirked, glad that she was at least replying to him.

"Uhh, F-Futaba isn't here. P-Please schedule a time and call beforehand to confirm your appointment. Bye!"

"…What?"

"This girl is crazy," Morgana muttered. "Basically what we expected though…"

Shooting the cat a disapproving glance, Ren slid down along the far wall so that he was sitting, facing the door.

"Sojiro asked me to talk to you. We must be pretty close in age, how old are you?"

"W-What is this!? Some attempt to determine if I'm old enough to date!? No Siree! Futaba is not here!"

Ren found himself smiling despite the rejection. Her thought process was certainly unique. "Hmm, unfortunate. I always had a thing for red-heads."

"AHH! Sojiro, you idiot, you sent a pervert to harass me!"

"Calm down, I was only joking. Are you willing to talk now?" Ren asked, trying his best to sound soothing.

"No."

Sighing, Ren struggled to think of a new topic. He needed something she was interested in. Sports? Unlikely but not impossible. School? She certainly isn't attending one. What else is there? Ren tapped his fingers against the floor anxiously. He knew there was something but couldn't quite grasp it.

"…Have you left?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Good. Talking is exhaust… Hey! That's mean!"

"You know…" Taking a risk, Ren pushed the conversation. "You say you don't like talking but you seem eager to continue the conversation."

"No, I do not!"

"Yes… you do."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Grr…"

Smiling his victory, Ren was eager to keep the conversation rolling. "What were you doing at LeBlanc so late yesterday?"

"N-Nothing! I certainly wasn't replacing the batteries to the hidden cameras I have in the store!"

"I see… and on the off chance that you did have hidden cameras in LeBlanc… what purpose would they serve?"

"…You're a sneaky one. I see that Sojiro has sent an expert. Well, I, Alibaba am not intimidated! Even a final boss is no match for me. Muwahaha!"

Is she… Roleplaying?

Ren wondered if he found his answer. The reason that she refuses to leave the room had less to do with her condition and more to do with a fear of people it seems. Maybe talking through a personality allows her to continue to pretend that he really isn't there.

"Sent? No one sends Joker anywhere!"

"Ha! Joker is it? I can only assume your stupid face paint is to cover up your bad looks!"

Rude! Joker thought. More importantly though… "Face paint? What are you talking about?"

"Huh? You're Joker right, a clown."

"Ahaha… No. Joker as in a wild card."

"Alright, clown."

"…You have quite the mouth on you," Ren muttered in surprise. At this point Ren could barely consolidate the words with the image of a sickly girl huddled on the floor.

"As I said, compared to me, Alibaba, you are nothing."

"Oh yeah? What about Futaba? Maybe I'll match up better against her."

"Urgh."

Ren tensed as a pained noise sounded through the door.

"Risky," Morgana whispered to avoid letting Futaba hear a meow.

"F-Futaba is absent, you'll have to continue getting humiliated by me, Alibaba!"

"…Do you really have to repeat your name each time?"

"Huh? But it is such a cool name! I mean, come on, Alibaba! I steal from the foolish rich, muwahaha!"

"Err…" The name was clearly based on something, but Ren didn't know it. "I-It's great. So with Alibaba being so tough, I'm sure you can open the door and say that to my face?"

"Of course, you simpleton!" Almost instantly the door was thrown back. Standing in the doorway illuminated by monitor light and other LEDs was the girl from last night.

Even in the dim light, Ren was able to get a good look at her. The impeccable dye job on the hair suggested expensive salon trips. Or did she possibly do it herself? Even in her room she was wearing strange clothes, leggings with a gap before her short shorts, a pointless belt? It seemed to have a lot of effort put into its coordination for a girl who saw absolutely no one.

"Muwahaha! Now do you… see… that… that… hehehe…"

"…" Ren watched the transformation with fascination. How quickly the cocky grin on her face evaporated. Behind her glasses her eyes filled with fear.

"M-Mother…"

!? Following her gaze, Ren tracked it to an empty patch of wall just to his right. What is she seeing?

"N-No, you aren't real… You're a figment of my distorted cognition… P-Please…"

Within seconds, the girl collapsed to the ground. Holding her arms above her head she whimpered. Reaching out a hand to her, Ren halted a moment before contact.

What if it terrifies her?

The feeling from yesterday returned stronger than ever. Completely helpless. Ren had no idea which actions would help, and which would hurt her even further.

I hate this!

Screaming internally, Ren watched as the shaking slowly faded. Waiting for her to rise, Ren encountered his second surprise, she was sleeping. No, that probably wasn't correct. It was closer to fainting. The result of extreme exhaustion.

Unable to just leave her there, Ren scooped up her body. She was light. Far lighter than she should be. She had the body of a ten-year-old, but Ren guessed she was closer to him in age than that. Laying her down, Ren pulled a light sheet over her and took off the headphones.

Having access to the classified room, Ren couldn't help but glance around. Instantly one thought filled his mind: dirty. The room was filthy. Trash had accumulated to a startling degree. It was definitely unhealthy to live here.

Shooting the sleeping girl a glance, Ren refrained himself from cleaning. He needed to leave and report to Sojiro.

"Ren," Morgana spoke insistently as he gently closed the bedroom door. "Did you hear what she said!?"

"W-Which part?"

"Seriously? 'You're a figment of my distorted cognition.' Do you understand what that means?"

"Err…" Ren had trouble focusing on what Morgana was getting at. He was too busy coming to grips with the flurry of emotions from this encounter.

"She knows about palaces! How!?"

"Huh?" Blinking, Morgana's words brought back information Sojiro had told him yesterday. "Her mother… She studied cognitive psience. Do you think…?"

"It's possible…" Morgana agreed. "I haven't heard the term before, but the palaces are creations of cognition. It makes sense that a field of study surrounding it would deal with similar terms."

"Wait…" Halting, Ren whipped his phone out of the pocket. "These things she sees are related to palaces! Maybe…" Just maybe.

I can help her.

New search.

"Futaba Sakura."

"Hit found."

"She…"

"She has a palace…" Ren confirmed with a whisper. He didn't know what that meant. This girl wasn't the monster that the previous palace owners had been, so why does she have a palace?

There was only one thing to do, investigate it.