Chapter 39: Rising Noir, Fallen Cherub
September 13
Instead of usual class today, everyone had been gathered in the gymnasium for an emergency announcement. Considering it was the first day back from their school trip, the Phantom Thieves were confused as to what was going on, apart from Makoto who seemed to be on edge about something. "This has to be about you-know-what, right? With the principal…" a student whispered to her friend.
The room went silent as the vice principal stepped up to the podium. "Ahem… We will now begin the emergency morning assembly. As many of you may already know… Principal Kobayakawa passed away yesterday."
"I wonder if that suicide rumor is for real… It happened in front of the police station, didn't it?" a student muttered.
"I think I was passing through there at the time…" another student whispered.
"The principal had been working hard to restore peace ever since the incident with Mr. Kamoshida. He only wished for everyone to be able to lead a normal school life, and because of that love…" the vice principal went on.
"Love? Bullshit. He was covering something up. Everyone's been talking about it," a student scoffed.
"Maybe it wasn't suicide… Do you think the Phantom Thieves took him down!?" a student gasped.
"The Phantom Thieves? Do they kill people?" another student questioned.
"I mean, Kamoshida did say he was gonna kill himself to make up for everything he did," his friend recalled.
"That would be amazing! Either way, it serves that principal right!" another student exclaimed.
"Hell no," Ryuji shook his head. "We didn't do jack shit."
"Are people gonna blame us for this too?" Collin worried.
"I would like to see everyone live up to our late principal's wishes as proud Shujin students, and…" the vice principal went on.
"Things suddenly just got a lot more dangerous…" Octavia muttered. "Ren, let's meet up after school with the team. Emergency meeting."
[***]
"Before we talk about the data we got from Sis, we need to discuss the incident with the principal…" Makoto said at the meeting.
"People are already talking about it online," Ann said.
"Nobody's saying it's because of us… so far," Loona muttered, looking at the online reactions.
"People think he did it because that tabloid exposed how he was covering up Kamoshida's abuses," Yusuke noted.
"Could it be that… we're responsible for Principal Kobayakawa's suicide?" Ann wondered.
"Whaddya mean?" Ryuji asked.
"If we hadn't changed Kamoshida's heart, maybe this never would have happened…" Ann explained.
"But then Kamoshida would have kept doing what he was doing, maybe even worse, if we hadn't changed his heart," Octavia argued.
"There's a lot of opinions online," Futaba said, looking at her laptop. "It's only natural that he died." "Covering up crimes is wrong."
"The comments I'm seeing are the same," Loona agreed. "Only the Phantom Thieves are on our side!" "I wish the Phantom Thieves would take down the police and the politicians of this country!"
"It's not just the news. There's even Phantom Thieves merchandise now," Collin pointed out. "I never expected we'd end up such a big deal…"
"It seems like the public would rather believe in us rather than the adults," Yusuke noted. "People are trying to get the Phantom Thieves to solve societal problems, not just personal ones."
"This is kinda scary…" Ann admitted.
"Are we really doing the right thing?" Makoto questioned.
"I mean, the principal was covering stuff up, right?" Ryuji said. "I guess… he got what was coming to him."
"How can you say that!?" Collin shouted. "Someone taking their own life over our actions… No, I don't want to have blood on my hands again."
"Collin?" Loona raised an eyebrow.
"Collin's right. We can't just let this death slide," Octavia said. "For all we know, the principal is another victim of the Black Mask… You have to admit, stepping out into moving traffic is similar to what happened to Futaba's mom…" Futaba flinched at the mention of her mother's own suicide.
"Woah, guys, let's get back on topic," Morgana redirected. "Weren't we going to discuss the data we obtained from Nijima?"
"…You tell them, Inari," Futaba said, looking down.
"Why me?" Yusuke questioned, but shrugged and went over to read off her laptop. "First, Prosecutor Nijima has been looking into the continued cases of people suddenly collapsing. It seems she is searching for a common thread to tie them all together. Some parts seem to be speculation, but she has cited a beneficiary of the majority of these incidents. The corporation of Okumura Foods- more prominently, its CEO, Kunikazu Okumura."
"Okumura? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere…" Ryuji muttered.
"From Big Bang Burger," Yusuke answered.
"Big Bang Burger!? For real!?" Ryuji gasped.
"You know, they only got famous sometime in the past few years," Ann recalled. "They even had a branch in Hawaii."
"It says here they benefited both from scandals and resignations of their competitor's executives," Yusuke read.
"That would seem to be the case," Makoto nodded.
"This is too suspicious though. Only one CEO is profiting from these seemingly accidental incidents?" Morgana questioned. "I think it's natural to suspect he's intentionally causing them."
"I get that, but still…" Makoto said before trailing off.
"Do we have any more evidence?" Octavia asked.
"I already tried putting Okumura's name in the Nav. He has a Palace for sure," Futaba replied.
"That settles it then! He's totally our next target!" Ryuji stated.
"That's right. Okumura is at the top of the rankings, after all," Morgana nodded.
"Hold on. That doesn't necessarily mean he's evil," Collin pointed out. "If we jump into this too carelessly… And there's also the fact of how popular wev'e become recently… It's unsettling."
"Yeah… The excitement levels don't feel normal," Ann agreed. "We might want to let things calm down a bit first…"
"You too, Ann!? You're just gonna go against what people want!?" Ryuji accused.
"Huh? No, but…" Ann looking down.
"For real?" Ryuji shook his head.
"L-Looks like we're not gonna agree today then…" Futaba said.
"What's with all the hesitation?" Morgana asked.
"I think we all just want to make sure our target is the right one to go after," Octavia explained. "Our surge in popularity is strange, and the fact that Okumura is at the top of the poll and one of Nijima's suspects… It almost lines up a bit too well for my liking."
"But he has a Palace! And every other person that had a Palace changed for the better once we stole their Treasure, right?" Morgana argued.
"I think… we all just need some time before we decide on our target," Octavia replied. "You can understand that, right?"
Morgana looked away, before giving a nod. "All right, I trust you guys. We choose our targets as a team, so if want to wait, we wait."
Octavia gave a smile, patting Morgana on the head. Suddenly, the bell for the door downstairs rang out, much to the confusion of everyone. "I'm pretty sure I put the closed sign up…" Ren muttered. He felt the knife in his pocket and gripped it tightly. "We might have company. Be ready…."
"Collin, are you here?" a female voice called.
Collin gasped. "I know that voice… But how are they here?" The gang all moved downstairs to see that their intruders were cherubs, one human-looking with red hair and the other a sheep like Collin but a female with yellow hair. "C-C-Cletus!? K-Keenie!?"
"So we finally found where you ran off to," Cletus said, crossing his arms. Collin couldn't help but notice how both of his friends were worse for wear. Cletus' halo was dim, while Keenie's wool had seen better days. "Do you know how long it took for us to find where you were?"
"Cherubs…" Loona growled.
"Woah, more angels…" Ann said in awe.
"They don't look nearly as friendly as Collin, though…" Yusuke pointed out.
"Why are you here?" Collin asked. "I'm pretty sure I left you a note that told you what I was doing."
"We're here to get you out of this stinking country," Cletus replied. "As if the demon problem wasn't bad enough, these Phantom Thieves are causing people to get killed as well…"
"Hey, the Phantom Thieves don't kill people!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"And how would you know that?" Cletus questioned. "In my opinion, Japan is a lost cause now, especially after what happened with DHORKS. And it's all because of the Phantom Thieves that it fell through…"
The room went dead silent at that. "…What did you just say?" Collin said.
"I read the letter you got for your mission, Collin, and I was just looking to do the job… more efficiently," Cletus explained. "After all, why should we trust a weaking like you to bring justice to this country when I'm the leader of CHERUB? And all I had to do was provide weapons to those humans and give them my sob story, and boom! They were eating out of my palm."
"You… You were the one… Who sent DHORKS after us…" Collin was shaking now.
"What's it too ya?" Cletus raised an eyebrow. "Unless… Are these the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? Hah, that'll make this even easier to deal with, then!" The cherub pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at Ren, only for Loona to rush forward and quickly disarm him.
"Not today, Boss Baby!" Loona shouted, slamming Cletus into the ground.
"That speed… You're not human, are you?" Keenie gasped, too shaken to draw her own weapon.
"Defending demons now, are you?" Cletus said to Collin. "I'm just fulfilling your mission, and here you are, conspiring with the enemy!"
"The only one here in the wrong is you, Cletus!" Collin shouted.
"Oh, have a voice now?" Cletus laughed.
"Yes, because my friends here taught me to stand up for my own self-worth," Collin said, giving a smile to Ren before hardening his gaze at Cletus. "When I joined CHERUB, I did it so we could help humans that needed our blessings. But now I've come to realize that you never really cared about helping others, Cletus. You just wanted the fame that came from doing good deeds. But the Lord says that you shouldn't seek glory from helping others, but that's exactly what we were doing in CHERUB!"
Keenie winced as Cletus gave another laugh, despite Loona crushing him into the floor. "So what? What's the problem with a bit of fame?"
"Because that's what led to us getting banished in the first place," Collin stated. "We can blame IMP all we want, but if we hadn't been distracted fighting them, then our target wouldn't have died by our hands! Now look at you: willing to kill children for you own sick sense of justice!? And your halo… you're Falling, Cletus, but it doesn't have to be this way. Just… just leave me alone…"
"Heh… Not a chance," Cletus shook his head, before suddenly pulling out a blessed knife and stabbing Loona in the arm. She howled as the energy forced her back into her hellhound form, letting go of Cletus as he whipped around to hold the knife at Loona' throat. "You want to make friends with a demon, Collin? Are you really gonna pick this scum over us angel!?"
"C-Cletus, please stop…" Keenie whimpered. "I think he gets the point… Collin, just come with us, please…"
"Collin…?" Loona whispered, fear in her eyes as the blessed knife pressed against her throat.
"Loona…" Collin said, reaching out a hand to her.
'This is bad…' Octavia thought. 'We need to do something or else Loona will die…'
"If you kill her, you'll have to deal with the rest of us," Ren warned him.
"Like I'm scared of a couple of humans," Cletus scoffed. "You can't do jack shit to me!"
"For an angel he sure has a potty mouth," Ryuji said.
"Heh, he's acting just like the baby he looks like," Futaba chuckled.
Cletus growled at them. "I am not a baby! I am a full-grown adult! In fact, I'm pretty average for my species!"
'This is distracting him… but now to make him go away…' Octavia wondered. She suddenly recalled what Futaba had done to get rid of DHORKS. "Futaba, do you think you could make him disappear like you did with those agents?" Octavia whispered.
"Huh? I'd need a phone to do that," Futaba whispered back.
"Just… reach out and try, okay? Loona's life depends on it," Octavia whispered. 'Please let my suspicions be true…'
"Well, are you gonna join us or not!?" Cletus shouted.
"Ren, give us one of your one-liners," Octavia whispered as Futaba held up a hand, the redhead muttering words that even she didn't fully understand.
"I think it's time that you got the Hell out of Leblanc," Ren said. "Futaba, do… whatever it is you're trying to do…"
"Almost… Got it!" She gasped, her eyes going fully red as the air around Cletus started warping. The cherub had little time to react as his body started to phase out of reality, his knife dropping harmlessly to the ground as with a scream he was banished to the Metaverse.
"Loona!" Collin exclaimed, rushing up to the hellhound and taking her in his arms, immediately starting to heal the stab wound in her arm. "Are you okay?"
"…No…" she confessed, tears coming down her face as she buried her muzzle in his head wool. "That was one of the scariest things that's ever happened to me… I thought I… I thought I was gonna die…"
"It's okay, it's okay…" Collin comforted her.
As that scene went on, Octavia looked to Keenie, raising her own hand as she dropped her human disguise and telekinetically pulled the cherub over to her. "You want to say anything, sheep?"
"N-Not at all…" Keenie shook her head rapidly. "B-But, what did you do to C-Cletus?"
"I banished him to the Metaverse, no biggie…" Futaba said, idly looking at her hand as it had grown claws before shifting back to human. "Huh, I guess my dad was a demon after all… Tired now…" She fell over into slumber, Ren catching her before she hit the floor.
"I'm so, so sorry about that… Cletus, he's gone off the deep end since you left, Collin," Keenie said.
"Because I wasn't around to be a punching bag, right?" Collin glared at her.
Keenie flinched at his gaze. "That… might be part of it… I never realized how bad you had it…"
"Save your apologies. I don't want them," Collin said. Keenie turned away from her former friend. "Just… Leave, please. And if you see Cletus again, keep him away from us."
"…I will," Keenie whispered, wiping a tear from her eye as she looked at Collin and Loona's embrace. "Is this… So that must be why…" She shook her head and left Leblanc.
"…Well, that was some crazy shit," Ryuji said.
"You're telling me," Makoto shook her head. "Our popularity on the rise, Okumura… now rouge cherubs and Futaba possibly being half-demon like Ren… I need some time to process all this. Let's make sure that Futaba gets home safely, Ren. Everyone else, be safe too."
"Yeah, let's go," Octavia nodded. She looked to Loona, holding out a hand to help her stand up. "You gonna be okay?"
"I will be, after I get some sleep," Loona whispered.
"We'll see you all tomorrow. We have some things to discuss now," Morgana said.
[***]
September 14
After school the next day, there was no sign of Cletus anywhere in Tokyo, so the gang was safe to assume that he'd either ran off or was trapped in Mementos thanks to Futaba awakening her demonic powers. Octavia, Loona, and Collin were at Leblanc to discuss this development with Futaba and Ren as they drank coffee and watched the evening newscast.
"On to our next story. Last night, multiple glass windows were found shattered at the Okumura Foods Corporate HQ," the newscaster stated. "Other damages have also been reported, including the destruction of a statue depicting Mr. Okumura."
"Huh… I wonder if someone's got a grudge against that guy…" Sojiro said.
"However, there were no signs of a break-in. Identifying the culprit is expected to be difficult…" the newscaster said.
"Okumura… think we should investigate his Palace now?" Morgana asked.
"If he's being attacked publicly now, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check it out," Octavia nodded.
Loona noticed that Collin was still being silent. "Hey, you okay, Lambchop?"
"…What happened last night was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," Collin admitted. "I feel like I should feel better about finally standing up to him, but… I just feel nothing."
"Hey, he was a piece of shit to you, so feeling nothing is good, right?" Loona asked.
"Maybe…" Collin mumbled. He took out the ema piece he'd received at the shrine. "I think I might know who wrote this wish, Ren, but there's only one way to confirm it."
"Are we not going to talk about Futaba's powers?" Morgana asked.
"I figured it has something to do with my birth father," Futaba said casually. "He might have had something to do with the Collective Unconscious, which is how he got to know my mom. Still, being half-demon seems pretty cool! I wanna have awesome demon powers like Ren does!"
"Sending people to alternate dimensions is already wicked enough, Futaba," Loona chuckled. "Hey Via, do you have any idea who her pops is?"
"Not any solid evidence at the moment…" Octavia shook her head. "If I do get some, I'll let you guys know."
"For now, we have to potential targets," Ren said. "First, we'll investigate the Palace of Okumura tomorrow. After that, we'll see about dealing with Cletus. He may be banished from Heaven, but he could use his knowledge of the Phantom Thieves against us if he escapes the Metaverse."
"Right. Let's inform the team and do this thing!" Morgana nodded. As the group broke off for the day, Sojiro gave a hum as he tried to figure out what the kids could possibly be whispering about…
[***]
September 15
After school, the Phantom Thieves gathered outside of Okumura Foods. "Holy crap, this place is huge…" Ryuji said, as he looked up at the tall building.
"It is the headquarters of a large corporation, after all," Yusuke pointed out.
"If anything, getting into the real building is impossible…" Futaba said.
"I wonder what kind of Palace he even has," Octavia said.
"It's definitely on a different scale than the ones we've dealt with previously…" Makoto nodded.
"I searched Okumura online. He's totally up to something," Ryuji said. "Don't you think he's guilty too, Ren?"
"We'll know soon enough," Ren replied.
"I'm positive I'm right!" Ryuji said.
"We need to stay focused!" Morgana chided.
"I know, I know…" Ryuji sighed. "We gotta make sure we squeeze the juice on those mental shutdown things outta him too."
"You said you found the Palace keyword, right Futaba?" Makoto asked.
"The "corporate HQ" is "outer space"!" Futaba nodded.
"Huh? The Hell?" Loona raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, so that's why it's called Big Bang Burger. Big Bang is space lingo, you know," Ann said in realization.
"Um, not necessarily…" Octavia sighed. "So the concept behind the store-branch name came from the CEO himself."
"Outer space, hm? How exciting…" Yusuke mused.
"We better be able to breathe once we get in there," Ryuji said.
"If you can't, I do have a minor charm that lets you breathe where you normally can't," Collin offered.
Makoto pulled out her phone. "Is everyone ready? I'm activating it now," Makoto said.
"Collin-kun?" a voice called out, making the gang look up as Haru walked their way.
"Oh shi-" Loona started to curse just as the Meta-Nav pulled them and Haru into the Palace.
[***]
Location: Spaceport of Greed Entrance
"-it!" Lycan finished as they appeared inside a futuristic room.
"We're already considered threats?" Panther questioned as she noticed they were already in their Phantom Thief attire.
"President Okumura must be on guard, what with everything that's been in the news," Queen speculated.
"Are we not going to address the girl in the room!?" Mona exclaimed, pointing to the shocked-looking Haru standing behind them.
"Oh my… the Phantom Thieves?" Haru gasped. She looked at Templar in shock. "Collin-kun? Why are you an angel now?"
"W-Why are you here!?" Templar gasped.
"Because this is my father's company building," Haru explained. She looked around in confusion. "Although this doesn't look like it at all now…"
"That's because we're in a different world inside Okumura's heart," Omen said. "This is just what we needed right now… ugh."
"This place is crazy. I mean, you can see space outside!" Oracle said, looking out at the dome that surrounded them.
"I wish I had brought my paint brushes," Fox mused, hold his hands up to frame the stars above.
"Shouldn't we be dealing with Haru!?" Templar shouted.
"Hm… If we kick her out, she could easily just come back in…" Omen said. "I think I'd be best if we bring Haru along for now."
"Agreed," Ren nodded.
"I guess…" Lycan sighed. "Templar, Mona! You guys are the healers, so make sure she doesn't get hurt, okay?"
"We'll keep Haru safe!" Templar gave a salute.
"We're on it!" Mona nodded. "Just stay near us, Haru. As gentlemen, we'll make sure no one touches a hair on your head."
"Oh my, how noble," Haru said. "And cute as well!"
"C-Cute!?" Mona exclaimed.
"I'm surprised at who calm you are about this, Haru," Queen said. "Normally people tend to freak out when they first enter a Palace."
"Well, I've always had a belief that there are greater forces in the world, so changing someone's heart by going to a different world isn't so far-fetched," Haru explained. "And I have Collin-kun here to protect me, so there's no need for me to freak out. Though I am still surprised that you're an angel…"
"And Octavia and I are demons, big whoop," Lycan rolled her eyes. Part of her was burning with envy at how close Haru seemed to be with Templar. "Oracle, fill her in on the Metaverse while we explore this place."
With that the Phantom Thieves plus Haru were off into the Palace, stepping onto an elevator and descending into the Facility Passageway. After going down some hallways, the gang came out into a room where robots seemed to be working down below. "What is that?" Fox wondered.
"Robots? There're tons of them," Skull said.
"They all have the Big Bang Burger logo," Haru gasped.
"They're saying something…" Oracle said, listening close. "You must adhere to your shifts… If you don't like it, you can quit… However, you will not be compensated…"
"What are they talking about?" Lycan asked. Suddenly, one of the robots shuttered and fell over.
"They aid… it's being disposed of," Oracle said as they watched the fallen robot be carted off.
"These robots are part of Okumura's cognitions, correct? That means they represent…" Octavia said.
"Don't tell me…" Joker cringed.
"This is pure speculation… But this is most likely how the workers of Okumura Foods are viewed by their CEO," Queen said.
Haru gasped. "So Father thinks if his workers as robots!?"
"If they're treated like this in reality as well… then the company truly is exploiting them," Fox said.
"See!? Okumura is a piece of shit! Just like I said," Skull said smugly.
Lycan whacked him on the back of the head. "Read the room, numbskull. That's her father you're talking about," she rolled her eyes.
"She's right, but this is still just a recon mission," Mona said. "Let's search further in for more clues."
Moving further into the Palace, the gang soon came across an open door, only for Oracle to gasp. "Hold on a second, Joker!" He stopped as the door ahead suddenly closed up before they could get close.
"The door is closed. Is there any way by which we can open it?" Fox wondered.
Joker stepped forward as a robotic voice spoke, "Preforming biometric authentication."
"What does it mean by that?" Templar wondered.
"Authorization error. Only registered personnel may proceed past this point," the door said.
"This security system might be a bit of a problem…" Oracle muttered.
"I don't think we can force this thing open either," Lycan shook her head in frustration.
"We've hit a blockade quite early. Will we have to control the real Okumura's cognition to pass?" Fox wondered.
As the gang pondered as to what to do, Haru gave a hum and wandered over to the door. "Performing biometric authentication… Authorization complete!" the door said, before opening up to reveal a ton of robotic Shadows on the other side!
"Huh!? What!?" Haru gasped, moving backwards away from the robots.
"Did the door just open for her!?" Mona exclaimed. "We'll have to figure that out later. Let's scram for now!"
"We'll meet back up at the hideout- and bring Haru with you as well, Templar!" Queen said as the gang made a break for it, leaving the Palace for the day.
[***]
"Man, that was rough…" Octavia groaned as she flopped on Ren's couch. "I haven't felt like this since I first awoke to my Persona."
Ann noticed that Makoto was looking at her phone. "What've you been looking at all this time?"
Makoto put her phone down. 'Sorry. I just didn't wanna stand around and wait. The burglary at Okumura Foods is circulating the news again."
Ryuji suddenly ran into the room. "Damnit! Why'd they keep coming after only me!?" he panted. "It's all because little miss CEO opened that door!"
"I'm sorry…" Haru apologized.
"That door most likely had a biometric-authentication lock. Her being the CEO's daughter must mean she has access to it," Futaba speculated.
"If that's the case, then we may need Haru's assistance in getting through this Palace," Morgana said.
"Oh my! Did the cat just talk?" Haru gasped.
"Yeah, he does that," Ren chuckled. "Haru, I know you just found out about the Phantom Thieves, among other things, so I know it might be a bit soon to ask… but would you consider joining our team?"
"For real, dude? I don't think she could hurt a fly," Ryuji scoffed.
"I-I have some strength training," Haru defended herself. "And I know how to use an axe."
"Still, it would be a lot to ask for you to go against your father…" Makoto said with concern.
Haru looked down. "From what you told me in that Palace place, you change the hearts of the wicked so that the person can confess to their crimes and be better, correct?" She looked at the team with conviction. "I've known for a while that Father hasn't always been clean with his deals, but seeing how he treats his workers as robots… it gives me a lot to think about. If you could, might I ask that we speak again after school tomorrow so I can make a decision?"
"Of course, Haru," Collin said with a smile.
"While you do that, Futaba and I should further probe into Okumura Foods then," Yusuke said. "It'd be best if we investigate how sudden mental shutdowns are connected to them."
"We're gonna take them down!" Futaba affirmed.
Ryuji: Things're really starting to heat up online. People are going on and on bashing Okumura Foods.
Ann: Apparently they've been secretly using low-quality ingredients brought in from overseas…
Yusuke: Furthermore, any employees who were suspicious of Okumura were let go without reason. That coupled with the mysterious death of a rival company's CEO…
Makoto: What's this all of a sudden?
Futaba: Things are going up in flames. I don't really get what kicked it off though.
Octavia: Agreed. It all feels off…
Ann: People have been coming after us too. They think we should just hurry up and punish him.
Ren: That irresponsible.
Futaba: They're just acting like spectators or something.
Makoto: It wasn't like this just a few days ago though…
Yusuke: Could there perhaps have been a whistle-blower from within?
Ryuji: C'mon, we've got even more reason to take Okumura down!
Octavia: Can we really accept all of this information as truth though?
Loona: Well, might as well talk about this tomorrow with Haru. See ya then!
[***]
September 16
After school, the Phantom Thieves met up with Haru on the roof, using the excuse of her being in the gardening club to give them access to it. "My father's highly regarded as a manager, but I've had various… doubts about him," Haru said. "Things have grown quite serious lately… That's why I've decided that I want to make amends, even though it may be for my own satisfaction. But I wonder if that would just be running from the problem…"
"Eh, no sweat," Ryuji shrugged. "That's why we took down Kamoshida first. He'd been messing with me, Ren, Collin, and Ann, so we went after him with our Phantom Thief powers."
"As long as your heart is in the right place, it's okay to want to make a change, Haru," Collin said.
Haru closed her eyes and smiled. "There's no way for me to change my father's company… But if I become a phantom thief, maybe I'll at least be able to change him…"
"It sounds like we're on the same page, then," Makoto nodded.
"I like her conviction in all this. Reminds me of why we started doing this in the first place, to help the weak that couldn't stand up for themselves," Morgana said.
"I just want my father to atone for his crimes. If you'll give a chance to do just that, I'll gladly join the Phantom Thieves," Haru promised.
"Glad we're all on the same page, then," Ren with a nod. "Welcome to the team, Haru."
"She'll need to have a Persona to properly become a Phantom Thief… but considering how the other Palaces have gone, I'm sure that she'll get one in due time," Octavia said. "I'll be interested to see what you can do, Haru."
"We'll keep you safe in the meantime as well!" Collin said. As the group broke off for the day, Collin left with Ren to go find someone they needed to talk to. Going to the shine, the two found Keenie there, on her hands and knees as she was deep in prayer. "Keenie," Collin called out to her, making the cherub gasp.
"Collin!" Keenie said, standing up and wiping away some stray tears. "I… didn't expect you to find me here… You kinda made it clear that you never wanted to talk to me again."
"I still don't, but this is more important right now," Collin said, taking out the ema. "We found this ema at the shrine here, a request by the Phantom Thieves for help. I thought I recognized the handwriting… You're the one who wrote this, didn't you."
Keenie gave a sad nod. "Cletus has gone off the deep end, obsessing over getting back to Heaven and getting revenge on the imps that were partially responsible for our banishment. When he gave angelic weapons to those agents, I knew he'd gone too far, and I tried to raise an objection… but he just shoved me away and ignored my pleas. I wrote that ema out of desperation, because of God himself isn't going to come down and help, then maybe someone on Earth can."
"Was Cletus always like that?" Ren asked.
"No, it's the banishment that's really changed him," Keenie replied. She looked and Collin and held her head down in shame. "I've come to realize that back when we were CHERUB, I treated you like shit, Collin, and there's no excuse for my behavior. I wanted to help people in need and blindly followed Cletus, even if it meant demeaning you… There's irony there in how it took me getting abused to see how awfully I treated you, Collin. I know that doesn't make anything I did to you okay, but I just wanted you to know that I do regret my actions against you."
"…I've always strived to not be a hateful person, Keenie, but my time with the Phantom Thieves has opened my eyes to the injustices of the world," Collin told her. "I've seen physical abuse, mental abuse, extortion, gaslighting, the works. But with our power to change hearts, we can make people confess their sins that they try to hide. It may not mean that they are forgiven, but it gives then a chance to reflect on their actions and feel the weight of their misdeeds. It even helped to bring a person out of their self-guilt and to start repairing a broken family…"
"We want to change Cletus' heart," Ren finished. "Not for your sake, but for ours."
"…Thank you…" Keenie whispered. Ren and Collin looked at each other and gave a nod, leaving the female cherub alone as they got their plan ready with the rest of the team.
[***]
September 17
Location: Mementos Mortis
"So you sent Cletus all the way to Mortis?" Lycan asked Oracle as the gang drove to their destination.
"Apparently. I just learned I might be half-demon, so excuse me if I can't comprehend what my powers may be," Oracle huffed.
"I assume it probably comes from a demon or god with a domain in transportation or the Collective Unconscious, considering you teleported an angel into another dimension," Omen speculated. "My running theory is Wepwawet being your father, seeing as he was the "Opener of Ways" and all that."
"He was a wolf god, correct?" Fox asked. "It would make sense, seeing as Oracle was growing claws when she used her powers."
"Oh, I can't wait to get a cool demon form like Joker has!" Oracle bounced in her seat, looking over at Joker's Goetia form.
"It would also explain why she had a Wepwawet statue as a memento of her father," Queen added. "Although it does raise the question as to why an Egyptian god had… relations with a human."
"You could say the same for my father," Joker pointed out.
"True. I guess it's best not to question these kinds of things," Panther shrugged.
"Hey, it looks like our asshat cherub is up head," Lycan called, pulling the Mona Bus over so the gang could get out. Approaching Cletus, the gang noticed that the cherub had come face-to-face with his own Shadow.
"So, this is my "other half" so to speak…" Cletus muttered. He held out a hand to his Shadow, which said nothing as it mirrored the motion. "If I accept you, then I can obtain a power like the Phantom Thieves have and bring justice down on demons myself."
"Cletus!" Templar shouted, getting his attention. "You need to step away from that Shadow, now!"
"Hah, it's too late for that!" Cletus laughed, clutching his Shadow's hand as his eyes turned yellow. "I'm going to fight my way back into God's grace, and I don't need anyone else! Not you, not Keenie, no one! And my first order of business… is to cleanse the world of you Phantom Thieves!"
The shadows enveloped Cletus, transforming him as his halo's light went out and shattered into pieces. Once the transformation was complete, Cletus now had the form of a Fallen Angel with black wings, roman-style armor, and an oversized spear in his hands, the remnants of his halo orbiting around his newly grown devil horns.
"Did he just merge with his Shadow!?" Mona exclaimed. "I've heard of accepting your Shadow and transforming it into a Persona, but this is something different."
"Not only that, but Cletus has truly Fallen now," Templar said solemnly. "I think our only chance to change his heart now is to beat the darkness out of him."
"Time to fight an angel then," Lycan said, pulling out her chain-sickle as the Phantom Thieves prepared for battle.
"Okay, I'll give you all the rundown!" Oracle said, doing a scan of the enemy. "Looks like it nullifies curse skills, so don't use them!"
"Persona!" Joker shouted, summoning his power to raise the defenses of the team. Templar went next, calling on his Persona to use water spells on Fallen Cletus, before Omen followed up by using a gravity spell, only for it to be resisted.
"Is that all you have?" Cletus laughed, before stabbing his spear down at Omen.
"Not a chance!" Skull shouted, jumping in the way and blocking the attack with his own weapon. "Take this!" he shouted at he pulled back his pipe and swung it hard at Fallen Cletus, knocking him over.
"Woah, check that out!" Oracle gasped. "Looks like you can't use the same attack type against him, or else he'll counter you! Follow up your magic attacks with physical or gun skills!"
"Let's do this," Joker said, the gang jumping in for an All-Out Attack to do some free damage.
"You little shits!" Cletus cursed.
"Insults aren't very angel-like, are they?" Panther taunted as she cast a fire spell.
"Take this!" Queen shouted, unloading her revolver on the Fallen angel.
"Here's some punishment!" Omen shouted, rushing forward and attacking with her staff.
"That's it! Keep up the damage with your attacks!" Oracle cheered. The gang continued keeping up the pressure, healing whenever Cletus attacked with his spear or light spells and constantly switching what kinds of skills they used to avoid his counter attacks.
"That's it!" Cletus shouted as his health was almost depleted. "If you want to kill a snake, you have to cut off it's head!" He pointed his spear at Joker, sending out an Expel skill as a massive beam of holy light suddenly stuck him, making the half-Goetia cry out in pain as the magic burned him to the core.
"JOKER!" everyone shouted as their leader suddenly fell to the ground.
"No… No…" Oracle fretted. "Joker, get up, please!"
"It can't end like this…" Omen said.
"Ugh, I don't have any magic left for a revival spell," Mona grunted.
'Joker…' Templar thought. 'No, this isn't the end…'
"Call on your inner light, Collin," the voice of his Persona said. "I know you have it in you to reverse this outcome."
Templar closed his eyes before opening them again, shining with holy light as his body was aglow with energy. "Joker, rise once more!" Templar commanded, holding out a hand to his leader as the light transferred over to him. The burns on Joker's body healed quickly, with the half-Goetia groaning as he pulled himself off the floor.
"Joker! You're alright!" Oracle cheered.
"What!? Impossible! That attack should have killed him on the spot!" Cletus exclaimed. "That kind of healing magic… only a full-fledged angel could have cast it, not some banished cherub!"
"You think that just because I'm banished that I don't still pray to my Lord every night, that I don't believe in his word enough to know how powerful and great he is?" Templar questioned him. "You're the one that wants to bring justice upon others without considering the consequences! I've learned that not all demons are inherently evil, and you've proven that not all angels are inherently good either. We all make our own decisions to determine which path we walk, and you've clearly crossed the line, Cletus!"
Templar looked to his friends and gave a nod. "Now's our time to end this battle!"
"Let's wreck his shit!" Lycan grinned as they all rushed at the Fallen angel, giving him everything they had in one last All-Out Attack. Oracle pressed some buttons on her controls to conjure up a bomb, dropping it on Cletus and letting it blow up with a well-placed shot from Templar.
"That's the end!" Templar exclaimed as the battle ended, the dark energy falling off of Cletus as his body reverted. While he returned to being a cherub, Cletus' halo was still broken, now replaced by devil horns as his Fall had still happened due to his actions.
"Is it over?" Panther asked.
"Ugh… Ah…" Cletus groaned, pushing himself off the floor. He idly looked at the Phantom Thieves, before seeing his own changed appearance. "You… You did this to me…" he said, clutching at his head before laughing. "I'm Fallen now… There's no need to try and be nice anymore…!"
"I think he's having a mental breakdown," Lycan said.
"Cletus, it's not too late," Templar said, slowly approaching him. "You can start over… I'm sure we can find a way to reverse your fall and-"
"Shut it!" Cletus shouted, slapping Templar's hand away. "I don't care about that anymore… Screw the system that shunned us out… All I want is revenge on the ones that fucked me over. I'll get back at those imps first, then Deerie… I'll show then all why turning me away was a mistake…" He stared at the Phantom Thieves and narrowed his gaze. "Screw you guys. I don't care anymore what you do, Collin. I hope to see you rotting in Hell one day."
With that, Cletus waved his hand as a hellish portal opened underneath him, swallowing him whole. "Uh… Wasn't it supposed to have a change of heart or something?" Skull questioned.
"Hm… I think the fact that he embraced his Shadow means he did have a "change of heart" so to speak," Omen guessed. "It's just that in this case, Cletus had no regrets for his actions…"
"It's like what happened to me. My heart was changed, but I didn't change that much afterwards," Oracle said.
"…Not everyone can be saved, especially if they don't want help to get there," Templar said solemnly. "But I tried to reach out to him, so it's on him if he didn't want to take my hand. I proved that I've overcome my past… I just hope that he'll learn to let go of that hate inside someday…"
"Yeah, that's great and all, but can we talk about how you brought Joker back from the dead!?" Lycan exclaimed. "That was awesome, Lambchop!"
"Well, I wasn't dead, just mostly dead," Joker quipped.
"It was still impressive seeing heavenly magic like that in action," Omen said.
"Thank you…" Templar said, blushing from their compliments.
"I guess I should warn Dad about Cletus, but I think they can handle him," Lycan said casually.
"And I'll have to tell Keenie about what happened too…" Templar said. "Thank you all again for helping with this."
"Any time, Templar," Fox replied.
"Let's head home for today, team," Joker said they returned to the real world.
[***]
That night, Haru was taking a walk as she pondered over going back into the Metaverse once more, when a familiar voice startled her. "You made me look everywhere for you," a well-dress man said. "What were you doing somewhere without any reception? Out late with guys- That's it, isn't it?"
"I would never do such a thing!" Haru replied.
"Come on, let me have some fun too, will ya?" the man said, grabbing her by the arm. "Can't you do that for me?"
"Ow!" Haru winced at his grip.
As that was happening, Morgana and Collin were hanging out together when they came across the scene in front of them. "Haru!" Collin called out, rushing to her aid.
"You little- let go of Haru!" Morgana shouted at the guy, clawing at his leg and making him let go of her.
"What the- goddamn cat!" the man shouted, kicking Morgana into a wall.
"Mona-chan!" Haru gasped.
"Damnit…" Morgana cursed. "Am I… this useless…?"
"Stupid cat…" the man growled, going towards Haru again, only for Collin to jump between them.
"Don't even think about touching her again!" Collin exclaimed.
The man held his hands up and gave a smarmy grin. "Sorry about the disturbance. It's just a… lover's quarrel with my fiancée."
"What!?" Collin gasped. "She was clearly fighting you!"
The man glared at Haru. "How dare you make a fool of me? I'll be telling your father about this, too!" He looked at Collin. "I won't forget your face."
Collin gave sigh of relief as the man walked off, before going over to Morgana and healing his injuries. "Haru, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine. How is Mona-chan?" she asked.
"This is nothing…" Morgana said, wincing a bit as Collin's magic healed him up. "Was that person really your fiancée?"
"But you're still in high school! How are you already engaged!?" Collin asked. "And the way you were fighting… Shouldn't you talk to your father about it?"
"…I think it'd be useless," Haru sighed. "I'll just be told to beg for his forgiveness, even if it means groveling on the ground…" She started crying a bit.
"…It seems she has her reasons," Morgana frowned. "Let's get you to Ren's place. We'll tell the rest of the team what happened as well."
Collin and Morgana got Haru to Leblanc safely, the other Phantom Thieves gathering so the two could relay the information as to what had happened with Haru and her fiancée. Haru took a nap in the meantime, waking up to see everyone had gathered. "I'm sorry… I fell asleep…" she apologized.
"Did you get enough rest?" Makoto asked.
"Mona-chan?" Haru asked as she looked at the not-cat.
"I want to apologize for not being able to help you with that guy, Haru," Morgana said. "In this body, I'm not much a use to anyone…"
"That's not true at all, Morgana," Octavia shook her head. "You've been able to do plenty of stuff despite being- well, looking like a cat. Just maybe don't try to take on someone bigger than you without a Persona, okay?"
"Yeah, that was foolish of me…" Morgana chuckled.
"You totally need to stop doubting yourself, dude," Loona said. "We're all here for you as a team."
As the team gave their nods of agreement, Haru decided to speak up. "I've been thinking about my reason to become a Phantom Thief… Doing this because my father is doing something horrible… was nothing but a superficial reason. The truth is, I-"
"Don't want to get married, right?" Ann finished the thought.
"I thought that sine an adult with responsibilities made the decision, it couldn't be wrong. I was such a fool, tied down by vague notions and stayed quiet as my marriage partner was chosen…" Haru said. "But I won't tolerate this anymore. I can't stand that creep!" She gave a sigh of relief. "Phew… That's how I truly feel."
"If we're being honest with our feelings here… I want to reaffirm our deal, right here and now!" Morgana exclaimed. "Being here with you guys is where I belong, and I've let myself get lost in my own head on if I belong or not. From now on, whether I'm a human or not, I want to give my all as a Phantom Thief."
"That was refreshingly honest," Yusuke chuckled.
"Let's do it, together," Ren nodded.
'I feel our bond with Morgana growing deeper…' Octavia thought as she felt his arcana blossom once more. "It's always felt like our encounter was some sort of destiny, wouldn't you agree?"
"That's right… "Ecounter"…" Morgana mused.
Ryuji then looked at his phone and exclaimed, "Oh crap! The last train's coming up!"
"I must go as well," Yusuke said.
"Let's continue this another time," Makoto agreed.
"I…" Haru looked down, a bit uncomfortable.
"You can stay at our place. We've got plenty of room," Octavia offered. The gang then split up after that, their bonds even stronger than ever after the day they'd had.
[***]
September 18
Ryuji: So, what're we gonna do about Okumura? Nobody wants to back out after we've come this far, right?
Yusuke: Of course not. It's highly likely he has some involvement in the mental shutdown cases.
Loona: Yeah, we can't just let that slide.
Ryuji: Plus are fans're really hoping we go for it!
Makoto: Fans…?
Octavia: But if we want to accomplish anything, we'll need Haru's help.
Ren: Where is she?
Futaba: Oh yeah, she said she wants to come chat at Leblanc tonight.
Ann: Chat? About what…?
Futaba: It sounded serious.
Makoto: Let's continue this at Leblanc then. See you there, everyone.
"That's horrible…" Octavia said as Haru explained her situation. "It's that same fiancée guy, right? I've seen how arranged marriages can ruin people with my own parents… You know what's going to happen…"
"Based on what Haru just told up, she'll be taken to his house on October 11th… That means our deadline is the 10th," Morgana said.
"But if we trigger a change of heart in your father, he'll definitely be taken by the police," Collin pointed out.
"The label of a "criminal's daughter" will forever stick with you," Yusuke added. "Your current living situation will change as well."
"If I accept a happiness based on the misfortune of others, I'll be no better than my father," Haru replied. "And to be honest… I've actually left a request on the Phantom Aficionado Website before."
"She did so around the time we were mulling over who to target next," Octavia confirmed.
"But… the Phantom Thieves didn't make a move… But then I entered the Palace with you all and found out Collin-chan was a Phantom Thief. I thought it was fate," Haru said. "I made my decision then. If the Phantom Thieves were going to act now, then I should join them as well…"
"The mental shutdowns, Treasure, and finally, the change of heart… Our interests have come together," Yusuke said.
"You ready to become a Phantom Thief now?" Makoto asked.
"Of course. I should be the one cordially asking to be allowed on the team," Haru said.
"From here on, we may be going up against he culprit behind those mental shutdown occurrences," Morgana warned. "This will be different from our training in Mementos. You better brace yourselves."
"You're suddenly lecturing us?" Ryuji questioned.
"You're too naïve! Haru doesn't even have her Persona yet," Morgana pointed out.
"I can sense in her the Potential, but it's weak for the moment…" Octavia said.
"To be frank, she may slow us down. A lot," Morgana said.
"I'm sorry for causing such trouble…" Haru apologized.
"Nah, don't worry about it. It's actually convenient for us to target that CEO. Check out this news blog," Ryuji held up his phone.
"There's a lot of negative comments in regards to the Phantom Thieves," Makoto read. "The names of obvious criminals have come up, so why haven't the Phantom Thieves acted yet!?"
"The way they're getting heated is on a different level," Futaba mused.
"Don't forget about the intel on the mental shutdown cases, all right?" Morgana reminded them.
"Of course! We'll get 'em both!" Loona nodded.
"October… uh, 10th, was it? We're gonna change Okumura's heart by then!" Morgana stated. The date and destination were set, which mean tomorrow, the Phantom Thieves would start going after their newest target.
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Collin Pastor
Arcana: Sirius
Rank 7 Description: Collin stood up to his former boss, Cletus. After defeating the Fallen angel in Mementos, Collin awoke to his true potential…
Rank 7 Ability: Instant Revival- Once per encounter, Joker will automatically revive if knocked out.
Author's Note
Can I just say how happy I am that I got to completely skill the "Morgana leaves the team" arc? Seriously, it's my least favorite part of the game, causes a lot of unnecessary drama, and makes me dislike Ryuji even more for how much of an instigator he is. Not saying that Morgana is completely innocent, but Ryuji pissed me off way more than Morgana did.
In it's place we get a mini CHERUB focused arc with the appearance of Cletus and Keenie. Collin gets a chance to stand up to his former co-workers and finds out that the ema he got during his Confidant was from Keenie, and we learn about how far Cletus has gone off the deep end since their banishment, even becoming a Fallen angel after fusing with his Shadow self. I wanted his encounter to end with a "change of heart" where the person still refuses to make a change, since that's an angle that Persona 5 never explores. I know that's probably because it's kinda like brainwashing, but I think it's important for Collin's arc that he learns and accepts that some people, even if you try to help them, won't change.
Collin also unlocks a new skill, Instant Revival, after beating Fallen Cletus! This is a skill I wish was in the game, since it lets Joker have a one-time revival during a Palace/Mementos run. Better use it wisely!
Aside from Collin, Haru also joins the team by accidentally going into the Metaverse with them! I'm excited to finally have her on the team since she's really underrated with how late she joins the Phantom Thieves. Hopefully I can highlight how much fun Haru is, especially since here she already has a friendship with Collin (this really was his chapter to shine, huh?)
It's time to start the Okumura Palace next time, so see y'all then!