Disclaimer:
I do not own Persona or My Hero Academia
Inside a darkened room, several figures sat around a table watching a screen that showcased a recording of the giant villain incident from the other night. One figure in a hat stood up and stood beside a still shot of the villain.
"According to the reports from the local police, the villain, Mario Kugutsu age 32, has a hybrid Quirk that includes gigantification, slightly increased strength and multi-arms. While rare, such a Quirk is not unusual. What is troubling is that his file shows that he can only grow a couple feet." The figure then switched the projection to show a picture of the villain with his tongue out.
"A black tongue…" One figure said before widening their eyes. "Tsukauchi… is that…"
"Yes. A side effect from Trigger. A booster for weak Quirks and highly illegal in Japan has begun circulating in the black market… giving people hero-level Quirks" Tsukauchi paused to snap his fingers for emphasis, "just like that."
The screen once again changed showing a myriad of mugshots of the salesman in regular form, Soga, Rapt, Moyuru, and several other people.
"Over the past few weeks, all these individuals were involved in this sudden rush of Instant Villains that show no sign of slowing down. Each one took Trigger before going full on villain. From what we've seen so far, the majority of incidents have taken place in a limited area within the Naruhata area.
"All the Instant Villains suspects said the same thing. "I got the drugs from a stranger." We had originally believed Kugutsu to be the supplier, but it turns out he was only a pawn. A middleman for whoever is orchestrating this."
"Weird to give out something so valuable for free…" A figure in a somewhat dishevelled uniform said scratching his scraggly beard. He took a puff from his cigarette before leaning forward and narrowing his eyes.
"Tsukauchi, I have a gut feeling. These aren't ordinary drug buys. There's a bigger plot at hand. An investment for big monetary gains later on or perhaps something more sinister as eroding government authority and disrupting law and order. At the moment we can't be sure of anything. We need to keep an ear to the ground and an eye out for any more leads."
"Understood Tanuma sir." Tsukauchi said with a tip of his hat. "There is more sir." The detective once again played the video of the incident until it reached the part of the group responsible for defeating the giant Instant Villain.
"We have some unlicensed, illegal heroes on the loose. Several vigilantes. From what we've seen, there are at least 5 of them."
"Whoever they are. They took down a few of these Instant Villains and even managed to protect the people. Hell from the video and reports, looks like panic and chaos was kept to a minimum because of them. All's well that ends well right?" A person with a cat appearance asked.
"Careful Sansa, that's a reckless way to think." Tsukauchi reprimanded.
"Ah… right."
"But what he said wasn't without merit." Said another officer pulling out his phone with Twitter on the screen. On it was a series of tweets talking about Naruhata's newest 'heroes' and how they saved the day. "Their actions have spurred a wildfire of attention. They've already garnered a modicum of support. Right now a lot of people are looking at what they'll do next."
"It doesn't make it right. Laws exist for a reason. Whether they're fighting villains or not… vigilantism… is a crime. Besides, after doing a quick facial recognition, we got a hit on one of them." Quickly typing in Yaptube, Tsukauchi pulled up another video. This time, the video showcased a white-haired man dressed in refined clothes speaking to the camera.
"He goes by the name, Gentle Criminal. As the name states, he's a criminal who records himself committing small and petty crimes which usually tend to lead to nothing overtly criminal. Whether or not this is another ploy or he's changing from being a criminal to a vigilante, he is still committing illegal Quirk usage. Plus he might have some knowledge on the origins of these Instant Villains and Trigger."
"Like you said, he usually commits small and petty crimes. A pretty different modus operandi. This could be an isolated affair from him. Keep an eye out for this Gentle Criminal but until we find more evidence that links him and this group of vigilantes to this Instant Villain case, focus your resources on the latter."
"Roger that Tanuma." With a tip of his hat, Tsukauchi and the other officers in the room left, leaving Tanuma alone in his chair. He took another puff of smoke and let out a sigh.
"Trigger. Instant Villains. The resurgence of vigilantes. Jeez, I'm getting too old for this."
La Brava sat at the counter of Coruscant Café with a giddy smile on her face, her legs swinging happily from her stool. In front of her was her laptop displaying the video of the giant villain incident that she had recorded and posted on Yaptube.
With Gentle taking a step away from gentlemanly crimes and toward heroics, she figured she should post the video on a new channel and not their usual one. Besides, it kept on getting taken down and deleted. Maybe it was a sign.
La Brava shook her head from her thoughts.
'Anyways… I can't believe the video has got over 5 thousand views!' It had been a week since the incident and the fact that viewership had reached these numbers made La Brava giggled in pure joy. 'And the comments!'
She had never seen so many positive comments on one of her and Gentle's videos. Sure, there were some negative comments like how they were still committing crimes with illegal Quirk usage, but she didn't let those get her down.
In front of her and behind the counter stood Gentle steeping a pot of tea. Seeing La Brava so happy brought a smile to his face. He knew what she was watching. How could he not? She had been watching that same video over and over since before they had got to the café.
He didn't mind though. He loved seeing his La Brava so happy. It only reaffirmed that this path he chose to walk is the right one. Gentle then turned to his right, outside the window, to see Akira throwing punches at Knuckle Duster's boxing pads.
'And it's all because of you, my friend.' Akira had been a blessing. Gentle tried to imagine what would have become of him and La Brava if he hadn't met the young man. Well, it didn't matter. The only future Gentle cared about was the one his path with his friend led to.
Akira threw punch after punch at Knuckle Duster. Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. While the gloves he had borrowed from the older man protected his knuckles from bruising, he couldn't help but shake his hands as he felt a stinging sensation.
Akira smirked. They had been training for almost a week now. It wasn't much but he could feel himself getting a little stronger, add to the fact that Knuckle Duster was teaching him a proper fighting form is making this partnership even more beneficial.
O O O
It had all started after they got away from the giant villain incident. Akira didn't know how, he was way too tired at the time to care, but when he, Gentle and La Brava made their way back to the Coruscant Café, they found Knuckle Duster inside drinking a can of beer. Thinking back on it, the sweat dropping and bowing Koichi probably played a hand in it.
"Wha-, what the heck are you doing here?" La Brava yelled with a pointed finger.
"Wanted to speak to you guys, 'specially you," Knuckle Duster said pointing his can at Akira, "Ya got moxie kid, as well as the skills and guts it takes to be a true-blue hero. This kid already agreed to be my apprentice, I don't mind having an extra set of hands to help me out. In return, I'll help you become heroes!"
Apparently the man had took Koichi under his wing against the poor guy's will if the indignant denials were any indications and now he wanted to the same for him.
At first, Akira was going to turn him down but stopped himself. Knuckle Duster was strong and to be honest, the raven-haired teen could learn some things from him, especially from a physical point of view. Most of Akira's strength training came from experience fighting shadows, and the occasional time at the gym.
He needed to get stronger.
Back in Shibuya, going to the gym allowed him to grow stronger little by little, which allowed him to use physical persona skills more frequently or just stronger ones. If he had someone who was strong and had physical prowess teach him, then…
"I'll be in your care Knuckle Duster." Akira said, bringing his fist up.
"Ha. Show some respect kiddo. If I'm gonna be training you guys then you're gonna call me Master." Knuckle Duster said with a grin, reciprocating Akira's fist bump.
The all too familiar greying and rattling of chains occurred once more as a red card fluttered down. Depicted on it was a tower protecting two falling people from a rain of arrows with the title of "LA' MAISON-DIEU" under it.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast awoken an old vow.
To you the Champion of Change and Rebellion,
You have freed us from the chains of captivity within yourself.
With the freedom of the Tower Arcana,
You have reobtained the winds of blessings that
Shall once again lead to rebellious change.
Stride unperturbed through Chaos and Upheaval
Use us, Wildcard
Akira reached out and grabbed the card, watching as it was absorbed into him. The raven-haired teen closed his eyes as the tarot card unlocked another door within him. The process thankfully didn't make him gasp this time; seemed like he was getting used to it.
Akira was eclipsed in a looming shadow as the figure before him grew until it fully towered over him. The flames that adjourned its head and waist, like a pyre, cast wild and dancing shadows from his multiple arms and the turning wheel across his back.
This was the Ultimate Tower Persona. The monstrous deity of drunkenness. A god of Hinduism. This was Mada.
The towering monolith of a persona swayed on spot in silence, the only sound coming from the crackling whispers across his body.
"GROW STRONGER. STRONG ENOUGH UNTIL YOU CAN DON THE INFINITE WELL OF POWER THAT IS OUR MASK. GROW… OUR CHAMPION." With that, Mada turned and faded, the loss of light from his flames drawing the dull grey hue along with it.
'Huh… that was short.'
O O O
"You've got a good punch for a rookie. You should do more strength training to improve your punches though. In the meantime however…" Knuckle Duster dropped the pads in his hands and charged forward for a punch. "Let's practice fighting!"
Widening his eyes, Akira backflipped and returned his assault by charging in low and going for an uppercut. His sparring partner just grinned blocked his chin with his left fist before using the opening left behind from the block to punch Akira's solar plexus.
The teen gasped, a bit of spittle flying from his mouth. No time to pause however as Knuckle Duster drew closer fists cocked. With no time to think, Akira drew a sharp breath and began to trade blows with the older man. The two dodging and blocking each other's punches. On the sidelines, Koichi just grimaced.
"Sheesh, those two are really going at it." He hasn't seen all their spars, but he could tell that Akira had grown since their first session. This was evident when Akira switched things up with a sweeping kick that managed to land a hit against the older man's shin. He grit his teeth in pain before it shifted into a manic grin as he responded by delivering a hay maker. Koichi looked down at his hands. "…damnit, I need to step my game up."
"Oi Koichi, your Quirk, Slide and Glide… you said you go as fast as a bike?" Looking up, Koichi saw Knuckle Duster walking towards him, Akira behind him leaning on his knees and breathing heavily.
"Yeah just about. I mean, I can go faster, but it's risky without any brakes." Koichi rolled up the sleeve on his arm and pointed at some scarring on his elbow. "Got this scar when I was a kid."
Knuckle Duster scratched at this beard in contemplation before a thought came to him. "Gotcha, gimme a sec." He riffled through his duffle bag before grabbing something and tossing it into Koichi's hands.
"Hmm? Oooh lookit this!" It were a pair of protective gloves that came up to his elbows.
"Protective gear for bikers. With better protection, you won't wipe out so easy, so you can go faster. You'd better practice how to fall without get hurt." Knuckle Duster said with a grin, looking pleased. "Also, you'll need a new name. Villains ain't gonna respect someone callin' themselves 'Nice Guy.'"
"Hmm, if Nice Guy is a no go then how bout…" Koichi began before dropping onto all fours, his left hand however raised skyward. "The mysterious man with an air of danger… The Crawler!"
Knuckle Duster said nothing before laughing manically, not in a dismissive manner however, but in a pleased manner.
"The Crawler… sounds great. Sounds like the name of a great hero." Akira said nearing the two and downing a bottle of water.
"Thanks Akira." Koichi said with a smile.
The trio were stopped from continuing their training when a voice called out.
"Young Kurusu, your friend, a Miss Yaoyorozu is here!"
"Thanks Gentle, I'll be inside in a sec." Akira called back before turning to the two in front of him. "Sorry Master, guess I'm back on the clock."
"No worries kid, Koichi and I will go on patrol. We'll relay any info if any comes up." With that, Knuckle Duster and Koichi suited up and headed out, assumedly for anymore leads on Trigger.
Now alone, Akira made his way back inside the café. With the amount of foliage there was in the backyard, it provided a private space (with permission from Yoshimura) that was obscured from customer and bystander view. Perfect for training.
Quickly freshening up, Akira made his way inside and met Momo.
"Hey, what's up Momo? Come to try to my infamous Curry and Coffee special?"
"Sorry, perhaps another time. I came to ask Yoshimura-san if it was true." Momo smiled before becoming more serious.
Akira quirked his eyebrow. "If what was true?"
"I had overheard a several maids saying that they were preparing one of the guest rooms for Yoshimura-san. It has been quite a long time since Yoshimura-san had seen my parents, so I rushed over here to inquire if it was true."
"Yes, it is true." A voice came from above. Akira and Momo turned to see Yoshimura hobbling down the staircase leading to the top floor.
"I'm happy for you Boss! Don't worry about the café. I can hold down the fort until you're back."
Yoshimura didn't say anything, only turning away with an awkward look.
"Boss?"
"I should have told you sooner…"
"Told me what? C'mon Boss, you're worrying me, what's wrong?"
"I'm afraid I won't be coming back. I'm not staying at Yaoyorozu-san's residence for a visit. I'm… staying with them permanently."
Yoshimura paused before looking at his hands, a slight tremble overcame them as he drew them up.
"My hands aren't getting better. The doctors say I need to hold back using them as much. They said there might be a chance at fixing them, but the recovery period can be taxing. Yaoyorozu-san heard of what I was going through and all but demanded I stay with him and his family. 'It's the least I could do for everything you've done,' he said. Even his wife agreed, which was surprising knowing her personality…" Yoshimura said with a melancholy chuckle.
"Oh, of course. Take all the time you need to heal. Your health should always be your first priority." Akira said before looking around the café. "I guess this place will be closed for the foreseeable future huh."
"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about." Yoshimura strode forward until he was in front of Akira. With trembling hands, he held Akira's and looked him in the eyes. "I want you to take over this place."
Akira's eyes widened. "Wha- Boss, I-I couldn't."
"Please. I want you to. You brought life to this place. This café wasn't really in the greatest shape, and I only had 3 regular customers, but after you came, business really began to pick up. More and more people have found this place through word of mouth and all of them have loved your coffee. I told you before remember? You would make for a wonderful successor."
"I mean, I'm confident with coffee and curry, but what about the other stuff? Like tea? I'm not that great at making tea."
"I beg to differ Akira-san." The teen in question turned toward the raven-haired girl beside Yoshimura. The smile she gave him was heart-warming. "You made me a cup of tea last time I was here remember? It was well made, and with practice you can continue to go beyond."
"If you would permit me Yoshimura-san, I can help Young Kurusu here in his endeavours here. My knowledge and palette for tea is at the same level to this young man and coffee." Gentle asked, having overheard what was going on.
"If it's you Gentle, then I don't doubt it." Yoshimura then turned back to Akira. "So what do you say?"
Akira was silent, turning to everyone. They all believed he could take over… and maybe a small part of him did too. Back in his world, even though he knew he had to go back to his parents after his year probation, he dreamt that he would still be with Sojiro and Futaba working at LeBlanc. With a deep breath, he look Yoshimura in the eye.
"Guess I can't let our loyal customers down. Okay, Boss, I'll do it." Akira turned to Gentle. "We'll do it… if that's okay with you?"
"I would be honoured my friend."
"Then I'll be in your care." Akira said with a smile.
"Excellent! Now why don't you show me your tea skills as a farewell present?"
He turned to Momo with a smirk, "How does green tea sound?"
The group were sitting around the store, enjoying Yoshimura's last moments here. Yoshimura was conversing with La Brava and Gentle about the finer details of running the café, like financials, suppliers, and other logistics. The raven-haired teen sat next to Momo at the counter, occasionally sipping away at the tea he prepared.
"I told you it was well made." Momo said, stirring Akira from his thoughts.
"I suppose it is, but like you said. I can still improve."
"Well, I look forward to your new and improved tea skills next time. Oooh, maybe I can bring some tea leaves from home for you to try. Perhaps Harrods, or maybe Fauchon?" Momo said, gradually becoming more excited.
"Next time?" Akira asked with a smirk.
"W-well of course! I can't just abandon you after you are taking your first steps into the wonders of the tea world. Yes, it would be unbecoming of me as a tea connoisseur."
"Of course, of course. Can't disappoint my fellow connoisseurs." They both laughed before settling into a comfortable silence.
'This is nice…'
"Thanks Akira… for accepting Yoshimura-san's request." Akira turned to the girl as she smiled lightly at her tea. "I can tell this place means a lot to him… and from the way he talked about you and the place when we called each other was telling enough." Momo then turned to Akira and smiled. "So thank you."
Before he could respond, the world dulled grey, making Akira's eyes widen slightly.
'Even Momo?'
A red card with the word, "LE BATELEUR" under a man at a table filled with an assortment of items fluttered down on chains.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast awoken an old vow.
To you the Champion of Change and Rebellion,
You have freed us from the chains of captivity within yourself.
With the freedom of the Magician Arcana,
You have reobtained the winds of blessings that
Shall once again lead to rebellious change.
Manifestation of Resources… The Power to harness one's Talent
Use us, Wildcard
'The Magician…huh…' Akira thought before gingerly grabbing the tarot. Upon contact, the chains shattered and allowed the card to be absorbed into his body. That made 5 confidants now. If everything was the same, that left 16 left.
'Although…' Akira closed his eyes and fell deeper into his psyche… and envisioned the doors that were being unlocked with each bond he remade. He found himself in a place that resembled the Velvet Room, a circular prison whose walls were lined with cells and no way out… but this time, he was where Igor would normally sit.
He saw the 5 opened doors that depicted the confidants he made as well as the doors that were still closed shut… but it looked like there were more than 21 doors.
Akira didn't have time to think too much about it as a clanging of steel resounded, making Akira open his eyes in time to see turquoise swords gravitating around a grey emaciated figure in bandages, colliding with each other as if mimicking an ancient battle.
The Shinto demon and god of swords. This was Futsunushi. The Ultimate Magician Persona granted upon Akira's and Morgana's bonds.
"Sooo We Meet Again… Championnnn." Futsunushi said in a raspy whisper, the sound, despite its soft and quiet tone, carried past the violent clashing of blades around him.
"Futsunushi, it's good to see you." Akira said before a thought occurred. "You were born from my bonds with Morgana. Is it possible that you…"
"Cannn Contact Your Magiciannnn? I'mmmm Afraid Notttt. IIIII Can Neither See Nor Hear Himmmm. Norrr Can I Say Where He Is Or Whether He Is Alive Or Deadddd."
"Damn. It was worth a shot." Akira knew they were gone. He knew that he was the only person to survive because he was a 'Wild Card'. But still… he wanted to hope…
"Dooo Not Falter, Championnn. Youuu Are A Warriorrr. Keeppp Fighting And Continue To Temper The Blade Of Your Heartttt." The blades around Futsunushi stilled, their steel interlocked with each other as the Shinto deity pointed a bony finger beside Akira.
"Yourrr New Magician Has Great Potentialll. III Look Forward To Seeing Her Growthhh." With that final line, his blades spun once more in a whirlwind of steel before vanishing along with their owner; colour slowly seeping back to reality as time resumed again.
A jovial tune began to play suddenly, causing Momo to quickly scramble for her pockets.
"Ah, it appears my driver is here." She stood up and smiled at Akira. "I'll be sure to come back soon for a cup of tea in the near future."
"Perhaps we can try some of that Harry's?"
"Harrod's, right? Oh, I look forward to it! You'll enjoy it, I guarantee it!" She turned toward the older men further down the counter. "Yoshimura-san, it's time!"
"Ah, so it is." Yoshimura pulled from behind the counter some luggage. He began to walk out to the door before pausing. "That reminds me. Young Kurusu, here."
Akira caught a pair of silver keys.
"These are the keys to the place. She's in your care now. Feel free to change anything like the name or decorations to suit your needs." Yoshimura said with a smile before leaving. "Thank you, Young Kurusu, for everything."
"No. Thank you… Boss."
Confidants So Far:
Hierophant: Gentle Criminal (Rank 2)
Lovers: La Brava (Rank 1)
Justice: Koichi (Rank 1)
Tower: Knuckle Duster (Rank 1)
Magician: Momo (Rank 1)
Author's Notes
Hey all!
Apologies for the late post. Honestly, I was just procrastinating hard. Wasn't too sure how to write this chapter. I wanted to form a confidant with Knuckle Duster and Momo in this chapter while also transitioning the Cafe into Akira's hands. I wanted Akira to have the Cafe so that he and the other vigilantes can use it as a meeting spot like they do in Persona with LeBlanc. I figured Yoshimura needing to retire and stop using his hands was the best way for this to happen.
Overall, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I added the bit where Yoshimura said Akira could change the name of the Cafe if he wanted. Do you all think he should stick with Coruscant Cafe (Sticking with the Star Wars naming theme that Horikoshi has done in the manga/anime) or should he rename it LeBlanc in memory of his home and father figure? I don't mind either way, let me know what you all think.
And finally to end the chapter, some reviews!
Zepolmoon
Hey thanks for the support! Sorry for making you wait 3 months :P . Anyways, I don't have any plans to make the other confidants Persona Users any time soon. I primarily planned to just have Akira be the only Persona user. Sorry if you're disappointed by this. Like it would help give the characters focused on support an easier to write presence in fights like La Brava but at the moment, nothing planned.
Neiltanael
¡Gracias por tu reseña y apoyo! Estoy usando Google Translate, así que no sé qué tan preciso es esto, pero espero que tenga sentido jaja. De todos modos, ¡espero que disfrutes de este y futuros capítulos!
Anyways, let me know what you all think. Hope you enjoyed, and hope you all have a great day.
Ciao!