Chapter 42: Dancer in a World of Shadows
October 1
Loona: Hey Ren, I've got some people for you to meet. We'll be in the redlight district, so meet us there.
Ren: I'll be right over.
Loona: Good. See you then.
At Crossroads, Ren entered the bar to find Loona sitting at one of the private booths with a group of humans that the half-Goetia recognized as the members of IMP in human disguise: Blitzo, Moxxie, Millie, and Blitzo's sister, Barbie. "Hey Ren, glad you could make it," Loona said, letting him have a seat at the table.
"So, what's got us all gathered here today, Looney-Tuney?" Blitzo asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Got another "change of heart" you need us to take care of after you all do your thing?"
"No, Dad, this is about something else," Loona said, catching the group of imps by surprise.
"Golly, you almost never call Blitz "Dad"," Millie mused. "And I should know, seeing as I was the one that babysat ya all the time."
"Babysitting? I thought you were adopted at seventeen?" Ren questioned.
"Overprotective dad, remember?" Loona reminded him. "Look, I wanted to talk to you all today because… I wanted to say… I… Ugh… I'm freaking sorry for all the shit I put you through, alright!?"
"An apology, from Loona?" Moxxie fake gasped. "Sire, she's clearly been replaced by a changeling of some sort!"
"Cut the sarcasm, Moxxie, or I'll take it out of your paycheck again," Blitzo rolled his eyes.
"It is a fee in your contract," Barbie nodded.
Moxxie pouted as Loona rolled her eyes at her co-worker's antics. "Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat anything: I've been a major bitch to all of you in some way, especially when it comes to taking my job seriously. But recently- with a lot of poking from this guy-" She jabbed a thumb at Ren. "I've been learning how to be a team player with the Phantom Thieves, and that means owning up to all the crap I put you guys through in the past."
"That's pretty big of you to step up like that, Loona," Ren said.
Loona gave him a smirk before continuing. "I've had a chip on my shoulder because of what I went through in the pound, and I took it out on all of you. I didn't want your kindness and affection, especially from you, Blitzo, because I felt like I didn't deserve it. And even then, it didn't help how I felt dehumanized by the way you treated me at times as well, M&Ms."
"Hm… I guess my own upbringing has let me treat you as just another hellhound instead of as the boss' daughter at times," Millie apologized. "That's on me, hon. Sorry about that."
"Well, I think all the picking on me you did makes us even for all the jabs I've sent your way," Moxxie huffed, crossing his arms.
"What I'm trying to say is I want to be better, and my friends in the Phantom Thieves have helped with that," Loona said. "Once this ordeal thing is over with, I'll be ready to take my secretary position back and do it properly this time. And Dad… thanks for taking me into your home. You fuck up a lot- and I mean a lot- but you're also trying, and I promise that I'm going to try to be the best fucking daughter ever and make you proud."
"Oh Looney!" Blitzo said, starting to tear up as he practically tackled her into a hug. Loona flinched at his touch but gave a soft smile and hugged him back. "I'm going to be the best fucking dad too!"
"…Could you start by giving me some more space then?" Loona chuckled, gently prying Blitzo off herself. "I'm not that big on how overly affectionate you are all the time with me. Touching is something I want when I'm comfortable with it."
"Just a little bit of hugs and kisses?" Blitzo asked.
"Just a bit," Loona rolled her eyes. "But only a little, and not in public! I've still gotta keep my image as a badass after all."
"Blitzo has always had a thing for getting in everyone's personal business, sweetie. It's gonna be next to impossible for him to fully break it," Barbie chuckled. "Still, I can't believe that I'm an aunt now… Wish Mom could be here to see it."
"I do too, Sis," Blitzo nodded. "Oh, and you don't have to worry about your secretary position, Looney, Aunt Barbie here has that covered. In fact, she's just as much of a hardass on the phone as you were!"
"And that's a good thing…?" Ren questioned.
"We live in Hell. Aggression on the phone is how you get through to some people calling in for hits," Millie explained.
"And it's paying a whole lot better than what I was doing before, especially with the prince backing us," Barbie laughed. "Seriously, if you guys hadn't saved me from Kaneshiro, even if I did escape him, I'd probably be, I dunno, selling drugs to kids at a summer camp or something like that."
"Wait, if Aunt Barbie is going to man the phone, then what am I supposed to do?" Loona asked.
"Join us in the field of course!" Blitzo stated. "You totally kicked our asses in the Palace place, and if you can use your Persona junk in Hell, I'm sure you can find a way to use in here in the human world as well. You may be my daughter that I love and want to protect very much, but I think I can trust you to join us on missions now."
"Dad…" Loona smiled.
"Just don't give me any more fat jokes at my expense," Moxxie asked.
"No promises," Loona laughed, much to his dismay.
'I feel Loona's resolve shining bright…' Ren thought.
"So, how about a round of drinks for my daughter?" Blitzo offered. "Hey, La-La, bring us your hardest stuff!"
"I'll get water for the kids," La-La called back.
"Don't worry, I'll slip some of the stuff for ya, Looney," Blitzo whispered with a wink. The group spent the rest of the afternoon chatting it up, the IMP family feeling closer than ever.
[***]
Iwai: Thanks for the help the other day. You're a real gun enthusiast, not a wannabe. I feel like I can trust you and the girl, so I'll teach you about the shop. Whaddya say?
Ren: Teach me.
Iwai: OK. I'll make you both part-time employees. That way you won't look suspicious when you visit. If you agree, then stop by the shop. Don't flake on me.
At Untouchable, Ren and Loona met up to start their new employment. Loona wasn't huge on working a part-time job, but she had some experience with taking care of weapons at IMP, so she would make an exception here if it also meant getting more out of their deal with Iwai. "Hurry up and learn this stuff, kid. You've gotta be able to start looking like a normal employee," Iwai ordered Ren. "I'm supposed to be running an honorable business here, y'know… Though honestly, the customers've been running a little thin lately."
"Something going down?" Loona asked.
"Some guy on the internet's been claiming all my goods're knock-offs," Iwai explained. "And once you've got a bad rap like that, it's real tough to shake it."
"I know how that feels," Ren muttered.
Iwai huffed, "A kid like you? …You going through something similar? I guess you wouldn't be doing any of this if you weren't huh… Don't gimme any details though. I don't wanna know." He crossed his arms. "Anyways, I should prolly fill you in on what's going on here since you'll both be helping me out. I'd bet anything the guy behind that rumor is Tsuda. You remember his name from the diner, yeah? Truth is, he's the second in command of the Hashiba Clan. The same clan I was in… back when I was part of the yakuza."
"I always knew you were a thug," Loona grinned.
"Heh, you got some nerve," Iwai laughed. "Anyways, Tsuda was my sworn brother back in the clan. I got some… unsavory business going down with him now though. Problem is, I'm a known quantity in the underworld. One bad step and I'd have guys crawling all over me. That's why I've got you around. You look normal, sure… but you got balls, kid. Makes you perfect for snooping on Tsuda… Hope I ain't scaring you off with all this talk."
"No, I like that stuff," Loona shook her head.
"We made a deal, didn't we?" Ren added.
"Heh, idiot," Iwai chuckled, shaking his head. "But y'know, I've got a bit of soft spot for idiots like you. Anyways, you get the gist of what's going on now, yeah? You'll be working with that in mind. I expect a lot for you kids… Oh, and I'll add to the special menu, to thank you for getting that info for me the other day."
'It feels like our bond with Iwai is growing even deeper…' Ren thought.
"H-Hello…" a young man's voice called, entering the shop.
Iwai looked at the young man and frowned. "Huh? I thought I told you to stop coming around here."
"But…" the boy stuttered.
"Is that one of your customers?" Ren asked.
"You keep your mouth shut," Iwai glared at him. "This ain't none of your business… Just go home n' study, Kaoru. You've got entrance exams coming up, remember?"
"Okay…" the boy, Kaoru, sighed. "I guess I'll be going then…"
'The boy's scent… it has traces of Iwai's…' Loona thought. "Sounds like you're familiar with that kid," she voiced.
"That's Kaoru… my son," Iwai replied. "He's always asking me if he can help out here, always worrying about what I'm getting up to." He sighed, "But I prolly shouldn't be telling kids like you about this… Well, you can head home for today. Nice work, kids."
The two left after that, with Loona having a bit more respect for Iwai after find out about Kaoru. 'Heh, he's starting to remind me of my own dad… if Blitzo were a lot cooler and less goofy, but there's some similarities hiding there…'
[***]
October 2
The next night, Ren and Octavia went to see Chihaya again. "So, I've made some more progress with the ADP case!" the fortune teller said with a smile. "Sit down so I can tell you all about it!"
"Give us all the details, Chihaya," Octavia said.
"So, I got all the members of the ADP together and gave them a big group apology. They didn't really believe what I was saying at first, but the truth of the matter settled in eventually…" Chihaya explained. "However… it seems like the members from the executive class are still brainwashed. I'm in talks with a lawyer right now though. We're going to get refunds and outpatient care for all of them. I'm going to give back all the money I made from selling Holy Stones too. It's the least I can do to atone for the ignorance I showed back then. That's why… I want you to accept this, Amamiya-san. Think of it not only as an apology, but as a sign of gratitude, for helping me see the truth."
Chihaya handed over an envelope of money to Ren, the 100,000 yen for when he bought a Holy Stone those months ago. "Thank you," Ren said.
"Maiden! I'm so happy to see you!" Yokoda called, walking up with some of Chihaya's other past customers."
"Yokada-san!? What are you all doing here!?" the fortune teller gasped, standing up from her seat.
"That apology you gave us was all made up, wasn't it? Somebody had to have forced you to say that stuff!" Yokoda said. "I mean, the chairman was obviously framed! Tell us the truth, please!"
"N-None of it was made up," Chihaya stuttered. "As for the chairman, I need you to listen to me. Everything he told you in those seminars was a lie! The promises of a great future, the power of the Holy Stones, the need for donations… All lies. Doesn't it seem strange that he kept asking members for money, even through times of financial stress? And beyond that, you guys should have known better than anyone where those "donations" were ending up… Even I know how horrible the ADP's scheme was. That's why I had to come forward…"
"No! That can't be true!" the female customer gasped.
The male customer glared at Ren and Octavia. "You! Are you the ones who did this to our beautiful maiden!?"
"Listen to what Chihaya's saying," Ren said calmly.
"Shut your mouth!" Yokoda shouted.
Chihaya got between the man and the kids. "Please, stop this! They have nothing to do with your situation! I'm the one who sold you those rocks! If you're going to get upset with anyone… it should be with me!"
"But… Maiden…" the male customer whimpered.
"This can't be happening…" the female customer despaired.
"…No. We must continue to place our trust in her," Yokoda said. "Please, Maiden… Cleanse us of our misery! If you leave us now, we will be fated to drown in sorrow…!"
"L-Look, the only way you can change that is with your own convictions!" Chihaya replied. "Neither I nor one of those worthless stones will be able to help you…"
"B-But then, how are we supposed to avoid our fated misery…?" the woman asked.
"No… A curse is upon us…!" the man exclaimed.
"Maiden, please…!" Yokoda begged.
Chihaya glared at them. "Oh, will you shut yer traps!? Y'all need to simmer down and listen to what I hafta say for once! Whether yer gonna be miserable or not's all on yer own damn shoulders! You don't need some divine power mumbo jumbo to be changing yer fate!"
'What's with the hick accent all of a sudden?' Octavia thought.
Chihaya went on, "Y'all got that strength in yerselves! Fortune telling can't hold a candle to honest-to-goodness willpower! And heck, even if things're bad now, it'll all be fine so long as you keep yer heads up!"
She stopped herself and flushed. "O-Oh, I'm sorry about that. All this stress caused me to lapse into my country dialect… But… I stand by what I said. Nothing will ever change if all you do is rely on others. Take me for example. I thought I was destined to live as a monster… but I had strength to reverse that fate. If you want to control your future, that's all you need… Strength. The only way forward is through the fortitude of your own heart!"
"My… heart?" Yokoda repeated.
"It might not be the easiest thing to accomplish at first. After all, your willpower has been constantly suppressed by all those seminars and donations… I'm partially to blame for that. But that's why I need to show you the light now and help you push on!" Chihaya continued.
"Maiden…" Yokoda said.
"No. I'm not your Maiden anymore," Chihaya rebutted. "I'm just Chihaya Mifune, the fortune teller who guides fate!" The trio of customers left after that, letting Chihaya sit back down and let out a sigh. "I wonder if Yokoda-san and the others will be okay… I know how they feel though. They want to cling onto the Holy Stones, just as I clung to my role as the Maiden. All any of us ever wanted was to be happy… to avoid our fates…"
"Well, fate can be changed," Ren pointed out.
Chihaya smiled. "Right. I did it, so I'm sure Yokoda-san and the others will be able to as well! No matter how many times I have to try, I will talk to them until they understand. And when they realize the difficult truth… I will be there to help them recover. Back in my village, people called me a monster. Here, they revered me as the Maiden. Even now my heart continues to wander, yet you somehow saw the real me… Not the Maiden… Not a monster… just Chihaya. Amamiya-san, Goetia-san… Thank you."
"It was nothing, really," Ren said modestly.
"By the way, Amamiya-san… has anyone told you you're a bit nosy?" Chihaya asked. "I mean, normally someone wouldn't think to involve themselves in such a strenuous ordeal. S-So, um… There's actually something I've been wondering for a while now… Is… fortune telling the only reason you come to see me? I-It's not… is it?"
'…This better not be a trend in all the girls Ren meets falling in love with him,' Octavia sighed mentally. 'Maybe his mom has some secret Succubus ancestry or something…'
"Amamiya-san… Why do you come here?" Chihaya asked.
"I like having my fortune read," Ren replied.
"O-Oh, I see… Sorry, I suppose I was just feeling a bit self-conscious…" Chihaya apologize. "But there's nothing better than knowing my readings help others! Please come have your fortunes read as often as you'd like! After all, we'll forever be joined in our quest to oppose fate! Anyway, I should be going."
"See you next time, Chihaya," Octavia said as the two left for the night.
[***]
October 3
As Ren and Octavia were heading into school the next day, they ran into Kasumi, who was looking a bit down. "Ah… Excuse me," she said, keeping her head down as she passed by.
"What's wrong with Yoshizawa? Didn't she seem off to you?" Morgana asked.
"She did…" Octavia nodded. She gave a hum and crouched down, picking up a charm off the floor. "Did Kasumi drop this on her way out?"
"That's here charm all right," Ren nodded.
"…Shoot, she's gone. Let's return it after school," Morgana suggested. "We should at least send her a text so she knows where it is."
Ren sent the text, but it wasn't until after classes that Kasumi responded with a phone call. "…Ah, hello? Amamiya-senpai? I'm sorry, I just ow noticed that you tried to reach me. My smartphone seems to be acting up again. You found my good luck charm, right?"
"Can we meet up?" Ren asked.
"Odaiba, in front of the stadium… where we met before," Kasumi replied.
"She's at the stadium?" Morgana questioned.
"Amamiya-senpai? Sorry, I can't hear you-" the line suddenly ended.
"I guess her signal cut out," Morgana guessed.
"Geez, what was that static?" Loona asked, walking up to them and rubbing at her ears. "That was Kasumi on the other end, right? She really needs to get a new phone…"
"I couldn't hear everything, but it seems like she's at the stadium in Odaiba," Octavia said. "She was acting a bit odd this morning too. Do you think something happened?"
"I'm worried about her," Ren admitted.
"Of course you are, lover boy," Loona teased.
"Remember the last time we met her there?" Morgana recalled. "It's possible. Well, let's see how she's doing when we drop off her good luck charm."
"You all are going to see Kasumi at the stadium?" Collin asked, walking up to the group. "May I come as well? I saw her looking glum in the hallway today, so I'd like to check up on her as well."
"Sure, let's make this is an otherworldly intervention," Ren joked. "Off to Odaiba."
[***]
As evening fell, the gang all went to Odaiba to see Kasumi, Ren smiling as they spotted her standing by herself, looking at her phone. Octavia suddenly felt the hairs on her. Neck bristle, however, as a familiar warping filled the air. "Wait… the Metverse… What is…?"
"Look! Is that-?" Loona gasped, pointing up at where the unbuilt stadium was. The place had transformed into a towering structure that wasn't there before.
"What the-?" Mona said, the gang all realizing that they'd transformed into their Phantom Thief attire. "This atmosphere… Is this a Palace!? But we never activated the Nav…"
"Wait, do you think it was Yoshizawa!?" Templar gasped.
"If it was, then it's possible that she came in here too," Omen said grimly.
"That's very likely," Mona nodded. "She wasn't anywhere near us when we slipped into this Palace… She can't fight like we do. We have to find her, fast!"
"Right. Phantom Thieves, let's move out," Joker nodded.
"First, we need to find a way into that huge thing," Omen said.
"The area heading down past these gates seems suspicious to me. Let's go, Joker!" Mona cheered.
Lycan looked at her phone and frowned. "Ugh, there's nothing on what kind of Palace this place is. No name, not location, nothing…"
"Perhaps searching inside will give us some clues," Templar suggested. Climbing over the fence surrounding the Palace, the gang found an elevator that took them up into the tower-like structure.
"I don't think Yoshizawa is here. Can we get any further in?" Mona asked.
Omen peered around the room and located a pair of doors on the other end. "That door might be our only option. Let's go check it out." Here in the Entrance Hall, the room was clean and state-of-the-art, with large security cameras hanging from the wall ominously. The door Omen had seen was locked, but Mona was able to spot some points they could grapple between to reach a higher area.
As the Phantom Thieves climbed the inner structure, they heard Kasumi's voice cry out, "Who's there!?"
"What that Yoshizawa!?" Mona exclaimed.
"That's didn't sound good. Let's move," Joker said.
"Yeah, stay on guard though!" Templar warned. Sliding down into the next room, the gang saw Kasumi down below, confronting another red-haired girl in a dancer uniform and glasses.
"Why… How are you here!?" Kasumi gasped.
"Who's that? Is it one of those cognitive beings?" Lycan asked.
"I… It's my fault…" the cognition said.
"What…" Kasumi gasped.
"Come on!" Mona ordered, the gang moving forward to defend Kasumi.
"You must… Kasumi…" the cognition said.
"Stop! Stop it!" Kasumi shouted. She winced as her head exploded with pain, making her fall to her knees.
A Shadow suddenly appeared behind the cognition, knocking it to the ground with an attack. "You must…" it said before fading away.
"Hurry! Kasumi's in trouble!" Templar said.
"…Heresy," the Shadow said. "You dare to spurn our lord's mercy…" The Shadow then transformed into its true form, the Evil Synthetic Organism.
"Are you all right, Yoshizawa!?" Omen asked as the Phantom Thieves finally got to her.
"We came to save you," Joker said.
"That voice- Amamiya-senpai!?" Kasumi gasped.
Mona scoffed, looking at the Shadow. "Looks like that thing's ready to rumble."
"Accept yourself… Our lord laments the foolishness birthed from your pain," the Shadow said.
"What are you talking about?" Kasumi asked. Voices suddenly started echoing out of nowhere.
"Where are those voices…" Lycan growled. The voices went on, all of them demeaning Kasumi in some form or fashion.
"That's…!" Kasumi gasped. "I've had enough of this…"
"Yoshizawa!?" Templar said.
"You're telling me I'm not cutting it? As if I don't know that better than anyone!" Kasumi shouted. "Still… I don't care what anyone says about me… I will not tolerate speaking ill of our dream!" She slowly stood up as she continued, "It's all in your best interest… Filling my life with pressure… Demanding the results that you want…"
Octavia felt a familiar potential building inside of Kasumi. "Wait, is she about to…?"
"And now you're all branding me a failure? Let me remind you who you're talking to… I am… I am… Kasumi Yoshizawa!" Kasumi exclaimed.
"So adamant…" a voice as in Kasumi's head, making her clutch it in pain as the presence made itself known. "Rather than accept a life in cinders… You'd strive towards splendor- you know the risk… Well, if those really are the shoes you've chosen… Then we'll dance to the end." In a flash of blue fire, a mask appeared on Kasumi's face.
"This has got to be…" Mona realized. Kasumi tore off her mask, her body glowing as she went through a stunning transformation. Her clothes changed into a dancing-type outfit with a rapier blade at her side, her Persona forming into a maiden with blonde hair and blue attire.
"…I feel like I just watched one of those magical girl transformation sequences…" Lycan mused.
"Look at that!" Templar gasped.
"I am thou, thou art I…" the Persona said. "Accept this contract… The spell cast upon you…"
"I request we have a rematch," Kasumi said, drawing her blade. "This time… I'm going all in with Cendrillon!" With that the Phantom Thieves jumped in to help fight as well. "Are you all… senpai's friend and cat!?"
"Yeah, yeah, we can explain all of this later," Lycan waved her off.
"We'll show you the way to do this! Nothing too reckless, okay?" Mona ordered.
Kasumi nodded. "Thank you! Please do!" She called on her Persona and used a Light spell, revealing the Shadow's weakness to the team!
"Joker, you know what to do!" Omen said, their team leader nodding and switching Persona to exploit the weakness. The rest of the gang piled on the damage, until the Shadow was weak enough to be taken out with an All-Out Attack.
"It's too late to be sorry!" Kasumi taunted as the Shadow was blasted into oblivion. She let out a sigh of relief, before crouching down a bit in exhaustion.
"Hey, are you all right?" Mona asked.
"I can't… be weak anymore…" Kasumi breathed out, forcing herself to stand tall.
"Whoa! That's pretty hardcore, considering you just awakening to your Persona and junk," Lycan said.
"Only Noir was as strong to do that," Templar agreed.
Kasumi looked to Joker. "Amamiya-senpai… Right?"
"Yeah," Joker nodded.
"…I knew it," Kasumi said. "By the way… Why are we dressed like this right now?"
"It's a really long story..." Templar sighed.
"Well, of course. This has to be awfully confusing for her," Mona replied. The sounds of Shadows echoed from the distance, making everyone tense up. "…Looks like they found us. Time to get out of here, quick. We can explain later."
"Follow my lead," Joker said, holding out a hand to Kasumi.
"Right!" she nodded, taking his hand as the gang fled from the Palace.
[***]
"Oh, we're back at…" Kasumi realized where they were as they returned to the real world. "Huh? My clothes changed back to normal, too."
"This was your location before you entered the Metaverse. We all just came back," Morgana explained.
"Came… back?" Kasumi repeated. "Did we go somewhere?"
"Uh, about that…" Octavia sighed.
"Please, tell me anything you might know about what's going on," Kasumi insisted. "I need to know what just happened to me."
"I know how you feel, but… What should we do, Ren?" Octavia asked.
"I don't see any alternative. Let's tell her," Ren replied.
"Yeah, you're right," Octavia nodded. "Okay, we'll tell you everything from the beginning."
"Thank you," Kasumi said. And so the gang explained everything, from the Collective Unconscious to the existence of angels and demons. "A Metaverse… with Palaces… and Personas… along with the realm of angels… and the realm of demons…"
"I'm sure it's not easy to wrap your head around all of this in one go," Morgana said.
"Normally I wouldn't believe any of that, but after seeing it all for myself…" Kasumi smiled. "But, wow! You're so good at explaining things, Mr. Kitty."
"I'll let that last part slide this time…" Morgana sighed. "But isn't there something else that should be surprising you?"
"Hm…? A cat's talking!?" Kasumi exclaimed.
"Took you long enough!" Loona laughed. "You you'd think demons and angels would be more of a shock than a talking cat…"
"And I am not a cat! I am Morgana!" Morgana corrected.
"…I see," Kasumi nodded. "Well, since you seem to know a lot more about this than I do, maybe I should call you Morgana-senpai."
"Oh, that's right- Ren, don't you have something for her?" Octavia recalled.
Ren took out the good luck charm. "You dropped his earlier," Ren said, handing it back to Kasumi.
"You came all this way to return this? Thank you so much!" Kasumi smiled.
"You didn't seem your usual self this morning. Did something happen?" Collin asked.
"Well… I didn't get the chance to tell you yet, but… I got third place in the last meet," Kasumi explained. "Of course I'm not happy about it, but it looks like the school is even more displeased. I was summoned to the guidance office this morning. I was warned that the school might revoke my honors status if I don't improve my results soon. It would be due to my own inability to succeed in gymnastics, so I have to say, it's not an unfair consequence… But I also overheard the vice principal talking about how I'm a useless waste of effort…"
Kasumi shook her head. "And I dragged Dr. Maruki into this mess too, since he was with me when I got the news. That's what really got me."
"That's a tough break," Octavia frowned.
"So I ended up coming here- then, all of a sudden, I was in that place we just left…" Kasumi continued. "But I'll be just fine now. I feel like whatever happened in there helped me get over it. I'm going to realize my dream for sure!"
"Seems like you really are on the up and up now," Loona chuckled.
"…But then again, how did Yoshizawa end up finding a Palace in the first place?" Morgana wondered. "It sounds like it was pure coincidence based on what she's told us."
"Do you think it was the Nav, perhaps?" Joker suggested.
"The Nav?" Kasumi repeated.
"Well, I suppose that makes the most sense," Collin nodded. "Do you think we could look at your phone for a moment, Kasumi? If the Nav is on there, we'd be able to see whose Palace that was in the first place from the search history."
"Sure, it's right-" Kasumi pulled out her phone, before shaking her head. "Sorry… This won't do any good."
"Why's that?" Morgana asked.
"The battery's dead. It's been acting up for a while now, so that could have something to do with it," Kasumi explained.
"You really need to get that checked out, girl. Or just get a new phone all together," Loona sighed. "Well, it's not like that Palace is one of our targets, so we probably don't have to worry about it for the moment."
"We couldn't make its ruler our target unless we reached a unanimous decision, anyway," Morgana added.
"Okay, I've been meaning to ask… Are you five part of the Phantom Thieves?" Kasumi asked.
"…Yeah, we are," Octavia nodded after sharing a glance with the others.
"You caught us," Ren said.
"I knew it… Wait, that means… when we are at the café with Akechi-san…" Kasumi realized. "I basically told the Phantom Thieves themselves that I don't agree with what they're doing! Um… I'm really sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Ren shook his head.
"With that out of the way… What your call, Ren?" Octavia asked.
"About Kasumi?" Ren questioned.
"That's right! Did you see how badass she was back there, dude? She'd be an awesome addition to the Phantom Thieves!" Loona exclaimed. Collin and Morgana nodded in agreement.
"So, you mean you want me to join the Phantom Thieves?" Kasumi asked.
"In a nutshell, yeah," Morgana nodded. "You've awakened to your Persona, you're aware of the existence of Palaces… And, from the looks of things, you've got quite the potential. If you're willing to join us, we'd be glad to have you."
"I see… Hm," Kasumi hummed with thought.
"You don't have to give us an answer right now," Collin assured her. "I mean, you probably shouldn't make any decision until you learn more about what it is we're actually doing."
"Thank you, but… I'm sorry, I have to turn down your offer!" Kasumi replied.
"Coll, so we'll head home for now and- Wait, what!?" Morgana exclaimed in shock.
"When I awakened to my… Persona, was it? I also realized something… I can't keep obsessing over my shortcomings in gymnastics like this," Kasumi explained herself. "So, that's why I can't join you at the moment…"
"Because you need to focus on your gymnastics," Octavia finished the thought.
"I'm truly sorry to say no after all you've done for me!" Kasumi apologized.
"That's like you, Kasumi," Ren chuckled.
"Thank you,' Kasumi smiled. "But I think I'd only cause you all more trouble if I were to join up without being totally invested in it. Of course, I won't say a word about this to anyone, especially not the angels and demons stuff."
"You better, or else we'll haunt you forever!" Loona said playfully.
"I'm glad you catch on so quickly," Morgana smiled. "Well, if you ever change your mind about us, just let us know, okay?"
"Thank you, Morgana-senpai. If that ever happens, I'll get in touch with you right away!" Kasumi promised.
"Yes!" Morgana nodded.
"I should extend the same gratitude to all of you as well, especially you, Amamiya-senpai," Kasumi said. "I swear, one day I will repay you for helping me out in so many ways. Shall we get going? Quite a lot's happened today, but I have a feeling I'll try harder than ever before starting tomorrow!"
"I'm glad to hear it," Octavia smiled.
"Well, see you later," Kasumi said as the group parted ways. The Phantom Thieves may not have gained a new teammate today, but they did have a new confidant to keep their secret, and a potential ally to call on in the future.
"Still, I have to wonder whose Palace that was…" Octavia mused.
"Eh, focus on finding the Black Mask for now, princess," Loona shrugged.
"Yeah… I'll figure it out, trust me," Octavia replied.
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Loona Nyx
Arcana: Twilight
Rank 9 Description: Loona had a meeting with IMP where she apologized for her past behavior. Her relationship with her family and co-workers has grown even stronger than ever before.
Rank 9 Ability: Protect- Chance to shield Joker from an otherwise fatal attack.
Author's Note
Yea, Loona's finally made up with her dad and the rest of IMP! Our hellhound girl has come a long way from the start of the story, and with Ren's help is able to final voice her apologies and make a new promise to work harder on her job at IMP. It's fun having Barbie around with the main IMP crew, even if when I original wrote her in this story the idea of the character was different than she actually was in her debut episode. I did at least sneak in a reference to that episode in her dialogue, though.
And here we are, Kasumi awakening to her Persona, Cendrillon! I wanted to make sure that all of the Helluva Boss crew were here to see it so they can give the angel/demon explanation to her, and luckily Kasumi was readily able to accept their existence like she was with Palaces. On a side note, I think it's really clever to have Cendrillon as a Persona here in P5, as while she isn't a famous thief or outlaw, Cinderella is famous for sneaking into a palace in disguise and stealing the heart of a prince. Very fitting of the Persona themes while setting Kasumi apart from the main group.
Next time will be the lead-up to the Okumura fight, meaning it's do or die time for Octavia to figure out who the Black Mask is!