Heart of Justice Chapter 11
4/19
Kyoko had slept like a log that evening. Had it been Sunday, she may have slept far longer. The trip through the Metaverse and Kamoshida's Palace had certainly done a number on the young detective as she'd done her best to hide her fatigue from Sojiro on the way out and with some reluctance, had picked up an energy drink on the way to school that had rather surprisingly managed to perk her back up that she was able to keep her attention through class, particularly when the rather eccentric biology teacher called on her for a question that she couldn't help but feel had little to do with biology but answered correctly regardless.
Despite the previous day, and their plans for the heist, Ann had been rather distant in class and spent her time staring out the window even after class had finally let out.
"Hey..." Kyoko heard the other girl's voice call her attention right as she was passing her desk, prompting her to stop and glance down at her.
"Yes?" Kyoko asked.
"If it's alright, maybe we wait a bit before the calling card? I'm still beat from yesterday and..." She went quiet.
"Go on," Kyoko said, noting Ann's hesitation to continue.
"...I called the hospital this morning... Shiho's still not woken up. I can't stop thinking about it..." Ann finally turned and looked Kyoko in the eyes, worry all over her face. "You think... there's even any chance she ever will? Wake up, I mean?"
Kyoko felt Morgana shift in her bag, likely to peer through at Ann, but he said nothing, either not wanting to draw attention to Kyoko and himself or he may have not been able to think of what to say that could make her feel better.
Neither could Kyoko. This wasn't something she was particularly good at.
"I couldn't say," she replied. The answer clearly did nothing for Ann's mood, as the other girl looked down at the desk.
"Maybe I'll feel a little better when we've dealt with Kamoshida," she said, slumping in her seat. "...Just let me know, when we're all set to deliver the calling card."
"I will," Kyoko replied. "Get some rest."
As she headed out the hallway, Kyoko brought her hand to her chin in thought as she pondered what to do with her day.
"How you see the world depends on your brain's cognition," Morgana's voice mused from within her bag, prompting her to glance down at the opening where he peered out at her. "Sorry, just thinking about what the teacher said earlier... but Lady Ann is right, we should wait a little before we send the calling card, especially after yesterday's trip through the Palace. Once it's sent, Kamoshida's Palace's security level is going to spike so we'll need to be extra careful," he explained. "And furthermore... because of that, there's the chance we'll run into his Shadow when we take the Treasure, and if that happens, we'll have no choice but to fight our way out."
"We need to get this done as soon as possible," Kyoko replied. "Though I will admit, we still have about a week and a half until the assembly. We can spare a day or two in order to get ready."
Morgana let out a soft chuckle. "After tearing through the Palace like that, and judging from what we saw in the throne room, I wouldn't be surprised if Kamoshida's already getting a little worried!" he said. "Still, he's not gonna see this coming! We'll get that Treasure, no problem!"
"It's our only chance," Kyoko replied.
"At any rate, any ideas what you'll do today if we're taking time off?" Morgana asked.
"I need to keep my grades up," Kyoko said. "Leblanc likely gets more customers during the day so it'd be best I study somewhere else. Perhaps the library..."
"Well, we can check it out!" Morgana replied, his ears perked. "Oh! Maybe they have some interesting books to read, too? Might give you something to do when you aren't studying, you know?"
"Perhaps," Kyoko said, heading down the bustling halls and around the corner, where she found the door leading into the school library. It wasn't particularly large, a bespectacled student sat at the library desk, reading from her textbook, while a vaguely familiar and rather prim-looking student with short brown hair and a black halter vest she wore in place of the usual blazer was at one of the tables quietly taking notes from a book opened before her. Aside from those who who seemed completely immersed in their activities, all the other students present, Kyoko noticed, were now staring at her and sure enough, the whispers began. Though hushed, within the quiet confines of the library they were almost deafening, to the point that the student librarian looked up from her textbook as recognition came on her face when she looked at Kyoko.
"Ummm, excuse me?" the girl asked. "My apologies, but you seem to be making the others uncomfortable," she said. "Is there anything I can get for you so you're..."
Kyoko folded her arms and glared at the gossiping students as the girl paused as if unsure how to finish her sentence, then looked back at the student librarian. "...Out of here faster?" she asked, her expression and tone flat and neutral but barely containing annoyance. "...Perhaps another time," she said, turning around and leaving without another word, the brunette student sighing in annoyance from the commotion and glancing up from her notebook just in time to see Kyoko walking out, her glance lingering at the door a moment before her attention returned to her studies.
"Well, guess that's a no-go," Morgana muttered from Kyoko's bag. "Wonder if there's anything else here we could do."
Having grown up under a grandfather who kept her on a rather rigid schedule, a day with no real plans was unusual for the young detective so she offered no response as she slumped against the wall, lowering her head as she gave out a sharp exhale from the awkward situation in the library.
At that moment, however, Kyoko's phone chimed, indicating a message. Taking it out and switching it on, the teen discovered it'd come from Ryuji.
[Hey! Sup? You still at school?] the message inquired.
-Yes. Kyoko responded.
[Same] Ryuji replied.
[Much as I wanna see Kamoshida squirm, I'm still feelin' it from yesterday!]
[Still, even then I guess I didn't feel top of my game, ya know?]
[Maybe cause it's been a while since I really ran.]
[It's sunny out, so I thought yeah we really went all out yesterday, but no reason to put today to waste so I thought I'd do some trainin! Really get the blood pumpin again!]
[How about you? Wanna join?]
Kyoko thought it over for a moment, glancing back at Morgana in her bag as she held the phone for him to see.
"Hmmm, Ryuji's got a bit on his mind, and it is a good idea to train your body more to move when it counts," the cat mused.
Studying was probably out for now, and it would give her something to do and perhaps, as the Velvet Room warden had encouraged, an opportunity to bond with her teammate more.
-Very well. Where are you? she replied.
[For real? Awesome! By the staircase leading to the roof!]
Kyoko blinked, recalling that should be right around the corner. Turning and walking down the hall sure enough she spotted bleached hair by the stairs and there was Ryuji, leaning against the wall nearby.
"Found you," Kyoko said suddenly, startling him a little as his back had been turned to her.
"W-whoa!" Ryuji jumped back a little, then laughed sheepishly. "Sup, Kyoko? Any plans for today if we're puttin' off the calling card? Ann sent me a text about it, think she kinda wants to be alone for the day." He shook his head. "I guess I don't blame her with Suzui still in the hospital and some'a the shit we saw in the Palace..."
"Neither can I," Kyoko replied. "But no, I don't have any particular plans otherwise, today,"
"Great!" Ryuji explained. "How about we train together? Even after yesterday there's no way I can just sit on my ass and waste the day..."
Kyoko rested her chin on her knuckle, smiling faintly. "That's understandable. Very well, what did you have in mind?" she asked.
"Well, go get changed. I'll meet you in the gym," Ryuji said, smirking.
Kyoko gave a nod. "I'll meet you there."
"Think I'll roam around, then," Morgana said with a yawn. "We can meet up again once you're done."
"Just don't let anyone catch you," Ryuji said. "Don't think the school's gonna want a cat wanderin' campus and all..."
Morgana's fur raised. "I'm NOT a..." He took a breath. "...Nevermind. Trust me, I'm good at staying hidden!"
"You ready?" Ryuji asked, wearing his white gym shirt and track shorts as he sat on one of the otherwise empty bleachers as Kyoko emerged from the girls' locker room, wearing the school's red trackpants, trainers, and white t-shirt. Her pink mane had been tied into a ponytail, and she'd switched out her usual leather gloves for a pair of more breathable cloth ones.
Kyoko responded with a nod. "Where do we start?"
"It's right behind the gym, I'll show ya," Ryuji replied, hopping off the bleacher and heading out the back door, leading Kyoko to an open field out back. "This is my secret trainin' spot!" Ryuji explained. "...Er... was. Back when I was on the track team," he added, frowning slightly.
"You stopped coming here?" Kyoko inquired.
"Yeah, after the whole thing with Kamoshida, I guess I sorta... gave up, you know? The way that bastard wrecked my leg... havin' to spend all that time just... layin' there on a hospital bed?" He grit his teeth. "Pissed me off so much... then everything that happened after..."
Ryuji went quiet for a second, lost in thought. Kyoko remained silent rather then press on it.
"But anyway, bein' in that Palace was a total shock! I can't move like I used to, and I wanna change that! Get myself back the way I was, you know? I don't wanna slow ya all down!" he said, his spirits back up as he looked Kyoko over. "And no offense, but I'm guessin' you don't really do a lotta PE stuff?"
Kyoko folded her arms. "My career path demands I spend my time training my mind more then my body. I do, however, continue the diet my grandfather has always kept me on."
"Damn, sounds like he's been pretty strict on ya," Ryuji replied. "Like, you ever do anything but study and train under him before ya came here?"
Kyoko's stare grew noticeably more intense.
"Sorry," Ryuji said, frowning as he tried to think of a way to turn it around. "I mean... just... sounds kinda boring. L-like if that's all ya do with your time an' all. You ever just, I dunno, do somethin' to get some air or clear your head, like relax a little?"
Kyoko's expression softened at his question. "I did. Once."
"Oh yeah? What'd you do?" Ryuji asked.
"I was going over a case with my grandfather and making little progress no matter how I looked at it. He needed to go to the store and told me to go straight to bed." Kyoko looked down at the lawn. "Understand that aside from how he always drove me to and from school, and expected I put all my time into my studies and detective work, he always wants to know what I am doing at any given time and does not let me leave the house at night..."
"No cellphone and bein' a total effin' helicopter? Damn I'd go crazy from that!" Ryuji replied. Kyoko simply stared. She'd never really thought of it that way, and though she did not appreciate her friend criticizing her grandfather or his methods she'd always believed a necessity to becoming a great detective worthy of carrying on the Kirigiri name, recent events were making Ryuji's words start to ring differently in her mind. Though she kept her expression neutral, Ryuji could tell it wasn't a subject she was comfortable with.
"So," Ryuji said, trying to break the silence. "Did you have any friends before ya got here?"
Kyoko looked down a moment, blotting out an unpleasant memory. "...No, detective work comes before anything else," she explained. "...And my grandfather especially wouldn't have approved of you. If he saw me talking to a boy he'd likely challenge them to a fight."
Ryuji chuckled. "Hey, I can handle myself!" he said.
"Don't underestimate him. He's quite formidable for his age," Kyoko replied.
"Annnnyway," Ryuji said, deciding to shift the subject a little "...I'm guessin' that night you mentioned, you decided to bend the rules a bit?"
"Yes," Kyoko replied after a brief pause. "...Just this once. I was going to leave the manor and go around the neighborhood. I knew he would not approve but I was certain I'd return before he did. It was very... relaxing."
"Oh yeah? Felt good, huh?" Ryuji asked with a grin.
"...If not for what happened next," Kyoko replied, frowning. "I was about halfway around the neighborhood loop when I heard the woman screaming..."
A deep, concerned frown quickly replaced Ryuji's grin as Kyoko responded. "Aw, shit... so it was that night, huh?"
Kyoko tensed once more, remembering how furious her grandfather was with her when he had to pick her up from the police department the following morning. And then the trial that followed...
"Hey, this is gettin' kinda depressin'! Let's get our minds off that stuff for a bit, huh?" Ryuji asked, putting his hands to his hips. "We're gonna do a lap around the school. Don't worry, not a race. Just follow me an' try to keep up!"
Kyoko regained her normal, neutral expression and gave a nod. "Very well."
Returning from where they'd started moments later, Kyoko watched as Ryuji came to a stop and worked to catch his breath. Admittedly, she herself was rather worn out, as well, not recalling ever having been in a situation where she'd had to run this much.
"Ugggghhh..." Ryuji let out a loud, exhausted groan as he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. "Dammit! My legs're all tight!"
"I wouldn't be able to tell," Kyoko said, taking a moment to catch her breath as well. "From what I could see, you were able to maintain your speed quite well."
"That ain't it," said Ryuji. "It's like back before, I used to be so good at this! I'd go so fast it almost felt like I was flyin'!" He smiled fondly at the memory as he took a small towel from his bag to wipe the sweat from his forehead, handing Kyoko one as well. "It was the greatest feelin'."
"If you keep practicing, I'm sure it'll come back," Kyoko replied. She smiled a little as she accepted the towel, wiping off her forehead. Even if she was worn out from the lap, it had been surprisingly... fun.
Turning around, Ryuji's expression grew more serious, however. "Look, you shared a pretty big thing about your life before ya came here, it's fair I do the same," he explained. "Before Kamoshida came along, the track team were the biggest thing this school had goin' for it."
The boy's hands tensed, balling into fists. "...But all that changed once Kamoshida got our coach fired and took over as sub... Right from the start, he was tryin' to get rid of us! Made things so he'd be in a position to!"
Kyoko folded her arms, her neutral gaze back on her face. "Yes, I recall when we faced his Shadow in the Palace... he was jealous of your team's success and sought to do away with you."
"No shit," Ryuji said with a scowl. "Our coach, he was strict, but he was always fair, and never give us anything he knew we couldn't do! We had nothing but respect for the man. But Kamoshida? He'd give us these crazy workouts. Stuff no sane teacher would give! And when we couldn't do 'em, he'd just start yellin' at us and pile even more on top'a that! Every day, nothin' but BS!"
"So he went for the easiest method first, making the training so unreasonable he assumed all of you would quit, or at least enough of you that there were no longer enough members to keep the team active," Kyoko replied. "After all, as the headmaster's favorite and personal celebrity that gives the school status, any complaints about his coaching would be ignored."
"Exactly!" Ryuji said. "But we swore we wouldn't let him win... that's when he went a different route. He started goin' after me especially..."
"You were the school's star athlete," Kyoko said.
Ryuji scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I don't like to brag, but..." He let out a deep sigh. "But it wasn't just that. Yeah, he was jealous, I could see that. The bastard didn't want the spotlight on anyone but him! Thing was though, it was also he knew... he figured it out that I was the kinda guy who'd... fight back."
The boy's leg bounced a bit, his heel tapping on the grass a few times as he put his hands in his pockets. "He found all sortsa ways to get under my skin... if my timing dropped even a little, he'd get up in my face and cuss me out! If I managed to keep my timing up, he'd demand one he knew I couldn't match just so he could have an excuse to go off on me again!" Ryuji grit his teeth again as he looked at the ground. "And if I didn't budge from that, he'd bring up my parents. In front of the rest of the team..."
Kyoko recalled the things she'd seen in the dungeons of Kamoshida's Palace, the way Ryuji described Kamoshida's coaching should not have been at all surprising. "I commend you for having endured this abuse as long as you did, Ryuji," she said. "What did your parents have to do with this?"
Ryuji let out a sharp, angry sigh through his teeth, looking away a moment as his leg bobbed a few times again before his expression slowly softened. "...Truth is... my mom's the only one I got," he explained. "All my dad ever did when he was still around was drink. Sometimes, when he had way too much, he'd even beat me. Or my mom... guess I should be glad he left, but still..."
Kyoko's gaze remained neutral, though Ryuji could see a faint hint of sympathy in her eyes despite she said nothing as if waiting for him to continue.
"Anyway, I dunno how the hell Kamoshida found out about all that, but he went and told the whole goddamn team... laughed right in my face about it!" he explained, sighing again and looking deeply ashamed of himself. "...As you can probably guess, that's when I finally couldn't take it anymore, I lost it and I hit 'em."
"And that when he returned the favor, and broke your leg," Kyoko replied, looking down at the boy's twitching leg.
"Yeah, it was like he wanted me to do it!" said Ryuji. "...And I shoulda realized it! But at the time... I-I just didn't care! All I could think about was knockin' that smug grin off his face after he said that! He called it an "act of violence" and shut the team down! I ended up in the hospital and the school wrote it off as self-defense..."
"I'm sorry," Kyoko said. "Once he knew exactly how to bait you, he laid the trap."
"...And like a total dumbass I walked right into it," Ryuji grumbled. "Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like I'm some kinda traitor. No one but my mom visited me in the hospital. No one in school that I thought liked me, not even the team. The team waited till I was back in school to tell me how pissed they were, and wanted nothin' to do with me. No one did..."
"Your team saw what Kamoshida was doing to you, they knew what he was trying to do, and they don't defend you?" Kyoko asked.
"Why would they?" Ryuji asked. "'Cause of me an' my temper, they all lost their shot at the championship."
A moment of awkward silence passed between the two, neither really sure of what to say, before a question crossed Kyoko's mind.
"If we stop Kamoshida, would you ever want to try again and go back?" she asked.
"To the track team? Tch! Yeah, right! After that, how could I?" Ryuji replied. "Don't be givin' me tough questions, I'm not that smart, ya know!"
Kyoko simply raised an eyebrow, the question hardly came off as difficult or unreasonable. Still, she understood his position. Being on probation for a year, her own aspirations now felt very out of reach, and if she ended up in juvie, there'd be no chance of ever picking herself up again. Still, as troubled as Ryuji still was by what had happened, he'd still done his best to endure and keep fighting despite the odds against him, as she had elected to do.
The boy let out a chuckle. "Hey, look, it's all in the past, now! None of it matters!" he said playfully. "I just gotta focus on the future, now! That's what we gotta do, right? Build our futures. And we'll start by takin' that sonovabitch Kamoshida down and puttin' a stop to his bullshit!"
Kyoko heard the sound of a chain shattering in her mind, feeling a stronger connection with the first friend she'd made since coming here.
"Alright, I'd say breaktime's over, how about another lap?" Ryuji asked, grinning.
Kyoko gave a nod. "Very well," she replied, the boy immediately turned and got himself into a starting position. "...And Ryuji?"
He glanced back at her. "Hm?"
The girl's gaze seemed to bore right through him, but she gave a small, faint smile as she, too, knelt down and took a starting position as well. "I don't believe it's too late for you. I'm certain your chance will come."
Ryuji responded with a grin. "Heh, we'll see! Let's keep those positive thoughts, huh?" he said with a laugh. "One more go around the school. I'll get us some protein drinks once we're done! Trust me, you'll need it!"
Worn out, back in her school clothes and Morgana in her bag, Kyoko arrived in Yongen-Jaya and stood before the front door of Leblanc. Even with the protein drink, she still felt fairly sore once the adrenaline had worn off.
"Heh, guess that muscle-head really ran ya into the ground, huh?" Morgana quipped from within the bag.
"It was... exhausting, yes," Kyoko replied. "But also rather fun. I doubt I would partake in it regularly, but I can see why he enjoys it."
At that moment, she heard her phone chime, seeing Ryuji's name on her screen as she took her phone out Kyoko promptly answered. "Yes?"
"Sup!" Ryuji's voice said. "Just makin' sure ya got home okay. Didn't trip on anythin', did ya?"
"Thankfully, no. It seems I have that protein drink to thank," Kyoko replied.
"Yup, but man, I could barely move my legs up the station steps! Just goes to show how outta shape I let myself get, I never shoulda stopped!" Ryuji replied.
"You're just getting back into it, correct?" Kyoko asked. "Give it time."
Ryuji chuckled on the other end of the line. "Yeah, true that! Just means I'm a bit rusty and gotta keep at it! Still, I had fun, and someone to run with for a change," he said. "Anyways, I'll catchya later. Seeya!"
Once Ryuji had hung up, Kyoko proceeded inside, finding Sojiro behind the counter with a cigarette. A customer was seated nearby so she decided against asking him about her earlier offer, giving him a polite nod of acknowledgement as she walked by.
"Hey," Sojiro said, causing her to stop. "You look pretty beat, what've you been up to? That's still my business, you know."
Kyoko glanced over. "Running," she said. "A friend and I did some laps around the school."
"Hm. That so?" Sojiro asked, looking her over. Kyoko's hair was noticeably matted despite it being in its usual style and there was no denying she'd been sweating. He couldn't help but smirk a little. "...Did you even shower?"
Kyoko's shoulders fell just a little. Between the lingering fatigue from her jog and wanting to not be out too late and beat rush hour at the subways, it had slipped the normally punctual girl's mind. Even more embarrassing was the fact it had done her no good and she'd still arrived just in time for the sun to finish setting.
The older man gave a slight chuckle. "...Tell you what, there's a bath house right down the street near the laundromat. Why don't you go wash up?"
As she thought about it, a nice hot herbal bath did sound like a good idea right now. "...I'll get my things..."
The bathhouse did not disappoint. Currently there was no one else sharing the spacious tub with her as Kyoko lay back, letting her body soak in the hot water. Her hair now freshly shampooed and the sweat scrubbed off by the large sponge that now sat nearby, Kyoko silently closed her eyes for a moment, the steam had a pleasant aroma to it that relaxed her more, the warmth slowly taking away the ache she'd been feeling earlier from her run.
It was perhaps the most relaxed she'd been in some time, an opportunity to gather her thoughts and think to herself about what was to come.
The calling card, it'd be best to get this taken care of soon, she thought to herself. The longer we let Kamoshida continue to reign over the school, the more likely another will fall victim to him.
Her brief period of relaxation began to ebb away as her thoughts then turned towards that girl, the transfer student, Yoshizawa. A first-year honor student with a gymnastic scholarship and a high reputation behind it, as she recalled from the second time she'd met her. It was hardly surprising at all she'd end up in Kamoshida's crosshairs, and the cognition in his Palace made it perfectly clear what his intentions would be towards her, and there was no telling when he may act on them. She didn't want to imagine someone like Yoshizawa becoming a broken, suicidal shell of her former self like Suzui had...
She thought of the day Shiho Suzui had thrown herself from the school roof, thanks to the last time Kamoshida had acted on his intentions regarding someone. She remembered that look on the girl's face before she'd allowed herself to fall... that empty stare when Ann had cried out to her. A look of pure... defeat. There was nothing left, not even the will to live after what Kamoshida had done to her...
She thought about Ryuji, who's future was stolen from him by Kamoshida out of jealousy and spite, now struggling to find some way to rebuild his life...
She thought about Ann, who had felt so helpless while Kamoshida held her only friend's future over her as blackmail to play the part of his personal toy, and her first act of defiance against him came at a terrible price she couldn't have possibly seen coming and was now haunted by the question of if Shiho would ever be okay again...
She thought about her probation, how she'd had her future stolen or at best, put on hold simply for trying to do the right thing...
She thought about the strange warden of the Velvet Room, and what her place was in whatever grand scheme of things he knew of but gave only the vaguest of details about...
Kyoko's eyes slowly opened as she sat up in the tub. It'd be tomorrow. Tomorrow they'd make plans to send the calling card and put an end to this.
Rising out of the tub, Kyoko returned to the dressing room to towel off and get changed, Morgana immediately emerged from her bag as she slid a loose t-shirt on.
"So, have a good time?" he asked. "You definitely look a lot better then when you went in!" The cat said with a laugh.
Kyoko did not respond as she finished getting dressed, before finally turning around, running her fingers through her long, flowing mane as she put the used towels in a nearby hamper, opening her bag to allow the cat to climb back in. "Tomorrow," she said at last.
"Hm?" Morgana cocked his head.
"Tomorrow. We send the calling card tomorrow."
If Morgana was capable of smiling, he'd have grinned right then, but settled for a simple nod of agreement.
As Kyoko returned to Leblanc, she noticed the customer had since left, Sojiro had been working on a crossword puzzle in a magazine.
"Good to see you're all cleaned up," Sojiro said with an amused smile as he glanced up from his puzzle. "How was it? I've personally never gone there, myself."
"Very relaxing," Kyoko replied. It had been, at least before all that had been on her mind started to come back.
"Well, make sure you focus on your studies, too, got it?" Sojiro asked, putting the magazine away and getting up out of his chair. "If you plan on picking up where you left off before all this, you don't want your grades to slip, and if they fall it'll look bad on me, too. I'll certainly know once I see them."
Kyoko gave a nod. "You have nothing to worry about," she replied. "I won't let you down."
"I'll hold you to that," Sojiro said, before looking up at the clock. "Which reminds me..."
Kyoko stared in curiosity. "Yes?"
"You offered to help out around here, right? I said I'd think it over," Sojiro replied. "For now, you can mop the floor and wipe down the tables since I'm closing up for the night. It shouldn't take you too long. The cleaning supplies are right in the bathroom."
Kyoko nodded. "I can do that." Without another word, she made her way over to the bathroom to get ready.
By the time Kyoko had finished, the floor and tables were practically sparkling. Morgana sat in one of the booths watching, and Sojiro couldn't help but smile, impressed by the girl's work.
"Very nice work, Kirigiri," he said, giving a nod of approval. "I don't think I've ever seen it this clean, before."
"Thank you, sir," Kyoko replied. "It's the least I could do. My grandfather was always very punctual about me keeping my space clean at the manor."
"Well, it seems he's taught you well," Sojiro replied before glancing up at the clock. "Well, I need to get going. You should probably head on upstairs for the night, you still got school tomorrow and you still look pretty warn out."
"I will," said Kyoko. "Goodnight, Mr. Sakura."
Sojiro couldn't help but chuckle a little at the girl's manners. "Just "Boss" or "Sojiro" is fine. It's what everyone calls me."
"As you wish," Kyoko said, a faint smile on her face as she turned and headed upstairs, hearing Sojiro switch off the tv and close the door.
Once she reached the top of the stairs, Kyoko took her phone out, bringing up the team chat, typing in a single message before getting ready for bed.
-School rooftop. Tomorrow after class is over.
4/20
"Alright, everyone! All that's left now is to send the calling card to Kamoshida and take his heart!" Morgana explained to the gathered teens on the school rooftop. Ann had taken her usual spot on one of the desks while Ryuji leaned back in one of the chairs. Kyoko stood strait with her arms folded as she looked down at the cat seated on another discarded desk.
"Hey, I been wonderin'," Ryuji said. "Why couldn't we have just sent one at the beginning of all this? That way the Treasure woulda been there for us to take when we went through the other day!"
"Sorry, Ryuji, but it's not that simple," Morgana replied. "A Treasure won't stay fully materialized forever. Once the impression's effect on a Palace ruler's cognition is gone, so is the Treasure, making it impossible to take it after. At most, it lasts roughly about a day."
"And if we'd run into any problems or roadblocks in the Palace," Kyoko observed, "...We would have been forced to retreat and our opportunity would have been permanently lost."
"Exactly!" Morgana replied.
"So anyways, we just gotta send a calling card right now, right?" Ryuji asked. "Let's get it done and steal that bastard's heart!"
Kyoko gave a nod. "Let's get it done. We needn't wait any longer with what's at stake."
Ann nodded in agreement. "Avenging Shiho and everyone else that's fallen victim to him, putting an end to that scumbag and stopping him from hurting anyone else!"
"Damn right!" Ryuji replied. "And as an added bonus, we dodge a bullet and don't get expelled!"
"So, we send the calling card in the morning, and carry out the plan at the end of the day, right?" Ann asked, looking down at Morgana.
"Correct," Morgana replied. "The effect won't last that long, so we'll have more time. Plus, this way, Kamoshida's sure to see it."
"Heh," Ann smirked. "I am so looking forward to this! We're going to pull this off, no matter what!"
"So, who's going to write the card?" Morgana asked, looking around at the three teens in front of him.
"Ooh! Leave it to me!" Ryuji said, raising his hand.
"This is very important, we need Kamoshida to feel threatened, so are you sure you're up to it?" Ann asked.
"I'm inclined to agree with Ann," Kyoko replied. "You sure you can handle it, without making it too obvious?"
"I've been wanting to stick it to that asshole for so long!" Ryuji protested. "Just lemme write it! I promise I'll make it good!"
"Don't disappoint us," Kyoko replied. "He may know he's not well-liked by the students he coaches, but if he's able to connect it to us, it's unlikely he'll feel threatened at all, and will just use it to accelerate our expulsion."
"I know, I know. Trust me, I won't let you all down!" Ryuji said, grinning.
"Then it's settled!" Morgana cheered. "Tomorrow it is! We'll seeya then!"
After the group had parted ways and Ryuji and Ann headed back downstairs, (the former with a little extra skip in his step), Morgana looked back at Kyoko. "Whether you like it or not, the real battle begins tomorrow. We better make sure we're prepared!"
"Hey! Inmate!" Caroline's voice caught Kyoko's attention as she was making her way to Untouchable.
Kyoko glanced over, seeing the childlike guard standing before a blue gateway similar to the one Justine had been standing by when she and the others had begun the infiltration route through the Palace. None of the few people in the alley, or even Morgana, seemed to take any notice of her.
"Come on in!" the guard said with a mischievous smirk as Kyoko approached, the blue-tinted, barred gate swinging open.
"Yes?" Kyoko asked.
Kyoko was a girl taught to expect the unexpected, to be prepared for many things and respond to them accordingly. One of the things that had managed to never get brought up in such teachings was the idea of the possibility of a girl half her height in a prison guard uniform performing a backflip over her that would normally only seem feasable in the real world with the use of wires and proceeding to drop kick her from behind and send her tumbling forward head-first through the gateway.
Kyoko landed on the hard, cold ground of the blue-tinted panopticon prison with a resounding thud, finding herself once more in ragged prison scrubs and shackles. Slowly standing herself back up, the young detective glared at Caroline, who stood alongside Justine outside the cell clearly making no attempt to hide the smug little smirk on her face. She said nothing, however, as her twin instead spoke.
"So, you are about to confront the ruler of the Palace?" Justine asked.
"That was the plan," Kyoko replied, approaching the bars.
Igor grinned from his desk, drumming his fingers once more. "There is the chance that you may face opposition when you attempt to claim the ruler's distorted desires, after all."
Kyoko glared. "Yes, there is the chance the Palace ruler may confront us, and do everything in his power to stop us. If that happens, we may have to fight our way out."
"Then perhaps, what better time then now, to partake in fusing the Personas you have gathered in your journey through the Palace?" the warden asked. "It seems you have collected several, so why not increase your chances of success?"
"You may also re-summon those you have sacrificed if you wish. It is good to keep a variety of potential Personas at your call while also advancing to stronger ones," Justine explained.
Kyoko could not argue with that, they had to use every possible advantage and it would not do to simply interrupt tomorrow's mission or risk failure if the worst case scenario occurred.
"Very well. Show me the registries."
Night had fallen, and Kyoko had since changed and lay quietly in her bed, Morgana curled up nearby. With any luck, the new Personas she'd fused, and supplies she'd picked up would suffice. This, now, was the point of no return.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of her phone. Picking it up from its charger and switching it on. Ryuji and Ann had been going back and forth a bit in the chat.
[Man, there's so much I wanna write!] Ryuji had messaged.
[You sure you can handle this?] Ann replied.
[It's fine, I got it. Even drew up a logo!] Ryuji responded.
[A logo?] Ann asked.
[Oh don't worry, you'll see it tomorrow!] Ryuji answered.
A faint smile formed on Kyoko's lips and she began typing.
-I'll be counting on you both. she said.
[Yup. We screw this up, we're done for.] Ryuji said.
[I'm sure we'll pull this off!] Ann replied.
[Damn right we will! We're gonna surprise everyone!] Ryuji said.
[Anyway, think I know what I'm gonna write now! Rest up I'll seeya both at school!] Ryuji added.
[You too. Cya tomorrow Kyoko!] Ann messaged.
-See you then. Good night. Kyoko responded, putting her phone back on the charger.
"This is gonna be it, you excited, Kyoko?" Morgana asked, looking over at her.
"I'm looking forward to it," Kyoko said. "Bringing a criminal to justice, to finally have hope again... it's nice."
"You know, I still don't know your whole story," Morgana said, "But I can tell you've been through a lot."
"Yes, I have," Kyoko replied, turning on her back again so she could stare at the ceiling and allow herself to drift off again. "Even before what got me sent here."
"Oh?"
Kyoko's gaze remained on the attic's wood beams that made up the ceiling. "It's not important," she said softly.
"I guess it is your business," Morgana replied. "Let's get to sleep, we got a big day tomorrow!"
"Indeed, we do."
It was nice to finally have hope again...
A/N: And I've managed to now get THREE chapters done in a short amount of time! Hope everyone's enjoying it, so far! Next chapter is the big heist!
The Fool: Rank 2
The Magician: Rank 1
The Lovers: Rank 1
The Chariot: Rank 2
Death: Rank 1
Kyoko's Personas: Agathion, Bicorn, Cait Sith, Succubus, Saki Mitima