Chapter 35: Plundered Heart of Wrath
August 14
Yoshida: Today's the day. I'm sure I don't have to explain the significance, but… I have a request for you, since you've stuck by my side. How's your schedule today?
Ren: We'll be there.
Yoshida: Thank you. I'm in your debt… I'd like you to hear my speech about the Phantom Thieves. See you at the station square.
"The stage is set," Matsushita said, approaching Yoshida and his pupils.
"Thank you. I appreciate it, but…" Yoshida said.
"I know. You're not going to be my right-hand man, right? Don't worry, I won't pull any tricks," Matsushita promised. "Feel free to talk about being falsely accused. I'll handle whatever comes from it. I saw Kuramoto's grandson around here somewhere. I bet he's curious about today's speech."
"I haven't spoken to him since we last met," Yoshida said.
"This speech should serve as your response to him," Matsushita nodded.
Loona's ears perked up as she heard rumblings from the crowd that gathered for the speech. "I didn't think any of the parties would back No-Good Tora."
"He's going to talk about the Phantom Thieves, right?"
"I couldn't care less about him. I'm just interested in hearing about the Phantom Thieves."
"Sounds like the crowd is restless," Loona said.
"Okay, I'm going to get started," Yoshida stated.
"Do your best," Collin said.
"Break a leg," Ren encouraged.
"Will do," Yoshida smiled. The Phantom Thieves dispersed into the crowd as their friend got up on stage and gave his speech. "…The reason they're causing such a stir is because they are addressing the world's problems."
"What are you doing, Toranosuke…?" Matsushita muttered.
"Setting aside whether their actions are right or wrong…" Yoshida continued. "There is one thing I can safely say about the Phantom Thieves. A belief with conviction… has the ability to move a person's heart. I'm sure you are all aware that I am "No-Good Tora," the one accused of embezzlement. I was a fool twenty years ago. It's no wonder that I was considered a failure as a politician. However, because I was accused like that, I was able to understand the suffering of the weak. Why am I in politics? In the past, it was merely for personal gain."
"He paused for a moment. "But why do the Phantom Thieves continue to change hearts? I believe they do it for the world and its people. And in choosing to do justice for others, they had no choice but to disguise themselves. No matter what the world says, I fully support them. I'm just an average citizen. However, I will continue to voice my beliefs. I may not be able to become a Diet member this election… And I may not be able to effect change during my lifetime…"
Yoshida's face became hardened with resolve. "But I've made peace with that. I will be happy, as long as I can be a meaningful stepping stone for the future of our youth! Thank you all for listening."
Once the speech as over, Matsushita went to talk with the group. "…I set the stage for nothing," the dietman shook his head. "So you have no intention of accusing old man Kuramoto?"
"That's right," Yoshida nodded.
"Sheesh… such a heartfelt speech for someone your age. People are probably laughing at you as we speak. I doubt any of them were moved by your words… I might be the only one in this entire city who was," Matsushita said.
"Matsushita…" Yoshida gasped.
"Proceed as you wish with your candidacy. I'll take measure to ensure the party backs you," Matsushita said. "Within the limits of my abilities, of course… Goodbye."
As he left, Yoshida looked to the kids. "My candidacy… huh? What an unexpected turn of events. The Phantom Thieves… Perhaps, it's the effect of you moving my heart."
"What are you talking about?" Octavia asked.
"You have a bright future ahead of you as a Diet member. I'm sure you'll be able to stay composed when the opposition taunts you," Yoshida changed topics. "The Phantom Thieves… The power to change a person's heart… I don't possess a special power like they do, but I won't lose to them when it comes to conviction. Speech is my only weapon. Just my voice and my words. That's how I win people over. Thank you all for sticking by my side."
"And if it helps, I recorded your speech and posted it to social media," Loona said, holding up her phone. "I'm sure that'll get your message out to the younger generation that need to hear that not all old people are leaving them in the dirt. You're one of the good ones, Tora."
Yoshida laughed. "Thank you, Nyx-kun. Contrary to what I thought, getting your heart stolen isn't such a bad thing. If they're members of the Phantom Thieves, then… Ah, I'm taking to myself again. Another bad habit of mine. Time to finish up for today."
"Do you think he… you know…?" Octavia whispered as they left for the night.
"It's possible," Ren nodded. "But honestly… I think Yoshida is fine to know the truth, if he fully figures us out, of course…"
[***]
August 15
On a random summer night, Ren called for an emergency Phantom Thieves meeting. He'd recently been discussing matters with their social media manager, Mishima, and he'd said some disturbing things as of late about how they should be using their power. "So, he just wants revenge on a guy who made fun of him…" Ann summarized after Ren told his story. "Didn't he give us some other weird request too? Something about that handsome actor? Is Mishima-kun trying to take advantage of us?"
"He's also threatening people that trash talk us on the Phan-Site," Loona pointed out. "Like, I get trying to defend us and all that, but dropping the ban hammer and threats of people is doing the opposite of making us look good."
"Perhaps we should enact a change of heart on Mishima, not this Akiyama fellow," Yusuke suggested.
"Whoa, wait up. He ain't that bad," Ryuji said.
"Hm… I guess we could find out what's happening if we managed to find his Shadow," Morgana mused. "I mean, he's already worried that we're gonna change his heart, right? We'll probably be able to track down his Shadow in Mementos. All things considered, I think our best course of action would be to defeat it and change his heart."
"Dude… You've gotta be kidding me…" Ryuji shook his head.
"It sounds harsh, but we can't let Mishima make our work as Phantom Thieves harder," Octavia justified. "We already have DHORKS breathing down our necks… we don't need someone that's on our side causing problems as well."
"Either way, we can decide whether or not we change his heart later. For now, we must meet his Shadow," Makoto said.
"This is the only way… Let's go," Ren nodded, activating the Meta-Nav.
"Yeah. Let's head into Mementos and track down Mishima's Shadow!" Morgana stated.
[***]
Location: Mementos
After some searching, the Phantom Thieves came across Mishima's Shadow, the other self giving a fearful gasp as he saw the gang approaching. "Wh-Who are you!?" the Shadow asked. "Could you be… the Phantom Thieves!?" He looked between then before laughing. "So you wanna change my heart, even after everything I've done for you guys!? Me, of all people…? If you just shut up and listened to what I told you, the Phantom Thieves would get even more famous… And if you did that, I'd get some of the spotlight too. I wouldn't be just some stupid zero anymore… There's finally some hope back in my life… so why? Why are you so insistent on stopping me…?"
"He's delusional alright…" Lycan shook her head.
Shadow Mishima glared. "Yo, losers. Get out of here. I wanna talk to your leader… alone."
"What?" the gang gasped.
"It's okay," Joker assured them. "I know Mishima well. I can handle myself."
"We trust you, leader," Templar said before he and the rest of the gang stepped out. After some time, Joker rejoined the gang in the Mona Car.
"Did you change his heart?" Omen asked.
Joker gave a cryptic smile. "There wasn't a need. Mishima changed his own heart by himself…"
Ann: Only one more week until the deadline…
Ryuji: Hey, you see the forum?
Octavia: Yeah. People have been telling us to hurry up and protect the civilians…
Makoto: They're just saying whatever they want with no regard for the consequences.
Loona: God, I seriously can't believe they're going on about all that.
Collin: By the way, how's Futaba…?
Yusuke: At this point, we are desperate for her assistance.
Makoto: She definitely mentioned DHORKS back in the Palace. I'd like to believe she's planning something…
Ryuji: Even Makoto's gone over to the "wait and see" dark side.
[***]
August 16
Loona: Ren, how about we have a night out on the town. I have to make sure that your thieving skills are still good, right?
Ren: Let's do it.
Loona: Sick! Meet me near Shinjuku, K?
Ren could tell that Loona had a lot on her mind right now, but thanks to his current level of kindness and guts, he was able to get past her tough exterior to attend this hangout. The two were out in the backstreets of Tokyo, with Loona leading him towards whatever she wanted to show him.
"You know how I said that I wanted to test your thieving skills? Well, I kinda lied," Loona said, crossing her arms as they came to a storefront. "Here, I wanted to show you this…"
Ren peered into the store. "A pet shop?" she questioned.
"Yeah, a pet shop," Loona nodded.
"You want to steal a pet or something?" Ren asked.
Loona laughed bitterly. "No chance. I already have to deal with my own ass shedding, I don't need a dog to take care of as well. I took you here because when I came across this place… it reminded me of where I came from." The hellhound steeled herself before continuing. "I was raised in the pound since I can remember. Never knew my dad, and my mom as far as I know probably died in a ditch somewhere after having me. When you're a hellhound, you either get adopted by some asshole or you get out of the system when you turn eighteen and get left on the streets… Blitz adopted me a month before I would have aged out."
"…Oh," Ren said. "You've said something like that before. Did you ever want to get adopted?"
"Sure, at one point I did. Even had a few families that took me in, only to kick me back to the pound because I was a "problem child"," Loona growled. "It's not my fault they treated me like shit, like I was some pet. Do you know how fucked up it is that Hell has an entire sentient race of demons that they treat like that?" She pointed to one of the dogs in the window. "I was done with trying to get adopted, with getting the shit beaten out of me by the others in the pound. I just wanted to turn eighteen and live on the streets. Probably could have put my anger to use as a bodyguard, we're pretty good at doing that…"
She paused and pulled out her phone. "I found out recently that one of my friends from Bee's party was actually in the same pound as me but got adopted out by some noble family in Gluttony. Turns out that where I was from, once a hound turns eighteen they're "taken care of"…by a needle to the neck."
Ren flinched at the statement. "They euthanize sentient creatures?"
"They murder my kind, Ren," Loona corrected him. "Turns out if Blitz hadn't taken me in that day, I wouldn't be here today. I've been living with the guy for five years now, being indifferent to his ass for forever… Fuck!" She kicked a nearby can down the street. "It's always like this for me! Why can't I just get one relationship right in my life!?"
"You have Octavia," Ren said, cutting her off. "And you have me, and Ryuji, and Makoto, and Collin, and everyone else in the Phantom Thieves. You also have your father, and maybe he treats you like a kid too much, but he still clearly cares about you. When you and Octavia first went into a Palace, you had to face your Shadow, right? Doesn't that mean you had a change of heart?"
Loona thought about what he was saying. "…I mean, I didn't feel that different, other than having a Persona. But ever since I started hanging with all of you, it's been easier to just… say what I really feel."
"You never had a lot of friends until now, just people that wanted to use you," Ren said. "And once you and Octavia go home, you'll have your friends like Vortex and Bee to continue helping you make new bonds as well."
"What are you, my therapist?" Loona scoffed with a smile.
"I have been hanging out with Dr. Maruki in my spare time," Ren said. "When school opens back up, maybe you should talk to him."
"…Maybe I will," Loona muttered. She looked back at the dogs in the pet shop. "When we helped Futaba, she reminded me of back when I was in the pound, all alone with no one else. I want to help her make friends like you guys did with me. And when I do go back to Hell, I'm burning down the pound that I came from for all the shit they did to us in there."
"I'm sure Blitz will help with that," Ren joked.
"Hah! He'd totally do something like that," Loona barked with laughter. "So then, how about I do teach you one of the skills I learned to survive in Hell? Might help you out with Shadows." The two spent the rest of the night practicing their thieving skills, with Ren happy that Loona's heart was now open to talking about her past and, just maybe, working towards a brighter future for herself.
[***]
Hifumi: Would you help me in developing a new move? It should be a good experience for you as well. If you're free, please come to the church.
Ren: I'll be there.
Hifumi: OK, I'll be waiting.
"There you are, Ren," Collin greeted as their fearless leader entered the church.
Hifumi was looking a little down today. "…I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood to teach shogi today… Um, could you join me for a walk?"
"We can do that," Ren said, Collin nodding in agreement.
Hifumi's smile came back. "Thank you. I was thinking of going to the area around the Skytree today… Let's head on over." The trio soon found themselves at the Skytree, admiring the view of Tokyo from way up above. Collin mused internally about how this was closest he'd been to Heaven since getting banished from his home. "This is it…" Hifumi muttered as Ren looked at his phone. "The digital version of the weekly magazine. My father's deteriorating health, and that he's bedridden… The fact that my mother primarily supports us… They even reported that my mother works at a nightclub…"
"This is all… really personally stuff," Collin said with a frown. "And that last thing can't be true!"
Hifumi closed her eyes. "It is… not untrue… But was it really necessary for then to write about all this? Capitalizing on a family's private matters is just cruel… My family's troubles have nothing to do with my skills as a shogi player… My mother was furious when she read the article… She said it'll hurt her career, and that she'll never forgive whoever wrote it. My father didn't say anything… He just sat there listening to her… But he looked troubled…"
Hifumi shook her head. "My mother told me that… we'd be able to easily quell the rumors if I were to become more famous. So now she's even more insistent on having me do more TV and magazine interviews than before…"
"Is that frustrating?" Ren asked.
"Yes," Hifumi responded. "Although I can't express that to my mother… She's so happy for me. I always believed that if I worked hard as a shogi player, I'd be able to support us… But I never expected such a destructive article would be written about me and my family… Honestly, nothing good will come from being treated like an idol. People say I'm all looks and no skills. They're annoyed that I'm in the press all the time. Terrible things have been said about me, suggesting I would do anything to become popular… I'm even starting to be shunned in the shogi world. That's why my senior acted that way toward me."
She looked to the boys. "The reason I practice in the church is that no one wants to play with me. My father used to practice with me from his sickbed, but his illness has made that impossible. Maybe I should stop playing shogi and just get a job… That way, my family won't get hurt again…"
"You have to do what you love, Hifumi," Collin said.
"Do what I love…?" she repeated with shock. "I love shogi… I don't want to quit. Yes… You're right. You understand my true feelings. At the end of the day, I love shogi. I'd never be able to give it up. I was just confused because of that article and how my senior treated me… However, I think I can see my next move… thanks to you. You both are helping me realize a lot about myself, outside of shogi."
"It's nothing, really…" Collin said, blushing a bit at the compliment.
"Let's return to the church and play a match," Hifumi said. "That article has left me somewhat irritated. I'm going to use my secret move: the Eternal Abyss Yagura Gate, and turn the board into hell… Well? Would you care to face me in a match?"
"Uh… you face her, Ren! I just remembered I have somewhere to be right now!" Collin said, quickly running off.
"Traitor…" Ren grumbled as Hifumi dragged him back to the church.
[***]
August 17
On a hot summer day, Octavia and Collin found themselves in Leblanc alongside Ann and Ren to discuss important matters with Yusuke. "My apologizes for calling all of you here like this," the artist said upfront. "Boss was even kind enough to serve us coffee before he went shopping… Now… I have a vital request."
"Whatever we can do to help, Yusuke," Collin nodded with a smile.
"Hm, I can help with any subject that's not math," Ann said.
"Hm? Do you honestly believe I would ask you here for help in my studies?" Yusuke questioned. "The truth is, I am planning to display my work in a competition. The one organized by Kawanabe of the Japanese Art Support Foundation. You remember, yes, Ren? I must win and prove not only my ability, but my intense passion for art as well."
He frowned. "However… I am having quite a bit of trouble determining what my next subject should be. I have given this painting a fair amount of thought, but nothing has come to me yet. Hence… I was hoping to hear your opinions on an ideal subject."
The group all racked their brains for ideas. "You could always have Loona strip for you again," Octavia replied jokingly.
"I don't know if she'd be down with doing that twice," Ann shook her head. "Anyway, maybe you should paint something people find pretty."
"Hm… So in the end, we return to the concept of beauty," Yusuke said. "Ren, what subject do you think would most capture beauty?"
"It has to be Ann," Ren said.
Yusuke nodded. "Hm… I suppose she is a subject I put great focus on in the past. But now I am aware of her true personality… I am not sure I could paint her beautifully…"
"Haha, that's right…! What, what's that supposed to mean!?" Ann exclaimed.
"H-He just means that know that he knows you personally, he has a personal bias towards your true self rather than the façade you use when you model! That's it!" Collin said, trying to defuse the situation.
Yusuke gave a sigh. "Why can I not paint a beauty as pure as the "Sayuri"? Where have all my efforts gone?"
"You know, I'm not really sure what you mean by pure beauty," Octavia questioned. "I mean yeah, it's a pretty painting. But… I'm not sure I really consider it a pure beauty like you do."
"Hm…?" Yusuke turned to face the Goetia.
"Her face… the look she gives just feels gentler to me," Octavia clarified.
"Honestly, I almost cried the first time I saw the "Sayuri". It felt like I was a baby again in my mother's arms. Watching over me, telling me everything's gonna be okay…" Ann added. "There was a gentleness that painting made me feel. This is coming from someone with absolutely no art knowledge though!"
"Gentleness?" Yusuke pondered. "That is yet another aspect of the "Sayuri" captured that I cannot… Is my heart too clouded?"
"It isn't clouded at all, Yusuke," Collin shook his head.
"Are you sure about that?" Yusuke questioned. "Painting used to be all my heart desired… I needed nothing else in life. But, now? What now!? I have become overwhelmed with a need to prove myself to Kawanabe… to prove myself to the world. I looked down on Madarame for focusing too sharply on fame and money, yet I too yearn for the praise of others! In truth, oftentimes I regret declining Kawnabe's offer…"
She glared at his coffee cup. "Is this what pure passion is supposed to look like!? My heart is clouded by worldly desires!"
"You've really grown, Yusuke," Ren suddenly said.
"What? My ugliness has… help me grow?" the artist questioned.
"Ren's right. There's nothing wrong with doing your best to make a living," Collin agreed.
"And you just want someone to acknowledge your work, right? That's some serious passion," Octavia added.
"But… how can passion be born from these repulsive thoughts?" Yusuke asked.
"Yusuke… everyone wants to prove themselves to others. We all have those selfish thoughts," Octavia explained. "In Hell, everyone is out for themselves, and a lot of the times they can get away with it. But for the people that really succeed, they do it to inspire others. The most popular of the Ring Lords is Queen Bee, and she gets by not just because she makes great food or had a killer singing voice, but also because she opens her doors to everyone, nobles or lowborn."
"I think that Octavia is getting at the idea of needing to do things for people beyond yourself if you want to succeed," Collin said.
"Hm… Is that how it is?" Yusuke looked up a bit. "So the sincere gentleness held within the "Sayuri"… The warmth of its heart… It was all for the sake of those who gaze upon it? How interesting…" He stood up from the table. "Ah, I see!"
"What? What do you see?" Ann asked.
"I have been a fool! Beauty is not the superficial thing I have long thought it to be! It is something that wells up within the heart until it breaks free! It is a gift, given by a subject unto its viewer! Yes, I finally see the truth!" Yusuke exclaimed. "The four of you have my sincerest gratitude! You have been a truly tremendous aid!"
"You're welcome…?" Collin said, a bit confused on how Yusuke got to his conclusion, but happy for him anyways.
"We somehow managed to help Yusuke out…" Ren muttered.
"Yes, the time has come for my bursh to meet canvas in beautiful harmony!" Yusuke laughed. "If you'll excuse me!"
"He's somehow acting even weirder than normal…" Ann sighed. "He looked pretty inspired though, so he'll be fine… right?"
"I'll bring him food and water to his dorm so he doesn't starve himself," Collin said.
Octavia's stomach suddenly grumbled, making the princess blush. "I didn't realize I was that hungry. I might just have to wait for Boss to make something for me when he gets back. I'm thinking curry sounds good."
"I'd second that," Ann nodded. The gang enjoyed the rest of their afternoon together after that revelation with Yusuke.
Ryuji: Dude, we're really running outta time here!"
Ann: People are getting even more restless online too.
Ryuji: Are we done for if we lose here…?
Octavia: If worst comes to worst, I could try to find some kind of spell to help… but honestly, I don't want to think about that possibility right now…
Yusuke: Indeed. Those who once revered us as heroes now seem to revile us…
Ren: Calm down, guys.
Loona: Ren's right.
Ryuji: Sorry for messaging you all about such weird stuff.
Ann: It's OK. We all feel the same way.
Ryuji: I'll try and make sure I don't blow my cover.
Makoto: As should we all.
[***]
August 20
Yoshida: How are you doing? The key to success is a healthy heart and body. Come to think of it, I haven't told you what it is that I aspire to do… And aside from that, there have been some incidents. I'm thinking of telling you everything. Would you be willing to listen?
Ren: We'll be there.
Yoshida: Thank you. Let's talk before my speech then. I'll be waiting at the station square.
"A weekly magazine reported that Kuramoto was the real culprit in the funds misappropriation case," Yoshida explained to the teens. "Old Man Kuramoto will likely be forced to retire from the political world. The police can't do anything because it was twenty years ago, but he has a moral obligation. I hear his grandson Benzo resigned from the party as well. It could be due to Matsushita's influence, or perhaps it's just he party's way of atoning… Now it's all up to me… and my abilities."
"When's your speech gonna start, Toranosuke? We can't wait!" a man called out.
Yoshida smiled. "To think that people would be excited to hear me speak… The article mentioned I didn't want the real culprit to be named even though I knew who it was. Apparently, people admire me for having quietly accepted a false charge for twenty years. I didn't intend for any of this to happen though…"
"You're going to be popular!" Collin cheered.
"Just don't let your guard down," Loona added.
Ren just smiled. 'Your true self was revealed."
"I appreciate that someone like you, who's been watching me so closely, would say such a thing," Yoshida replied. "I've struggled for the past twenty years… but I can put that all behind me after the election." He looked at a nearby clock. "Oh, look at the time. I should get started. Today will be the last day I'll request help… from couple of phantom thieves."
"What!?" The kids all exclaimed.
"I don't intend to meddle," Yoshida said quickly. "Everything I've told you had been based on assumptions, but if you're still willing to listen… Then I think you should focus on your "work," because the time is now. I can't think of anything else to teach you. You are now all experts on giving speeches. I taught you all I know about the art of public speaking, in return for your supporting a guy like me. And over time, you all became people who shared my beliefs. Thanks to you, I was able to overcome my crisis these last few months…"
He smiled. "I will strive for the royal road of politics, thinking of you as you walk down your own path. But if you ever find yourself in harm's way on your journey, I will be there to help you. We'll be comrades who reform the world… together."
"Yoshida…" Ren said, feeling their bond reach it's peak.
"You didn't figure out everything about us," Loona said with a wink.
Octavia grinned, letting her hand flare with fire for just a second, enough for Yoshida's eyes to widen. "We'll take your lessons and use them to reform society, both on Earth and beyond."
"The people will get their hope back, just like we helped you find yours," Collin finished.
Yoshida smiled. "I'm sure you will accomplish everything you set out to do. Thank you for everything. All right, it's time to begin!"
The gang all moved out to the stage, where the crowd was excited to hear what Yoshida had to say. "Yoshida's speech is about to start!"
"I cut my date short so I could watch this, you know!"
"Does anyone out there have something they aspire to do?" Yoshida started. "I met a certain group of kids… Through a method that differs from mine, they were trying to reform the world. As you know, that is a very large mountain to cross. Unfortunately, I am unable to travel the same path as him. However, I will not say goodbye. Because we will surely meet at the peak. They are desperately doing what they aspire to do. So I encourage you all. Please find what it is that you aspire to do. And I will support you. Because that is what I aspire to do."
"Way to go, Toranosuke!"
"I believe in you!"
As the Phantom Thieves left for the night, Octavia slipped something special into Yoshida's back pocket. He would later find that it was a small charm she had made, with the symbol of the Sun arcana emblazoned upon it. People would say that he was never seen without the charm from that day forward.
[***]
August 21
"Octavia, holy shit!" Loona shouted, kicking out the princess' door. Octavia flinched, causing her to lose concentration on the spell she was casting, making the pentagram on the floor suddenly catch on fire.
"Fuck!" Octavia cursed, quickly stamping out the flames. "Satan, Loona, don't scare me like that. I was in the middle of a complex spell to help out with the DHORKS problem. You could've half of Tokyo to another dimension by doing that!"
"Look, sorry or whatever, but- Futaba's awake now!" Loona exclaimed.
"What!? That's great!" Octavia said.
"Yeah, and Ren wants us to be over at her place, now," Loona said. Octavia nodded and quickly drew up a portal, the two arriving outside Futaba's room and entering to find Ren, Morgana, and a now-awake Futaba. "So, the redhead's finally awake, huh?"
Futuba gave the two demons a look over. "So, a wolf-like demon and an owl-like demon. Are you related Cerberus and Stolas, respectively?"
"Stolas it my dad, actually," Octavia nodded. "Octavia Goetia. Nice to have those introductions out of the way now, Futaba."
"I think Cerberus is like, a distant ancestor to all hellhounds, but he's not my dad," Loona shrugged.
"Hm… I'll have to adjust my notes on hellhounds now…" Futaba muttered, taking a notebook off her shelf and quickly scribbling down some new works.
Loona looked over her shoulder and frowned. "Hey, I am not a Furry!"
"But you look like one…" Futaba teased. She put the notebook away and turned to her computer setup. "Okay then, now it's my turn to help out. Hmph, "DHORKS." Now, how do we cook them?"
"Eliminate them without mercy!" Loona encouraged.
"Don't go overboard," Ren rolled his eyes.
"Nope. I'm gonna be relentless," Futaba shook her head.
"Hey, Futaba? We don't have much time life. Are you sure you could do this!?" Morgana asked worriedly.
"Th-The kitty talked!?" Futaba gasped. "Is this a dream? I'm going back to sleep…"
"It is not a dream! Get up! Say something, Ren!" Morgana panicked.
"I'll explain later," Ren said.
"R-Right…" Futaba nodded.
"Nothing stranger than real demons, trust us," Octavia chuckled.
"Now hurry it up!" Morgana demanded.
"Eh, I guess it doesn't matter. Let's get cracking!" Futaba grinned. The four waited as Futaba went about doing her hacking thing. Octavia noticed that a few of her keystrokes seemed to make certain occult symbols flash in-between the lines of coding as she typed.
"You're just tapping away over there… Are you sure this will work?" Morgana asked. "Hey, Futaba! I don't think she can hear me… Talk about intense concentration. This place is so messy… I'm surprised she can focus at all. Futaba? You should really clean your room a bit."
"She's not listening…" Loona sighed. "Oh well. Just waiting around is boring. I guess we could clean up a bit in here."
Ren, Octavia, and Loona got to work doing just that, dusting the shelves, putting things back where they belonged off the floor, and other things until the room looked a lot better than before. "It was hard work, but we did good," Ren nodded.
"Well, Futaba? We're done on our end. Are you finished yet?" Morgana asked. No response. "She can't hear a word I'm saying. Guess we'll just have to keep waiting…"
After some time, the four jumped when Futaba shouted, "I'm done!"
"Wh-What's up? Something happened?" Morgana mumbled as Octavia roused him from a catnap.
"It's finished," Futaba stated.
"Finished? What is?" Morgana questioned.
The redhead gasped as she looked around the room for the first time. "Ah, it's so clean! Why!?"
"We cleaned it," Octavia rolled her eyes. "Anyway, did you do it? Did you take care of DHORKS?"
"I handled then, and someone else handled my room!" Futaba said. "I don't understand, but this is good!" She then pulled out a pillow and passed right out on the desk.
"Futaba?" Loona called. "Hey, Futaba! What's wrong!?" The hellhound groaned as she heard snoring coming from the girl. "Seriously, she's sleeping again?"
"Well, it looks like it's been taken care of. I guess we should get home and sleep too…" Morgana shrugged.
Ann: So, Futaba's awake?
Ryuji: Awesome. And has DHORKS been take of? Er, more importantly, how's Futaba doing?
Ren: She's back asleep.
Collin: Seriously?
Yusuke: She must have been quite exhausted. I can't say I blame her at all.
Makoto: If DHORKS's been affected, it will surely make the news. That should be enough to confirm whether or not the deed's been done.
Ryuji: Then why don't we all watch the news together?
Yusuke: Yes. We should meet up at Leblanc as usual.
Ann: See you tomorrow, guys!
[***]
"All right, time to put our plan into action," Agent 1, current head of DHORKS, said with confidence.
"Heck yeah it is," Agent 2 nodded, cocking her blessed pistol with vigor. "After that weird baby man hooked us up with these sick-ass angelic weapons, those demons behind the Phantom Thieves won't stand a chance."
"That's right. And tonight, we-" Agent 1 paused his speech as one of the other agents raised their hand. "Yes, uh… Agent 5, is it?"
"Yeah, I was just wondering how we're supposed to figure out who's a demon and who isn't," Agent 5 asked.
Agent 2 rolled. Her eyes behind her sunglasses. "We gave you all that angel dust, right?"
"You mean these drugs?" another agent asked, holding up a bag of glittering gold dust.
"No, they're not drugs, it's a special heavenly blend that removes a demon's disguise when you sprinkle it on someone!" Agent 2 exclaimed.
"Oh… are there any side-effects for snorting the stuff?" the agent asked.
Agent 1 and 2 looked at each other before shrugging. "Not sure. But if you start tripping balls, just take a nice sit-down until it wears off, okay? Now then, we will scour Tokyo and toss this angelic dust over everyone until the demons reveal themselves. Leave no stone unturned, no door will be left locked, and there will be no sense of personal space until we have a real-life demon to expose to the world."
"And we'll get extra clout for turning in the Phantom Thieves as well," Agent 1 said with a grin.
The DHORKS agents all cheered, before Agent 2 suddenly got a message on her phone. "Hold up, it's my mom," she said, the room quieting down as she picked it up. "Hey Mama, whatcha calling for?"
"This is Alibaba," the voice on the other end said, their voice heavily modified to be unidentifiable.
"Holy shit, one of the founders of our organization?" Agent 2 said in shock. "Where have you been, man! After you left, we've been pulling up nada until we got some outside help."
"Oh, could you ask for more Edo period weapons? We need more of those since the last time we had an operation this big," Agent 1 said.
"Unfortunately for you, or goals no longer align," Alibaba said. "You have proven to be nothing more than delusional terrorists threatening an entire country instead of seekers of the truth behind the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. The Phantom Thieves are just. You are not."
"What you saying? You turning on us, Alibaba!?" Agent 2 said in shock.
"As of today, DHORKS will be no more," Alibaba explained. "All of your funds will be seized, all of my support will be withdrawn, and your credibility as a government-funded organization will be stripped."
"Hah, like you can do all that," Agent 1 scoffed. "Even if you take away our funds, we still have all of our tools to sus out the demons here in Tokyo. It's not like you can just get rid of that."
"…I gave you a chance to back down. Now I'll show you what happens to those that mess with the Phantom Thieves," Alibaba said. They hung up the phone as the screen suddenly turned red, showing the Phantom Thieves logo as the world warped around Agents 1 and 2, before nothing was left except for the phone itself. The other agents looked on in shock before the room turned red and Alibaba's logo appeared on the wall. "As for the rest of you, surrender your weapon to the local authorities I've called that are now waiting outside the building, or face the same fate as your bosses just did."
An agent raised their hand. "Uh… can we at least keep the drugs?"
If Alibaba had a face, they would have rolled their eyes. "Fine, but that'll just get you more prison time, you know."
"Worth it!" the agent grinned before stuffing their face with the angelic dust. "Oh yeah, I can feel the high coming on now…"
As DHORKS was being dismantled from the inside, Agents 1 and 2 found themselves transported right into Mementos, both of them freaked out beyond belief at where they were. "What the shit!? Is this some kinda demonic train station or something!?" Agent 2 exclaimed.
"Shit, Alibaba must've been possessed by one of those demons and dragged us to Hell," Agent 1 cursed. "Bet it was that creepy owl fucker from the time we captured those imps."
"Well, I'm not sticking around to become the fuck toy for some demon," Agent 2 said. "I'm gonna blast my way outta here with this angelic pistol I have now!"
The two had their attention grabbed just then by a motorcycle engine. Racing towards them was the mysterious biker the Phantom Thieves had encountered before. The masked rider came to a sliding stop in front of the agents, yellow eyes staring at them from behind the red mask. "You two with the Phantom Thieves?" he asked.
"No chance! We're DHORKS, paranormal agents that want to expose the Phantom Thieves for working with demons," Agent 1 replied.
"…Oh, so you're both morons then, got it," the biker said, before revving up his engine. "Well, the exit to this place is that way. You better move fast, unless you want the Reaper to catch you."
As the guy drove off, Agent 1 shook his fist at him. "Yeah, well, fuck you too, guy! Seriously, is he some kinda delinquent or something, riding that motorcycle around a subway tunnel…"
"He did look pretty badass, though," Agent 2 said.
"…Yeah, he did," Agent 1 admitted. "Hey, add "sick-ass motorbikes" to our "To-Do" list, will ya?"
"What am I, your wife?" Agent 2 crossed her arms.
As the got into an argument about making lists and gender roles, the sound of chains started to echo around the tunnel. The Reaper slowly creeped up behind the two, making moaning noises of the damned as it raised its gun arms up to strike.
"Holy shit!" Agent 1 cursed, screaming like a girl as he jumped into Agent 2's arms.
She frowned and dropped him flat on his butt, before raising her gun towards the Reaper. "Please, this is just some demon trying to scare us. Eat blessed lead, fucker!" Agent 2 unloaded an entire clip on the Reaper, the monster unfazed as it just stared the two down. "…Well shit, that was all I had on me."
"Outta bullets here too," Agent 1 said. "You know, in times like this, I recall my family's secret technique when you get into a fight you can't win."
"What's that?" Agent 2 asked.
Agent 1 suddenly turned heel and started running down the tunnel. "Run away!"
"I know you stole that from some anime, you weeb!" Agent 2 shouted back as she turned and ran as well. The Reaper slowly floated after them. It was in no rush to capture them now. All souls would one day be his, after all… especially that of the mysterious biker that kept interfering in his work…
[***]
August 22
The next day, everyone gathered at Leblanc to see if Futaba's hacking skills had actually gotten rid of DHORKS. "So, you're finally up, huh?" Sojiro said as Ren came down to the café floor. "Don't slack off just 'cause you're on summer vacation."
"Yo, you look tired," Ryuji noted.
"We've made ourselves at home," Ann stated.
"Late last night, it was discovered that someone has tampered with the international paranormal investigation group DHORK's website," the TV reporter said. "The site now displays what is thought to be the mark belonging to the Phantom Thieves… Moreso, the personal information of two American citizens, possible DHORKS members, was illegally publicized."
"Aren't these the guys people have been up in arms about?" Sojiro asked.
"In addition, an anonymous call was given to Tokyo authorities about the location of DHORKS Tokyo branch, where there were found with illegal weapons and drugs in their possession," the TV report continued, showing some footage of the raid on the DHORKS hideout. "Furthermore, their previously announced cleanse of Japan has remained unimplemented for now. World governments are now in talks to permanently dismantle the group after almost causing an international incident, as further leaks of DHORKS information is being seized for housing trade secrets of various governments."
"And to add onto this, we also have reports that the apparent leaders of DHORKS have been found and detained within the Tokyo subway system," a female reporter said, showing footage of Agents 1 and 2, both looking scuffed up and crazed, being handcuffed and dragged away by the police.
"It's real, Hell is real!" Agent 1 shouted hysterically.
"The Reaper… he was chasing us down all night! You gotta believe us!" Agent 2 screamed as she was shoved into the back of a police car.
The Phantom Thieves all shared laughs and smirks with each other, getting the attention of Sojiro. "What're you all smirking about?" he questioned.
"Something really great just happened, Boss," Ren said.
"Well stop it. You're gonna drive away all my customers," Sojiro shook his head.
"After the commercial break, we will be asking guests from various fields about this turn of events," the TV reporter continued.
"But there ain't any customers," Loona pointed out.
"Can it…" Sojiro glared. "My customers are on summer vacation too."
"Oh crap, I just realized our break's almost over!" Ryuji said.
"There are still ten days left," Yusuke pointed out.
"Aw… At least in America they have two months. We barely have one here…" Collin sighed.
"I want to go somewhere, but we can't just leave Futaba-chan alone," Ann said.
"Some things still concern me too, like that "research" …" Makoto whispered.
It was then that Futaba walked into the café. "Oh! Did you just wake up?" Sojiro greeted.
"Good morning," Octavia greeted.
Futaba quickly moved to hide behind Ren. "It seems she's cautious of us," Yusuke noted.
"Hey, why don't we go upstairs?" Makoto suggested. "If any customers come, she'll be even more afraid."
"Why don't you go with them, Futaba? Have fun," Sojiro said. "It's about time our regulars show up anyway, so I don't want you guys loitering around my store." With that, the gang moved upstairs to discuss matters, while Futaba sat on Ren's bed eating her breakfast.
"To think a cognitive version of a person would transform into such a horrible monster and attack us…" Yusuke said, recalling their battle in Futaba's Palace. "That means our enemies aren't limited to Shadows."
"I thought the other people were just victims, like the slaves in the castle or the walking ATMs," Ann admitted.
"Even though they seem to be alive, they're only part of the backdrop… the environment," Makoto said. "In other words, the Palace ruler determined the form and strength of their cognitions. I would have loved to ask Futaba's mother how far along she was with her research…"
"Well, her ghost has passed on now to the afterlife after we helped Futaba… I sensed her presence leaving after we stole the Treasure," Collin said. "But still, her research on cognitive psience would help us understand the Collective Unconscious better."
"If we put together all the information we've gathered up to this point… Abuse of cognitive psience can lead to death, and it may even relate to the psychotic breakdown incidents," Octavia summarized. "And since we have proof of that with how demons react violently to a change of heart, there's no doubt to be that it's all connected to the Metaverse."
"On top of that, the research might have been stolen and used by someone else," Morgana pointed out.
"You mean those guys that showed Futaba the fake suicide note," Loona growled.
"If that is the case, those people are unforgiveable," Yusuke said.
"Hey, Futaba. Is there anything else you can remember?" Makoto asked. Futaba just got up and went to put her dishes away. "She is quite difficult…"
Futaba then came back with more food. "That smell…" Yusuke said.
"Come on, no fair…" Ann whined.
"Hey, can I snag a bite?" Ryuji asked, only to get a stare from Futaba. "Meanie."
"Why don't we take a short break?" Octavia suggested. After getting some food for themselves, the team got back together to further their discussion.
"I've been thinking… Even if Futaba is a genius, could she really crush an international paranormal investigation organization that easily?" Makoto wondered.
"The ones who taunted the Phantom Thieves were the heads of the organization that had recently moved here to Japan," Futaba explained. "I knew how to easily get them discredited and arrested, so I wasn't worried."
"How do you know that?" Octavia asked.
"Cause I'm the founder," Futaba said.
Everyone looked at her in shock. "Um… what? You mean you created DHORKS? For real?" Loona questioned.
Futaba nodded. "Yep. It was only me at first, back when I was referred to as the hacker of justice. But since I stayed anonymous, I let those Americans take over as the face of the organization. They even changed the name from "Medjed" to "DHORKS" for some reason…"
"And those were the ones that kidnapped Blitz and Moxxie that one time," Loona said.
"I originally created the group to just observe the paranormal, but they wanted to expose demons to the world," Futaba explained. "I got them in contact with suppliers around the world for equipment and may have been acquiring blackmail on them in the process in case I needed to take them down. No one took them seriously though, so I just left them be."
"Uh… so Futaba was the true DHORKS-" Ryuji said.
"Medjed! God DHORKS is such a dumb name… They never even came up with what the acronym stood for," Futaba groaned.
"Right, Medjed, and we were freaking out over some weak-ass dipshits?" Ryuji finished. "You should've told us from the start, Futaba."
"I discarded the Medjed name a while ago. I'm Alibaba now," Futaba said. "Though I'm not sure where they got the angelic-grade weapons. For as much as I'm into the occult, I try not to mess with real demons and angels. Just observe supernatural phenomena and take note of it for my own research."
"I wanted to ask you about that, actually," Octavia said. "What exactly did you do to those two DHORKS agents that got them so freaked out?"
"I used the Meta-Nav to temporarily displace them into the Metaverse," Futaba explained casually. "I might not have demon powers like you guys, but I know how to hack programming, and the Meta-Nav is just a magic program, so I hijacked the signal you use to get into the Metaverse and cast it through their phone, sucking the two in."
"Damn, that's hardcore," Loona said. "They must have run into the Reaper if they came out looking like they did."
"And their ramblings made them look delusional, further discrediting their organization as nothing more than petty terrorists with empty threats," Yusuke added.
"And what made you look into the occult in the first place?" Octavia asked. "Like that statue that we found in your room that blocked Loona, Collin, and I from entering?"
"The Wepwawet statue? …It was a gift from Dad, according to Mom," Futaba answered. "She said he gave it to us before he had to leave her, said that it would provide protection from outside forces. I never knew who my dad was, but part of Mom's passion for her research into cognitive psience was due to their meeting. Not even Sojiro really knows who the guy was, only that he had to leave due to his presence being a risk for our safety."
"Do you think he might have been a demon of some kind?" Ren asked.
Futaba shrugged. "Maybe… I thought that something involving the occult and cognitive psience might have been involved his disappearance and Mom's death, so that's part of the reason I created Medjed in the first place."
"So you're not just a hacker, but an occult hacker," Ren mused.
"I think "Soul Hacker" sounds a lot cooler," Octavia said with a grin.
"Futaba, what do you want to do now?" Makoto asked. "Since you know our secret, we'd like you to join our team."
"Kay," Futaba nodded.
"Just like that?" Ann said in surprise.
"This may even ensure that our investigation of Mementos goes along smoothly," Makoto said.
"Well… I guess," Morgana shrugged.
"Well, Futaba's real amazing! She's gonna be a big help for us, huh?" Ryuji said.
"You saw what she did when she first got her Persona. Of course she's gonna be awesome," Loona nodded. She then thought of something. "Say, Futaba. How did you find out about us?"
"Secret," Futaba replied.
"Where did you learn to hack?" Makoto asked.
"Private," Futaba answered.
"When did you obtain the Nav?" Octavia questioned.
"I refuse to answer," Futaba shook her head.
"Futaba-chan sure is unique…" Collin sighed. "Still, it'll be a problem if she doesn't open up to us more."
"At the very least, we need to be able to communicate normally with her," Yusuke stated.
"What should we do?" Makoto asked.
"Let's get to know her," Ren suggested.
"How?" Ann asked.
"First, we'll need to help her open up to us," Loona said.
"If we each spend an entire day with her, maybe she'll get more used to being around us," Makoto added on.
"I see. We do have the time, thanks to summer vacation," Collin pointed out.
"We can begin tomorrow," Octavia said with a smile.
"Let's go to the beach!" Ryuji suggested. "There'll be tonsa people there, plus we got totally dried out in that desert."
"That's a great idea! I forgot I hadn't gone to the beach yet!" Ann agreed.
"Uh, excuse me…?" Futaba said nervously.
"I'll come by tomorrow. See you then," Makoto said.
"Let me help as well. I don't have anything planned," Yusuke said.
"Thanks. We can set a schedule with everyone else depending on when they're free," Makoto said.
"Okay!" Ann cheered. Soon the Phantom Thieves cleared out for the day.
Ryuji: Hey, I heard some people talking about us on the train home! They were saying how awesome they think the Phantom Thieves are!
Ann: I've heard things too. It's becoming a huge topic of conversation.
Yusuke: To be fair, the casualties from a DHORKS attack would have been massive. It's no surprise they revere us for preventing it.
Loona: We're even getting the credit over their arrest since the police were tipped off by Alibaba using our logo. Shit's crazy, guys.
Ren: It was close enough.
Makoto: Yeah. It's really all thanks to Alibaba. You were a great help.
Futaba: It was nothing.
Ann: Oh, that reminds me… I remember some stuff about ATMs and banks just stopping? That wasn't DHORKS, was it?
Futaba: Nope, that was totally separate.
Octavia: So people were overreacting to mere coincidence? If there even was a coincidence there…
Futaba: Either that or those rumors were never true to begin with.
Yusuke: Hm, you seem to be quite talkative in these conversations.
Futaba: is that so? I'll shut up then. :l
Yusuke: ?
Futaba: :C
Loona: Wow, you really pissed her off, Yusuke.
Octavia: You're going to have to apologize to her now if we want her help.
Yusuke: Me? Why?
Futaba: :U
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Loona Nyx
Arcana: Twilight
Rank 7 Description: Loona finally opened up about her life in the pound. She resolved to be more open to others and her adoptive father, Blitz.
Rank 7 Ability: Intimidation- Shadows drop more money and rarer items during a Hold Up
Author's Note
Lots of Confidants this time, with Mishima, Yusuke, and Hifumi all getting rank ups, ad Yoshida having his Confidant maxed out (our first one on-screen for this story!). I hope you all enjoyed getting to see the Helluva Boss characters interacting with Yoshida. I think his speech skills with really help Octavia once she goes back to her life as a princess in Hell. Maybe she'll even be able to give her dad some public speaking advice!
Loona gets a Confidant rank this time, and fully opens up to Ren about her past. How hellhounds, a sentient race, are treated like pets is really effed up, but then again it is Hell so what do you expect? This is the big turning point for Loona's Confidant, and from here on out she'll be working with Ren in her last three ranks to be open with Blitzo and the others about her emotions. As for her new Confidant ability, "Intimidation" acts as a bonus to getting more money and items out of Shadows during a Hold Up. This bonus also applies if a Shadow pleads for their life, so Loona helps you with getting even more stuff out of encounters.
Finally Futaba is up, and this time around she's not only a normal hacker, but one with occult knowledge as well. She doesn't know about her dad being an Egyptian deity, but her skills with the occult come from his powers. Plus Wepwawet is the opener of paths in his mythology, and what is hacking but opening different paths to get into places? We'll be doing the Futaba gets to know the Phantom Thief stuff next chapter, so get ready for shenanigans.
And Futaba got rid of DHORKS as well, with Agents 1 and 2 making their cameo here. I know they didn't have a lot of presence within the story, but if this was a game I imagine you'd see DHORKS agents around Tokyo hiding in trash cans and stalking the player, like what Makoto does before the Kaneshiro arc. Futaba managed to send our two hapless agents into Mementos, where they encountered the mysterious biker and the Reaper. I wonder what the biker's deal is with the Reaper always following him around, and who that "weird baby man" Agent 2 mentioned gave them angelic weapons is...?