3/22

Goro

Today, we were going to start investigating Seiga. This time for sure. There definitely wasn't going to be another incident, and no more having to carry drunk girls back to their house (I could still easily recall the look on Eirin's face when I came in and requested help getting them into the bath).

As I walked near the temple, I reflected on what had transpired yesterday. A hidden Sage, coming out of the shadows and asserting her dominance, and recruiting me as a confidant. As for her purpose, I still wasn't certain. Given my life experience, and certainly my experience being used as a murderous puppet of the antisocial force, I was naturally leery of the prospect of potentially being made into someone's useful idiot again, just an insignificant piece in a twisted game. Certainly, Okina hit many of those vibes, being a goddess who could easily defeat powerful fighters like Reimu, Marisa and Aya, and then took an interest in me and offered a partnership, seemingly without unsavory strings attached. I trusted almost no one in the best of circumstances before, and even now I was still skeptical of when people seemingly weren't showing their true intentions.

On the other hand, her stepping in and stopping Dr. Maruki from destroying Gensokyo had to be born from genuine concern and sense of duty. She also wasn't lying, as I knew what lying looked and sounded like, not that I was one to talk. And she seemed sincere with her offer of potential Outside trips. Sure, I had no intention of ever living there again, but I had to admit the allure of an occasional visit was hard to pass up. In any case, she was in my orbit to stay, and I knew that I had to try and make the best of it.

Once I came to a suitable clearing, I drew the whistle, put it to my lips, and blew lightly. It gave a slight, high-pitched sound as I blew. At first, I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, so I tried it again-

"My my, once is enough, wouldn't you agree?"

I turned around to see Miko right behind me. "How did you get there?"

"Wherever there is a crack, I can emerge from it," she explained. "Such is the skill of a hermit."

I gave her a look, to which she replied, "...no, I came from that tree over there."

"Ah, sorry," I said.

She smiled. "Anyway, you have called upon my aid today. What is it that you desire? No, wait… I can already hear it. I can hear… different hearts than what you had the last time we met. Different possibilities. How curious. How is it that you can wield so many hearts, and change them so quickly and completely?"

I shook my head. "What can you tell me about Seiga Kaku?"

…she froze up.

"Seiga… Kaku…"

"That is who I am presently investigating," I said. "A wicked hermit who commits heinous acts, but is that all she is, or is there more to her story?"

Miko was silent.

"We made a deal, did we not?" I asked harshly. "Won't you tell me?'

She stayed silent for a second, before saying "...why don't we continue this discussion in a more suitable place?" She looked at the crack in the tree she had come from. "It's not often that an outsider is invited into my realm."

"So you are inviting me to your home?" I asked.

"There isn't much, it is the home of hermits after all, but it will suffice," she said.

"Well then, alright." I followed her through the crack, which she widened with her arms to allow passage.

Inside the crack was… an interesting location, to say the least. It was misty, with no sky visible, and filled with tall, rocky mountains and spires. At the top of one of these spires, the one nearest to us, was a golden-roofed temple.

"This place is…"

"Welcome to the sealed world of the hermits, Senaki." Miko looked up. "And that is the Divine Spirit Mausoleum. You know how to fly, correct? Then getting up there should be easy. One could say you've taken your first step toward becoming a hermit yourself."

"Ah, yes," I replied. I jumped into the air and flew right up to the top.

Once at the top, the only other people there were Futo, and a lady in a green dress with a ghostly tail. Miko came up behind me, cape twirling, and touched down.

"Sorry for leaving on such short notice," Miko said. "I have brought with me a guest."

Futo ran up to us. "HARK! We meet again, Akechi-dono!"

"Oh, no need to be formal," I said.

"Tis the truth! I have heard about your triumph over the hidden sage who unbalanced the seasons, and your destruction of the youkai's liquor!"

I sighed. "I'm never going to get past that one, am I?"

The other lady chuckled. "I've heard about you as well," she said, before bowing. "I am Soga no Tojiko, but you can just call me Tojiko."

Miko smiled. "What a surprise, you're not usually this nice to guests."

"Ah well, this is Akechi-san we are talking about," Tojiko said. "But, since you seem to prefer my usual way of greeting guests…" She then scowled at me. "Hey, punk, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was invited here by Miko personally," I said. "You could call it a business trip."

"I see." Futo and Tojiko stepped aside. "Well, make yourself at home as much as you can, although this is a Taoist temple, so a mortal such as you might not find much comfort."

"I do not mind," I said.

Inside the temple, Miko instructed me to sit down. From the balcony where we were, I could look out toward the misty, moss-covered mountains. It really was a scene straight out of old Chinese legends, the kinds where there were monks training on the rocks and summits, serene yet capable of tearing a truck in half and throwing kamehameha waves.

…okay, maybe I watched a little bit too much Dragon Ball growing up.

"Please excuse me," Miko said. "I will still make you some tea, as a cherished guest."

"Splendid," I said. I waited for a few moments, before Miko returned with a cup of tea, and set it down in front of me. "Us hermits require no physical nourishment, but we still appreciate a cup of tea every now and then."

I blew on it before sipping it. "I have been able to sample all kinds of tea since I came here. Quality tea, too, not the insipid bottled and instant swill which I was forced to rely on in Tokyo."

"Japan has changed quite a lot since my time," Miko commented. "In some ways for the better, but in many ways for the worse. I'm told that most of the populace endures crushing work schedules, and the population is aging, as fewer and fewer kids come into the world, and move to cities or even other countries in search for a better quality of life. Me and Seiga were Taoist, but we knew Taoism wasn't effective for ruling a country, so we sought to tame it by introducing Buddhism, then waiting for Japan to outgrow it. Over a thousand years later, my feats passed into legend, and I awakened in Gensokyo, right underneath the lair of one of my oldest adversaries, and denied the chance to make Japan a great country again."

I groaned. "I understand your sentiment, but please don't say any variation of 'make a country great again' around me. There is a highly controversial politician who used that slogan, plus 'Make Japan Great Again' was more or less Shido's slogan."

"From what little I've heard of that man, I wouldn't hesitate to incinerate him where he stood," she said.

"You don't know the half of his atrocities," I commented. "For one, he ordered the assassination of a cognitive researcher, then had his goons read her daughter a fake suicide note blaming it on her." I looked down. "That is the kind of evil which is allowed to thrive in the absence of detectives like myself. It was in the process of me trying to bust his conspiracy open that I got into an accident which sent me here."

"Indeed," she smiled. "And you have already proven your worth by solving a great incident. I'm certain you will achieve even greater heights here in Gensokyo." She sipped her tea, then lightly sighed.

"Is something the matter?" I asked.

"Well, it's just… lately, so much has happened. Actually, ever since you came here it appears as though people have begun acting oddly, and some force is affecting their desires. Many desires have become… distorted, is what I would call it, as though they subconsciously desired one thing but their conscious minds suppressed it. Then, some people have their desires brought closer to the surface suddenly, as though a compelling force made them have an epiphany. I did not think much of it at first, until it happened to Futo."

"Oh?" I wondered, wanting to hear the results of Futo's change of heart.

"Futo is normally a sweet, if silly and air headed girl. So when she came up to me the other day and accosted me about my relationship with Seiga in a way which was highly uncharacteristic of her, and also related to me her pent-up frustrations and how she felt like she couldn't express them, I was caught off-guard, and couldn't give her an effective answer. Later, I thought about it, and I realized that all of these 'changes of heart' only started to occur around the time the mysterious group calling themselves the 'Day Breakers' appeared and claimed to 'steal the hearts of corrupt individuals.' A group of vigilantes, for sure, whose known targets include one of the daitengu and, well… her. I also felt it odd that Gensokyo's incident resolvers aren't acknowledging their presence and influence…" She looked up. "...that is, not unless they were somehow complicit."

"What are you suggesting?" I asked.

"I just think it's odd that you, someone with many hearts, appears out of nowhere, recruits many of Genoskyo's biggest figures and also brings their hearts and desires to the surface, and for the Day Breakers to appear right at the same time. Naturally, I can only assume that you are somehow linked with them, if not actually part of them. Every one of your associates have had their desires affected and turned away from this strange distortion. And you made a deal with me because you wanted to use my ability to read hearts to root out distorted desires and fix them, is that correct?"

"I only want to punish criminals, and in the process heal wounded hearts," I responded. "A distorted heart isn't necessarily an evil one, it just means that a person has lost touch with their true self. And Seiga Kaku's heart has become quite distorted over the centuries indeed."

"Distorted…" Miko took a sip. "You know, Seiga was the one who taught me Taoism, proposed the idea of using Buddhism to tame the populace, and showed me the secrets of achieving immortality, but… in the act of becoming a hermit, the poisons destroyed my body and forced me to become a shikaisen. I always assumed she wanted me to become a strong leader who could rule over Japan forever and be an icon to the populace, and I became obsessed with that idea. Ever since reawakening, however, I've become less of that. She was never there to really support my efforts, just sort of provide the ideas, but I owe a lot to her. Still, she is mostly concerned with her own self-interest. She often describes her life as a hermit as a constant battle, not just physically against her would-be assassins, but against the natural system itself. An arena where only the strongest, such as herself, come out on top…"

A moment after she finished her sentence, a wave of distortion hit, and I knew we were getting sent to the Metaverse.

"Gah!" Miko held her head. "What is this feeling? I…" The world twisted and bent, and Miko's quiet, peaceful temple slowly gave way to the rowdy cries of a crowd. Bright lights shone down from above, and when we looked back up…

"...wha… what is… where are we? How did we get here?" She might have asked that, but I couldn't really hear her, because right now, we were sitting on a row of metal bleachers, surrounded by tens of thousands of shadows of all different shapes and sizes, throwing popcorn, hot dogs and beer into the air, shaking foam fingers, and shouting at the wrestling ring in the center. Said ring was surrounded by jumbotrons on the walls, harsh stage lights focused in, and featured two figures duking it out, one of which wore a green, ragged cape whose head split into a mouth with sharp teeth, and the other, a Lilim trying to bull-rush it. The caped figure, who the jumbotron referred to as 'Vayu', effortlessly dodged her attacks before retaliating with a strong wind attack, knocking her out instantly. The crowd got up and cheered, celebrating his victory.

"And that is a knockout win for Vayu!" came a voice. A figure in a suit with a microphone came around.. It was Shadow Seiga. The yellow eyes were a dead giveaway.

"Seiga?" Miko said. "What is she… I mean, what is this…"

"That was a great fight," she said to Vayu. "Do you have anything to say to the audience?"

"That opponent was far too predictable," Vayu replied. "You cannot win by simply charging headlong into battle. I desire an opponent who can match my grace and wit."

"Mmh, you may be right!" Shadow Seiga said. "Being a buff badass isn't enough if you don't have any sort of skill to go with it!" She turned back to the audience. "Well, folks, what about you? Do you think you can meet Vayu's challenge?"

The crowd cheered, with some standing up and boasting while we kept a low profile.

"Ah, it seems like there's plenty of people here who'd be willing to give you a smackdown!"

"Let's see them try," Vayu dared.

"Alright. Let's see… which one of you is going to be his opponent…" Shadow Seiga looked around while drone cameras deployed from above, prowling the stands for a suitable opponent while the jumbo screens displayed their feed. One camera hovered over to our section, looked around for a bit, then…

"Uh… what?" Miko said, as the camera pointed at her, and suddenly all the screens filled up with her face.

"Ohoho, what's this? Folks, it looks like we have a real contender here!" The camera grew an arm, plucked Miko right up, and carried her over to the ring. Thinking quickly, I shot my grappling hook at the overhead catwalks and dramatically swung my way over, flipping up atop one of the lights right as Miko was plopped down onto the ring.

"Ow!" Rubbing her head, she struggled to get up onto her own feet.

"And here we are!" Shadow Seiga called out. "The one, the only, the Crown Prince herself, Toyosatomimi no Miko!" The crowd went wild with cheers, ready to see Miko get torn to shreds.

Miko turned to face her. "Seiga-san… what is going on here?"

Shadow Seiga looked at her and smiled. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Miko-chan? Over a thousand years I had waited for your resurrection, only to be easily defeated by a bunch of weaklings, and then you've spent the six years since then preaching about how you would protect Gensokyo's humans…" She gave a disgusting, haughty chortle. "Ohoho, seems you haven't learned anything. I suppose you would have been better off letting the cinnabar kill you."

"Wha- what do you mean? What is this place?! Why… I… I don't understand…"

"This is exactly what I mean!" Seiga replied. "This world is a cruel place, kill or be killed. I figured that out early on, but you just don't get it. I came to you and suggested uniting the country under Buddhism, knowing that you had a thirst for ruling over the populace and controlling them to prevent conflict and strife, even if it meant stamping out free will. Because let's face it: humans can't be responsible, they will rip each other to shreds before they die a natural death. All the more reason that us hermits are superior, or so I thought. I hoped you'd grow out of that little power fantasy of yours upon realizing how weak you truly were even with your talents, but no, you keep holding onto that delusion, and look where it's gotten you, your face under the heel of that lazy shrine maiden's boot." She grinned evilly. "And now I get to see you fail to become a celestial, forever!"

The crowd cheered once more, calling for blood. Miko tried to swing at Seiga, but fell down before she could strike. I realized that, as a shikaisen, she wouldn't last long here in the Metaverse, but I had neither the time nor the ability to get her out quickly.

"No, I'm not… Seiga, why would you…"

"Are you going to let her break you down like that?!" I shouted at her. "That being before is who Seiga Kaku is really like. She's no friend, she's only been using you! You're the legendary crown prince, and yet you're just going to give up?! Stand up to her and fight back, dammit!"

"Akechi-kun… I…"

"He's right, you know. She's right, too. You really are a failure of a leader."

Suddenly, the world went black, and I found myself standing again.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"You really are hopeless," said the voice, which sounded like my own. "Able to hear the hearts of others, and yet so deaf to your own." I turned around, and saw a figure in shadow resembling me. "Tell me… why is it that you wanted to become a hermit?"

"I…" I choked on my words. "What are you?"

"I am you," she replied. "The other you buried deep within, the you who yearns to be a righteous and just leader." She shook her head. "Are you sure you became a hermit for righteous reasons? To challenge the assumption that humans had to die while the world never changes?" She swept her hand. "Bullshit! You just want to become a tyrannical God who rules over the fearful, ignorant masses, and Seiga was damn well aware of that fact. She manipulated you into becoming a corrupt, wicked ruler because she could."

I stepped back. "No… that's not true… I truly want to-"

"I am the administrator born of the collective human unconscious. The God of Control, Yaldabaoth."

I jumped back. "What was that?"

"The voice of a true tyrant," the other me explained. "A being whose sentiments you echo."

"The administrator must guide mankind toward proper development. And now that the foolishness of man has been proven, it is the administrator's duty to purge them."

"What… I would never kill innocent humans though!" I pleaded.

"The foolish masses merely spread indolent thoughts, and force the progress of society backward. If left to humanity, the world would slowly meet its demise. Rehabilitation is impossible now."

Indolent thoughts, regression, demise… the humans I know, they… they would do that without a leader like me, and…

"No! That can't be. Humans can become higher beings if they try, right?"

"Indeed, there are many upstanding citizens. However, they merely take the sole path before them. The act of making decisions is accompanied by nothing but pain. Even if a cliff of ruin lay ahead, these lemmings would march onward without a second thought."

I knelt down. "No… humanity… can become…"

"You can't argue these truths because you yourself hold them," my other self chided. "Humans, youkai, it doesn't really matter. They need a strong, confident leader to follow or else they will drown this world in discord and destruction, but that leader must also inspire them to become enlightened beings. Humans have that spark, but few are willing to ignite it on their own. Now tell me: will you be the one to ignite that spark in the weak and oppressed, or will you continue to further your doomed quest to control them for your own self-gain?"

I thought about her words… my words. I always realized Seiga was selfish, but I did truly see her as a friend. But was it true, did she push me off the cliff and into the dark pit of megalomania? Did I let my own fear of death and discord affect my actions as the Crown Prince? Was the weight of such a legend causing me to grow proud with control? Did the Buddhists seal me because they saw me for the possessive and tyrannical demon I truly was?

…no. I was no demon. I was born to guide the masses through the ravages of the world and through the temptations and darkness of those who slither in the dark. I became a hermit for selfish reasons, but that didn't mean I couldn't use my longevity and centuries of knowledge, combined with my unparalleled skill, to lead and inspire a whole new generation, some of whom had the potential to become great leaders themselves. But I had to be that light for them, as evil forces would be all too willing to lead them astray if no one stepped up to guide them.

"I see," the other me said. "I have heard your thoughts. You desire to right the wrongs of your past, and cut through the wicked forces standing in your way. But are you truly ready to make those sacrifices?"

"I am the Crown Prince," I said, determined. "I was born to make sacrifices."

She crossed her arms. "Excellent…" She then disappeared, and I was quickly overcome by a wracking pain all over my body.

"Nnngh! Gehh! Aaaaah!" I gripped my head in pain, collapsed to the ground, and struggled to resist the forces tearing at my flesh.

"A king cannot lead his men if they have no faith in him, if he is not willing to lead them into battle, and if he is not willing to die for them. A king who wants his country to become prosperous and righteous must not be afraid to confront evil wherever it hides, wherever it disguises itself as good, wherever it might be the easy path. I am thou, thou art I. Now, take up your sword from the stone, raise it into the air, and receive the power to change this world from God Himself!"

A mask, like part of a European Medieval helmet, appeared on my face. Instinctively, I grasped it, and began to pull it off. It hurt so much, blood was dripping from my eyes, but I was compelled to do it. With one swift motion, I tore it off, screamed into the air, and became surrounded in blue flame.

When the flames died down, I looked down to see Miko: perched atop a mighty, silver steed with a brown mane and draped in armor, Miko herself was suited up like a Medieval king, sword in hand and the insignia of her family emblazoned across her breast.

She looked up, grinning wickedly and pointing her sword at Shadow Seiga. "Heh. I won't let you win. I'll show you who the TRUE administrator of this country is, bitch!" The crowd went nuts, cheering Miko's name as flames and confetti jets shot out all around.

Shadow Seiga crossed her arms. "Hmph. Well then, let's see what you can do." She clapped, summoning two Eligors alongside Vayu. "Let the match begin!"

"..." Vayu seemed to hesitate, before bowing. "My apologies, but I cannot lose!"

"Bring it!" Miko challenged. The two Eligors charged her simultaneously, but she commanded her steed, which I realized was her Persona, to skillfully evade them, before retaliating by charging into them and swinging her blade for a Swift Strike, knocking them down instantly. At this point, Vayu joined the fight and attempted to attack, but she raised her sword and cast a defense buff on herself, dulling the attacks power and simply brushing it off.

"By my sword, I and King Arthur shall strike down all who threaten the weak!" She then whipped out a shotgun and blasted Vayu in the gut, stunning him long enough for a powerful Zionga attack to knock him down. With all foes down, I jumped down, and assisted her with unleashing an All-Out Attack. The Eligors were killed, but Vayu managed to recover and limped off toward the sidelines, conceding defeat.

"I underestimated you," he said. "You are quite formidable indeed. Join the tournament, and allow us to duel again properly."

I looked around, and realized Shadow Seiga was gone. In her place, angry Vayu fans came down from the stands and attempted to storm the ring.

"Shit," I said. "We need to get out of here." I threw her a spare grappling hook. "Use this, it'll be our only means of escape!"

"Err… will do!" Still confused as to what was going on, but realizing what she needed to do, she followed my lead, grappling onto the catwalks and escaping out an emergency exit, which turned out to lead to a safe room.

"What is this place?" she asked. "What's going on? What was that power I was using back there?"

"I will explain once we're back out," I said. "The security level's gone through the roof. We need to escape." I pulled out my key, making a keyhole materialize over the table. Without hesitation, I shoved it in, returning us to the real world.

"I see," Miko nodded in between drinks. "So that power was what I had been sensing before, when a person's desires are close to the surface."

"Indeed," I replied. "When a person accepts their shadow as part of themselves, that shadow becomes their power to fight in that world, their Persona. And because I wield many Personas, I possess many hearts."

We had withdrawn to Geidontei, where we discussed what had occurred in Seiga's fortress away from Tojiko and Futo's ears. As usual, the place was filled with older gentlemen, although the pink-haired girl with a whale cap served us our drinks. I thought it odd how no one acknowledged her presence, as though their drinks were simply appearing on the bar out of thin air.

"Heheh," Miko chuckled. "I could never have imagined that such a world, born from the cognition of the masses, could even exist. All this time, I was sensing these shadows, and your Personas, without knowing what they were." She slumped, and sighed. "So… that being represents the very depths of Seiga's filth. I've said this before, but she taught me Taoism and helped me formulate my plan to pacify Japan. I always realized that she had wicked desires, but she also seemed to be truly motivated to make Japan a peaceful, yet powerful country, so I was willing to overlook them. Now, however, I realize she has long jumped off the deep end, and if I must stand against her and show her the light again, then so be it."

"So you still don't hate her," I asked.

"I consider her a trusted friend," she said. "If I don't correct her and show her the evil of her ways, I would fail as both a friend and as a leader." She turned to me. "That being said, may I join your cause?"

"We're already conspirators. With your fighting prowess and ability to detect distorted hearts for us, you would be a fine addition to the team." I paused. "But you must be willing to work alongside Byakuren, even though you are sword enemies."

Miko laughed. "Ohoho. She may be a hypocrite, but so am I. Both of us have done selfless and selfish deeds, and I cannot call myself the saint that I'm revered as - I will have to truly earn that title for myself. And if she has resolved to overcome her demons and fight for truth and justice, then I take no issue with working alongside her."

I offered my hand. "Then, the terms of our deal have been updated. It will be a great pleasure working and fighting at your side, Miko."

She shook my hand. "Thank you. Let the days of Gensokyo's strongest and most influential, working together to repel darkness and sin, commence."

Later that night, I awoke inside the Velvet Room once more. Rika and Lavenza awaited me, as did Igor, tapping his fingers lightly on his desk.

"I see your bonds continue to grow wider and deeper," Igor mused. "And your circle has grown to include a legend."

"To think the 'Crown Prince' was actually a lady, if one who could pass herself off as a man," Rika said.

Lavenza produced an Emperor card. "Your bond with Miko, or the Crown Prince Shotoku of legend, represents the Emperor card. A card which desires control of their surroundings, these individuals often find themselves caught on a path which would lead them to become the corrupt people they so detest, and require guidance to accept their flaws and trust others. A leader and ruler whose well-intentioned desires led her dangerously close to becoming like the malevolent being who imprisoned my master and split me in two, you have intervened to guide her and her followers back onto the path of righteousness. Please, for the good of this work and all of us, do take care and responsibility in helping this person become a responsible and humble leader."

I turned my attention to Rika, who tapped her wrench lightly on one of the fusion tanks. "I'm pretty sure you can fuse that Pegasus with Speed Master now, so why don'tcha come over here and make it real?"

"Certainly," I nodded.

…

"I am Pegasus. Allow my wings to become your mask and soar high with the gods…"

Rika smiled as she crossed off another entry on her list. "Excellent. You're really comin' along now with these fusions. I might have to come up with some real zingers in order to keep challenging you." She paused, then sighed. "...the cognitive world sure is vast, isn't it? And human cognition is a powerful, sometimes scary force. I seeing you tear through these fortresses, I realized just how strongly a person's traumas and sins can manifest into complete and utter monsters, some of which can destroy or rewrite worlds…"

"What are you getting at?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Your time's runnin' out, so I can tell you some other time. For now, I'm working on expanding the range of fusions that you can perform. It seems like there are lots of truly badass Personas which require four, five, six or even more Personas to create. So, to make that a reality, I'll need you to bring me two more Personas so I can study them. The first is an Anubis with Tetrakarn. Bring one here, and I'll give you your next task."

"I understand," I said, right as the bell rang and the Velvet Room fell away. As it did, and I felt my conscious mind fall away, I thought about Rika's troubles, and it occurred to me that I never really thought about how she, a seemingly ordinary girl with a knack for machines and who lived in Makai, came to associate with the Velvet Room in the first place. The way she reflected on the terrible power of cognition, it made me suspect that she may have been a victim of it before…