Memory 5: Ghosts Of Suffering

Blissful Memories

He felt that he was getting closer. Closer to his real self. Closer to remembering everything and restoring his heart. Restoring it back to how it was before all that happened in April. For Connor at the current moment, he was surrounded by light until he finally had his feet land on what appeared to be dirt, with everything around him reforming the current environment he was placed in. He wondered where in his memories he was now. But when he finally started to look around, he saw that he was now in Inokashira Park. More specifically, the trail that was just near the pond. He was able to remember it despite everything in the area being covered in a Dark Green hue.

Now that they had arrived, Iris, who was on his shoulder, jumped off to return to her human form. Her Rainbow hair and all. "So...Where are we this time, Glasses?" She now asked, looking over to see him just looking at everything, then over to the body of water. "...Glasses?" Just then, she felt as if something passed her, making her look behind her and have her eyes wide and full of fear. Her eyes and hair turned Yellow-colored as a result.

"We're...At Inokashira Park...This was...Another place my Mom and I used to go to a lot..." Knight spoke as he still looked around, wondering if he was going to be ambushed like he had been multiple times prior. But, instead of that...The whole area was filled with what seemed like a fog. While not enough to make it hard to see, it was noticeable. "...What am I going to remember here?" Then, he looks over to the female once more. "...Let's get going...I'm sure the next Shadow is close..." However, what he sees instead is her shaking, and her hair had changed colors. "...Iris...?"

"...Huh?" Now she looks over at him. "S-Sorry...For some reason, I felt like something passed by me...This place just gives me the creeps, a-and I'm really not liking how little space we have here! L-Let's just find that stupid Shadow and get out of here...I'd rather be in another town or something rather than here right now!" And just then, she started marching forward on the path they were on. A light drop of sweat formed on the back of his fluffy head before he began to follow her. However, unknown to either...Something behind them was watching. A growl escaped them as well as what appeared to be smoke to blend in with the mist.

Something was ready to approach them and claim them as prey.

The two of them continued to walk on one of the many paths they were on despite the mist. While Iris kept walking and marching, Knight was keeping his guard up in case any of the Shadows decided to come in and attack them from any direction. But as they kept walking, the scenery changed more and more as they progressed. Seeing that along the path they were currently on now, they would soon see in front of them is a playground just nearby...And just close to that was the large baseball field. Seeing this alone made him stop in place for just a few seconds with wide eyes.

From that alone, the female stopped to stare at it, left with wonder and confusion...Her hair and eyes now turning Yellow. "...The heck is that right over there? It...Looks sort of weird. Like it's a trap of some kind, but...I dunno. What do you think, Glasses?" She asked now, slowly looking over to the young man, seeing his reaction through his mask. His Blue eyes were filled with surprise...And happiness. Never did she see him like this with any of the other locations. "...Glasses?" Just then, he suddenly ran toward the sight of the playground, throwing her off completely by how sudden it was. "H-Hey!" It didn't take long for her to quickly follow him this time, sprinting right behind him.

Soon enough, he got close enough to look at all it had. From the slides with the ladders to the swings, and even the monkey bars with the circular grips. All of it captivated him, and it didn't take long to make him recognize or remember everything from this place. Slowly, a hand moved over to the slide to feel the texture while Iris caught up. "...That's right...Mom and I used to go here every Sunday...How could I ever forget...?" He finally spoke, a smile was on his face the whole time. Then he looked over at her, seeing the wonder on her face. "...O-Oh, right...You don't know what this is. This place is called a playground...It's where a ton of kids are together to play outdoors...Or at least find an excuse to."

"Kids...Play in this kind of place?" She asked, staring at the slide before looking over to the swings just nearby, wondering what it was. But she makes her way over to them and decides to sit right down on one of them, with her hands grasping onto the chains. Somehow, doing that felt...Familiar to her. It didn't take long for Connor to sit next to her on the closeby. "...Yeah, I think I kinda, sorta, recognize this sort of place...Like I was in a place like this before?" She now spoke, wondering and in thought. "First, it was that city...Then that, amusement park place or whatever, and now here...It's like...I know I've been in these places before, but...I don't know..." All they could do was just sit there, staring forward. "...Why do you think that is...?"

He only listened to her, thinking about it now. Every place that they've gone to, while he also remembered it, she also did as well. There was certainly much more to her than one would think. "...M-Maybe...You were someone's pet at some point and they took you all around, and that's why you remember." From that, she looked at him with slight irritation. Her hair and eyes flashed to Red, which made him look back with his orbs enlarged. "...B-Because you could turn into a bird, I mean. T-That's why..."

Although...That statement could be true, and so she looked forward once again. The Red slowly turned to Green. "Yeah...Maybe...I don't know, it's like...Everywhere we've got to has felt, right, you know?" Just thinking about the park right now made her feel as if something in her own mind was scratching to reach the surface. Scratching through whatever layers of her mind that was preventing her from remembering fully. But didn't know what it was. "So...What other places does it have?"

"W-Well, um...Just close by, there's something called a Zoo...That's where we can see animals on display. Though...I'm not too into places like that..." He starts, then points right to the field close by. The large baseball field. "And right over there is where people play Baseball...B-Baseball being a sport, and sports being a competitive game between each other..." His eyes remained on it, staring at it for some time until a smile began to form on his face. With a little laugh following with this. "...That...That place...I have good memories about..."

Then she looked over, curiosity filling her eyes as those orbs turned Green just like her hair. "And why's that, Glasses?"

He then slowly closed his eyes while his smile remained on his face, thinking back to a memory he had. And a recent one at that. "...That was the time...I realized how much I really liked her. Liked...Haru."

Connor's Apartment/Morning
August 31th, 20XX

It had been a little over a month since Connor had last seen Haru. His mess-up from last time certainly hit him hard and took a hit on his confidence, even though it was already as low as it was. And since then, he's continued to practice cooking and making food. And while he worked on the dishes based around vegetables, it was mostly the fruits since that was his main focus this time around. However, he had been working on nothing but that since not only summer started, but since she left. With the exception of any schoolwork he needed to finish throughout the break, he was at home all month. And today was one of the final days before college classes had to resume.

At this moment, he was in the kitchen making once again, all while wearing a now messy Black shirt with White shorts and his hairnet. And alongside making the same dish as before that consisted of carrots, potatoes, turnips, and onions, he was also cutting up and putting the fruits he sliced on a nearby plate. And to add on top of all of the other things, he was also brewing coffee. Sometimes it was a regular store-bought brand, and other times it was Haru's blend that she had left in his apartment since her last visit a month before. And a blend he was using as best as he could with what he was given. But thankfully, there was a good amount of it left for him to use.

His Blue eyes were completely focused on the task at hand, eyeing everything as best as he could. And timing it as well as he possibly could. "...O-Okay...Then it should...Be...Good!" Then, he quickly turns off the heat on the stove and places the cooked food on a plate close to him. And it looked perfect. Not a single burnt portion of it. "...T-The vegetables look perfect! Thank goodness...I was hoping I wouldn't burn them again..." Then, he looks over to his other plate regarding the fruits. In the middle was mashed tofu with Strawberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries. And they were all covered in what appeared to be an Orange syrup made of the fruit with the same name. "Now...To taste..."

He then grabs both it and the vegetable-based dish on the table and took it over to the table. Then, placing the coffee he brewed with it with them before sitting down. He spent most of this morning cooking and many days beforehand trying to make it right. And now, he was going to taste it. With a fork, he tasted each one of them. Although there was still something needed for the tofu, the very combination of the sliced fruits and syrup made his mouth explode from the flavor. Same for the vegetables. And to finish it, he takes a drink of coffee from Haru's blend. Thankfully, all of it mixed well together.

When he had tasted everything, all he could do was let out a sigh of relief. "T-That...That tastes almost perfect! I need to work on the tofu a little bit...B-But, it's good!" Connor then slowly starts to lie against the chair he was sitting on, slowly looking at the clock that was close by. It was ten at the moment...And he did spend a ton of time indoors doing nothing but cooking. And schoolwork. "...I think...I deserve a small break...Especially with all the cooking I've done...But...Where...?"

He wondered about this for a while, thinking about where to go. Especially when Summer Vacation was about to end and soon he would be going back to classes. But then, something in his memory clicked in his mind. One place he had in mind. Inokashira Park. To if it was a real or fake one was far from the concern. A part of him wanted to go there. Something about that very place...Drew him there. And so, that's where he was going to go. He got up to take off the hairnet and then walked to his room to start changing.

After all, he didn't look proper enough to go out as he was.

Inokashira Park/Afternoon

When he did make it to Inokashira Park, he was in the playground area now, staring and looking at it. Despite it being summer, he was alone. No kids to be seen. Something that surprised him immensely. But he stood there, now wearing a Green short-sleeved shirt while wearing Black shorts and White shoes. But, even if he was alone, all he could do was smile at both the sight and the sounds of the birds chirping around him. Soon, he'd slowly turn and begin to walk away, keeping himself on the path as his eyes looked over to the baseball field. It had been such a long time since he had come here, from what he could truly remember. "...This takes me back...Back when the three of us all came here. I remember wanting to be in that field so badly...But we were so happy. I wish they were around more..." Little would he know that that particular memory was false.

He kept himself close to the path that was near the field, and he was about to look away...Until his eyes caught onto the gated door somehow being unlocked. No lock around it in sight. It was right there to be opened and have someone walk in. He was never able to go in as a kid, at least as far as he could recall, but now? Now that he was living on his own and alone at this very moment? He looks in both directions for a quick moment before opening the door and walking out onto the field, looking around to marvel at the sight before him. Here he was, now finally here...Here, in this very field.

"Wow..." He spoke to himself, with his eyes all on what was before him, until his foot hit something, making him look down to see that on the ground was a baseball bat that was left behind. He was taken back a bit by the sight, wondering why someone had left this here. But slowly, he reached down to grab and look at it, his eyes full of wonder at the sight of what was in his hands. But then, his leer returned as he began to look around once more, seeing that nobody was around at this very moment. Perhaps...It was time to have his own fun.

And so, once he makes it to the home plate, he readies the bat. "...And here comes Mr. Connor Mercer, world-famous baseball player in all of Tokyo!" He began to speak out loud in a very announcer-like voice, thinking he could get away with talking to himself at this very moment. "It's just down to the wire, folks! If he's able to make a home run, then that'll be it! He'll win the championship for not just the team, but for all of Japan and win the prize money!" And then quickly, he swings the bat as if he had hit the ball before dropping it on the floor to lift his hands into the air. "...Yes! He did it! You saw it here first! He just won the-"

Just then, as he cheered, he turned to see that someone was staring through the gate close by, listening and watching him do everything as he just froze in place. Right there was Haru, still in the same outfit as before. Seeing him do what he did and witnessing what she witnessed, she couldn't help but let out a giggle and start clapping her hands. "Congratulations on winning, Connor-Kun! That was splendid!" By the mere mention of it alone, he then just looks away with a large blush on his face. And this only made her laughter worsen as she then began to walk through the door he went through to approach him. "I'm only teasing. Good afternoon, Connor-Kun. What brings you here?"

The Red hue on his face slowly disappeared, with him now looking at the baseball bat on the ground before picking it back up. "W-Well...I was walking around just to get some fresh air...Then I saw the door over there was unlocked, and...Well...You saw everything..." The pair stared at the thing in his hand for a bit, with him now rubbing the back of his head. "I-I, um...I haven't played baseball in such a long time...Or at least, not as much since my family...Well, you know..." Unfortunately for him, that memory regarding baseball was false. But it's not like he knew that. But then, he looks over at her. "U-Um...So, what brings you here? I thought you went on vacation with your friends...?"

"Well, I was. I just returned today, and I suppose I wanted to walk as well before I returned home. But then I saw you!" Slowly, she looked over to where one of the nearby playgrounds was, with him looking over. "Inokashira is such a pretty place, isn't Connor-Kun...?"

"...Y-Yeah, yeah it is...My...My parents used to take me here when I was little..." He spoke out, making her look over. A part of that was somewhat true. "I remember...The first time I came here, they took me here because the parks were always full of other kids to try and make friends. But...That didn't work out." A part of that was true. Another instance of his real memories surfacing. "...A-Actually, not completely true...I remember...There was someone I met a long time ago. And since then, I wanted to see them again...So I...Begged my Mom to take me here every Sunday so I could see them again." But, a little chuckle left him. "...Never did ever again. But...We had good memories here..."

"...I'm so glad that you have something to remember them by. It's such a beautiful place." She spoke softly, having him look over. Her smile was still on her face the whole time. To see him slowly starting to become more confident when it comes to talking...It brought a certain kind of happiness to her.

From what he said, his eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't be talking about my family...Y-You didn't come here and talk to me for that..."

In response, she shakes her head. "Not at all! I don't mind! I think...It's important to remember the ones that were once close to you. To remember how important they were and are to you...And to remember them in the best way possible." Her soft yet warm smile only grew on her face. "Actually, it helps to hear you talking about yourself. To let you talk...Because I want to know you better. Besides, you're helping me with ideas for the cafe. It's only right to know more about you!"

His eyes were fully on her. But most importantly, her eyes. And her smile. "Haru..." With that, a nod is made. "...You're right. And...I want to know about you more too. The real you..." He spoke with confidence, seeing that smile of hers still on her face. But seeing her leer in the way she did just made his heart explode. To be near her again...It brought him such happiness. His eyes were glued onto her as a thought came to mind. "D-Did...Did she always look this pretty...? Or...W-Wait...No. N-No...I don't see her like that. I can't...She's out of my league, but...I want..." However, he had to stop staring and looked away, a light Pink coloration on his face. "U-Um...A-Anyway...Do you need anyone to help escort you back to your dorm room, or...?" She was left in wonder, making him freak out. "I-I only ask since you just got back, and you must be exhausted after the trip..."

"Well...I don't need it, but I'd appreciate your company, Connor-Kun. I'd love to tell you about the road trip and all the places we've been to!" Then she starts turning toward where she entered from before looking back. "Well? Shall we?"

With that, he smiled and tossed the bat away before the two of them began to walk together side by side. "O-Oh, yeah! While you were gone, I got better at making food...Especially with the fruits!" He started as they continued to walk and talk. Talking about his progress with the food on his end while she talked about the whole trip and all that she went to. He wasn't able to see everything she said for himself, but...Just talking with her made him happy. Happy to be beside her.

However, what he didn't know was that, once more, Alena was staring and watching him from a distance. Watching as they both walked through the gate while within the parking lot close by. While it was filled with cars, there weren't enough to fill it completely. However, she stood there...Observing him like she always did whenever he went out. She was deep in thought. "...It seems he's adopting the traits I gave him to represent him even more. Good. Then that means I'm getting closer and closer..." But, her eyes then moved over to the sight of the woman by his side. "Though...It seems he's always around her. Happier around her. Well...I doubt she would be an issue. As long as he's happy..." A smile then formed on her face. "I'm getting closer now..."

As they were being watched, Connor had that feeling again. That feeling of being watched. And so, he looked behind himself to see the nurse, who had just now turned around to start looking away. And that was enough to catch Okumura's attention. "...Is there something wrong?"

He then shook his head. "N-No...I just...Thought someone was watching me, is all..." Little would the male college student know who it was, or how frequent this was as of late. But he didn't think much of it, like all the other times. Then, his Ice Blue orbs then glance over to her Brown ones once again, with his leer still on his face. "A-Anyway...T-Tell me more about what Okinawa was like! I've never been there before!" And with that, they continued to walk while they talked.

And he was happy to listen to every single detail.

Present Day

Slowly, Knight's Blue eyes slowly opened upon finishing reliving the memory, eyeing the field once again. "...Ever since then, my feelings never really faded away once they developed...Never changed. At the time, I...Wanted to be close to her. To be...Someone to depend on. And...I still do..." He talked on, with Iris listening in. Her hair and eyes were still Green. He continued to stare at the field before his smile grew. "Don't worry...When I come back and when we return home, there won't be anything to stand in our way...As long as I get to be by your side again..."

"...You really like that girl a lot, huh?" She then spoke, making him look over to give her a slight nod. "I saw little tidbits of her from your memory...She definitely looks like a sweet girl. Someone...To depend on. I can kinda see how you would like her...I guess." Just then, she immediately jumped off the swing, leading for him to do the same as her hair turned Blue. The short female then looked around with a smirk. "Alright...Enough of that. I think I've calmed down a bit from this stupid mist. Let's go take care of that Shadow, huh?"

With that, Connor nodded. But then, a gust of wind flew past them, leaving them confused as he began to hear the sounds of groaning around them. And that only drove the confusion further. As well as making the girl's hair turn Red from being alarmed. "W-What's...Going on...?" He softly asked himself. Slowly, the lifeless gasps and groans grew in volume. Just like how the fog was growing in thickness, as if it were surrounding them. No...It wasn't surrounding them. They were consumed by it.

The increase in volume only began to make Iris start freaking out...Her hair and eyes were now turning Black. "H-Haha...Ooookay, this isn't funny or fun anymore. Whatever this is, you can stop now!"

And just then, from within the fog, they noticed something forming within and walking toward them, revealing itself to be the Shadow they were looking for. It looked to be a humanoid like before, but now wore a plaid shirt with overalls, boots, and had clawed hands. One, in particular, looked much more abnormally larger and more muscular than the other. And in its bigger arm was what appeared to be an axe. And for a mask, it only had Black circles for eyes with an expression of anger. And behind that guise was its long, Black hair. Its clothes were pure White as well. From the face and the clothes alone, it almost looked like it was a ghost.

THE GHOST

Seeing this thing, which looks very similar to a lumberjack, it makes the newly made Phantom Thief jump in front of her to protect her. But it didn't take long for her to reassume her bird form and stick to his shoulder. "...I-It looks like we didn't need to wait for long..." And he spoke this with a serious tone, even if he did stutter a bit.

"So...You're the one, huh? Yeesh, for someone so dangerous, you lack a ton of muscle." He said with a gruff voice, with it twirling the weapon in its hand. "You know...I've been seeing and hearing a lot of things about you in this noggin of yours. Number one thing? That you're the one that killed your dear old mom."

Even though he heard this time and time again, what was said only continued to hurt him emotionally. And continued to shake him to his core. He didn't want to believe it whatsoever. He couldn't have been the one to kill his mother. But he had to keep his emotions in check for the sake of his goal. But he does react to it by pulling out his magnum. "...A-Are you going to say that I'm responsible too? B-Because I didn't kill her! I-I couldn't have-"

"...Look, I'll be honest with you, kid...I REALLY don't care if you did or not. That's NONE of my business." This takes the young man by surprise. It was something he was somehow not used to. "It really doesn't matter to me...But what DOES matter to me is that because you did that crazy stuff in the real world just now, you just made your entire mind just go haywire. And now we're all in this crazy mess." It then planted part of its axe on its shoulder to let it rest, now pacing. "...Seems like EVERYONE in here is scrambling to keep a foothold here. And honestly? I'm glad I was able to hang on. Because I'm REALLY having a good time like this."

"You...Like being in my mind...?" He asked back in confusion. To hear that one of the twelve Shadows in his mind enjoyed being in his mind threw him off.

"Hell yeah, I do. Think about it...Being able to live rent-free in someone's mind? Getting to be alone all of the time? Being able...To get away with what you did, and nobody can do anything about it...Something like hustling the elderly? Doing stuff...With kids younger than me?" The mere mention of this made his Ice Blue eyes widen, with it slowly growing serious. Something about the younger kids...Only made anger grow within him. "If anything, I ought to thank that lady for shoving me into your brain. She gave me the best gift anyone can give!"

Hearing those words only made his hands slowly grip tightly. The mere explanation of how he viewed his mind at this very moment...As a place to escape his crimes of hurting people...It only made his anger truly surface and be seen. It was difficult to make him mad. But this...This was one of those times. And it was enough to catch the bird's attention. "H-Hey, Glasses...Chill..."

From hearing her, it did calm him a bit...But it wasn't enough. It was far from enough. And so, he prepared to fight by aiming his gun at their enemy. "...I think it's time I get you out of my mind then...I don't have any room for you..." And he spoke of this with venom in his voice. Out of all of them he's had to eliminate so far, this was going to be one he wouldn't have any issue defeating.

Seeing the gun aimed quickly caught its attention. "...What? You're ACTUALLY gonna kill me off? Just like that? Even though I'm part of an actual person?" There was nothing but silence, making it scoff. "Damn...Maybe they were right about you being a cold-blooded murderer after all! Well then, since you're booting me out of here...Let me show you just how many other people's lives you ruined because of what YOU did if you're gonna keep killing people! People like your dear old mom! All those families you brought suffering to because of what YOU did! The people who DIED because of you!"

From that, it made Knight's eyebrow rise...And his eyes widen. He's continued to hear that, time and time again...And it was becoming harder to keep his composure. "W-What are you talking about...? I-I didn't kill her! I couldn't have! A-And I didn't kill anyone else! Not when people like you exist!"

"...Oh no? You think I've hurt more people than you did?" Just then, it snaps its fingers to suddenly have the mist disappear before them. And just then, cracks then began to form all around the area, having even more of the fog then shooting out...And the screams only increasing in volume from just the quantity of those yelling, with bits of the mist forming into what appeared to be...Ghosts of some kind. Spirits. And hundreds of them. But the cracks didn't stop at just the playground. It began to expand throughout the entire area, causing more and more of the smog to erupt. And any that resurfaced began to swirl around the Shadow. "These...These are all of the ruined lives you made! All of the suffering you caused because of your actions! Your existence! The ghosts of the past!"

As more of the mist began to surround it, the sheer power of the wind formed from the swirling and eruptions began to lift parts of the ground that were cracked and anything else small enough...As if gravity was slowly going away. And that included Knight and Iris on his shoulder, making her squawk. "H-Hey, Glasses! We're going up! Glasses!" And just then, they were quickly shot up into the air alongside much of the debris ripped from the ground. And that left her screaming. "GLASSES?! GLASSES, DO SOMETHING!" As they continued to rise, the mist that was swirling around the lumberjack began to lift it off the ground and surround it, creating what looks to be a giant titan that greatly resembles the Shadow.

Don't look down!
Don't look down!

With it now in its mist-made form, it lets out a large growl, creating even more of the smog that surrounds the whole park. All they could do was stare at what was in front of them until Connor looked up to the sky to see the parts of the ground that were raised and moving due to the wind. Eventually, he then lands on a large set of solid ground, finally having something to stand on despite being upside down and being hit by the heavy wind at this moment. That alone caused uneasiness in his bird companion, who was trying to hang on. "This...You caused ALL of this! All this mist...Resembles how many spirits are here! How much suffering you caused everyone!" It spoke with a deep voice followed by an echo. Hearing this caused the young man's eyes to widen, only able to stand there as the giant snapped its fingers once more. "Show him what I mean!"

And just close to them, the light mist that surrounded them then began to form a few shadows within. Shadows with the same mask as the bigger one, but now wore White suits and Red ties. And in their hands were axes of their own, ready to fight. All he could do was stare, stepping back. "B-But...I didn't hurt anyone else except the other Shadows! I-I didn't-" But they didn't want to listen, and instead swung their weapons right at him, making him jump back. Right now, he was shaken. But, he had to fight. And so he takes out his sword and readies his shield.

I've been here waiting for the longest time. I can't believe it's real!
You lose the battles that you never fight. Can't hide from what you feel.
Come on!

It didn't take long for them to charge at him, with him jumping away once more and quickly slashing at one of them to counter. And did so at a quick enough speed to immediately make them fade away into the mist. Another swung their weapon immediately after. And that alone made Knight block it with his shield. He was tempted to summon Lancelot, but with the situation he was in, it seemed risky. While he was occupied with blocking one, the other prepared to swing. Seeing this, he quickly puts up his blade and raises his arm to form the barrier. "Tetrakarn!" And just in time, it stopped the axe from hitting him. But with that hit, he swings his arm to cause a blast, destroying the Shadows and the ground they were on. Both their weapons they had and the thief were sent flying and began going with the wind alongside all of the debris.

No more compromise, this is do or die! And now you've crossed the line!
You'll wake the beast inside!
No more compromise, this is do or die! I'll warn you one last time!
You'll wake the beast inside!

All he could do was fly helplessly, with Iris screaming and her feathers still Black. "GLASSES! GRAB SOMETHING FOR GOD'S SAKE!" She then, for a split second, fell off his shoulder. But it didn't take long for him to quickly grab her and hold her close to his chest so that could be prevented again.

"I-I'm trying! I'm-" He yelled out, looking around for a piece of ground to try and grab onto. Just when he saw another, he tried to reach for it, but passed by it. "No! No, no, no-" He still reached in fear, but then suddenly something shot the grappling hook from under his wrist and gauntlet to quickly latch onto what he was aiming to grab. Thanks to this, Connor knew he had to take this blessing, and he quickly zipped over to land on the flying piece of ground, a sigh of relief escaping him. "Okay...Okay..." Then, he looked over to the giant made of mist, keeping his stare on it, trying to figure out how to confront it.

With things now somewhat better, Iris flew out of his hand and right back onto his shoulder. "Okay...He's giant. He's bigger than us. And he can crush us. So...What are we going to do, Glasses?"

"I-I'm...Not sure..." He continued to observe, with the giant slowly moving to face them and readying its large, mist-made axe to swing. Whatever he had to do, he had to decide now. He recalled that the mist was covering the Shadow at this very moment. To take care of the titan, they had to take care of it from the source somehow. So that was their start. "...We hit it hard...You're going to hate me for this, but...Hold on..."

"Yeah, let's...W-Wait, what?" She was left confused...Until he did something she didn't expect. He quickly jumps right off, diving right in and quickly taken by the wind and leaving her screaming and hanging on. And jumped just in time for the weapon to immediately be swung and crash into the platform there was prior. "YOU'RE RIGHT! I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!" With them off, he uses his grappling hook to then grab onto one of the pieces of debris and let it take him away.

Don't look down!
Don't look down!

Knight continued to hold on and let the wind from the erupting and swirling mist take him away. All while he was looking around to find somewhere to land. It didn't take long for him to see a platform made of concrete just below him, and just close enough to be close to the Shadow as well. Just then, he lets go to quickly dive right down to land right on there. Something that it took notice of soon enough.

But he didn't use the time to rest and to recover from being taken away by the wind. Instead, he rips his mask off to summon his Persona behind him. "...Let's go...Lancelot!" Putting a ton of power and energy into his legs, he makes a quick yet strong jump toward the giant, with both the Persona-User and the Black Knight readying their left arm in sync. And quickly, they threw their punch at its chest, which left a giant hole within the misty body from the force and impact of the strike alone, revealing the Shadow they needed to take care of. "...That's where you are...Good!" And with that, the Persona then readies to swing its large blade to get an attack in.

Despite the large hole left, the Lumberjacked Shadow then moved its arm to have the Titan move in sync. Just like with him and his Persona. The large hand quickly grabbed Connor, putting him into a firm hold and canceling out the summon to return Lancelot back to his mask. "You don't get it, do you...? You. Can't. Beat me! You CAN'T stop or look away from all the suffering you caused!" And without warning, it throws him away, leaving him spinning and caught in the wind again. But it didn't take long for him to recover and use the grapple he has now to hold onto another flying platform just close by and zip right up, back on his feet once again.

So break through it all, and don't look down!
You won't fade out, cause the fire in you never dies!
It comes around to light the flame! They'll know your name.
Burned into their memory! So break through it all!

With him now on the large piece of ground in the air, he looked up...His eyes were full of anger, despite his body shaking from those words. "Y-You...You made people suffer too! You have no right to tell me I did something wrong! I-I'm going...To stop you! Here...And now!" He was ready to make a step, but his eyes caught onto the sight of one of the axes that the Shadows once had flying around, then one of the platforms that were close by and a bit higher than most. And that gave him an idea. The perfect way to take care of it, if his timing is perfect enough. "...Iris...Keep an eye on me!" He puts up his sword and raises his hand into the air. And just in time, as the weapon once got close enough to him, he grabbed a hold of it by the handle to claim the axe as his.

Don't stop, we're on a mission!
Overdriving over all the competition!
Counting up the damage when it's done! So break through it all!

Seeing him claim the weapon, the Mist Titan roared once again. "Get him! Whatever he's planning, stop him!" And just nearby, the mist then reformed around the Phantom Thief and created more of the axe-wielding Shadows. It didn't take long for some of them to rush in to attack, but Connor was able to counter their dash by suddenly swinging his large weapon with maximum force and speed to immediately cut through them without much effort. The slash itself immediately makes them and their halves now fall on the floor.

However, in no time at all, more of them began to form from behind them. Something Iris took notice of almost immediately, and so she started squawking loudly. "Glasses! Behind you!"

We can't pretend to listen!
Sorry if it puts you in an imposition!
We won't stop until the battle's won!

Despite the warning, he doesn't move to turn around. Instead, he holds the weapon in his one hand and readies to swing it. And the moment he closes and reopens his eyes, they turn Gold once more, and he swings the weapon away. But in doing so, it starts to spin at a fast speed and whirls around him before reclaiming it in his hand once it made its roundabout. And due to it spinning around him, it hit and slashed through the summoned enemies right behind him. That alone took the bird girl by surprise. "...Thank you, Iris...Now, hang on again." With that, she grips onto his coat with her talons and beak. "...You'll hate me for this one even more."

What goes around, comes back around again!
And if we don't come down, we'll be lost in the wind!

With him now alone, he quickly jumps right off and shoots off his grappling hook to latch onto the platform he had his eye on once it was close, and quickly zips his way toward it. And did so at a quick speed. A reward for his perfect timing. All the large Shadow could do was just stare and be ready to destroy what he was latched onto the moment he would get onto it. The moment he would hop on it, it would destroy it immediately. "What are you trying to do, kid?! You really think I'm gonna let you go!? I'm gonna-"

However, landing and getting on it were far from Knight's objective. And instead, he overshoots and launches himself straight into the air thanks to the momentum. What's more, he was now above the giant titan as well, taking it by surprise. Once above and in the air, he rips his mask off to summon his Persona once more. "...Let's go, Lancelot!" And just then, he quickly swings and starts spinning downward, with Lancelot lagging behind with its sword out and above its head before joining in the spinning attack. The two became a spinning buzzsaw of power.

I know that we will find our way!
We'll do whatever it will take!
And if we never reach the crown, we'll take the whole thing down!

The giant Shadow then had to react by holding its large axe to try and block it. However, the effort was for naught, as Knight and his Persona slashed and cut through it with ease. But it didn't stop there. The two then slashed into its head and began to shred downward, the sounds of slinging metal and cutting filling the air. Eventually, they finally got to the middle to get to the one controlling the Titan. And the very first thing the male does is have the axe impale its chest mid-spin, taking it in complete shock. He got them. With the weapon stabbed into it and now attached to the blade portion, Connor does one final midair spin to then throw them to send them to the ground. All while letting go of the axe, which left it and the Shadow attached now spinning downward.

With the Main Shadow gone and away, the mist made by the "spirits" then began to scream as if their lives depended on it and began to spin and surround both him and Iris to create a spiritual tornado. Just from the spinning a bit ago alone, the bird was dizzy...And her feathers were still as dark as before. The screams and the mist began to grow louder and grasp onto the college student's limbs. As if trying to hold him still. With them gripping him tightly, he struggled to escape their grasp for just a tiny bit. But he was ready to command his Persona to finish the job.

Just as he was going to give out a command, he stopped due to his head now feeling a strong, pounding sensation. And that alone made him scream loudly. The sounds of the screaming and feeling their grip on him, as if they wished to never let him go...He could no longer take it. "Lance...LOOOOOT!" From that alone, it then lets out a loud warcry while having an Ice Blue aura surround them, suddenly having the ghosts literally start becoming frozen, as well as the tornado...Until they became engulfed, covered, and became pure ice. And just then, the frozen "spirits" then suddenly cracked and broke apart, leaving them as falling crystals of ice.

Don't look down!
Don't look down!

As this went on, the lumberjack then landed on the ground back first, its eyes staring at what it was seeing at this very moment. But then, it saw Connor falling toward them foot first. His mask was also now reformed. And without warning, he quickly lands on the axe with a ton of force behind it, stabbing the bladed weapon further and earning a painful yell from the Shadow. And with that, he jumps right on and lands on his side, taking the bird with him as she returns to her human form, landing next to him.

Slowly, she starts getting up, groaning and holding her head as the nineteen-year-old starts rising from the ground. With her up, her hair and eyes flare up in a Red color instead of its Black color. "...Damn it, Glasses! You could have warned me we were going to go down like that! You're right! Now I DOUBLY hate you!" However, he says nothing, with his eyes now the normal Blue color once more. Slowly, yet tiredly, he starts moving toward the defeated Shadow. "Hey, Glasses!" However, he still says nothing...Leaving her concerned and having her hair turn Orange. "...Glasses...?"

When he finally gets close to it, he slowly grabs the handle of the axe and pulls it out. Now, reclaiming the weapon, he aims it toward the Ghost. "...I told you...It's time for you...To get out..."

"...So, that's it then, huh...? You're really gonna off me...?" It looked up at him, seeing the serious yet tired look on his face. "You're really...Gonna kill someone's Shadow just so you can "reclaim your memories" or whatever it is...?" All Connor did was stay silent. "Damn, kid...You really are cold...They were right after all...Guess you really do have what it takes to kill your Mom like you did..."

That very line sparked something in him, with his grip on the weapon loosening, and yet...Shaking. "S-Stop it..." He spoke softly and with a shakey voice.

"...Kill people like her...Kill people like me...And those spirits...Killed them without hesitation..." It let out a small but weak laugh. "They resembled people you made suffer because...You ran away...You really are cold...You Mom Killer-"

And just then, he snapped. His Gold eyes returned. "...STOP IT! STOP IT!" Then, he hits its head with the axe in a quick but powerful manner, silencing it for good. But, he didn't plan on stopping. He continued to swing and hit its head and body quickly yet powerfully, with both of those slowly increasing as time went on. His screams and his relentless attacks on their body...Scared Iris and forced her colors to slowly return to Red. "STAY! OUT! OF! MY GODDAMN MEMORIES!" He swore with a loud yell and a cracked voice, tears filling his eyes. "NONE OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING! NOTHING ABOUT ME! NOTHING ABOUT MY LIFE! NOTHING ABOUT MY MOTHER! NOTHING! NONE OF YOU DO!" Each hit he delivered only made the concrete they were on slowly become covered with the Black fluids that made it. Acting as blood for them. "GET! OUT! OF! MY! HEAD!"

He continued to deliver blow after blow on its dead body, with the woman only staring with wide eyes as both those and her hair turned from Red to Black. Eyes full of concern. Eyes full of worry. With each strike, he only began to cry harder and harder...To the point that he was now bawling. "Glasses..."

Eventually, he would deliver the final blow onto its chest, finally letting it fade away and leaving something behind once its body was finally gone. A sunflower. One that reminded him of his mother. He continued to cry and breathe heavily until he finally gets on his hands and knees to hold it close, now starting to cry his eyes out. She wanted to confront and comfort him, but...After what he did and how he brutalized it, she felt...Terrified. She WAS terrified. But slowly, she noticed the area now being consumed with light despite his crying. And just then, he regained a memory of his past life.

A memory of his mother.

Thirteen Years Ago

"...I absolutely love the Sunflowers I found." His mother had said as she held a bouquet of sunflowers in one hand while holding the small Connor's hand as the two of them walked in the park together just near the playground. Unlike how she would be in the future when she would be extremely tired, she still looked filled with life. Slowly, she looked over to her loving six-year-old son. "What do you think of them, Connor...?"

He only smiled up at her, his eyes full of excitement and love. "I think they look nice, Mom! I love the flowers you pick out!"

Hearing this only makes her smile, with her slowly stopping to kneel down to him, making him curious. "I'm glad you love them, Connor...Do you know why I love sunflowers?" He shakes his head, his eyes now full of curiosity and wonder. "Sunflowers do look pretty...But, each flower has a certain meaning behind them...Like roses. They mean love and romance..."

"You mean...With a girl...?" He then tilts his head while adjusting his tiny glasses.

She lets out a small laugh. "Not just a girl...Love has a lot of meanings...Like loving a friend...A family member...And so on...But, I'm sure you'll learn a lot about that when you get older." Then, she looks at the flowers in her possession. "A sunflower...Stands for loyalty. Happiness. And adoring someone...Forever. Do you know what I see in you...?" He shakes his head, with him suddenly receiving a flower from her. "A sunflower...You bring so much happiness into my life...And I know you'll make someone in your life happy...To be their source of happiness." She then scruffles his head while he starts to laugh.

But soon, the laughter stops as something crosses his mind. "Mom...? Do you think Dad will ever be happy with me...?"

The sound of the question did make her heart sink. Knowing that the thought of him thinking that absolutely hurt her. But she shakes her head. "I...I wish I knew the answer, Connor...Your father has been in such pain...It's difficult to answer...But no matter what, even if he does or not...I'll always love you, Connor." Although it wasn't the answer he wanted, he still nods to her. And that makes her smirk. "Now...You go play. Try to make friends. I'll be right near you."

And that alone made the small child look over to the playground, looking at all the children playing. But then he looked back to nod at her once again before slowly walking to the playground. Even if he did meet someone or not, he would do so with his mom in mind.

Knowing that he was loved.

Songs and Lyrics Used; All owned by their respective artists:
Break Through It All - Tomoya Ohtani/Sonic Frontiers