Chapter 17: The High Priestess

Goro knew from Ren that Hifumi Togo practiced by herself at a church in Kanda. He spent the train ride studying a shogi basics book he'd taken out of the school library; he might be new to the game, but he wasn't about to show up knowing nothing. He wondered if Ren had just stumbled in off the street and struck up a conversation. That would be just like him, the stupid sexy doofus.

The church was smaller than he expected, just one long room with an altar and confessional at one end and pews lining the walls. A bouquet of lilies stood near the front entrance. He passed by several worshippers before finding Togo sitting by herself, a shogi board on the pew next to her.

Goro took out Jose's View-Master and peered through it. A card showing the High Priestess appeared above Togo's head. Keeper of hidden knowledge, according to his Featherman Arcana guidebook. That sounded very useful indeed.

"Togo-san?" he said, keeping his voice low. There was an atmosphere of quiet reverence here that he itched to break like a vase of carefully arranged flowers. Instead, he bowed.

"Akechi-san. Amamiya-kun told me you'd be in touch. Please sit," she said, dipping her head in acknowledgment.

"Thank you. Are you just finishing a game?"

"Only practicing. Do you play?"

"I do enjoy chess, but when it comes to shogi I'm only a novice. Nothing like you," he said pleasantly.

"Amamiya-kun said you were interested in learning. Is that right?"

"I'm interested in tactics and strategy, yes."

"Just like him…how is our friend doing, back in his hometown?"

"He said to pass along his greetings, but I think he'd rather give them in person. It seems like he misses Tokyo."

She smiled wistfully. "Tokyo misses him, too. Well then, shall we play a match? That will help me gauge your skill level."

Goro nodded, briefly distracted by her comment. He knew from spying on them that Ren had dated Ann, but he didn't know if Ren had dated this girl, too. He pushed the thought aside and turned his mind back to the game, steeling himself. If Togo was any good at shogi, she would undoubtedly beat him. It was perfectly logical, but he wasn't looking forward to it.

She collected the pieces and laid out the board for a new match. "Shall we start with twenty seconds per move?"

"Fine." He made his first move, simply bringing out a pawn to start.

Togo said, "I was surprised when Amamiya-kun texted me about you. When we met before, I'm afraid I thought you were a bit…shallow." She took her finger off her pawn as she said the last word, looking up to see his reaction.

He lifted his eyebrows a bit and made another move. "Then you won't mind if I confess the very same," he said evenly.

"You probably saw those dreadful magazine spreads," she said with distaste.

"Right, 'The Venus of Shogi'. I was wondering about that moniker."

"My mother's idea. I had nothing to do with it, believe me."

"Then it's just a beauty thing, eh?" he said, and brought out a silver to challenge hers.

"So she said." Togo squinted critically at the board. "Dare threaten my troops, will you? Queen Togo will show you no mercy!" She slapped down a piece with more force than was strictly necessary.

Amamiya, you bastard. She's a kook! thought Goro, his impression of her turning on a dime.

But theatrics or no, she took the lead early and never relinquished it. He ended up barely holding off her offensive, each move of which she narrated as though she were a ruler sending out troops on a real battlefield.

"There is no path to victory for you," she said at last. "Would you like to concede?"

Goro looked at the board, but he didn't see an inevitable loss. His pride warred with his pragmatism. Pride won. "No…I'll decide when I'm beaten."

"Very well, but I'll tell you the same thing I told Amamiya-kun when we met: a worthy ruler must learn to lose gracefully."

Forgetting that he was supposed to be buttering her up, Goro snapped, "I wouldn't be here if I was interested in losing."

With relish, Togo dropped a piece she'd captured earlier. "Checkmate. If you'd conceded, you wouldn't have been betrayed by your own bishop! Tsk, tsk."

Goro ground his teeth. He hadn't worked drops into his strategy, still used to the rules of chess.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," she said.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, more stiffly than he intended. Privately, he was still bristling from the loss. "You too," he added. "That was very…unusual."

"Oh, I know. You should hear what people call me online."

He blinked. "Then…then why do it? Why not just act…well…."

She tilted her head. "Normal? Imagining my board as my kingdom is an exercise my father taught me when I was still learning. I used to be embarrassed by it, but after spending time with Amamiya-kun, I realized that it's important to me. It makes me feel closer to my father."

That made Goro wonder momentarily if he really was shallow. He almost never talked about his mother, not because he didn't care about her, but because he dreaded the questions that might come up. Then again, Togo had probably never been sent to the principal's office for telling her classmates what her father did for a living. It wasn't his fault his background made people uncomfortable.

She shrugged, misinterpreting his silence. "If you'd rather not deal with it, then…."

Then there are other teachers, he mentally completed her sentence. She was offering him another concession: if he didn't want to continue, things didn't need to be awkward. An easy out.

He shook his head. "Another game?"

She laid out the pieces again. "What drew you to chess? It's quite unusual in Japan. It must be difficult to find partners."

He didn't answer for a few moments, concentrating on his next moves. "Oh, but that's part of the pleasure of it. If you find a fellow chess player, you really have something in common."

"I see. It's true, I've met a lot of shogi players, but only one I really clicked with."

Three guesses who that was, thought Goro. What would Amamiya say in this situation?

Then he thought better of it. He could copy Amamiya's style, but he was supposed to be forging real connections. Chasing trends and popular styles had made him exactly zero real friends. Besides which, he happened to have something in common with Hifumi Togo that Amamiya didn't.

"When you're on TV, people think they know you," he said. "You meet people and it's like they have a whole other person in their head that only looks like you. A shadow."

Togo took her eyes off the board and looked up at him, seeming to see him for the first time. "Exactly! The 'Venus of Shogi', the 'Phony Princess'…" she scoffed and waved her hand as if to sweep the names away. "Those aren't people, they're hashtags."

"You don't like being in the spotlight. I didn't either. It was fun at first, but I ended up hating it. All my popularity depended on saying what people wanted to hear. Acting how they expected me to act. It was too much to keep up." He shook his head ruefully.

"Amamiya-kun has a way of cutting straight through all that," she said, sounding wistful again. Then a mischievous sparkle lit her eyes. "So tell me…what does Goro Akechi like that the Detective Prince would never admit to?"

Boys, popped instantly into Goro's mind, but that was perhaps a little too personal for the moment. He thought about all his carefully curated hobbies. The Detective Prince loved sweets, a trait he'd chosen because it endeared him to girls, a.k.a. his fanbase. And he honestly did enjoy coffee, jazz and philosophy, not only because those interests made him feel sophisticated. But none of that was what Togo wanted to know.

He stuck a hand in his messenger bag and closed his hand around his tarot deck. "I love Featherman," he admitted, showing her the deck. "Always have. Ever since I was a kid."

Togo took the deck and looked it over. "This is delightfully ridiculous. I think you're right, the Detective Prince wouldn't be caught dead carrying these around. He takes himself too seriously."

She handed the deck back with a genuine smile. "Pleased to meet you, Goro Akechi."

He inclined his head. "The pleasure is mine, Queen Togo."

They continued their game. Togo pressed her advantage, taking three of his pieces before he could take one of hers. Backed into a corner again, Goro wiped his brow. With only twenty seconds to move, he didn't have time to think it through. He moved on instinct.

Togo slammed down a piece. "I knew it! I recognized that play — Amamiya-kun used it on me!"

"You really have me at a disadvantage, if Amamiya already showed you all my best moves," Goro observed, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"Blame Amamiya all you want. It won't save you from my Blue Dragon Hellfire Attack!"

Queen Togo stomped the battlefield with her dragon, obliterating his defense. He conceded with a groan.

"Your second game was better. You learn quickly," said Togo.

"Thanks, but you don't need to flatter me," said Goro irritably.

She sat back and looked at him appraisingly. Suddenly he seemed to feel every drop of sweat beading up on his forehead.

"You take losing hard," she said. "I can understand that. I went from being undefeated to losing about half the time."

"That can't have been fun," he said, trying to salvage the moment.

"It wasn't. But I think I've learned more in the last six months than I did the entire time my mother was fixing my matches. Every loss has a lesson to teach. Wins don't. If you want to learn quickly, there's no better way than losing."

Goro hesitated, even though this was exactly what he'd come here for. He had no desire to subject himself to more humiliating losses, but he also knew Amamiya had been through this and come out stronger for it. I'm not losing to him, he thought. He'd just have to find a way to fit in shogi among his other studies.

Before he could hold out his hand and complete the pact, the heavy front doors of the church slammed and startled him. He and Togo turned to see what was going on. A woman was standing with her back to the door, holding it shut with her body.

"Father!" the woman gasped. "Outside, it's — it's —"

The priest hurried from where he'd been standing behind the altar and opened the doors slightly to see out. There was a heavy thud; someone had thrown something against the doors. The priest quickly closed and bolted them.

"Everyone, it is not safe outside. I ask that you bear with me and please stay inside for the moment. I'll call the police," said the priest. He took a phone out of his pocket and dialed it, heading back toward the altar as he waited for it to connect.

"What's going on?" demanded one of the worshipers.

"There's a — a mob," said the woman who'd been outside, sounding like she still couldn't believe it herself.

There were gasps. Goro and Togo looked at each other. Then a flaming bottle came flying through the stained-glass window nearest to them and broke on the stone floor, scattering flames, glass shards, and some kind of liquid all over.

Immediately, Goro ran over and started stamping at the flames. He was quickly joined by a woman who tossed her jacket on the floor, trying to douse the fire that way.

Togo stood up and pointed at two men. "You and you, get ahold of this pew. Now!"

The two men, looking shocked, got up and picked up the end of the bench.

"Push it up against the window," Togo ordered. "Then block the other windows as well."

They did as she instructed, then hurriedly moved on to the next pew.

That's smart, thought Goro, grinding his shoe against the last of the flames. There was one more window, a huge, multi-panel affair in the back near the altar, but he thought it was too high off the ground to cover up.

The priest hurried back into their midst. "The police are on their way — we just need to wait." He looked around at the barricaded windows, a mixture of anxiety and sadness playing over his face.

"The doors too," said Togo. Her hastily-recruited troops snapped to attention and carried another pew over to bar the door.

Goro slipped over to the broken window and knocked out a little more of the glass. He peered outside. He could see a crowd gathered, some brightly lit by a streetlight, others with faces hidden in the shadows. Many were holding candles, like a perverse version of an Easter Vigil mass.

Even as he watched, the scene started to sharpen, the colors intensified. The sounds seemed louder, the streetlight brighter. He could make out some of the crowd's yelling. They were shouting about missing children again, just like at Dome Town.

On a hunch, Goro tried the View-Master. The crowd looked different through Jose's magical toy. Not quite like the semi-transparent ghosts he'd seen at Dome Town, but through the View-Master he could see their Shadow selves: all identically dressed in fantasy-knight armor. Like a role-playing game, thought Goro, fitting this into place with everything he already knew about Myojo. Whereas Shido's followers were dressed as soldiers, these people fancied themselves knights.

"Jose?" Goro called, but he wasn't around. That wasn't good. At Dome Town, it was Jose who had brought them into the Metaverse. Here, either someone else had done it…or worse, the will of the crowd had done it. The boundary between real and imaginary was getting thinner. Could it dissolve entirely, putting reality at the mercy of the mob? The thought made him shudder.

"Is there another way out of here?" Goro asked Togo.

"No, just the front doors. What do they want?" she asked desperately.

"Kidnapped kids," said Goro, rolling his eyes. "You couldn't hide a good-size dog in here, much less a bunch of kids."

"Why would anyone think there were kidnapped children here, of all places?" said Togo.

Goro had given that some thought, so he offered her his theory. "It doesn't matter if it's plausible. It's an easy emotional button to push. Nobody's going to argue with rescuing kids."

"But it's ridiculous!" she protested. "Anyone can see there's nothing to find here…what if we let them look and see for themselves?"

"Honestly? I think they'd tear this place apart and still not believe their own eyes."

Her fair complexion turned even paler. "Then what do we do?"

There was a creak and then a tremendous crash as the pew that was barricading the broken window tipped over into the aisle. An armored forearm, then another, burst in through the broken pane.

One of Myojo's knights climbed in through the open window, immediately followed by the arms of another.

"Wh-what the…?" said Togo, holding a hand over her mouth. Then she looked over at Goro and shrieked. "Your clothes!"

Growling, Crow sliced through the knight and it dissolved into Shadow goo. "Relax," he said tersely. "This is just how I look here."

"Are you really…?" Togo asked doubtfully, trying to peek under his mask.

"I really am," said Crow with a wicked grin.

Their exchange took only seconds, but two more Shadow knights were already through the window, and the pounding at the doors was getting more insistent. The space was already cramped enough, especially with all these civilian meatbags around….

Togo assessed the situation and let loose a taxicab whistle that echoed through the small building. "Everyone, this way! Retreat!" she said commandingly, and led the priest's lambs away from the windows.

Goro took out the two new Shadows. Three more were already waiting, with more coming through the window. He dove for his bag and hastily tossed the strap over his shoulder, dodging the knights as he dug his phone out to call Joker.

But it was too late – they had fully entered the Metaverse and the phone wouldn't work. Goro said a word that did not belong in church.

He tensed to dodge again as a knight raised its sword above its head, but suddenly the pointy end of a long candelabra jammed into the knight's armored stomach. It wasn't enough to break through the armor, but it did drive the knight back and gave Goro a chance to find his footing.

The knight grabbed the end of the candelabra and gave it a yank, nearly toppling Togo, who was holding the other end. She let go and the knight went crashing backwards.

"Show me how," said Togo, her green eyes alight.

Goro held out his hand and she took it without hesitation. A shock like electricity ran through him when they touched, as it had when he awakened Suzui's Persona. Unlike Suzui, Togo seemed to draw the power out of him. He had to break the connection before it overwhelmed her, but he found it difficult to pry his fingers off of hers. It was like she was already primed and ready to tear her mask off and get to work.

A voice echoing from all around said, "Many times have you played at war, imagining yourself the queen of your homeland, stalwart defender and wise shepherdess. Now is the time for thought to become action. If you would risk all to defend what you hold dear, then I shall lend you my strength."

"I see," said Togo breathlessly. "Then I have always had this power…!"

The mask appeared over her eyes and she shrieked in pain. This part was always difficult, but there was nothing Goro or anyone could do to help; it was between Hifumi Togo and her inner self.

The Persona's voice said, "I am thou. Thou art I. If you wish to stop dreaming and shape reality, accept my contract."

Togo stopped whimpering and stood tall. "A wise ruler does not wage war for its own sake, but only to keep the peace. I did not start this battle, but I swear on all that is holy, I will finish it! Help me, Minerva!"

Togo pulled the mask off her face. Her summer dress rippled and transformed into a hakama with a silver breastplate on top. Minerva rose up in front of her, a towering woman with a helmet shaped like an owl. The Persona was dressed for war with bronze armor over her toga, a spear in one hand, and a shield in the other.

For her first act, Minerva cast Mahamaon on the Shadow knights that had made it into the church. That instantly killed most of them; Goro easily mopped up the last few.

Their victory only lasted a few seconds before the doors burst open and more knights flooded in. More started climbing through the broken window, and they could hear the other windows shattering.

"More of them?!" cried Togo.

"This must happen sometimes. What do you do when you're totally surrounded?" Goro asked.

"Lose, usually!"

"Well, I don't think they're going to accept a concession!" Goro snapped.

Togo touched a finger to her lips, thinking. "Unless I have a piece to drop…."

There was a tremendous crashing sound behind them. They looked up just in time to see a huge black blur fly overhead and land in front of them, blocking the knights. Sae had somehow managed to leap through the giant stained-glass window at the back of the church.

"Banshee!" said Goro, genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"You left the TV on – I saw it on the news. There's a riot outside."

Two of the knights swiped at her. She cast Zio on the group in front of her, which electrocuted them but wasn't powerful enough to destroy them. Four more tried to squeeze in past them, but the small space worked against them.

"There's a riot in here," Crow pointed out. "Togo, what do we do?"

This time she was ready with an answer. "You're going to attract their attention. She and I will try to clear your path. Run outside as fast as you can. We'll clean up any foes that remain inside, then follow you out. Ready?"

He nodded and braced himself.

"Decoy!" cried Togo, summoning Minerva to cast the spell. It had an immediate effect on the Shadows. Every one of them turned to look at Crow, ignoring everything else.

Almost before the knights finished reacting, the girls were slamming them with magic attacks. Between Banshee and Togo, they cleared enough of a path for Crow to run through. He drew the Shadows outside, where he found even more of them, somehow.

There were Shadows pressing in on every side. He'd never seen so many at one time. He rummaged in his bag for the View-Master with one hand while shooting at them with the other, not aiming, just trying to keep them from swarming him. He heard footsteps and was vaguely aware that the girls had joined him.

From just over his right shoulder, Togo roared, "Tremble before the might of the Ultimate Togo Kingdom's Combined Attack Force!"

The crowd of Shadows visibly shuddered. Many of them turned and fled blindly, plowing past, through, or over their comrades in panic. Goro found the View-Master and swept it across the crowd, but there was too much chaos. None of the Shadows stood out to him as a possible leader.

As the Shadows fled, the color seemed to drain out of the scenery. The eerie silence of the Metaverse was consumed by the constant background noise of Tokyo. Goro heard sirens in the distance. They must be back in the real world, then.

"We should go. We don't need trouble with the cops," he said.

"But…I need to explain to Father Inagawa…." Togo was back in her street clothes, wavering on her feet.

Sae shook her head. "Let me assure you — as someone who has worked with the police — there is nothing they hate like a crime with no perpetrator. They'll find a perp even if they have to create one. Come on, my car's parked on the next block."

Togo nodded and followed Sae, who darted off into the alley alongside the church. When they got around to the back, Goro saw that there was a small pavilion shaded by a flat roof held up by four Roman columns. There were benches on three sides, and a tall statue of some saint or other on the fourth side — probably sturdy enough to climb. The roof was situated close enough to the back wall of the church that Goro could imagine Sae getting a running start up there and leaping through the stained-glass window.

Something about the scene bothered him, but he wasn't exactly sure what. He frowned at the window.

Sae noticed him tracing a path from the statue to the roof to the broken window. "There was no other way in," she said with a touch of defensiveness.

"It was certainly a stylish entrance, if not tactically sound," said Goro.

Togo made a motion like dropping a shogi piece on the board, accompanied by a low whistle and a "plop" sound. "You can drop a piece into jeopardy. That's perfectly sound. As long as you don't care whether it gets captured."

Goro thought back to the night Ren had made a similar dive through a stained-glass window in Sae's palace. He had, indeed, meant to get captured; a successful gambit in the endgame of his battle with Goro. He pushed away the thought, not wanting to rehash his greatest failure. Then it occurred to him that Togo might have helped plan that caper. It was entirely possible, even if she didn't know all the details.

Up ahead, he could see Sae's car glinting in the low light. There was a beep as Sae unlocked it. Lost in thought about his new teammate, Goro failed to notice how unusually dark it was. His shoes crunched on broken glass. Late, much too late, he realized he was passing underneath a streetlight that had been broken out….

Before he could say or do anything, a hand clapped over his mouth and someone was dragging him away.