Author's Note: For the ferry being travelled on in this chapter, you might want to keep this website handy. nankai-ferry . co . jp /ship01
Also, brief bit of IRL trivia, since 'PubSec' was mentioned last chapter: there are actually two particular organizations with the "Public Security" tag in Japan, as far as I'm aware. (Well, three, if you count the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, but Tokyo's not a factor in this story for obvious reasons. :V )
The "Public Security Intelligence Agency" is Japan's equivalent of the FBI and CIA, charged with the collection of domestic and foreign intelligence. It falls under the Ministry of Justice and, IRL, has to go through the Public Security Examination Commission for approval of any investigatory activities. Likewise, it is unable to make arrests or compel cooperation of its own authority, to the best of my knowledge; it has to rely on other governmental bodies for that. In P5 Strikers, Zenkichi was a member of the PSIA.
However, there is also a "Public Security Division" under the Security Department of the National Police Agency Security Bureau. The NPA is the central agency responsible for Japan's entire police system, along with oversight of the prefectural police departments (though it has the ability to take command of them all during national emergencies), and the agency's Security Bureau is charged with various matters of internal security, such as counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, and disaster response. The Security Department's focus is on domestic counter-terrorism and surveillance of potential threats (among other things), and under its Public Security Division, there are four real-life offices: the Intelligence Countermeasure Office, the Far-Left Countermeasure Office, the Far-Right Countermeasure Office, and the Special Organized Crime Countermeasure Office. To their ranks in this story is added a fifth in the wake of Second Impact: the Paranormal and Supernatural Countermeasure Office.
So we're dealing with the latter, not the former.
Think more national police and less spy agency.
Anyhow, one with the show!
xxxx
Sokila quietly stood in an empty corner of the auditorium.
Elizabeth stood several meters away, wearing...a baseball mitt? "I'm ready!"
"...are...are you sure?"
"Of course! As the saying goes, 'Exercise makes Excellence!'"
From the sidelines, Lavenza called out, "um, sister, I'm not sure that's how the saying goes-"
Elizabeth pounded her mitt, drowning out her younger sibling's words. "Bring on the heat, little one!"
"...okay then!" Sokila inhaled deeply — crying out "AGI!" — before expelling a fireball(?) from her mouth(?!).
Elizabeth caught the fireball like a baseball and immediately threw it back. "DODGE!"
The fireball exploded against Sokila's face(!), sending the young girl backwards. "Ow..."
Lavenza was immediately by Sokila's side, whilst Theodore settled for glaring at Elizabeth out of sheer 'protective senpai' fury. Elizabeth, for her part, nonchalantly called out, "I told you to dodge!"
"Perhaps this form of 'exercise' should wait," cautioned Lavenza.
"Nonsense, dear sister! This is no different than how I treated either of you!"
"Some might say that is precisely the problem," growled Theo.
Elizabeth blinked. "Really? Who says that? I've not heard anything of the sort."
Sokila, for her part, lightly pushed against Lavenza. "It's...it's okay." She stood up, looking surprisingly unharmed (was it just how the Attendants were?). "I'm a big girl...gotta be a big girl..." She swung her arms in an exaggerated manner, as though pumping herself up. "I can do it!"
"That's the spirit!" exclaimed Elizabeth, much to the consternation of Lavenza and the worry of Theodore.
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Sunday: August 2, 2015/
/Motel, Arida, Wakayama Prefecture/
Shinji Ikari awoke — feeling oddly agitated for some reason — to see that it was still dark out. Kensuke Aida, Toji Suzuhara, and Ren Amamiya were all still sleeping in their futons. Huh...that was...odd. However, before he could consider going back to sleep, another feeling struck him from out of the blue.
His Other gazed warily beyond the walls.
"Be on your guard."
The Beast grinned gleefully.
"There are foul things about..."
One of alarm. One of warning. "What...?"
xxxx
In an adjacent room, Mayumi Yamagishi frowned in her sleep.
The miasma had finally begun to burn, devouring the houses of the dead.
...no...
Slowly, the dead began to rise from the fiery ashes.
...stop...
The beast sighed within its lair, waiting for everything to play out. "Let-the-sorrow-resume..."
The cat watched warily as the dead began their approach.
...don't...!
The roving spotlight suddenly blazed.
Mayumi awoke with a gasp.
Simultaneously, blue specters with blazing red eyes shifted through the walls.
Simultaneously a giant axe cleaved through both them and the wall they came through, courtesy of Mana Kirishima.
"M-Mana-san!?" exclaimed Mayumi, desperately reaching for her glasses. "What-?!"
Mana didn't even spare her a glance. "WAKE UP EVERYONE!" she roared at the top of her lungs, glaring at the legion of malevolent spirits outside, casting the early twilight hour with an eerie cerulean glow. "WE'VE GOT GHOSTS!"
xxxx
Even before Kirishima had screamed her warning, the three adults were already up, as their phones had blared the unique alarm that signified Ghost activity. Figures, the leg starts acting up, then THIS happens. "Junpei, how's your supply of ofuda?" asked Ryuji with a no-nonsense tone.
"Packed extra for the long mission, sir!"
"And you didn't skimp out on the blessings, did you? I don't want you to risk using paper from some third-rate hobo priest."
"Come on Captain, who do you take me for?!" complained the A.T. Agent as he began wrapping numerous ofuda around a metal baseball bat.
That would have to do. "Ken, make sure the civilians get out of the area ASAP."
"Roger, sir!" Amada grabbed his spear and burst out of the door, grimacing at the sight of dozens of Ghosts emerging from the Arita River that the motel was adjacent to. However, he quickly moved into action, reaching for his phone to contact the nearest registered A.T. Field Adept.
After all, it wouldn't do to leave the counteroffensive to two kids and Junpei.
Then there was the sound of a wall being smashed through, followed by the muffled cry of Mana Kirishima. "WAKE UP EVERYONE! WE'VE GOT GHOSTS!"
No time to dawdle. Ryuji hobbled over towards the boys' room, knocking heavily on it. Sure enough, Ren Amamiya opened up, eyes wide with shock from Mana's cry. "Where's Ikari?"
"Um, here!" exclaimed the boy from further back, looking rather baffled by the sudden turn of events.
"Get your Evangelion in gear and help Kirishima. Everyone else is gonna hole up in the Metaverse until you can wrap it up. Hop to it!"
"Um, yes sir!" The command translated to action, as the boy scampered past Ren and into the motel parking lot.
Not even bothering to check on him, he proceed to knock on the door of the girls' room. "YAMAGISHI!"
The frightened girl opened up, her hands nervously holding onto her glasses. "S-S-Sakamoto-san?"
"With me, come on." With no time for niceties or politeness, he pushed against the back of her shoulder, gesturing her towards the boys' room. "Get in a group with Aida, Suzuhara-kun, and Amamiya. I don't want you in a place where you're at risk of being collateral."
"Hurry up Captain!" yelled Junpei from outside. "I don't wanna hafta play defense while you're busy getting them into the Metaverse!"
"Yeah yeah, quit your bitching," loudly retorted Ryuji, not much caring for once that children were present. Life-and-death situations took precedence over keeping a hold over his tongue. "Aida and Suzuhara-kun have been to the Metaverse before, but not you two," he said, looking directly at Ren and Mayumi. The former had slipped a backpack on. "Don't do anything, don't touch anything, and do NOT leave our side while in the Metaverse, we clear?"
Both youngsters nodded: Ren silently, Mayumi fearfully so.
"Good. Everyone hold onto me." He promptly thumbed his tin badge. "Freelancer Ryuji Sakamoto, identification whiskey-tango-foxtrot-lambda-beep-boop-bop: activate cognitive tunnelling!"
"Cognitive tunneling: authorized."
What a way to start the day, he thought with a grimace.
xxxx
Ren Amamiya (even if, deep down, he still mentally thought of himself as Akira Kurusu) didn't panic at the feeling of being brought into the Metaverse.
zhuu
zhuu
ZHUU
ZHUU
Although the colors were slightly different, the sensation was unmistakable. Heck, it was downright nostalgic. Now all I need is a Metaverse App on my phone, and the illusion would be complete.
Alas, he didn't shift into his old Joker outfit. (Purposefully, by design. The rules were different; unless he summoned a Persona, his self-image wouldn't manifest automatically.) However, the sight of Seiten Taisei and Ryuji's old biker getup was bit of a painful memory, because damn it why did Sakamoto have to be the one accompanying them. "Nice outfit."
"Thanks," remarked the older man, taking it for the compliment that it was. "Go scout; I don't wanna get ambushed by any Acolytes." The flying monkey hooted, kicking open the motel door and flying outside; the cognitive double of their room promptly shrank back down to normal proportions now that the large Persona's presence wasn't distorting it. "Okay...so for the time being, we're just gonna stay here, and not make any fuss. Junpei and Kenny will let us know when the coast's clear...or Ikari or Kirishima, for that matter."
All told, the motel room didn't look that different; save for the sepia tones and the presence of Sandman Archetypes that were clustered at the edges of the room (snoozing loudly), there didn't appear to be anything unusual. What I wouldn't give for my Third Eye right now, he thought, briefly adjusting his backpack.
(Was it bad that he wanted to test out his little project?)
(Probably. Not like it would stop you.)
"...so," said Aida, clapping his hands together as he tried to distract Yamagishi from the moon-headed Archetypes. "Welcome to the Metaverse, Yamagishi-san!"
"Come on Ken, now's not the time," growled Toji. "You can try to look cool later!"
"Hey, now I wasn't-!"
"Pipe down or you'll wake up the Archetypes," ordered Ryuji in a no-nonsense tone that brooked no dissent.
Aida and Suzuhara promptly sat down and shut up. Yamagishi slowly lowered herself to the floor, trying not to hyperventilate (probably from the dimensional shift).
Ren couldn't help but smirk inwardly as he too sat down. Heh...this Ryuji would've made for a great leader of the Phantom Thieves. A shame about the leg; he could just imagine Morgana ranting at him for not taking care of an injury, because what kind of Phantom Thief couldn't make a daring and flashy getaway? Then Ryuji would snipe back; Makoto and Ann would get on the cat for 'making fun of Ryuji's injury'; Haru would try to play peacemaker; Futaba would be extolling the virtues of replacing his bum leg with a cybernetic one (complete with a rocket launcher, because duh), and Yusuke would immediately try sketching a picture of Ryuji with said cybernetic leg (complete with hyperbolic verbiage, because ART); Sumire would stand awkwardly to the side and wonder how they hadn't all killed each other by now, while Akechi would simply call them all idiots and wonder (loudly, of course) how he had gotten roped into a squad with such 'losers'. And all the while, he'd simply look at them all with a smug grin (maybe suggesting that a laser cannon would be added to the cybernetic leg, because why not stir the pot a little?) before drawing their attention back to the heist at hand. Yeah, something like that...damn it, I miss them.
At this point, it was only a matter of waiting for the Ghosts to be taken care of in the real world. With Ikari helping them...I'm sure it won't take too long.
xxxx
Junpei Iori was not too proud to admit that Ghost-dispersal ops were not his favorite thing in the world.
For one, he wasn't technically an A.T. Field adept; he just used the tools of those who were.
Second, said tools had a limited shelf life before their charms and blessings against spirits faded into uselessness, so he had to keep replacing them.
Third, those tools — especially those of the best quality, usually coming from priests and monks that had been old before Second Impact — tended to be expensive.
Finally, there was something less viscerally satisfying about whacking a specter as compared to taking out Archetypes, Shadows, and Acolytes with the aid of Trismegistus.
Kind of a juvenile point of view, all things considered, but there was some foundation to it: stuff he could face with his Persona...well, he was able to bring all of himself into the fray. Fighting in the real world with just his fleshy bits felt a bit constrained by comparison.
Still, a job was a job, and the job needed doing; that's what he told himself as he took to whacking stay Ghosts that veered towards the civilians that Ken Amada was hurryingly ordering to evacuate the scene. Local law enforcement was starting to show up, so at least they could help keep things orderly. Now if only the dead would just STAY dead! With a frustrated growl, Junpei smacked the Ghost of a fat guy in the face; the ofuda wrapped around his metal bat flashed brightly, a pattern that continued with each impact. "Come on kids, hurry up with the pizzazz...!"
DOOM.
There was a quiet boom in the air, felt more in his soul than in his ears; Junpei grimaced, looking for the source...only to pale. "Holy..."
Strangely, he couldn't help but feel that there was nothing holy about it. At the far end of the parking lot, Shinji Ikari's Evangelion — Shogoki — seemed to loom large, easily over twenty meters; the sheer spiritual presence of the entity was attracting the Ghosts like bugs to a lampost...and yet it didn't seem to be affected? Come to think of it, the beast's A.T. Field...didn't the outline kind of look like a Shiki-Ouji? If that's the case...is the Evangelion actually taking on the inherent traits of the Archetype itself...?
Suddenly, without warning, the Evangelion waved its hands around and smashed them together, lumping all of the gathered Ghosts — easily over a hundred — into a spherical lump of spiritual energy. The wrathful furies hissed and shrieked, too compacted and too sturdy combined to be simply crushed together. Even the follow-up — open palms smashing against a manifested plane of orange light on the asphalt, forged from Shnji's very soul — didn't sunder them. Combined, they were simply too sturdy.
Fortunately, that's where the other kid come in.
Junpei could hear Mana Kirishima's roar before he could see, erupting from around the corner of the motel; with speed that seemed frankly unnatural for a kid that size, the girl swang her axe several times at different angles, unleashing waves of light (almost like razors) that sliced through the orb of coagulated spiritual mass. Then, with a howl that almost sounded triumphant, she smashed her shield against the remnants, releasing a burst of concussive force that dispersed the Ghosts into mere flickers of spiritual energy. Those traces were immediately sucked by the gemstones in the girl's weapons, signalling a decisive end to the short conflict.
At last, everything was quiet, save for the distant murmurings of frightened civilians.
As Ikari's Evangelion finally faded away, Junpei finally allowed himself to release a breath. "Sheesh...kids these days are scary," he murmured, trying to lighten the mood in the face of his own primal trepidation. Thumbing his A.T. Agent medallion, he remarked, "Junpei to Cognitive Freelancer Ryuji Sakamoto: coast is clear. You're free to come back. Situation is normal." Heh. 'Normal.' As if. "I'll go ahead and get us started on checking out." Knowing the Captain, he'd want to make sure the motel staff had the proper contact information for the A.T. Task Force representatives responsible for handling collateral damage claims in reality (just in case their hazard insurance company decided to be a bunch of jerks)...and then he'd want to hit the road. "Boy...what a way to start the day..."
xxxx
/Meanwhile/
As the Katsuragi slowly set off from Wakayama towards Tokushima, Hirofumi Kurosawa felt his phone buzz. Taking it out, he observed the blurbs coming in from the PubSec detachment stationed in Arida. Unexpected Ghost activity; centered on the motel where the Third Child was staying; decisively dealt with in a matter of minutes; minor collateral damage, no casualties. The attached picture — a purple demon forged from mind and spirit — sent a strange chill down his spine. "Looks like they'll be taking the second ferry today..."
"Sir?" asked one of his subordinates.
"Not out of the realm of possibility," he murmured to himself, before answering. "Our comrades that will be taking the Ai will be the ones to subdue the Third Child and his travelling companions...hopefully, they'll be cooperative. If not, we'll be on standby in Tokushima to receive them and take them into custody."
The younger man nodded, still looking uncertain. As the waters of the Pacific shimmered spectacularly under the light of the rising Sun, he asked, "...we've put a lot of manpower into this, sir."
"I know. PubSec doesn't want us to take any chances."
"...is it enough though? I mean, I've seen the pictures of that giant crystal, outside of Tokyo-3..."
"That's why PubSec opted for overkill, if necessary." Besides the skeleton staff left by Nankai Ferry — the bare minimum needed to get the ferry from one side of Wakayama Bay to the other — every single person onboard was a dutiful agent and servant of the Japanese government. The same would apply for the other ferry. "And don't let the outward picture fool you: that kid's hiding a monster inside him, and it needs to be put on a proper leash."
"Yes sir."
Agent Kurosawa let his thoughts drift back, to when the Defense Ministry had finally crossed boundaries and began requesting PubSec's help with this...'issue.' It hadn't taken long for rumors to fly about just how closely certain sectors of that ministry had been involved with NHCI's black project, so the sharing of data had pretty much been inevitable (even if much of it was censored). As horrible as the JET ALONE Project had been...the cognitive footage caught by Shiro Tokita's facility in the Metaverse had been the deciding factor.
(The Evangelion-user — Shinji Ikari — was displaying powers that were essentially impossible: an A.T. Field, manifested in the cognitive world. More than that, there was that sense of fury, and unbridled rage that emanated from the kid. Had it not been for the interference of others, the boy would have murdered Mana Kirishima — fallen, helpless, unable to fight — in cold blood.)
And truly, was it any surprise? By all accounts, the boy had been living with a custodian in Okayama Prefecture for the past several years, with no sign of any cognitive or spiritual influence whatsoever. His first notable 'appearance' on the scene had been his arrival to Tokyo-3 at the beginning of June, which coincided with an incident of Angel Syndrome and an exploded train car. Mere days later, there had been that massive cross of red light from Lake Ashi. So many events surrounding that kid...and Gendo Ikari seems content to let him mosey on about without a care in the world. Irresponsible. Reckless. Dangerous!
The First and the Second Children had a track record, and many years of training behind them; even if their powers were unusual, they had at least shown some consistency.
The Third Child...not so much. He was a true wild card, and a dangerous one. Letting him run free instead of keeping him focused on defeating mankind's enemies was inexcusable...especially in light of the uptick in paranormal and supernatural incidents over the past few months. Here's hoping that the kid will see reason...if not, we'll have to do things the hard way. At least the other ferry was in good hands. Hidetoshi Odagiri and Saori Hasegawa have good heads on their shoulders; hopefully they'll be able to convince the kid to come quietly.
By the gods, how he hoped so.
xxxx
True to form, once the motel staff had proper contact info for repair purposes (in the event they needed help greasing the wheels on any claims), Ryuji Sakamoto had told everyone to get in their vehicles. Within forty-five minutes, the Hakone Caravan had made it to the ferry port in Wakayama with more than an hour to spare.
After Ryuji turned in their boarding registration forms (and assured the ferry staff that yes, Kirishima was authorized to carry the big honkin' shield and axe), the trio of vehicles waited in line to board.
This gave the kids time to try and...decompress. "So. How's everyone holding up?" asked Ryuji, poking his head through the open side door of the HiAce van.
"I'm fine," casually remarked Amamiya.
"Eh, figured. You seem like you have a decent head on your shoulders." He turned towards the third row of seats, where Mana was sitting besides Mayumi. Toji had taken the very back row by himself...mostly so he could catch a few more Z's. Ikari and Aida had the second row, allowing them to look back at the girls with concerned expressions. "How about you, Yamagishi?"
"...I'm not sure what to feel," she admitted, head somewhat downcast. "...Ikari-san's stories were...somewhat censored, but I thought I had read between the lines enough to understand...but the cognitive world just felt so different than anything I've ever experienced...and before I knew it, you were escorting us back into reality again. Maybe if I had seen more of the actual battle...things might feel clearer..."
"...well, if you need to talk about it, the other kids have enough Metaverse experience to help you through it. I know it's not what you signed up for...will your parents be upset?"
Mayumi blinked. "My parents?" She blinked again. "Ah...right. Um...I...I think they won't worry...it's not like they'll find out...not immediately..."
Ryuji decided that discretion was the better part of valor. "Well...I'll leave you to it. Holler if any of you need me." He peeled away from the van, walking around it towards the adjacent DeLorean. "Geez...starting to feel a little inadequate, here."
Junpei chuckled, arm hanging out of the open driver's side window. "What, our Captain confessing that he's imperfect? Stop the presses!"
"Yeah yeah, yak it up. I should've pressed harder on the civilian coming along." It was one thing to babysit a bunch of teens who were all Persona-users (or, in Kirishima's case, a wielder of anti-cognitive/spiritual weaponry); there was a certain threshold of life and experience that Persona-users had crossed, regardless of age. It made them...relatable. Comparatively speaking, he felt like he was fumbling in the dark when it came to Yamagishi. At least their driver's got his act together. I don't know how we'd deal if he started falling apart on us. "Not exactly sure what's appropriate and what's not, even if she is a friend of Ikari's."
"I guess I get what you mean. It'd probably be easier if we had a woman's touch. Or heck, anyone that had decent parental experience."
Ryuji couldn't help but snort. "Not like you haven't had plenty of time with your honey."
Junpei's expression became somewhat stilted. "Eh...Chidori and I have talked about it." The man was serious whenever he didn't use his wife's pet name. "This job's kind of dangerous, you know? Would be a real crappy thing if something went wrong and I ended up leaving her behind with a kid to take care of."
"Eh, your kid would have a couple of pretty cool uncles from the Emporium."
"Well duh, but...I mean hell, there's something different about a dad, you know?"
"...yeah, I hear you." Ryuji tilted his head to look over at Ken in the passenger's side. "Yo Kenny, what about you? Any chance your lady has a little one on the way?"
Amada looked seriously at him. "First of all, you'd already know if my wife was expecting. Secondly...I feel like we're being observed. Just a hunch."
Ryuji snorted, saying "yeah yeah" even as he quietly shifted his eyes. In his peripheral vision, there was a distinct lack of normal chatter and ambient activity that one would expect. He casually stood up, stretching his arms to turn towards the waters of the bay.
Not a single person even looked up.
Try-hards. Even the motion of his arms would have at least drawn a glance or two. But no, not a one. Can't see any kids either...well well. This could be a problem. And we're already boxed in, too, he thought, noting that at least twenty vehicles were in the waiting lanes around them. Even the thought of an evacuation into the Metaverse was out of the picture, because it was not subtle, and there was no telling if whoever these people were had a surprise waiting for them on the other side. "...we'll just have to play it by ear," he muttered, angling his face so that his voice went into the DeLorean. "Be ready for a little smoke on the water, though."
Junpei and Ken, recognizing the words for what they were, gravely nodded.
They continued chattering about random, inoffensive things until it was time to board, vehicles and all. Before long, the Ai ferry rumbled into Wakayama Bay on its two-hour trip across the bay towards Tokushima.
(And a lot could happen in two hours...)
xxxx
Shinji Ikari had briefly marvelled at the pictures of Nankai Ferry's two ships: the blue and white Ai (which they were currently on) and the cream-colored Katsuragi. Aida had remarked that it would have been a funny story if they had travelled on the Katsuragi.
(Sakamoto had flatly disagreed, but had refused to explain why. "Maybe when you're old enough to get it," he had muttered.)
Still, the overall trip had been pleasant so far. Toji and Kensuke had opted to check out the small arcade room on the B Deck, whilst Yamagishi had excused herself to go to the restroom. Kirishima had simply taken to looking around — drawing very inquisitive stares because of the axe and shield that were on her back, which he thought would've caused a lot more people to panic (and yet they hadn't) — and Amamiya-senpai had seemingly vanished. Iori and Amada were sitting at the window seats on opposite sides of the deck, less than twenty meters apart. He sat by Sakamoto-san, who was tapping his cane...almost irritably.
Everyone around them was talking rather casually. It all seemed...normal.
But why did he feel so anxious?
Where was this tension coming from?
Nearly a half hour into their trip, the tension had only grown.
The Beast said nothing.
It only smiled...with anticipation.
"...um, Sakamoto-san, do you mind if I go up to the Observation Deck?"
The older man glanced down at him with a curious eye. "What's up? Feeling a little seasick?"
"...maybe?" He wasn't sure. But he had enjoyed the first ferry trip yesterday with all of its scenery. "...I'll be up top."
"Try not to fall over," he joked.
He smiled nervously (because now he started thinking about it and wait Shogoki could probably just form an A.T. Field in the air that he could land on why was he worrying?), stepping away from the table seats. But first...to grab something from the vending machines. After all, with all the chaos of the morning, breakfast had been skipped entirely. Hopefully that would settle his stomach...
The Beast's smile grew wider.
...maybe.
xxxx
Ryuji watched quietly as the kid walked away, first towards the vending machines. The thought of eating wasn't palatable right now, because he probably wouldn't be able to stomach it.
How many people? He couldn't help but wonder. How many people are observing us? Fifty? A hundred? He couldn't tell. He also couldn't order the kids to just keep to one spot and stay there, because he had no idea who exactly was tailing them, and...well, being boxed in didn't agree with him...and someone was sitting across the table from him. "...can I help you?" he asked.
The man (probably less than a decade younger, maybe around Junpei's age) smiled, crossing his arms. His dark hair — almost a natural gray in shade — was swept back, allowing his facial features to be seen in full: narrow eyes, thin eyebrows that were nonetheless pronounced, a flat and solid nose, and wide yet slim lips that were contorted into a grim smile. The man's clothing was rather sensible for summer, but honestly...that didn't really matter in the long run. "Just taking a seat, Ryuji Sakamoto."
"Yeah yeah, so you know my name. You got one?"
The quietly unfurled his arms, revealing a badge with attached ID tag. "Agent Hidetoshi Odagiri, of the Paranormal and Supernatural Countermeasure Office."
"So basically...what, some kind of spirit detective?"
The man smirked. "Funny reference. More like someone who wants to ensure there's accountability in spiritual and cognitive affairs. The Anti-Terror Task Force has been great, don't get me wrong...but as an independent NGO, there's a certain lack of oversight that some think can't be tolerated anymore in light of July 16th. But that's all above my paygrade."
"I bet. How many people have you got?"
"Aside from a skeleton crew to pilot the ship? All of em'."
Ryuji couldn't help how his jaw dropped. He just couldn't. "Geez...kinda paranoid, don't you think?"
"More like...an unwillingness to take chances. The JET ALONE girl is deadly enough, and the abilities Third Child are kind of unknown, after all...but what is known is pretty significant."
"Maybe. Still seems like overkill."
"Think whatever you want. It's that uncertainty which is driving our actions today. The kid was practically untouchable within Tokyo-3, but while he was out and about...well, it was an opportunity that couldn't be ignored."
Ryuji snorted. "And I bet NERV must have had a mole of some kind for the Security Bureau to find out so quickly."
"Again, above my paygrade. If it makes you feel any better, there's only one other Agent onboard; everyone else is just an officer."
"It doesn't."
"Your loss...though, I am curious: why exactly are you taking such a convoluted path to your destination? It seems inefficient."
"The kids wanted to take a summer road trip."
"..."
"That, and I wanted to avoid the checkpoints in the major cities."
"...well, at least that's more sensible, but again: why?"
"Because I kind of wanted to avoid this kind of scenario from happening? I'm not blind to what the kids can accomplish."
"Some might interpret this whole thing as the shirking of duties and responsibilities."
Ryuji shrugged. "His father allowed for it. Besides, I think he can travel anywhere quickly, so why is it even a problem?"
"Priorities. Principles. Duties. Appearances. Among other things."
"Ah, so you're one of those guys with the stick in the ass?"
Hidetoshi let the insult slide. "Believe it or not, we're trying to be cordial. We were given authorization to simply take you all into custody, but that could have been...messy."
"Yeah, it would be. The fact you mentioned JET ALONE at all means whoever authorized this knows exactly what the girl went through, and wanted to get her anyway. That sort of thing ain't cool."
"Again, above my paygrade...although if you think the government wouldn't be able to provide better help than a recovering alcoholic for a guardian, you're simply not thinking. We want them to be functional defenders of humanity, after all."
"Okay, first off, that's a low blow against Katsuragi. She's cool. Second, eff you. Third, the government's made of people, and people tend to suck once they get some power to their heads. Fourth...EFF you."
"Being on the side of the law isn't always glamorous or appreciated, so I'll forgive your ire. But the situation with Angel Syndrome now is too dire to leave it alone...it's why we need the Third Child in a different situation. If he goes berserk, we need the manpower to subdue him...but hopefully, it won't come to that."
"That a fact?" This isn't good. "What are you gonna do, talk nicely to him?"
"As a matter of fact, that was the idea."
xxxx
Shinji had finished off a can of green tea and a hot cup of instant ramen from the vending machines — not exactly a great breakfast, but it filled his belly — before ascending the stairs. Going past the A Deck, he ended up in the open air of the Observation Deck. The air was salty, but in a crisp and invigorating way; the wind was blowing, and the sporadic clouds provided sufficient cover to block the Sun's heat without removing the beauty of it all.
It eased his anxiety...somewhat.
The port side rail was occupied by a few observers, so he walked towards the starboard side of the ferry, which was empty of company. Leaning against the guardrail, he stared at the distant landmarks: the Kitan Strait, separating Osaka Bay from the waters of the Kii Channel; Awaji Island, serving as the eastern border for the Seto Inland Sea; looming in the distance of the ferry's travel path was the tiny Nu Island, slightly off starboard.
So enraptured was he (so focused on trying not to wonder why he felt so tense), he didn't notice someone lean against the rail, mere feet away.
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Ryuji frowned. "And who exactly do you have in mind for this bit of diplomacy?"
Hidetoshi calmly replied, "my fellow Agent, of course. She's better at it than I am."
xxxx
"Um...excuse me?"
The quiet voice (a woman's voice) startled Shinji so much that he actually yelped. "Agh!"
His shout actually caused her to jump back with fright. "Ah!"
Loud noise. Cue instinct! "AGH!"
"AGH!"
Fortunately, the Shout-Off of Fear ceased there, as Shinji finally took in who had spoken to him: a woman in her late twenties, with curly shoulder-length hair colored a darker shade than her gray eyes; she wore a dark green turtleneck with a long gray skirt, over which was a white jacket. Oddly enough, it was the beauty mark under her left eye (what's with you meeting girls with beauty marks, lately?) that calmed him down enough to talk. "Oh, um...sorry about that. Wasn't expecting anyone..."
The woman smiled softly. "My apologies, um...?"
"Oh. Shinji Ikari, miss."
"Ah, Ikari-san. I'm Saori Hasegawa. You don't mind if stay here, do you? The view's quite...pleasant, on this side."
"Well...it's not my ferry, so I can't stop you..."
"Oh, but I don't want to be a bother-"
"No no, you're not a bother! Please, don't mind me."
"...so, are you travelling alone?" asked Saori, her gaze settling on the waters to the north.
Shinji blinked. "Oh. Um. No...I'm actually on summer vacation." Of sorts. "My friends are downstairs."
"Ah...those two boys I saw in the game room...that's exciting." She hadn't mentioned Yamagishi or Kirishima. (It doesn't have to be a concern, it's possible she just didn't see them, stop your paranoia already.) "I can't say I ever had such an experience growing up..."
"...sorry if I brought up something sore."
"It's okay. It's not a big deal...that was a long time ago, after all."
With a brief spark of determination and empathy, Shinji dared to ask, "so...Hasegawa-san, why are you travelling?"
The woman smiled. "Well, I did hope to make it to Okayama in time to see the end of the Summer Olympics, but I don't know if work will allow for that...don't think I'll be able to ask for time off, either..."
"Ah. Is your work...difficult?" Small talk. Easy conversation. (You can do this!)
'It can be...a lot of times, it is. But I'm hoping this next assignment will turn out well." Her face had a distinct melancholy to it. "Where are you travelling from, Ikari-san?"
It felt weird for an older woman (a complete stranger, at that) refer to him with 'san' instead of something more conventional like 'chan' or even 'kun'. He managed to ignore the awkwardness and reply, "well, I'm actually travelling from Tokyo-3."
"Oh my, isn't that the city where that giant crystal monster was destroyed during the last new moon? The media pictures were very...striking."
That's one way of putting it. He barely managed to keep the truth of his thoughts from affecting his face. "...I guess they would be."
"What's living there like?" The woman suddenly fidgeting, looking back down at the water. "Pardon me if I seem rude..."
"...um, that's okay." Compared to the personalities of people like Ayanami, Misato, Kensuke, Toji, Kaworu, Yamagishi, and Mister P (his father went without saying)...well, talking with Hasegawa-san was downright simple by comparison. "Well...where would I start...?" What can I tell her that won't get me in trouble? "Well, Lake Ashi is pretty nice..."
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Mana Kirishima was lying atop the ferry's wheelhouse, all but unseen by outside observers (even the crow's nest was empty, for some reason; why have one if it wasn't going to be used?). Hopping up there indiscreetly had been simple enough, and from there, she had laid LABRYS and AIGIS to her side.
Lying down, facing the endless sky...it was calming.
And calm was precisely what she needed right now, because the sensations on this ferry were driving her insane.
She had never felt so many Persona-users congregated in one place before. Not ever. The sheer static of their souls and cognitive selves (how many? A hundred? Two hundred? More?!) weighed upon the fabric of reality, a sensation that she could indelibly feel because her sisters could feel it...
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Two girls stood back-to-back in a dark and shadowy fog.
Little Sis shined a flashlight to try and break through the murk.
Big Sis rapidly swung a war fan to disperse the mist.
It stubbornly remained impenetrable.
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Mana snarled silently, because on top of all that there had been the strange sensations that she had felt from Yamagishi, and now ever since they had set out from the port there was something ELSE and it was unlike anything she had ever felt before and rrrrRRRRRAAAAGGHHH!
She pressed her hands over her ears, childishly hoping that it would block out the noise.
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Ryuji Sakamoto couldn't help the tapping of his foot, because this 'Hidetoshi' fellow was getting on his nerves. Wish I could somehow get an idea of whoever's talking to Ikari.
"You seem far too nervous," remarked Odagiri. The nearest 'passengers' had gone relatively quiet, apparently enraptured by the none-too-subtle conversation the two were having.
"Can you blame me? You've kind of got us incredibly outnumbered."
"Well think it from our perspective: the Third Child has a power unlike any recorded in human history. Precaution is only warranted in the face of it, should things go wrong."
"The kid kind of responds to a light touch better than a freakin' two-by-four to the face. Which is pretty much what this whole thing is."
"...I've seen footage of when the Third Child fought Mana Kirishima in the Metaverse. Are you aware of the circumstances regarding how she was rescued?"
"Dude, I was there when Tokita was arrested."
"Then did you see how Ikari nearly killed Kirishima? She was already beaten, but he was going to execute her in cold blood. That boy...whether he intends it or not, he's a powder keg waiting to go off."
"Well, those two have been pretty chill with each other since then, so apparently they've both moved past it. Ever think of that?"
"I wish it were that simple, but we can't take that chance. So you'd best hope that he cooperates."
"...man, you come off as such a jackass, you know that?"
Hidetoshi smirked mirthlessly. "It's why I'm not the one trying to convince the boy."
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Saori smiled softly as Shinji finished recounting various (somewhat censored) tales of life in Tokyo-3 and at Hakone Academy. "My...that city sounds...very hectic."
"...it can be," he admitted. He glanced back towards the waters; Nu Island was less than five kilometers away, now. That was about the halfway point based on the map he had seen on one of the walls inside, right? "...but I guess Tokyo-3 is a pretty important place, isn't it?" He usually didn't think about NERV's prominence in terms of politics, but given the nature of Evangelion, of Project E...it was really kind of crazy that he had been allowed to leave. Then again, if it was that much of a problem, my father wouldn't have let me leave...right?
(Then again, the subject of politics hadn't come up...)
(Do you really think he cares about how that sort of thing would affect you?)
"I can't say I've been myself...work keeps me going all over the country. It's...a little tiring, but it's important. Since I can do it, I have to keep at it..."
"...I can relate." He honestly could. "...what do you do? If you don't mind me asking...?"
"Ah. Right." The woman inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. (She seemed so nervous.) "Well..." She reached into her white jacket, pulling out a name badge with an official-looking ID card. The symbol on the badge was one he didn't quite recognize. "I actually work for the National Police Agency's Security Bureau! The Public Security Division, to be precise. I know, I don't look the part...I get that a lot..."
Shinji blinked, because the image of Saori as some kind of cop definitely didn't fit. (He was too polite to say so.) "...that seems neat. Do you...chase down bad guys, and stuff?"
"Sometimes. But I also do other stuff. I get asked to negotiate as well...usually in the Metaverse."
"...the Metaverse?" he calmly asked, trying not to show his concern. "Like...the A.T. Task Force?"
"Sort of. But different. The people I work with are under more civilian oversight than the Task Force is...I think accountability is a good thing...and..." She sighed, looking distantly out at sea. "...it's an important thing. It helps to ensure that people get their due, no matter how big or small...I don't contribute much, but it's enough..."
"...Hasegawa-san..." A brief bit of suspicion flickered into his mind. "You...you already knew who I was, didn't you?"
The Beast's teeth were gleaming in the dark.
"...I knew of the Third Child...and I knew of Evangelion...but I couldn't really say I knew who Shinji Ikari was." She turned back towards him, smiling warmly. "And I have to say...I think the fears that some in the government have...are a little overblown. But that's just me...and my opinion doesn't really count for much..."
Shinji — feeling oddly touched by the candidness of this stranger — resolutely said, "well...your opinion counts to me." Even if it was for selfish reasons; this woman, who had approached him knowing nothing more than the fact that he had an Evangelion, had seemed to form a good opinion of him. And quite frankly, that meant something. "Um...if you don't mind my saying so."
Saori giggled demurely. "My...I'm sure you have girls wrapped around your finger...or...maybe it's the other way around...don't mind me, I seem to have become an old gossip..."
Shinji didn't mind, because he wasn't sure what she was getting at. (He also didn't think that he wanted to.) "...but Hasegawa-san, why did you approach me?"
"Ah. Right. I suppose that's something important to talk about. Sorry..."
"No no, it's okay..."
"...well, basically...in light of everything that's happened since the last new moon, a lot of people are nervous. Given the disaster experienced by the A.T. Task Force on that day...many government officials want to find alternatives to defend the country. Alternatives that they want to have oversight over, to have peace of mind...or so I'm told. And given all the rumors apparently flying around you...there are some people that would like to talk with you. Maybe give you some options beyond your father and NERV..."
"...what kind of rumors?"
"I'm...honestly not too sure? I don't really pay much attention to them," she sheepishly admitted. "But my peers insist that they're nasty...which I don't get. You seem rather kind."
He flushed. "Um...thank you, miss."
"Basically...I have a senpai waiting for us in Tokushima, by the name of Kurosawa. He'd be able to introduce you to some very important people that are very interested in protecting our country from the Angels...and it wouldn't even take too long. You'd be able to continue with your trip...and maybe we could look into situations that would allow you to live outside of Tokyo-3? I mean...your father doesn't sound too pleasant, if you don't mind my saying so..."
"No...it's okay." It was quite a bit to think about. He had signed a contract with NERV (but didn't the government have the ability to override those in some cases? He wasn't sure)...but would this be the right thing? Would it allow him...to become better? But...would it mean I couldn't see my friends anymore? "I...I would definitely want to talk with my friends about. And with Sakamoto-san. Just to get their perspective...because I don't think I should be signing anything..."
Saori nodded gratefully. "Of course! This is all about establishing...a dialogue. And I think this has gone well...don't you?"
Shinji nervously scratched the back of his head, impulsively looking down toward the deck. "Yeah..."
(He missed Saori glancing towards the port side, her expression communicating to her fellow officers that things were going well. One of them promptly sent a message to the Agent supervising this ferry operation.)
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Hidetoshi Odagiri felt his phone buzz in mid-sentence. "One moment." He pulled out handheld, smiling as he read the text that had been submitted. "...it looks like my teammate's getting through to the boy."
Ryuji frowned. "That a fact?"
"This is great. It means he's open to negotiation." The passengers within earshot visibly began to relax at those words. "If that's the case...then we won't need to make a show of force after all."
"And I'm sure there's no coercion involved," he cynically said.
"Don't be such a pessimist; the government was inevitably going to try and make a play for the Third Child. This method keeps it above board and free of any unnecessary collateral damage, as compared to some of the more extreme types I've heard rumors about."
"You think this operation isn't extreme?"
"It's a trump card that we didn't have to play, don't you get that?" Hidetoshi leaned, finally revealing a genuine smile. "You should be happy with this: everyone wins."
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The One Who Sat Upon the Throne arched an eyebrow.
"An interesting development...there's potential in it...but would it be worth the downsides...?"
They thought and pondered. Finally, they came to a decision.
"...no. Knowing how those types work, they would keep him away from most of the bonds he's established. That would limit his growth..."
Intolerable.
"...and we can't have that...in fact...this could be a prime opportunity to test him further."
They clenched their hand.
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Shinji grimaced, suddenly feeling...woozy? Whoa...wha...?
The Beast's mouth was stretched into a rictus, open and joyful.
"And here...we...go..."
He stumbled forward, accidentally bumping his head against Saori's torso. "Ugh..."
The woman smiled gently. "Getting a little seasick, Ikari-san?" she asked sweetly, unknowing of the fate that was about to come crashing down upon her.
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The One Who Sat Upon the Throne sighed.
"That's all that can be managed, alas...disappointing. But it will suffice."
They gestured with their fingers, almost dismissively.
"Dispose of the woman, my dear."
xxxx
Down in the women's restrooms on B Deck, Mayumi Yamagishi — who had been sitting almost numb within a stall for the past half hour — winced at the alien sensation, akin to goosebumps rushing across her entire nervous system.
...why...why is it hurting...
The beast gazed at the sky, grimacing at the sensation of a great Shadow falling across the land.
"The-Usurper's-Hand-is-upon-us..."
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Atop the crow's nest, unseen by all, a feminine figure — one who had been following the Hakone Caravan since the beginning — shifted, moving adjacent along the curves of reality.
(Mana Kirishima's eyes widened, feeling that unusual presence suddenly move, with malevolence. "Damn it-!")
This figure hopped behind Shinji Ikari, turning towards the woman with an open hand.
(Saori Hasegawa blinked, because she could've sworn that she was seeing a young woman in a black cowl and cloak. Who-?)
Minako Arisato thrust her hand forward, pressing it against Saori's chest. With a oddly timid gesture, she lightly...pushed.
(Saori went still as her organs exploded out of her back, coating the deck behind her and pristine white surface of the nearby wheelhouse with viscera. It was a bizarrely quiet death.)
Unseen by all, she retreated, seemingly ascending into the sky by hopping on the air.
(Shinji blinked as he saw red leaking out the woman's mouth. "...Hasegawa-san...?" She started slumping against him, boneless and lifeless. "Hasegawa-san?!" He impulsively reached around her back to steady her, only to flinch at the feeling of torn flesh and blood and WHAT WAS HAPPENING?!)
Minako watched quietly; to the officers watching in dawning horror from afar, it must have seemed like Ikari had just callously murdered their comrade without warning.
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The One Who Sat Upon the Throne nodded to themselves.
"That will do. Retreat to a safe distance and continue observing."
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Minako nodded and obeyed.
(Saori — her lovely, sweet, fragile little doormat of a Hermit — had been killed by her own hand.)
(Within the abyss, her heart wailed with grief.)
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TO BE CONTINUED
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Author's Note: It's been a while since we had a cliffhanger. It felt...appropriate, here.
/F in the chat
/for Saori, aka FeMC's Hermit Social Link in P3P
/I'm sure Hidetoshi, the P3 Emperor Social Link, won't react negatively