With this it has caught up to the on on AO3. Both will now be updated at the same time going forward.
Chapter 24: Faiths Rebellion.
October 3rd, 2016.
"What? Excuse me, but could you please repeat that?" Kasumi asks, shock written all over her face. Sitting on the other side of her, one of the older teachers of the academy, along with Maruki, sat in silence.
"Now, nothing has been decided as of yet. But at the rate that things are going, Yoshizawa-san's honour stats could possibly be revoked. Something so serious should, of course, be brought to the attention of both her parents and herself." The man says in as gentle a tone as he could use. But his eyes told a different story.
"Even though one of them is still currently in a coma for the past three years?" Maruki asks, clearly not happy with this current situation. "And besides, I heard that her results at the latest meet are quite laudable… Isn't revoking her status as an honour student a bit of an overreaction on the school's part?"
"I understand how you feel, but… Well, third place doesn't really cut it in this case…" The man dismisses, almost cold-heartedly. "She needs to attain first-place results for her exceptional status to be worthwhile." Kasumi looks up, clearly hurt by the man's demeanour.
"Don't get me wrong here. Personally, I think her results are impressive, remarkably so, but… I suppose the argument could be made that if she's going to represent Shujin and receive special treatment, it's not enough. Please don't shoot the messenger here, okay? This is necessary to guarantee fairness across the student body. "
"It's not like you've been expelled or the like. Another meet's coming soon—please try for the results the school wants to see." Kasumi looked unsure, feeling the pressure fall on her shoulders.
"Sir, putting excessing pressure on Yoshizawa-san will only lead to her detriment." Maruki argues, clearly seeing the distress in Kasumi's eyes. The teacher was clearly befuddled by Maruki as he looked at him quite flustered.
"Oh, that was not my intention at all! I just wanted to give her some encouragement, that's all. Dr. Maruki, please continue serving the student body as a councillor and providing support to Yoshizawa-san. This meeting was merely to express how the entire faculty would be supporting her. That's the reason I had you sit in today, Dr. Maruki."
"Supporting her…I see." Maruki replies, not convinced but otherwise having no say in the matter.
At any rate, that's all I wanted to discuss with you today. Please keep in mind these changes are hypothetical unless Yoshizawa-san doesn't provide better results." Maruki remains silent, no words coming to him to help Kasumi. "Well, I suppose we should stop here."
Kasumi couldn't believe what she had heard. Everything she had been working towards was disregarded all because she came in third place. And not only that but threatening to take away her honour status just because of that? It was as almost they only cared about first place for Shujin and not about her feelings.
She was so lost in her thoughts Kasumi didn't realise she was walking into someone until she bashed into them. "Excuse me…" She says automatically, not even stopping to see who they are as she continues on.
"What was wrong with Kasumi?" Morgana asks from Ren's bag. "She didn't even stop to look at us."
"It's strange." Ren agrees, looking at Mishima and Shiho. They were on their way to the rooftop to help Haru when they ran into her.
"Maybe something came up?" Mishima offers. "It could explain why she looked unhappy." Ren nods his head. It was a valid possibility.
"Hey, she dropped something on the floor." Shiho points out, reaching to pick up a small red talisman.
"Hey, isn't that the charm Kasumi got in Hawaii?" Mishima asks.
"It is. Kasumi said she got it for good luck. For her to drop it without knowing…" Ren pauses as he takes the charm from Shiho. "We should let the others know and look for her after school. I'll send her a text to let her know we have it."
"Good idea. Kasumi did look pretty upset." Shiho agrees as the four head to the roof.
Meanwhile, Kasumi was walking around the school, looking for her dropped talisman as she arrived outside a school faculty room. "Did I leave it in here?" She wondered, but before she could open it, voices echoed from the inside.
"How did Yoshizawa handle the news?" The School Vice Principal asks, his voice muffled from the door.
"She seemed pretty downcast. I think it was a shock for her to hear." The teacher replies with his arms crossed. The VP huffs as he folds his arms as well.
"I hope this is the drive she needs in order to succeed. She needs to push herself beyond third place and bring home some results and soon."
"Vice Principal, I know I've already told you this, but your approach here is going to affect her adversely." Maruki warns him with a stern voice. "Trying to motivate her with harsh words is only going to give her more anxiety."
"Dr. Maruki, we are not running a charity here." The VP dismisses. "If she's going to receive special treatment, she needs to provide adequate results. Praising her until her head swells maybe your idea of therapy, but we can't afford to just butter her up forever. We took those students in to improve our standing, like with that student with the criminal record, but at this rate, we are going to suffer for it. And not only have we lost one of the sisters, but the other one's not doing any good either. Talk about a waste of effort…"
Outside, Kasumi flinches, putting her hands on her chest as she bites her tongue. She could hear Maruki protesting against this, but the VP shut him down.
"There is no denying that with Mr. Kamoshida and, just recently, the former principal, we've got our back to the wall here. The investigations by the SIU are doing us no favours either. If the school doesn't bounce back soon, even my own ass will be on the line."
Having heard enough, Kasumi runs away from the room. Tears threatened to stream down her face.
Despite looking for her the entire day, Ren and the others were unable to find Kasumi. As the school day came to a close, the team gathered on the roof to decide on their next moves.
"It's no good. I haven't seen Kasumi anywhere. I even checked the girl's bathrooms when given the chance." Ann comments, leaning on a chair.
"She wasn't in the gym either. "Ryuji adds with a frown. "What had happened to get her so upset anyway?"
"If we could find her, we could ask. But she's been avoiding everyone for the whole day." Makoto replies before giving a sigh. "I can't help but worry about her."
"Has Kasumi replied to your text, Ren?" Mishima asks as all eyes turn to him.
"No she hasn't. Then again, her phone always seems to have something wrong with it every now and again." He shakes his head before his phone vibrates in his hand. Looking at it, instead of a message from Kasumi, it was a message from Futaba.
Futaba: I've managed to locate her phone. She's currently in Odaiba. On my way there with Hifumi and Inari. We're thinking of taking her to Dome Town to cheer her up.
Ren: Thanks sis.
"Futaba's managed to track her down. She's in Odaiba. Futaba's already heading over there with Hifumi and Yusuke and are planning to go to dome town to cheer her up." Ren informs the team.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Haru replies with a smile. "It should be perfect to help lift her mood."
"Well, what are we waiting for. Let's get going already!" Morgana chirps, jumping into Ren's bag as the team leaves the roof. Unaware of what they were stepping into.
"No connection…I should have gotten this thing replaced already…" Kasumi sighs with disappointment. "It doesn't help that this strange app is on my phone, but that it also keeps failing to connect…" Her hand drops to her side, unaware that the app is active. "I'm so useless…I do nothing but cause trouble. Even after all the help that Ren-senpai and his friends gave to help me out of my slump…And Dr. Maruki… I'm supposed to be THE 'Kasumi Yoshizawa'…"
She turns her head around, watching as a young couple walks past on a date. They both stop to stare at the construction site, wondering what it's supposed to be, wondering aloud if it is a research lab or something, before walking away.
"It's not a lab… It's a stadium." Kasumi sighs dejectedly, feeling the weight of the school on her shoulders.
Candidate confirmed. Beginning navigation.
"Hm? What the—?"
Hearing the strange voice from her phone, Kasumi turns to look at it, unaware of the group of people walking towards her.
"Well, that was easy to find." Ryuji comments as the Thieves walk forward. "No surprise she would be near a stadium."
"Well she IS a gymnast. It would make sense she would find comfort in a place like this." Hifumi replies.
"Let's hurry and give her the talisman and head to Dome Town." Futaba cheers before quick walking ahead of the group. But just as the team approached, red and black waves washed over them as the world around them twisted and contorted. "Wait, what the—!?
"Who activated the app?" Mishima asks as blue flames rush over him.
"Not me!" Panther cries in shock, looking around in surprise.
"Look! Up ahead!" Fox calls out, pointing to a silver tower holding what looked to be a golden tree inside a sphere of the world.
"Is that…a Palace!?" Spring asks wide-eyed.
"But there's never BEEN a Place here in Odaiba!" Queen shouts out.
"Wait! If none of us activated the app, then—!" Mona turned around to where Kasumi was originally, only for her to be missing.
"Kasumi must have somehow gotten the app!" Joker calls out before rushing towards the entrance. "If she's not here, then she's probably inside the Palace!"
"And she can't fight like us! Let's move!" Queen calls out, rushing to join Joker as the rest of the Phantom Thieves charge into the Palace. Sliding down a ramp, the team find themselves in a very spacious yard leading to an elevator. Entering the lift and noting the very clean and swift movement of the doors, the team headed up into what they assumed was the main atrium.
Where they couldn't help but admire the architecture of the interior.
"I must admit, this place is certainly one of the more aesthetically pleasing Palaces we have encountered." Fox comments. "The smooth and curving walls and stairs produce a calming and welcoming atmosphere. Now that I think about it, the atmosphere is very soothing."
"Too smoothing if you ask me…" Panther comments. "It's like it's trying to force me to lower my guard. And what's up with the falling white feathers?" It was hard to miss the falling feathers, seeing how numerous there were.
"We can worry about that later. Right now, let's keep moving forward." Joker commands, rushing up the stairs with the team behind him. They find a few benches on the level above them, with the following level holding numerous bulletin boards holding numerous pamphlets and informative posters.
"This is different from any of the other Palaces…where are the Shadows and the cognitions?" Spring asks, put off by the lack of, well, anything so far.
"That's what I want to know…I'm not picking up on anything, either. It's like it's just freshly made." Oracle comments, her screens floating around her. Before a dot appears on one of them. "Hold up, I think I found Kasumi. She is just in the next room, but the door is locked."
"How did she get into a—never mind, she probably appeared there when we were dragged in." Outlaw cuts himself off.
"Well, I don't know about any of you, but I don't think any of us are breaking that door down anytime soon. Even between me and Noir." Skull points out to the silver door.
How about above." Shadow points out, aiming upwards towards some golden decorative platforms. "It looks like one of them flows into the next room, giving us an entrance."
"Let's try it." Joker agrees, leading the team up a series of nearby blocks before leaping and grappling up the golden platforms. True to Shadow's observations, one of the platforms flows directly into the next room.
They could see a large room with a heart-like monitor measuring something. And Kasumi standing in the middle, right before a door and…
"Is that someone else standing next to Kasumi?" Noir asks, seeing the second individual.
"No, it's a cognition." Oracle corrects before becoming alarmed. "Crap! A Shadow is coming!"
"Then let's get down there!" Skull shouts, sliding down the golden ramp with Panther right behind him. One by one, the Thieves slide down, landing on a white roof where they can clearly see the second cognition. A girl around Kasumi's age, with the same coloured hair running down her back and framing her face. While wearing back glasses and a silver and blue gymnast costume.
"Why…How are you here?" Kasumi asks, frozen stiff at seeing the cognition.
"I…It's my fault…" The girl says, in a depressed tone. Kasumi takes a step back, eye wide at the girl. "You must…Kasumi…" A sudden headache strikes Kasumi, sending her to the ground. The cognition walks towards her, only for a shadow to appear behind her and strike her down.
"…Heresy. You dare spurn our lord's mercy…" The shadow says before unleashing a powerful roar, sending Kasumi to the ground. Just as Joker and the others land around her.
"Kasumi! You okay?" Queen asks, kneeling next to her.
"That voice…Makoto-senpai?" Kasumi asks before seeing the Thieves standing around her, weapons ready. "Who..?"
"We saw you getting sucked in when trying to reach you." Joker tells her, his eyes never leaving the Shadow.
"Ren-senpai? Then—!" Realisation hits Kasumi as she puts the pieces together.
"Accept yourself… Our lord laments the foolishness birthed from your pain."
"Anyone know what it's talking about?" Outlaw asks.
"Not a clue." Skull replies with a shrug. Before anyone else could ask, voices started to echo around them.
I heard the school moved her exam period. It must be nice having special perks like that.
"Where are these voices coming from?" Mona asks, leaping onto Joker's shoulder.
Her whole unbothered routine really pisses me off sometimes.
Getting special treatment is like…whatever. But do you think she's earned it?
I understand how you feel, but… Well, third place doesn't really cut it in this case… She needs to attain first-place results for her exceptional status to be worthwhile.
Not only have we lost one of the sisters, but the other one's not doing any good either. Talk about a waste of effort…
"How could they…" Panther says through gritted teeth.
"Despicable…" Fox agrees with a shake of his head.
"I've had enough of this…" Kasumi says silently, staring at the ground with her face hidden as the team looks at her in concern. "You're telling me I'm not cutting it? As if I don't know that better than anyone! Still…" She gets to her feet, eyes never leaving the floor. "I don't care what anyone says about me…I will NOT tolerate anyone speaking ill of our dream!" She takes a breath, centring herself. "It's all in your best interest… Filling my life with this pressure… Demanding the results that you want… And now you're all branding me a failure? Let me remind you who you're talking to… I am…" She locks eyes with the shadow, anger filling her pupils. "Kasumi Yoshizawa!"
So adamant…
A powerful pulse slams into her mind, her eyes turning yellow as she grips her head with both hands.
Rather than accept a life in cinders…
you strive towards splendour—you know the risk…
Well, if those really are the shoes you've chosen…
Then we'll dance to the end.
In a flash of blue, a black mask with silver highlights appears on Kasumi's face. With a few short breaths, she pulls the mask off with no resistance, engulfing herself in azure flames. But while this was a normal sight for the Thieves, what happened next was…different.
Taking a queue out of a seniti or magical girl anime, Kasumi's body is wrapped in multi-coloured rays of light. The light condenses, peeling away to show her wearing a black leotard with black thigh-high stockings and shoes. While red gloves adorn her hands, a black coat, almost the same as Jokers, wraps around her. A silver chained belt with a flower forms around her waist, with a rapier attached to it forms on her left. An old repeating rifle from the 1800's appears on her right hip.
And behind her, floating in the air, was a persona with skin as dark as coal. Wearing a blue dress and thigh-high boots that seemed to be made of glass. A white cape billowed from behind, while a pink jewel was embedded in her chest. With golden hair tied into a bun with a blue ribbon.
I am thou, thou art I…
Accept this contract, the spell cast upon you…
"I request we have a rematch." Kasumi speaks, determined and angry, drawing her rapier and pointing it at the Shadow. "This time, I'm going all out. With Cendrillon! Kouga!" With a cry, Cendrillon blasts the foe with light. Sending it to the ground in a daze.
"Nice work, Kasumi! Now, All-out attack!" Joker shouts as the Thieves, Kasumi included, leap into the fight. Attacking from all angles and tearing into the foe. From the relentless assault of twelve Thieves, the Shadow stood no chance. The moment the battle ended, Kasumi stumbles, with Spring catching her just as her legs almost gave out.
"You okay?" She asks.
"Thank you, but this…is nothing." Kasumi replies, forcing herself to stand. Impressing the Thieves.
"Impressive. The normal exhaustion from awakening a Persona could bring anyone to their knees." Fox comments. Kasumi tilts her head for a second, looking at Fox. "Is…something wrong?"
"No. Not really, um…Yusuke-senpai, right? Just…why are we dressed like this?" She motions to her garb, a confused look on her face. "And…why am I wearing a mask?"
"I think it's best if we explain this outside." Joker replies, glancing around. "I'd rather not have another Shadow ambush us while we're talking."
"Right. Follow me, everyone!" Mona cries, rushing away to the locked door on cartoonish feet. As the rest of the team followed, Kasumi had one more question to ask.
"Did that cat talk?"
"I AM NOT A CAT!"
You have returned from the destination.
"Ah, we're back." Kasumi comments, glancing around. Around her, Ren and the others had reverted back to normal, including her.
"This was your location before you entered the Metaverse. We all just came back." Morgana tells her, sitting at Ren's feet.
"Came…back? Did we go somewhere?" Kasumi asks, clearly confused.
"We'll explain everything. But bear in mind, it is a long tale." Ren tells her as the team each begins to explain to Kasumi about where they were. After nearly half an hour of explaining, they were done.
"A Metaverse…with Palaces…and Personas…"
"We understand if it's a lot to take in. It was the same for us when we first found out about it." Makoto tells her comfortingly.
"Normally, I think I wouldn't believe any of that. But after seeing and experiencing it with my own eyes, I have no choice but to." She shakes her head.
"By the way, we have something to give you." Futaba tells her as Ren walks forward.
"Your talisman." He says simply, handing it over to her.
"Oh thank you! I've been searching for this all day!" She replies, taking it back. "But, why did all of you come to look for me?"
"We heard about how upset you were today, so we planned to take you to Dome Town to cheer you up." Haru tells her.
"Really? I appreciate it, but you don't need to go that far." Kasumi tries to deflect.
"Nonsense. You're our friend, and we care about you." Shiho replies with a smile before it drops. "If you don't mind, but can you tell us why you looked so down today?" Kasumi's happy mood deflates as she pockets the talisman.
"I didn't have a chance to tell anyone, but I recently got third place at the meet. Of course, I'm not happy about it, but the school seems to be even more upset about it. They talked about revoking my honours status if I don't improve my results soon."
"The same tactic Kobayakawa tried to pull on me…" Makoto says through gritted teeth as Ren places a calming hand on her shoulder.
"If it was about my own abilities, I would consider it a fair exchange, but then I heard about the Vice-Principal talking about how I am useless and a waste of effort…"
"That's effed up!" Ryuji says with anger. "What makes them think they can get away saying that?"
"But it wasn't just that. I even dragged Dr. Maruki into the mess as well since he was with me when I heard the news. That's what really got me. After that, I ended up coming here. Then all of a sudden, I find myself in that Palace and, well, you know the rest." The look of gloom on her face was then replaced by one of happiness. "But I'll be fine now. For some reason, I feel like whatever happened in there helped me get over it. I'm going to realise my dream for sure! But other than that…" Kasumi looks around the group, finally feeling the need to ask the question. "Are you guys the Phantom Thieves?"
"I was wondering when you would ask that." Ren replies, pushing his glasses up. "Yes. We are."
"I knew it…" Kasumi says to herself before suddenly going very pale. "Wait… but that means back at the café with Akechi…I basically told one of the Phantom Thieves themselves that I don't agree with what they are doing!" She quickly bows in front of them. "I am SO sorry!"
"It's alright, Kasumi. I told you back then, right? Everyone has their own opinions? We're not doing any of this for fame or whatever. We're just trying to help those who need help." Ren tells her, calming the redhead down.
"Having said that, what do you guys think?" Morgana asks, turning to the others. "Think she could be a good addition?"
"You…want me to be a member?" Kasumi asks, wide-eyed.
"You awakened your Persona, you know about Palaces. You have the qualifications to join." Haru tells her kindly.
"Not only that, but you have potential." Hifumi adds with a nod of her head. Kasumi looks around, bouncing the idea around in her head, waying the pros and cons.
"The decision is up to you." Makoto tells her. "We won't force you to decide."
"Thank you, Makoto-senpai, but I've made my choice." Kasumi says before looking at them in the eye. "I will join you. I want to grow stronger and help those who need help. I'm tired of sitting around and letting people force their own ideals on me."
"Then, welcome to the team, Kasumi." Ren extends his hand to Kasumi. One she eagerly accepts.
"Glad to be on the team." She replies as the team welcomes her in with open arms.
"Alright, now that's settled…" Futaba says before raising her arms to the sky. "Dome Town awaits! And a new phone for Kasumi."
"Oh, that's right!" Ann suddenly exclaims before looking at her. "You should have the Metaverse app now. It should have the name of the Palace Ruler." Kasumi fishes out her phone, only to sigh in annoyance. "Sorry, looks like the battery is dead. I've been meaning to get this replaced for a while now."
"Well, nothing we can do about that." Mishima remarks.
"Agreed. If it's important, we'll come back to it." Morgana replies as the team leaves for Dome Town, with one more member among their ranks.
Chatroom: Return of the Phantoms!
(User Kasumi has been added to the chat.)
Oracle: Welcome to the chat, Kasumi! (Futaba BTW)
Kasumi: Thank you again for helping me get a new phone today, but why is your name Oracle?
Joker: It's her codename. We don't use our real names in the Metaverse for safety reasons. This is Ren, by the way. I also act as Mona's voice when he wants to chat.
Queen: Makoto.
Skull: Ryuji!
Panther: Ann!
Fox: Yusuke.
Noir: Haru.
Spring: Shiho!
Outlaw: Mishima.
Shadow: Hifumi.
Kasumi: I see! Guess I need my own name, huh…. I think I have one.
(User Kasumi has changed their name to Violet.)
Violet: That will do.
Skull: Violet, huh? Not bad.
Panther: Yeah. It suits you.
Violet: Thank you. But there's another reason why I picked it. It's to honour my dead sister.
Queen: Your sister?
Violet: Yes. She was killed in a car crash earlier this year. It was our dream to compete in gymnastics. And I know she would support you guys if she was alive. So, that's why I'm going with Violet.
Noir: We're sorry to hear about that, Violet.
Violet: Thank you, Noir, but it's okay. I'm moving on gradually. More importantly, what are we doing?
Fox: If you mean by target, that would be the SIU Director.
Violet: The SIU? Why them?
Spring: When we were changing Okumura and Kobayakawa's hearts, we learned they and the other targets were part of a larger conspiracy. They are behind all of the Mental Shutdowns, using a rouge Persona User called Sho Minazuki to cause them.
Outlaw: And the one behind them all is Shido.
Violet: Shido? The politician running for Prime Minister? But now that you mention it, a lot of the people who died were part of the political elite. Why are we not going for him?
Shadow: Two reasons. The first is that he has many allies. Even if we have him confess, his friends will try to get him off the hook. Taking the SIU director down will help with that. The second reason is Sho himself.
Oracle: When we first fought him in Okumura's Palace, he almost took us all out. We need to train more if we want to stop him. There's also his 'apprentice' that we have yet to even see as well.
Violet: Who would want to become an apprentice to a murderer?!
Queen: We don't know. We also don't know if it's willing or not.
Joker: Either way, we begin our infiltration on the 30th. We'll do some runs through Mementoes first so you can get a feel for your Persona before then.
Violet: Mementos?
Panther: It's easier to see it than to explain it.
Violet: Understood. Either way, I am at your guidance. I promise I won't drag you down!
October 7th, 2016.
"Wonder what Maruki wants to talk to you about. It is out of the blue." Morgana comments from Ren's bag. And he wasn't lying. It was a sort of random moment to receive a text message from Maruki. Ren couldn't help but wonder what it was the good doctor wanted to talk about.
"We'll find out when we get there." Ren comments before seeing a very familiar bob of red hair near the nurses' office. "Kasumi?"
"Oh, Ren-senpai." Kasumi greets. "And Morgana. What are you doing here?"
"I got a message from Maruki, asking for me to come to the office. How about you?" Ren replies, while Kasumi gives Morgana a scratch behind the ears.
"I wanted to visit him and see how he was doing. After all, he is leaving next month." Kasumi replies.
"Oh yeah. Maruki is only here temporarily. A shame. I think he does a lot of good work." Morgana comments before bringing his head into the bag. "I'm going to sleep for a bit. Wake me when we're heading home, okay?" Nodding in reply, Ren enters the office with Kasumi behind him. Seeing Maruki sitting at the table with a pensive look.
"Ah, Ren-kun. I'm glad you can make it. And hello to you two, Yoshizawa-chan." Maruki greets the two with a smile.
"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Maruki." Kasumi replies.
Strange, Maruki calls us by our first names. Why does he call Kasumi by her last? Well, I'm not going to pry. That would just be rude. "Afternoon Maruki. You wanted to talk to me about something?"
"That's right, I do." Maruki says, leaning forward on the couch. "I know this is a little personal, but… Do you remember how I mentioned my former girlfriend the other day? Rumi?"
"Yeah, I do." Ren replies, although Kasumi felt a little out of place. Maruki looks at the table as a sad smile falls over his face.
"We were engaged, if you can even believe that. Rumi was so cheerful. I mean, she could get pretty aggressive—she was always kind of hot-headed—but always so kind, too… She was the best thing that ever happened to me." Ren could tell by the tone of his voice that he was talking about her in the past tense. As though she was no longer that person.
"Dr. Maruki… What happened?" Kasumi asks, seemingly picking on the same sadness as Ren. A sad sigh escaped Maruki's mouth, his eyes locked on the table.
"…A burglar broke into her family home…" Ren could feel his stomach fall at the comment, already knowing what was coming. "Rumi and I had been visiting. We were there to see what he'd done to them… It was just bad luck. But it didn't end there. He was desperate to get out, so…he attacked Rumi on the way out. She survived, but her mind and her heart…they never recovered…" He gives off a dark, bitter chuckle. "I was right there, and I couldn't do anything to help her… Pathetic, right?"
"Maruki…I'm so sorry." Ren says, shaking his head. "To have gone through that, I don't even know what to say…"
"I think I feel some sort of pain you feel, but still, I don't think it compares to what you went through." Kasumi agrees, looking at the ground. Maruki takes a deep breath, turning to look at the two with thankful eyes.
"Thank you. I know that my pain is nothing compared to what you two have gone through. But I hope you can see why I am so focused on my research. Rumi's injuries were not terrible in the physical sense, but mentally, and especially with the feelings of her heart, were damaged to the point she had a Mental Breakdown."
"And that's why you want to complete this research. So you could heal those injuries?" Ren asks. Although, seeing the flinch in Maruki's face, gave Ren pause for a moment.
"Yeah…that's right." Maruki replies evenly. "…When I saw her lying in that hospital bed, I made a vow. I swore that I would do all I could to fight back against the unfairness of reality. If someone suffered like that, I'd help…As for Rumi, she's in a much better mental state now. She's happy, even if it means we can never be together…"
"But what about you? What about your happiness?" Kasumi asks.
"That's right. That person stole your happy future. Do you still want one?" Ren asks, concerned about Maruki.
"At the moment, I still feel that pain. When I recover, then I will look for my own happiness. That was part of the vow I made. And the pain I felt that day was when I started this project of mine. And thanks to you and your friends, I have found the true goal of my research. I don't care how long it will take. I will make my dream come true. For Rumi's sake and everyone else." He leans back in the chair, locking eyes with Ren.
"I…honestly don't have the words to say what all this means to me. But I can say this, at least. Thank you…Thank you so much for everything. Thanks to you, I found my answer. And once it's ready… I hope you'll let me use it to help you find the happiness you deserve."
That's…not foreboding at all… Ren mentally thinks as he nods back.
"My path is clear now. I think this'll probably be the last time I come to you about the paper."
"You know, I'm kind of sad. You fit right in with the school, Maruki." Ren comments.
"Yeah. You've managed to help so many people. It's a shame you can't stay." Kasumi agrees with a frown.
"I know how you two feel. It means a lot to me, too. I'll let you know when I finally finish the paper. Once I do, could you call everyone over to the nurses' office as well? I want to show my thanks to everyone. You all helped me see my dream through—I owe you so much."
"I can do that, Maruki." Ren replies. Seeing the ninth star appear on his card. As Ren prepared to go home, a thought suddenly hit him like a bullet train.
Wait…won't Akechi be here as part of the student festival? How did I forget that!?
Confidant Ranks:
Yaldabaoth: Jester (Rank 9)
Phantom Thieves of Heart: The Fool (Rank 10/Max)
Makoto Nijima: High Priestesses (Rank 10/Max)
Ryuji Sakamoto: Chariot (Rank 10/Max)
Ann Takamaki: Lovers (Rank 10/Max)
Yusuke Kitagawa: Emperor (Rank 10/Max)
Haru Okumura: Empress (Rank 10/Max)
Futaba Sakura: Hermit (Rank 10/Max)
Morgana: Magician (Rank 10/Max)
Mishima Yuuki: Moon (Rank 10/Max)
Suzui Shiho: Charity (Rank 10/Max)
Kasumi Yoshizawa: Faith (Rank 5/Max?)
Hifumi Togo: Star (Rank 10/Max)
Sojiro Sakura: Hierophant (Rank 10/Max)
Goro Akechi: Justice (Rank 6)
Sae Nijima: Judgment (Rank 9/Locked)
Chihaya Mifune: Fortune (Rank 10/Max)
Munehisa Iwai: Hanged Man (Rank 10/Max)
Tae Takemi: Death (Rank 10/Max)
Sadayo Kawakami: Temperance (Rank 10/Max)
Ichiko Ohya: Devil (Rank 10/Max)
Shinya Oda: Tower (Rank 10/Max)
Toranosuke Yoshida: Sun (Rank 10/Max)
Takuto Maruki: Councillor (Rank 9)
Lavenza (Justine & Caroline): Strength (sealed?)