Chapter 27: The Honorable Outlaw
Ω • Ω • Ω
•Yusuke•
"Who… Starr-san?" It must have been him. He was dressed exactly as he'd seen within his head, as he'd drawn upon his canvases… and next to him was Takamaki-san, wearing the suit he'd briefly witnessed once in a flash of inspiration. Then, the boy wearing the tacky clothes and skull mask must have been… whatever his name was. And he didn't recall seeing that cat costume before…
"Yep."
"What is this place?"
"We're inside Madarame's heart," Takamaki-san answered.
"Inside… Sensei's heart? I'm sorry, Takamaki-san… but are you sure you're feeling okay?" The air itself felt ethereal, the golden leaves floating by on a breeze, shining spotlights from the massive glowing tower… how could this be his Sensei's heart? Even with what he'd just learned, what he saw in that room, this couldn't…
"She ain't lyin'," the vulgar one spoke, "this is what that bastard truly feels. He's nothin' but a greed-filled money-grubber."
"Enough of this rubbish!" It just… it wasn't possible! There was some explanation for that…
The Sayuri…
He grimaced, and Starr-San grabbed his shoulder. "Hasn't it crossed your mind that something's up with Madarame? Besides the plagiarism?"
"That's—!"
Takamaki-San gently cut in, "Kitagawa-kun, You may not want to believe it, but this is another world as viewed through Madarame's eyes. This… is his true nature."
"This repulsive world? It cannot possibly…" he shook his head and glared at Starr-san. "Just who are all of you, anyway?!"
"Well, I guess you could say we're a group that changes the hearts of rotten, shitty crooks!"
Silence fell for a moment as he thought, his heart pounding as a truth he didn't want to believe began dawning. "If everything you say is true, then the Sensei I know doesn't exist… still… he has kept me safe for these past ten years. My gratitude for that won't just disappear."
"You're gonna forgive him?! At this rate, you'll—!"
"Skull, it's his choice—"
The argument was cut short when he suddenly fell to his knees, his strength failing him. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm trying to be rational about this, but my emotions are overwhelming me…"
The odd cat costume suddenly walked up, looking rather serious. "Sorry, but we don't have time to dawdle. The security level's gone through the roof! We need to get out of here at once!"
"Here, I'll use a Goho-M and teleport us to the parking lot."
"That won't work, you both entered from right above the courtyard. Goho-M's transfer you to your entry point."
"Tch, arbitrary bullshit…" He panted as he listened to them, his body unwilling to act until Starr-san offered him a hand, his blood-red gloves held outwards gently. "Here, lean on my shoulder."
"No… it's alright." He stood on his own, his legs still shaky. "I will be fine…" the silver-eyed boy watched him, before turning to the others.
"He doesn't have the strength to climb the ropes onto the roof, and I don't want to risk injuring him trying to lift him up. We'll take the main route we took on our way in, so be prepared for Shadows."
"With the security level this high, Shadows will be on the lookout even more than usual, but with the amateur here we'll need to be careful."
"Don't worry, Monamona, I'll watch out for him. You guys can focus on kickin' any Shadow ass that gets in our way!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Let's go then! Ready, Kitagawa-kun?"
"Yes, Takamaki-san…"
Starr-san, Takamaki-san, and the cat began running down a hall away from the garden, and he followed, the vulgar one behind him. They entered an exhibition room, but all of the paintings on the walls were of people, none were his ar— his students' artworks… "So this is… inside Sensei's heart? A vain museum such as this?"
"No Shadows ahead, let's move." Starr-san waved them forward, peering around corners and moving swiftly. If only he had a sketch pad… no, even if he did, the turmoil within his heart would only mar the product.
As they ran down a hall, empty of any of the 'Shadows' Starr-san had spoken of, he noticed one of the paintings held a familiar girl. "Ah, this…"
"Do you recognize it? We were thinking these might be his past pupils or something…"
"But why are there paintings of them here?"
"Technically they aren't paintings. They're the pupils themselves."
"Madarame saw 'em as objects, so that's what they're displayed like in here. Oh, and, uh… we kinda… found yours too…"
"..." He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the painting. He was… starting to believe these people, loathe as he was to admit it. He didn't want to… believe his sensei was capable of…
"We'll talk more later, we've got to—"
"There are the intruders!" Three odd-looking men, purple-skinned and wearing heart masks and suits, suddenly were running down the corridor towards them, causing Starr-san to curse.
"Shit! Alright, everyone, it's showtime!" The black-clad boy burst into motion, reaching up towards his face and ripping free his mask. "Ravage them, Eligor!" All at once, Starr-san's face exploded into blue fire hiding everything but his silver eyes, the mask dissolving into similarly colored embers.
Those embers began swirling, a maelstrom of color and heatless flame, that began coalescing behind him. Out of it, a massive black horse with a white mane appeared, carrying a red-armored warrior holding a spear atop it. He stared in awe as the horseman glanced at him for a moment, before raising his blade into the air.
"For victory! CHARGE!" The horse began galloping forward, and the… Shadows ahead of it were quickly bowled over. When they hit the floor they began violently twitching and spasming, before exploding into goo and reforming. Multiple creatures appeared, some he recognized, some he did not.
Four small snowmen came from the goo and shook themselves off, before blowing a chilly gust of wind filled with ice crystals towards them. The skull-masked one grabbed him and shoved him back, stopping any of the shards from piercing his flesh. They shattered against the boy, and he grinned as he ripped off the skull. "Whip 'em, Captain Kidd!"
The snowmen backpedaled in a panic as a large ship appeared in the air, a skeletal pirate wearing a tacky outfit pointing a cannon that extended from where his hand would have been towards them. Lightning exploded out of it, shocking one of them, while another dodged.
"Aw, they're so cute!"
"They're trying to kill us, Panther," Starr-san chuckled, doing a flip over a bird-like creature with an onion-shaped head. He stabbed it in the back and ice began spreading out from his dagger before he fired his gun and caused it to shatter. "Also, they're weak to fire, so please get to roasting them."
"But…!" Takamaki-San hesitated as she looked at the little snowmen, as one of them hopped over to her. It raised its hand and waved at her, then happily let out an icy breath to throw her back. "Ack!"
"I don't want to say that's what you get, but that's what you get! Mona, heal her!"
"Hee, take that, ho!" Without waiting for the tiny cat to heal her, she suddenly shot up and used her whip to start choking the snowman to death. "H-h-hee…!"
"Call me a ho will you?! Huh?!" She ripped off her mask, and there was an explosion of blue flame, though this time heat accompanied it. Behind her appeared the figure he'd seen in his dreams, the beautiful woman clothed in bright red roses, untouched by thorns and holding the leashes of two attendants. She smirked at the various snowmen who suddenly looked very nervous, before inhaling through her cigar and then letting loose a billowing flame.
"Damn Panther, save some for the rest of us!" The vulgar one laughed as he fired slugs from his shotgun, trying to kill any snowmen that had miraculously avoided the fire. Takamaki-san just huffed as the cat healed her.
Starr-san finished killing another onion bird, as his horseman twirled his blade and sliced through two more. The various creatures they summoned then turned back into blue flames, reforming as masks upon their faces. "What… what exactly was all that?"
"Ah, don't worry about it, now come on! Let's get goin'!" The boy with the fake blond hair waved them forward, and Starr-san nodded.
"Skull's right, let's move before more Shadows show up." He bit his lip, but followed. For now, they knew best. "But man, those poor Jack Frosts… that hee-ho thing is just a verbal tic Panther! And you killed them over it! For shame."
"I'll whip you too, Joker."
"Kinky!"
"Can we focus?!"
More rooms passed, gaudy, disgusting, more paintings… pupils. Several more Shadows appeared along the way and each time Starr-san, Takamaki-san, the vulgar boy, and the cat costume would summon those beings, though in almost every battle Starr-san had a different one.
The horseman, a woman wielding fans, a large creature holding a Naginata, a tiny paper creature… by the time they'd reached what they called a 'Safe Room', he'd seen what felt like a myriad of impossible things.
At one point he'd been injured, one of the creatures— a small black monster holding a boomerang— had thrown its weapon at him. The vulgar one had grabbed him and thrown him back, causing him to scrape his arm along the ground, before the boomerang generated a massive gust of wind, completely picked the boy up, and slammed him into a wall. The creature was killed quickly after that, but they needed somewhere they could heal him without worrying about more ambushes.
The room was distorting itself every now and then, flashing between this odd world and a room from the shack. "Sit here." Starr-san had him sit on a chair, before removing his mask. A beautiful blue woman appeared in another burst of flames, causing him to gasp. Her presence was warming, and she began dancing wonderfully, letting out a gentle light that began healing everyone.
As she danced, he reached into his coat pockets and pulled out four to-go cups, passing them to Takamaki-san. "Mind if I borrow the beautiful Carmen for a moment?"
She rolled her eyes and smiled, summoning the rose-clad woman, who let out small puffs of flame, heating up the beverages. From the aroma that was wafting out of the cups, he surmised that it was coffee. It was quickly handed out to the cat, Takamaki-san, and the other boy. "Drink up, guys. Should help restore our magical energy."
"Ugh, coffee? No thanks."
"Don't be a child, Numbskull."
"Buzz off! I just hate the taste of bitter things!"
"Not my fault that I can't make some crappy venti-latte… whatever they serve at Starbucks. It's either coffee that'll restore your energy or a soda that'll barely do anything."
"Soda!"
Starr-san grumbled and put the coffee on the table while reaching into his pockets again. Takamaki-san watched Apsaras dance while sipping at her coffee, raising her eyebrows as she tasted it. "Hey, this is pretty good, Joker. Guess you took my advice and are learning how to cook from that cafe, huh?"
"Well, it's just coffee, but my next goal is curry." A swift breath from Apsaras froze the can that he held up, and he tossed it to Skull. "There, cold soda. Enjoy."
"I think this's too cold."
"Deal with it."
"Bufu and Media, huh? Apsaras is a pretty good Persona, eh, Joker?"
"Yep. I'd say she's turning out to be pretty useful," Starr-san chuckled at the cat.
"You find me useful, instead of enchanting? It seems I have fallen in terms of the culture of the lords I once served," Apsaras spoke in good humor, continuing her dance.
"Joker's way better than that asshole Madarame! And way more cultured or whatever too!" Scoffing, the vulgar boy kicked his feet up on the table, chugging the soda slushy. It seemed that even something as beautiful as the nymph's dance did nothing to change his crudeness. He also felt his fists clench as he insulted his Sensei, and at the same time just sighed. He didn't know what he felt right now…
"Not him, Skull. Apsaras were nymphs supposed to have served as dancers to the Indian gods. I'd say that serving a thief now compared to someone like Vishnu is a step-down," Starr-san corrected.
"Wow, and I thought having Carmen as a Persona was awesome. You get these mythological people as yours!"
"Don't disparage your own Persona, Panther, you'll make her sad." Everyone laughed, while he continued to sit silently, his scrape nearly healed. The pain was near completely gone, though the wounds that the crude boy had taken protecting him were healing up slightly slower.
…
"Excuse me, but… why did you protect me from that boomerang earlier? It certainly would have hurt me, but isn't it more important there are more fighters, rather than just protecting me?"
"Eh? The hell're you talking about? You ain't as tough as us since you don't got a Persona. That boomerang woulda ripped you to shreds!"
"Considering you're weak to wind, you're lucky the same thing didn't happen to you,"
"Eh, better me than him. 'Sides, what kinda man would I be if I didn't protect someone who couldn't protect themselves? 'Specially after I said I would!"
"Getting some Kirishima vibes there," Starr-san chuckled.
He stayed silent and stared at the skeleton-masked boy. He was vulgar, and rude, and never showed any respect. But… "what was your name again?"
"Wha— did you really forget my name, jackass?!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "Man, whatever… It's Ryuji Sakamoto. But don't use my name here! You gotta call me Skull. And don't call me Sakamoto, or any dumbass honorifics, I couldn't care less about that crap, Kitagawa."
"Hmph. Of course someone like you wouldn't care for respect, Ryuji. Call me Yusuke."
"What did I just say?! It's Skull!"
"Alright, alright, looks like we're all healed. Let's keep going, huh?" Starr-san chuckled and waved his hand.
Ω • Ω • Ω
"We're almost out," Takamaki-san spoke, leading them past a large golden statue. He tried not to look at it, focusing only on the others.
"Good, I'm almost out of energy… But be careful, everyone! We haven't seen any Shadows for a while, they may be waiting to ambush us!"
"Or maybe they're just scared!" Ryuji shot back at the cat, laughing.
"Doubtful, but we mainly keep you around for your optimism, so keep it up!"
"Hey!"
Suddenly, with a burst of deep black liquid, two Shadows appeared before them. "No, the exit was right there!"
"Let's fight through them, there's only two!" More Shadows then appeared behind the first two, and then even more surrounding them. "Or not."
Laughter filled the room, and they spun around to find… Sensei.
He wore a nauseatingly garish golden robe, golden socks, and golden geta, sparkling unnaturally, as though they were all made of real gold threads and wood, rather than being painted so.
Ryuji scoffed at the sight of the man, "talk about some bullshit clothes! First, we deal with a king, now some kinda shogun?!"
When he spoke, his voice was distorted, an echo behind it, with a smug, exaggerated air that he'd never heard his Sensei speak with before. "Welcome to the museum of the master artist Madarame…"
"It… you can't be Sensei… that attire…"
Next to him, Takamaki-san spoke his thoughts adequately enough. "Disgusting."
"This… this all has to be one big lie!" It couldn't be real… the man he'd… the one who'd…!
"My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act. Besides, a famous person living in that shack? I have another home. Under a mistress' name, of course."
"Oh this is just absurd…"
"Ha! Don't make me laugh."
"If the 'Sayuri' was stolen, why was it in the storage room?" he questioned, wanting answers. "And if you had the original, why did you make all the copies?! If it's really you, Sensei, please tell me!"
Scoffing, Madarame shook his head. "Foolish child. You still don't see? The painting being stolen was all just a false rumor I spread! It was all a perfectly calculated staging!"
"What?! Why?!"
"Well, let's see… how does this sound? 'I found the real painting, but it can't go public… you can have it for a special price, though…' Hahaha! How's that for preferential treatment?! Those art snobs'll just eat it up! And pay good cash, at that!"
Hearing those words… He fell to his knees, shaken. "No!"
"The value of art is purely illusion. What's the matter with providing that illusion to eager customers? Though I doubt a brat such as you would ever come up with such a brilliant scheme!"
Ryuji stepped up next to him and grabbed his shoulder to steady him while glaring at the gaudily-dressed man. "You keep goin' on and on about 'money this', 'money that'… No wonder you ended up with this disgusting museum!"
"You're supposed to be an artist, right?!" Takamaki-san asked, "aren't you ashamed of plagiarizing other people's work?!"
"Art is nothing but a tool! A tool to gain money and fame!" No! Stop saying such things… Sensei… He clenched his eyes closed as his thoughts ran wild. "You helped me greatly as well, Yusuke."
"God, this pisses me off… That's your teacher, Yusuke. That's his shitty heart laid bare."
No! "But what about the people who believe in you?!" He begged, looking for some semblance of the man who'd taught him. "Who think you're a master artist?!"
"...I'll tell you this alone, Yusuke. If you wish to succeed in this world, do not rise against me. Do you believe anyone could find success with my objection holding them down?" Sensei laughed, and laughed, a disgusting, vile filthy laugh.
"To think… I was under the care of such a wretched man!"
"You thought I took you in out of the goodness in my heart? Plucking talented, yet troubled artists allow me to find promising pupils and take their ideas… After all, it's much easier to steal all the futures of children who can't fight back."
And he… was just handing them over. Gifting him all his works… "I can't believe this…"
"Livestock are cultivated and killed for their meat and hides! This is no different, you fool! But I tire of this little chat. It's time that I—"
Enough. "You are unforgivable."
"Hm?"
"It doesn't matter who you are… I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!" He stood up and threw Ryuji's hand off his shoulder, stepping closer to the man who used to be his Sensei.
"So, you repay my keeping you around all these years with ingratitude? You damn brat!" Starr-san growled at those words, but he didn't care, more anger than he'd ever felt coursing through him. Now, more than ever, he felt an urge rise within, something he'd felt before but never had the courage to follow through on. "Men, dispose of these thieves!"
"Alright guys, get ready, we need to protect Kita—"
"How amusing."
"Huh?"
He chuckled, or perhaps it was closer to maniacal giggles. His emotions, bubbling up within, causing him to be devoid of reason. "It seems the truth is stranger than fiction, hm?"
"Kitagawa-kun?"
"Hush, Panther. I think we're about to witness something… Awaken."
He sighed, casting his gaze towards the ground. "I wanted to believe it wasn't true. I had clouded my vision for so long…" He grasped his face, the world becoming drowned in an icy blue through his eyes, the same color as the cold rage flowing through his veins. "My eyes were truly blind… Blind, and unable to see the true self behind this one, horrible man!"
The urge that had built within… throbbing in his heart, and crawling along his skin like ice, goosebumps building… That urge to rebel.
It finally snapped.
Have you finally come to your senses?
"Guh!" Unbeknownst to him, his eyes flashed gold.
Searing pain exploded throughout his head, and he felt a cold sweat begin to run down his body.
How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth. A deplorable imitation indeed… Best you part from that aspect of yourself!
"Aahh— AAAGGHHHHAAAAA!" He fell to the floor in agony, barely conscious of the sounds around him as the others fought for their lives, the Shadows attacking.
No, he focused more on the voice. The familiar voice. Not just because it had spoken to him once before, during his sketch with Starr-san, but because he felt it deep within. That voice was… He was that… His nails scraped the ground, chipping then snapping as he focused through the pain, trembling, blood trails following his worn fingertips.
Let us now forge a contract. I am Thou, Thou art I. The world is filled with both beauty and vice.
However, It wasn't just his fingers. Trenches were dug in the ground beneath his fingers, surrendering to his strength.
It is time you teach people which is which!
Yes. It was. The cold sweat pouring down him finally stopped. The ice crawling through his veins no longer chilled him. He looked up, and a half-mask appeared on his face through a screen of blue fire. It was pure white, with red markings along it, and styled like a Kitsune's head. "Very well…"
He stood straight, feeling no pain from his bleeding fingertips, and focused solely on himself and Madarame, who stood across from him. While the others battled the Shadows, they stared at each other, one in terror, the other in icy fury. He closed his eyes, leaning down, and grasping his mask. Now… the rebellion against his former Sensei was now!
Noticing what was about to happen, Joker grabbed Panther and shouted at Skull and Mona. "Fall back to Kitagawa, now!"
And with a single tearing of the flesh, the mask was tossed aside.
"Come, Goemon!"
Blue flames erupted. A pillar consumed him and reached the ceiling high above, all while waves of energy flowed outward. Unlike the heatless blue cinders of Joker's Personas, Captain Kidd, or Zorro, unlike the scorching blue flames of Carmen, the fire of Goemon released winter's chill into the room, freezing every human, non-human, and not-cat within.
When it died, they could all bear witness to the newly rebelled soul, as well as his Other Self. Goemon wore exaggerated classical robes, colored deep blues and bright reds, along with splashes of white and black, with the number five and name 'IXICAVA' below it while stylized 'G's were splashed about on his inner robe. On his feet were massive geta, and in his right hand, he held a large smoking pipe, colored white with golden flowers, and a small ax-head below the top. His face was either white or painted white, with red markings and a large blue pompadour sitting atop it.
Yusuke was dressed nowhere near as garishly, as while it was still fancy, his clothes were much more subdued. A black jumpsuit with puffed sleeves and a high collar, a striped black and white sash across his hips, with a fox tail attached to the back of the outfit. White boots with small high-heels were on his feet and bright blue gloves on his hands.
Goemon took a drag on his pipe, letting out a puff of icy air from his lips. "I am the Honorable Outlaw… Goemon!"
Yusuke slammed a foot down, threw an arm wide, and calmly opened his eyes. "A breathtaking sight. Imitations they may be, but together, they make a fine spectacle. Though the flowers of evil blossom, let it be known… Abominations are fated to perish!" Goemon slashed the air, and his pipe unleashed a wave of frosty air, flash-freezing all the Shadows.
"Whoa! This is impressive!"
When the frozen wave ended, taking the Shadows with it, Madarame growled in anger. "Who do you think you are?! The price for your insolence will be death! Where are my guards?! Kill them all!"
More Shadows exploded into existence, a black goo spreading along the ground, the same shade as Madarame's surely darkened heart. He shook his head, Goemon's presence behind him granting him strength and comfort. "The children who adored you as father… the prospects of your pupils… how many did you trample upon? How many dreams did you exchange for riches?!"
Madarame's only response was a smirk, as he leisurely stroked his chin.
He snarled, holding out his hand. "No matter what it takes… I will bring you to justice!"
"Guards! Dispose of them."
The Shadows charged them, and Starr-san patted him on the shoulder as he walked next to him. "Feel free to lead the charge, Kitagawa… let's see what you're made of!"
His snarl became a grin, a wild, unrestrained, insane smile as he finally rebelled against the monster masquerading as a man. "Very well, WITNESS MY STRENGTH! GOEMON, STRIKE!"
His Persona sped forward faster than his large form seemed capable of, swinging his ax-pipe, and slashed through multiple Shadows at once. They were thrown back and exploded into different forms; most were small winged creatures, wearing tengu masks, while one became a large, seven or eight-foot-tall monster with one leg and a large hammer.
"Gah… you are in the presence of Lord Madarame! You—!"
"Oh shut up!" Ryuji rushed past him and smashed his hammer into the creature. It grunted and hopped back, before swinging its own hammer in retaliation. He ignored that, rushing at one of the masked creatures. One flapped its wings hard and launched a whirlwind at him, and for a brief moment he wasn't sure how to dodge it, or attack, before Goemon's presence in his head calmed him.
"I learned much from you, Madarame. In order to see authenticity… one must be dispassionately realistic."
He allowed his instincts to guide him, dropping to slide beneath the wall of wind, before jumping and flipping several times midair over another burst of air. He placed his hands together at his waist and suddenly a katana appeared on his belt. He unsheathed it and sliced through the Shadow, his eyes finding the lines his blade would need to follow to turn it to dust and echoes.
"With Goemon by my side… I can now ascertain your true self without any reservations!"
He landed and slid on his feet, spinning to deflect a punch from a second Shadow with the flat of his blade, before twirling it and cutting off its arm. He then slashed out again and cut it in half, sheathed his katana, and dashed towards a third to unsheath and bisect it as it panicked and tried to run.
Two of the winged Shadows flew towards him, so he ripped his mask free again to summon Goemon by his side. The Japanese thief blew an icy gust of air out, freezing one and sending them crashing to the ground, while he slashed with his katana to cut the other from head to pelvis. Both sides turned to goo as they flew past him, but he paid it no mind, dashing towards more enemies.
He began a deadly dance, his katana becoming a silver ray of light, like the beams from the moon, slicing through the black blood of the Shadows, as it would the dark of the night. Each of these monsters, serving the creature that was once his Sensei, would fall. By blade or frost, it didn't matter.
The retort of a gun sounded out and a Shadow was riddled with bullet holes, Starr-san appearing next to him with a pistol in his hand. "You're pretty good, Kitagawa. Almost as good as me!" He matched his speed and began slashing with a dagger he'd grabbed from his waist, attacking side by side with him.
A wave of heat passed them as Carmen ignited several Shadows at once, and Takamaki-san let loose a hail of bullets with her gun. "Don't mind him, Kitagawa-kun, he doesn't mean anything by it. He just gets cocky when we're in the Metaverse."
"I'd say it's more confidence than cockiness," he shot back with a smirk, shouting 'Jack Frost!' as he summoned the snowman. "And ladies love a confident man."
Goemon and Jack Frost let loose with their icy breath. They charged through the mist the frost created, a whirlwind of light shining from the blades of their katana and dagger. "A woman loves a gentleman more, Joker!" The cat creature was letting loose with his saber, though Zorro was putting in more work, great gusts of wind cutting through Shadows, even though they seemed to be resistant to it.
"Would you guys quit it and help me out?!" Ryuji clashed with the one-legged Shadow, striking each other with their hammers. Both were strong and tough, but clearly not fast. Ryuji was only dodging most of its strikes thanks to it being less maneuverable, and Captain Kidd slamming into it every time it tried to attack him.
"Kitagawa, go lend the bonehead a hand, we've got the small fry," Starr-san smirked at him as he and Jack Frost charged towards a group of Shadows, so he nodded and sped towards Ryuji. His mind told him to attack right away, but the instincts he'd seemed to have gained from summoning his Persona told him to wait.
The one-legged monster hopped back a step, smashing his hammer down as Ryuji barely dodged. The ground crumbled beneath the blow, the Shadow overextending, before being smacked back as Ryuji smashed his own hammer into its face. As it reeled, thrown off balance, he knew the time was now, and struck, unsheathing then sheathing his blade as he almost floated in the air above it.
There was a brief moment of stillness before a jet of black blood sprayed from the gash upon its chest. He landed behind it and unsheathed his blade a second time to create a matching wound upon its back as he followed the lines his eyes could perceive. It roared in pain until Ryuji yelled back and slammed into it, tackling it with his full body weight, causing it to grunt.
It finally fell over, and Ryuji raised his hammer high over his head before bringing it down and crushing the Shadow's head into a black paste. He looked to the others and saw them beginning to finish the flying Shadows off, only a few remaining. "Ryuji."
"Huh? Oh, right, let's go help! Captain Kidd, Zio!"
"Goemon, Bufu!" Ice and lightning shot out and brought down two Shadows, one struck by his ice killed immediately, one struck by the lightning simply paralyzed. His Katana sliced away at Shadows as Ryuji smashed others up, and Starr-san, Takamaki-san, and the cat assisted with killing the others.
"Alright," Starr-san suddenly shouted, "let's finish them off! Time for an All-Out Attack!" They swiftly jumped the downed enemies, and he followed, hacking, slashing, slicing away at them. He let his instincts drive him, and once he jumped away, let out a calm sigh.
In his eyes the world turned monochrome, the only splashes of color being his calming blue clothes. "And the curtain falls." A phantasmal long-whiskered dragon faded from its position behind him, along with the words 'It was fun while it lasted, goodbye.'
With no Shadows remaining, Goemon became a mask once more, and he sighed, a sudden lethargy taking him. "Whoa, you alright?" Ryuji grabbed and steadied him. "Awakening can really take it outta ya after the adrenaline wears off. But man, that All-Out was kickass!"
He just shook him off, turning to glare at Madarame. Stumbling forward, he let out a growl at the man he'd trusted… that he'd deluded himself into trusting for so many years. The gaudy fake just looked down his nose at him, having not moved from where he stood at the beginning of the fight. "Yusuke, you've just thrown your bright future down the drain. I'll destroy every chance you've ever had of becoming an artist!"
"Any future under you… wouldn't be bright at all!"
"You'll forever rue the day you dared to defy me!"
"MADARAME!" He fell to his knees but continued to crawl towards the man as he walked away, ignoring the Shadows that burst into existence. "GET BACK HERE!"
"Kitagawa-kun, come on, we have to go!"
"Why can't I… move?!"
"Like I said, it takes a lot of energy! Let's move!" Ryuji and Takamaki-san grabbed him, while Starr-san stepped forward.
"Izanagi-Picaro! ZIONGA!" A large burst of electricity zapped a Shadow, powerful enough to kill it before it could even burst into multiple other Shadows. "Go, go, go!" He was shuffled along by the two, before Ryuji just gave up and threw him over his shoulder like a sack, running out of the museum.
"What a disgrace I am…"
"Man, enough about that!" They sprinted through several rooms, before reaching a rope that led to a skylight. Starr-san climbed first, before motioning down at them. "Got it! Alley-oop!"
He yelped as Ryuji tossed him into the air before Izanagi-Picaro caught him and dragged him onto the roof. Starr-san grinned and clapped him on the shoulder as the god dissolved into flames and reformed as the boy's mask, "You good?"
"As well as I can be…"
Soon the others were on the roof with them, and Starr-san quickly pulled the rope up before any Shadows could spot it. While they had a moment to breathe, Takamaki-san looked down at him sadly. "You knew for quite some time, haven't you?"
"...I'm no fool. Strange people have been coming by for years, and the plagiarism was an everyday affair. But… who would want to admit that the man they owed their life to was doing such horrible things?"
"Why didn't you leave, Kitagawa-kun?"
"Well, he is the one who painted the 'Sayuri.' On top of that, I owe him a great debt."
"You mean 'cause he raised you?"
"I… never knew my father. I was told my mother raised me by herself, but she died in an accident when I was three. That's when my Sensei took me in. I heard he helped my mother while she was still alive."
"Heard?"
"To be honest, I don't remember much about my mother either. I did everything I could for Sensei, I thought of him as a father… But he changed." He growled and punched the ground in frustration. "To think he would treat the 'Sayuri,' the very foundation of his art, like that!"
Ryuji scratched his cheek, looking away. "...A lot's happened to you, huh?"
"When you mentioned the plagiarism, deep down I knew you were right… It's why I so vehemently denied you. I was simply running from the truth. I'm sorry."
"No worries." Starr-san smiled at him, "If I'd found out a family member of mine had done something so heinous, I might have denied it just as much as you did."
"Thank you… I'm grateful for the chance to face what I have been denying all this time."
Ryuji shook his head and flicked his mask. "You're way too serious, man! That's why you're always gettin' stuck in your own head. Look at me! I just go with the flow!"
"For real," Takamaki-san laughed, causing him to smile weakly.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I… don't know."
"We can't help the fact that Madarame's gone and changed. But… we can change his heart. We'll make him pay for his crimes."
"That's what we do, after all." Starr-san adjusted his mask with a smirk. "Bring justice to those who no one else can't or won't bring it to, and give hope to everyone we can."
"Hn. That reminds me, you mentioned something about a 'change of heart' earlier…"
"So, have you heard the rumors? The ones about the Phantom Thieves that steal hearts?"
He nodded, before slowly looking at them all, noting the expressions on their faces. "...!? Don't tell me…"
"Yep! That's us! The Phantom Thieves of Hearts!"
"Don't shout that so loud, idiot!" Takamaki-san and Starr-san both smacked Ryuji on the back of head before they heard the sound of guards marching along the ground below. Starr-san looked over the edge of the roof, and motioned to them.
"Looks like the Shadows are patrolling around the perimeter now too, let's get out of here and talk more somewhere safe."
"Wait… when did my clothes change?"
"You just noticed that now?!"
"Oh, save it for later! Let's go, guys!"
Ω • Ω • Ω
•Akira•
"I see… and because of that, this PE teacher had a change of heart… The Phantom Thieves of Hearts… to think they truly exist."
He nodded to confirm that Yusuke understood the story well enough, taking a sip of his coffee. Hm… The acidity was all wrong. What beans did they- aaaaand he was starting to think like Sakura. Wonderful.
Maybe he shouldn't spend so much of his free time-making coffee.
He sighed and refocused on the present. After they'd escaped the Palace through the parking lot, they ran as far as they could, before finding a secluded alley and exiting the Metaverse. With the distance they'd run, no one from the security company was there to catch them, and they could safely walk towards Central Street.
Quickly finding the damn diner that literally everyone used, they sat down and began explaining everything to Kitagawa. He definitely thought it was an idiotic idea to do so out in the open, but the diner was crowded, and the hum-drum of the other patrons slightly covered their voices. As long as they kept it down, it should be fine.
Which means slapping a hand upon thy Chariot's mouth whenever he attempts to speak.
'Basically.'
"Is it still so hard to believe when we're sitting right in front of you?" He asked with a chuckle, forcing down another sip of his coffee.
"No… I have to believe your words, especially after seeing a world like that. So, your plan with Madarame-sensei—" Kitagawa grimaced. "—Madarame is to force a change of heart, correct?"
"That's about right."
"Yep."
"Yeah."
"That's the plan."
"Then let me join… as a member of the Phantom Thieves." He saw Ryuji and Ann glance at him, and he met their gazes steadily. It certainly wasn't a bad idea. "Had I faced reality sooner, this may have been avoided. I must put an end to this, for the sake of the others whose futures as artists were robbed as well. That… is the most civil thing I can do for the man who was… in some manner, my father."
"Civil, huh?"
He made up his mind and nodded at them, so Ryuji smiled and pat Kitagawa on the shoulder. "Sounds fine to me. We're gonna deal with Madarame anyways."
"He may have a mental shutdown if we screw up," Morgana warned, "we have ways to prevent that, but they aren't fail-safe. Remember, we mentioned that on the way here?"
"Madarame is a man who has the art world under his thumb. He has connections to many organizations. If someone like me raises my voice, it'll only be snubbed out… we have no options but this."
"Kitagawa-kun…"
"Well, I suppose that settles it." He smiled and raised his cup. "I like your resolve, Kitagawa-san. Welcome aboard… as a temp member. We'll talk about if you'd like to stay longer after taking down Madarame. For now, enjoy the good pay, and excellent vacation hours. No healthcare though, you'll need to get that on your own."
Ann snickered but cheered along with him. "We have a new member in the Phantom Thieves now!" He and Morgana then had to hush her before she cheered too loudly. "Well, I hope we get along, Yusuke!"
"First name basis already?"
"You're one to talk, Ryuji!"
"Either way, you'd better not slow us down!"
"I'll do my best."
"Oh, and as a side note… no nude paintings. Unless whoever you ask agrees, of course." He hid a smile in his coffee as Ann swatted him on the shoulder.
"Would you quit bringing that up?!"
"Just setting boundaries."
"There is no need to fear, I will respect everyone's wishes from now on." Kitagawa… or, he supposed, Yusuke, since he didn't seem to care whether they used his family name or given name, spoke. "Especially since I didn't know that you and Takamaki-san were involved with each other."
He spat out his coffee, which had thankfully cooled, onto Ryuji, causing him to shriek, all while his Personas laughed uproariously in his head. "What.." he coughed out some more liquid that went down the wrong way as Ann seemed to struggle with whether she wanted to laugh or sputter. "What gave you that idea?"
"Hm? I admit I am not the best with social cues, but it certainly seemed as though you were flirting while in the Palace."
Ahahaha! Even the socially inept one can see it!
"Ah, no, no. Remember what I said, Yusuke? That's just how Akira is in the Metaverse."
"I see… but didn't you say that when we're in the Metaverse we are ourselves uninhibited, or something like that? So those would be Starr-san's true feelings on such matters?"
'The worst part is he's not even asking this to tease me, he's genuinely confused.' He sighed and shook his head. "No, or, I suppose that's correct, but it'd be more accurate to say that my 'true self' is someone who enjoys teasing others or joking around… something like that. Ann knows I'm just fooling around."
"Could've fooled me, considering it seems you mostly tease Ann," Ryuji grumbled, wiping his face with a napkin. "Or, hey, maybe you do have a crush on— ack!" He interrupted him by splashing him with the rest of his mostly empty cup.
"Whoops."
Morgana finally came out of the stupor he apparently fell into when Yusuke had spoken his thoughts on their 'relationship.' "O-Of course they aren't together! Lady Ann isn't interested in him!"
"Oh? And you know my heart so well?" Ann raised an eyebrow at Morgana, teasing and causing the not-cat to stammer, so he just sighed and knocked on the table.
"Alright, I think we've gotten off track… it's fine to call us by our first names as well, Yusuke. I'm from Eagleland anyway, and we're risking our necks together while almost dying to monsters and a Shadow version of your former Sensei. First name basis is fine."
"Alright, Akira."
"Oh, that reminds me… I wonder what's going on with the real Madarame. It sounds like you two got into some serious trouble."
"Actually, I contacted him before we came here. He believes that I continued pursuing Akira. And, as you've all explained, it appears he knows nothing about his Shadow."
"What did he say?"
"He was complaining to the security company about how they couldn't even catch one high school boy. However, he's still furious about it, and said he's going to take legal action against everyone."
"Talk about bein' completely on guard…"
"why? I get he's powerful in the art world, but why is he even coming after Ann and Ryuji? They weren't even there!"
"Legal action… he's acting way too desperate. Do you think he still has more secrets?"
"If he were to act, it'd be after the exhibit is over. Any scandal during the show would be his loss."
"At least we still have the same relative time limit."
"We'll have to force a change of heart before then if we're to dodge this 'legal action' thing.
"Legal action can be pretty bad, Morgana. Let's get you up-to-date on some Law and Order episodes."
"Maybe save that for AFTER we change his heart," Morgana sighed. He then grinned as best he could and folded his paws. "Looks like our plan must be accomplished while the exhibit is still open!"
"Alright, then the plan is set, Thieves. Let's steal a heart!" His fellow thieves nodded their heads, pumped up for the upcoming infiltration.
"By the way… what is this?" Yusuke asked, looking toward Morgana.
"Huh? A cat."
"But it's talking."
"You have a problem with that?!"
"I'm more surprised you aren't upset Ryuji called you a cat," he smirked.
"No, I don't really have a problem with it."
"Whoa, why not?"
"He's… just on a different wavelength than other people," Ann sighed.
Morgana began preening, sitting taller in his bag. "Do you wish to draw me? You better bring out the best of me, in that case."
"Hm…" Yusuke began reaching out towards him, making Morgana scowl.
"Hey, don't touch me like—"
"I was thinking of ordering some black bean jelly," Yusuke responded serenely, pulling back.
"Bet he got that idea from the 'black cat.'"
There was a brief silent period where Yusuke smiled to himself and the others sat there awkwardly before his eyes widened. "Oh! …I didn't bring any money…"
Ann let her face fall into her hands. "Never mind. He's just weird."
()()()
Inari's here! There's a small Easter egg in his fight referencing the abilities of a certain character from a certain series, though it could be hard to spot even if you know the character. The ability is pretty overpowered after all.
Goemon too! Love the 'doo. I'm really looking forward to writing more of Yusuke's eccentricity in future scenes. I also enjoyed Yusuke and Ryuji's interactions. Even though he really interacts the most with Oracle, I think he and Ryuji have some good lines together, especially their Showtime. There're also some lines about them getting ramen together when they've got free time lol.
I want to have more Ryuji/Yusuke bro moments in the future, but that's enough about future plans, let me know what you think of the chapter, or just leave a 'nice,' both are always great to read. See y'all next time!