This chapter took longer than expected to write but its finally done. The chapter is fairly long.
Review and Replies:
Nightly: That charm spell is the most broken thing one can have in the real world, I can't imagine how much damage he could cause by just using it on charming a CEO or two. Yu has mega beef with Minato and will not stop until either one of them is dead, that man has deadly dedication but at what cost? I agree, poor Akira, getting beat so bad. The effects of this won't just be a one off either, Minato's influence will be too strong for him to shake off easily. Any normal person under this training would break and the guy is taking it willingly.
Guest: Shido will have some wonderful karma coming back to bite him. Akira's nightmares of Minato is hilarious when considering the context of p5 with Shido being the big bad and nightmare that Akira had to deal with in the original. Like the reaper from P3 Reload that now follows you from floor to floor, Minato will make sure to scare the shit outta everyone. He is very generous. Yep, Yu will need a miracle to even touch defeat Minato at this point. Power wise, he'll be above Akechi and all the introduced characters so far but try as he might, he lost his plot armor skill as an anime protag long time ago.
Janson Wu: I imagine if he did cast fusion, it'd end the entire fic pretty quickly haha. It'd be like Fallen Messiah immediately deleting Hamuko then and there.
Throwing a weak fist, Akira missed his target once again, barely able to stand. Minato had avoided another set of his punches, dodging them in a skillful dance of martial arts and footwork. Taking a few steps, the Wild Card studied his opponent, unable to find an opening, his body petrified at taking another blow from the veteran. Then he felt a flick to his right shoulder, the pain digging in, sending fire through his entire system.
"Your stance is weak. Dig your feet into the frim and try again. How can you throw a fist without putting in proper power?"
Minato's lips thinned, frowning at the boy in front of him. He could tell he was being hesitant, afraid even of what was to come if he didn't meet his expectations. Just as he instructed, Akira stood his ground, channeling all the kinetic energy into his next attack, raising his hand into Minato's palm, catching the blow, feeling the impact.
Good. He was at least learning the basics. But that too was not enough as Minato delivered a swift kick from the side, throwing Akira to the ground.
"What was that for!?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't hit back, did I?"
Launching himself at the boy, Minato threw a right hook by swiftly closing the distance, forcing Akira to shift his head to avoid the direct blow. Feeling the wind pass him, he knew that if he'd been hit, he easily would have had a broken jaw or worse.
"See how I almost caught you? When you're in close range, throw hooks and just as you did, always move your head when you close."
The Wild Card nodded, the hair on the back of his neck suddenly rising at catching movement out of the corner of his eye. Reeling back, he saw Minato shifting his stance, constantly moving with his graceful foot work in a steady motion as he tried to land another punch, of which Akira was lucky to avoid, as he raised his fists and started to imitate Minato's movements.
"When fighting, use footwork to constantly move so as to not be caught off guard. Now come at me again with all that I've taught you or else."
Dark eyes glared at his opponent with a hard gulp, Akira shifted back and forth in his spot before throwing his weight into a punch, aiming at the bluenette's midsection, threatening to deal a liver shot, stunning him, yet he was halt at the last minute by an equally powerful fist, causing a small shockwave to radiate across the dark abyss of Mementos. Locked now in a contest of strength, at which Akira was now losing being pushed back, he ducked, letting Minato's fist pass, then tried to do a low sweep to destabilize his stance.
"Like I said, put more weight into it. Your kicks are still nowhere near strong." He caught him by the leg, pulling up, holding him upside down, smashing his body against a concrete pillar, earning a loud cry of pain.
"Since you feel so confident, go use what we've just gone over and take down those shadows with your bare fists." Minato pointed to an ignorant hoard of dark blobs approaching, their murderous intent thicker than blood, eyeing the two.
A mass, not an army, emerged from the dark corners of the collective palace, causing all the blood to drain from Akira's face. He then felt Minato pick him up with an even worse murderous energy, ice forming on his coat , and a subtle whisper in his ear.
"Tear all of them up in under an hour and I'll let you go for today, you hear me?"
"All of them…?"
"Or I'll trap you down here for an entire day, all by yourself!"
The boy's eyes widened, having little time to protest when he was suddenly thrown into the monstrous horde by the devil that was his teacher. Adrenaline filled his veins, forcing him to get up, he twisted to avoid an incoming sword from an Oberon, catching it off guard before launching and delivering a quick left hook to the shadow's face, then dodging multiple elemental attacks from his back. Landing on a blank patch of land, he readied himself, moving around with swift footwork which allowed him to move out of the way of a headbutt from a slime who emerged from the shadows.
"Play nice with him alright?"
The veteran waved at Akira who cursed inwardly, throwing another close punch, killing a pixie in the process. Sparing no time, he shifted, pulling all his weight into a kick that stopped the oncoming spear of a Berith, kicking to the side, stealing it for himself, and then stabbing the horse before kicking its owner off, using it to trample any of the small shadows in the area. Sparks flew, elements collided, the boy was stuck in a never ending hell of shadows, an army that dwarfed the one that appeared in Kamoshida's castle and here he was expected to defeat all of them by his devil of a master.
No, this is beyond cruel he thought to himself. Just what type of madman would send someone on a suicide mission such as this? He took a defensive stance, catching a sword slashed from an Archangel, smashing its armor to bits, then tearing off its wings to block a steam of fire headed his way. Yet, despite the onslaught, the more he punched, kicked, and dodged, the more he began to gain power. His first hooks were still sloppy, his second was laughed off, but by his third and forth, Akira was able to do some real damage to the mob. By the time it was a quarter through, some of the shadows were running away from his pursuit, earning him some easier wins.
"What's wrong? Come at me you pieces of shit!" Tossing aside the crimson wing, his red gloves were now stained a deep obisden from the merciless beatings, sucking in air between labored breaths, he could feel his heart working to its limit trying to keep him alive. A sloppy, crazed smirk spread across his face, charging at the horde, beating them to death in a succession of upper cuts, punches, hooks, and jabs that sent bits of ichor splashing in hundreds of directions.
"Keep going. You're almost there, kid…"
Minato clapped from the side in mocking, giving him a bright thumbs up. Seeing the getsure pissed Akira off, speeding up his senseless slaughter. In truth, he wasn't afraid of being pummeled by the shadows, rather, the real horror was right in front of him. A horror named Minato Arisato, the devil who he was seeing his sleep, his smile so frightening that he channeled all his misgivings into his next attack, throwing a hand that sent the last shadow splattering into the concrete, blowing up in a dark flurry explosion, staining his pale face.
"Wow! You did it friend. Fifty nine minutes and fifty eight seconds!"
His legs felt like jelly, almost collapsing to the ground. Minato wrapped one around Akira's shoulder, supporting him.
"Two more seconds and you would have been thrown here for an entire day. Count yourself lucky, sport!." Once again, the bluenette chuckled in an eerily cheerful tone, patting his pupil on the back, who remained silent.
"Kid?"
He tapped the boy, then waved a hand in his face, earning no reaction. His body propped up right then collapsed to the ground, in shallow breaths. Akira harshly face planted onto the ground like a pile of bricks, unconscious.
"Hmmm. Not bad. But you still need work. So I'll let you off for today." Minato said to the boy, picking up his body, slinging him across his shoulder. "Now let's get you back to Leblance."
And with that, ended their second session in Mementos. Minato smiling to no one in particular, while a another shard of the World Arcana cracked to life within the unconscious Wild Card.
Thou has reached rank two.
The sound of chalk tapping against a text filled black board resounded throughout the busy classroom. Papers shuffled, textbooks flipped, and pencils glided across worksheets in a harmonious rhythm, all in combination to create a serious academic environment. Students of Shujin academy paid attention to their instructor's lecture, while instructor Ushimaru scribbled away on his board.
"For our next topic everyone, turn to page two hundred."
The social studies teacher adjusted his glasses. Each uniformed pupil heeding his instructions, all but one. Arching an eyebrow, he spotted his most troublesome individual in his class nodding off into space. While his grades were said to be top of the class, he was also one of his laziest. Ushimaru inwardly scoffed at the black sheep of Shujin, citing him to be nothing but trouble.
"Kurusu!"
He called out, trying to get the other's attention. However, the boy appeared to be dozing off, using a book to cover his sleeping form.
"Kurusu, are you listening at all?" Ushimaru, annoyed, picked up a spare piece of chalk, chucking it at the sleeping pupil. Letting it dart across the class like a speeding bullet, however his eyes widened when it made impact.
One hand swiftly rose from the student, as if upon reflex, catching the flying object mid air. Akira rose, yawning to himself. He tossed the chalk back to Ushimaru, giving a snark reply "Did you drop this, sir?"
The instructor huffed, "Hmp! Whatever, just turn your textbook to the specified page and catch up with the rest of the class."
Akira gave a sloppy grin before following through, knowing he'd been left off the hook. Looking back, the more he interacted with the staff of Shujin, the more they began to warm up to him and thus, this reflected in their treatment of the Wild Card. Perhaps the Kamoshida incident had softened their stance towards him, their guilt eating away at their conscience when they chose not to stop the abuse.
When the session was finished, he ignored the stray comments from the room about his chalk catching episode and made his way to the usual meeting place. It was a warm, sunny day as he entered the ice cream shop, seeing the usual faces greeting him. Ann had already ordered another bowl, Ryuji sipping a simple soda, and he struggled to avert his eyes but he forced himself to greet a smirking Minato.
"Good afternoon everyone. So what's the topic of our day?" The bluenette said, gulping down a monster tower of colorful scoops. It was childishly topped with three types of gummies and numerous sprinkles.
"So uh, remember how you left us to explore Madarame's palace?" Ryuji began, "We're kinda stuck because of this weird door."
"Morgana recommended we consult you before moving forward. He said it might be dangerous if tried to break through by force." Ann added.
Akira let his feline friend out of his bag.
"Lady Ann is correct. My theory is that Madarame's cognition may have something to do with that sealed door. It could be that he himself perceives it as impossible for anyone to get inside that place."
Minato mused for a minute, organizing his thoughts. "Can you guys provide a description for the door? It's size and build and so forth?"
He saw Akira give him a crudely drawn picture, the image suddenly igniting a light bulb in the veteran's mindscape. A large door spanning the entire section of the palace, decorated in various patterns of blue hues among a backdrop of dazzling gold. So this is what that was for, huh?
"Did you figure anything out?"
"Yea. We can definitely open this that way."
"What way!?"
Ryuji scratched his head, "We've tried everything bro. Not even our strongest attacks can make that thing budge."
"I told you not to charge it, but you didn't listen!"
Morgana was close to jumping onto the blonde boy at this point, but stopped when Minato spoke up once more.
"When I was modeling, I had some time to look around the house during breaks. There's a door like this on the second floor of the shake." The bluenette pulled out a piece of paper, drawing out a plan, "I'll open up the door for you guys, while you all hurry in when that happens."
"And how are you going to do that? Are you saying you'll do it infront of Madarame?" Akira questioned, "Because I doubt Yusuke will let you near that door if it's this important to his master."
The devil gave the boy a side eye, radiating a cold, icy energy. "Oh, you don't have to worry about the details. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."
Deep down, a knot formed in Akira's stomach. He felt sorry for all those involved on the enemy side. The authority of this devil was so massive, so consuming that no one dared to question his methods, but in the end, he couldn't help but admire his efficiency. One way or another, Minato will have his way. This made the WildCard sweat drop.
"Wow, so you've got everything figured out already? So when should we start?"
Akira saw Ryuji impulsively springboard himself into whatever nasty plot the devil had. Inside, he prayed for everything to go well.
"From what I've got, you'll be the one in the real world helping us out in the palace," Morgana meowed, "But do you know how long Madarame will assume the door can be opened? It'd be a problem if we had to come back for multiple palace trips."
Minato put a hand to his chin, in a silly thinking gesture, "I said you won't have to worry about that."
"As much as I want to pry more, I get the feeling that I won't like the solution." Ann signed, "Fine, we'll leave the real world to you. But there's one more thing I'm worried about."
"Do tell."
"Even if we managed to change Madarame's heart, what's gonna happen to Yusuke? I'm not sure how he'll react after we reveal the truth." Ann's eyes sunk, "I mean, you all heard how he sounded when Mina questioned him, yea?"
Despite the pupil's dire situation, he still clung onto hope. And in some instances, he may even try to deny reality altogether if he was loyal enough to his master. While Madarame may confess his sins, depending on the circumstances, Yusuke will be either free of his shackles, or they'll only drag him further into his personal hell that he had built for himself.
Putting on a practiced frown, Minato shook his head, "I'm afraid it'll be up to him how he reacts to the truth of this matter. We can only hope Madarame's confession brings him closure." He then heard Ryuji stand up, putting down his soda.
"B-but is that all we can do? Can't we drag him to the palace and see shadow Madarame or something? It'll clear up all his doubts won't it?" The delinquent looked around for approval, but received none in return.
"It'd be way too dangerous for both Yusuke and us, idiot. Unlike us, he isn't a persona who can defend themselves and even then, he'd be too new to combat." The scolding from Morgana was harsh, yet it held valid concerns. "I know everyone here wants to save Yusuke, but we can't risk him in the palace like that."
One by one, the group nodded in agreement. Then they heard the send of a loud clap that broke the silence.
"Now that we've gotten this matter settled, let's set a date for second half of our mission"
After another brief discussion, Minato was left alone in the ice cream, the same piece of paper with a detailed plan laid out on the parlor table. Smirking to himself, he took a red pen and scratched a certain part of the document. Written in crude text was how the three personas users would infiltrate the palace, along with stealing Madarame's heart. In that section, he added another name to the list of combatants, that being of Yusuke Kitagawa.
"As if I'd let another chess piece slip away…"
Traveling back to a few days ago, when the bluenette had met Yusuke, he had already developed the potential for an awakening. A dark shadow hanging above his form. He just need to find an opening and toss in somehow.
He pressed his hand against the rusty old door bell, ringing it. Minato waited for Yusuke to greet him at the entrance to shake one more, a pleasant smile on his face. The pupil welcomed him in, guiding them to his studio once more.
"I'm glad to see you again, Mr. Arisato." Yusuke sat down by his easel, picking up a pencil. "How was your day?"
"I had some free time today so I thought I'd stop by again once more." Minato faced the pupil, a small earpiece hidden behind his long hair. Akira and the rest were beginning their operations as they spoke. Drowned out voices of intense discussion later faded to a calm static, signaling their entrance into the palace.
"Once again, I'm grateful to have you come during your spare time. For today, I'm planning to experiment with some oils instead of the usual charcoal sketches."
"Suppose it'll take longer than?"
"Yes. Although not by much. I'm used to finishing work faster than most."
"Then I'm curious to see how it'll turn out this time. Who knows? Maybe you'll suppress your master day."
Yusuke tensed, freezing but for a moment before resuming his usual movements, "Oh, I doubt I can overtake him as of now. His works just…have such passion to them that I couldn't compare."
Minato studied the hesitation, "Really now? Isn't modern art not only judged by the skill but the meaning behind them as well?" He saw the pupil nod, then pulled his phone, showing him a picture of a woman in red, backdropped by a dazzling landscape of gold, the bottom covered in an unnatural layer of purple paint.
"Do you see this? This work was one of my master's maiden works, the Sayuri." observing the picture, Yusuke's eyes softened, "It's something I aspire to achieve. There's just so much emotion packed into it despite its simplicity. A feeling I wish to replicate one day in my works, yet I have not come close to his mastery."
His words were bitter, although the boy appeared to have admired Sayrui very much. If Minato recalled correctly, it was also a work that shook the art world when it was said to be stolen long ago. Yet, despite Yusuke's admiration, he couldn't help but sense a deep sorrow in the pupil's reverence for the work. As said by him, a sensation so foreign that he could not capture in his own art.
"If that's the case, you can only study its essence, right?"
"Quite. Master did say he based the women in it off of a real model. Thus, I must study harder to capture the essence of what makes each person their own. Now let's get started."
With that said, Yusuke started to sketch an outline, pulling out a painter's palette, only to meet eyes with the bluenette once more, being consumed by a glowing pink energy.
"Then, how about at a later point down the line?"
Raising up from his seat, Minato gestured for the boy to come with him upstairs, "Nice to know we'll have all day. Would you mind showing me to that locked door on the next floor?" He said Yusuke nodded in silence, dropping his supplies, scattering them on the floor as they left. When they arrived at the cramped corner of the shake, they were both greeted by a lavishly decorated closet, bolted down by a high grade padlock.
He picked up the lock, inspecting it closely, a mischievous grin growing on his visage. The bluenette then inquired about the next part of his plan, "Do you know when your master will return from the exhibit today?" Before infiltrating the shake, Minato had stolen a copy of Madarame's plan for the day by charming one his aides, thus he knew the man would arrive home today.
"By two in the afternoon today. Master will stop by the house to rest."
"All according to plan then." The sound of cracking metal filled the upstairs, ending with shattered pieces of the ancient padlock filling the floor. Then, the master persona user waved his finger, casting a controlled fire that lit up the highway, burning the door away altogether, revealing the contents inside. Making sure to leave the rest of the shake unharmed, Minato stepped inside to almost spit out his nonexistent drink.
"What the fuck…?"
Mysterious revealed, shining light upon a dark truth, hundreds of paintings of the same women lined the walls of the dark closet. Then, in the center of the madness was an easel covered by a still, gray cloth. He approached it, unmasking what was under, unveiling another secret hidden by Madarame. His gray eyes widened, turning back to the tranced Yusuke and then back to the real Sayuri. Now he understood the emotions of the women clearly, as this was the real deal, a paternal love shone in her visage as if she were carrying something in hands. Minato's eyes fell, a pool of emotions he hadn't felt in a long time crashed against his tired mind. Somehow, the love shown in the work reminded him of his own family. His brows creased, meeting eyes with the figure. For a moment, just for a second, it reminded him of how his mother would look at him, with her tender eyes. He wondered how their lives would have turned out if they had all survived and the bullshit afterwards was only a fairytale, a fantasy conjured up by his sick mind.
Minato Arisato with his twin sister Hamuko Arisato, were born into an average Japanese family. Losing almost everything at a young, he persevered through tragedies-
Creek
He jolted awake from his daydream, sharply turning to see Madarame at the door, staring at them with wild eyes. A certain rage bubbled up in his mind, watching the elderly man scream and shout at him, completely filtering out his words. He fought the urge to snap the fool's neck in two.
"Who the hell are you?! Yusuke! Did you let him in? Why aren't you listening to me, brat?! Were you in on this? That's it, I'm calling my security detail-" Madarame shivered, his body tensed, cold hands his throat as he fought. Choking noises then gave way to a somber silence with the power of another charm trance taking over his mind. Minato dropped him, commanding him to gravel on the ground.
When Yusuke opened his eyes, he was met with a crying Madarame, his feeble body in a low bow, head to the floor, apologizing over and over for his misdeeds.
"M-master, what's wrong?!" Shaken, the pupil's blood froze, frightened at the display. It was as if he were in a long dream, between fantasy and reality, a fairy tale dream. He hurried to his master, trying to comfort him, but he was pushed back.
"I'm sorry Yusuke! I'm terribly sorry for all that I've done to you!"
"You're not making any sense, master. Just what has happened for you to be like this?" He tried to go back, to reach out a hand to Madarame.
"I've only been making you suffer through lie after lie all these years. Burying away the truth for my own sake!"
Yusuke jumped back from a painting tossed in between him and his master, his eyes widening.
"Master, what's this? Is this…the real Sayuri?!" He clasped onto the painting tightly. Cold sweat dripped against the aged wooden floor, mixing with Madarame's tears. Yusuke shifted his gaze to Minato, who stood motionless in the dark of the closet, towering over them like a grim reaper.
"D-did you do this? This tactic to disgrace my master!?" He rose in fury, years of denial fighting with his real emotions as rage clashed with gratitude. A yearning for maternal love burned against the cold desire for everything to remain the status quo.
Minato pulled up two identical, fake Sayuri's, their eyes dead compared to the original's, then pointed to the rest, "You said you wanted to capture the essence that made this painting whole. So I ask, do the copies I hold before me contain that lost spirit, or does the one in your hand hold much more weight?"
The pupil's hand clasped at the strange Sayuri, her eyes softer than anything he'd seen in his life, "Master, you once said the woman in this painting was a real model. Then tell me, why does this one capture the love in her eyes more than any of the other copies here?" He couldn't deny the piece in front of him felt more real than the other fakes. His instincts as an artist screamed that there would be no other Sayuri than this one alone. However, all the other copies in the room disturbed as he recognised more of Madarame's own style of painting on them than this version. The fakes bore them with lifeless eyes, only emitting a tenth of the original's essence.
"Yusuke, that woman in the painting was indeed real, but there was more to this work than you expect. That smile of hers, it wasn't a coincidence that she looked the way she did. As she once carried a child in her arms…" Madarame began in defeat, gesturing to the covered area of the piece, "In fact, they were both people I knew once."
"Then why did you hide the presence of the child? Why did you hide away the real Sayuri when it could have been shared with the public. Such brilliant passion being covered up like this, master. What were your intentions for halving the light felt in this piece?"
Madarame craned his head upwards, gazing at Yusuke with sorrow in his eyes, "Because…because the child's presence would have been a hindrance to my efforts."
"How so…?"
"The child belonged to the woman that created this masterpiece…"
"Then you-!?"
Minato blinked, sensing a distortion in the space, before Yusuke disappeared from the room, leaving him and a charmed Madarame alone. The same, familiar power emitted by the wicked god flashed in his mind, before disappearing. This both delighted and angered the blue haired reaper, his dull eyes rolling in annoyance at the interference.
But at the same time, he grinned, knowing the 'god' in that room must have been so frightened of his presence that he forcefully interfered in his own game. He even cut him some slack by sending the child to that realm. Perhaps he was planning to build a persona user army against him one day. At this, the reaper chuckled at his futile efforts.
But as waited alone in the shake, he couldn't shake a certain bitterness that emerged like a thorn stabbing into his heart. No wonder he felt such love from the Sayuri, as there was once a child that belonged to the mother, covered up by one man's lies. He shifted his attention to Madarame, grabbing him by the collar.
"I'll make sure you redeem yourself for everything you've done."
Running through the shadow with a straight fist, Joker landed gracefully, stunning his opponent who desperately tried to recover, clenching its wound, its sharp claws digging into the ground. It roared, its white main frizzled by the battle, then an uppercut cracked its skull when the thief sent it flying upwards. The force throwing its large body into a wall, struggling to get up, it sent a wave of blackness at the Fool who jumped out of the way, doing a spinning roundhouse kick that behead the creature, letting its corpse drop to the floor in a splatter of dark ichor on the walls.
Joker cleaned his gloves, his body easing at the death of his opponent, then the hairs on his neck shot, causing him to leap at the falling object that descended from the rooftop. Raising his fist and dagger, he prepared for another life or brawl, but froze when he noticed the familiar face of the figure.
"Yusuke?" He saw Panther hurry over, checking on the boy for any injured who cried out in pain.
"W-where am I? What is this place?" He said in panic, eyes darting wildly at the surreal site of the palace and the people around him. A disgustingly lavish place decorated with gold paired with people in strange attire surrounded him. He clenched his head, wondering if he had finally gone insane from the stress of Madarame's confession. Cold sweat dripped down his back.
"It's ok Yuske! It's me, Ann. We met during the exhibit with Minato, remember?" She comforted him, but he refused to calm down.
"You expect me to believe this is all real? What kind of sick prank is this?" Yusuke frowned, clenching his head in pain. His gut felt heavy like his body was placed until a pressure cooker, slowly growing weaker and weaker.
"Look man, I know you're confused but everything you see here is the truth. Do you think any place like this would exist in real life at all?" Skull said, summoning his persona, causing the pupil to shake at its presence.
"Skull! Don't do that, you're scaring him!"
"What? No, how else can we get him to believe us?"
Morgana jumped in front of the two, stunning Yusuke even more, "Enough you two. Anyways, we had no way of knowing why he's here with us. Something must have happened in the real world with Minato for this to happen."
"Somehow I doubt he can send people here." Joker spoke up. Every training session had him going with Minato to Mementos, not the other way around. To add to this, the veteran also voiced his displeasure at the idea of bringing Yusuke along.
"Then who else could have done this? Don't tell me someone else can enter the palaces like we can." Panther said.
"Since Skull and I entered Kamoshida's castle without knowing, it's possible it could happen to other people too." Joker mused out loud, but cut everyone short, "Regardless, we should discuss this when we get him out of here. It's too dangerous to explore further now."
Everyone nodded in agreement, "Let's get you out of here first, Yusuke. We can talk about this later."
"I won't object to it…" The pupil got up, his eyes creased at the various paintings displayed on the walls, as they avoided numerous bizarre looking security guards. Somehow, the vibe they were giving off felt completely inhuman. The further he was exposed to the corrupted museum the more questions bubbled up in his mind. The sudden confession of Madarame, the child in the 'real' Sayuri, and above all, Minato's presence in all this mystery. Shaking his head, he blocked out any excess thoughts and decided to focus on the present and his weakening state.
Now he was stuck among a group that slowly moved about, hiding their presence away in the shadows until the last of these otherworldly beings passed by. He leaned against Skull, who carried along, his breaths shallow from basic movement. Just how were these people able to keep up so easily he thought. Although his musing were cut short when two beings ambushed the group, with Joker jumping in front to defend the party.
"Why, I must say, took you long enough to find the exit. So how did you all enjoy the museum?"
Draped in dazzling gold, a shadow of a person Yusuke called his own father appears. Sickening yellow eyes glaring down at the boy, causing him to almost wretch, twisting his gut with his heavy presence.
"Master…? Is that you?" Yusuke said, distraught.
"Ah, Yusuke, I've been looking forward to our meeting here. Looks like you somehow wandered in here along with those rats." The shadow said, arrogance present in his voice. "I didn't take you as the pathetic type, sneaking into my museum."
"Why are you like this master? Your dress, your words, they are so unlike you…"
The shadow smiled a sweet, sickly smile, his words were like honey, "What do you mean Yusuke? I've always been like this. Your master has always enjoyed dressing in gold and enjoying the more lavish side of life. Don't tell me you didn't realize this from living with me for so long."
Yusuke tensed, memories of a bygone child flashed throughout his mind, holding back tears. When he was a child, Madarame had sheltered him, raised him, taught him the weight of being fragile in life so that others could have their equal share, but here…
"Hahah, don't tell me you believed in all that humbleness crap. I only raised you for my own benefits. Even now you are useful to me as my child. So why don't we clear up these misunderstandings and join hands back together as master and pupil. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to crush you under my feet like the rest of these pests."
His master reached out a hand to him, beckoning him forth, "We can return to the status quo-!"
"No!" Yuske screamed back, letting out years of pent up frustration in one go, a blue aura slowly covering him. "You have to tell me the truth, master! Is this your true self? Your dreams, your beliefs?!" He pointed to the golden statue in the center of the palace, the spring of wealth made out of hundreds of familiar faces, faces Yusuke has personally seen in pain, "Is this how you treat us? Your children, all of them being thrown away so you can live lavishly?!"
Wind picked up.
"Those children were traitors. Everyone of them left without a shred of gratitude! I saved them from rotting in the art world! All they had to do was contribute their lives to me but what did they do in exchange? Run away at the first sign of hardship! They are nothing, Yusuke! And you know it!"
Blue flames crackled to life, the temperature of the area increasing.
Yuksue chuckled, "Then what about me Madarame?" He glared, "Am I the same to you?"
A mask appeared on his face, he pulled at it, calm.
"Remember how I promised to impart you with the wisdom that created the Sayuri? If you offer your lif-"
"ENOUGH!"
He pulled away the mask, a shockwave of blue bursting forth, destroying the shadows that guarded Madarame, throwing him back, burning from the cool rage that erupted at the sudden awakening. The darkness that once hovered above the boy condensed into a solid presence, as ice cutaway at any reinforcements. Not a shred of mercy left for the man he once called his master.
Yusuke Kitagawa gripped his blade, slicing through the final guard, pointing it at his teacher, "I know you're lying, Madarame."
Placed on the table, was an extra set of silverware, welcoming their newest member. Akira across from Yusuke, who appeared to be in deep thought. Putting down his menu, he ordered the last dishes while everyone else munched on assorted bread sticks on the table.
"Was it necessary to interrupt me at the last minute?" Yusuke said, frowning.
"We get it, you were angry and wanted to make amends, but attacking a palace ruler alone like that would have been super reckless." Ann sipped on her soda pop.
"No. I didn't mean to engage him at all. It was just to show how I meant to sever ties with him, symbolically speaking."
"What? This isn't a period drama, you know?" Ryuji sighed.
"Not like the real Madarame would have known what you did either. You may have seen his true self, but his human counterpart would be none the wiser." Morgana meowed.
"So these palaces are the reflection of people's hearts. And your stories regarding them. Are they really true? Is that why he confessed in front of us today?" Suddenly, the atmosphere of the table shifted, everyone yelling in unison, glaring at Minato.
""HE WHAT?!""
"Calm down. He only admitted his guilt to Yusuke in particular." Minato inwardly cursed, "palaces are still a mystery so maybe you guys meddling inside could have changed his perception somehow." His temperings with Madarame may have also altered the shadow's perception of Yusuke, as he thought back to the story of how it tried to manipulate the pupil to his side. In the end, he awakened anyway so he'll count that as a victory.
"I was curious too, so I made a few calls to Madarame when we left the metaverse. However, he appeared to have recovered from his breakdown. And has gone back to his usual self." Yusuke said.
"Hmmm, since our first victory over Kamoshida was all guess work, we can't be sure that we didn't accidentally do something we shouldn't." Morgana concluded, "From now on, we'll have to be extra careful how we interact with the palace altogether."
"Could it be because of the door we busted down?" Akira said.
"And who pulled Yusuke inside? That's another question we have no answers for," Minato showed his phone screen, "As you can all see, I can't use the app myself."
"Ugh, all these questions hurt my brain, let's eat already," Ryuji put a hand to his head.
"Perhaps whoever put this app on my phone knows," Yusuke narrowed his eyes, staring at the ominous red eye watching him back from the screen.
"Indeed. There must be someone out there distributing it for unknown purposes." Minato concluded, stabbing his fork into his steak, letting the red juices leak out.
Akira shivered at the red, knowing exactly who the culprit was.
But he could not speak.
Calling cards were sent out just as planned, resulting in an international broadcast that stunned the world at large, airing across countless news stations. A reporter stood among a sea of fake Sayuri, as journalists gasped at all the missing exhibit pieces. Cameras flared to life, capturing every shot, while outside police locked down the building for a panicked investigation. Red cards once again showered from the sky, with a banner of a thief logo boldly displayed as the centerpiece of the new exhibit.
Akira paused the report on his phone, nodding to the rest of his party, with Minato waving them off.
"Are you all ready?" The Wild Card gave everyone one last chance to check their gear.
"Roger that, I can't wait to see this new treasure of ours!" Morgana meowed.
"That bastard's day of reckoning has finally come!" Ryuji yelled.
"Quiet down. Someone might hear us." Ann chided.
"Of course. I am eager to see how this change of heart takes place." Yusuke gave the final signal as everyone teleported in.
Minato watched them disappear, leaning against one of the reels of the now empty street. His eyes slowly moving, catching a new presence in the area, watching him. A boy no older than his meal ticket, hid himself among the foliage. His brunette hair and well dressed suit sticking out like a sore thumb.
Dashing through multiple narrow passages, across a vast maze inside the golden palace, Joker halted when a stray rush of wind cut through the atmosphere, forcing him to shield the rest of his team. Switching to a garu resistant persona, he readied his dagger for an oncoming attack.
"Shit.." He let out a whisper, seeing shadow Madarame emerge with two guards, catching them by surprise. Angry yellow orbs burning into the thieves, particularly eyeing the stolen treasure in their hands.
"So you pests came after all…" Madarame scoffed, then turned to a masked Yusuke, silent.
"Doesn't matter now does it? We've got what we came here for, so move it old man!" Skull roared from the back, but his intimidation fell on deaf ears when palace owner sent a clap of thunder their way, catching everyone off guard, sending the treasure tumbling to the floor, revealing its true contents.
Everyone gasped, with Morgana in particular holding in a yelp at the blank art piece being charred to a crisp.
"H-how dare you plant such an obvious fake!" Morgana shouted.
Madarame's face shone with glee, "Ohoho, did the cat assume I'd be dumb enough to leave my most prized possession in such an open place? Surrounded by the most incompetent guards?!" With a sudden shake of the ground, flames ensnared the shadows guarding the older man on side, completely burning them away. "I'd never entrust this to anyone but myself, not you or these incompetent fools that let you almost get away!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?! They were on your side!" Panther held in more curses.
"My side? Pft, don't be so soft. Don't you know the people you keep the closest will betray you the most?"
"If you mean gaining free will and uncovering all the lies you've built up throughout the years, then you might be correct." Fox stepped out of the crowd, ice crystals forming around him "Now let us leave in peace Madarame, or we'll have to use force to help you see your wrongs."
As if on que, the shadow laughed wildly, "Hahahhaha, as if I'd like someone the likes of you lives after what you've done, Yusuke! At first I was being considerate, but it really appears you're willing to throw your life away for these fools you've just met!"
Suddenly, multiple elements erupted, forcing Joker to pull his companion back, when the ground around them started to shake, as black ichor bleed from the golden Shogun, distorting his form into multiple grotesque frames. An eyeball emerged, its pupils darting wildly, then a mouth, nose, and second eye formed, each twisted and ugly, reflecting the state of their owner's greed. They floated around, then zoomed across, throwing out wild attacks at the party, threatening to break their formation.
Skull threw himself at the mouth of the floating shadow, slamming his steel pipe down from above, however the attack did almost nothing as it tried to take a bite out of the stunned persona user. "Are you kidding me!?" He jumped back, almost being hit by friendly fire from Morgana and Panther double teaming against the eyes of the painter.
"Is this all you brats have to say? I'll erase all of you-!" Madarame's cackles were stopped by a stray kick to his mouth, so powerful it managed to make him almost hurl ichor. Joker entered the battle grounds, throwing the battered frame of the painter's nose into the air, shoving into the mouth, then smashing the frame to bits with a rough kick, canceling both body parts at once. Dark liquid splattering all over his face, silencing everyone in the battle. A loud, commanding voice boomed throughout the palace.
"Everyone, focus on figuring out the weaknesses of these individual frames! Morgana, focus on healing duty, Panther and Skull summon your Personas to play defense, form a blockade to stop an escape while I and Fox take care of the rest of Madarame!"
"But we can also-" Skull protested.
"Hey, you can't just tell me-!" Morgana shouted.
"Not now. You saw how close you were to being hit by friendly fire. More people on the battlefield means higher chances of others getting hurt in the chaos."
Joker gave everyone a silent death glare to shut anyone else up, "Healing is important too Morgana. You'll keep us all alive…" His last words sent shivers down the spines of those present, forcing them to accept the commands. The Wild Card turned, facing the last of Madarame, inwardly glad that his team was going to survive. Stepping next to Fox, he gave him the signal and the two sped off, charging at the two remaining eyes of Madarame.
"Don't either of you have any shame?! Attacking me like this?" The shadow protested, however he was met next with a sword that barely grazed the surface of his eye, causing him to scream while his other eye was grabbed by Joker, with him stabbing his dagger deep down, popping it like a sick balloon.
"GAHHHHHHHH"
The Painter let out a gasp when Fox followed his attack by summoning his Persona, letting Goman slam down his smoke pipe, crushing the frame under its massive weight. With all the shattered frames gone, Joker saw something bubbling up from the black ichor pools that formed all over the battlefield. He shifted his attention when he saw Panther throwing her whip back and Madarame's shadow trying to run, when Joker lunged at him, sucker punching him from the back, shattering his shoulder. He then grabbed the horrified shadow by the collar, bashing his face into the ground while Fox watched with a hidden frown.
"Tell us, where's the real treasure?" The Wild Card spat, pinning the shadow down, a knife to the man's throat.
"I-I can't give that to you! No, it'd be-"
Joker bashed the fool's face into the floor once more, he looked at the man with his steel gray eyes, anger sizzling, threatening to burn, "Did I give you a choice?" He said cold, imitating the voice of a certain bluenette. Madarame trembled, whimpering. The shadow reached into his coat, handing something to Fox who stood beside the two.
"Ok, ok! I'll do it, I-do it!" The painter yelled in agony, battered and bloodied"
An air of not rage, but disappointment surrounded Fox, who watched the beating with apathy. He felt his old master deserved that much, or rather inwardly he admitted he did want to see the man be brought to justice for years, yet he held in his grievances. It was only when Madarame produced a certain object did his senses return to him. His eyes wide, as he stared at yet another version of the Sayuri, one perhaps that should have been, but was never revealed to the world. Fox's hands started to shake, as his jaw dropped.
"Hey Fox, you alright?" Skull called out, seeing the artist pale, blood draining from his skin.
"Does he need help? I can cast a few more healing spells!" Morgana said, more clueless.
"Is Madarame messing with us again?" Panther said.
Fox shook his head, looking to the others with a thousand yard stare, shell shocked. "This Sayuri…" He embraced the work, finally feeling its warmth for the first time, smiling sardonically
"It's a painting of my mother.."
Opening his phone, he surfed through the articles, watching the breaking news once more. Among the populace, news broke of a confession by a world renowned artist, as the disaster was viewed by millions live on air.
Standing atop of a podium, Madarame cried his heart out, "I truly apologize to each and every one of my pupils! I used my authority in the art world to blackmail and hurt many people, and for that, I will personally donate all I have to correct my wrongs!" He bowed, whipping his tears away.
Minato turned off his headphones, putting his phone away, strolling down an empty subway tunnel. What was once a bustling underground was now devoid of life, its eerie emptiness reminding him of the dark hour. His steps echoed down the long tunnel, each one resounding throughout the entire structure, until he stopped at a train cart. White fluorescent lights buzzed above, illuminating the quiet darkness around him. Slowly, the doors of the cart opened, revealing another person inside.
Yu Narukami faced the bluenette, quiet and alone. A silent scowl on his face.
"Long time no see…"
"Same to you." Minato returned the greeting, "So how are you, old friend? Pft, are you obsessing over me?"
"Tch! Don't give me that crap. You know why I'm here." Yu growled.
The bluenette shrugged, stretching his arms out wide mockingly, "Oh yea? How many years have we been doing this? How much money have you invested? How much time have you wasted? How many sheep have you sent to slaughter?
Yu held back his tongue, a growing distraught obvious on his face as he fought back the urge to hurl. The pressure emitted from the monster before him caused cold sweat to roll down his neck, yet he stood his ground. His right hand grasping an imaginary blade.
Then Minato got closer, arching his back, a sadistic grin spread.
"Are you exhausted yet? Cause I'm not. In fact, I wonder how many funeral services you've attended up until now. What type of bullshit lies did you tell their families, huh?" Minato chuckled, "In the end, you ended up more of a monster than I'll ever be…"
Yu took a step back, unable to voice his guilt. His throat clasped, he felt choking, drowning in his own guilt.
"Pft…hhahahaa. Poor you. Unable to defend himself even in a verbal match. Just how are you planning to stop me, I wonder? Wait, don't tell me you'll send all your grunts all at once. Then you'll really be in trouble."
Yu took in a deep breath, then cut the bluenette off, "Enough. I came here for one reason and one reason only."
"Oh? And what's that? So that letter wasn't just a love confession, huh?" Minato tilted his head in a faux, childlike wonder.
"Minato Arisato, we of the Kirijo and Shirogane groups, declare war here and now."
Author's notes: Btw i made some art for the fic on Archive of our Own (AO3). Just search up the fic's name and you'll see it.
Now that we've gotten through the filler arcs of P5 we can now begin with the real fish. The Reaper is about to deliver some real nasty blows and we'll dive into Minato's past. See ya then.