Chapter VI: Return to Osaka
Shinkansen (新幹線)/August 3, 2020 (2020年8月3日)/8:55 AM (JST)
By morning, the Phantom Thieves, Hifumi, Sion, and three gamblers took the Shinkansen, known in English as the bullet train. This network of railway lines gave people access to travel to any city in the country. For the Thieves, this was their fastest transport to get from Tokyo to Osaka.
Sitting inside the bullet train, Ren, Ann, Makoto, Ryuji, Morgana (inside Ren's backpack), Yusuke, Futaba, Haru, Sion, Hifumi, Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta enjoyed the beautiful morning view on the way to their destination.
"Whoa, check it out!" Ryuji exclaimed, staring out a window like a giddy child.
"It looks really nice! What do you think, Ryōta?" Yumeko asked her friend.
"Yeah, it's nice. We'll be seeing plenty of nice city and country views," Ryōta concurred.
"It's great for me. Since I've never ridden the Shinkansen," Futaba added. "I mean, this sure beats driving out to Osaka like we did a few years ago!"
Yusuke smirked coolly. "On the bright side, we should be able to see Mount Fuji again. The sight of that formation is magnificent."
"We've already passed by Nagoya," Haru pointed out.
"Yeah, isn't that amazing?" Ann asked Ren.
Smiling, Ren nodded. "Yeah, it sure is."
Staring out, Sion quietly enjoyed the beauty of the cityscape, the countryside, the townhouses, the natural forested landscapes, and monuments. Seeing all of these overwhelmed Sion with relaxing thoughts, almost making him forget the harsh, cruel world he left behind.
"Sion? You've been quiet," Hifumi turned to him.
"This is the first I've ridden on these 'trains'. It's very calm and relaxing," Sion replied, a tranquil smile adorned his face.
"I see. That's good."
"Is this really taking us to another far off city?" The Revenant asked the dark-haired Shogi player.
"Indeed, we're going to another city called Osaka. If you liked Tokyo's sights, you'll for sure enjoy Osaka."
"We're going to have a great time there, Sion!" Yumeko chimed in.
"I haven't been to Osaka in a long time," Mary calmly smiled, lightly pushing Yumeko's arm off her.
Just then, after she got up from her seat next to Haru, Makoto approached Ren, Ann, and Morgana's side.
"May I sit with you for a minute?" Makoto asked the three, which they complied with the policewoman's request. "Tell me. Do you really believe everything Sion says?" She muttered, painstakingly eyeing Sion on the other side of the bullet train.
"It's hard to say. Hifumi has reassured she's been taking care of Sion," Ann stated.
"To be fair, we know little about him. Do keep in mind, we attacked him first. He presumed we were a threat to Hifumi, Yumeko, and the others," Morgana reminded Makoto, as he talked the other passengers outside the collective group could hear are cat meows.
"I'm concerned you two might instigate a fight. We saw you and Sion about to get into it outside the boss's place." Ann referred to Makoto's heated argument with Sion two days ago.
Almost wanting to gnash her teeth, Makoto sighed. "He warned if I didn't stop instigating and annoying him, he'd bite my neck and drink my blood."
Hearing this, Ren frowned. "For your sake, I wouldn't bother him. We're all trying to make him feel comfortable, but you've gotten too confrontational with him. Beyond attacking us in self defense, he hasn't done anything wrong."
"Yes, I know that, but I'm baffled you're all being too friendly to him."
Ann smiled. "Just give him a chance, Makoto. After learning just bits of his background, it sounds like he's had it rough. Hifumi hopes he can build trust with us."
"Fine. I'll try and be more open-minded." Makoto complied, deeply sighing.
"That's great to know!" Ann nodded approvingly.
"Let's hope cooler heads can prevail. We need to keep it together and learn about the source releasing these monsters," Morgana stated.
Just then, Nekomata materialized, startling Morgana. His presence was not detected by civilians outside the group. "We have passed Kyoto, my friends. Very soon we shall reach our destination."
"Thanks for letting us know, Nekomata-sama," Makoto said to the Guardian Spirit. Then, Haru walked up to her. "Hey, Haru-chan."
"Are you ok, Mako-chan?"
"Yeah, sorta. Look, I'll get over Sion and try to get along with him."
Haru passively replied. "I know. You being law enforcement, you just want to look out for us."
"I do and it's partly why I was suspicious about Sion, but when his vampiric nature was revealed, I couldn't help but feel wary. Look, I'll try and give him a chance." She quietly observed Sion and Hifumi conversing.
Pointing to the window, Hifumi showed Sion a gorgeous view of Kyoto's famed shrines and temples. Mesmerized by the beautiful historical landmarks, the Revenant became further immersed with what the current world had to offer to show him, which his native dimension never offered him. He gladly partook everything in Hifumi's company.
Adjusting his glasses, Ren smirked. "Look out, Osaka. The Thieves are coming back with some company."
Osaka (大阪市)/10:35 AM (JST)
Best known for making high-quality food and often referred to as the "Nation's Kitchen", Osaka is the third largest Japanese city in terms of population. Back in the Edo period, Osaka served as the center of the rice trade. There are four interconnected towers in the Umeda area built in the late 1980s. The Umeda Sky Building is the most recognizable.
Scouring the Osakan streets and arriving near a less crowded vicinity, the Thieves, Hifumi, Sion, and the gamblers were surrounded by many sight-seeing infrastructures, historical landmarks, entertainment venues, and a variety of restaurants. Recalling their last visit three years ago, fun and cherished memories filled their minds.
"It's like how I remembered it," Yusuke smiled.
"It hasn't changed," Ren remarked, then reflected on their previous acquaintances during the last time in Osaka. "I wonder how Zenkichi, Akane, Sophia, and Ichinose are doing?"
Ann added. "There were many things we couldn't do when we were here last time!"
Ryuji then commented. "We totally missed out on Universal Studios! How about we go?!" He yelled out exuberantly, his spirit full of energy.
"If it's anything like Tokyo Disneyland, it'll be fun!" Ann concurred with him.
"Hopefully it'll turn out better than the last time we were at Tokyo Disneyland. If you recall, my father…" Haru then stopped mid-sentence, doing her best not to be overcome with grief over her father's tragedy that initially framed the Phantom Thieves as criminals.
"Haru…" Makoto clapped Haru's shoulder gently.
"Thanks, Mako-chan."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Hifumi gave Haru her condolences.
"It's fine. Anyway, we're here to investigate and maybe unwind a bit."
Yumeko gleefully chimed in. "Yeah, why don't we indulge ourselves in some fun activities?! We should hit up some bars and gamble to our heart's content?!"
Mary sighed in exasperation. "How about no?"
Striking Yumeko's forehead with a finger tap, Hifumi openly chastised her. "No, you don't. Did you forget gambling is illegal in Japan?"
"Not unless it's pachinko?" Yumeko blinked thrice, pushing Hifumi's finger away. "There aren't laws about converting non-cash prizes into cash at the pachinko parlor windows, right?"
Ryōta recalled. "Oh yeah! There aren't laws for those! I don't see the harm!"
Hifumi turned to Sion. "There is the Shitennō-ji. We can visit that place if you'd like to."
The Revenant happily replied. "Whatever it is, I'm interested to see it."
Just then, Makoto grumbled under her breath, unnerved by listening to the others planning leisure activities.
"Hey, did you guys forget why we're here?" Makoto scoffed, folding her arms. A cross look etched on her facial features, conveying her annoyance with her friends' casual way of conducting themselves. "We're not here for fun. We're here to investigate." She slightly deepened her tone, sternly lecturing and restoring some order to the lively group. "There. Much better."
Scoffing, Ryuji muttered. "What's gotten you so worked up, Makoto?"
Makoto nodded. "Just forget it, I've just been under some stress since we became Thieves again."
Haru gently smiled. "Just don't overexert yourself, Mako-chan. I know you mean well."
Yusuke then reasonably added. "I can understand Makoto's position. We are here on a mission, but we should take advantage of leisure activities to help us ease our minds."
Futaba raised a hand. "Yep! We missed out on some activities when we were here last time! We need to make up for it!"
Taking a deep breath, Sion sighed. "No, it's clearly because of me. Right, Mako-kins?" He turned away, not even looking at her.
"When did I mention you? Do you still have a problem with me?" Makoto rebuked, unnerved by the Revenant's snide remark toward her. She watched him holding Hifumi's hand.
"I don't know. You tell me," Sion scoffed.
"Oook, that's enough. Let's not cause a scene here, ok?" Ren interjected, cutting off Sion and Makoto exchanging tense glares.
"Right. Anyway, why don't we split up into groups and investigate through the prefectures here?" Makoto suggested.
"And I'll go with her to make sure she doesn't lose track," Morgana trotted over to the policewoman.
"Are you sure you're going to be fine, Makoto?" Ren queried, showing concern for her current state of being.
"I'll be ok. All of you should split up as I suggested."
"Don't worry about us, guys. I've got me and Makoto covered!" Morgana reassured them.
"Thanks, Mona," Makoto smiled at the cat. "And Hifumi?"
"Yes?" The Shogi player blinked, surprised that Makoto quickly acknowledged her.
"Look after Sion, ok?" Makoto nodded as she and Morgana headed out into the streets to investigate, leaving the others behind to contemplate their next move.
"Well, shit. Where can we start looking?" Ryuji wondered.
"Osaka is an awfully large place to investigate clues," Yusuke pointed out the city's immense size and population density.
"I wish the old cat would tell us where we should go next," Yumeko remarked.
"Hey, young miss. Watch who you're calling an old cat!" Nekomata materialized in front of the group.
"Whoops, sorry!" Yumeko apologetically replied.
"Just for a frame of reference, many historical events took place in this city. The Siege of Osaka took place at Osaka Castle, igniting a war between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi clans going from the Winter of 1614 to the summer of 1615. This ushered in the beginning of the Genna era. It is here where William assisted the Tokugawa forces while the Spaniard Maria assisted Yukimura and Lady Chacha."
Yumeko recalled. "Lady Chacha is the one who once possessed the Nine-Tails, which she gave me!"
"Indeed, and she used Amrita, which led to tragedy. In the end, William and Yukimura teamed to defeat Lady Chacha after she became the Nine-Tailed Fox. Both Yukimura and Lady Chacha chose to die from the flames, freeing themselves from the bloody conflict."
With concern in her eyes, Mary turned to Yumeko. "And how ironic we ended up with Yukimura and Lady Chacha's Guardian Spirits. Look, Yumeko. Don't make the same mistake Lady Chacha made. She let the darkness take hold of her. I'd hate to see you and the Nine-Tails suffer."
As she whipped around, Yumeko presented her with a big smile. "Relax, Mary! Nothing's going to happen! I did promise Lady Chacha I'd treat her fox well."
Ryōta chuckled. "Yeah, you did promise."
"Anyway, should we start investigating like private eye detectives? Oooh, if only we had those cool and nifty magnifying glasses!" Futaba said.
"Or, how about we simply look around and find any suspicious supernatural activity?" Yusuke shrugged.
"Uh, that'll work, too, Inari."
"I shall be in contact with you all soon, my friends." Nekomata's presence vanished, leaving the group to split up into smaller groups.
"Ready?" Ren asked Ann as they split off from the rest of the group.
"Ren," Haru stepped in, catching up with him and Ann. "Do you think we should let Mako-chan go like that? You think she'll be ok?"
Nodding, he nonchalantly replied. "It's not like she hasn't gone off on her own before. She'll be ok with Morgana."
"I see."
"Hey, relax, Haru. Use this time for yourself and take in the pleasures you couldn't when we were last time." Ann winked.
"Ok, I will!" Haru eagerly cried out.
Before turning to leave, Sion, Hifumi, Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta approached Ren and Ann.
"May we join you?" Hifumi asked the couple.
"We promise we won't get in the way," Yumeko said.
Mentally cursing to himself, Ren's initial plans for an outing with Ann alone were shot. He also couldn't say no to Hifumi's polite inquiry.
"Sure, follow us," he complied, which elicited jovial cheers from Yumeko.
Grabbing Sion's hand, Hifumi dragged him along. "Let's have some fun while we're investigating."
"I'd like that, but let's also stay vigilant," warned the Revenant.
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館)/Minato-ku, Osaka (港区, 大阪市)/12:23 PM (JST)
Instead, however, the mission turned into a carefree outing for the other Thieves, Hifumi, Sion, and the gamblers. One group, comprising Yusuke, Haru, and Futaba, visited one of the world's largest aquariums.
"Woooow, look at all the fishies!" Futaba's widening and gleaming eyes scanned the various colored fish swimming inside large aquarium tanks. Zipping by the crowds, the hacker glimpsed at every inch of the aquarium exhibits. "Whoa, it's like I'm looking into the ocean!"
"These aquariums are packed with thousands of species," Yusuke informed Futaba, who scanned a massive tank. Her eyes gaped open when a massive spotted shark leisurely swam inside a massive tank shared with a host of other fish species.
"You guys have got to get a load of this big shark!" Futaba pointed to the giant shark.
"Ah, yes, the whale shark. This is the Pacific Ocean tank," the artist read a sign posted next to the massive aquarium.
"Look, Inari! A manta ray!" Futaba pulled him over, pointing him to a massive manta ray swimming away from the whale shark.
"Aren't those tuna fish?" Haru eyed the school of tuna.
"Those are bluefin tuna. My, isn't it just beautiful?" Yusuke backed off, framing the large aquarium with his hands like an artist would while capturing a perfect scenery draw and paint. "Doesn't it just seem like we're walking underwater in the Pacific Ocean? This would be a picture perfect scene to replicate on canvas. Of course, I'd make some modifications to make it more exquisite."
With an awkward look, Futaba sardonically remarked. "Uh, Inari. You're being weird again."
Haru giggled. "I could see this painted and framed like a painting."
After leaving the Pacific Ocean Tank, the group briefly split to explore different exhibits. Entering the Jellyfish Area, the enthused artist became fascinated by the various jellyfish species. Gaining more inspiration, Yusuke pictured illustrations of jellyfish. Imagining himself in a sea full of jellyfish, he recalled a time when he made a painting based on Mementos.
Futaba visited the Japanese Forests and Tasmanian Sea exhibits. She became enamored by the otters and dolphins. However, none fascinated the eccentric hacker more than the Japanese giant salamanders.
"Wow, I've seen these a lot on TV! But, you're straight out of prehistory!" Futaba's eyes gleamed at a giant salamander in its exhibit.
Elsewhere, Haru visited the Ecuadorian Jungle exhibit, quickly won over by the giant capybaras.
"Awww, they're so cute," Haru beamed with joy.
Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン)/Konohana-ku, Osaka (此花区, 大阪市)/1:30 PM (JST)
Walking into Universal Studios Japan felt like stepping into a fantastical realm come to life. While not quite as magical as Tokyo Disneyland, it is as imaginative for a theme park. Ren, Ann, Ryuji, Hifumi, Sion, and the gamblers walked in expecting a fantastic experience.
The group split into two groups: Ren & Ann as a pairing and Yumeko & her friends joining Hifumi & Sion. Watching his friends go their separate ways, a distraught Ryuji sulked and looked around for something to entertain him.
"Man, so many things to do," Ryuji muttered, his eyes vividly scanning the theme park attractions. Without paying any mind, he quickly stumbled back when bumping into someone. "Yo, watch where you're..!"
"No, I'm sorry I should've looked where I was going!" Came a soft, polite response from a young woman. Rising his eyes to meet the person, Ryuji faced a youthful woman who looked roughly near Ryuji's age. Her shoulder-length light brown hair has shades of natural orange and worn in a ponytail. She has on a strapless white tube top, capri blue jeans, and tennis shoes. Complimenting her summer wear, her accessories are a silver necklace with a peace symbol, purple wrist bracelets, pink nail polish, and silver earrings.
Blinking twice, Ryuji stared awkwardly at the young woman. She giggled when she pointed to his face.
"You're so cute when you blush," she pointed to him.
"I'm blushing? Hahah, gee. I didn't even notice."
The woman chuckled. "Don't sweat it! I mean, we are sweating 'cause it's summertime, right?"
A big goofy grin adorned Ryuji's face. "Yeah, it's freakin' hot out."
"Wanna go find some shade somewhere."
"Uh, sure…" He replied as she grabbed his hand and walked him along.
"I know a good spot to cool off. Oh, sorry. I should introduce myself! My name is Tokiha Miyako!" The girl casually greeted him, finding shade under an umbrella stand outside an ice cream vendor.
"I'm Sakamoto Ryuji!"
"A pleasure to meet ya!" Miyako sat down with him. "So, you alone?"
"Nah, my friends went and ditched me. My best bud's hanging out with my other best BFF. And a group of us split up. We just came in from Tokyo."
"Oh, you're from Tokyo? That's nice. I live around here."
Ryuji smiled. "I can tell from the Osakan accent ya got."
Miyako giggled, twirling a lock of her hair. "I'm in a similar boat. My friends are hanging with their dates, but I came alone. So, I figure I go find a random friend to hang out with. And so…" She poked Ryuji's chest and winked. "You drew the random lot."
"Lucky me then? Go figure." The knucklehead itched the back of his head.
"So, where do you wanna go?"
"You choose. I've never been here before."
"Well, ya came to the right place, Ryuji! Follow me!" An enthused smile formed on the energetic girl's face as she walked Ryuji into the Jurassic Park attractions. He shared her enthusiasm, exploring the area and encountering life-like animatronics of dinosaurs, including some Velociraptors and a Spinosaurus.
"Like oh my gosh, don't they look real?!" Miyako happily exclaimed.
"Heheh, hell yeah! Like straight out of the movies!" Ryuji heartily laughed as Miyako led him straight for Jurassic Park: The Ride attraction.
"I think you'll like this, Ryuji." With that, Miyako took him into the ride. By the end, the cart took a watery dive with the climactic appearance of the T. rex bellowing its loud, ear-shattering iconic roar.
"Wow, that was great!" Ryuji hollered, pumping his fist up overhead.
"I'm glad ya liked it, Ryuji."
"Where to next?"
Miyako smirked. "How about the Minion Park?"
Elsewhere in the theme park, Ren and Ann stepped into a life-like scene straight out of a movie. They recognized the castle, the wizards, and magic. The couple found themselves in the Wizardly World of Harry Potter. They gazed in awe around the Harry Potter-themed attractions.
Facing a young boy with short brown hair and glasses, Ann turned to Ren, resisting the urge to giggle out loud.
"What?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Did I ever tell you almost look like Harry Potter?" Ann chuckled, clamping her mouth as to not laugh.
"What? No, I don't," he scoffed, meticulously staring at the Harry Potter figure. Promptly removing his glasses, the young man pivoted Ann's way. "How about now?"
"Hmm, yeah you still kinda do."
"Unbelievable." He put his glasses back on.
"I remember watching the movies growing up, but never read much of the books."
Ren smirked. "I read some of them. Still, this attraction is nice."
"I know! It's like we're in their world!" Ann gleefully stared at the Alnwick Castle. Grabbing his hand, she led him around to the area paying tribute to Diagon Alley. Afterward, they rode on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction.
To make his girlfriend happy, Ren bought her a wand replica from the gift shop. Merrily gleaming over her souvenir gift, Ann hugged his right arm.
"Thanks so much! You're the best, Ren!" She said, smiling wholesomely to her boyfriend.
In another vicinity of the theme park, Hifumi, Sion, Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta scoured the Super Nintendo World attraction that recently opened. Heading over to the Mario Kart attraction, the group walked right in as if they've literally entered the Super Mario realm.
The lush & colorful Mushroom Kingdom backdrop framed a genuine life-like look for the fictitious video game world. The green pipes, the large red and white spotted mushrooms, the red piranha plants, and oversized blocks occupied most of the space.
"Isn't this great, you guys?!" Yumeko excitedly flailed her arms in the air like she didn't care.
"We're literally in the Super Mario world!" Ryōta exclaimed in awe.
"Yeah, I never imagined it'd be this life-like," Mary gaped, surveying the outlandish park attraction.
For Sion, the entire experience, including this one, was surreal to him. He never would've imagined these attractions in his world. Quietly admiring the life-like attraction from Super Nintendo Land, the Revenant's mind was back at ease. At that moment, Sion eased his mind, briefly purging the bleak atmosphere of his world.
Noting Sion's relaxed state, Hifumi slid her hand into his and grasped. "Are you ok, Sion?"
"Yeah, I'm just relaxed now. Walking around these attractions, I feel at peace. It's almost making me forget my world. But, most of all, I feel better by your company, Hifumi." Sion replied. "Thanks for bringing me here."
Hifumi genuinely smiled, relaxing her grip on Sion's hand. "As long as you're happy, that's what matters most."
"Hey! Let's go on the Mario Kart rides!" Yumeko giddily hollered out to Hifumi, Sion, Mary, and Ryōta.
"Hold on, Yumeko! Do they even work?!" Mary surveyed the go-cart machines.
"Wow, it really does feel like we're in a real life video game!" Ryōta yelled out, sitting inside his go-cart.
"Do you want to give it a try?" The Shogi player offered Sion.
"What? Driving in those?" Sion asked her.
"Yes, we can watch and see if it's something you want to try."
Watching Yumeko and her friends adjusting their carts, he smiled. "Yeah, we can watch."
"Ready, set, go!" Yumeko shouted, quickly speeding past Mary and Ryōta. "Eat my dust, Mary!"
"Oh, you want some?!" Mary shouted as the Compulsive Gambler's taunt triggered her competitive spark. "Don't let her beat us, Ryōta!"
"But, this is just for…!" Ryōta called out but Mary already drove past him. "...fun?"
While the gamblers had their competitive race, Sion observed them and the other go-kart racers.
"You think you got it?" Hifumi asked him.
"I think so."
As Hifumi and Sion got into go-karts, Ren, Ann, Ryuji, and Miyako arrived to meet them.
"Hey, guys!" Ann waved to them.
"Oh, hello. You all came in time if you want to race," Hifumi said, adjusting her go-kart wheel. She also noted Miyako. "I don't believe we've met?"
"This is Tokiha Miyako. She and I just met," Ryuji replied.
"Hi, I found Ryuji sulking and then we bumped into each other. I hoped to find someone to hang with and Ryuji's been a blast! Ooh, let's get in the go-karts!" Miyako quickly grabbed Ryuji's hand.
"What about you two?" Hifumi asked Ren and Ann.
"We'd be happy to," answered Ren as he and Ann picked their go-karts.
When everyone started driving, Sion was initially slow to catch up. Teaching him the basics of go-karting, Hifumi showed him what he needed to learn. After some trial and error, the Revenant managed to get a firm grip. Casually driving through the race track, Sion enjoyed the thrill of riding a go-kart. A big smile adorned the Revenant's face, enjoying this past time with his new friends.
Watching Sion smiling and laughing, Hifumi felt her mission to help Sion break out of his emotional shell was accomplished.
Osaka Castle (大坂城)/Chūō-ku, Osaka (中央区, 大阪市)/4:45 PM (JST)
Meanwhile, Makoto and Morgana diligently investigated the outskirts of the Osaka Castle landmark.
Deeply sighing, Makoto muttered. "Strange, there doesn't seem to be any strange activity here."
"I think we've looked enough then. Let's go and meet the others back at the hotel," Morgana suggested.
"Right," she nodded. Before reaching her for her smartphone, the young policewoman felt a loud rhythm, which resonated in her body like a heartbeat. As her face contorted, Makoto grimaced, garnering Morgana's attention.
"Makoto, are you ok?"
"Can't you feel it, Morgana?" Makoto asked, sensing a mysterious presence. She aimlessly surveyed the area, noting the civilians casually walking and talking like nothing's going on. She quickly turned toward the castle and felt the presence seemingly going there. "This way, Morgana!"
As Makoto stormed off, Morgana sprinted after her. When they reached the castle, Makoto sensed a pained sensation in her mind, causing her to drop to a knee.
"Something's happening… I can see something!" Makoto gasped.
"Makoto, what is it?!"
Suddenly, a quick series of flashbacks from Japan's past played through her mind. She viewed realistic images of warring battles and scorching flames during the Siege of Osaka. The images of Tokugawa, Sanada, and Toyotomi's forces flashed before her eyes. She saw William barreling through a rain of flaming arrows from the castle. She saw human soldiers and various Yokai. More images of William showed him meeting Sarutobi Sasuke, fighting Sanada Yukimura, battling a giant Yokai bird, William facing Toyotomi Hideyori, and finally William and Yukimura facing Lady Chacha, who transformed into a large nine-tailed fox. The flashbacks ended with Yukimura and Lady Chacha's deaths followed by another heartbeat sensation resonating in her.
Makoto gasped as the visions vanished and returned to her state of mind. Taking some time to recollect herself, the policewoman sighed deeply.
"Are you okay, Makoto?" Morgana asked, pawing her leg. "Did you find anything?"
"More like I felt it in my mind. I saw visions."
"Visions?"
Makoto replied, relaxing her breathing. "Yeah, they were visions based on Osaka Castle's past. A major conflict went on here and I saw how it all played out."
"Can it be related as to why those monsters appeared? Did you see the one who could've released them?"
"No, but nonetheless we have to tell the others."
"Alright, let's call everyone to meet back at the hotel," Morgana firmly said.
With that, they made a hasty retreat back to the hotel. Pulling out her smartphone, Makoto prepared to send an emergency text to the other Phantom Thieves.
Outside the Osaka Science Museum (大阪市立科学館)/Kita-ku, Osaka (北区, 大阪市)/5:05 PM (JST)
"Those were quite fascinating exhibitions, weren't they?" Akechi kindly addressed Sumire, who was opposite from him.
"Huh? Oh, yes. They were," Sumire slightly smiled, facing Osaka in front of them. "Finding Ren-senpai and the others is going to be tough."
"Don't be hard on yourself, Sumire. We're sure to find them sooner than later," he gave her some level of reassurance. "If those monsters do attack here, it'll lead us straight to them."
With a gulp, Sumire relaxed. "I hope so."
"Come, there's a lot more to see in Osaka. Let's make the best of it."
"Right," nodded the redhead as she escorted Akechi into the Osakan streets, finding herself feeling less optimistic about finding Ren and the others.
When the two headed out, unbeknownst to them, a small fissure slowly opened up in the sky. A shrill bird's roar came out but yet to be detected by anyone.
Chapter Soundtrack
Satou Naoki - Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Taika Hen - Kyouto (19:07 - 20:38) - Welcome to Osaka. This song brings a different experience for the Phantom Thieves as adults on their return to the city, unlike as teenagers back in Scramble.
Persona 5 Scramble OST - Osaka Town Theme - Exploring the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Universal Studios Japan.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade OST - Fragility of Life - Makoto and Morgana's continued search of clues in Osaka with hints in Osaka Castle and picturing flashbacks of the Siege of Osaka. Akechi and Sumire's scene in exploring Osaka.
A/N: I hope you didn't mind that one and a half month delay. We're back on track. Our gang hit Osaka, the location for Persona 5: Scramble's events. Makoto and Morgana head off to investigate while the others kinda (putting it mildly) slack off and take advantage of their brief stay. Pssst. Don't tell Makoto anyone.
The train scene was pretty calm until Makoto started gossiping about Sion. Of course, these two almost bickered again. They are just getting along swimmingly, aren't they? /sarcasm
I enjoyed writing the scenes of the characters exploring different places. Mary and her friends being around added some fun interactions. Hifumi shows Sion more of a world he's still getting adjusted to, but he seems to be doing well. Haru feels lonely without her Mako-chan. Ryuji meets a local Osakan girl named Miyako. Could our lovable tough guy have finally met his dream girl?
Makoto then gets a vision about the Siege of Osaka. Perhaps a clue as to which spirits they'll meet? Nekomata did tell them they'd meet William and the other spirits awaiting them.
The chapter ends with Akechi and Sumire on the lookout for Ren and his group.
That said, leave a comment and review!
