Chapter 10
To Be A Phantom Thief
Tuesday, July 26th, 2016
"This is the shop you wanted to take me?" Ken asked incredulously.
Ren gave him a confused look, raising an eyebrow at Ken. Like he had done with both Yusuke and Makoto, he had invited Ken to come with him to the airsoft shop to pick out a gun. Ken had mentioned a gun type he'd like to use, but it had been awfully vague.
"Is there something wrong with it?" Ren asked.
"No, it's just…" he trailed off, an odd look crossing his face. "This alley is where I encountered Kaneshiro's henchman."
He had nearly forgotten about that. Though he could now ask Ken something.
"What did you even do to the guy? Mishima mentioned something about you 'holding him off'…"
Ken looked at him blankly. "Nothing at all."
Morgana popped out of Ren's bag, shooting Ken an annoyed look.
"You don't have to lie," he said indignantly.
"You didn't let me finish," Ken said calmly, raising an eyebrow at Morgana.
Morgana just huffed in response.
"I didn't do anything. Shinjiro-san was… passing through the area and he heard the exchange," Ken said as he scratched his nose.
"So, Shinjiro-san beat him up?" Ren asked.
Ren couldn't help but help a slight twinge of pity for the guy. But just a slight one. Shinjiro-san was kinda on the intimidating side. And looked like he could easily snap the bones in your body if you pissed him off enough.
"He gave the guy a black eye," Ken admitted, before he winced. "And… may have broken his nose…"
Morgana grimaced and muttered an apology to Ken for thinking he was lying.
Ren winced as well. "Remind me to never get on his bad side."
"Duly noted," he said, smiling wryly.
Then he rubbed the back of his neck, before flashing a sheepish smile.
"Though to be fair, he was threatening me. I doubt you will have the same issue."
Shinjiro-san was the protective type, huh? But then again, Ren could totally see him looming threatening over a poor sap.
"I think you have more muscle on you, though," Morgana piped up. "I don't think Ren would be a threat to you. Besides, you have an advantage with your spear if you got into a fight."
"Hey!" Ren glared at Morgana. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Morgana!"
Morgana just blinked at him. "Just saying how it is, Ren. But we keep doing the training in your room and you'll keep up."
"Traitor," Ren grumbled, drawing a quiet laugh from Ken before he pushed the door open.
Morgana just flashed him a mischievous grin.
But then he glanced towards Ken again. "Speaking of Shinjiro-san, does he happen to work at Crossroads? I never got to ask you about that."
"Yeah, he works a few nights every week there," Ken answered. "Not sure why he hasn't quit, since that was meant to be a temporary job…"
The two walked through the door. Ken looked around a bit uncertain but still curious. Iwai lowered the newspaper, quirking an eyebrow when his eyes settled on them. Ken tensed up a bit but Ren stepped forward with a small wave and flashed Iwai an easygoing grin.
"Welcome back," he greeted, folding the newspaper. "What do you need today, kid?"
"A new gun purchase, Iwai," Ren answered, letting the door go after Ken stepped inside.
He then strode forward, stopping in front of the glass counter. He glanced down, taking note of the new stock.
"And weapon upgrades," he added.
He couldn't afford armor upgrades yet, so he'd have to work at the flower shop for a few shifts. Beating Shadows do pay well but that's not the most consistent income amounts to rely on. Not if you want a steady paycheck anyway.
Iwai's eyes took on a shrewd light, as they flicked towards Ken.
"You know the type you want, or do you want me to show all I have right now?" he inquired, sounding amused for some reason.
"We'll just browse," Ren answered.
Despite what Ken had said… he had drifted away from the handguns for some reason. It was a bit odd, but maybe he had just changed his mind. Then he paused at a hybrid handgun/pistol.
"Got your eye on the machine pistol?" Iwai got up, leaning one hand on the counter. "Wanna hold it?"
"Sure," Ken answered, giving a small nod.
Iwai unlocked the glass door, pulling out the pistol and handed it to Ken. Ken ran his hand over the gun, a considering look in his eyes.
Iwai's cellphone started to ring. He walked away a few steps and answered his phone.
Ren leaned in close, taking care to keep his voice low so Iwai couldn't overhear. "Your weapon of choice is longer than most. Why not go for it?"
"Yeah, I agree." Ken nodded.
"I have customers, but I'll call you back when I'm finished up, Kaoru," Ren heard Iwai say.
He hung up and turned around, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Ren grinned and waved Iwai over.
"Iwai, I'll take this." When Iwai nodded, taking the gun from Ken, Ren continued with, "And can I take a look at the weapons you've got? The usual."
"Yeah, sure, kid."
Iwai moved to go grab some inventory. Then Ken just raised a brow as he looked at Ren incredulously.
"How does he not question this?" Ken whispered to him.
"Iwai is a pretty interesting guy." Ren shrugged.
But he probably shouldn't mention that Iwai was former yakuza… Ken didn't exactly have a naïve streak like Makoto, but he doubted that Ken would be thrilled to find that out. Though, Ren had to wonder how he was going to sneak out a spear. Okay, Yusuke's katanas weren't exactly inconspicuous, but spears were long. Maybe he could ask Iwai to ship it or… something. Oh well, that was a problem for future Ren.
Ken gave him a flat look, looking rather unimpressed with Ren.
"Is there something you aren't telling me?" he deadpanned.
Ren teased, "New members don't get access to all the trade secrets right away, earn your keep and maybe I'll spill the top-secret info."
Ken just rolled his eyes at him but watched him make the purchases. Ren frowned as he riffled through his yen bills in his wallet. Damn, if only he didn't have to worry about buying Personas for better fusions. If the people in the Velvet Room were supposed to help him, you'd think they wouldn't try to drain every last yen from him. What did those drill sergeant twins need money for anyway? They never leave that place.
Ren sighed to himself, before handing over the money to Iwai. He needed to stock up on medicine too. He'd just have to demand money from the Shadows a lot during their next visit to the Palace. That combined with the flower shop paychecks should help. Handling the money was… rough. Though sad to say, he was the most responsible with the money. Makoto would probably handle it just fine however, but he imagined she'd probably be more frugal with it. Which while smart, they do unfortunately need the supplies.
They left the shop before Ken pulled out his wallet, pulling out a few thousand-yen bills. "Here… it's not much but the bill was rather… steep, I suppose it's fair anyway since you paid for my part. I'd give you more but after Yusuke-san's comment…"
"Say no more," Ren laughed. "I appreciate it anyways."
"Speaking of Yusuke-san, have you ever tried making up a budget for him? I can't help but be worried with some of the comments he has made regarding his eating habits… and spending habits," Ken inquired with a heavy frown.
"Oh, Makoto tried." Ren shook his head with a smile. "Key word being tried. I think Yusuke tossed it away after one day."
Makoto had been thrilled when she found out about that.
"Good grief," he sighed, shaking his head.
Ren couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and he heard Morgana did as well from within his bag.
Morgana popped his head back out of the bag.
"It's Yusuke after all. He's dependable in many areas, this however is not one of them," Morgana snarked.
Ken just sighed and shook his head. Ren nodded and gave a shrug.
"Are you free for the afternoon, though?" Ren asked, as they walked to the train station. "Maybe we could hang out for today?"
Ken frowned. "I thought you needed time to prepare to gather everything?"
"Yeah, but I think after yesterday… we need to have a little fun, don't you think?" Ren stated simply.
Ken's expression turned thoughtful.
"Well… I guess you're right," he relented.
Ren just grinned in response, feeling pleased that he had accepted Ren's invitation. He was really curious about Ken, after Ken's words last night left him wondering.
"So… what do you have in mind?" Ken inquired.
"Are you hungry? We could get lunch," Ren suggested. "We can go after I drop everything off at LeBlanc."
"Can we go somewhere with seafood?!" Morgana perked up.
Morgana complained that he couldn't go with them, but Ren promised him this time he would get takeout and it wouldn't be given as a peace offering to Sojiro.
"So... clarify some rumors for me?"
"Here we go..." Ken grumbled, but he nodded.
Ren had to smother a smirk. Well, there was no reason why he couldn't have some fun while he was at it, right?
"Are you dating—"
"No," Ken cut him off with an eye-roll. "The answer's no."
He took a bite of his food. The oyakodon was quite tasty at least.
"I've never dated anyone. And especially not someone who's been like an older sister figure to me for as long as I've known her. The people spreading that don't know a thing about me, and certainly aren't doing themselves favors by spreading it considering they all express interest in me," he stated flatly.
"Never?" Ren echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Never," Ken repeated, only for his expression to become bitter and he glared down at his food. "Why would I date someone who's only interested in me for shallow reasons while gossiping about me?"
Someone was salty. But Ken did have a good reason… the girls sighing over Ken only talked about how they found him so handsome.
Ren tilted his head. "What about your school record? Anne mentioned something about you being pretty much of a model student..."
"I worked for the scholarship, so it'd be easier on Shinjiro-san," Ken dismissed. "Gekkoukan isn't exactly cheap."
That did make sense since Shinjiro-san looked like he was in his mid-twenties. Though he had to wonder just how long ago Shinjiro-san got custody of Ken.
"Anything else?" Ken asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.
"Nah, I'm good." Ren shook his head. "But it's bound to happen. People are curious when a new kid comes in."
Something flashed in Ken's eyes, and then he looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Ren-san... I didn't mean—"
Ren held up a hand to halt him.
"I'm gonna stop you right there. It's not your fault. Kamoshida leaked my record. You were just lucky that you got to come here after we took down Kamoshida," Ren said.
He had heard rumors that Ken was a member of the soccer team, and that he was apparently good. And considering what Kamoshida had done to Ryuji because he made the volleyball team look bad... he'd probably see Ken as just a threat for breathing if he shown up earlier.
But then Ken's eyes filled with curiosity. "What... exactly happened? Why did you come to Tokyo?"
Ren sighed. He should've seen this coming. He had to tell Ryuji his story, and he was there when he had transferred to Shujin. He explained it a bit more to both Ryuji and Yusuke after Yusuke had joined them.
"It was several months ago, in my old town..." Ren began.
It never got easier to tell it. He still felt so betrayed by the whole damn system. He was just trying to help that woman, but that asshole decided to rig the whole system. And even now, Ren couldn't remember his face. It made his stomach every time he tried. The woman, she was either too powerless, too scared, or bought off to do anything for him. He'd sadly never know.
And his parents... didn't exactly help. They grew cold and distant with him. They didn't want a son who had a criminal record. It still hurt to remember how that they could barely muster a goodbye to him.
"That's just awful..." Ken's voice was hollow. "That man... is nothing but scum for doing that to you."
"In a way, it was good for me," Ren said bitterly, before he took another bite of food. "Sure, I could do without people judging me, spreading rumors about me, having a mark on my record, the arrest… but me moving here... meeting Ryuji, Anne, and the others... it's something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world."
And well... that little incident had been part of the trigger to him awakening to Arsene. And he loved being a Phantom Thief. It was so freeing, to not have to hide behind that timid facade.
"Isn't there anything we can do about this, though?" Ken asked, looking thoughtful now.
Ren shook his head, giving Ken a rueful smile.
"I don't think so... Ryuji did suggest stealing his heart, but... he was really powerful. He was able to take me to court without giving out his name. And you need the full name for the app to work. And to be completely honest, I don't even remember what the guy looks like."
He didn't think Ken was informed of that. So, it was good to tell him now.
"Is that... even possible, to not be named in a court document when accusing someone of something?" Ken's eyes went wide.
Ren just shrugged. To give Ken credit, if it hadn't happened to him, Ren would've questioned it as well.
"But anyways, don't apologize, Ken. If I didn't come to Tokyo... who knows how long Kamoshida would have been terrorizing the school and Yusuke would still be under Madarame's thumb. Not to mention all of Kaneshiro's victims… I'm glad I came to Tokyo... for multiple reasons."
All of his friends would be suffering in some way. No… this was the best way. You could almost call it fate.
Ken looked surprised for a moment and then... he smiled? Ren frowned.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
"Oh, it's just..." Ken rubbed the back of his neck before giving Ren a sheepish smile. "You remind me of someone I know."
"A good thing or a bad thing?" Ren quirked an eyebrow at him.
Ken just laughed. "A very good thing, I promise."
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 2.
Ken can now use Baton Pass!
Wednesday, July 27th, 2016
"Dude, Anne, why are you just eating rabbit food?" Ryuji-san raised a brow at her.
Anne-san reached for her water, taking a sip.
"Can't eat much," she mumbled.
She then grimaced at the salad in front of her. But her face then grew determined as she took a bite.
"Not if I wanna take modeling seriously…" she said firmly.
"Starving yourself isn't the way, though," Ken said with a frown.
He couldn't help but recall Shinjiro-san's rant after hearing about Yukari-san's diet a few years back.
"There are healthy options without just relying on salads. Salads can be pretty boring to eat so it makes it easier to break your diet."
Anne-san and Ryuji-san had invited him out to hang out, since there was no word about going back to the Palace. Though, that did make sense, since Ren-san did mention that he was going to prepare for their next venture into Futaba's Palace. And if he had the same mindset as Minato-san and Minako-san… they were in for the long haul when they did go back.
"I'm not starving myself but sheesh, I know! Ughhh… why are all of the good foods so bad for you?!" she whined out.
"I can talk to Shinjiro-san to see if he can come up with a diet for you," Ken offered. "He's done it for a friend in the past."
Anne-san perked up at that, her blue eyes brightening with excitement.
"Would Shinjiro-san be willing to cook any of those dishes?" she asked, doing her best to keep her voice casual.
Ken snorted. "If you want him to. Shinjiro-san loves to cook in case you can't tell."
"Yeah, 'cause anyone will cook up food for a bunch of kids he just met," Ryuji-san scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Ken just huffed. It wasn't always like that. He remembered how Minako-san had to work on convincing him for cooking for the entire dorm that one time. And the begging must've really stuck with him, since they had that unplanned dorm dinner right after the tsunami.
Ryuji-san then leaned forward. "But anyways, let's do something fun today after lunch! What do ya guys wanna do?"
Anne-san opened her mouth to respond, but then her phone let out a ping. She reached for her phone, quickly reading the message. She then pocketed her phone, turning back to them.
"Can we do a rain check? I just got a message from Shiho. She's wrapping her therapy sessions today, and she asked if I could come…" she said, a small frown appearing on her face.
Despite that being good news—whoever this Shiho person was, she had to be important to Anne-san—Anne-san didn't look very happy. There was some kind of emotion in her eyes that Ken couldn't quite identify.
"Shiho's family will be moving soon."
Ryuji-san's eyes widened. "Hang on—Suzui's moving? I thought she was gonna come back to Shujin after she was all recovered."
"Yeah, they are…" Anne-san sighed, biting her lip. "Her dad went and asked for a transfer at his job."
Her lips seemed to quiver for a moment, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
"They thought a more suburban area would be better for Shiho. You know, getting away from Tokyo completely."
She sounded so devastated, and Ken noticed a small tear forming in the corner of her eye. She must be close friends with this Shiho person.
"Anne… I'm sorry," Ryuji-san said quietly.
"I-It's for the best," Anne-san mumbled, before she forced a halfhearted smile on her face. "But yeah, sorry guys…"
She looked down at the table, letting out a sigh.
"I don't mean to be a downer… but I want to be there for her."
Ken finally figured out the emotion in her eyes before. Guilt. That was it. But the name Shiho… Ren-san had mentioned it before.
Ken froze as it suddenly clicked in his mind. Going by what Ren-san had said, Shiho went through something similar as Futaba-san, which was why Anne was so pained looking at Shadow Futaba-san. Ren had mentioned that Kamoshida fellow too. Which meant…
Shiho… she was the victim that Kamoshida had assaulted. She must have been that kept anonymous on the news a few months back while he was still in Port Island, the one who had attempted suicide out of pure shame. Ken's stomach twisted into knots at this realization. And if he had to guess… she was the last straw for the original Phantom Thieves, the catalyst to push them into action.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ryuji-san asked, frowning; then he looked at Ken sheepishly. "If that's cool with you, man."
"Well, I—" Ken began but was quickly cut off.
"Oh nonono," Anne-san began to shake her head, "I don't want today to be a downer! Especially since we're basically playing the waiting game 'till we have to go back to Futaba's Palace…"
She then glanced at Ken, looking guilty once more.
"Plus, Ken's never even met Shiho. I can just go on my own, really!"
Ken spoke up, "I wouldn't mind meeting your friend. It's important to you and we both don't have anything planned so…"
"Yeah, come on, Anne!" Ryuji-san exclaimed. "The more the merrier, right? I'm sure Suzui would appreciate a bunch of friendly faces and shit, right?"
"I…" Anne-san's eyes softened, and she gave them a grateful smile. "Okay. We'll go after we finish up with lunch."
Suzui-san's face brightened up as she saw who walked through the door.
"Anne, you made it!"
"Of course I did!" Anne-san said, before embracing the dark-haired girl.
She was about Anne-san's height, dressed in loose but not baggy clothing. Ken supposed it made sense since she was doing physical therapy.
Anne-san then pulled away, examining her closely as she kept her hands on Suzui-san's shoulders. "How are you feeling?"
Suzui-san just giggled. "I'm fine, really. I feel a lot stronger than before… I still get a bit tired while exerting myself but…"
Her expression grew determined.
"I have to go back, as soon as possible," she declared. "I'm not going to let him dictate how I live my life anymore… I don't want to hesitate anymore."
So… he was right. This explained… a lot about Anne-san's behavior with Futaba-san. But honestly, he felt the same way. Nobody should feel so trapped that they feel that suicide was the only escape.
"Shiho…" Anne-san sighed, before finally releasing her.
Ryuji-san coughed, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "You really are looking a lot better, Suzui."
"Sakamoto-kun..." Suzui-san smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for coming. I didn't mean to pull Anne away from whenever you were doing..."
Then she raised an eyebrow at Anne-san.
"Though I'm surprised you haven't brought Ren-kun with you."
Anne-san blinked in surprise. "W-Well, Ren is hanging out with Makoto today... I couldn't drag him away from his plans like that!"
Ryuji-san just rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, it's nothing really, Suzui."
He waved a hand, giving her a cheerful smile.
"I mean, this is a pretty big milestone." Then he flashed a thumbs up. "'Sides, we didn't really know what to do after lunch. You didn't really interrupt anything."
Suzui-san giggled. "If you say so, Sakamoto-kun."
Then her eyes flickered to Ken, and then she turned back to Anne-san. She was smiling in amusement.
"Should I be jealous? It seems every time I turn around, you've made a new friend, Anne," she said teasingly.
Ken cleared his throat before bowing. "It's nice to meet you, Suzui-san. My name is Ken Amada."
Ryuji-san slapped him on the back, making him stumble forward a step. "Come on, man, you've really gotta loosen up. Suzui's in our year, so technically you're her senpai still."
Ken just grumbled to himself. He wasn't that stiff!
Anne-san poked him in the side. "Makoto's right, you know, Ryuji. You really could learn a thing or two from Ken. Girls like polite guys, y'know!"
"Well, not everyone is into the gentlemanly type like you, Anne," Suzui-san lightly teased, before nudging her in the side. "Though I assume he and Niijima-senpai have their hands full watching all of you."
"Hey!" Anne protested, puffing out her cheeks briefly in a pout. "They do not!"
Ken smiled to himself but didn't say anything. She didn't need to know he begged to differ.
Ryuji-san raised an eyebrow. "Hang on, you brought Makoto here before, Anne?"
"Yeah... she... ah..." Anne-san winced. "She really felt the need to apologize to Shiho."
Suzui-san just shook her head. "There was nothing for her to say, really. Kamoshida... had everyone under his thumb. She wasn't really able to do anything..."
She then smiled.
"But I'm just grateful that the Phantom Thieves took care of him. I'll always be thankful for them."
"So, you support the Phantom Thieves?" Ken raised an eyebrow.
She nodded firmly. "Mm-hm. They got rid of Kamoshida... and there's Madarame and Kaneshiro now too. I even heard some bullies at our school were taken care of by them. I know that people are still unsure of them, but I'll stand with them no matter what."
Ryuji-san just grinned. "Heh, they prolly appreciate that, Suzui."
"Shiho?" A dark-haired woman suddenly approached them. "Come on, it's time for your last session."
"Okay, Mom." Suzui-san nodded, before looking at them. "I'll see you around."
Anne-san sighed as the door closed behind Suzui-san before she folded her arms over her chest. "Shiho's so strong."
Her voice was almost wistful. Though Ken had to agree. Even though he had just met her, Suzui-san seemed to possess a quiet strength. It was admirable.
"Hey, don't count yourself out." Ryuji-san put a hand on her shoulder before cracking a smile. "I mean, you're pretty tough. You pretty much wrecked shit when you awakened to Carmen."
Anne-san managed a smile. "Thanks, Ryuji."
Ken nodded, "You shouldn't really discount yourself, Anne-san. You're emotionally strong, too."
"Thanks… but sometimes I just don't feel that way…" Anne-san looked down with a sigh, her hands clenching into fists. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset with Futaba-chan and I—!"
"For what?" Ken asked. "For feeling for her? For wanting to help her?"
Anne-san looked at him, her eyes wide.
Ken heaved out a sigh. "Anne-san… there's nothing wrong with being so empathetic that you literally feel for Futaba-san. It shows that you have a big heart. Not to mention that it just gives you more of a motivation to heal her heart."
And seeing Suzui-san… slowly healing from what she had gone through gave him hope for Futaba-san. Suzui-san wasn't completely healed yet, and that was okay. It would be the same for Futaba-san. He really doubted that even with stealing her heart, Futaba wouldn't be completely cured. She would still have anxiety. She would have trouble socializing. But that would be okay. They'd help her through that.
"That shit she was put through…" Ryuji grimaced, "…it was really screwed up. No kid should go through that kind of crap, 'specially after losing their mom so suddenly."
"Y-Yeah…" Anne slowly nodded before she raised her head.
Her eyes were filled with determination, the fire Ken was already familiar with. "You're right. We helped Shiho and everyone messed up by Kamoshida…"
Her hands clenched, before she pumped a fist.
"We can't stop here! There's no reason why we can't help Futaba-chan!" she exclaimed passionately.
"That's the spirit." Ken smiled at her.
"If only RenRen would take us into the Palace," Ryuji-san grumbled.
"Do you want us to get killed?" Anne-san retorted, shooting him a look that just reminded him of Yukari-san. "Ren's got a good reason, okay? We need the proper equipment before going back in or we'll be in big trouble."
Though that was hardly a surprise. Minato-san and Minako-san operated in a similar way.
"Then why is he hanging out with Makoto today?" he demanded with a huff. "I'd get it if he was working that job with the yakuza…"
"A job with the what?" Ken choked out.
"Uhhh…" Ryuji clamped his mouth shut as Anne glared at him, her arms folded over her chest. "N-Nothing."
He definitely needed a talk with Ren-san. He was really working with the yakuza?! What was he thinking?! What was next, Ren getting free medicine by agreeing to be some back-alley doctor's human test subject with illegal drugs?
Most couples unwound with a glass of wine, talk about how their day went. And sometimes Minako did relax with her husband in that way—but not lately, since alcohol was strictly off limits until she had the baby… maybe longer if she decided to breastfeed. But tonight?
"Did you really expect Ken to accept the offer?" Aki was absentmindedly playing with her hair.
Minako let out a satisfied hum, before settling against his shoulder.
"Not one hundred percent," she admitted. "But when Mitsuru-senpai told me, she said that he did lean towards it."
Aki just laughed. "Junpei was so sure he'd say no."
Minako stifled a laugh. Junpei was so annoyed when the news started to spread amongst their group of friends.
"He should know better than to bet against me."
However, the reaction that stood out to her the most was Fuuka. Aigis took it logically, as she always did. Yukari was surprised, but expressed the wish that Ken be careful while doing so… And Shinji… well, he was keeping how he felt about it to himself. But Fuuka? She was completely unsurprised. Now, she knew that Fuuka had grown closer to Ken over the years. But she couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled. Did Fuuka know something she didn't?
"Fuuka-chan met them, you know," Minako said.
Aki looked at her in surprise, eyebrow raised.
"The Phantom Thieves," she quickly clarified, answering his unspoken question. "She said… they were a nice group of people."
Fuuka had described them as quite lively, comparing them to the Investigation Team in that aspect. But kids Ken's age… kids that knew how Ken had felt years ago…
Aki's silver eyes filled with confusion before reaching to lace their hands together.
"Where are you going with this, Mina?" he asked.
Minako said quietly, "You know that Ken-kun hasn't had that many friends in his life. He isn't as close to his soccer club friends as he used to be, when he gave up soccer… and adding the apparent reason for why the Phantom Thieves were founded…"
She let out a sigh.
"I know that Ken-kun would never dream of turning his back on us…" she said quickly.
It's just that… she couldn't help but wonder. What if Ken got attached to the Phantom Thieves, attached enough to start feeling conflicted? Torn between the two groups?
Aki met her gaze, looking rather solemn. "But you think his judgment might become clouded. That he might become biased."
"Pretty much," Minako sighed. "And… I'm scared for him, Aki… we still don't know if Shido knows about the identities of the Phantom Thieves, and there is the matter of that rouge Persona-user that attacked Ken. Who is he? Is he in leagues with Shido? Will he attack him again?"
Minako's eyes began to sting with tears.
"What if… what if we let Ken-kun just paint a huge target on his back?"
And it'd be her fault. She convinced Mitsuru-senpai to send Ken to Tokyo. She couldn't lose someone close to her again… not this way. Ken was like a little brother to her. She'd never forgive herself if she was the reason if he was lost.
"Hey."
Minako's train of thought stopped as Aki reached out to wipe away her tears.
"No what ifs, Mina," he said gently. "Ken's not alone. You know that Shinji's watching out for him. And he'll notice if Ken's off about his judgments."
She smiled up at him. He could be so levelheaded. Their friends—herself included—often ribbed him for being somewhat impulsive, especially when it came to a fight. But when it came down to it, he was thoughtful. And she needed to hear that kind of reassurance.
Minako managed a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Aki… hormones, you know?"
Aki just laughed softly before cupping her cheek.
"You don't have to apologize, Mina. You're just worried… especially after this whole thing with Medjed," he said with a reassuring smile.
Minako nodded slowly.
"I wish… there was some way to deal with Shido," she mumbled.
Aki was quiet for a moment. "Maybe… Ken can bring up Shido as the next target, after this Medjed situation blows over."
"That would solve a lot of our problems, wouldn't it?" Minako sighed before giving her husband a rueful smile.
"Well, there's the whole the government still really hates Mitsuru," Aki said dryly.
Minako just chuckled. "They really know how to hold a grudge, don't they?"
It just sucked that they had to play the waiting game. Minako reached down to stroke her stomach. She'd be five months along soon. She could only pray that the world her child would be born into would be a safe one…
"I dunno though, Aki… something tells me it's not going to be that easy," she thought to herself.
She could only pray that nothing would happen to Ken...
Saturday, July 30th, 2016
Ken woke up to a text from the Phantom Thieves group chat, with Ren-san announcing that they'd be going back to the Palace today. Though it was a bit odd, dressing in his casual outfit to go into a Shadow nest. He was too used to fighting in his school uniform. Even during the P-1 Grand Prix… he had fought in his school uniform. Though granted, his outfit would be changed into his thief outfit…
"Ken, is the Metaverse making you hungrier than usual or somethin'?"
Ken snapped out of his thoughts, his spoon halfway to his mouth. He had been mechanically eating breakfast, hardly registering it. He lowered the spoon, looking to Shinjiro-san.
"It's like you've been making two lunches for yourself," his guardian added.
"Er… no," Ken said slowly. "You see, Yusuke-san has been making these… comments that worry me. Like… eating bean sprouts for a meal. So I made him lunch a few days ago."
He winced, before blowing his bangs out of his face.
"Sorry, I should have mentioned it to you," he apologized.
"Bean sprouts," Shinjiro-san repeated flatly.
Was it his imagination or did Shinjiro-san's eye twitch?
Shinjiro-san just grumbled to himself, "It's fine. I was just wondering."
Yeah, Shinjiro-san was definitely planning on making lunches for Yusuke-san from now on. He recognized that look in Shinjiro-san's eyes.
After Ken finished up breakfast, he said goodbye to Shinjiro-san. He then made a beeline for the train station to go to Yongen-jaya. Ren-san had told them to meet directly in front of Sakura-san's house.
Apparently he had been the last to arrive, given Ryuji-san's exuberant greeting and excited waving.
Ryuji-san then turned to Ren-san. "Hey, RenRen! Ken's here now!"
"I can see that, Ryuji," Ren-san laughed, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. "Is everyone ready, then?"
"Let's do this!" Anne-san exclaimed, pumping a fist.
Morgana poked his head out of Ren-san's bag. "Let's go, then."
Morgana ducked into Ren-san's bag, clutching Ren-san's phone with his little paws. Ren-san accepted it with a thanks before activating the app.
Unlike before, where they had been transported to a sand dune, they were standing at the base of the pyramid. Well, at least they didn't have to put up with the sweltering heat as much… Ken could already feel sweat beading at his brow, with how he was wearing mostly black in this heat.
Ren-san let out a thoughtful hum as he tapped his chin. "Ace's up for sure."
His eyes then swept to the rest of the group as his lips grew pursed.
"Let's go with Panther and Skull for now," he announced.
Ren-san then passed out the weapons to the group for their upgrades. He still was a bit surprised at the weapon choices for some of them.
Ren-san then finished passing out the guns, before leading them into the Palace. The door was still there… blocking the way forward.
"Ugh—still…" Ryuji-san groaned, before thumping his fist against the door.
"I don't know why you expected it to change, Skull," Yusuke-san said dryly. "Obstacles were never removed before, that's why you guys did what you did for Madarame, plus we needed Queen for the obstacle presented in Kaneshiro's…"
"Yeah yeah yeah, I know I know. I just… wish it'd be a little simpler for once," Ryuji-san sighed, a heavy frown on his lips.
"Do you still wish to pass?"
They all jumped at the sudden voice, whirling around to face Futaba-san's Shadow. She looked at them calmly.
"W-What?" Makoto-san's eyes were wide.
"I need you to do something for me," the Shadow continued, her voice neutral. "A bandit in the nearby town has stolen something from me. Retrieve it, and I will help you."
Yeah, he was kinda missing Tartarus. Tartarus just felt… simpler.
"Oh, now you're helping us…" Ryuji-san grumbled, before scowling. "Make up your effin' mind already!"
"Skull!" Anne-san hissed.
"It doesn't matter to me either way," she said impassively.
"Well… I suppose we'll have to do this 'favor'," Morgana grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "Joker, let's head outside and look for this town."
Ren-san nodded before leading them outside. Ren-san looked back and forth, before running onto a platform that Ken hadn't noticed before.
He then pointed at the distance. "You think this is it?"
"It has to be…" Makoto-san said, walking up to stand next to him. "Mona, could you…?"
Morgana nodded firmly, before jumping in the air and transforming into his bus form. They loaded onto the bus and headed for the town.
The town… was like a ghost town. There was nobody there. They ended up in a town square sort of area.
Morgana frowned. "Isn't it strange that we can't seem to find anyone here? I wonder if this is her cognition of Yongen-jaya…"
"It is somewhat odd for it to be so deserted. Not even a Shadow…" Yusuke-san frowned.
"Could be because Futaba doesn't interact with anyone in the area because she stays her room. So maybe her cognition treats it as the residents are practically not there, just a collection of buildings out her window." Makoto-san theorized sadly.
"Didn't Futaba's Shadow mention something about a stolen item?" Yusuke-san asked, puzzled. "If this is her Palace, then the Shadows should be under her domain."
"It's possible because of her mental state… she's not in complete control," Ken voiced his theory aloud. "Maybe there is a chance there are some rogue Shadows."
"That's… a bit worrying if your theory is right Ace," Makoto-san said nervously.
"Hey, are you guys looking for something? I thought I heard someone rustling 'round here."
They all jumped at the unfamiliar voice.
He didn't think he'd ever get used to normal Shadows talking. He could remember the occasional cackling from a Shadow but they never spoken words. Though the whole Shadow self was still hard to wrap his mind around sometimes, even though he had witnessed it with his own eyes.
"Joker, you think…?" Morgana said lowly.
"Yeah," Ren-san agreed quietly, tensing up.
"What are you whispering about?" The Shadow cocked his head. "Awfully suspicious, wouldn't you say?"
"Aw, shuddup asshat!" Ryuji-san growled out, before taking a menacing step towards the Shadow.
However, the Shadow didn't look intimidated at all.
"You can't talk 'bout suspicious… you're that bandit, aren't ya?!" Ryuji-san then accused, pointing a finger at the Shadow.
"Return what you stole," Ken said, narrowing his eyes.
The Shadow just chuckled. "Sure. If you can catch me!"
Without warning, he turned on his heel and bolted.
"Hey wait a minute!" Anne-san shouted; she then dragged a hand down her face, before letting out a growl. "Of course!"
"There's no time to gripe about it," Makoto-san said sternly. "Come on, we have to chase after him!"
Unfortunately, Ken felt his theory might be correct after all. There were a few Shadows hiding out in this deserted town, they were probably in league with that other Shadow. There were about four of them, they managed to take them all down one by one.
Ken couldn't help but be annoyed at the time they wasted, especially in this heat. Chasing this Shadow was getting to be a real chore.
They found him in an alley, but he just taunted them before running off in the other direction again. Awfully arrogant for someone who just lost his allies.
They tried several times, but he was just too fast. But… Ken couldn't help but notice something. Ken grabbed Ren by the sleeve, and the younger boy looked at him in surprise.
"Hang on, Joker—I have an idea. We'll have to corner him at the square."
"Corner him?" Ren echoed, before his eyes widened. "Of course!"
He tapped his fist into his palm. He then turned to the members who weren't part of the active team.
"Mona, Fox, and Queen. I want you to loop around and push him towards the square. We'll be waiting for him there."
"A pincer movement…" Makoto-san's eyes went wide before she nodded in approval. "That just might work!"
Ren-san led them back to the square, edging around the corners. It was just in time too because they heard pounding footsteps approaching.
Ryuji-san reached for his shotgun, quickly firing a warning shot. The Shadow jumped backwards.
"You're that desperate to fight me, huh? Fine!" The Shadow spat out.
It then trembled once, before transforming into a great golden bird. Which… looked awfully familiar.
Wasn't that one of the Personas used in that one fusion spell? Ken's mind raced to remember its strengths and weaknesses again.
"Joker," Ken whispered. "What are Panther and Skull's weaknesses?"
Ren-san looked at him in confusion. "Er… Panther is weak to ice and Skull is weak to wind."
At Ren-san's words, Ken was confident he remembered the creature's elements. Then he whipped his head around to Ryuji-san.
"Take this!" the Shadow growled.
"Skull, block!" Ken yelled. "I think its element is wind!"
"Ugh, are you serious?!" he groaned, but he crossed his arms over his chest to brace himself.
The Shadow then flapped its wings violently, whipping up a powerful gust. That was definitely a Magarudyne. If he remembered right, the Persona had been fairly high leveled. He hoped they weren't in over their heads…
"Any idea on a weakness?" Ren-san shouted at him.
"Electricity maybe? Or we could try using our guns? Though I've never shot at one of these things," Ken suggested tentatively.
The use of guns was something new to fighting Shadows for him. He had no idea if that would work but it was worth a chance to test what its weaknesses were.
"You've seen one of these things before?" Anne-san asked incredulously.
Ken cursed himself and his big mouth but exclaimed instead, "Unfortunately, and it was very strong. I got away though at least."
"Storytime later! Let's give shooting the thing a try!" Ren-san interrupted and pulled out his pistol, aiming right at the Shadow.
The Shadow responded by launching another Magarudyne. The gust was strong enough to send the gun flying right out of Ren-san's hand.
And this time Ryuji-san wasn't fast enough to block, so he was sent flying. He hit the wall with a sickening crack.
"Skull!" Anne-san shrieked.
"Skull, why didn't you block?!" Morgana demanded.
The Shadow cackled, before soaring higher in the sky.
"This is bad… I have to do something!" Ken thought in panic.
Light magic would do neutral damage at best if he recalled correctly. Ken's eyes then were drawn to the powerful wings. Ken's grasp on his spear tightened before he threw it. It nailed the Shadow right in the wing, drawing a pained screech. Anne-san then darted forward, brandishing her whip. It coiled around one of the Shadow's legs, and Anne-san yanked hard, both hands on the grip. The Shadow yanked back, but Anne-san gritted her teeth, dug in her heels, and tugged harder.
Ren slid in next to her, ripping off his mask.
"Orthus!" he shouted, summoning a brown canine, which then blasted fire at the Shadow.
Ken ran over to Ryuji-san, helping him up in a sitting position. Blood dripped from a shallow cut on the back of his head, staining his bleached hair. He supported the back of Ryuji-san's head and neck with one arm, and he ripped his mask off with his free hand. Kala-Nemi appeared and Ken concentrated on healing him.
"Ugh…" Ryuji-san groaned.
Ken helped him up. Ken checked his injury, and to his relief, it seemed to have closed up.
"Thanks, man…" Ryuji-san then mumbled.
But then he caught sight of the Shadow once more, and he let out an annoyed growl.
"Ugh, that asshole is gonna pay!" He then reached up to rip his mask off. "Let's do this, Captain!"
His Persona appeared, firing an electric bolt at the Shadow. The Shadow hissed in pain as the attack struck, but unfortunately, electricity wasn't its weakness.
This Shadow was more intelligent than the others if it knew to knock the gun out of Ren-san's hand. But then again, it was guarding something…
Ren-san and Anne-san came running up to them.
"Any ideas?" Ren-san asked urgently.
"I think if we try to shoot him, he'll just try to knock the gun out of our hands…" Anne-san said with a frown. "Joker, do you have a Persona that can use gun attacks…?"
Ren-san just grimaced, shaking his head. "Nope. Those are kinda rare."
"My Persona has it," Ken spoke up.
"Oh, that's perfect!" Anne-san enthused.
"Joker!" Makoto-san called out to them. "I think everyone but Ace should distract the Shadow. Then Ace can hit it from behind."
"Sounds like a plan." Ryuji-san nodded firmly before smacking a fist into his open palm. "Let's do this!"
"Skull, you should stay back though," Morgana warned. "We don't want you to have a repeat."
"Yeah, yeah!" he grumbled.
"Okay, Panther, you're with me, then!" Ren-san exclaimed.
"Always, Joker!" Anne-san cried, before sprinting after him.
Anne-san moved first, summoning Carmen to unleash a dazzling display of flames. Ren-san followed up with summoning Rakshasa, which slashed repeatedly at the Shadow, forcing it stay on the defensive. Rakshasa then sprung backwards, allowing Ryuji-san's Persona to fire lightning at the Shadow.
And Ken crept closer as the Shadow divebombed at Ren-san. Anne-san tackled him out of the way, causing them to roll together for a moment. Just as the Shadow began to rise, Ken ripped off his mask.
"Do it, Kala-Nemi!" he cried out.
The bullet Kala-Nemi launched clipped the Shadow in the wing, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Gotcha!" Ryuji-san crowed as they surrounded him, aiming their guns at the Shadow.
"Joker, let's do it!" Ken called to him.
Ren-san just cracked a grin. "Of course."
They lunged forward, attacking the Shadow with all of their might. The Shadow fell under their assault, leaving behind only a papyrus scroll.
He had to admit, there was quite a rush doing the their "All Out Attack" with them. It had been so long since he had done one. Back in P-1 Grand Prix, they had split up their forces with that surge of Shadows. So… it had been seven years since.
"So this is what she seeks?" Yusuke-san frowned quizzically. "Interesting… I wonder what it is exactly."
"Phew!" Ryuji-san sighed as Ren-san picked up the papyrus. "God, that was just a pain in the ass…"
Anne-san sighed, toying with a strand of blonde hair. "We should've brought Fox with us this time…"
Ren-san nodded. "Let's swap him in. It's not your fault, Skull, but you deserve a break."
Ryuji-san shrugged. "You're the boss."
"I thought that was Sojiro," Ren-san quipped, which only caused the boys to crack up.
"That's enough messing around," Makoto-san chided, folding her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, we should get back to the Palace now though, to deliver… whatever this is to Futaba-san's Shadow," Ken said.
Anne-san grimaced to herself. "This isn't the weirdest thing. Kamoshida's Palace made us collect eyeballs to stop a trap."
Ken cringed at how strange that sounded. He then wiped sweat off his neck. They really should get out of this heat before they got heat exhaustion.
Ryuji-san then slung an arm around Ken's shoulders. "But thanks, man. You kinda saved my ass back there."
"It was nothing," Ken dismissed. "Joker and Panther distracted the Shadow more so that I could heal you."
"Oh? So now you're okay with dropping the honorifics?" Ren-san teased.
Ken glowered at the younger boy. "Don't start! These are codenames! You guys are serious about them!"
"Just drop the honorifics then!" Ryuji-san said.
"There's no need to complain about this," Yusuke-san admonished. "It's not Ace's fault that you have no manners compared to him, Skull."
Morgana burst into laughter as Ryuji-san sputtered in indignation.
"What the hell, Fox?!" he cried out as Ren-san and Anne-san dissolved into laughter as well.
Makoto-san pointedly cleared her throat.
"That's enough, everyone," she said sternly.
"Fox really went for the throat," Ren-san snickered out.
Makoto-san let out a little sigh and shook her head, but Ken couldn't help but notice a smile tugging at her lips. Then she glanced towards Ken.
"Though I'm surprised how versatile your Persona is... you have bless magic, healing magic, and gun attacks," she remarked.
"And you did know the Shadow's weakness..." Morgana said, though there was a funny look on his face.
"Oh… well… as I mentioned I did encounter that Shadow in the past, but it was… a little different from what I remember, that one was even stronger than this one. Which… I'm not going to complain about." Ken said.
"That's super useful!" Ryuji-san exclaimed. "Even Mona can't do that!"
"W-Wha—" Morgana glared at Ryuji-san. "HEY!"
"It's nothing special, really," Ken said quickly, wanting to defuse the brewing argument.
He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with this situation. He didn't want to try and upstage Morgana… He just wanted to use his past knowledge for everyone's benefit. Besides the gun weakness was a lucky guess on his part.
Ken shifted uncomfortably as he wiped more sweat off his brow. Makoto-san handed him a small cloth which he silently thanked her for.
"Shall we get going?" Yusuke-san inquired. "We have work to do still, and I'd really like to get out of this dreadful heat."
Ren-san nodded. "Yeah, Fox is right. Let's head back to the main part of the Palace."
They exited the town and Morgana transformed into the bus so they could get back to the Palace. They reentered the pyramid and spoke to Shadow Futaba-san, so they could return the papyrus to her.
He hated this Palace. He really did. It was blistering hot outside and they had to chase around a stupid bandit. Then when they returned, they were greeted with being thrown into a pit of quicksand deep into the underground of the Palace.
And now they had to deal with a Shadow called Mot.
He hated Mot. He really hated Mot.
It turned him into a mouse.
"Aww!" Anne-san cooed, scooping him up. "He's so cute!"
"Cute?! I am not cute!" Ken fumed to himself.
He was a mouse, for crying out loud. But the only thing that came out of his mouth were squeaks.
"Don't you think he's cute, Queen?" Anne-san asked, turning to the brunette.
"Uh… Panther…?" Ren-san asked. "Why don't you give him to Queen until this… wears off? We have the Shadow to fight still."
"Ugh, fiiiiine." Anne-san pouted for a moment, before handing him over to Makoto-san.
Makoto-san held him for a moment in her cupped hands, looking like she was trying hard not to laugh with how she was pressing her lips together.
"You don't have to pout. Panther's right, you know. You make a very cute mouse," she said in amusement.
He was not pouting. But Ken didn't bother to open his mouth, since Makoto-san wouldn't be able to understand a word he was saying. He learned that earlier that he'd only squeak when he tried to say something. And that was embarrassing enough.
"She'd probably hate it if it happened to her," Ken thought sulkily.
Makoto-san just rubbed the top of his head with the tip of her index finger, all while smiling. Somehow Makoto-san of all people fawning over him made it even more humiliating.
Just why him of all people?!
"Uh, Queen?" Morgana suddenly spoke up. "I think you should put him down. He could turn back any minute now."
"I guess you're right…" Makoto-san sighed, before setting him down on the floor.
"So… you like cute things, huh?" Ryuji-san asked.
Makoto-san froze at that, a pink tinge creeping to her cheeks. "I-I was curious, that's all!"
Ken suddenly felt a tingling sensation before he was surrounded by a puff of smoke. He was suddenly human again. He then snatched up his spear, glaring at the Shadow. Yusuke-san was focusing on the Shadow Mot had summoned, since it was weak to ice, while Ren-san and Anne-san were fighting Mot. He ripped off his mask.
The blast of light sent Mot sprawling, allowing them to go for an All-Out Attack.
When the Shadows fell, Ken stared at Ren-san.
"This is never going to be brought up again," he ground out.
Ren-san cracked a grin. "Aw, c'mon, you were kinda cute—"
"What did I just say?!"
The whole group paused when they saw Sakura-san appear before them. He was completely purple in color from head to toe and see-through, like a hologram. And he was dressed like an Egyptian priest.
"What the—" Ryuji-san began only to be shushed by Morgana when Sakura-san spoke.
"To free the Pharaoh from her turmoil, you must do. Quite a few puzzles for you. The answer lies in the letter obtained. Which is why the Pharaoh now reigns."
He then vanished quickly after Ren pressed the button and a puzzle appeared on the screen in front of them
"What… the hell? That was Boss right?" Ryuji-san asked in confusion.
"I think… that was Futaba's cognition of him?" Morgana speculated, head cocked. "He seemed so… harmless compared to other ones."
"I think he was trying to give us a clue…" Makoto-san stated with curiosity.
"Of course, Boss is desperately trying to help her in the real world. Even if his results aren't bearing fruit, and he was someone who was friends with her mother," Yusuke-san said, hand on chin. "So, her cognition of him isn't one of a nefarious nature. Just someone who tries to provide help, but the cognition's cryptic words could mean that while she understands the real Boss is trying to help, his words just can't quite reach her."
Ken nodded. "I think your theory is on the right track Fox."
"What did he say about a letter, what did he mean?" Anne-san asked, her hand tilted.
"Only one way to find out," Ren-san said with a shrug.
Ken couldn't help but rub his temples while he watched Ren-san fiddle with the puzzle in front of them. He just felt exhausted… and drained. Not to mention some of the close calls they had, especially with Futaba-san's Shadow nearly getting them with that arrow trap of hers…
"Here we go," Ren-san announced, cracking a proud smile.
The puzzle glowed white for a moment before showing an image of Futaba-san sitting on a throne, holding a scepter, while three men in black suits stood before her. It probably would've been fairly normal if it wasn't for the men have falcon heads. Though, didn't most Egyptian murals have something similar?
"My mom...?" A childish voice echoed throughout the chamber. "She wrote a note before she..."
"Yes, that's right. It says... I should have never birthed Futaba... she was nothing but a burden to me."
"Mom... hated me?" The voice trembled. "B-Because I was a bad kid?"
"You must have been quite a nuisance to her... though it's not your fault entirely. I assume that part of the blame lies at your mother's feet. She had a mental breakdown of sorts... She destroyed her life's work because of it, however."
"She what? No! She always talked about how important it was for her to finish it..."
"Yes... it's quite a pity, isn't it? She might have saved herself some grief had she not had a child out of wedlock. Quite selfish of her to keep you instead of put you up for adoption or at least marry to protect you and herself. But it seemed taking you and this research on was too much of a burden for her."
"Mom..." the last part came out as a whimper, and it only made Ken's stomach twist into knots.
Futaba-san... why did they do this to her? She did nothing to deserve this! She should've gotten comfort, for losing her mother... not this. And he couldn't help but think back to the twins, it wasn't Futaba-san's fault she was born out of wedlock. She wasn't a burden because of that!
But… as Ken looked at the mural, something started to nag at him.
"That guy..." Ryuji-san hissed, his hands clenched into fists as he glared up at the mural. "He's pissing me off!"
"But it looks like he just read the note out to her," Ken said with a frown. "That's so odd. It feels so… callous to just break the news like this."
Makoto-san stroked her chin in deep thought. "You think that they lied about the circumstances of what happened?"
"I'm not sure. It just strikes me as odd to do it this way," Ken said, folding his arms over his chest.
Yusuke-san tilted his head slightly. "But why lie to her? What gain would they have to lie to a young girl like that?"
"Well, some people are just that messed up, regardless of the contents of the note, just reading it in front of her like that..." Anne-san bit her lip, only for her to suddenly scowl. "This is pissing me off! Where are these guys?!"
"Panther it was in the past, we can't punish them now, only help Futaba. But we have an answer now," Ren-san said, trying to sound encouraging.
But then he grimaced—something must've occurred to him.
"About why Futaba believes that she's the reason her mother's dead..." Ren-san then let out a sigh. "This is so screwed up though. And those other voices from earlier... was she alone when they read the note out to her?"
Ken shook his head. "I don't think so. Isshiki-san's death is officially a suicide. It wouldn't make sense for people to accuse Futaba unless they were present to hear the man in black reading the note aloud."
Ken then sighed, looking to the ground. He could still recall his mother's funeral. The well-wishers talking about how kind and welcoming she was. How sorry they were that he lost her at such a young age. He had hated it all. And for Futaba-san to deal with that kind of grief and in addition to these men claiming that Isshiki-san saw her as nothing but a burden.
It just made his stomach churn. It made him sick, want to track down these men and demand why they would do such a thing to her. To do that to anyone would be messed up… but to a young girl who was barely a teenager? It was just vile.
Anne-san wrapped her arms around herself. "Then... the reason why she hears the voices..."
Her breath hitched and she seemed to shrink into herself. The realization seemed to sink in just at the same time.
"The guilt and the trauma must have caused her hallucinations," Yusuke-san sighed, his voice somber. "The people who did this to her are despicable..."
His hands moved to grip the hilt of his katana at his hip. They were covered by light blue gloves right now, but Ken wouldn't be surprised if his knuckles were turning white with how he clutched at the sword's hilt.
"They're nothing but scum," he spat out the last word like it was a curse word.
"She lost her mother already..." Makoto-san closed her eyes. "Why would they pour salt into the wound like that?"
Morgana frowned and said thoughtfully, "I can't help but wonder what was so important about this research of her mother? To cause so much grief over it."
He wished that he could say.
"Maybe we'll find out when we go into deeper..." Makoto-san mused, only for her expression to steel. "But... the important part is that we help Futaba-chan."
Ryuji-san pumped his fist. "Should we get going then?"
"Let's find the next safe room and we'll head home," Ren-san said. "All of us are pretty drained, and I don't think it's a good idea for us to continue."
"But...!"
"Relax, Skull, we made good progress today!" Morgana exclaimed.
"How far would you say we are, Mona?" Makoto-san inquired.
Morgana tilted his head. "Hm… my guess is about halfway."
That was a relief...
The sooner they helped Futaba-san... the better.
I really meant to get this chapter out sooner, but I just... wasn't satisfied with how I wrote the Adjustment rank 2 scenes, so I ended up rewriting it a few times.
Also tweaked Mot's weakness to light, since Ken's the new party member of the team, and the team member usually has the element that the mini-boss is weak to.
And happy late birthday, Anne!
Edit Notes (6/25/24): After talking with my beta angelrin89, we decided to add something extra to the Palace—a cognitive Sojiro, to add onto the added cognitions featured in Okumura and Sae's Palaces. The first scene with the Shadow graverobber was embellished on too, to explain the Shadow's behavior.