Chapter 29
Crash Landing
Friday, October 7th, 2016
The red card fit in Haru's palm comfortably, but it felt heavy in her hand.
It was just… incredible that this little card would allow them to steal Father's Treasure. Now… she just needed to plant it so Father would read it.
She couldn't help but admire Yusuke's handiwork, down to the now infamous Phantom Thieves logo and the actual message.
Sir Kunikazu Okumura, the great profiteering sinner of greed. The success and global fame exists due to the tyranny you rain over your employees. Thus, we have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth.
From, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Now all there was left to do was to plant it…
Haru looked back and forth. None of their servants were in sight. She slipped into his study, placing it right on top of his paperwork.
Now she just needed to wait and see… how Father reacted to the calling card. Haru took a deep breath to steady herself as she stepped outside of Father's study.
She could do this. Yusuke's kind words echoed in her mind. They would… steal Father's heart and make him atone.
Saturday, October 8th, 2016
It was time… time to steal Father's treasure. They had huddled behind an advertisement, and Ren had his phone out.
But then Makoto suddenly gasped, grabbing Ren's wrist. "Wait!" she whispered.
"What's wrong?" Anne whispered back, her eyes swimming with confusion.
Haru carefully peered around. "Isn't that… your sister, Makoto? And… that's Goro Akechi, isn't he?"
"Damn!" Ryuji hissed out, his face twisting into a scowl. "What are they doing here?!"
"Well, Futaba did discover that Niijima-san had traced several mental shutdowns to Okumura," Yusuke interjected. "Perhaps she's secured a search warrant?"
"And Akechi is her partner," Ken added. "It's no surprise that he's here as well…"
"Should we go back, then?" Haru frowned. "What if they see us…?"
She regretted the moment she said that. The blood drained out of Makoto's face at that and she seemed to tremble for a moment.
"We can't!" Morgana exclaimed. "Sending the calling card will only allow the Treasure to manifest for one day. It's now or never."
"Shh, Morgana," Ren hushed.
"Oh… I didn't know about that…" Haru said quietly.
"It just slipped our minds," Ren said, smiling reassuringly. "Still… this is kinda a problem… We have to come up with a solution… and fast."
"Hmm…" Futaba looked to Morgana. "…I think I have an idea."
Morgana narrowed his eyes at Futaba. "…What are you looking at me for?"
"Well…" Futaba glanced at Haru, smiling cheekily. "Remember how Haru found us out? Morgana ran inside…"
"And maybe a certain someone could be looking for clerical work for some extra money." Ken eyed Yusuke. "…And his friends came for moral support."
"So basically break into smaller groups and slip inside… before activating the app…" Ren rubbed his chin before he nodded. "I think that could work…"
"Using the app in a different place of the area of the Palace will still land you there… We'll just meet there," Ken said.
"Sounds like a plan!" Ryuji flashed them a thumbs up.
Though… Haru was worried… She hoped that they could slip in without much notice.
Haru went in first, because nobody would question if the CEO's daughter would come into the HQ. She often attended the meetings, after all.
"Miss Okumura? A moment, please?"
Haru froze at the pleasant voice. But she slowly turned to face him. "Akechi-kun," she greeted politely, before bowing. "How can I help you?"
Akechi-kun's smile was pleasant, but she couldn't help but notice it didn't quite reach his eyes. Haru couldn't help but feel taken aback by his resemblance to Ken. The same soft facial features… the slope of his jawline… even the shape of his eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Okumura." Akechi-kun bowed his head. "I don't know if you're aware but…" He trailed for a moment. "…Your father was sent a calling card."
"He was?" Haru tilted her head, before looking down so he couldn't read her expression. "…I had no idea."
She was lying between her teeth, of course. She was there when Father had called the police, demanding that something be done. She was so foolish! Why didn't she think that police would be here…?
"Yes…" Akechi-kun nodded. "He was rather concerned… he contacted the police department today, due to that. It's concerning that they were able to slip in, undetected, and plant the calling card in his study. That's what we can't figure out…"
Haru nodded feebly. "It really is… frightening. And for someone to threaten my father like that…" Haru trailed off. "What had he done to attract the Phantom Thieves' attention…? I know that people have been submitting his name to the site but…"
"We'll do our best to protect your father." He gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't fret, Miss Okumura."
Haru nodded. "Thank you, Akechi-kun. But will you please excuse me…?"
"Of course." Akechi-kun waved his hand. "I shouldn't be talking your ear off like this…" He let out a nervous laugh. "Sae-san always says that I talk way too much…" He then swept a bow. "Have a nice day, Miss Okumura."
Why had Akechi-kun approached her? Haru bit her lip as she stepped inside. Did he think that she would have an idea…?
She waved off the employees' greetings, before she slipped into a room to activate the app. It whisked her to the Metaverse. It was nerve wracking, waiting for her friends.
But to her relief, Yusuke, Makoto, and Ken eventually appeared.
"Noir, what did Akechi want?" Makoto asked with a frown.
Haru winced. "I… I don't know. He just told me that he and your older sister were there because Father called the police when he found the calling card. Maybe he wanted to know if I had an idea of how the calling card reached him…"
"That's… awfully mellow of him." Yusuke folded his arms over his chest. "He's been clear on his stance on the Phantom Thieves… he thinks that we're nothing better than our targets for interfering with 'justice'."
"Maybe he's softening towards it?" Haru offered. "People can change their minds."
"Now that I think about it…" Yusuke rubbed his chin. "His interviews have been lessening."
"Though that could be contributed to his dwindling popularity…" Ken said. "There's a lot we don't know about Akechi."
"It's probably better if we keep that way," Makoto said grimly. "We can't afford to get caught…"
Haru winced. That was right… Makoto's sister was a prosecutor. It must be difficult on her.
That was when the remaining juniors, Futaba, and Morgana appeared.
"Good, everyone's here." Morgana bounded up to them. "Are you guys ready? Our only objective today… is to steal the Treasure!"
They then took off, easily making their way to the location of Father's Treasure. But then Ryuji suddenly stopped short. "Whoa… what is that?!"
"Woooow!" Futaba gasped. "A UFO?! That's so cool!"
Ken's smile was exasperated. "Your Persona's a UFO, Futaba."
"So?! Doesn't mean I can't appreciate others!"
A UFO… why would Father want to create that?
Above their heads, a PA system crackled. "The SS Utopia will soon enter its launch sequence from the shipbuilding dock. After retrieval of the main core, the launch sequence will commence."
Anne blinked. "SS Utopia? Wait…"
"That must have been what the workers have been talking about…" Makoto mused.
"Father did say that he was going to ascend to the political world…" Haru said. "Never mind that he's using so many people as stepping stones…"
"Noir…" Anne's voice was soft and filled with pity, as she lightly touched Haru's shoulder.
"You could say that the company itself is a stepping stone for him…" Yusuke said grimly. "How despicable… This makes Sensei's crimes seem like child's play."
"Oi, don't degrade yourself about that," Ryuji interjected. "What Madarame was pretty damn shitty too, Fox."
Ken shook his head. "But even so… this is bigger than I would have expected…"
"But wait a sec… they were talking about the UFO launching!" Ryuji exclaimed. "If that happens… Okumura will get away!"
Futaba groaned. "Ugh… Skull's right! Let's hurry!"
Morgana nodded vigorously. "Lead the way, Joker!"
They ran forward, only to stop as a gleaming silver orb came into their view.
"That's it… that's the Treasure!" Morgana exclaimed.
As they approached, the ground began to shake violently. A voice announced, "Emergency launch sequence will soon be activated. Certain areas may be shut off or destroyed. I repeat, emergency launch sequence will soon be activated. All personnel is advised to evacuate immediately to the safe area of the facility."
The Treasure was suddenly lifted, disappearing into the UFO. That was when Father's voice echoed throughout the area.
"I don't have any time for you thieves. I must make my exit. You can all stand and watch in despair as you go down along with this base! Your destruction is imminent!"
"Father!" Haru stepped forward, ignoring his laughter. "No! Think about all of the people still here…!"
"Noir, he's not…" Anne began gently.
Haru lowered her head. "…I know, Panther" she whispered, unable to stop her voice from cracking. She had to blink rapidly to hold back her tears. "I know…"
Father… was it truly too late for him…?
"There's no time, we must hurry!" Makoto said sharply.
They rushed up the ramp that Futaba had pointed out to them, dodging the Shadows as best as they could.
"Dammit…" Ryuji hissed. "We're running outta time!"
"Stop bellyaching and keep running, Skull!" Morgana snapped. "We can make it!"
It was a long sprint, but they finally made it. They caught Father just in time… He was just about to board the UFO.
"Looks like we finally caught you," Yusuke panted out. He drew out his sword, pointing it at Father. "Prepare to confess your sins!"
"I…" Father's face was etched with… remorse. "I'm sorry! I… I've had a change of heart."
"You… have?" Haru breathed.
"Oh, Haru… my sweet daughter…" Father sighed, placing a hand over his chest. "You were such a loving girl… You always did whatever I asked you, no questions asked. The extra lessons… going with me to speak with my peers… even agreeing to an arranged marriage. You're a daughter any man would take pride in."
"Something's up…" Ken muttered, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"Yeah, seriously…" Ryuji shook his head. "Did he hit his head or somethin'?"
"Don't you remember, Haru?" Father continued. "You cried your eyes out when my work kept me from attending your first sports day. That was when you stopped talking back to me."
Haru looked down. She… still remembered that. She had looked frantically for him… for so long… And she broke down crying, because Father had promised he'd be there. But… maybe something deep down in her had realized that maybe Father hadn't intended to be there. At all.
"But still… you stood up against me and you have become an independent woman…" Father's smile was proud. "Nothing can make a father happier than seeing that!"
"You… You really think that, Father?" Haru asked. "I… I don't know what to say…" She shook her head. "I can't believe that you remember something that happened years ago…" She bit her lip. "Father… why? What changed? I remember when you would pour your heart into making delicious food… You wanted to bring joy to others. Why did you change?"
"Haru, please forgive me…" He dropped down to his knees, pressing his head against the ground. "But I would never last if my Treasure was stolen! Please, don't do it! I'm begging you!"
Haru cautiously approached him. "Father… let's go back, then."
"And so we shall!" Father suddenly whipped out a remote.
A forcefield sprung to life, separating Haru from everyone else. Angry cries came from all of them and Ryuji even took his club and tried to strike at it.
"What?!" Haru gasped. "Father… you…" Anger started to burn through her veins. "You tricked me!"
"Come now, Haru…" Father extended a hand out to Haru. "Do you really want to be my enemy, Haru?" His voice was coaxing, softer than any tone than he had used with her recently. "You're my flesh and blood. I do not want to fight you, Haru. I love you, my dear. We can fix everything that's gone wrong with us… you want that, don't you?"
Haru squeezed her eyes shut. Of course. Father was up to his old tricks again. Using her love for him again…
"Noir!" Ryuji pounded hard on the force field. It rattled from the force, but it didn't give way. "Don't listen to him! Remember all of the shit he's done!"
"Father, I…" Haru pressed a hand to her chest. "Words cannot describe how much I long for us to be a family again."
"Noir, NO!" Anne cried, pressing her hands against the force field. "Don't listen to him! He's just manipulating you!"
"You're my only flesh and blood…" Haru said softly. "I cannot forget that."
Father's face broke into a wide smile as he rose to his feet. He believed that he had won. Haru hid a smile, just like she had been taught. It was unladylike to express joy so openly, according to her tutors.
"However…" Her grip tightened on her axe before she swung the flat of the blade at Father's face not once, but twice. The glass of his helmet cracked. He reeled from the blows, stumbling backwards but Haru darted forward and slammed the butt of her axe into Father's abdomen. He keeled over with a groan, dropping the remote. It fell to the ground with a clatter.
Without hesitation, Haru smashed it with her foot, crushing its remains with her heel. The force field fizzled out.
She pointed her axe at Father. "I cannot abide what you've done, Father! Abusing your employees! Making them believe that there's no other option! Fueling the company with human lives!" The last part came out as a shriek. "I will fight you, Father, because it's the righteous thing to do! And nothing you say will dissuade me! I am not your tool! Not anymore!"
"You… fool…" Father hissed out. "You sentimental fool! What happiness comes from pursuing justice but losing the battle anyways?!"
"What happiness comes from profit that only can be achieved by crushing the hearts of others?!" Haru shot back.
"Better that than fail!" Father retorted. "I refuse to go back to wallowing in debt and misery! I refuse!" He then shook his head, before sweeping his hand through the air. "Regardless, I will soon set sail in the political realm! To the upper echelons of the world! To utopia! My name shall be etched in the annals of history!"
"Oh, great, another self-absorbed lunatic," Ken said dryly. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Why… Why would you choose them over me?" Father demanded.
"Why…?" Haru questioned. "I choose them because they offered me kindness! They encouraged me to fight back!" She could see her friends flanking both of her sides. "I can't stand by and watch you commit these crimes… all for the sake of greed! I will not back down! Prepare yourself, Father! For this is where you will fall!"
"Hmph… there's plenty time before launch…" A chair zoomed out of nowhere, and Father seated himself. "I will crush you all!"
"It'll be you who will be crushed!" Ren retorted.
"Hit us with your best shot, Okumura!" Anne exclaimed. "We're ready!"
Father snapped his fingers and silver pods shot down, releasing several of the robots they had fought before.
"Panther, it's yours!" Futaba cheered on. "Turn 'em to ashes, so we can beat up Okumura!"
"Gladly!" Anne exclaimed. "Hecate!"
Flames danced through the air, engulfing the robots. They fell to her powerful fire spell with little resistance.
"Hmph… That was just a warm-up." Father snapped his fingers. "Try your hand with these!"
The silver pods returned, and the same robots stepped out.
"Argh!" Ryuji groaned. "It's like those elite workers from before!"
"Any problem can be solved with manpower… that is the strength of my company!"
"Yes, it's not like you've been utilizing mental shutdowns," Ken deadpanned, spinning his spear in his hand. "Don't make me laugh… You've got nothing on Mitsuru-san."
"Don't backtalk me you little-" Father hissed out. "Men! Attack!"
"They're just small fry!" Ren shouted. "We can take them! Reserve your strength!"
"Joker's right…" Morgana said. "He's probably hiding the big guns. We can't let ourselves get worn out!"
Ren summoned Okuninishi once more, and he cast the strength increasing spell. Haru worked with Ken to wipe out the robots with their gun attacks.
Another snap of Father's fingers summoned yet another wave of robots. Two of them were the blue robots they had been fighting before, but the remaining two were yellow.
Anne sent the robots to the ground with a well placed fire spell, before dashing over to Yusuke, passing the baton.
"Goemon!" he called his Persona's name. His Persona appeared with a flash. Snow and ice appeared in a flurry. One robot fell to the assault, collapsing to the ground, but the other managed to dodge.
"I sense another weakness!" Futaba shouted. "It's weak to psy magic!"
"Do it, Noir!" Yusuke exclaimed.
"Milady!"
Pink outlined the robot as Milady sent it flying. With the robots all flat on the ground, she was able to summon Milady again. Her skirts flew back, shooting bullets in all of the robots. That attack destroyed them.
Father summoned yet another wave of robots… was there really no end? The three yellow robots were accompanied by the gangly red robot they had fought… the one that was supposed to be the Chief Clerk.
Captain Kidd rammed into the robots so hard that they were sent flying. They crashed to the ground, just in time to caught in the explosion that Johanna produced. The red robot collapsed to the ground. Zorro whipped up a gale but the yellow robots seem to shrug it off.
But an attack from both Milady and Goemon felled the remaining of the robots. Ken finished them off, nailing them with a gun attack.
More of the red robots… accompanied by the blue gangly robot.
They slowly chipped through the waves of robots. It felt like it was coming to no end… They weren't particularly strong, but they just kept coming…
But then Father did something strange. "Show your dedication!" He then threw a sheet of paper at the blue robot. It then grew stiff, before it began to tremble. Black smoke began to pour from it.
"What's going on…?" Ren questioned. "Oracle?"
"Crap…"Futaba breathed. "Beat that robot and do it fast! It'll explode! And it's a big one! It'll probably hit all of you!"
Ren swore under his breath. "You heard Oracle!" he barked. "Go all out on the blue one!"
But the red robots formed a wall around the robot that Father had set to explode.
"Get outta our way, dammit!" Ryuji growled as Yusuke whipped out his assault rifle, quickly firing bullets into the robots. "Whip 'em, Captain Kidd!"
Captain Kidd sent the robots flying. Anne cracked her whip, wrapping around the torso of one of the robots, and she sent it flying at the blue robot. They skidded backwards. Moments later, Makoto whizzed by, astride on Johanna. Johanna glowed blue for a moment, before a nuclear explosion came to life.
But one of the robots managed to dodge the attack. It then raised its arms. It twitched for a moment, before smoke began to pour out. But a wave of blue light swept through the area, healing all of its allies. It swayed on the side, like it was nearly out of energy.
"Ugh! It healed all of the damage you dealt!" Futaba fumed. "That's such a cheap move!"
"Yes… that's it! Show your dedication!" Father suddenly exclaimed.
"Brace yourselves!" Ren shouted, just as the robot exploded like a bomb.
The backlash was strong enough to send Haru flying backwards. Haru couldn't help but let out a cry as she painfully skidded backwards.
"Come on, guys, don't lag!" Futaba exclaimed. "Hang on… here come the buffs!"
The symbols on Necronomicon flashed a bright green, before rainbow light seemed to surround them. Haru felt her muscles grow lighter… strength filling her veins… it felt incredible.
"Greatly appreciated, Oracle!" Ren said, quickly pivoting around to flash Futaba—or rather Necronomicon—a thumbs up.
Morgana's healing spell swept over them like a pleasant spring breeze.
"Up you go!" Ryuji said cheerfully before grabbing Haru's hand and pulling back on her feet.
"Fortuna!" All the while, Ren summoned a new Persona, a dark blue haired woman with part of her torso replaced with a spinning wheel. She spun the wheel with one hand, whipping up a powerful gust of wind that struck at all of the robots. The red robots resisted the attack, but the blue robot was sent sprawling. "Queen, it's yours!"
Makoto raced forward on Johanna, slapping Ren's hand. With the boosted power, she was able to destroy the rest of the robots with a single blast.
Father summoned another wave of robots. Two of the blue and two of them… were the robots they had fought during their last visit.
"Here it comes…" Ken said grimly.
"Don't you dare pull that trick again…" Anne warned, shooting Ren a look.
"Okay, okay…" Ren groaned. "You don't have to repeat yourself!" He then looked to Ryuji. "So, Skull, are you feeling up to it—"
"JOKER!"
"Honestly…" Ken heaved out a sigh.
"Hey, no time for party banter!" Futaba shouted. "Remember, we're on a time limit!"
"Easy for you to say!" Ryuji quipped back. "You're our mission control!"
Ren summoned Scathach. A gust of wind rippled from her, knocking down the blue robots flat. "Mona, take it!" he ordered, and Morgana leapt in the air, slapping Ren's outstretched hand.
Zorro whipped up a hurricane that tore into the robots, destroying the blue ones. But the green robots were barely pushed back, even with Morgana powered up from the baton pass.
The ground shook as the green robot approached. It seemed focused on Yusuke.
"Milady, please!" Haru cried. Milady swept her fan, a translucent shield forming around Yusuke. The robot struck a moment later, but the attack harmlessly bounced back and reflected against the robot.
"My thanks, Noir!" Yusuke called out to her. Anne darted forward, quickly firing several bullets. Hecate appeared above her, lighting the bullets on fire.
The robot stumbled backwards, giving Ken an opening to attack with his spear. He then summoned Kala-Nemi, launching a light spell. Yusuke then summoned Goemon, slamming down in the ground, creating shockwaves that made the robots wobble precariously.
Ren darted in, slashing furiously at one of the robots. The moment the robot stumbled, he nailed it with his pistol.
Ryuji let out a little whoop. "Nice one, Joker! Show 'im who's boss!"
This was a good opening…
"Panther, Queen!" Haru called out. "Let's do this!"
"Understood!" Makoto exclaimed, just as Anne pumped her fist before saying, "Right behind you, Noir!"
They charged forward as a unit.
"Milady!" Haru called her Persona forth, pointing at the robots.
Bullets flew forward, making the robots stumble backwards. Anne jumped forward, summoning Hecate with one hand. Ribbons of fire danced, before Anne cracked her whip. Makoto then jumped forward, nailing a robot with a well placed punch. The punch was strong enough to send the robot flying into the other. Haru then swept in with a wide swing of her axe.
"Together now!" Makoto cried, clenching her fist. "JOHANNA!"
"MILADY!"
"HECATE!"
Hecate's flames struck first, but just a second later, Milady's psychic spell caught the robots in its grasp, tossing them both in the air with ease. Gravity sent them crashing down, and a heartbeat later, Johanna created a nuclear explosion that reduced them to rubble.
Haru was panting during their attack. Sweat trickled down her brow. That attack had been… intense.
"Woohoo!" Futaba cheered. "You really kicked their asses!"
"What…?" Father gasped. Haru looked over to see that his jaw was on the ground. "Even them?! It seems that ordinary workers are not fit for this job!" He let out a thoughtful hum, before his hand clenched over his arm rest. "Yes… It is time… to call them out."
"Bring it on, you asshat!" Ryuji shouted. "We can take anything you throw at us!"
"Come… Executive Director! And bring her with you!"
"Her…?" Yusuke questioned.
Two silver pods dropped down. One was huge, and out stepped an even larger robot than the green ones, clad in a black business suit. And the second…
"WHAT?!" Haru couldn't help but cry out. She stared with wide eyes.
"I will do whatever Father requests of me."
It was… a robotic version of her.
"That… That looks like Noir!" Anne squeaked out.
Morgana huffed. "And I was wondering why we hadn't seen a cognitive Noir as of yet…"
"Guys, you've got to hurry!" Futaba yelled, her voice cracking for a moment. "Half of your time's up!"
"Let's go all out, everyone!" Ren urged. "Come!"
"Lemme give you a boost!" Futaba exclaimed. "Hmm… this one! Defense up!"
Necronomicon's symbols flashed again before a purple aura shimmered around them.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Ryuji shouted. "Captain Kidd!"
But then the cognitive version of her raised her hand, pointing at the robot.
"Skull, wait…!" Ken shouted.
But Captain Kidd crashed into the robot. But Ryuji stumbled back, a "Shit!" spilling from his lips.
"Damn!" Ren hissed out. "That version of Noir must have Noir's skills! Focus your attacks on the cognitive Noir! She'll probably prioritize protecting the executive director!"
Haru's lips tightened at that before she heaved her grenade launcher. She fired at her cognitive self, but she didn't even look fazed. Anger surged through her. She was just a doll… just like what Father wanted her to be…
She grasped her axe with both hands and rushed forward. Her cognitive self just calmly blocked her strike with her arm.
"Why…?!" Haru hissed out, straining to push her axe against the robotic version of her. "Can't you see…?"
"I was born to further the Okumura line," she said tonelessly. "I am here to be molded as Father deems fit. I must protect Okumura Foods… no matter what. Their benefit is mine."
Hot tears stung at Haru's eyes. Further the Okumura line…
All of the visits to the doctor's. The doctors commenting that it was good that she had wide hips, for they were better for childbearing. Her diet being adjusted so she would be more fertile. And then later, her diet being adjusted because she had to be tiny… slender… the perfect woman to be on Sugimura's arm.
Was that really how her father viewed her?
"WRONG!" A whip wound around her cognitive self's arm, yanking her to the side. "Noir's her own person! It's disgusting that Okumura sees her that!"
"Panther's right!" Morgana declared, jumping on her shoulder for a moment before doing a somersault and slashing downwards on her cognitive self. "Noir, you're not defined by your family… by Okumura Foods!"
They were right… She couldn't lose heart!
"Milady!" Haru tore off her mask.
Pink outlined her cognitive self, lifting her in the air. When she was sent tumbling down, Haru swung her axe, cleaving her into two.
Haru stared at the broken pieces. She wasn't that girl… not anymore. She wouldn't listen docilely anymore.
"We've really got to focus on taking down that… thing," Anne said with a grimace. The others were pouring in everything into it.
Haru nodded. "Yes, you're right."
"Hey, Mona!" Ryuji called out to him. "Wanna do a double attack with Captain Kidd?"
"Let's do it!" Morgana said with a firm nod, sprinting over to Ryuji's side. Ryuji summoned Captain Kidd, and Morgana jumped on top, perching on the bow.
Captain Kidd raced forward, ramming into the robot. Morgana then jumped off, slashing with his sword. Blue flared around him and Zorro nailed the robot with Miracle Punch.
"Awesome team up, you two!" Futaba complimented. "I'm honestly a bit surprised…"
"Noir!" Ken called to her. "Care for a team up as well?"
"Gun attacks?" she asked, and a beat later, Ken nodded. "Let's do it!"
Their doubled attack forced the robot to be on the defensive. Haru couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at how their efforts were just slowly chipping away at the robot.
"What are you doing?!" Father yelled. "Work harder! You're not allowed to fall here! You will kill the thieves, even if it costs you your life!"
Haru's stomach twisted at his words. Father… why…?
"For the… prosperity of Okumura Foods!" the robot intoned as a blue light flashed.
"Accept your defeat!" Father declared, snapping his fingers.
A sickly yellow light emitted them, before both Yusuke and Ryuji began to sway. Yusuke clutched his stomach. "So… hungry…" he groaned out.
"That's nothing new," Morgana quipped.
"For real…!" Ryuji said, sounding woozy as he clutched his stomach as well. "I could really use some ramen now!"
"Gah!" Futaba groaned. "Fox and Skull are hungry! Their attack power's seriously weakened!"
"Noir, try to get one of them cured!" Ren ordered, before whipping out his pistol and firing several bullets. Anne summoned Hecate to set his bullets alight.
"I'll make you into a human burger!" the robot declared.
"A human… what…?" Makoto questioned.
"Brace yourselves!" Ren barked out.
And it wasn't a moment too soon… The robot raised his arms. A burger rained down from the sky.
"FOOOOOOD!" Ryuji and Yusuke cried out in unison.
But then the burger started to glow, before detonating like a bomb as it struck the ground. Due to Haru bracing herself, she only staggered back but…
Her entire body was aching horribly.
"What… What WAS that?!" Morgana exclaimed, sounding flabbergasted.
"I have no idea but… it cured Skull and Fox at least," Ken said dryly.
"Well, that's one way to feed Fox, I guess," Anne quipped.
"Looks like Shinjiro-san's chopped liver now, then," Ren quipped right back at her. "But anyways, let's go all out on this guy! I don't know about you, but I'd rather avoid another attack like that!"
"Understood!" they exclaimed.
Futaba then swooped in, buffing them with that rainbow light again.
Ren summoned Astraea again, strengthening himself with that yellow spell that he had used on Morgana during their last visit.
Hecate's flames were bolstered by Zorro's gust of wind. Yusuke used Goemon to freeze the robot's legs in place. He then jumped backwards as Makoto charged forward on Johanna, letting loose a powerful Freila spell. Electricity crackled around Kala-Nemi's light spell, striking right in the center of the robot's torso. Milady fired away, shooting several bullets with her artillery.
"It's time!" Ren declared. "White Rider!"
White Rider charged forward, slamming into the robot with such a great force that it sent the robot down onto its knees.
"Oi, Fox! Ace!" Ryuji cracked his knuckles. "Let's kick some ass!"
"Let's have at it," Yusuke declared, before Ken nodded in agreement.
"Show no mercy!" Ken shouted, before the three boys rushed at the robot.
Ken used his spear as a pole vault, launching himself him in the air. He then jabbed downwards, creating a large gash in the robot.
"You're mine!" Yusuke growled out, before slashing with his katana. He yanked his sword out, sidestepping so Ryuji could smash his club against the robot.
"Let's get 'im!" Ryuji shouted. "CAPTAIN KIDD!"
"GOEMON!"
"KALA-NEMI!"
Goemon's ice spell struck first, the ice quickly spreading across the robot's body. Kala-Nemi's gun attack shattered the ice, before the bow of Captain Kidd's ship crackled with electricity. A lightning bolt exploded from the tip, exploding as it struck inside the robot.
The robot staggered backwards, before finally—finally—falling.
"YES!" Futaba crowed. "You guys did it!"
"NO!" Father shouted. "It can't be!" His hands tightened on the arm rests of his chair. "Is there anyone here?!"
Silver pods appeared but nobody showed up.
"CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!" Father cried out, to no avail.
"You've been abandoned, Father…" Haru said softly. "You have… no one."
"This can't be…" Father gasped out.
"Noir!" Ren extended his hand out to Okumura. "It's all yours!"
"Haru… no… please…" Father pleaded, his voice suddenly cracking. "Don't do this!"
Haru studied him closely. Father truly looked frightened. He did not want it to end like this. But… she had to do this. She couldn't let Father continue the way he had.
"Adieu, Father," Haru murmured, before she tore off her mask. "Milady!"
A pink light surrounded Father, lifting him in the air. He landed in a heap on the ground. A final bullet shot out, striking Father right in the chest. He fell forward, and there was a loud crack.
He dragged himself to his knees. "So… I'm the last of a line of failures…"
Was that… how he viewed their family?
"Do you really resent Grandfather, Father…?" Haru asked.
"Haru, I…" Father looked down. "I have mixed feelings on my father… He was a very loving father but he was too kind. He would give the shirt on his own back to a stranger… even at his own expense. I… I always thought to myself, growing up… that I would never do that. But…" A broken sob suddenly escaped him. "What have I done…? Selling my daughter… the mirror of my wife… like that?" He shook his head. "…I was wrong. Terribly wrong…"
Oh, Father… Haru's heart ached for him. She could understand his mindset. She far from agreed but… she knew that Father had a difficult childhood…
Father then looked up. "Haru, I will rescind the arranged marriage. I know it's not even beginning to apologize what I've put you through… for not being the father you deserve… but you deserve to be free, Haru." He then kowtowed, pressing both his forehead and palms against the floor. "I will not beg for your forgiveness… because I know that I do not deserve it. I do not deserve you as a daughter. You loved me so much that you would do whatever I asked of you… and I took advantage of that."
"Father…" Haru sighed.
"All right, tell us!" Ryuji marched forward. "Who's been doing all the crazy shit with the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns?!"
"You… You know of that?" Father questioned.
"You ordered so many…" Ken stated. "Wild Duck… Haneruya Foods… Goodness Food… They were all for your benefit."
"Yes… I admit to that… But all I did was make requests."
"So… a dead end," Ren groaned as Father continued to sob. "We need a lead on Shido…"
"Dammit…" Morgana groaned. He wobbled as the ground suddenly gave an especially strong tremor. "We… We'll have to speak with him… in the real world."
"Once his heart has been changed…" Anne looked over to Haru. "…Which should be soon."
"Speaking of that…" Yusuke pointed up.
Haru looked up to see that Father's treasure was floating down to them.
"Take it, Noir," Makoto said.
Haru slowly took the Treasure. It glowed and sparkled in her hand. Just what would it be in the real world.
"Get ready," Ren warned.
"Ready for—?" Haru let out a cry as she staggered forward from a tremor. Yusuke grasped her by the shoulders, holding her upright.
"Annnd here we go," Ken said flatly.
"Hold on a sec…!" Morgana flipped into the air.
"Woo! Go Mona!" Futaba cheered.
"Come on, Noir." Yusuke urged her to the bus.
Makoto then floored the gas, and they sped out of the Palace.
It was too easy.
Goro watched as the strange bus sped away. He had heard most of Okumura's rant. He had no qualms about what he was about to do.
His bottom lip curled as he stared at the pathetic Shadow on the ground. This vermin… he would gladly take out, regardless of Shido's orders.
He was no better than Shido… Absolute scum who would just throw out their children like trash.
His footsteps were light as he approached Okumura's Shadow. What a pathetic, sniveling creature…
"Who… Who's there…?" he asked, looking up.
Akechi pulled the trigger. The Shadow didn't make a sound as he died.
The Phantom Thieves had just signed their own death warrants. This was the first step… to their downfall.
Sunday, October 9th, 2016
Shinjiro really hated when people played with their food. Food was there to be eaten, not to be played. Ken absentmindedly pushed the contents of the stew in his bowl, before finally spooning a little and raising it to his lips.
Ken had been… quiet for the past few days. Since October fourth, but something told him that it wasn't because of the anniversary. In the past, Ken was usually sad on the day, but he managed to overcome it on the same day.
Shinjiro waited until Ken finished chewing the bite of food in his mouth before opening his mouth. "Soo…" He eyed Ken. "…Are you going to tell me what's up?"
Ken stiffened. "What… What do you mean?"
Shinjiro snorted before he set down his spoon. "Cute, Ken. The innocent act worked when you're twelve. But now? Not so much." He looked at Ken sternly, before resting his cheek on his hand. "Spill it. Something's bugging you."
"N-Nothing's wrong." Ken quickly looked away.
…Ken was really a shitty liar.
"Bullshit," Shinjiro deadpanned. "Seriously, what the hell's going on, Ken? You're not exactly sulking but you're pretty damn close to it."
…There was Sakura's cackling about Ken and Niijima. Maybe he needed to poke at Ken, to get him to talk about this.
"Did you get in a fight?" Shinjiro asked. "With Niijima, maybe?"
"No!" Ken shook his head. "I didn't get in an argument with Makoto… it's just…" He trailed off, before biting his lip. "…It's stupid," he mumbled out, staring down at the table. "Nothing worth talking about."
"But it has to do with Niijima, right?" Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at him. The blood drained out of Ken's face. Yeah, that was all he needed to know. Ken really sucked at hiding how he felt. "Come on, Ken, just tell me. I can't help you if you keep it bottled up."
The silence dragged on. And on. To the point where Shinji was tempted to smack him. He usually reserved that for Aki, but he didn't have time for this.
Then Ken spoke. "How… How did you realize that you liked Fuuka-san?"
… had never expected to have this conversation with Ken. Ignoring his lack of interest in girls, Ken was rather levelheaded and mature for his age—something Takeba frequently reminded Iori of. Shinjiro had never considered that Ken would even need this kind of advice.
"See?!" The sound of a chair scraping against the floor snapped Shinjiro out of his numb thoughts. Ken was pacing in front of the table now. "I told you it was stupid! But you insisted! It's not a big deal…" Ken even began to hyperventilate a little. "It's no big deal! It's fine… I'll get over it like I did with Minako-san! It'll be no problem!"
Shinjiro just stared at Ken, who was furiously pacing now, circling around the table. He had… no words. What the fuck? Was he seriously panicking over having a crush on Niijima?
"Ken, you kinda dropped this all of a sudden-" Shinjiro began, before scowling in Ken's direction. "And stop pacing already! You're making me dizzy…"
Ken stopped in his tracks. "I told you, it's fine!" he repeated. "It's stupid… it's just a crush. Nothing to get worked up about!"
Shinjiro just groaned, fighting the urge to slam his face against the table. He settled for pressing his hand against his forehead.
What the fuck, Ken? Why the hell was he panicking like this? Especially since he's had a crush on Minako years ago… Was it because it's been years since he's had a crush so it was kicking him right into panic mode?
"You say that, but you're working yourself up in a frenzy," Shinjiro said carefully. "And why do you have to get over it? Looks like to me that Niijima likes you. A lot."
Ken then stopped and stared. "…You don't sound surprised."
"What—that you have a crush on Niijima?" Shinjiro scoffed. "I haven't been around you and Niijima that much, but I picked up a lot." Ken continued to stare, so Shinjiro just rolled his eyes at his charge before continuing. "Let's see… you met her in July, right? And when I met her just a few weeks later, you were calling her by her first name. No honorifics either." Ken opened his mouth to argue, so Shinjiro held up a hand. "Don't give me an excuse that she's your age. If that was the case, you'd be calling Amamiya and the others by their first names. I remember pretty clearly that Sakamoto was bitching 'bout you being so formal. And there was the whole thing with her swimsuit…"
"I was being polite!" Ken protested. "She was unsure about how she'd looked."
"Uh huh. Sure it was," Shinjiro deadpanned, before letting out a soft scoff at Ken's disgruntled expression. "Thirdly… your exchange at Crossroads stood out at me." He raised an eyebrow at Ken. "Takamaki seems like the affectionate type, you know. Would you let her hold your hand like you let Niijima do?"
"Wha—?" Ken flushed. "No… that'd be weird! Anne's dating Ren!"
Shinjiro reached for his drink—god, if only it was hard alcohol—before taking a quick sip. "You didn't answer my question."
"Well… no…" Ken mumbled out, "but I never really thought about it…"
Shinjiro just raised an eyebrow. "You let Niijima do it without even questioning it." He shrugged. "Look, Ken, I've known you since you were a kid. I've seen you around other girls. It may not be obvious to other people but it is to me. You do treat Niijima differently compared to other girls."
Ken was silent for a moment, but then his face crumpled. "…It doesn't matter. If anything, Makoto would like…" he trailed off at that, but it didn't take a genius guess who he was referring to.
At Ken's pained expression, Shinjiro couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. Though Ken was being really dramatic about this all… He personally blamed Amamiya.
But years ago, he had thought similar thoughts when it came to Fuuka.
The first few weeks after he had woke up from his coma had been… rough. He had to be hooked up to machinery as he slowly regained his strength. Mitsuru had brought Fuuka to help out with the machinery monitoring. He was all too used to the yelling, tears, and overall emotional reactions, but Fuuka had been quiet yet supportive. It had been a breath of fresh air, having her show quiet support.
And then Mitsuru had forced him to repeat his senior year. Fuuka had offered to personally tutor him, since he's never been the greatest at school. In turn, he roped her into helping him cook dinner for everyone, since he noticed that she was still trying to improve.
It had been gradual, but he noticed how Fuuka was so quietly determined… how much she cared about her friends. But it had just taken one smile from her to realize that he had fallen. Hard.
But they had been drastically different… he had thought that he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell with her. So he was stuck quietly crushing, getting red as hell when they were cooking together or Fuuka was tutoring him.
If Minako and Takeba hadn't pushed Fuuka into asking him out, he probably wouldn't have made a move.
…He'd rather eat glass than tell Ken that though.
"…Ken, look…" he said quietly. "I don't know Niijima all that much. But she pretended to date Amamiya for weeks. If she was interested in him, she would've been in a good position to do something 'bout that."
"But-" Ken began.
"But what?" Shinjiro cut him off. He then heaved out a sigh. "Ken, look at it this way… If you don't take the chance, you'll never know."
Though if Sakura was to believed, Niijima had it bad for Ken. Just holy hell, Ken was smart. He wasn't quite Mitsuru brilliant, but he was a hard worker. He wouldn't have earned a partial scholarship for Gekkoukan if he hadn't. So why was he being so stupid about this?
He would've thought Ken would be the last person to freak over this kind of crap.
"But… I don't want to ruin things with Makoto," Ken protested. "She's a really good friend… I feel that I can talk to her about anything."
Was… Was he hearing himself? And yet he couldn't figure it out earlier?!
Shinjiro just groaned, pressing both hands to his face. Of course Ken had to be dumb with love. Ken had idolized Aki when he was a kid. He had taken after Aki, being a sport star with gushing fangirls, up to this past year. Of course he'd be stupid with this.
"Plus it would throw things off with our Phantom Thief work," Ken continued to ramble, only to pause. He shot Shinjiro an annoyed look. "Stop giving me that look!"
"What look?" Shinjiro said flatly, folding his arms over his chest.
"Your oh my god what an idiot look," Ken stated. "The one you usually save for Akihiko-san."
"Well, if it fits-"
"HAVE YOU NOT BEEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Ken cried out. Shinjiro was surprised that he wasn't flailing.
Shinjiro groaned. Could Ken chill the fuck out already? It wasn't the end of the world if he liked a friend. Ugh, he really needed a stiff drink. Preferably two.
"Look, Ken…" Shinjiro rubbed his forehead. At the very least, he needed some aspirin after all of this. "I've given you what I think what you should do. But it's in your hands."
Ken was silent for several moments. "…Okay," he mumbled out. "I'll… I'll think about it. I have a lot to think about it."
"So think about it." Shinjiro waved a hand towards the hallway where their bedrooms were. "'Sides, you've probably got piles of homework."
Ken grumbled at that, but he grabbed his bowl of stew and headed for the fridge to stick his bowl in it.
Shinjiro just sighed to himself before Ken excused himself. Aki and Minako had their work cut out for him. Parenting was kinda a pain in the ass.
As if his thoughts had summoned him, his phone rang. He took one glance at the caller id before answering. "What is it, Aki?"
"Jeez, you sound cranky," Aki remarked. "And on a Sunday, too. Did you have an argument with Ken?"
Shinjiro groaned. "It's not that. Be grateful that this kid of yours is a girl. Won't be running to you about dating advice."
"…What?" Shinjiro could hear the frown in Aki's voice. "Shinji, what are you talking about?"
Shinjiro rubbed his forehead. "Ken's been acting kinda weird this past week, so I asked him what's going on? And what does he do? Dump all of this crap on me about how he's crushing on Niijima and when I suggest that he'd do something, he's all 'no, no, I can't do that!'. Then what the hell am I supposed to tell him then?!"
"Uh… Shinji?" Aki said hesitantly. "We're talking about the same Ken, right?"
"Who else could I be talking about, Aki?" Shinjiro snapped into his phone.
"Okay, okay, you don't have to yell at me," Aki huffed. "Seriously, Shinji, Ken… likes someone? That's kinda hard for me to wrap my mind around. He's never looked at any girl."
Shinjiro snorted. "Uh huh. What about you with girls before you met Minako, huh?"
"…Shut up," Aki retorted. "But uh… good luck with that, then, Shinji. That sounds rough."
Shinjiro heaved out a sigh. "Don't I know it," he grumbled. "Maybe I should just run out and buy a pack of beer. I need a drink."
"I don't think getting drunk over this is gonna solve anything." Aki then paused. "…Are you getting a midlife crisis over this? I mean, you're kinda like Ken's dad…"
Shinjiro scowled, even though he knew that Aki couldn't see. "Go jump off a cliff, Aki," he snarled out. "At least I don't have a head full of gray hair."
"Will you stop bringing that up?!"
Tuesday, October 11th, 2016
Message From: Ken Amada
[Ken Amada]: Mitsuru-san, Haru told us this morning that her father called for a press conference. It'll probably be like when Madarame confessed to his crimes.
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: Understood, Amada. Thank you for letting me know.
Mitsuru set her phone down on her desk, before rising to her feet. She gazed out of the window of her office. Hearing about Okumura's sins hit… a little too close to home.
Of course, her grandfather had endangered so many people with his experiments and had nearly brought on the Fall… so her family's sins were more… intense than Kunikazu Okumura's.
But it was the same principle.
She had to wonder what Okumura's daughter… Haru… was feeling about all of this. The Kirijo Group's sins were never revealed to the public… their powerbase was too strong. But Okumura Foods? It didn't have that kind of protection.
What would become of Haru Okumura, never mind the countless workers employed by Okumura Foods? Okumura Foods was an international business, so it wouldn't just affect people living here. There was even a Big Bang Burger built right here in Port Island.
Mitsuru just… couldn't shake off an ominous feeling… that Okumura's confession would not be so simple.
A soft sigh passed her lips. Hopefully Okumura would be able to give some information on Shido… so Shido could finally be taken down. Maybe she should see if everyone could watch the stream together…
When Ken had woke up this morning, he hadn't expected to be going to Destinyland, of all place.
"Wow!" Futaba's eyes went round with shock. "This is… amazing."
"Have you never been to Destinyland, Futaba?" Anne asked.
Ren nudged her in the side. "And you have?"
Anne nodded. "Yeah, I've been to the one in Florida. Back when my parents still took me with them during their travels."
"Oh, what do your parents do for a living, Anne-chan?" Haru inquired.
"My parents are fashion designers," Anne explained. "They're not exactly Chanel high end, but their jobs are pretty demanding. They're flying off from country to country most of the time… We've lived in Finland… America, just to name a couple places." She shrugged. "They eventually decided that I should have some stability and that I should be staying in one place, so they sent me back to Tokyo back in junior high."
Oh… He never really thought about Anne's family life, he was being honest. Anne never really seemed to talk about it, so he assumed she had at least a decent family life. Then again, there was the crap with Kamoshida…
Haru winced. "That… That must be rough, Anne-chan," she said softly.
But Anne shook her head, her smile a little too bright. "But we're not here to talk about that! Man, I can't believe we're at Destinyland for a celebration party!"
"Yeah, talk about the real VIP treatment!" Ryuji said with a grin.
"I think you've created a monster, Haru," Ken said dryly.
Haru weakly giggled. "I just thought we might as well take advantage of this…"
Ren elbowed Ken in the side. "You're one to talk. You've known Mitsuru Kirijo for years, haven't you?"
Ken smiled sheepishly. "Well… I can't deny that Mitsuru-san has treated us before… like take us to Yakushima but she's never done anything this extravagant."
"Well, this kind of thing is difficult to beat," Makoto remarked. "Thank you for doing this, Haru."
Haru's smile turned bright. "It's nothing, really! I… I'm just glad to share it with all of you."
Futaba coughed. "But we should have some fun then! We've got a few hours until the stream, right?"
Haru nodded. "I was thinking that we could get together at around seven. The employees will have prepared some food for us!"
Yusuke closed his eyes. "Wonderful. I truly appreciate it, Haru."
Haru laughed. "It's no problem, Yusuke-kun!"
"Sooo, who wants to hit the roller coaster?" Ryuji drawled out.
"Ooh, me!" Anne said. "What about you, Ren?"
"Sure." Ren linked his arm with hers. "Are you going to latch onto me, though?"
"Pffft!" Anne shook her head. "I love rollercoasters! But be careful… I scream really loudly."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "…Huh. I'll keep that in mind."
…Ren, why. He did not need to hear that.
"Waitwaitwait!" Anne cried, waving her hands frantically about. "That's not—get your head out of the gutter!"
"You're the one jumping to conclusions, Anne," Ren said innocently, but that little shit grin gave him away. "Maybe you're the one who's got their head in the gutter."
Anne smacked his shoulder. "You're awful!" she huffed, even as her cheeks grew pink. "Absolutely awful!"
"And yet, you still love me," Ren said with a smirk.
"I wanna see Haru try her hand at that hammer game!" Futaba interjected, thankfully interrupting Ren and Anne's banter/flirting. "You know, the one where you swing it and you try to hit the bell!"
"Hmm…" Yusuke looked towards the famous castle. "I wish to sketch that," he announced. "It is truly a magnificent sight."
"Ugh, Inari, you want to draw?" Futaba complained. "We're at Destinyland! We should be having fun!"
"Drawing is something I wholeheartedly enjoy," Yusuke said plainly. "Just like how you find joy in those video games of yours. I don't complain about your hobby so kindly do the same for me."
"Okay, okay, sheesh," Futaba grumbled.
"Anywayssss, we're gonna head off now!" Anne said. "See you guys later!"
"Sooo, can we go to the carnival games then?" Futaba asked.
"Actually…" Haru said. "I'd like to stay with Yusuke-kun." She clasped her hands behind her back, smiling bashfully. "I… I never realized just how talented Yusuke-kun was with drawing until recently. I'd like to watch."
At Futaba's pouting, Makoto put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Futaba, there's got to be some kind of attraction you want to do…" She then chewed on her lip. "How about the bumper cars?"
Futaba let out a hum. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh! How about Space Mountain?" Her eyes began to sparkle. "We'll get a show and it's a roller coaster! It should be fun!"
Haru was handed the hammer by the attendant. She wobbled under its weight for a moment, before her hands wrapped around the handle more tightly. She squared her shoulders and swung.
The puck shot up, gradually slowing down as it made its ascent. But it managed to strike the bell, even if it was just barely.
Holy crap… Ken couldn't help but stare. He knew that Haru was strong… but damn.
"Oh…" Haru tilted her head. She seemed oblivious to the attendant's bugged eye stare. To be fair, Ken would be shocked if a petite stranger had managed to pull that off too. "I just made it…"
"What's oh?!" Futaba cried out, waving her hands about. "You hit it! That's freakishly hard! Like boss level hard!"
Haru giggled. "I suppose I was hoping that I would make it more than just by the skin of my teeth."
"You should take your victory, Haru," Yusuke stated. "However… I am unsurprised. You have a strong will… a strong heart… of course you would be physically strong as well."
…He wasn't sure if that was how it worked. If that was the case, Yukari-san would be really strong.
…Then again, Yukari-san did beat Akihiko-san in an arm wrestling contest once. Shinjiro-san never let him forget that…
Haru giggled, smiling up at him. "Thank you, Yusuke-kun. You're so sweet sometimes."
"Pffft, sweet?" Futaba scoffed. "Inari's more of a sourpuss."
"Be nice, Futaba," Makoto chided. "But anyways… is there any last thing you'd like to do…? It's twenty to seven."
"Haru, why don't you pick?" Ken said. "Since you did this because Futaba pleaded with you."
"Hmm…" Haru's eyes then lit up. "Oh! How about the Haunted Mansion?"
Makoto immediately blanched at that, tensing up at that. Right… her fear of the dark. Though honestly, Ken wasn't too keen on going on that kind of ride either.
"Actually, I'd like to see the castle up close," Ken cut in. "Makoto, do you want to come with me?"
The tension in Makoto's shoulders seemed to melt away. "That sounds like fun. I'd love to."
Futaba snickered for a moment. "Have fun with that. Haru, Inari! Onward!"
They exchanged goodbyes, before he and Makoto headed towards the castle.
"Um… thank you about that," Makoto murmured. "I know you just made that up because I don't really like the dark… Or horror…"
Then she smiled at him, making heat flood his cheeks. "N-No problem," he managed to spit out.
Ugh. Why couldn't he say something more smooth like Anything for you. He wished he knew just how Ren got to be so smooth and charming.
"This really is a beautiful place," Makoto remarked, looking around. "Dad was always so busy with work… and Sis had piles of schoolwork… so we never could go." She shook her head. "I would've liked to go to even Seaside Park. I've never been to there, either."
"Maybe we could go sometime." The suggestion slipped from Ken without him thinking, and he blushed furiously when Makoto looked at him in surprise. "I-I mean, all of us!" he blurted out.
"…Mm." Makoto nodded. "That would be nice."
Was it his imagination or did she sound a little disappointed…?
…Of course it was just his imagination. Ken sighed to himself, only to snap to attention when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Ken fished out his phone to see just who it was. A message from Junpei-san? His face suddenly started to burn with embarrassment as he read the message.
[Junpei Iori]: Sooo… A little birdy tells me someone has a cruuuuush ;)
Ken pressed a hand to his forehead. Dammit Shinjiro-san… He could easily guess what had happened. Shinjiro-san had been clearly frustrated with him during their conversation. He probably vented to Akihiko-san. Akihiko-san then blabbed to Minako-san, because he can't hide a secret from her to save his life. And Minako-san told Junpei-san.
Great. Just great.
Though it was especially embarrassing because Junpei-san just had to text him now…
They reached the castle, so they scaled the winding staircase.
"Oh wow…" Makoto breathed as she leaned against the railing. "The view's… incredible."
She was right… the view showed Tokyo's skyline beautifully. As it was approaching night time, some of the lights were turned on. It made the city glow.
It really brought home just how big Tokyo was… Tokyo really made Port Island look tiny.
Soft laughter reached his ears. Ken looked over to see that Ren and Anne were having an impromptu dance over by another balcony.
Well… it was more that they were holding each other all while swaying. But then Ren spun Anne, before abruptly dipping her. Anne smiled up at him, her arms going around his neck. Ren then leaned in close, kissing Anne.
A soft sigh passed his lips. Ren had parroted Ken's advice back to him but it was just… not the same. Not even close. Makoto just viewed him as a close friend…
"Poor Ryuji," Makoto suddenly commented. "Ren and Anne probably gave him the slip for some… privacy."
Oh… that was right. He hoped that Ryuji wasn't too mad about that. But then again, the three of them were rather close. Ryuji should forgive them.
But then something boomed above their heads. They looked up to see that various bursts of color were lighting up the night sky.
"Oh!" Makoto's eyes grew wide with awe. She tilted her head up, gazing at the fireworks. "So beautiful…" she breathed out.
Ken gazed at Makoto, his attention on her entirely. "…Yeah," he said softly.
"Ugh, have you seriously been making out here THE WHOLE TIME?!" Ryuji's brash voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.
"R-Ryuji!" Anne squeaked out. "We were just…"
"Yeah, save it," Ryuji huffed. "I hope you don't have any shoots planned any time, Anne. You've got a bunch of hickeys everywhere-"
"Oops." Ren didn't sound apologetic at all.
"Honestly…" Makoto sighed to herself.
"That's Ren and Anne for you," Ken sighed as well. He was starting to think that he'd better buy contraception for the two of them. Better that than Ren and Anne being unprepared with Ren having an impulsive streak in him. "But Ryuji probably is looking for them since it's seven. Let's meet with everyone else."
It was time for the press conference.
Cameras flashed as Okumura rose to his feet. Okumura thanked everyone for coming to the press conference.
"Today, I'd like to elaborate upon the whole truth behind my company's labor situation."
"This is it…!" Ryuji hissed out.
"Ryuji, shush!" Anne admonished.
"How my employees were forced to work under severe conditions, how lax we were with sanitation."
…Ugh. He didn't like Big Bang Burger to begin with but that reminder was just…
Then he looked up to see that Haru's expression had become morose. A far cry with how she had been cheerful when with everyone.
"And how my corporation acted as a whole to… cover up every facet of this scandal. For all of this…" Okumura's voice suddenly cracked, bowing low at the waist. "I wholeheartedly apologize."
A journalist quickly jumped in with a question. "So are you saying all of this was done under your orders?"
Okumura squeezed his eyes shut. "…Yes. I… I am solely responsible."
The journalist then pressed forward with another question. "We heard that dozens of your employees were forced to resign due to mysterious illness. Furthermore, these happened to be officials who opposed your proposals for oversea expansion. The same thing happened to executives of competing companies who were looking to expand abroad. Is all of this true?"
"Yes," Okumura answered.
The journalist continued to press Okumura, asking for confirmation that if his inquiries were true.
Okumura grimaced, before swallowing hard. Ken frowned. Something… Something felt off. He couldn't put his finger on it but…
"About that…" Okumura said slowly. "I have a critical piece of information to announce here today."
"Here it comes," Morgana breathed. "Okumura… he'll reveal the person behind the mental shutdowns!"
Okumura took a sudden breath to steady himself. But then his face contorted with pain, his hands clutching at his chest. He jerked backwards, panting heavily all while pained cries fell from his lips. His eyes then rolled backwards, only showing the whites of his eyes. He then stumbled forward, his face nearly hitting the table.
"What on earth…?!" Yusuke breathed.
"F-Father?!" Haru squeaked out.
Then Okumura's head slowly raised… revealing that black had oozed from his eyes, dripping down his face all the way to his chin.
Screams from the audience echoed from their phones' speakers, but Ken just stared in horror. His phone slipped from his fingers. Bile welled up in his throat. He… He was going to be sick…
He remembered seeing something similar… when the Shadows ate someone's psyche.
This was a mental shutdown…
But… why?! What had they done wrong this time? They had left Okumura's Shadow alive…
"W-What happened to Father?!" Haru blurted out. "That's… That's like the mental shutdown, isn't it?!"
Tears were welling up in Haru's eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
"I… I don't understand…" Ren said faintly, all color draining from his face. "We… We did everything right! We just defeated the Shadow self… we didn't kill it!"
"Morgana, what the hell was that?!" Ryuji demanded.
"I-I want to know just as much as you guys!" Morgana exclaimed. "I… I…" His ears lowered. "I'm sorry, Haru," he croaked out.
"Father…" Haru choked out, her voice suddenly cracking. Her pained voice was like a stab to the heart. "Father…! I… I did this to you… What have I done?!"
Anne suddenly stood up, wrapping her arms around Haru's shoulder. "Breathe, Haru," she said gently, before fishing out a handkerchief and handing it over to Haru. "Breathe."
"I… I can't stay here," Haru blurted out. Her eyes were red… still filled with tears. "Father collapsed… they took them to a hospital, then, right? I… I need to be there!"
"Haru, wait-" Ren began.
"I'm sorry!" Haru shook her head, before fleeing the area.
"Haru!" Anne called after her. But Haru didn't listen to her plea. Her shoulders then slumped. "This… This isn't our fault, is it? We did it just like before!"
"This is just… so sudden…" Yusuke said. "What had happened…?"
"…This confirms that apathy syndrome and mental shutdowns are the same affliction… just with different names," Ken said.
"But why did it occur in Haru's father?" Makoto questioned.
"We've done the same with Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro…" Ryuji listed out. "What's the difference?!"
Ken began, "I have no idea—"
…Except… the other Persona-user. Had he…?!
"…Ken?" Ren asked. "You… You realized something."
It wasn't a question.
"…We've been framed," Ken said lowly. "Shido must've been aware of our activity… and he wanted to take us down…"
But a sudden sniffle grabbed all of their attentions. "Mom…" Futaba's voice cracked, before her eyes began to well with tears as well. She then screwed her eyes shut, a single tear trickling down her face. "I remember now… This is just like what happened to Mom!"
"H-Hey, it's okay!" Ryuji's voice was panicked, as he patted Futaba's shoulder. Futaba sniffled again, taking off her glasses to wipe at her eyes. Anne quickly sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around Futaba's shoulders.
"Ken…" Yusuke looked over to him. "What happened to the victims of Apathy Syndrome? You mentioned how they became unresponsive…"
Ken swallowed. "Apathy Syndrome didn't kill them… when we killed the Full Moon Shadows, it seemed to restore them."
"So there's a chance that Okumura will be okay?" Ren said, his voice suddenly shaky. "I… I hope my mistake didn't kill him…"
"Stop!" Anne cried, pushing the chair back and standing up. "Ren, don't you dare blame yourself for this! If Ken's theory is right… then all of this was a huge setup!"
"I know but… dammit!" Ren suddenly thumped the table, making it rattle violently. "WHY?! I… We thought we were doing good… to help the helpless… And this whole time with Okumura… we were just playing into Shido's hands!"
"This is all just…" Makoto closed her eyes, "…insane… I think we need to get our bearings… We should head home for the night."
His friends all murmured their assent to that and they broke into groups to start heading back home.
Ken walked home in a daze. Just… Just how was Mitsuru-san going to react to all of this?
You could hear a pin drop.
Minako slowly looked to Mitsuru-senpai. Her face was pale… all blood had drained out of her face.
"That… That was like Apathy Syndrome!" Junpei blurted out. "What the hell happened?!"
Chidori was shaking slightly. "I… I could've gone my entire life without seeing that." She then shuddered, so Junpei wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
"Ken-kun and the others wouldn't have made some kind of mistake like that…" Fuuka protested, her eyes wide. "But… what could've gone wrong?"
"Ken-san encountered another Persona-user… who was not a Phantom Thief," Aigis said flatly. "Back when he first accessed the Metaverse."
"WHAT?!" Minako blurted out. "And you're telling us now?!"
Did that mean… this Persona-user was the one responsible for what happened to Okumura?
"I did not mean to make it a secret, it just… slipped from our minds," Aigis stated.
"But this means… that Persona-user is probably…" Fuuka said faintly.
"…Working for Shido," Mitsuru-senpai finally spoke. "Shido… is working to undermine the Phantom Thieves."
Minako pressed both hands to her face. What… What had she done? "Which means… Ken-kun could be in danger," she moaned out.
And it was her stupid idea. Stupid! What was she thinking?!
"Oh man…" Aki frowned. "…I didn't think about that. B-But hey, that just means Ken and the others need to take down Shido faster right-"
"No." Mitsuru-senpai's voice cut through the air, the sharp tone immediately silencing Aki.
"Wait, Mitsuru-senpai, what are you-" Minako began.
"I…" Mitsuru-senpai squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She trembled slightly. "…I will not allow Amada to be endangered like this… I cannot. I'm sure that Shinjiro would agree with me… that he and Amada should return to Port Island."
KALA-NEMI
Level: 46
Skills: Makouga, Kouga, Hamaon, Diarama, Mediarama, Recarm, One Shot Kill, Bless Boost
Next Skill: Marakunda (Level 49)
I hope the Okumura confrontation was satisfactory. I had a little trouble with that.
So, about the PQ2 spinoff… I will be writing it. It'll be a side project, so I would write when inspiration strikes. So Ace in the Hole will continue to have my main focus. However… expect this to be the last update until after July.
Why? Because Shuann Week is closing in and I still haven't finished all of my prompts. I have two more left. School is also wrapping up and there's finals and projects that I have to worry about.