Confidant codenames and Persona:
Sojiro: Boss : Merlin
Tao: Guernica : Banksy
Tae: Medic : Franklin
Ohya: Devil : Diane
Yoshida: Sensei : Abraham
Shinya: King : Char
Iwai: Gecko : Kiryu
Chihaya: Fortune : Tyche
Kawakami: Teach : Chiron
Isara: Edelweiss
Chapter 27: Memory of Confrontation
Once again, the Thieves found themselves sitting around at the hideout while the Rebels congregated upstairs. It was starting to become tiring for them to be constantly side-lined like this. Sure, it happened in the last three kingdoms to a certain extent, but to be even barred from even talking to them about it even after getting three of the keys was proving to be too much for them.
"Why are we getting side-lined like this? Aren't we all on the same side?" Shinya decides to ask, pushing away an empty plate.
"For real. You'd think they would trust us by now." Ryuji agrees, leaning back on the seat. "Got any more stories about Natsuhara while we wait, Toshiro? I mean, she's like the undefeated heroine of your life story so far."
"Yeah. I definitely wouldn't have had the will to fight if I was going at it alone." Futaba freely admits as Toshiro lets out a soft chuckle.
"Yes, the way she stood for her beliefs was incredible. Although… I can't help but wonder where she is now. We haven't spoken to each other in a long time… Though I do remember what Natsuhara-senpai always dreamt of doing, just because it fitted her so perfectly... "
"Hey, Tosh, Tsu, about your dreams for the future… You want to become members of the Diet before becoming Prime Minister and Vice Prime Minister, right?" Eri asks out of the blue to the siblings, who were clearly caught off guard by the question.
"That certainly came out of nowhere." Toshiro comments, shaking his head. "But I wouldn't call it my farfetched 'dream'. It's just something I think about from time to time."
"And I no longer have any desire to become a Diet Member or Vice Prime Minister." Tsuchiya admits, shocking both Toshiro and Eri. "What? Did I not tell you, Tosh? I'm thinking of becoming a diplomat." She folds her arms with an irritated expression on her face. "I've had it with our father sticking his nose into everything about our lives. How he is grooming us into what he wants us to be, not what we want to be. So, I'm going against his set path and on my own." Toshiro and Eri look at Tsuchiya with open mouths before a large grin forms on Eri's mouth.
"Wow. That's a good dream, Tsu. And I can see that role fitting you perfectly." Eri comments, hand on her chin while Toshiro shakes his head.
"If father heard you saying that, he would throw a fit. Along with our brother, I would add. Not that I would care what they thought." He comments before lacing his fingers together. "As for me, I never said I wasn't going to try." He draws the attention of both of them as the light of his glasses blocks his eyes. "Even within this school alone, there are many who struggle against injustice and uncertainty. And I imagine that far more people are suffering in similar ways around the world. I want to become a leader who will stand by these people. One who walks alongside them. Right now, I'm just a kid with little to no experience… Senpai? Is something wrong?" Toshiro's speech was caught off as he noticed Eri was looking down at the ground, hiding her face. He stands up, walking over to her before Eri suddenly looks up at him.
With a beaming smile before hugging him with a vice grip.
"Aww, Toshiro! Look at you, giving it so much thought! That's certainly a dream, Toshiro. You should be more honest with yourself." She tells him, not letting her grip waver for a moment while Tsuchiya giggles at the two of them.
"You didn't have to hug me! I'm being serious here! And what are you giggling at Tsu!?" Toshiro complains but only sends his sister deeper into a giggle fit. One that Eri struggles not to join as she pulls back slightly.
"Still, Tosh. That was a dream you came up with all by yourself, right? Even if it's what your father wants you to become?" Toshiro paused for a moment, letting her words bounce around his head as he realised she was right. It was true that his father was grooming him for the role, but now he wanted it because HE wanted to make actual changes. Not to become some pawn for his dad. "I'm here to support that dream of yours, okay? Both of your dreams." Toshiro smiles at Eri before he slowly returns the hug.
"Thank you." He tells her as the two separate, with Tsu walking up to him and giving him a slap on the shoulder.
"Don't think it's all about experience, bro. You'll need to toughen up and get more stamina as well. Otherwise, you'll get pushed over by all the political opponents you make. Or the ones who want to take advantage of you."
"Tsu is right, Tosh. And I can help you in that regard." Eri comments, giving her knuckle a crack as a sweat drop runs down Toshiro's head.
"I appreciate the support, but perhaps you could find a way without having to resort to your boar-like strength? I fear for my bones." Toshiro's comment earned a chuckle from the two girls while he smiled. Before, a question rose in his mind. "What about you, Eri? Have you figured out what you want to be?"
"Huh? Oh…hmmm." Eri's response, while taken aback, quickly became contemplative as she began to ponder. "Well, it's true that I'll be graduating before the both of you by a year. So yeah, I do have a path in mind. But it's not something I'm quite ready to share yet."
"Oh, come on, Eri. We told you about ours, it's only fair you tell us yours." Tsu comments, folding her arms. Eri looks at her before glancing back at Toshiro and letting out a sigh.
"I suppose that is fair… And I suppose I don't mind sharing it with the two of you. I…" She takes a breath, re-centring herself before opening her eyes. "I want to become a journalist. I want to travel around the world and see as much of it as I can see with my own eyes. And talk to all sorts of different people. I'll write about everything I can see, the experiences I encounter the people I met and their own stories to tell. I want people to know what I know, and I want them to question things, too. If I could share what someone's thoughts and feelings are with the world, I think I could help spark some change." The two siblings stand in silence, looking at Eri as though they were meeting her again for the first time.
"A journalist… That's a perfect role for you, Eri." Tsu breaks the silence first with an enthusiastic grin. Toshiro nods back with his own smile, more subdued than his sisters but evident all the same.
"I agree. It's perfect for someone as tough, driven and outgoing as you."
"Y-You think so?" Eri asks, surprised at the response she got from the siblings.
"Absolutely. You should have more confidence in yourself. Like how you helped both of us regain our own confidence. But it would be something I wouldn't be able to keep up with." Toshiro remarks, looking away.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment, bro?" Tsu asks with a deadpan look as Eri chuckles nervously.
"Well, I suppose it can be true." Eri remarks, placing a hand on her chin. "And besides, all three of us are comrades in the fight now!" The two siblings look at Eri, giving her warm smiles at the comrade remark.
"I suppose that is one way to put it." Toshiro admits as Eri nods her head.
"And when you become PM, and you become a diplomat, you'll be the first people I interview. Got it?" She comments, leaning forward slightly. "And it doesn't have to be PM either. Any time you're in need, when you've decided on the path you'll take with your own heart, no matter where you are, I'll always come running to lend you my aid."
"A journalist, huh? She certainly had good taste in jobs." Ohya comments, leaning on her stool. "Strange that I haven't heard about her, though…"
"She's probably in a different country, travelling the world." Makoto comments, hand on her cheek. Chihaya, meanwhile, was busy looking over her cards, hoping to find some clue in her reading. Yet what she got back was shocking.
"Although you have gone different ways in pursuit of your dreams, you may yet cross paths again." Yusuke eloquently says with a sweeping hand.
"I can definitely see her popping out of thin air one day to bug you for an interview." Tao remarks, folding her left leg on her right. Toshiro remains silent, instead focusing his gaze outside the hideout window.
"What's wrong, Toshiro?" Morgana asks, hopping onto the table next to him. He lets out a sigh as his hand absent-mindedly pats him on the head, earning an irritated meow from Morgana.
"I don't know. Perhaps it's because I've forgotten about her all this time, but… now that I remember, I'm feeling overcome with all these emotions…" A chuckle from Tsuchiya earns his attention as she focuses on looking outside before letting out a quiet whisper that only he can hear.
"Someone is in love~" She comments, sending Toshiro red as a tomato as he starts spluttering over his words. "What's wrong, Toshiro? Cat caught your tongue?"
"HEY! Keep me out of this!" Morgana protests as Tsuchiya goes into a laughing marathon at Toshiro. While Yuki stands at the side, watching with a gentle smile as she lets out a sigh. While not saying anything, she did hear what Tsu said under her breath. And even though she was long dead, it made her happy to hear.
"ANYWAY! Where is that last key! It shouldn't take them this long to find it." Morgana speaks out loud before the rumbling on the stairs alerts him to the Rebel Leader making himself known.
"It's on the roof!" He shouts, alerting all of them. "Isn't it obvious? Why are you all waiting around here? Go get it!" And with that, the Leader runs right back upstairs, leaving the Thieves blinking owlishly at where he was.
"You'd think they would help us out more, but they just hide upstairs." Mishima points out with a groan while Shiho pats his back.
"Let's head to the rooftop. The sooner we are done, the better, right?" Erina asks, opening the door. The Thieves don't waste time arguing, following after her as Yuki once more stays behind to prepare refreshments for them.
"We've walked for so long… How much further to the rooftop?" Ann asks, stopping to give her leg a stretch. "It wasn't this large on the outside."
"The distortions in this world are likely playing a part in the inconsistencies we are experiencing." Makoto comments, casting a glance at a winded Toshiro as Tsu and Erina help him forward. "It makes me wonder how far these will go."
"Please let it not be over two hundred floors…" Ryuji groans, shaking his head before blinking for a moment. "Why did I say that?" He mumbles to himself quietly.
"I'm more curious as to what the next memory we will see is." Akechi points out, glancing at Toshiro. "After all, Toshiro, Tsuchiya and Eri were all in a difficult position."
"I admit… I do have my concerns on how it went down…" Toshiro comments, standing up and giving Tsu and Erina a nod of thanks. "As we have worked out, this world is built from my own cognition. That's why Marie, Yoshiki and Ichiro were such awful monsters, oppressing the citizens in their kingdoms. Which means, if we truly were successful at putting a stop to Nakabachi's scheme… He wouldn't have been designated the ruler of this place."
"That's… a good point." Ren comments, folding his arms. "Do you think it could be a different person then? Or could it be some form of trauma?" The word trauma caused Sumi to grasp her arms subconsciously while Ren flexed his hand.
"Does that mean things might not have ended well?" Shiho asks, hand on her chest. Toshiro lets out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks away.
"That's what I fear. But, no matter what, I'm resolved to see this through. No matter what the truth ends up being, I will face it head-on. I won't back down from it. I'll take it on the chin and press on with the mark." The Thieves grin at Toshiro while Tsu and Eri look at him with proud smirks. "No matter what, I… no, we have to get back to our reality. And I have many things to fix when I get back as well."
"Just don't rack yourself over the coals all the time." Eri remarks, hands on her hips. "Ever since I met these folks, they have been saving not only our necks but Yuki-sans and Tsu's. I'd say we're pretty dang lucky to find them."
"So let's stop meandering and grab the bull by the horns so we can get your memories back." Tsu quips, dragging Toshiro along as he gives out a weak protest. But by the smile on his face, he wasn't really complaining as the Thieves followed after them. Eventually, after what felt like hours, the Thieves arrived at the stairs leading to the rooftop before rushing through and forming a perimeter. To anyone else, it looked like a normal school roof. Almost like Shujin's, minus Haru's forest of plants. Apart from one glaring change.
"There it is. The one creepy door we are after." Futaba announces as the team forms up in front.
"Wonder if this roof has something to do with your past too, Tosh." Isara comments from Futaba's feet.
"We can find out once we enter through this door." Toshiro replies, walking up and opening the door. But no sooner does he open the door than a speaker nearby comes to life.
"You people…what are you doing here? You just don't know when to quit. Didn't I tell you to get out of here?" The voice echoes around them, filled with disgust and contempt at the Thieves. Toshiro glances at the speaker, before marching up to and points a finger at it.
"I remember you, Nakabachi. Mark my words, I am coming for you. When I find you, I will learn the truth for myself."
"Hahaha… you have quite a mouth on you. And quite the attitude as well. What makes you think you can even beat me?"
"Maybe not by myself." Toshiro admits, his voice never faltering. "But I am surrounded by some very special people. People with a very particular set of skills. Skills acquired over a very long career. We will find you. And we will bring your tyranny down."
"We shall see… I wonder how long that act of yours will hold until they see the true, terrified you. The truth you are after… do you really think you are ready to see it?"
"Why do they never take the hint?" Iwai comments, pulling his hat down.
"Nakabachi. Unfortunately for you, I will never doubt myself again. I've resolved to see this through, thanks to my comrades standing beside me. I will never back down to you! No matter what my past may be, I must know the truth!" Toshiro yells at the speaker, rending it silent. "It would seem you have rebuttal against us. But that is fine. Stay in your hole Nakabachi. We'll be there soon." With that, Toshiro turns towards the door and enters through, with the Thieves right behind him. Once more entering into the hellscape before them. Waiting for them were three brutes ready to charge, and a shielder guarding a choke point leading to four troopers with a ninja.
"NEW SCHOOL RULE: MELEE ATTACKS PROHIBITED!"
"To the shock of no one." Mona quips as the three brutes charge forward, covered by the four troopers raining rounds down on the Thieves.
"Then lets make it even for us then." Devil remarks as she glows red, glaring at the charging brutes. "This is a no running area for you! S.O.E!" Diane materialises behind Devil, holding up what looked to be a mark before marking a cross on it. The moment she did, a translucent wall manifests in front of the brutes, stopping them in their tracks as they crash into it.
"Let me handle these foes." Boss remarks, walking forward with his book open. Bless and curse magic swarm around in a tangle of webs, each one colliding with each other as the book glows in intensity. "These ones have been a pain in our sides for far too long. Now it is time for them to see why the mind is better than brawn! Supernova!" Throwing his hand out, an orb of bless and curse magic shoots out from his book towards the three brutes. The moment it collides with the leader brute, it detonates in a gigantic explosion of curse and bless magic. Consuming the three brutes and evaporating them from existence.
While Boss took care of the brutes, Shadow spied a structure behind the covering Legionnaires. Feeling a surge of power building within her, she sets her gaze on the spire before breathing out the words. "Shadow Movement." Chiyome appears behind her, clocking her in a rob before the two vanish in a puff of smoke. And on the outcrop, Shadow reappears, looking down on the covering Legionnaires. She sets her sniper up, aiming at the shielder before letting a shot ring out. Taking it out in one blow.
"Psiodyne!" Noir shouts, grabbing the four troopers and the ninja with her mind and dragging them out into the open while Gecko runs forward. His body glowing red as he clenches his hands.
"Let's see you stop this. Dragon Rage!" Leaping into the air, Kiryu manifests behind him, engulfing his right hand in flames as Gecko dashes down towards the ground. Slamming his hand into the ground and sending pillars of fire erupting underneath the troopers and ninja. Wiping them out in a single strike, leaving nought but ash in his wake.
"Nice moves Gecko! You lit them up!" Skull remarks as the team converge, while Shadow leaps down from her advantage point.
"Can't let you kids have all the fun." Gecko remarks with a smirk. "Now, where is that last key?"
"I think I found it." Shadow calls over as she approaches them. Holding what looked to be a silver rectangular block in her hands. "It was on the outcrop I was on."
"And old voice recorder? That's a new one." Oracle remarks as Toshiro walks over to Shadow. "All right, Toshiro. You ready?"
"That was never in doubt." Toshiro remarks, placing a hand on the voice record. And just as the last three times, everyone's vision was encased in a flash of light.
"All right, I've come to your little meeting. So, what are we doing here, hmm?" Nakabachi asks, looking at Toshiro, Eri and Tsuchiya with a grin. "Ah, perhaps you've come to apologise for your insubordination? Hahahaha, I see! Well, I'm just glad we are all ready to move beyond this…"
"Shut your mouth!" Eri shouts, pointing a finger right at Nakabachi, wiping the smirk off his face.
"Nakabachi. We'll give you one final chance." Toshiro tells him, his face betraying no emotion. "Turn yourself in to the police. Confess what you have done to this school." Nakabachi locks eyes with the trio, displeasure written on his features.
"I see… more of this again? I must say, I am deeply disappointed." His frown remains for a few more seconds before turning back once more into his prideful smirk. "Don't you realise how much clout I have in this school? One word from me, and I have a whole row of people wanting to do anything for me. It'll be entirely too easy to get three troublemakers expelled for constantly slinging baseless accusations." Hi frown falls, locking eyes with the trio as they stand in muted silence. The determination not leaving their eyes for a second. "Don't you understand what I'm telling you? All of your futures will be ruined."
"I don't care what happens to me." Eri remarks, shaking her head. "But you…I know what you deserve—and I'm going to make sure you get it. I won't lie to myself again! I'm going to fight for what I know is right!"
"Hahahaha! What are you rambling on about?!" Nakabachi dismisses with a crooked grin. Toshiro and Tsuchiya shake their heads in disappointment before Toshiro nods his head at her.
"All right. Come on out, everyone." Tsuchiya calls out to the wall behind them. And, before Nakabachi's disbelieving eyes, students from different years of the school come out and stand behind the trio. Each one of them glaring daggers right at Nakabachi.
"Wh-What!? You all…What are you doing here!?"
"Sir… I can't keep doing this anymore!" One of the students shouts, glaring right at Nakabachi.
"I hate living like this… Spying on people and betraying my friends…" Another student pipes up, tears in her eyes even as she stares at Nakabachi with anger.
"Everyone here has agreed to do whatever it takes to see you arrested and charged." Toshiro tells Nakabachi in a calm manner, hiding his own anger at the teacher. Nakabachi looks between each student, seeing nothing but anger directed at him. Not a single one of them displayed fear.
"S-Seriously? You all…? Don't forget that I have evidence of all of your misdeeds! If you betray me, I promise I will completely ruin your future!"
"I don't care what happens to me anymore…" Yuki Kurano remarks, walking forward from the crowd. "I'll accept my fate, no matter what it turns out to be." Nakabachi steps back in shock, an eye becoming visible under his glasses, filled with fear.
"Kurano-kun!? You too!? And what about graduating!? How do you plan to attend a college with that penniless family of yours, huh?! Speak for yourself already!" Nakabachi stands a bit taller, fixing his tie. "You're the one who's to blame for everything in the first place! If you hadn't been such a… such a delinquent!"
"You're right… I did make a big mistake." Yuki agrees, looking away and holding her arm. "But I shouldn't have covered it up. And for that, I need to make amends." She turns around, looking at Toshiro, Tsuchiya and Eri with a grateful smile. "The student council president, his sister and Natsuhara-senpai came to us time and time again about this. Every time, they pleaded with us to do the right thing. Explaining why it matters so much to them. Thanks to them, I learned something important…" She turns around to face Nakabachi once more, looking at him in the eyes. "It's better to fight for yourself than live in fear of the consequences. Of your own weakness. From now on, I'm going to live my life honestly."
"Ha!" Nakabachi scoffs, backing away slowly. "I don't have to stand here listening to this rubbish! This childish prattling! And none of this is proof! Tell me what proof you have that I've done anything wrong!"
"Emails containing your orders to students. Call logs. Even the school financial ledger. Your victims supplied all of it." Toshiro tells him with a calm voice.
"And above all else, we have the victims' testimonies." Eri adds, folding her arms. "Every person here is turning you in."
"You said… 'victims' testimonies'?!" Nakabachi shouts, fury filling his voice. "You absolute lowlives! Do you think you can play the victim card now? It'll take more than that to do me in… There are all sorts of excuses I could cook up to get away with this." He leans forward, his face filled with a deranged glee. "Heheheh… I'll use every one of my connections. If that's what it'll take to ruin you kids!" A tense silence fills the rooftop as everyone stands in a stare-down with Nakabachi. No one wanted to speak, let alone breathe, fearing they would break the tension. Until Toshiro lets out a sigh of disappointment.
"… I certainly didn't expect this to go so well…" Toshiro comments as Tsuchiya, who had her hands behind her back the entire time, reveals her hands. Holding onto a voice record, sending Nakabachi into a cold sweat.
"See this? It's a Voice Recorder I borrowed from the library." Tsuchiya remarks with a grin. "I figured it would be smart to record this. Just in case we needed it. Didn't expect we would get a first-party confession, though." Nakabachi pales considerably, sweat running down his head like waterfalls as he backs away in fear.
"I'm done for… all this work…all this effort….all for nothing… Hehehe….hahaha!" Nakabachi falls into a hysterical panic, running for the rooftop door as the memory fades to white.
"Nice one, Toshiro! You guys nailed it right out of the park!" Outlaw shouts with a giant grin on his face. Toshiro himself stared at the record in shock before a small smile formed on his face.
"That's right… the rebellion did work… Soon after we exposed him, Nakabachi was booted from the school." In Joker's eyes, he see's the eight's star form above Toshiro's head.
"That means that the Nakabachi on the speakers is just a phone. Like Kamoshida." Spring remarks, hands behind her back.
"Something doesn't sit right with me…" Joker suddenly comments, all eyes turning to him. "From what we have seen, it means that Nakabachi isn't the ruler of this Kingdom. Only some form of cognition, like Shido's generals in the last kingdom."
"Meaning that we have still yet to meet the real ruler of this kingdom. But who could it be?" Queen comments, folding her arms. "Did something else happen after the rebellion was successful? Like in our original timeline where Black Mask killed Okumura after we changed his heart?"
"I don't know…" Toshiro replies, hand on his head. "I can't remember anything else. And yet…why do I feel uneasy… this building sense of dread?" The moment those words left his lips, the Voice recorder in Shadow's hands floated into the air. Followed closely by the other three keys before all merging into one. A set of keys for a music room.
"Well, THAT'S anticlimactic…" Oracle remarks with disappointment as Toshiro picks them up.
"Music room? Is that where he has been hiding all this time?" Panther asks, leaning on one foot and placing a hand on her hip.
"Well, Nakabachi was originally a music teacher." Tsuchiya remarks, folding her arms. "So it doesn't surprise me that he's hiding there."
"I think we all know what comes next." Mona quips, turning towards the door. "Let's head back to the hideout and get ready. This will be a big battle. I can feel it!" With nothing left to do, the Thieves follow after Mona, but not before Toshiro pauses to take one more look around the place.
He couldn't stop that building sense of dread within him. Nor could he figure out why he was feeling this way.
Or why he was suddenly worried for Eri… and Erina….
Confidant Ranks
Toshiro/Erina : Eclipse (Rank 8)
Tao : Art (Rank 10/ Max)
Isara : Aeon (Rank 9)