Chapter 16: Confession, Tanabata and Lecture.
July 30th, 2017
"…Thank you everyone for coming." Natsume greets the crowd at the press conference. Beside him, his editor and editor-chief stands at the ready. It was strange how he scheduled an early afternoon meeting so suddenly, but they were quick to provide. "I've called this press conference today to give an announcement, as well as an official apology." The two editors look at each other in confusion, neither of them noticing Ohya at the front of the crowd, looking at them with a stink eye.
"First, my novel, 'Prince of Nightmares', was recently bestowed the honour of receiving first place in the Soukaisha Awards… I have decided to give the award back." The two editors turn to him in shock as mumbles whisper through the crowd. Natsume's face falls into sadness as he lets out a sigh. "I have also decided to recall all published copies… not to mention take the necessary steps to refund everyone's money. I'm sure you all want to know my reasons for doing so. The truth is…" His two editors begin to sweat as Natsume glances at the cowed with a sorrowful look.
"My book, 'Prince of Nightmares', only won the awards because of my status as Sogo Natsume's grandson. In short, the competition was fixed. In addition, I've stolen the work of countless other authors, word for word. Lastly, the story I told about writing to inspire a hospitalised girl was nothing but a lie to garner sympathy. This fabrication allowed my book to sell a number of copies it nowhere near deserved. I wish to apologise for this scandal. And I'll start by personally seeing to it that everyone who bought my book is refunded, personally. I am deeply sorry for all that I have done! To all of you!"
"H-Hold on, Mr. Natsume! What do you think you're doing!?" His editor asks as the two start to panic. Ohya glances at them, allowing a smirk to come over her mouth as she stands, gaining the attention of all.
"A question for the editors of Mr. Natsume: As the two in charge of looking over his work, why did you not talk to Mr. Natsume about the plagiarism in his book?" The two editors gawk as all attention falls on them, including the cameras. "As Mr. Natusme's editors, you would have been able to help correct him and turn his work into something truly of his own. Yet you did nothing and published it as is. Why was that?"
"Well…it…you see…" The chef tries to speak, playing around with his tie.
"Another question: You were in charge of the awards, correct? Why did you rig it in favour of him instead of letting it play out naturally?" Ohya presses, not giving the two men a chance to breathe. "Was it because he was Sogo's grandson?"
"W-Why would we care about Ango's trash!?" The editor shouts, snapping at Ohya. "We were paid well. That's all that mattered!"
"Paid well? Or were you perhaps fleecing off Mr. Natsume so you could get your hands on Sogo's wealth?" Ohya counters, sending the men pale as statues as angry whispers move through the crowds. "For if you were to ask me, the real culprits behind Mr. Natusme's fall are the two of you. Who saw him as nothing but a cash cow to milk until he ran dry. Isn't that right, Mr Natsume?" She glances at Natsume, who is shocked at Ohya coming to his defence as he slowly nods in reply.
"Yes… It is true." He replies, shocking his editors. "I overheard them in a café one time…claiming that they were only my editors to get my grandfather's money…" The two editors begin to panic as security comes in to arrest the two men. "I overheard him say how he would give me the award to push me farther, all so he could get richer from me."
"Natsume!" The Chief Editor shouts, his face full of anger as he tries to attack him, only to get punched in the stomach and dragged away. The other editor dragged not long after as the conference came to an abrupt end. As even more whispers run through the reporters.
"Hey, something doesn't seem right. Mr. Natsume is the one who put this all together, right?"
"Is it true? The Editors were trying to profit off his name and didn't do anything to help him improve?" Natsume hears the whispers among the crowds as a faint voice echoes in his mind. How some people were waiting for him to write his real book. By his own hands and not by those of others.
"Once everything has been rightfully resolved, I will find myself once again before I make my return. Even if there is but one person out there who will read my stories, no matter what, I will keep writing. Until I find my own style that is my own and not from another's book. I only hope that one day, that I can save someone's soul the way my grandfather's novels saved mine when I was young… That is why I write!"
"Man, Ohya really laid into those guys." Ryuji remarks as the Tv goes to a commercial.
"Yeah. Ohya put them in their place and exposed them on live TV. Those guys are in for some serious trouble." Shiho agrees with a grin.
"Still, something tells me Natsume won't get off with just an apology or returning the money." Ann remarks quietly.
"We can only keep our ears to the ground and listen." Akechi comments, shaking his head. A hum from Yusuke drew all eyes to him as he looked over his recent sketch of them facing down Dragon Nightmare Natsume.
"Is something wrong, Yusuke?" Haru asks, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It is nothing, Haru. I suppose I am just sympathising with a man who I could have easily become." Yusuke remarks, closing his sketch pad. "I wonder what would have happened had he chosen to ignore the editors."
"We don't know. All we can do is hope Natsume can find the right path again." Ren remarks before folding his arms. "That… and his confession was the same as Alice. Not exaggerated in any way. Guess that really hammers home how much Yaldabaoth was making our past targets overreact when we changed them."
"I'm glad that metal tin can is dead." Futaba remarks, crossing her arms with annoyance. "Especially since we had to do it twice!" Sophia from the phone tilts her head at Futaba's remarks, filing it away for later as Zenkichi enters the Motorhome alongside Ohya.
"Welcome back, you two. How did it go?" Yoshida asks as Zenkichi sits down on the sofa.
"In short, pretty well. Here's what Natsume told us…"
"…And that about sums up Natusme's confession."
"Just like with Alice, those who became his friends through EMMA became his fans." Makoto remarks with narrow eyes.
"And just like Alice's, Natusme's phone worked the same way. Even has the same surveillance echo too on the EMMA app." Futaba informs, glancing over her computer.
"Meaning that these Jails really are connected. Especially since they are not disappearing like the Palaces did last year." Sumire comments, drawing Zenkichi's gaze.
"Palaces?"
"Same thing as the Jails, except the core is what caused the person to become distorted in the first place. And when we take it, it collapses and disappears." Morgana tells Zenkichi the very watered-down explanation, with him nodding along slowly.
"Although we did find out that the Palaces were connected to Shido's Palace. But we found that out in the SIU Directors Palace." Ann supplements, letting out a shiver. "That place still gives me nightmares…all those torture equipment…"
"Moving on, we still don't know who the Mastermind is. Or how many Jails are left other than the two we know about." Kawakami remarks, shaking her head. "Something tells me we'll get the same in Sapporo."
"And we didn't know anything about this until Sakura sifted through Alice's phone." Zenkichi adds, shaking his head. "So much for this being an easy case. Either way, these two cases are connected and have also left those at PubSec in a tizzy. Support for you guys has grown, while those who want you are growing more adamant about it. Honestly, it's starting to get really annoying."
"There's something we should have asked for a while now. When did these changes of hearts start happening?" Shiho asks, with Zenkichi rubbing his chin.
"It was around three months ago, in May. That's when it started. Slowly, but its been picking up in the last few months."
"Three months is around the same time EMMA was released." Ohya suddenly supplies, earning a gawk of surprise from Futaba. "And since it's being used for these, it makes sense that its release date would fall in the range."
"That only puts more suspicion on Madicce… but again, we're dealing with a huge company. Where would we even start?" Mishima asks, flopping onto the couch.
"For what it's worth, I'm investigating on that front as well." Zenkichi assured though he didn't look happy. "But man, its being a real pain to get a foot into the door."
"So, you haven't found anything suspicious yet?" Haru asks.
"Not yet, no. At least, nothing coming from the individuals involved. But if our mystery Mastermind was connected to Madicce in some way, we would have an entry in to conduct an investigation. But for now, we need to see if Sapporo and Yokohama have any other overlap on them."
"That is true. We shall do what we can for the time being." Yusuke remarks before giving Ren a concern glance. "Even if Yokohama is a place we want to avoid." Zenkichi follows his gaze, seeing the uneasy look on Ren's face before putting two and two together in his mind, but wisely stays quiet about it.
"All right, if guys are done here, I'll head over to Sapporo and set things up while looking into the target. I'll contact you guys on the 1st.
"Two days… we'll be cutting it tight." Hifumi comments wearily.
"If we drive straight on without stopping for the night, we should be able to make it." Makoto comments before glancing at Kawakami with worry. "But who will take over for Kawakami?"
"I can. I have a license as well, remember." Akechi volunteers. "I'll ride alongside Kawakami. If one of us has to stop, so the other has to change, the other group should just press on."
"I feel bad for rushing you kids like this, but we're all on a time limit. I can't change it even if I want to." Zenkichi apologies as he stands up, before a thought comes over him. "Isn't Tachibana happening tonight? Why don't you guys let yourselves have fun before you head out tomorrow? It's still the afternoon, after all."
"Are you sure? We might run late." Ren asks with some slight concern.
"If you are, I'll tell the others that the ferries are holding you up. They can't complain about that." Zenkichi tells them as he heads out, with Ren catching a second start appearing on his card. "Enjoy the festival. I'll be waiting for you in Sapporo." And with that, he leaves the Motorhome, leaving the Thieves to their own devices.
"Huh… Gramps's pretty considerate, ain't he?" Ryuji remarks, leaning back on the couch.
"Telling us to relax even though we are supposed to be in Sapporo in two days' time… Well, I suppose we earned a small break." Makoto agrees, brushing some hair back.
"I knew packing our Yukatas would come in handy!" Shiho remarks with a grin. "We should get changed and enjoy the festival!"
"Well, considering how the fireworks festival got rained on last year. And that we didn't have a good spot to even see it in the first place… Eh, what the hell not." Ren concedes with a grin before looking at Yoshida and Ohya. "What will you be doing?"
"As much as I would like to join you, I believe I should be heading back to the diet building." Yoshida announces sadly. "Even though I trust Toshiro and the others, I fear they will be running themselves into the ground before long."
"Yeah. I need to move on as well." Ohya remarks, stretching her arms. "Got other scoops to find, as well as other instances like what happened here in Sendai. But I'm sure we'll all meet up again before you know it."
"A shame you're not joining us, but we understand." Akechi replies, nodding his head. "Safe travels." The two nod their heads at Akechi before leaving the Motorhome as the Thieves search for their Yukatas. Sure, it was only the afternoon, but if Tachibana was happening tonight, then they wanted to be ready so they could leave early.
"Dude, check out all the booths." Ryuji remarks, motioning to the lines of stalls before them. Dressed in a Yukata with colours based on Captain Kidd while wearing a Featherman Orange mask on his head.
"As one might expect from Sendai's Tanabata Festival. It's quite lively here." Yusuke agrees, wearing a Yukata with colours based on Goemon.
"Man, we are lucky to experience it." Mishima remarks, dressed in his own Yukata with colours from Drifter.
"Apparently, the locals call it 'Tanabata-san'. And it is said to have originated from back in Date Masamune's time." Sophia informs from Ren's phone while Ren stands dressed in a red and black Yukata. Obviously based on Arsène. While Morgana was still located in Ren's bag over his shoulder. While in Ren's eyes, he sees that Sophia has gained the third star on her tarot card.
"Even now, the influence of Date Masamune is still felt in our culture. The man has left a lasting legacy." Akechi remarks, fanning himself with a blue fan. His Yukata is based on Robin Hood, just like all the others.
"There are so many booths, it's hard to even pick which one we should go to first." Morgana comments, glancing around.
"Before we pick anything, we should wait for the girls to arrive." Ren chides with a grin. "I don't think any of them would be happy if we started without them."
"And you would be right about that." Ann remarks as she and the girls soon join the boys and Sophia. And just like them, each of their Yukata's were coloured based on their initial Persona. Apart from Isara, who was still inside Futaba's bag. The boys find themselves unable to take their eyes off their girlfriends yet again.
"I feel as though I have fallen in love all over again." Yusuke remarks as Haru moves up beside him. Chuckling at him as she wraps an arm around him.
"That was the idea." Shiho remarks, moving to stand next to Mishima while Ann, Sumire and Makoto do the same with Ryuji, Akechi and Ren. Kawakami and Hifumi shake their heads with grins as the group moves through the stalls, sampling Yakisoba, trying out shooting games or even just looking and trying on different masks. Although there was some confusion on the water balloon that Futaba bought. Some thought it was a 'Yo-Yo', others a 'Water Yo-Yo' or a 'Yo-Yo Balloon'.
Not that they let that stop them from enjoying the sights and delicacies that were on offer at the festival. Eventually, all good things had to come to an end, and with the Thieves planning to leave early in the morning, they had to get an early sleep. Even if they wanted to stay for longer. But as they made their way back, Ren suddenly got a call from Zenkichi. With him putting it on speaker for everyone to hear.
"Yo, did you guys enjoy the festival?"
"We sure did! Konjac skewers, Ishinomaki yakisoba, zunda cider… we basically ate our way through Sendai!" Futaba cheers as the Thieves chuckle at her.
"It was hard for them to catch goldfish, though. Especially Haru." Isara chimes in as Haru lets out a sigh.
"I'm never going to let that down, am I?"
"Nope." The Thieves reply, even getting a laugh out of Zenkichi from the phone.
"Sounds like you kids had fun. And now you got me hungry. As for me, I'm still working, moderately. I'm already in Sapporo and have begun investigating, but I need you guys to do me a favour. Before you head off tomorrow, can you guys pop into Toho University?"
"Toho University? Why?" Hifumi asks curiously. "And, wouldn't it cut into our time?"
"Don't worry, it's early in the morning. It's a session that's happening on the Mt. Aoba Campus, not far from you guys. And the CEO of Madicce is holding a lecture there."
"The CEO?" Kawakami asks before narrowing her eyes. "You want to see if we can pick up anything from his lecture."
"Bingo. I'm still looking into them, but having more information will be better in the long run. And as I said, I'd like you guys to attend it in my place. But please, don't do anything unnecessary."
"We won't. You have our word." Akechi cuts in. "Do you have his name so we know who to look out for?"
"His name is Akira Konoe." Ren's eyes widen for just a second before going back to normal. "And he looks like a capable CEO, I'll give him that. Anyway, I'm going to be counting on you kids. Don't get too carried away. See you in Sapporo." And with that, the line goes dead.
"Akira Konoe, huh? Certainly a catchy name." Futaba remarks as Ren lets out a sigh. "You okay, bro?"
"Yeah… Just thinking of another person named Akira…" He replies cryptically, causing everyone to tilt their heads. Even after all this time, Ren hadn't said much about his old family to them, even in the past timeline. It was… something of a sensitive spot for him. The only thing they knew was that they were in Yokohama, but that was it.
"Anyway, we are seeing this lecture in the morning before we head off to Sapporo? I sure hope it doesn't eat too much of our time…" Makoto grimaces as they reach the Motorhome.
"If Zenkichi asked us to look into it, he must have crunched the numbers on his end." Haru replies. "Still, it will make the trip even tighter."
"Well, might as well go to sleep then. We can worry about time management when we are on the road tomorrow." Morgana quips, with the team nodding and breaking for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a loooooong day.
July 31st, 2017.
"…As you all know, life is just an ongoing series of daily decisions. What's for breakfast? What should I wear today? Every day begins with these insignificant dilemmas." Akira Konoe speaks to the people in the lecture hall. He had been going on for about thirty minutes so far, and the Thieves up in the viewing area above couldn't see or hear anything that made him sound like the Mastermind. In truth, he looked nothing like one either, especially how he dressed and talked. But even so, they couldn't help but keep a kernel of doubt against him. They have seen people hiding their true forms, after all.
"But then there comes a time to decide your field of study, your place of employment, who you're going to marry. And it's these choices that matter. Yes, people are always looking for the 'best choice' or the 'correct answer'. Madicce seeks to provide it all for everyone through the power of A.I. EMMA is a state-of-the-art A.I. designed to integrate itself into our everyday lives. By gathering and analysing extraordinary amounts of data with perfect precision, EMMA can help everyone make the 'best choices'." Applause echoes around the lecture hall as people clap at his speech, including the Thieves, so as to not look suspicious.
"His speech… it reminded me a bit too much of Maruki's world…" Sumire remarks with a wince.
"Yeah… I got that feeling, too." Ryuji quietly agrees.
"Still though, Zenkichi was right about him being a 'Capable CEO'. He certainly doesn't scream suspiciously at us." Mishima comments, placing a hand on his chin.
"Don't forget that people are always hiding their true selves. Konoe would be no different." Akechi reminds quietly. "Although, he hasn't said anything suspicious yet…"
"And he certainly knows how to craft a speech." Ren comments, glancing around. "He's got everyone listening to him. That, and the confidence he's radiating out, helps him a lot."
"Well, thanks to EMMA, Madicce's stocks have been shooting up nonstop. You can bet they are one of Japan's biggest enterprises right now." Futaba adds quietly.
"But if that's so, why would a company allow Changes of Hearts to happen with their app? They can't possibly gain anything from it." Shiho asks.
"Perhaps they aren't even aware of it themselves. Or only a small portion of them do while leaving the rest in the dark." Hifumi counters, hand on chin.
"Regardless, that does not change the fact that EMMA is still a key part of the Jails. It is what allows people to enter them, after all." Yusuke reminds quietly.
"Right, Madicce is connected to all of this one way or another. Be it directly or indirectly." Makoto agrees, slowly nodding along.
"Still, it's a fact that neither Alice nor Natsume knew about the Jails. We still don't know how they are even formed to begin with." Ren remarks, shaking his head. "At this point, I'd rather we just be diving back into Palaces again."
"All we can do at this point is what we do best. Sooner or later, we'll sort this shit out. That's what we Phantom Thieve of Hearts always do." Ryuji remarks, earning looks from the group. "What?"
"That's pretty insightful for you, Ryuji." Kawakami teases, earning a blush out of Ryuji.
"I can be smart. …Sometimes…." He replies as Ann chuckles at him. Eventually, the lecture goes on for about another twenty-five minutes before Konoe finishes and leaves. With the Lecture hall emptying out soon after, leaving the Thieves alone to ponder over what they had heard from Konoe.
"In the end, we learned nothing of value." Isara quips from Futaba's bag.
"Well, if he IS the mastermind, he wouldn't trip up so easily." Morgana remarks from Ren's bag. "That's, and they are probably on alert for us. Especially now that Natsume has been taken down."
"Well, we've done what Zenkichi asked us to do. Let's head back to the Motorhome and head to Sapporo." Ren tells the group, picking his bag up. But before they could leave, another voice called out for them in the empty hall.
"Hey, guys? That stuff you said earlier… was all of that true?" The group look up in alarm as Ichinose walks up to them. Her smile did not leave her lips as she uttered the words none of them wanted to hear. "Are you guys the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"
"Wha-?!"
"Huh!?"
"What!?"
Wait, you're that woman from the beef tongue restaurant. Ichinose, correct?" Makoto asks while the others stand in shock.
"You head all of that?! I thought we were being quiet!" Futaba asks in a panic.
"Oh, you certainly were. Everyone else was too enamoured by Konoe's loud booming voice to hear you. I just so happen to have a better hearing, is all." She tells them, trying to ease their suspicions. Yet they were not dropping their guards so easily. "Easy, you guys, I'm not going to rat any of you out. But let's talk about this outside, okay?"
"Not like we have a choice…" Sumire remarks as they quickly follow her outside. Walking all the way back to the Motorhome, where both tents had been packed up and ready to leave.
"I cannot believe I am standing with the famous Phantom Thieves! Your actions have been resounding around the globe, you know?" Ichinose tells them inside the Motorhome with a giant smile on her face. "When you were talking about Alice and Natsume, you meant Alice Hiiragi and Ango Natsume from the press conferences, yes? Is it safe to assume they were your guys doing? Oh, and about EMMA giving people access to Jails? Is that related to everyone's changes of heart? And what is a Palace?"
"She…she heard everything…" Ann comments as the team feels large sweatdrops on their heads.
"Oh boy…" Shiho quips, shaking her head.
"If you don't mind me asking, but why were you there, Ichinose-san?" Akechi asks calmly.
"Oh? Didn't I tell you back at the beef tongue restaurant? I'm a researcher at the university. I'm also the one who designed the base code for EMMA."
"You made the base!?" Futaba shouts in surprise, Ichinose nodding her head at her with a smile.
"Didn't I tell you? I specialise in research and development of artificial intelligence."
"We…didn't hear that…" Mishima awkwardly replies. "A lot of other interesting stuff. But not that…"
"Oh? I guess I got carried away." Ichinose deflects, her smile never dropping. "It was around the time I completed EMMA that Madicce came to me with an offer to buy it. I was actually tight on money at the time, so I went ahead with it. Oh by the way, that was Madicce participating in the lecture today. Well, to be more accurate, the University asked me to reach out to them. I certainly didn't expect the CEO himself to show up, though. I only got invited because of my little connection with the company. Anyhow, yeah, that's how I ended up overhearing your little conversation."
"So you are EMMA's creator, and Madicce simply run it?" Yusuke asks curiously.
"Oh… well, they are definitely the ones running it, but I can't tell what they are doing with it." Ichinose replies with a wince on her face. "I just designed the base. I don't know what Madicce did with it after I sold them EMMA."
"So, you know all about EMMA then?" Haru asks.
"Naturally! It's like my baby, you know? And at risk of tooting my own horn, it's a reeeally good baby." Ichinose remarks with a grin as the Thieves glance at each other in surprise.
"Well… never expected this to happen…" Mishima remarks with a small shrug. A loud sigh escapes from Ren's lips as he looks at Ichinose with tired eyes.
"All right… We'll tell you everything." He says in a resigned voice. One that the rest of the Thieves could tell he was doing so with EXTREME reluctance. It was clear this person would continue to bug them until they told her. So, they did, leaving out what they could as the Thieves explained what they had learned.
"Is all of that true?" Ichinose asks with wide eyes, her smile gone.
"Right, we know, kinda hard to believe, isn't it?" Ryuji lampshade, glancing out the window. At this point, it felt like they would have to show her the Jail as they did with Zenkichi, only for her to throw her arms into the air with a smile.
"Wow! It really does exist! The Cognitive World I mean! Who else could you explain all this!?" Her answer causes the Thieves to blink in surprise as she looks back at them. "I had a feeling after seeing that Thesis in the medical world, but to actually hear its real… And EMMA functions as an entry point here, huh? No, that's…if I consider the possibilities…"
"She…believed all of that?" Morgana asks, almost falling off his perch.
"Oh you have no idea how incredibly fascinating this is! What an incredible development!" Ichinose exclaims, making the Thieves a little bit more nervous.
"I'm getting Maruki vibes from her…" Ryuji quietly tells Ren, who nods slowly. Best to keep an eye on her just in case Nyarlathotep came knocking again.
"Ichinose-san. Do you have any ideas on why EMMA is serving as an access point into Jails? Anything you can think of would be a help." Ren asks her, grabbing her attention.
"Oh no, Nothing I could tell you. I'm just as clueless as you are. I mean, sure, I had my suspicions after reading that Thesis, as I said, but there's no way I could have travelled there on my own."
"Yeah, that figures…" Futaba remarks bitterly. "Meaning that someone found a way and added it later. Our Mastermind." Ichinose seems to not hear as she begins to pace next to the door, speaking out loud.
"Hmmm, a world where people's Desires are stolen and their hearts are changed. So many questions… Wait, I should be heartbroken… my baby is being used for evil after all…"
"She's a bit out there, isn't she?" Isara quips, grabbing Ichinose's attention.
"Hmm? Who said that?" Her eyes wander around before landing on the toy model on the table. Turning around on its own power and aiming its canons at her.
"That would be me. Isara Sakura, at your service." Ichinose blinks in shock at seeing the model move on her own power and will. Almost as if she was…
"Are you… and A.I.?" She asks in shock.
"Yep! Been alive since February."
"And I am her creator." Futaba says proudly, picking Isara up. "She was originally going to be an A.I. to help me get back into school, but she took on a life of her own. Now I have a virtual sister."
"I… I see…" Ichinose replies, stunned as she rubs her head. "That's quite the accomplishment."
"Well, she's not the only A.I. we have. We also have Sophia." Shiho adds, causing Ichinose to stand in shock, dropping her hand to her side.
"Huh?...Sophia?" She asks, as though the words were foreign to her lips. Ren and Makoto glance at each other as Ren takes his phone out and sets it up on the table. Allowing Ichinose to get a good look at her as she appears on Ren's phone in full form.
"Hello. I am Sophia Niijima-Amamiya. Humanities Companion. It's nice to meet you, Ichinose." Sophia greets to a stunned Ichinose, who places a hand on her head in confusion..
"This is… Sophia? And… Niijima-Amamiya?" She asks that last part with hesitation in her voice. Her eyes were almost trying to tell a story as what could be called a storm of emotions flew behind her eyes.
"Yeah. Ren and Makoto have basically adopted her." Sumire remarks with a grin at the two, who blush as they look away in embarrassment. Ichinose stands silent, almost as though she was attempting to process everything at once as she gave her head a quick shake to come back to her senses.
"I see… It's a pleasure to meet you, Sophia. And you too as well, Isara. Sorry If I'm a bit slow…I'm just taken a back is all." He eye suddenly widen as she snaps her fingers. "Oh but, could you give me their source codes so I can look at them? It may help my own research in creating more like them. In return, I can give you information I find from inside Madicce to help you? How does that sound?"
"Well…" Futaba hesitates, glancing at Isara. "It's your choice, Isara. After all, it IS your code being looked at."
"Eh, what's the harm she could do? Go ahead, sis." Isara replies before turning to Ren and Makoto. "How about you two?" The couple glance at each other, sharing a silent conversation before turning back to look at Sophia.
"Well… If Sophia is okay with it, then I suppose we are too." Makoto replies, with Ichinose nodding with a smile.
"Great!" She takes out a card and places it on the table. "Here, these are my contact details. Call me whenever you need help. It also has my email address as well."
"Thanks…" Kawakami responds, picking it up yet looking at her cautiously. That look in her eyes from earlier sent alarm bells in her mind.
"Well then, I'm excited to see how this all develops! See you around!" And with that, she leaves the Motorhome, letting the Thieves sit in silence.
"Well… That happened…." Hifumi remarks, unable to think of something to say.
"Sheesh… I can't believe she heard us. We were being so quiet as well." Morgana quips. "I didn't even say a word until every left!"
"Regardless, we should be heading off to Sapporo by now." Makoto tells the group as Ren moves to the driver's seat. "We've wasted enough time as is. Is everything ready?"
"We stocked up the fridge and freezer yesterday before the festival, so we're good to go." Shiho replies as Kawakami and Akechi head for her car.
"I also got a picture of Inari and Haru at that Masamune cut-out." Futaba replies, holding the picture of Haru and Yusuke, with Yusuke giving off a most frightful look.
"The tents are all packed up. All that's left is bringing the sides in." Ryuji adds as Mishima hits the controls. Bringing the sunroof down and bring the sides back in once more.
"All right. Then let's go!" Ren tells them as Makoto sits in the passenger seat. Ann and Ryuji take the swivel seats behind them as everyone else buckles into the couches. And with that, they were off to Sapporo, Kawakami and Akechi right behind them in Kawakami's third generation Mitsubishi eK Wagon.
"Okay, Sophia. How long will it take us to get there." Makoto asks, placing Ren's phone on the window.
"From here, it will take twelve hours under normal driving conditions. As well as a trip by ferry."
"Looks like we're going to be driving through the night, Mako." Ren tells her, shaking his head.
"Are you sure you guys will be okay? After we land in Hokkaido, we will still have a long drive ahead of us." Ann asks the two, who nodded in response.
"Don't worry. We'll be able to power our way through." Makoto reassures as they settle in for a long drive to Sapporo.
Night had fallen over Japan as a ferry crossed over the straight between Hokkaido and Honshu. Inside its bay, the Thieves Motorhome and Kawakami's car rest as the Thieves sleep. Makoto and Ren take the bed once again after having to drive for so long, especially since Ren was back on driving duty in the morning. Isara was resting on the table nearby, with Ren's phone next to her as she looked around. Keeping watch in case anyone who was a sleeper agent decided to get any funny ideas.
"Hey… Isara? Can I ask a question?" Sophia asks quietly, grabbing her attention.
"Sure. What's up?"
"It's about back in the Sendai Jail. What did Mom and Dad mean by 'not again'? Did they die but come back to life? But how is that possible?"
"Sophia…." Isara whispers, taking a moment to glance around before looking back at her. "Okay, I'll tell you. But promise not to say you know, all right? I feel like I'm breaking their trust."
"Your secret is save with me." Sophia replies. Isara lets out a sigh as she turns to face her completely.
"You have looked up what the Thieves did last year, right? From the web? Well, what they fail to tell you is who was behind all of it. A false god called Yaldabaoth."
"Yaldabaoth?" Sophia asks, doing a quick search on him. "You mean, a fictional old god that is a malevolent being who imprisons people?"
"Fictional? That guy was real, Sophia. And he dragged everyone here into a game that he rigged to win." Isara replies, not realising that their conversation has woken Ren and Makoto. "He was the one who made their lives hell, gave Ren a false charge, killed Makoto's mom via proxy and just… doing nothing but ruining their lives. He is the worst thing to ever exist. And that was the second time they had to face him."
"Second time?" Sophia asks, tilting her head.
"Yeah. The first time, Hifumi, Mishima, Akechi, Sumire and Shiho weren't part of the team. Hell, Shiho was hospitalised by their first target. And Akechi was originally a pawn for Yaldabaoth. But even when it was only the eight of them, they still managed to win and kill Yaldabaoth. But he killed them right back."
"They…died?" Sophia asks, her voice quiet.
"Yeah. It's… not something they like to remember. The reason why they are still alive is thanks to a guy named Philemon. He is the master of a guy called Igor, who watches over a place called the Velvet Room, where Ren goes to change Personas. He gave them the chance to come back to the past and fix their mistakes. Like letting Haru's dad get killed."
"And…is that why Hifumi, Akechi, Shiho, Mishima and Sumire are part of the team?" Sophia asks, tilting her head.
"Hifumi, Shiho and Mishima. Yes. I was only made in February, Sumire never existed originally, and Akechi never became Black Mask. Something that they were all glad for since it was his mom dying that sent him down that path." Sophia stays quiet, letting the words bounce around in her mind as he looks a the supposedly sleeping forms of Ren and Makoto.
"Mom and Dad, everyone in the Thieves… they are strong, aren't they?"
"Yeah. Really strong." Isara agrees as Sophie smiles at them.
"I'm glad I understand, even if a little. It makes me happy to be the daughter of Ren and Makoto. Thank you for telling me, Big Sister Isara."
"Eh, it's nothing. Better get back to sleep. Don't want to risk waking everyone up. Good night, Sophia."
"Goodnight, Isara." As the two A.I.s fall asleep, Ren and Makoto take a moment to glance at them. Giving them both warm smiles before falling back to sleep themselves. It made them happy to hear those words from Sophia. And someday, they would return the favour.
