Persona 5P: The Phantom Paradox (Persona 5 Royal & Strikers / Young Justice: Outsiders)
Chapter 10: The Entrance of Inferno
Royal Palace, Markovburg, Markovia
July 31st, 2018 1:30 AM EEST
In front of the Palace, Gregor watched as his uncle…no, that man DeLamb as he was being escorted to a prisoner transport. He could scarcely believe this was happening. First there has been a metahuman trafficking ring happening under his nose, then his sister was kidnapped, then his parents were murdered, and DeLamb was behind it. He confessed to everything and begged to be arrested and tried.
Gregor cursed himself for not seeing this sooner. He knew something was up with his uncle, but he chose to ignore it. It all made sense! He was the head of security of the palace, he would've known the ins and out and abducted Tara without a trace. He would've also let the assassin in only to kill him to cover his tracks. So much damage would've been prevented if he voiced his suspicions or at least ordered an investigation.
At least tonight, justice will be done for the children that his family had failed. Acting on his testimony, the guards found evidence of DeLamb's crimes. The police have already begun a raid on the children's hospital. They already found children subjected to horrific experiments. Once he is king, he hoped to make amends to his people and his brother.
Just before DeLamb could get in the transport, the ground beneath him shook. The guests that have remained each cry out as a spot in the ground glowed red hot. Then, out of the earth itself came a creature made of lava and rock. It's flaming yellow orbs glared at DeLamb as he advanced. The guards escorting DeLamb scattered as the creature approached him. DeLamb didn't move as he was struck by a lava fist and sent flying across the courtyard.
To Gregors alarm, the creatures face shifted to reveal a human face. But what shocked him was that the face belonged to his brother.
"Brion…?"
"It was you?!" Brion roared at his uncle. "All of those children dead…you were behind it? You kidnapped Tara? YOU killed mother and father?"
"Yes, it was I," DeLamb answered as he stood up. To the alarm of everyone, his face was on fire from where his fist struck. When it died out, it revealed his stone face to the world. Reporters were taking photos of the fight.
"You're a metahuman…?"
"Yes, I have activated my metagene," DeLamb answered. "Our families metagene gives us the ability to control geological forces. As you can see, no matter what you do, you cannot hurt me. But I have no intention of fighting you nephew."
"Don't ever address me as your nephew!" Brion roared. Before he could continue his beatdown, a dark shape intercepted him. The Superboy gritted his teeth as he could feel the heat of the lava armor burning his darkwear. He's going to have to ask Nightwing if they could update it.
"Prince Brion, you have to calm down!" Superboy tried to reason. "I know you're angry, but this isn't going to change what happened to your family!"
"Get out of the way!" Brion snarled.
"He's right Brion, please stop!" Gregor begged. Despite the danger, he approached his brother. "He already confessed his crimes. The whole world has heard him! I promise, he's never going to see the light of day again. Please…don't become the monster that he was."
Hearing his brothers almost quiet voice, Brion regained his senses. His anger faded and for the first time, he saw his brother. Looking around, he saw the fearful faces of the people witnessing this. The people he wanted to protect. Superboy stepped away as the magma surrounding his body cooled down, leaving only a rock like carapace covering his body.
"I'm…I'm sorry Gregor…" Brion said in shame. "I…"
"It's alright, brother," Gregor said, placing a hand on his shoulder for comfort. "I'm hurt by his betrayal too. Right now, this country needs us more than ever."
"Your highness! Step away from him!"
The princes and the Superboy looked to see several of the royal guard lined up and aiming their weapons at them. Specifically, Superboy and Prince Brion. Brion was surprised that the guards were pointing their weapons at him. A prince of Markovia.
"What are you doing?" Brion asked. "I'm not your enemy here!"
"It's alright!" Gregor ordered. "He's a prince of Markovia! Lower your weapons!"
"Your highness, I'm afraid that isn't the issue here," A tall dark man approached Gregor. He is the ambassador of Markovia and his new advisor. Zviad Baazovi if he remembered correctly. "Whatever the Baron's crimes, your brother also has much to answer for. And if I may say…Markovia has suffered enough at the hands of metahumans."
"Ambassador…"
"Please listen to me my prince," Zviad said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your country needs a new beginning. A new king. A new leader. Now more than ever."
Gregor hung his head as he removed his hand. Brion watched as his brother approached him. He knew what he was going to say, but he couldn't believe it.
"Brother…"
"Gregor…please don't do this…"
"You must leave Markovia," Gregor said. "Immediately."
It was like being struck in the stomach. Gregor fell to his knees as Superboy approached him.
"Take care of him," Gregor said to him. Despite his posture, Gregor was crying on the inside. "Please."
Superboy nodded. Without a word, he slung Brion over his shoulder. Taking a few steps, Superboy kicked off the ground. Brion turned his head to look back at the castle where he was born and raised for what he felt like the last time.
Tonight, Markovia lost another member of the royal family.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
American Embassy, Markovburg, Markovia
July 31st, 2018 8:59 AM EEST
"Thanks for the ride, you guys," Naomi said as she exits the car. She and her friends, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, have arrived in front of the American Embassy. Once she was inside, she will be on her way home. Yet departing is such sweet sorrow for her.
"You're welcome Naomi," Haru said with a smile. "We're all happy that you can see your parents again."
"Despite the circumstances, I actually had fun on this trip," Naomi said. "But again, I'm sorry that I messed up your vacation plans, you guys. You must've had a lot on your mind."
"Don't worry about it," Ryuji chuckled. "If anything, stealing Baron Bedlam's heart is worth it!"
"Yeah, Markovia is safe thanks to you guys," Naomi said.
Early in the morning, they answered Naomi's questions. They told her about how they were sick and tired of the hypocrisy and corruption around them. How they devoted themselves to 'stealing' the corrupt hearts of evil adults in order to change and reform society for the better. They mentioned their previous targets and heists but left out certain details of the metaverse like how to access it.
"So, if you take their treasure, they feel the weight of their sins and confess?" Naomi asked to which they nod. "Damn. You guys would've put the League out of a job if you kept it up."
"Our goal was world reformation, not to become slaves to the public," Makoto said. "Despite our intentions, the people dumped all of their problems on us. Not to mention that the targets who experience a change of heart do not actually atone but are reduced to weeping husks of their former selves, making our activities look criminal than justice. From now on, we try to make them atone as better people."
"Nor do we try to become gods and decide how their lives should be," Yusuke said. "Then there is the mess of the jails that trapped humanity's desires. What they do in life is up to them."
"Have you thought about your next heist?" Naomi asked. "Where will the Phantom Thieves strike next? I mean, after stealing Baron Bedlam's heart, you guys are going to be the buzz for a while."
"We don't know," Ren answered truthfully. "To be honest, we're not rolling in money. We can't be everywhere at once. Not to mention that we have lives to get back to. This might be the only heist we could pull."
Naomi seemed to understand. She had a life to get back to as well. After her questions, they packed up and checked out of the hotel. They gave her a ride to the American embassy before they took off to the airport.
Naomi was about to leave when she had one last question. "What about that detective guy? Akechi, was it? What exactly happened to him?"
The Thieves had become silent at this question. Haru and Futaba were scowling at the mention of his name. Despite not forgiving him, they still sympathize with what he had been through. His mother committed suicide, leaving him alone and his father was the bastard who framed Ren. He became the hitman and a glorified detective just so he can take his revenge on Shido, but he already knew who he was and planned to dispose of him. It was tragic that he sacrificed himself so that they can steal Shido's heart.
"We don't know," Ren answered. "Before we took Shido's heart, we though that he died. Nobody knows what happened to him. After he helped us take back reality, he disappeared. Because that was a cognition that Maruki created for my happiness. Let me tell you, he did not like that one bit. Please don't hate him, Naomi. While he was responsible for the murders, Shido was more to blame for turning Akechi into the way that he is."
"Don't worry, I understand. I couldn't imagine it was pretty having a monster like Shido for a father," Naomi said before she took a slip of paper out and handed it to Ren. "My address. Should you guys find yourself in America, come find me. I can show you around my hometown."
"I think we'll love that," Ren said. "But we can't exactly make any promises."
"Never make a promise you can't keep," Naomi said. "By the way, regarding that bottle of wine, the one you said was DeLamb's treasure..."
"Don't worry about it." Said Haru, as she reached down and held up a tall insulated bag. "We went out and managed to find an insulated bag for it. And just to be on the safe side, we made sure that the airport has at least one or two stores that sell ice packs we can use to keep it cool during the flight home."
Naomi smiled at that. "Then I have nothing else to worry about for the time being." She waved good-bye. "You take care now."
"We can say the same. Have a good journey home, Naomi." Ren said.
With that, Makoto drove them away from the embassy. Naomi watched as they sped off down the street, going back home. The same thing she is doing. She wondered if she would see them again.
As she wondered this, she walked to the embassy.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Café Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo, Japan
August 2nd, 2018 1:00 PM JST
"Here's your coffee, Zenkichi." Ren said.
"Thanks, Ren." Said Zenkichi Hasegawa, as he was sitting at the bar in Café Leblanc.
The Phantom Thieves' flight had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous day, and they were all completely wiped from the plane ride. They had decided to take a day before meeting up with each other again at Café Leblanc. Surprisingly, aside from Sojiro Sakura and Sae Nijima, a few more people were also there with the Thieves, namely Zenkichi Hasegawa, Kuon Ichinose, Sophia, and Sumire Yoshizawa. They were all there to officially welcome them back.
"So, you decided to stay here for the remainder of the break?" Zenkichi asked Ren.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Both my parents are off on a business trip overseas, and won't be back until around the end of August."
"Well, at least that means you have a month of fun here in Tokyo with everyone, senpai." Said Sumire, whom was also sitting at the bar.
"Three of spades! I win!" Ann cheered as she shoots her hands up. "The pot is all mine!"
"I lost again," Yusuke sighed dramatically as Ann scoops up her winnings. "Fate clearly isn't in my favor today."
"That's what you get, Inari," Futaba chirped. "Now you're the beggar! I'm poor. Ryuji's rich. Ann is the millionaire."
"Now, now Futaba," Sojiro chided from behind the counter. "Try not to get ahead of yourself. You could end up winning the next round."
Ann, Futaba, Yusuke, and Ryuji were sitting at one of the tables, playing Tycoon with a deck of cards that Ann brought. Funny thing is that the decks' theme is the Phantom Thieves themselves.
The rules were simple. Each player would set a card down. A card's number determines its strength. Each card must beat the previous one and the number of cards in play must be met. The weakest card is three, but the strongest is two. The objective of the game is to have no cards in your hand.
To make things interesting, they are betting candy. Yusuke had spent a chunk of his money on a big bag of a specific sort of candy that isn't all that easy to come by. After dividing it among them, some of them wanted pieces from the other person. So, they are settling this with Tycoon.
"Man, I did not think that there would also be a deck of cards themed after you guys. I really don't think Akane has that among her Phantom Thief merch. She'd be way beyond jealous." Zenkichi commented.
Haru, who was sitting at the same table as Makoto and Morgana, perked up at the mention of the Phantom Thief fan. "Oh, that's right. You and Akane-chan had just recently moved here to Tokyo because of your job, right Hasegawa-san?" Haru asked.
He nodded back. "Yeah. I'll admit that it's a pretty big change for both me and Akane, but we'll do what we can to make ourselves comfortable here. We just moved into a house in Zoshigaya."
"Zoshigaya?" Asked Makoto. "That area of Tokyo is known for giving the old Tokyo sort of vibe."
"Well, if it really does give off that sort of vibe, then I think you and your daughter will feel right at home there." Sae Nijima said from her seat at the bar.
"You mean that if the vibe reminds her of Kyoto? Yeah, I think it will, Nijima-san." Zenkichi smiled.
"Hey, Akane is supposed to be in her first year of High School, isn't she?" Futaba asked while playing another round. "By any chance, is she transferring to Shujin Academy?"
"If this is for both you and my little spending time with each other Futaba, I'm afraid not." Zenkichi replied. "Also, the reason why she's not here right now is because today she's getting an early tour of the school she'll be transferring to. Although... Ugh, I can't seem to remember the name of the school for some reason. But I do know tyhat it's in Shimokitazawa."
"Shimokitazawa..." Sophia murmured from Ichinose's phone on the bar, close to where said woman was sitting. "By chance, would the school she is transferring to be Kokatsu Academy?" She asked.
"Yeah yeah, that's it!" Zenkichi confirmed.
Ryuji looked up after winning some more candy. "Kokatsu Academy? That's the school that I transferred to last year. Ya know, back when I mentioned a rehab center for my leg being close to it?"
Sumire looked back at him. "Oh yes, that's right. By the way, how is your leg Ryuji?"
Ryuji responded with a toothy grin. "Good as new!"
Futaba gave him a side glare, before putting on a sly grin. "Well, then don't go eating up all that candy, Ryuji. Otherwise, you won't get the energy you need for running on the track."
Ryuji returned a glare. "Are you just saying that so that you can get all my winnings?"
Futaba looked away innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Have no fear, Ryuji." Yusuke spoke up, getting their attention. "The candy I have purchased is of a rare brand. A brand that is particularly known for being highly nutritious for one's physical health, as well as having an exquisite flavor on the taste buds."
"He is right you know." Ichinose spoke up. "According to Sophia, that particular candy is not only very tasty, but also very healthy for the human body."
"Whoa, for real!?" He asked, before pumping his fists in the air in satisfaction. "Awesome!"
Futaba pouted at this. "Aww, boo."
"You win some, you lose some, Futaba." Ren said while working on a fresh hot pot of curry. The steam was so hot, that it fogged up his glasses, so he took them off to clean the lenses.
"Hey, by the way Renren, don't you ever get tired of wearing those?" Ryuji asks, gesturing to the glasses. "I mean, even if they're fake, you can see fine without them."
"Well, when anyone sees me wearing these, they assume that I'm meek and don't look twice," Ren said as he put his glasses back on. "Besides, I feel like it's my trademark."
"If I can have your attention," Morgana called from where he was sitting, which was the end of the bar closest to the TV. "They're talking about us on the news."
The Phantom Thieves, along with everyone else present, followed his gaze to the TV. As usual, the Galaxy Broadcasting System is the current channel. On it was G. Gordon Godfrey, a Caucasian man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He is dressed in one of those suits that he appears to love wearing. Most of the time, he would take every opportunity to decry the League. Today, for once, it wasn't about the league.
"I could feel it in your rooms right now," Godfrey said dramatically. "G. Gordon, I'm so angry and disgusted right now to listen to your beautiful voice. But you have every right to be. As of last night, Baron—sorry, former Baron Frederick DeLamb has confessed to be the head of Bedlam, a notorious meta-trafficking syndicate that has been plaguing Markovia. This hideous parasite has been removed following DeLambs confession along with his associates. Count Werner Vertigo, an internationally known super criminal and member of the Vlatava royal family, and Doctor Simon Ecks, a children's doctor who is responsible for putting his patients through horrific experiments. Oh, the tragedy that has befallen on Markovia!"
"Don't you think this guy is a little too dramatic?" Ann asked with a sigh.
"I must admit, his speech has just too much color for my taste," Yususke said.
"But the hits just keep rolling. It's been discovered that DeLamb and second prince Brion Markov are metahumans. While the Baron Bedlam, yes that's more appropriate, has been apprehended, the prince has been exiled by his brother, the soon-to-be-king of Markovia."
Now that had gotten the attention of pretty much everyone in Leblanc.
"Wait, what!?" asked Zenkichi.
"He exiled his own brother?" Haru asked.
"Joining me now is Markovia's ambassador and now advisor to the next king, Zviad Baazovi," Godfrey said as the screen split to show the ambassador. "Ambassador, wouldn't you say that exiling one of your own princes is a little too extreme?"
"It had to be done, Godfrey," Zviad said. "First the man that we trusted to protect us has kidnapped our beloved princess and murdered the previous king and queen. Then he created a trafficking ring using a children's hospital. Markovia had suffered enough at the hands of metahumans, yet they keep messing with our country."
"By 'they', are you referring to the latest media sensation? The Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"
"Of course," Zviad spat. "Everything was under control until they showed up. We made it clear that all vigilantes were band from entering Markovia without written permission from its government. Yet these metahumans disregarded our wishes and threw Markovia into chaos. As such, Prince Gregor has ordered the remaining security forces to search and deport them along with any other metahumans."
"Any other metahumans?" Ann gasped. "Does that mean…?"
"That bastard," Ryuji growled. "Those kids were victims too! They're just going to deport them all because they're metahumans!?"
"Could they really do that?" Futaba asked.
"Well, back at the UN summit, they declared metahumans are banned from country," Makoto said, gritting her teeth.
"You're right there, Makoto. And unfortunately, most of the authority comes from the royal family, specifically the king himself. In this kind of government, his word is law. There's nothing that anyone can do about it." Sae said, not liking this the least bit either.
"But still…!" Ryuji started.
"Calm down Sakamoto," Ichinose said calmly. But everyone could see that she is upset about this as much as they are. "After everything that's happened, they just want to feel safe. While I don't agree with Zviad myself, humanity has always feared what they couldn't understand."
"I am afraid that I agree with Ichinose-san regarding this," Yusuke said stoically. "Yet I can't feel that the actions Markovia's government will only build fear. Fear would breed hatred of metahumans. If it keeps bottling up, it will reach a breaking point. Which will only lead to something like that of a rebellion, or even a civil war."
Sojiro sighed. "In other words, It would be a massacre on both sides. Rivers of blood flowing through the streets of Markovia."
"Did we do something wrong?" Haru asked quietly. "Why did stealing Baron Bedlam's treasure resulted in this?"
"If it was a mistake, we wouldn't have proceeded with the heist," Morgana said. "No matter how much we plan, take into account, or prepare there's are always things beyond our control. Aside from being Persona users, we're only human. Anyone who believes they are anything, but human isn't worthy of being called a phantom thief."
"And we didn't do anything wrong," Ren said, holding up his phone. "Take a look. On social media, someone posted this. I'm guessing that it's the parents of one of Bedlam's victims."
Everyone else present leaned in as he showed them the post. It read:
Mad_Mother: My child is a victim, not a criminal! If she has to leave Markovia, then so will her family! #ThankYouPhantomThieves
"And not just that," Ren grinned as he scrolled down to show them another, which read:
Pissed_Off_Bachelorkovian: Goddammit! Now I have to move out of the country, away from my love life! Screw you Markovia! #TakeYourHeart
"Whoa!" Ryuji said.
Zenkichi had pulled out his phone, and could only grin as to what he was seeing. "Wehehell. Looks like not just Markovia, but everyone in the world watching the news is posting. Believe it or not, most of them are from Japan." He said, showing them what he had on his phone. "You kids may not be doing the Phantom Thief business for any popularity contests, but I bet it feels good to know that there are those that are supporting you."
Futaba smiles at this. "Looks like that Zviad guy's attempt to slander us is backfiring badly."
"Even though Markovia may start fearing metahumans, I'm glad that not everyone agrees with them," Sumire said, feeling glad.
"Yeah, and it looks like Godfrey is admitting that too," Ann said, pointing to the TV. Sure enough, Godfrey was poking at Zviad. He was already showing him social media sources and police raids underway in light of Baron Bedlam's confession. They all took the opportunity to thank the Phantom Thieves.
Makoto then noticed one of the posts being shown. "Wait, that's..." She then turns to her older sister, who had her phone out.
Sae nodded. "Yeah, it looks like my post was shown on there."
"Wait, really?" Ryuji asked. "What was it?"
"Let me see..." Sophia started while doing some scanning, getting their attention. "'Law is a worthless tool for those who mistake it for justice.' Would this happen to be your post, Sae-san?"
Sae then got a little sheepish. "Um... Yes it is, Sophia."
"It looks like people are starting to think you're stuck in 14th century. All of them one hundred percent supporting the Phantom Thieves actions, unlike you. In fact, some of them may have already begun asking for YOUR hearts to be stolen."
"I-I… Prince Gregor may have been a little too hasty," Zviad said with a sigh. "I'll discuss it with him, but I can't make any promises. You'll have to forgive him. He's already lost so much. You have to know that Markovia is in need of strong leadership. As for the Phantom Thieves… If you are watching this, then Markovia will let this slide once. Leave while you still can and never come back. If you'll excuse me Godfrey."
"Can't make any promise my ass," Ryuji muttered as the ambassador's screen vanished. "I really thought that Prince Gregor was a cool guy. Guess I was wrong."
"But at least he's not starting a witch hunt for metahumans," Haru pointed out. "There may still be hope for him and the kingdom."
"Let's hope so," Ann said.
Futaba then spoke up. "And seriously? 'Leave while you still can'? We're already back home, far away from Markovia for crying out loud!"
"Well, one of the important things right now is the fact that we've successfully taken Bedlam down." Ren said.
"You mean the Baron or the meta-trafficking ring?" Zenkichi asked.
Ren paused for a moment. "Err... Both I suppose?" He answered.
Sojiro then had a thought. "Now that I think about it, what exactly was the Baron's treasure exactly?" He asked.
The Thieves all perked up at that question.
"Oh shoot, that's right! We've completely forgot. Haru?" Makoto said, before turning to Haru.
"Right." Haru nodded, before reaching into her backpack and pulling out the the tall insulated back that was bought in Markovia, before walking over to the bar, and took out the contents inside for all to see.
"Is that... Wine?" Sumire asked?
"A bottle of wine was his treasure?" Sae followed.
Haru looked at it herself before blinking, realizing something. "Oops, nearly forgot." She said as she pulls off the label, which happened to be a fake, revealing the true label underneath.
"DeLamb Winery 1981?" Sojiro asked in surprise.
"DeLamb...?" Sumire muttered, before her eyes widened. "Wait a sec, this is-!"
"Yeah." Zenkichi replied with his eyes narrowed. "From what I've researched, before the Queen married into the Markovian Royal Family, the family that she and her brother Frederick originated from ran a wine company back in the day." He then grabs the wine bottle to move it closer to himself. "And given the date on this, it was made the same year he was born. He must've been saving it all this time for a sort of special occasion in his life. If I were to guess, that would be becoming the ruler of Markovia?"
Ren nodded in confirmation. "That's pretty much what we all thought as well."
"And remember what we've explained before?" Makoto added. "The real world versions of the treasures are basically perfect copies of the originals. So the original bottle of wine is still back Markovia, while this one is a copy of it."
Sae put on an expression of relief at that. "Well, that's a relief." She said. "Imagine if it ended up being the crown of Markovia? Now that would have been majorly hectic." She added.
All the Phantom Thieves sweat-dropped at that particular statement.
"U-Um..." Ann stuttered. "Let's try not to think it that way, okay?"
"Y-Yeah, let's not." Ryuji muttered.
Yusuke then looked at the wine bottle with a thoughtful expression. "Still though, it would be such a shame to let this contraband go to waste. I suggest that some of us here enjoy ourselves with its supposedly rich flavor."
Everyone else looked at each other in response to what Yusuke had suggested.
Sae thought for a moment. "Well, the curry is just about done, isn't it? Maybe some of us can have the wine with curry?" She suggested.
"W-Well, I've never really considered having wine with curry before, but... I suppose?" Sojiro said.
Zenkichi shrugs. "Eh, I don't see why not. Just gotta see if I have time for quick bite..." He says before pulling out his phone to check the time. Once he does, he smiles in relief. "Okay. I should have enough time to eat before going to check up on Akane."
Sumire then perks up before pulling out her own phone to check the time. "Oh, speaking of time, I promised my dad to have some quality father & daughter time this afternoon and evening, so I have to leave after I'm done eating too." She said.
Sae then speaks up as well. "Yeah, I have to leave after eating as well, and hurry back to the office." She said.
Ichinose then took her turn to speak "I don't have to leave as soon, but I did get a job as an instructor at a nearby University, and I am scheduled to give a lecture just over an hour from now." She said, which gets everyone's attention.
"Wait, you're working as a University teacher now?" Ren asks.
"Oh, that is wonderful, Ichinose-san!" Haru say with glee, before asking. "What exactly is the field you're teaching?"
"Oh, just stuff in the programming field, as well as other stuff regarding AI development." She confirms.
Sophia then chimes in from Ichinose's phone. "Correct, which is also why I will be tagging along with her." She said.
Ryuji looks down a little. "Aww man, some people here already have to leave soon." He mutters.
Zenkichi looks toward him. "Relax, Sakamoto. We can always find the time to meet up with each other again." He said.
Makoto then realized something. "By the way, aren't a majority of us here not at the right drinking age for wine?" She asks, as they all realize she has a point.
"Oh dear, you're right." Haru says with a frown.
Ryuji leans back on his seat a bit. "Meh, I'm not interested in those sorts of drinks anyway." He said.
"Ditto." Says Futaba.
"Well, I'm hard at work with my rhythmic gymnastics, so I don't think that I should have any wine anyways." Sumire said.
Yusuke, however, was a bit livid. "Accursed age requirements...! How dare they rob me of this sacred opportunity!" He lets out.
"Come on Yusuke, calm down." Ann berates him.
Sojiro went to get some glasses out for the wine. Back on the TV, Godfrey was still talking about them. Only this time, he's about to have another guest.
"Secretary General Luthor, thank you for joining us in discussing today's topic. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Penny for your thoughts?"
"Thank you for having me Godfrey," Luthor said. "Regarding the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, all I can say is that while their attentions are noble, they completely violated several international laws. The last thing we need is a group of rogue metahumans running around without thinking of the consequences…"
As he continued, the TV suddenly turned off. They all looked down slightly, seeing that it was Morgana who had his paw pressing the power button on the TV remote. He then turns back to them all.
"I dunno about watching anymore of that political stuff. Besides, I swear there's something about that Luthor guy that reminds me way too much of Shido." Morgana says.
Sojiro sighed. "Okay, I know that Sae and I have been letting this slide, but I doubt we can hold it in much longer. What exactly is Morgana saying?" He asked while pouring the wine in some glasses.
Futaba spoke up. "Oh, he basically just said that he doesn't wanna watch anymore political crap, and that Lex Luthor reminds him way too much of Shido." She said.
Sae thought about it for a moment before looking back to the screen. "You know, when you put that stuff regarding Luthor like that, he may be on too something. Ever since becoming part of the UN 2 years ago, he has been limiting the actions of the League quite a bit." She said.
"Yeah, you can say that again." Zenkichi agreed.
"Well, we can worry about him later. Here comes the curry." Ren said as he starts passing around the curry while Sojiro has prepared 4 glasses of the wine for him, Sae, Zenkichi, and Ichinose.
After everyone gets their plate of curry they immediately start digging in.
"Mmm-mmm-mmm! There is nothing quite like curry from Leblanc!" Ryuji said with his mouth full.
Ren looked back at him after swallowing his bite. "What about the different pots of curry that I cooked while we were on that road trip last Summer?" He asked.
Ryuji froze at that. "Oh, uh... All that curry that you cooked was pretty awesome too." He quickly said with his mouth still full.
"Ryuji, don't talk with your mouth full." Ann chides him.
Ryuji then swallowed what he had in his mouth. "Hehe... Sorry." He apologized.
Zenkichi looked at his glass of wine. "Well, time to see how this tastes." He said before taking a quick swig. His eyes upon tasting it before quickly setting his glass down, surprising everyone present. "Daaaaamn... This is really good!" He exclaims.
"Is it?" Sojiro asked.
He, along with Sae and Ichinose, took a sip of theirs, and their eyes also widen.
"Whoa, that is good." Sae says.
"I concur." Ichinose agrees.
Sojiro set his glass down before looking at the wine bottle. "Well, I must say. This has got to be one of the best treasures you've stolen yet." He says.
Yusuke, however, has a sad expression. "Ohhh... What I would give to taste such liquid gold." He says woefully.
Futaba then looks up from her half-finished plate of curry to Yusuke. "Now now, Inari. You'll get the chance to taste some exquisite wine for yourself later on in life." She tells him.
Morgana gives them a half-lidded stare. "You know, whenever the two of you get like this, it's actually hard at times to tell who the older one is." He said.
Futaba gives him a glare. "Oh, hush you!" She said.
Sojiro chuckles a bit. "I'm guessing that Morgana said something regarding the maturity of you and Yusuke, Futaba?" He asked.
"Wha-!?" She sputters.
"Oh, come. The way the two of you were acting gave it away. I don't need to understand Morgana in order to figure that out." He said.
Futaba pouts at this. "Aww, come on." She mutters.
Ryuji, on the other hand, snickers. "Heheheheh." He giggles.
After several more minutes, they're all pretty done with their plates of curry.
Ryuji let out a sigh of happiness. "Man, that tasted totally awesome!" He said.
Morgana laid on his back with his belly being noticeably bigger. "I'm with you there, Ryuji. I feel like I can't eat another bite!" He said.
Haru chuckles at Morgana's happy expression. "Well, we plan on going out in a bit Mona-chan. Perhaps you can lose some weight then?" She suggests.
Morgana shoots right up after hearing that. "W-Wait, wha-!? Aww man." He complains.
Makoto then spoke up. "Oh, don't be upset Morgana. We're gonna go out and check out that 'Inferno' thing on the MetaLauncher, remember?" She reminds him.
Morgana's expression changes upon being reminded about that. "Oh, right!" He exclaims.
"MetaLauncher?" Ichinose asked.
"Is that what you used in Markovia to enter the Metaverse?" Sophia chimed.
"Yeah." Ren said while starting to pick up dishes. "Like the MetaNav and EMMA app, it grants us access to the Metaverse." He explains.
Sae ponders at this. "So, it's taken the form of a game launcher for the Goode Goggles this time around, huh?"
Makoto nods in confirmation. "That's basically it, sis. Not only that, but after stealing Bedlam's desires, we got notifications on them to beta test something from Goode World Studios called 'Inferno', which seems to be a location on the MetaLauncher." She said.
"Goode World Studios, huh?" Zenkichi ponders. "You think this MetaLauncher was also made by them?" He asked.
"Possibly." Ren said.
"Well, even if that were true, there's still something not quite right about it." Futaba says, getting all of their attention. She is seen scrolling through her phone. "I'm looking up all the applications and launchers made by Goode World Studios, but it doesn't say anything about the MetaLauncher. Looks like unlike EMMA, and very much like the MetaNav, it seems to only be exclusive to certain people, namely us." She said.
"Wait, for real!?" Ryuji exclaims.
Sojiro just gives an exasperated sigh. "Oh boy. It would seem as though you're all just getting more questions than answers from all this." He said.
"You can say that again." Ren agreed. "Which is why we're gonna head out to Shibuya and see what this 'Inferno' is all about." He said.
Sae then realizes something. "Oh, shoot. Speaking of heading out, some of us also need to be going now. I need to hurry back to the office." She said as she starts getting her things together.
"Yeah, I agree. Sorry that I won't available to check that thing out with you guys, but I don't want Akane getting mad at me for being late." Zenkichi said while getting his things as well.
"It's all good, gramps." Ryuji said.
Zenkichi gives Ryuji a half-lidded glare. "Oh, great. Nickname throwbacks. Wonderful." He says sarcastically.
"Let me check the time on my phone." Sumire said as she does so, before giving a yelp of surprise. "It's already 20 to 2!? Oh, I've gotta go!" She then starts getting her stuff together as well, before turning back to Ren. "Sorry that I have to go now, Senpai." She apologized.
Ren just responds with a warm smile. "That's okay. Just go out there and have some quality family time with your dad." He reassures her.
Sumire smiles, before giving him a big hug, surprising him. "Thank you so much, senpai!"
Sae then started out the door. "Time to go." She then turns to her sister. "I'll see you later on tonight, Makoto." She said.
"Right back at you, sis." Makoto replies before Sae heads out.
It was then Zenkichi's turn to head out the door. "Take care of yourselves, brats!" He said as he left.
Sumire then let go of Ren before reaching for her handbag. "Bye, everyone." She said as she began to leave, before turning back to give Ren another surprise hug. "Last hug." She said as Ren just smiles and hugs back.
Efter the three of them left, it just the Thieves, Sojiro, Ichinose & Sophia.
"All right, everyone. I'd say it's time that we head out as well. It's time to see what 'Inferno' is all about." He said as they all nodded.
Ichinose then spoke up. "I will admit that I am a little curious about this MetaLauncher on your respective Goode Goggles. I know that I don't have enough time right now, but some point later on I could have a look at the coding for it and see if I can find out anything from it?" She asked.
"Oh, yeah. Sure thing, Ichinose-san." Ann said.
"Totally!" Futaba agreed.
"By the way, how much exactly do you have left before you need to depart for your lecture?" Yusuke asked.
Before Ichinose could respond, Sophia spoke up from her phone. "If we leave in approximately 19 minutes, Ichinose will be able to prepare in advance for the lecture." Sophia said.
"Well, I guess that settles it then. I've got 10 more minutes of company while the rest of you head out." Sojiro said.
Ryuji then stands up. "Come on already. Let's get out there and stretch our legs." He said.
"Yes, let's hurry up and catch the next subway train to Shibuya." Haru agreed.
The Thieves all get up from their respective seats and head out of Leblanc. Once they're gone, Sojiro lets out a sigh, which Ichinose picks up on.
"Something wrong?" Ichinose asked.
Sojiro looked back at her. "Oh, uh... I'm just a little worried about them all. You know, with the Metaverse returning and all."
Ichinose frowned a little at that. "Yes, I have to agree. That also may mean that someone might be abusing the power of the Metaverse again." She said.
"To be completely honest, I really hope that you're wrong there." Sojiro said before continuing. "But just for a little humor, that's not the only thing on my mind." Hhe said, getting Ichinose's full attention this time. "I actually wonder from time to time what it's like too hear Morgana talk like a normal person."
Ichinose blinked before chuckling a little at that. "You do know that in order to be able to hear him speak, you have to first enter the Metaverse and hear him talk in there, right?" She asked.
It was then Sojiro's turn to chuckle. "Please don't remind me about that. I'm pretty that if an old man such as myself enters a crazy place that, I'd be killed within a few minutes." He then looks up to the ceiling. "If only there was some way to hear him speak without having to put myself in danger."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
August 2nd, 2018 2:28 PM JST
After taking the subway, the Thieves arrive in the bustling commercial district of Shibuya. They find themselves standing in a spot near the old Green Frog Train Car, not far from the Buchiko Statue.
Ryuji took in a deep breath and let it out. "Aww yeah, baby! There is nothing quite like the air of Shibuya on a sweltering hot day of Summer."
Ann looks at him. "Come on, Ryuji. We know how much you want to take it all in, but we're on a job here." She scolds him.
"Lady Ann is right." Morgana says from Ren's bag. "We have to check out this Inferno place before deciding what to do next."
Ryuji droops at that. "Awwwww, seriously?" He complains.
Yusuke then looks around them. "With the way things are going on around us, I would say that this particular spot is ideal for entering the Metaverse." He said.
"If that's the case, then..." She then turns toward Ren. "Ren? How about we enter through your goggles?"
Ren nods. "You got it." He then reaches into his bag and pulls out his Good Goggles before putting them on. He quickly opens up the MetaLauncher and goes to the part that requires a code. "All right, I'm all set."
"Okay! Time to head down the rabbit hole!" Futaba says, pumping her fist in the air.
Rens takes a deep breath before speaking "Inferno." He says as the MetaLauncher responds to what he just said, entering the word 'Inferno' in the bar.
"Map code confirmed. Beginning Navigation."
As soon as it said that, they were met with the familiar dizziness of entering the Metaverse.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Seconds later, they are in their Phantom Thief attire.
They found themselves in a city. A dark and abandoned city. Dark concrete buildings towered over them like trees in a forest, covered in black vegetation. The windows look neglected and unable to be seen through. Looking up, they can see the dark sky with no sun or stars. On the ground level, waste littered the intersection they stood at. What was disturbing was how quiet it was.
"What a dump," Skull muttered. "Is this supposed to be Mementos 2.0 or somethin'?"
"It certainly would explain it," Panther said. "It's creepy… Like the world just suddenly ended."
"Fascinating," Fox said as he frames his fingers. "The architecture and the texture… I must come back here whenever I'm drawing a new piece."
"At least one of us is excited," Skull muttered.
"I'm getting bad vibes here," Oracle shuddered. "I'm not detecting anything. Not yet at least."
"I don't recognize any of those plants there," Noir said as she examines the vegetation. Some of them were as thick as trees. She seems to have remembered something and turns to Queen. "Queen, are you going to be alright?"
"Don't worry about me," Queen said with full confidence. "If I always let my fear of ghosts take hold, then I wouldn't have been able to traverse mementos. Just as long as there are no ghosts around."
"So, what's next Joker?" Mona asked the leader of the Phantom Thieves
"We should start having a look around," Joker said. "If this place is like Mementos, something tells me that we're going to be drawn back here."
Everyone turned grim at that prospect. Mementos is the Palace for everyone's hearts, and the very core of the metaverse. Back in Japan, it took the form of a twisted version of the Tokyo subway, connected by a massive series of subway tunnels with prison features, thus earning the epitaph 'prison of sloth'. Below the depths was where the treasure of the public was residing along with the mastermind. Was this the mementos of the ENTIRE world?
"So where should we start?" Skull said as they walked towards the right street. At that moment, Oracle tensed up.
"Everyone! I'm picking up a Shadow!" Oracle yelled. "It's headed right towards us!"
"Get ready!" Joker ordered. Everyone pulled out their weapons in preparation for the battle to come. As they waited, they heard a deep animalistic growl that sounded like it was coming from above. Looking up, they saw a dark shape leap down from a skyscraper and land on the ground a few meters away from them.
When the dust cleared, they found themselves looking at a lion. But it wasn't like any lion they would see at a zoo or pictures. Its mane looked to be made of barbed wire, fangs like swords and claws like axes. It's body like scrap welded together and stained with blood. It let out a roar that sounded like thunder. The Thieves gritted their teeth as they steel their nerves.
"That is one violent lion," Fox commented. "Whoever made it had violent thoughts to create such a dreary sculpture."
"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to admire it as soon as we take it down," Panther said.
"I won't recommend it!" Oracle warned in a panicking voice. "Their power levels are too high for us! They're almost like the reaper!"
"For real?!" Skull yelped, echoing the terror that the Phantom Thieves were feeling. The Reaper was a powerful Shadow that stalked Mementos. Going up against it would almost be suicide if they weren't strong enough. If it weren't for Mona and Oracle, they would have to look over their shoulder or listen to the tell-tale sound of the chains.
"Then we better run," Queen said as they began to back away. "We need to get out of here and—"
"I'm picking up another Shadow!" Oracle called out as she points in a direction. "Right over there!"
The Thieves turned around as they saw another shadow speed across the street opposite to them. The one they were backing towards. This shadow took the form of a leopard. Unlike the Lion, it appeared to be made out of stained glass. Parts of the glass are blood red to signify its spots. It bared its teeth which shone like broken glass.
"Careful! It's as strong as the lion Shadow!"
"Are you serious?" Panther yelped. "Now we have to deal with two of them?"
"Better make that three!" Mona shouted. His fellow thieves turned to find him staring at another shadow stalking towards them. Unlike the other cat like shadows, this Shadow took the form of a wolf. Its fur was red as blood. When it bared its ebony fangs, the mouth's foam is mixed with blood.
"Three of them!" Skull fell on his butt. "How the hell are we supposed to deal with three of them?"
"What are we going to do?" Noir asked. For the first time, she didn't look eager to hack down Shadows. Neither is the regularly aggressive Queen. Joker held out his hand.
"Hold on…something isn't right," Joker said. "Why aren't they attacking us?"
"Yeah," Mona said, regaining a sense of calm. "Three Shadows as powerful as Reaper would've wiped the floor with us right now. What's stopping them.
"Hmm…" Queen muttered. She realized they are standing at the center of the intersection. It was then she noticed that the Shadows occupied three of the streets, leaving the only one unblocked. They were snarling at them but not advancing. Could it be?
"Queen what are you doing?" Noir asked as she broke away from the group.
"Just checking something," Queen said as she approaches the street with the leopard. She stared at the beast for a moment before stepping forward. Almost immediately, the leopard swiped at her with its front claws. Queen barely had time to leap back before it mauled her. By the time she retreated back to the others, the Leopard backed away.
"As I thought…" Queen said. "If we try to take those roads, the beasts will attack us. The only one without a shadow is that one over there. It's like they want us to take that road."
"So, they want us to follow that road?" Skull said, looking at the aforementioned road. "Tch. Would it have killed them to tell us?"
"If these Shadows are anything like the Reaper, they wouldn't be considered normal Shadows," Joker said. "Let's go and see where this road is taking us."
Slowly, the Thieves walked towards the open road. They kept an eye on the beasts as they advanced, ready to act if they attack. When they left the intersection, the wolf advanced to occupy the space they once stood. The lion and the leopard turned around and left.
"It would appear that your guess was dead on, Queen," Fox said. "The beasts appear to want us to go somewhere."
"But where?" Panther asked. "Am I the only one who feel like something is amiss?"
"You're not the only one, Panther," Joker assured. "But there's nothing much we can do about it for now? Why don't we humor them?"
Everyone agreed and began to travel the road with the wolf nearly at their heels. They encountered no other Shadows along the way, which was somehow comforting and disturbing in some way. Whenever they reach another intersection or crossroads, they would encounter the lion and leopard again. If they try to step off to another street, the beasts will attack them.
Eventually, they reached a corner with a subway station entrance. Although, it was there that its design made it really stand out from the rest of their surroundings. Despite being in the same sort of withered state as everything else when they first arrived, this subway entrance seemed to have a rather... futuristic design to it. It even had a bright-red holographic sign above it with barely visible words in white, and was constantly glitching in and out. Nobody could see into the darkness the stairs appeared to be leading into.
"Whoa, check this place out!" Exclaimed Oracle, as she was checking the entrance out. "I'm getting some serious cyberpunk vibes here!"
"They wanted us to be here?" Skull asked. He looked over his shoulder to see no sign of the beasts. "Where'd they go?"
"I think they've done their job," Fox said. "I feel like we would be tempting them if we try and turn back."
"Then we don't go back," Mona said, looking down into the darkness. "We'll just have to face whatever's down there."
"Well, that's just great," Skull muttered as he eyes the glitching sign. "Hey… I know that it's hard to make out with the sign glitchin' so much, but isn't that the last sentence from the message we received yesterday? What the heck does it mean? Does anyone know?"
"I do," Queen said. "Ever since we got the message, I looked it up and found out it's Italian. Roughly translated, it means… 'abandon all hope, ye who enter here'."
Everyone felt a chill crawl up their spines at those words. One could hardly blame them for how ominous it sounded. It was like a 'do not enter' sign warning them not to descend. Or would the better term be 'death threat'?
"I think we should stop here," Joker said. He wasn't going to risk everyone for this. "Let's head back and—"
Suddenly, he felt something push him. As he fell forward, he could hear his friends cry out as they fell with him. They tumbled down the steps into the darkness. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the silhouette of a figure standing at the top of the staircase.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
August 2nd, 2018 2:50 PM JST
Ren groaned as he blinked his eyes open. He was staring at the home screen of his Goode Goggles. That meant he has exited the Metaverse. Getting up, he removed his Goode Goggles and saw his friends doing the same. They were rubbing spots where they were injured but otherwise safe. Surprisingly, they were back in Shibuya.
"Ow…that's going to hurt," Morgana winced before he glared at Ryuji. "Who pushed me? Was it you Ryuji?"
"I did not!" Ryuji protested. "If anything, it was Ann who pushed me!"
"Don't look at me!" Ann yelled. "I was nowhere near you! Besides, somebody pushed me!"
"That's right! Don't go blaming Lady-Ann!" Morgana said defensively.
"Well, I didn't push anyone," Yusuke said. "But I did feel like someone pushed me from behind. Haru, did you see anyone?"
"No, I didn't," Haru said. "I felt someone push me as well."
"Besides, how can anyone push you?" Ryuji asked. "Anyone would've kicked a cat like you."
"I am NOT a cat!" Morgana yelled. "A klutz like you would be easy to trip!"
"Why you…!"
"Everybody stop right now!" Makoto snapped. When everyone fell silent, she continued to speak. "Okay, whoever got pushed, raise your hands."
Everyone raised their hands.
"Okay, everybody got pushed and nobody is owning up to it. Who was standing behind us?"
"It wasn't any of us," Ren spoke. Everyone turned to him with quizzical expressions.
"What do you mean, Renren?" Ryuji asked.
"When we were falling, I saw someone standing at the top of the stairs," Ren answered. "I didn't get a closer look, but it was definitely a person and not a shadow. Whoever it was, they pushed us in."
"For real?" Morgana asked. "Does that mean someone else can enter the Metaverse?"
"Sounds like it," Makoto asked. "If that's the case, we could be dealing with another Black Mask."
"Do you think it could be Akechi?" Haru asked, narrowing her eyes. The room became tense at the mention of the former hitman for the Antisocial force.
"We don't know that for certain," Ren said, knowing why Haru would suspect him despite being missing. "Besides, I think it would be pretty big news if they saw the Detective Prince purchasing a pair of Goode Goggles. Wouldn't you agree?"
"He's got a point there," Futaba said with her lips pursed. "But if it's not him, then who?"
They all ponder at that particular question of Futaba's for a few moments, before Ren speaks up. "Well, there doesn't seem to be anything that we can do regarding that at the moment. I suggest that we all just maybe do what we want around here for the time being to recuperate." He suggested.
"Mmmm... Yeah, I guess that would be a good idea. There is this new place at 705 that I wanna check out." Ann said, before turning to Makoto and Haru. "Makoto, Haru, you wanna come with?" She asks.
Makoto jumps a little. "Huh? U-Uh, well... I suppose." She stutters.
"Oh, that would be great!" Haru says, delighted.
"If that is the case..." Yusuke spoke up before quickly turning to Futaba. "Futaba! I wish for you to Accompany me to Big Bang Burger!" He exclaims.
Said girl blinks in surprise. "Wait, what!?" She asks.
Yusuke continues to talk. "I plan on being filmed while eating a hamburger. I imagine that such a transcendent sight will get my imagination flowing for a new piece of art!"
The others just sweat drop at this.
"Umm... I don't exactly see how eating a hamburger would be considered a transcendent sight." Ryuji said.
"Just let him be, Ryuji." Ren replied.
Futaba still isn't quite sure. "H-Hold up there, Inari! Why does it have to be me!?"
Yusuke just marches off in the direction of Big Bang Burger. "Onward!" He exclaims.
Futaba just sputters. "Wha-!? Bu-! I-! Uggghhh! I gotta go! Really don't wanna see Inari make a fool of himself." She told the others before running off in the direction that Yusuke went.
The others were silent for about a minute.
"Ooooookaaaayy..." Ryuji started. "I'm gonna be heading over to 705 too. There's this new sportswear store there that's got my attention." He said.
"Then it looks like we're all heading over to 705 then." Said Haru, who then looks over to Ren. "What about you, Ren?"
Ren then thinks for a moment. "Mmm, I think I'm just going to stick around here at the Buchiko Statue. Morgana?" He asks the cat.
"Err, I think I'll go with the others to 705." He said.
"Wait, what?" Ryuji asked.
"Haru said it herself. I do need to lose some what after all that curry I ate back at Leblanc." He said.
"In that case," He handed his bag over to Ryuji, with Morgana still in it. "Ryuji, feel free to take my bag with you." He suggested.
Ryuji is a bit taken aback. "Huh? Uh, okay." He said before taking it.
"I guess that settles it then. We'll all meet back here at the Buchiko Statue. I'll text Futaba about that." Ann said.
"Then let's go, then!" Haru exclaims.
"Ehh... All right." Makoto mutters.
The girls then head towards the scramble crossing to get to 705. Before Ryuji went to follow them, he turned back to Ren "Sure you'll be okay here waiting, Renren?" He asked.
"Come on Ryuji, I'll be fine. I'll just go and do some stuff on my Goode Goggles to keep myself busy." He assured.
After a few moments, Ryuji simply smiles at him. "Well, okay if you insist. Catch ya later, Renren!" He says while waving as he walks off toward the scramble crossing.
Ren just waves back at them. As they walked off, he could hear ryuji and Morgana talking to each other.
"Hurry up, Ryuji. We'll be left behind."
"The reason why you decided to come to 706 too is to be close by to Ann, isn't it?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Ren just rolled his eyes at their usual behavior towards each other. He then walks over to the Buchiko Statue, before finding a spot to sit down. Putting on his Goode Goggles, he proceeded to select a game to pass the time. Just then, he felt a sting on his left cheek.
"Seriously, what is that?" Ren muttered as he felt his cheek. Ever since he got the goggles, he's been feeling it every time he puts them on. He submitted a complaint to their maker, Goode World Studios. They told them that it's a minor problem and it will go away eventually. A testimony from his friends told them they were experiencing the same thing. Futaba has been trying to take hers apart to find out the cause to no avail. So, he just sucked it up and hopes he will get used to it.
Unbeknownst to him, the cause of the pain was a needle hidden within the headset. The moment he activated it, it popped up and took a blood sample from him. When it retreated into the goggles, a hidden mechanism was analyzing it. It had been collecting blood samples from Ren for as long as he played it. Every time he did, the light would blink red.
Today, the light turned green.
Hey there, everybody! Sorry that I haven't updated for over a while now. That once in a lifetime trip out to Canada's West Coast back around the beginning of July was just simply amazing! Got the chance to see both the Canadian Rockies and the City of Vancouver for the very first time! Of course, I was utterly exhausted when I got back home. Not only that, but I also ended up doing some stuff around the house with my mom, as well as help my grandpa move out of his current place and into a new one. Anyways, like the Zoshigaya protagonist house, I'm also including Kokatsu Academy in Shimokitazawa from the Persona 5: The Phantom X beta. Again, I don't own the beta, it belongs to its respective creators. By the way, over the summer, I've also grown interested in this Chinese anime called Peking Opera Cats. According to the reviews that I've translated online, despite being a children's animation, it actually really grabs the attention of adults. You all should really surf the web, as well as use online translating, to check it out for yourselves and see what I mean! Although, it's been on hiatus since the 26th episode of its 4th season aired back in 2020. It said that there were going to be 70 episodes of the 4th season. I really hope that they come out of hiatus later this year. Not only that, but a few years ago they announced a movie in production, but it still hasn't been released in theatres. I'm guessing the pandemic is still having a lingering effect in some areas of China. Also, no. I am not the owner of Peking Opera Cats. The anime belongs to its respective owners in China. Anyways, this summer is pretty much my last summer of freedom before final year of college this September, and afterwards, I'll be out there in the world finding a job to work at next summer. Of course, that won't mean I won't be able to find the time next summer for some down time. Wish me luck!
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Also, if Any of you are wondering about my Rockman EXE Xros story, I'm having major difficulty on bringing myself to get back to it. Maybe I should see if anyone's willing to adopt it? I dunno.