Persona 5: Daywatch

Thursday, 14 April 2016
After School
Kamoshida's Palace, Training Hall of Love

Half a dozen students in Shujin gym uniforms pumped their arms but only held in place on the massive treadmill. A pot of cool water dripping with condensation dangled in front of them and a long roller of spikes whirled behind them. Ryuji slammed the bars and roared, "Son of a bitch!"

One runner got underneath the pot and struggled to get his arms up, failing to reach. After a moment, he just stretched out his neck and opened his mouth to catch a precious few drops before he stumbled and fell.

Two runners dodged around him and one jumped over him with a panic-fueled hop. The fallen had just enough time to crawl to all fours in front of the spiked roller before crying out, then sudden silence. The tips shone with fresh red.

Akira crossed himself. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph… is this really the kind of thing he does in real life?"

"I…" Ryuji gripped the iron bars, resting his forehead against them. "He was practically doin' this shit with the track team when he was drivin' us into the ground. I should'a known he wouldn't stop."

Akira stared, transfixed at the five left running. "When I was carryin' Mishima to the nurse to have his concussion checked out, he let slip that Kamoshida calls in guys and beats 'em any time they made a mistake. Called it 'special coaching'." His fists clenched into such tight fists the leather groaned. "Poor sap looked like Kamoshida'd been puttin' him through ten rounds of kick boxing every day."

Ann turned away. "I should've known, too. I was with Shiho almost every day, I saw girls and boys on the teams with bruises and bandages. Shiho even told me about how Kiriko-senpai changed almost overnight, even if she believed the official story." She crossed her arms. "I was just burying my head in the sand as long as nothing hurt Shiho. She and I tried to keep her boyfriend secret, but Kamoshida must've found out."

Akira slammed a fist into his opposite hand. "Enough with the pity party. This just confirms what we knew. Kamoshida needs to go down."

Clapping echoed from behind them and they heard Kamoshida quip, "Well isn't it lovely to see all the vermin in agreement?"

All three wheeled around, fists up. Six silver knights in a neat formation two rows wide stood before them, blocking the passage. A larger gold knight stood further back and the King Kamoshida past it. Kamoshida stared down at them, his gold eyes glistening with more light than the candles should give.

"You bastard!" Ryuji took a couple steps at him, cocking back a fist, but Akira caught him.

The nearest two knights hefted their shields and lifted their swords.

Kamoshida waggled a finger at them. "Now, now, there's no need to rush into things." He gave an expectant smirk. "A king does so love his entertainment." He threw his hands on his hips, elbows out, pushing open his cape.

Akira dropped to his knees, clapping his hands over his eyes as if preparing to claw them out. "My eyes! Oh, God in heaven, my eyes! I can't un-see it!"

Ryuji's face twisted in disgust. "I never thought a speedo could look so nasty."

Kamoshida dropped his arms, mirth gone. "You know, perhaps I should thank you. That irritating pet of yours has been a bother for so long, it's a joy to see it behind bars. If only I could decide how I want to execute it. There are so many ways to skin a cat."

"Byakko!" Ann glared at Akira, next to her. "I told you we shouldn't have sent him out scouting alone!"

Kamoshida's eyes stopped on Ryuji and his smirk widened. "And you brought me another gift. The track traitor."

Akira's fists tightened and his lips peeled back to bare his teeth. "You're raping girls and beating boys and you call someone who stood up to you a traitor? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on."

Still smirking, Kamoshida rolled his eyes. "Hasn't he told you? How many lives he ruined so he could have the satisfaction of that one punch? The rest of the track team was strong enough to bear up under the weight of my… tender training."

Ryuji growled. "That wasn't no training! You just couldn't take another team doin' as well as your precious volleyball team. We were all set to take our own trophies and you were scared."

Lip twisting, Kamoshida spat at them, "The only one who needs to produce results is me. If that coach hadn't tried to oppose me in front of the other faculty, I wouldn't've had to settle things with breaking his star's leg."

Ann's shoulders drooped and she looked over her shoulder at the ex-runner. "Sakamoto…"

"Now," Kamoshida said, "go kill the vermin." His eyes roamed over Ann's hourglass shape and he smiled. "And do feel free to see how much you can cut from the girl. I'd love to peel the leather from her."

The front two knights burst into a quadruplet of four-legged rams standing as tall as a warhorse. Their curved horns looked dark as obsidian, but their eyes glowed with crimson.

The two persona-users summoned their own glowing monstrosities and Carmen froze one with a single powerful burst of ice. Pillar sent a zipping shock of dark into another, the inky darkness roaring up and dissolving a second, but the remaining two Bicorns charged.

The next two knights shuddered and burst into four leathery-winged, gaunt demons with huge strap-on codpieces. The knights behind them raised their swords.

The Bicorns slammed into Carmen and Pillar, drawing a cringe and pained grunt from Akira and Ann.

Pillar of Heaven flared, cracks of darkness spreading out over the ground, then roaring up into the Bicorns, disintegrating one and knocking the other to the ground, twitching. Carmen lashed it with her thorned whip and the Shadow burst into dissolving ashen darkness.

Two of the Incubi held up their hands, claws twitching as an orb of crackling darkness formed. The other two dashed at the Personas.

The knights behind them lifted their shields and paced forward.

Both Incubi slipped close enough to slash into the Personas with claws as big as Akira's forearm. Ann cried out. Akira's footing faltered but he stayed up and grunted in pain, nothing but anger and resolve on his face.

"No!" Ryuji ran up until Akira snagged his sleeve.

Carmen lashed her whip into the nearest Incubus, knocking it into the bars with a clang. The two Incubi hanging back charging darkness threw their inky orbs into the Personas. Akira just grit his teeth.

Ann cried out and stumbled to her knees.

Pillar of Heaven churned, expelling a shimmering ball of yellow flames at the Incubus facing it, blasting it into fading ashes.

The waiting Incubi bared their claws and flapped ahead, still grinning. The one slammed into the bars struggled to its feet, then flapped up but wavered in the air.

Ryuji tugged at Akira, wanting to rush in to help but having no idea how to take down the monsters. "Fucking stop, Kamoshida!"

The self-styled king looked to him with a droll expression. "You wait your turn." His lips curled up. "I'll start with your other leg, just for poetic sake."

Both vigorous Incubi clawed into Carmen and Ann fell back with a grunt of pain, clutching her sides. As Pillar shot fire at the faltering Incubus, Akira dashed to help her up.

Carmen slashed her whip across both attacking Shadows, winding one of the grinning demons.

Pillar hurled fire at the other, knocking it stumbling to the ground, but it leaped and slashed at Pillar in a frenzy.

Stumbling in place, Akira grit his teeth and tightened his hold on Ann.

Ryuji grit his teeth, hating the sensation of impotence. "Kamoshida, you asshole! Is destroying people the only thing you're good at?"

Kamoshida smirked.

One gray knight burst, leaving a pair of green demons hiding in large, gold pots. The other also burst in tainted darkness, leaving a pair of armored knights riding red horses. The green demons peeked out and wiggled their fingers, a crackling and scent of ozone filling the air. The armored men on horses readied winged spears and took aim at separate Personas.

Pillar blasted the closest Incubus and Carmen lifted her arm, twirling her thorned whip above her and raising a snowy gale around her that buffeted one of the faltering demons.

Both of the timid green demons blasted Pillar with lightning.

Akira cried out, falling to one knee but clamping his grip on Ann's arms.

"No," Ryuji growled. "I can't just stand here, watching my friends beaten to death in front of me." He stepped in front of Akira and held a steady march forward.

Carmen slashed her whip, shredding an Incubus.

The remaining grinning demon cracked its knuckles and slashed into Carmen.

The mounted soldiers tapped their horses and advanced with spears raised.

A boy's voice shouted from nowhere, "We don't have a track team 'cause of you!"

Ryuji clenched his fists, but took another step forward.

"No!" Akira shouted. Letting go of Ann, he took a stumbling step at Ryuji. Pillar advanced, churning with fire and darkness, but the first Berith powered a slash knocking it aside.

Akira fell against the bars, then to his knees with one hand struggling to hold himself up and the other clutching his chest.

Carmen blasted the last Incubus with ice, knocking it to the floor in dissolving goo.

The green Agathion unleashed blasts of lightning into both Personas, driving their users to all fours.

A familiar girl's voice spat into Ryuji's ears. "Ugh, who'd want to be with some violent thug who even hits teachers?"

Ryuji took another step forward, hands tightening and teeth clenching.

His mother's voice wailed from nowhere, "You had a track scholarship! Why couldn't you just be a good boy?"

The Berith advancing on Carmen paused, shifting its empty visor at the ex-track star.

His father's voice bellowed, "That stupid bitch ain't worth nothin'!"

Ryuji forced another step, growling in pain as one hand lifted to his dyed-blond hair.

The Agathion lanced lightning into both Personas again.

Akira and Ann collapsed to the ground with cries of pain.

Ann struggled to push herself up off the dirty floor. "I can not let it end here." She shot a glare at Kamoshida even as her chest heaved breath in. "You have too much to pay for – not just for Shiho, but for everything!"

Akira rolled onto his side, reaching a trembling hand at the Berith staring him down. Pillar shot it with a zig-zagging blast of darkness.

The mounted soldier flinched, then kicked its horse forward and stabbed its spear into Pillar.

Akira rolled away, curling up and howling in agony.

The sound of his mother weeping behind her door rang in Ryuji's ears.

Trembling, he forced one more step, then hunched as his stomach rebelled and his head pounded in pain.

The Berith staring at him tapped its horse and advanced, lifting its spear for a stab into his throat.

One of his fellow track brothers' voices whispered from nowhere, "All we can do is endure."

Ryuji straightened with a pained scream and fire licked over his face, leaving a heavy skull mask. Surprised at the sudden weight, he clawed at his face, catching the mask. He growled in pain when his first tug only sent a shock of pain into his system. Ryuji grit his teeth, refusing to give up. Digging his fingers behind his mask despite the flare of pain, he tore it off with an agonized shriek and splatter of blood.

Hot winds exploded out from him, slamming the Beriths away and both Agathion into the far wall.

Kamoshida gaped at the glowing figure taking shape above Ryuji. "What? I-impossible!"

Ryuji looked Kamoshida in the eye as a pirate cutter the size of a large truck coalesced above him, a humanoid figure a couple meters tall rising up out of it. Blood dribbling down his face, Ryuji spat at the royal-garbed coach. "Believe it or not, you piece of shit, you're still going down."

He swiped a hand like throwing a knife and the skeletal figure riding the cutter like a surfboard held aloft a cannon where one of its hands should be. Howling winds tore through the room and both Agathion smashed into the solid stone wall again, collapsing into goo and knocking both Beriths to their horses' knees.

The gold knight advanced between them, something black and thick like tar oozing out of its joints and its movements twitchy. It burst into a huge, cloaked skeleton wielding a bow and riding an enormous white horse covered with eyes.

Darkness, then a bolt of ice slammed into the mounted soldiers just as they struggled up, knocking them back to their knees.

One Berith, just within reach, swung its spear into the boat-riding figure wearing a tattered cloak and hat bearing the skull-and-crossbones.

Ryuji grunted and snapped up a hand, clenching a fist as if crushing a rotten orange. "Captain Kidd!"

The boat-rider swung his oversized cutlass, driving the Berith to the ground in broken bits of dissolving goo.

An arrow the size of a long spear flitted into Kidd. Ryuji fell, but caught himself on one knee.

Pillar shot a zig-zagging blast of dark at the white rider, but the dozens of eyes on its horse blinked and it leaped out of the way.

Ann struggled to her feet. "Carmen!"

Her frilly-dressed Persona shot an ice ball at the white rider, which dodged. The ball of frost splashed against the wall.

Rider shot Carmen with another huge arrow and Ann collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest.

The remaining Berith charged at Kidd from behind, thrusting its spear.

Kidd parried, slashing its cutlass across the mounted soldier's neck. The decapitated Shadow fell into dissolving black and red muck.

The towering rider shot Captain Kidd with an arrow.

Ryuji dropped to one knee, planted a hand on his raised knee, and stood back up.

Darkness flitted back and forth, surging up underneath the white rider.

It dodged and returned an arrow into Pillar. Fell back to his knees, clutching his chest with both hands.

Another ball of ice sailed at the skeletal archer, which dodged and snapped another arrow back at Carmen. The dancer twisted out of the way.

Ryuji clenched his fists and began to roar. Captain Kidd grasped the ship's mast and rode it like a surfboard as wind howled through the room, whipping around the white rider.

The monstrous Shadow ducked its head, its mount's eyes squeezing closed against the stinging gale.

Carmen flung an ice ball, which veered in the howling wind but hit the horse. Darkness zipped beneath and roared up into the eerie rider.

Ryuji's breath ran out and he dropped to one knee, the gale relenting.

Rider shot an arrow into Kidd.

Ryuji growled in pain but struggled back up.

Carmen floated closer and lashed out with her whip. Rider dodged, but her whip wrapped around the horse's neck. Braying, it pulled the thorned whip taught.

Rider shot her with an arrow, and Carmen shuddered but held. Ann fell to both knees, a tear of pain leaking down, but grit her teeth and held her focus.

Darkness roared up from underneath and Kidd blew past, powering a cutlass slash through the rider and its horse, sending it stumbling to the ground. Pillar of Heaven churned and blasted fire into it as ice encrusted the length down the whip and over the many-eyed horse's neck.

Kidd swung back, slashing a deep blow across the rider's torso and horse's neck, casting it into dissolving red and black splatter.

Ryuji collapsed to both knees, breathing hard and covered in a sheen of sweat. "Damn, the… bastard got… away."

Dismissing his Persona, Akira stumbled but walked closer to Ryuji and reached out to help him to his feet. As they struggled for breath, he looked over the ex-track star's new look, dominated by heavy black cloth. "I see you've finally got a spine."

Ryuji struggled to smile and frown at the same time. "Screw you, man. Better than your red-light-district magician getup."

Turning to Ann before she closed the distance under her own power, Akira smirked. "Whatever." He glanced around, then let out a frustrated huff. "Clearly the palace treasure isn't here. Let's go bust out Mo-Byakko."

Ryuji pointed to the four prisoners on the treadmill. "What about all these guys?"

Akira slipped his hands into his pockets. "They're figments of Kamoshida's imagination. This," he gestured his chin at the dungeon, "is all a product of that bastard's mind. They're no more real than that chesty facsimile of Ann that walked in when Ann and I were in the tower of pleasu—"

Face crimson, Ann blurted, "L-let's just get going."

As recovered as they were going to get, the three headed out and smashed through the two silver-armored knights guarding his cell to find Morgana tapping his foot inside.

Akira gave a cocky grin. "Good thing we were here to break you out, huh?"

Morgana hrumphed as they struggled to pick the lock open. "It's technically your fault that I was caught in the first place. They stepped up the guard since that stunt you pulled in the tower of pleasure."

Ryuji squeezed his eyes shut. "Please never say those words again."

Morgana looked up, then gaped at the track star half-behind Ann. "You… even got him to awaken? You're more impressive than I thought."

Ryuji clenched his fists. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The lock popped and Akira hauled the door open.

Morgana trotted out, shooting the track star a knowing smile. "It means I didn't think you had it in you, Brawler."

Ryuji swept out his hands. "Okay, first thing we're doing is a new name. I ain't goin' around with somethin' embarrassing like that."

Pausing, Morgana tapped his chin. "Thug."

Ryuji snarled. "Do you want me to drop this steel-toed boot on your ass? If I'm gonna have any name, it's gotta be about the mask."

Akira exclaimed, tone giddy, "Oh, like Moonbeam Man!"

Ryuji sighed. "Seriously, how old are you? Naw, I'll be Cranium."

Ann, Akira, and Morgana chorused, "No."

Ann turned to Ryuji with a half-shrug at Akira. "He could've said Tuxedo Mask."

Ryuji sighed, sounding tired instead of angry. "I will hurt you."

Akira's eyes rolled up and he ticked through silent options on his fingers before clapping. "Namahage?"

"Ugh, no," Ryuji grumped. "Do I look like I'm wearing a costume made of straw?"

Ann crossed her arms tighter. "What about Reaper?"

Ryuji bobbed his head. "Yeah, I can dig that." He looked back at Akira. "I've been meanin' to ask. What's up with your face?"

Akira held up a hand to his cheek, then flinched and hissed in pain.

"Ohhh," Ann muttered. "Yeah, from that knight."

"Huh?" Ryuji said, blinking.

Ann gestured to where the guard knights used to be. "One of those knights hit him right across the face with that metal hand."

Morgana growled, staring down the corridor they came from. "If I hadn't been caught, I could've been right there to help defeat the palace ruler."

Akira sighed. "Consolation is there was no treasure down there."

Morgana shook his head. "I didn't think there was, it feels like we've been getting farther away from it."

Ryuji frowned, tapping a steel-toed boot. "You knew where it was to start with?"

Eyebrows furrowing, Morgana faced Ryuji straight-on. "Not exactly." He pointed at Akira as he looked up. "When you mentioned the Training Hall of Love, I thought you had reliable intel." Looking back to Ryuji, he noticed how the runner braced a hand against the bars. "You two haven't even recovered from yesterday, and Ryuji's burning up energy fast. I know you all want to see this finished quickly, but if we rush in unprepared that does nobody any good."

Akira growled, "But we've gotten nowhere."

Ann wavered on her feet, one hand taking Ryuji's offered hand to help stand steady. "I… I'm not feeling so good, Joker."

Ryuji held his free hand to his forehead. "The cat's right—"

"I am not a cat!"

Akira opened his hands, closed them into fists, then forced his fingers open again. His jaws clenched, but when he looked at Ann, his eyes fell to the floor and he let out a defeated breath. At that signal, the group started walking for the exit.

Ryuji came up next to Akira. "Hey, if we're headin' out anyway, I got an idea."

Akira growled, but when he spotted Ann clutching her stomach, he let out a heavy breath. "Fine. I'm listening."

Folding his arms against his chest, Ryuji smirked. "It looked like you guys were really dependent on your Personas."

Ann stopped and turned on the former track star. "Did you not see the kind of monsters we're up against? Some of them almost killed Joker twice yesterday. They almost killed us all today."

Ryuji nodded. "That's just my point. We need some firepower."

Sighing, Akira pressed his hand against his side, wishing he had a hot or cold compress. "If you're about to suggest we lift a Scottish claymore from a local museum, I don't think I can fit that under my school jacket."

"I mean guns, dumbass," Ryuji snapped.

"Ryu—Reaper," Akira started, nonplussed, "this is Japan. I may have a record, but even I don't know how to get my hands on guns. What do you think I am, yakuza?"

Ryuji grinned underneath his heavy skull mask. "Wouldn't have to be real guns if we're not using them in a real castle, eh?"

Ann shot him a glare. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Morgana stopped and turned to him, eyes widening. "No, actually, it's brilliant." He gave a wide grin. "I'd have never expected it from you, Reaper."

Ryuji smiled and puffed out his chest as they all headed towards the entrance. A little while later, he stopped walking. "Hey, wait. What's that supposed to mean?"