Hello everyone! And welcome back to the fourth chapter of Outsiders!
I'm glad that this story is slowly getting more and more attention as this was made on a whim. But still, it's really fun to try something like this to test out my skills as a writer. Plus, it helps motivate me to get back to my other projects.
In fact, if you guys want another Persona story, my good buddy TheExcadrillComics recently made the first chapter of his story, Persona Renegades. Which I did help him iron out, so go check it out.
To recap: After being saved by a raccoon-like girl named Raphtalia, Kinji and Asta continued through the prison until eventually reaching the front. After getting some info about Shadows and Palaces, Kinji and Asta were able to escape back to their reality. However, they were confronted by Sato, who didn't seem to recall what had happened in the Palace. That night, Kinji was summoned to the Velvet Room as Igor told him of the Metaverse Navigator, as well as give him a mission as a thief. The next day, Kinji and Asta decided to try and enter the Palace again, where they ran into Raphtalia. Seeing as their goals are mutual, the trio enter, taking out Shadows and gathering information on Sato. However, they were soon ambushed by Shadow Sato, who mocked Asta for the death of someone named Yuno. After hearing some motivating words from Kinji, Asta found the strength in his heart to summon his own Persona, Khalkotauroi.
How will the group escape the Palace? And what powers does Asta possess with his new awakening? Let's find out…
"Let's kick ass, Khalkotauroi!" Asta declared as his Persona rushed towards the guards, striking them with its sword. The blow was so strong, it sent them flying into the wall, causing them to dissolve.
"Don't just stand there. KILL HIM!" Shadow Sato ordered as his lead guard began to shake and transform. It then transformed into a clown-like Shadow, who wore a purple jester outfit with a large black puffy hat, white gloves and a big red nose.
"Time to play some magic, kiddies!" The clown Shadow took out several juggling balls from tossing them to Khalkotauroi, the balls themselves turning into light. Khalkotauroi crossed his arms and took the attack, with Asta grunting a bit in pain.
'So whatever Khalkotauroi gets hit, I feel the pain.' Asta thought as he felt mild pain from the attack. Hearing movement behind him, Asta was surprised to see Kinji and Raphtalia rush to his side, weapons drawn.
"We do this together." Kinji informed his allies before he took out his handgun, firing five shots at the clown. The attack caused the Shadow to moan in pain while kneeling down. "Now!"
"Eiha!" Asta shouted as Khalkotauroi opened his mouth, launching a dark ball of energy at the clown, though it didn't seem to do much damage.
"Garu!" Raphtalia was next to attack as Azeban hit the clown with its wind attack. The trio saw the Shadow was weakened before Kinji rushed in, finishing it off with a knife stab to the gut, causing it to dissolve.
Shadow Sato watched in horror as his lead guard was destroyed, now left with no reinforcements. "You… You…"
"Give it up, Sato!" Asta warned as he glared at the Palace Ruler.
"Give up? To you?!" Angered by the implication, Shadow Sato reached into his pocket and took out a grenade. The three invaders gasped in horror as Shadow Sato pulled the pin and threw the explosive towards them.
"LOOK OUT!" The trio quickly jumped out of the way as the grenade hit the ground.
*BOOM*
The grenade soon detonated, forcing the trio to lower their heads. Once it was over, they raised their heads, only to find Shadow Sato had disappeared.
"He's getting away!" Asta shouted as he prepared to run around the ruler, only to kneel down in pain. "Ahhh…"
"You're too drained. We need to get out of here." Kinji told his friend as he and Raphtalia took Asta by the arms. As reluctant as he was to run away, Asta could tell from the way his muscles were aching that chasing Shadow Sato was a bad move. Soon, the three exited the Palace and were taking a moment to breathe in the front doors.
"Man, I didn't think I'd be this tired." Asta sighed while wiping away his sweat. Looking at his gloved hand, Asta realized his current attire, making him step back. "Woah! My clothes changed!"
"It really took you that long to figure it out?" Raphtalia questioned while giving Asta a look. "Still, I'm surprised you were able to summon a Persona."
"Persona… Oh! You mean Khalkotauroi!" Asta snapped his fingers. "Yeah. I didn't think I could do it. But it was like there was a voice in my head, asking if I wanted to fight back."
"We shouldn't keep talking out here. Let's get back to the real world." Kinji reminded his friends, though Raphtalia didn't seem so sure of it.
"I think it's better if we all split up for now. Just to be safe." Raphtalia tried to explain, only for Kinji to grab her and Asta by their wrists. "W-Wait!"
"There's no time. Let's go." With that, Kinji dragged Asta and Raphtalia out of the Metaverse.
'Alleyway'
"You have returned to the real world." The Metaverse Navigator said as the trio returned to the real world, with Kinji and Asta in particular panting.
"Man… I feel even more tired than the first time we went in." Asta admitted, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Even with all the weights and baseball practice he went through, exiting the Palace for a second time made his body ache like hell.
"At least we got some info." Kinji said while leaning against the wall, wiping away some sweat. However, as he looked around, he noticed the third member in their little party was missing. "Asta, Raphtalia did come out with us, right?"
"Pretty sure I saw her." Asta stood up straight and looked around. "Raphtalia! Where are you?!" His yelling caught the attention of some students walking by, who gave him an odd look.
"What's up with Staria?"
"Probably got dumped or something. Guy needs to learn to let go."
"Come on. Let's go to karaoke."
"Yeah, maybe you shouldn't yell out like that." Kinji told his friend, though a concerned look crossed his face. "Still, we should try and find her."
"I'm… right here…" A familiar voice called out to them, making the two teens turn their heads. However, instead of finding their friend, all they found was air. "Down here." Looking down, Kinji and Asta blinked as they saw who, or rather WHAT, was calling them with Raphtalia's voice.
Sitting on the ground was a small brown furred tanuki with red eyes and a ring tail.
"... Kinji, am I going crazy or does that tanuki sound like-" Asta was about to finish when the tanuki raised a paw.
"Yes. It's me, Raphtalia." The tanuki, now confirmed to be Raphtalia, said with an embarrassed tone. "This is what I look like outside of the Metaverse."
"... Oh my god." Kinji blurted out as he looked at Raphtalia with wide eyes. "It really is you."
"Don't remind me. This is why I didn't want to follow you two." Raphtalia sighed while frowning at them. "But I guess it can't be helped."
"Can I… can I pet you?" Asta suddenly asked while kneeling in front of Raphtalia.
"What?! Of course not! Why would anyone-?" Before Raphtalia could finish, Asta put his hands on her head and started rubbing it. "Hey! Don't… I… you…" Raphtalia then began to let out what sounded like a purr, her tail swaying a little.
"Wow. Her fur is so soft." Asta said with a smile before he looked at Kinji. "Dude, you gotta try this."
"I'd rather not." Kinji declined. However, as he saw Asta continue to pet Raphtalia, Kinji's will began to crumble a bit before he gave in. "Let me try."
"No… not.. Both of…" Raphtalia was overwhelmed now that Kinji joined in the petting. After a few minutes, the two finally stopped, though their petting was enough to make Raphtalia's body feel like jelly. "You're… so… cruel…"
"Sorry, but you're so cute like this." Asta admitted with a grin before he felt his stomach growling rather loudly. "Guess fighting in that Palace made me hungry."
*Grrrrr*
Kinji blinked as he and Asta looked down, noticing Raphtalia turning her head away from them. "I could eat too…"
"Eating isn't a bad idea." Kinji confessed while scratching the back of his head. Truth be told, after summoning Holmes and fighting Shadows, he was starting to feel a bit hungry. "Where should we go?"
"Oh!" Asta raised a hand to get their attention. "I know the perfect place!"
'Shibuya, sometime later'
"Here you go, sir." A waiter in a white waitress outfit placed two large beef bowls in front of Kinji and Asta, along with a refill on water. "Enjoy!" With a bow, the waitress left the duo.
"Mmmmm…" Asta took a deep whiff of his beef bowl before signing dreamingly. "Smells as good as ever." He put his hands together, with Kinji doing the same. "Thank you for the food!" With that, he grabbed his chopsticks and began scarfing down his food.
'At least the food isn't flying out of his bowl.' Kinji thought as he stared at Asta with a sweatdrop. Taking his own chopsticks, Kinji separated them and picked up a piece of beef, popping it in his mouth. As he chewed it, Kinji was surprised at the savory flavor, as well as the hint of other spices mixed into the dish. 'Woah. This is great.'
"Hey…" Raphtalia popped her head out of Kinji's bag (thankfully, she wasn't too heavy and fit just right) and gave him a pleading look. "Give me some. I'm hungry too, you know."
"Sorry." Making sure some of the other patrons nearby weren't looking, Kinji picked up some beef and offered it to Raphtalia, who quickly ate it gleefully.
"You weren't kidding, Asta. This food is delicious." Raphtalia sighed as she took another piece of beef from Kinji.
"I know, right? Sometimes, I come by and eat as much as I can!" Asta ate a bit too much beef, causing him to gasp as he pounded his chest.
"Maybe slowing down is a good idea." Kinji slid Asta one of the glasses, which the ash blonde teen quickly grabbed before drinking the contents. Once his throat was clear, Asta let out a gasp while panting.
"Thanks. Looks like I owe you another beef bowl." Asta thanked Kinji with a chuckle, to which Kinji just smiled. After the two finished their meals (and Raphtalia was satisfied), Asta leaned back while sighing. "Okay. Now I'm full." To reiterate this, Asta held back a burp that was about to come out. "You like the food, Kinji?"
"It's a lot better than I thought it'd be." Kinji confessed before he looked at the window, where the citizens of Shibuya were passing by. "The last time I was in Shibuya was probably ten years ago. I'm originally from Kyoto."
"Huh. That's really cool. I heard Kyoto's a really cool place to live." Asta replied as he looked at the window too. "But Shibuya isn't so bad either. Maybe this Sunday I can show you around." It didn't sound like a bad idea to Kinji since he still had to go to Daiki High for another year. "Still… thank you, Kinji." Hearing the calm tone in his voice, Kinji looked over to Asta, who had a small frown. "I could've died right there. And no one would've known. Not even my mom and dad. And I was… I was close to giving up."
"Asta…" Raphtalia looked at Asta with a sympathetic look.
"But you helped me get back up." Asta's smile returned to his face as he looked at his human friend with deep admiration. "You helped me see that I have to keep living for myself and for Yuno." His smile turned to a full blown grin. "You're a really good friend, man! I'm glad we met!"
"Ummm, yeah. Me too." Kinji said, a bit surprised by the admiration Asta was giving him.
"Whatever people might say about you, I know one thing." Asta offered Kinji a fist. "I'll always have your back. No matter what. Okay?"
There was something honest and endearing about Asta's words that made Kinji believe him. Even after they just met, Asta was offering his full support to Kinji, something he rarely got from anyone aside from his family. All Kinji knew was that he had to make sure Asta's trust wasn't in vain, at least until this whole Sato mess was done.
"Yeah." Kinji raised his own fist and bumped it with Asta's, a genuine smile on his face. "I have your back too."
Asta felt truly happy by this, a secret contract being formed between them.
*SMASH*
Much like what happened in the Palace, Kinji heard the sound of chains breathing, along with Vivy's voice in his head.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It shall become the wings of rebellion that break thy chains of captivity…
With the birth of the Chariot Arcana, thou has obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
Like with Raphtalia, a glowing card appeared over Asta, with the image of the Chariot tarot image on it. 'And he doesn't even notice it.' Kinji thought as Asta was still smiling at him, unaware of the floating tarot card.
"I'm glad the two of you had your moment." Raphtalia finally spoke up, getting their attention. "But now, I think we should focus on the big issue."
"Sato." Both male teens said in unison, each adopting a serious look.
"From what we saw in the Palace, he sees himself as a warden in the school. And the way the students there talked about him, he has to be taking bribes or something." Asta summarized before he clenched his fist. "I knew he was a jerk, but I didn't think he would sink this low."
"And we can't just let him get away with this. Too many innocent people are being hurt because of this." Raphtalia added with her own frown. "We can always go back into the Palace, but given what happened last time, maybe we should stay away for at least a day or two."
"But then what do we do? We know he's doing something." Asta countered as he looked at Raphtalia for an answer.
"Well… we do know at least one person from the Palace." Kinji spoke up, getting Asta and Raphtalia's attention. "Tsubaki, I think his name was. If his cognitive self was scared of Sato, then the real one might have some information we can use."
"Right… yeah! That's a great idea, Kinji!" Asta shouted, only to get looks from the other patrons as he lowered his head.
"You need to control your voice. People are still listening." Raphtalia scolded Asta.
"Sorry, sorry." After he was done apologizing, Asta spoke in a slightly lower tone. "So, should we try talking to Tsubaki tomorrow? I'm sure he'll have a ton to tell us."
"Just because he might know something doesn't mean he'll tell us right off the bat. Remember, Sato is the kind of guy who'd use intimidation on anyone he wants." Kinji told Asta with his arms crossed, making his friend frown. Noticing this, Kinji sighed. "Still, it's our best plan right now."
This made Asta perk up as his grin returned. "Awesome! I can work with that!"
The group soon exited the beef bowl restaurant, with Asta stretching out his arms. "Man, today was crazy, huh?"
"And it might only get crazier. But remember this." Raphtalia spoke up with a serious tone. "You shouldn't go around telling anyone about the Metaverse. If people found out, then it would cause mass panic. For now, it's between the three of us. Is that okay with you?"
"If it means we can help everyone that Sato is hurting, then sure. I'll keep it quiet." Asta said to Raphtalia with a determined tone.
"Same. We won't share this with anyone." Kinji agreed with a nod. Plus, how would anyone believe the whole concept of the Metaverse? It's not like there are scientists who actually study the cognitive world… right?
"Wait, what time is it?" Asta took out his black case phone before widening his eyes. "Crap! It's late! My mom's gonna kill me!" Before Kinji or Raphtalia could say anything, Asta began to run towards his house.
"We just had a serious talk and he ran off." Raphtalia sighed while shaking her head.
"At least we can trust him not to say anything." Kinji defended Asta. Speaking of which, he and Raphtalia saw Asta run back to him, stopping in front of them. "Forgot something?"
"Yeah. Your number." Asta answered while taking out his phone. "Since we're friends and we're gonna be working together, I thought it'd be good if we could text. Is that okay?"
It made a lot of sense to Kinji since they didn't have any classes together. Not to mention, they could keep talks of their little 'mission' on the down low.
"Sure." Kinji took out his own phone and the two exchanged numbers, making Asta smile.
"Awesome. I'll text you later. See ya!" With that, Asta ran off once again.
"It's about time for me to go too." Raphtalia jumped out of Kinji's bag, catching his attention.
"Do you have a place to stay?" Kinji asked with a hint of concern in his voice. While he was sure Kotetsu and Anzu would disapprove of letting him bring Raphtalia home with him, he wanted to make sure she was okay.
"Looking out for others. That's a good trait to have." Raphtalia complimented Kinji with a smile. "But don't worry. I have something of a nest nearby. No one's bothered me yet, so it should be fine. I'll see you and Asta at the school in three days. Until then." With a nod, Raphtalia ran off into a nearby alleyway, disappearing in the shadows.
Kinji let out a small sigh from his nose, looking up at the sky while shoving his hands in his pockets.
Looks like tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.
'Cafe Midnight, evening'
Kinji returned to the cafe with relative ease just as nightfall came. He moved by as the last customer of the cafe left, having left a tip for Anzu's services.
"Kinji-kun. You're back." Anzu greeted him with a smile. "I take it you were able to go to school today?"
"Yeah. I was able to take all my classes." Kinji told her with a nod before looking around. "Is Kotetsu-san here?"
"He went home early. I think he just wants to spend time with Kaede." Anzu said with a small giggle.
"Actually, I wanted to ask about that. Who's Kaede?" Kinji questioned with a curious tone.
"Oh. Kotetsu never told you, did he?" Anzu asked with a surprised tone before her eyes softened. "She's Kotetsu's daughter. My grandchild. She's actually two years younger than you. Usually, she goes straight home after school, which is why you haven't met her." It made sense to Kinji, plus it wasn't like Kotetsu HAD to tell him everything. "Would you like to meet her?"
"No. That's okay. I don't want to-"
*Buzz*Buzz*
He was cut off when his phone began to vibrate. Taking it out, Kinji raised a brow as he saw a text message from an unknown number.
?: Yo! Is this you, Kinji?
'Three guesses who that is.' Kinji thought to himself before he quickly texted back.
Kinji: Asta, right?
?: Hey! So you did give me the right number! Awesome!
"Is that a friend from back home?" Anzu asked with a curious tone.
"Actually, I made a friend yesterday. Gave him my number before I got here." Kinji revealed, making Anzu's eyes widen before she smiled warmly.
"That's wonderful, Kinji-kun! I'm so happy for you." Anzu said with a warm tone. "I'm sure Kotetsu will be happy to hear this, too."
"Thank you. I should go and finish my homework." Kinji told her before walking by, going up to his room. Sitting on his bed, Kinji let out a relieved sigh as the stress from earlier went away. "I'm not as tired as yesterday, but still. Fighting Shadows isn't exactly easy." Feeling his phone buzz again, Kinji took it out to read the message.
Asta: So, I gotta ask you something. That Metawhatever app we used to go into the Palace. How did I get it? I don't remember downloading it!
'You can thank the weirdo with the long nose for that.' Kinji jokingly thought, referring to Igor.
Kinji: It probably got installed after you went into the Palace for the first time.
Asta: Oh. I guess that makes sense.
Kinji stared at the message, baffled that Asta simply accepted that.
Asta: We're still on for tomorrow, right? Tsubaki-san's gotta have some evidence on Sato, and we're gonna find it!
Kinji: We will. But we should try and get some sleep first.
Asta: Right right. Goodnight, dude!
Putting his phone down, Kinji rubbed the bridge of his nose, hoping to stay awake. 'Damn. I guess even after a second trip, going into the Metaverse takes its toll.'
After having a quick dinner and finishing up his homework for the night, Kinji turned in, looking at the ceiling once again.
"I swear to god if Igor calls me to talk again…" Deciding not to jinx himself, Kinji went to sleep.
'Velvet Room'
'Insert Velvet Room theme'
As if the universe was trying to mock him, Kinji once again found himself inside the Velvet Room, behind his cell.
"Goddamnit." Kinji muttered to himself before he got out of his bed and walked up to the bars, seeing Igor and Vivy patiently waiting for him.
"Welcome back, Kinji Tohyama." Igor greeted with his usual grin. "Forgive the intrusion, but I wish to continue our discussion from last time." He had a sparkle of curiosity in his eyes as he continued. "Are you becoming accustomed to this place?"
"I guess. But I'd rather not be dragged in here when I'm sleeping." Kinji shot back with an annoyed tone.
"Watch your tone, inmate." Vivy warned while reaching out to grab her baton. "I will not allow you to disrespect my master."
"Would you prefer it if I summoned you in the daytime? When others are watching?" Igor asked rhetorically.
"I… guess not." Kinji begrudgingly said, hating the fact Igor was right.
"Good. It seems you have nerves of steel." Igor complimented as he tapped his fingers on the table. "The goal of your rehabilitation is to thwart the fated ruin. But you cannot do so alone."
"Is that why you gave Asta the Navigator? Because you knew he'd be able to help me?" Kinji asked while narrowing his eyes at Igor.
"Ahhh, yes. The one who awakened the same power as you, correct?" Igor asked curiously. "Have you noticed a card appearing above them?"
This got Kinji's attention as he grabbed onto the bars. "Wait. Was that you?"
Igor simply chuckled in amusement at this. "I had nothing to do with the contract you formed with him, nor with the other one." He leaned against one of his hands as he continued. "Involving yourself with others is an important step in your recovery. While I would not advise the formation of superficial relationships, it is important to form a ring of those who, by morals or faith, will lend you power for the future. In short, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. Expanding your ring of trust will help you mature overtime."
"And that's why the cards appeared. To represent the trust I have with Asta and Raphtalia?" Kinji wasn't sure if any of this made sense, but it at least explained why he could see the tarot cards above his friends.
"Let us see what you have obtained thus far." Igor extended his right hand, pointing it at Kinji's torso.
*Thud*Thud*
Kinji gasped as his chest began to glow before two objects suddenly shot out, flying towards Igor's hand. Calming his breath, Kinji looked up and saw the Chariot and Magician Tarot cards over Igor's palm. "H-How did you-"
"My, my. Such interesting cards." Igor commented as Vivy looked at the cards, opening her book.
"The Chariot, which represents triumph through determination and overcoming obstacles." Vivy explained before looking at the other card. "The Magician, which represents potential and the manifestation of one's desires." She then looked over to Kinji. "Personas are the strength of the heart. The stronger the bonds you have with your Confidants, the more power your Personas will have. In addition, there are many in the world with talents that you do not possess."
'Well obviously.' Kinji thought, though he did listen.
"Forming bonds with them, making them your Confidants, will in turn give you power you would never have obtained alone." Vivy finished as she closed her book. Igor thrusted his hand forward as the Chariot and Magician cards returned to Kinji.
'The more people I talk to and bond with, the stronger I'll get? This definitely feels like something out of an RPG.' Kinji thought as he took in all this information. Still, at least this gave him the push he needed to try and make some friends here.
"You should be prepared to use even myself for your endeavors, or your ambitions will not come to fruition." Igor added on, getting Kinji's attention once again. He then began to chuckle to himself. "It seems we have a deal then."
*SMASH*
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It shall become the wings of rebellion that break thy chains of captivity…
With the birth of the Fool Arcana, thou has obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
Kinji watched as the Fool Arcana tarot card appeared over Igor. 'And there's the third one today…'
"Oh my. It seems our deal has been finalized." Igor said with a grin as he looked up at the card. Noticing Kinji's surprise, Igor once again chuckled. "Of course I can see the Fool card. But do not fear. Only the three people here can see the Arcana."
"Right…" As weird as it was, Kinji chose to just accept it for now. "But these cards won't hurt my friends, right?"
"Rest assured they will not do any harm. They are a means to show your bonds." Igor explained before he perked up. "That is all for us to discuss. You may return to your world."
"Before I go, I need to ask you something." Kinji spoke up, much to Igor's curiosity. "Is there a way for me to stop someone who's been doing… bad things to people? Through the Metaverse?"
Igor stared at Kinji for a few seconds before a rather unsettling grin appeared on his face. "All I can tell you is you will find the answer deeper inside the Palace. I wish your the best of luck, Kinji Tohyama."
Soon, the room began to darken as Kinji went back to sleep.
'4/13, Daiki High, After school'
The school day went by rather quickly for Kinji as he exited his last class for the day. However, it was a bit hard to focus given what he and Asta witnessed the other day within Sato's Palace.
'Thank god we didn't have any quizzes or anything.' Kinji thought in relief as he exited the classroom, entering the hallway.
"Oh, Tohyama. Hi." Hearing someone call his last name, Kinji turned around and found the speaker.
It was a teenage male around his age and an ordinary look. He had black eyes and short black hair with a white flower-shaped cowlick.
"Ummm, hi?" Kinji greeted the student with an awkward look.
"How are you doing? I wanted to make sure you were getting used to the classroom after what happened on the first day." The student told him with a smile. Noticing Kinji's confusion, the student widened his eyes in realization. "Oh right! I never introduced myself." With a smile, the student offered Kinji a hand. "I'm Hitohito Tadano. We're in the same class as Kunikida-sensei. I'm two desks next to you on the right."
"Oh. Well, nice to meet you, Tadano." Kinji shook his hand. "And yeah, I'm getting used to everything."
"Good. I just wanted to check in." Tadano said with a kind tone. "If you ever need help and Nishigiki-san isn't around, don't hesitate to ask."
'Guess he doesn't believe those dumb rumors either.' Kinji thought as he looked at Tadano. In fact, this gave him an idea. "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"Really? What?" Tadano questioned as Kinji ushered him to follow, leading him to the other side of the hall.
"You know Sato-san, right?" Kinji whispered rather low, making Tadano blink before he nodded. "Has he ever acted… off lately? Like being aggressive towards someone? Like a student?"
"Aggressive? Why do you ask?" Tadano asked with a surprised tone. "I mean sometimes he might be a little mad, but I haven't seen him try and hurt anyone."
"What about odd behavior? Did you see him act weird or anything?" Kinji added on. This time, Tadano seemed to frown a little.
"... Ummm, well…" It was clear something was making Tadano reluctant, but he took a breath and continued. "Don't tell anyone, but he's been acting close to some of the girls around here."
"Close?" Those words made Kinji feel he was going to hear something bad about Sato.
"I don't know how to explain it, but he acts kinda flirty with them. It's honestly a bit creepy." Tadano tightened his grip on his backpack. "Anyways, you should be careful around him. Goodbye." Giving Kinji a small bow, Tadano walked away.
"Flirty with girls?" Kinji pondered what Tadano said, recalling how the cognitive versions of the girls in Sato's palace acted.
*Buzz*Buzz*
Feeling his phone buzzing, Kinji took it out and saw a new text from Asta.
Asta: Hey! R we still gonna ask you know who?
Kinji: Do you know where Tsubaki-san is?
Asta: Yup! Since he's a 3rd year, he's on the 3rd floor. Meet u there!
"3rd floor…" Pocketing his phone, Kinji went to the stairs, going up to the 3rd floor. As he arrived, he could see several 3rd year students either walking by or idly chatting. "Where is-"
"Sato-san." Hearing giggling on his right, Kinji turned and saw Sato talking to two female students. He had a smile on his face while the girls were giggling at whatever he was saying. "There's no way."
"What can I say? I know how to talk to people." Sato told them. "If you need help with finding the perfect place to set up a date, I know some places."
"Aww, thanks." One of the girls replied.
'Great. Last thing I needed.' Kinji thought as he quickly turned his face, aimlessly walking forward…
Until he bumped into someone.
"Oh, sorry about-"
"Tohyama-kun." Kinji looked to see it was Erika who he had just bumped into, a surprised look on her face. "What are you doing here?"
Looking over his shoulder, Kinji saw Sato waving the girls goodbye. 'Shit.' Without warning, he quickly grabbed Erika's wrist and dragged her to the next corner.
"H-Hey!" Erika was surprised by this. However, as soon as they turned the corner, Kinji let go of her wrist. "What was-" Kinji held a finger to his mouth, signaling her to stay quiet. Looking around the corner, Kinji watched as Sato went down the stairs, allowing him to sigh in relief. "Sorry, Chiba-san. I was sort of…"
"Hiding? From Sato-san?" Erika finished with a raised brow. "I can tell since he was over there. Let me take a guess and say you didn't want to get on his bad side. Am I right?"
"You got me there." Kinji scratched the back of his head bashfully. "I didn't mean to drag you away."
"Nah. I get it. After all, Sato-san is an intense guy." Erika let out a small chuckle before giving a curious look. "But why are you up here? Are you looking for someone?"
"Actually, yeah. Do you know someone named Tsubaki? I need to ask him a question." Kinji told Erika, making her eyes widen a bit.
"You too, huh?" Erika questioned, surprising Kinji. "See, Kai's a part of the Kendo club, but he hasn't been showing up to practice the last two meetings. So, I volunteered to talk to him after school."
"Oh. That makes sense." Kinji admitted. Who knew the guy that might have info on Sato was also in the same club as Erika? Talk about a coincidence. However, he then remembered what Asta told him when they were in the Palace.
"Last year, Sato busted a few people at school for drugs."
'That's right. He mentioned Tsubaki-san was one of them. Chiba-san must know about it, but I doubt she wouldn't want to tell anyone.' Kinji thought before he spoke up. "Do you know where he is?"
"He's in class 3-C. Follow me." Erika began to lead Kinji through the hall. Eventually, the two were approaching room 3-C just as Tsubaki was exiting it. "Kai!"
"E-Erika?" Tsubaki asked in a surprised tone as he looked at Erika and Kinji. "Wait, you're the guy Sato-san talked to yesterday."
"I'm Tohyama, Tsubaki-san." Kinji introduced himself before he frowned a bit. "I have some questions I wanted to ask."
"O-Oh. Sorry, T-Tohyama-kun. But I have to go to the library." Tsubaki stuttered as he tried to walk past them, only for Erika to stop him.
"Are you okay? You look a little stressed." Erika asked with a concerned look, noticing his skin color being a bit lighter than normal.
"No. There's nothing wrong. Nothing at all." Tsubaki replied while scratching his neck. "Look, I really gotta study."
"Is this about Sato?" Kinji suddenly asked, making Tsubaki flinch a bit while Erika gave him a look. "He's been hurting you?"
"Hurting you? What do you mean?" Erika then looked at her fellow club member. "Kai, what's going on?"
A look of reluctance was on Tsubaki's face before he checked his surroundings. "... The roof. We can't talk there." With that, Tsubaki walked past them, making his way to the next set of stairs going up.
"Tohyama-kun, what is going on?" Erika asked with her arms crossed.
"I'll… I'll tell you on the roof." Kinji told her as he saw Asta reach their floor, noticing them. Just as Asta was about to greet them, Kinji interrupted. "Roof."
"Roof?" Asta blinked as Kinji went to the stairs. Looking back at Erika, Asta saw a frown on her face before she followed Kinji. "What the heck is going on?" Asta quickly went over his two friends to the roof.
'Rooftop'
Asta made sure to close the door behind him as he, Erika and Kinji were looking at Tsubaki, who looked rather nervous about something.
"So… why is Erika here, man?" Asta was the first to speak up.
"And why do you think Sato-san's got anything to do with Kai?" Erika added on. Kinji felt a bit conflicted by this, but since he was able to get Tsubaki to talk in private, now was as good a time as ever to learn more about Sato.
"We think Sato might be doing something to the school. To the students." Kinji revealed, much to Erika's shock. "And we think that Tsubaki-san knows about it." He then looked over to the upperclassman. "Did Sato hurt you today? I remember him hassling you the other day."
"Sato-san's trying to make me a b-better student. Ever since last year. That's all." Tsubaki answered, though it was clear he was lying. "Look, why do you even care, man? You just came here and pissed him off. If anything, people should look into you."
"Woah, woah. Kai." Erika quickly intervened as she stepped up to Tsubaki. "He's just asking a question and honestly, I wanna know too. You haven't been showing up to practice, you look pale, and you're scratching yourself a lot. Are you okay?"
"God, are you listening to me? I'm fine." Tsubaki told her, his voice sounding a bit irritated. "Sato-san's a tough guy, but he's just doing his job. Now just let me go." He began to walk towards the door.
"Wait, Tsubaki-san! Just tell us! We can help!" Asta tried to stop him from leaving.
"Damnit, just leave me alone!" Tsubaki shoved Asta's arm out of the way…
Only for someone to drop out of his pocket.
Kinji, Asta and Erika looked down and saw a small plastic packet, with three green pills inside.
"... T-That… that's not…" Tsubaki quickly bent down and picked it up, not bothering to look at the three.
"Kai… are you taking drugs?" Erika couldn't help but ask in horror. "I thought you were getting better!"
"I… I need to focus, okay?" Tsubaki muttered with a shameful tone. "I haven't been taking as many. I… I have control."
"We can help you, man." Asta spoke up with a concerned tone. "Look, we know Sato might be bribing you, so if you tell us, we can-"
"What you're saying is crazy." Tsubaki shot back. "Just drop it. Please." With that said, Tsubaki left the roof.
"... I really thought he'd stop after the first time. Everyone in the club did." Erika muttered while clenching her fist. "Damnit, Kai. Why didn't you…"
"Erika…" Asta put a comforting hand on her shoulder while Kinji gave her a look of pity.
"You said Sato-san was bribing Kai." Erika looked at Kinji. "How do you know that? Where'd you even get an idea like that?"
"It's… hard to explain." Kinji admitted while looking away. "All I can tell you is that we think he's been harassing some of the students."
"And we also know he's been targeting Tsubaki-san a lot." Asta added on, getting a look from Kinji.
"But how do you know this? Do you have any proof?" Erika questioned while narrowing her eyes at them.
"Not really. That's why we wanted to talk to Tsubaki-san." Kinji sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry you had to see that. But we aren't trying to get Tsubaki-san in trouble. We just needed to know if what was going on with him was related to Sato."
Erika continued to glare at the two for a few moments before her eyes softened, letting out a sigh. "Well, you don't look like you're lying, and Asta's always been honest. Okay, I believe you."
"Thanks, Erika!" Asta smiled happily at her, glad to see his friend was trusting him and Kinji.
"But, if you really think Sato-san's doing all this, you'll need physical proof." Erika added on with a hand on her hip. "Just because you weren't able to get anything from Kai doesn't mean you can't get any info from someone else." A thought crossed her mind as she continued. "If you want, I can ask around."
"Are you sure? I don't wanna get you in any trouble with Sato." Kinji asked, mildly surprised by Erika's offer.
"If what you said is true, then we need to stop Sato before anymore people get hurt." Erika said with a serious expression before smiling. "Besides, it's not like I'm on his radar. Unlike you two."
"Huh. I never thought of it that way. That's actually really smart." Asta confessed before pumping his fist. "Okay! Then the three of us will work together to stop Sato!"
"Cool your jets, Asta. I said I'd ask around." Erika tried to calm Asta down, though she did chuckle a bit. "Oh yeah. If we're gonna do this, I'll need your number." She then took out her dark red cased phone. Kinji and Asta took this as a sign and took out their phones, exchanging numbers with Erika. "Okay. Looks like we're all set." Putting her phone away, Erika began to walk towards the exit. However, she stopped and looked over to the boys. "I know I should tell someone about this, but can you two not say anything about what happened up here? He already got in trouble once, and I don't want him to get expelled for a stupid mistake."
"Okay. But if you do wanna help Tsubaki-san, then you should at least talk with your club captain." Kinji told Erika, who gave him a knowing nod.
"Thanks. See you guys tomorrow." Saying her piece, Erika left the roof.
"Man. Talk about a day, huh?" Asta asked Kinji. "Sucks that Tsubaki-san didn't say a lot."
"Because he was scared." Kinji informed him while shoving his hands in his pockets. "At least we got something. And Chiba-san did say she'd help."
"Still a bit risky, in my opinion. But if you think we should trust her, then I'm game." Asta stretched his arms in the air while yawning. "I guess we won't know more until tomorrow. Let's head home." A thought then crossed Asta's mind. "By the way, you know where Raphtalia is? I forgot to ask where she'd be."
"I'll tell you on the way down." And with that, the two teens also left the roof to go home.
'4/14, Daiki High, Afternoon'
"And if we remember, class. There are ways to make a sentence flow much more smoothly." Kunikida informed his class while pointing to the board. "'I would like to take you to lunch.' Can someone tell me how you would paraphrase this?" Noticing a hand raised, Kunikida nodded to the student.
"I'd like to take you to lunch." The student answered.
"Good. Understanding how to describe your intentions is the best form of communication." Kunikida continued to lecture the class as normal, with many of them taking notes.
Kinji, on the other hand, while he was writing down everything his teacher was saying, thought about what Tsubaki had told him. 'Sato had to have given him those drugs, or at the very least forced him to pay for his silence. How many more people is Sato threatening?'
*Buzz*Buzz*
His thoughts were cut when his phone began to vibrate. Making sure no one was watching, Kinji took his phone out and put it under his desk, checking the new message he got.
'New group chat?' He noticed that he was getting a message via group chat, with one of the numbers being Asta's. 'Chiba-san.'
?: Asked around a bit. It looks like Kai wasn't Sato's only target.
Asta: Wait, is this Erika? Just asking.
?: Duh. I did give you guys my number yesterday.
Kinji: What did you find out, Chiba-san?
Erika: I talked to some of the guys that Sato talks to. When I tried getting some info off them, they all shut up like Kai.
Asta: I guess that makes a lot of sense…
Erika: What's that supposed to mean?
'Damnit, Asta.' Kinji thought to himself before he quickly texted back, though he made sure Kunikida wasn't watching.
Kinji: He means that because of the influence Sato has as a security guard, he could be targeting more people.
Asta: Right. What he said.
Erika: I guess that makes sense. Still, how come I didn't notice any of this? I see him everyday.
Kinji: No one's blaming you, Chiba-san. Just be careful.
Erika: Same to you guys.
Kinji then put his phone away, returning his focus on the lesson. However, he failed to notice a certain pair of eyes watching him in mild curiosity.
'After school'
"Do you have any more?"
"Dude, come on. I just gave you a new package on Monday."
"I-I'm out. Just give me another one. I'll pay double."
The student in front of Tsubaki gave him a raised brow, wondering what the hell he was thinking.
"You okay? You look like shit."
"I'm fine. W-Why does everyone keep asking?" Tsubaki questioned while scratching the side of his neck. He then took out two 2000 Yen bills, ordering them to the student. "Please. I just need some more pills."
"Really shouldn't be doing this…" Letting out a sigh, the student took Tsubaki's money before opening the side pocket of his backpack, taking out two packs of pills. "But try going easy on this stuff. Don't need Sato to sniff me out."
Tsubaki gave him a nod before he grabbed the pills and began to walk away, ignoring the head shake from the other students. Just as he was about to walk out of the building…
"Tsubaki." Said student almost jumped out of his skin as he turned around, seeing Sato standing there with his arms crossed.
"S-Sato-san! H-Hi." Tsubaki greeted him, shoving the pills in his pocket. "Sorry, but I need to h-head home."
"Stop." Sato's words prevented Tsubaki from leaving. Walking up to the teen, Sato looked down at him with a glare. "Where is it?"
"I don't know what you're t-talking about. I don't have anything." Tsubaki quickly told him, a tremor in his voice. He jumped when Sato put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come here." He then led Tsubaki to a corner, away from prying eyes. "There's no point in lying to me. Spill it."
"Please. I just need them. It's hard to focus." Tsubaki pleaded, only for Sato to reach into his pocket, taking out the pills. "Wait!"
"Two packs? This isn't looking good for you, Tsubaki." Sato shook his head in disappointment. "I'm gonna have to report this… unless…"
"I-I don't have any more money on me." Tsubaki told him. "Don't tell anyone. Please."
"You know the deal. You can't pay, then I'll tell the principal." Sato then began to walk up, making Tsubaki panic.
"Wait wait wait!" Tsubaki quickly went to Sato, grabbing his wrist. "You can't tell him or I-"
"Or you'll WHAT?" Sato turned back to Tsubaki with a deep glare, making the teen flinch before his own wrist was grabbed. "You'll tell the principal? What will you tell him? You already got in trouble last year. What would happen if I told everyone that wasn't even the first time I caught you? I'm sure your record would be crushed. Do you really want that?" Each word he said was like a knife digging into Tsubaki's heart. "But, I'll be fair. If you manage to find enough cash, I might be willing to let it slide." He then tightened his grip on Tsubaki's hand as he flinched. "Don't try doing anything stupid. Am I clear?"
"Y-Yes sir." Tsubaki muttered, completely defeated by Sato's overwhelming presence.
"Good." Sato let go of Tsubaki's wrist and began to walk away. "Have a good rest of your day, Tsubaki."
Kai Tsubaki left Daiki High, feeling even more isolated than before.
Fortunately for him, he had a way to alleviate the pain.
Well, this was a dark way to end the chapter, huh? I mean I know I wanted Sato to be seen as a terrible person, but this just made me feel a bit dirty. Then again, Persona was known for not holding back on things like this.
Anyways, as we saw in this chapter, Kinji was able to form more contracts, one with Asta and Igor. There will be one more Arcana for Kinji to discover, but it won't be the Lovers as I actually deviated from my original plan.
As promised, here are the stats for Azeban and Khalkotauroi.
Azeban
Strike: Neutral
Slash: Neutral
Gun: Neutral
Fire: Neutral
Ice: Resistant
Wind: Immune
Lightning: Weak
Nuke: Neutral
Psychic: Neutral
Light: Weak
Dark: Resistant
Khalkotauroi
Strike: Resistant
Slash: Neutral
Gun: Neutral
Fire: Neutral
Ice: Neutral
Wind: Weak
Lightning: Neutral
Nuke: Neutral
Psychic: Neutral
Light: Weak
Dark: Resistant
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Next time: Cold Blade of Vengeance.