"I'm done for..." Nakabachi collapsed to his knees. "All this effort...for nothing...ehehehe...hahahahaha!" The laugh of a broken man...
Some time later...the news did get out.
"Hey, did you hear about Nakabachi?"
"I sure did. You know, there was this time he gave me a real skeevy look."
"Get this - the old coot docked points off my overall grade for 'insubordination! Hey! Doesn't that mean we're victim of his, too?"
"Yeah, we oughta hold him accountable!"
"Get out here you coward!"
"We're coming for you!"
The scene changed again. Snow gently fell from above. Toshiro and Eri were waiting at a train station, the mood less than stellar. "Don't be so down, Toshiro. Not that I don't know how you feel..." Eri wanted to feel good, but it was a little hard...
"Things were going fine enough until we convinced the students to confess about Nakabachi." Toshiro stared ahead at nothing. "After we got them all on board, we wound up with the entire school going after him. In the end, even students with their own questionable allegations were calling for his head..." Not that it wasn't deserved, but this was going a little bit further than intended. They just wanted Nakabachi to pay for his crimes of blackmail and extortion. Now everyone was using his major crimes as a means to justify their own gripes with him! "Honestly, I'd have to be either stupid or cruel for this to not affect me."
"That's true. I'm sorry..." Eri sighed.
"No, I'm not blaming you at all." Toshiro replied. "The people I blame are the ones forming a lynch mob for his head. I hear some students even chased him into his own home, harassing him for all sorts of stupid stuff. They blamed him for things like their deserved detentions, or whatever excuses they spun for their poor grades...All we wanted was for him to face proper judgement for all his crimes..." This went so far beyond what Toshiro and Eri had in mind. Nakabachi may have done some horrible things, but he wasn't responsible for everything bad that happened to the students.
"It sounds like Nakabachi's been holed up in his house except for when he's summoned for questioning..." Eri sighed. "Some people he's cracking from the pressure."
"Honestly, I'm starting to think I was wrong about the average person's self control. You try to find the right words to convey what's ethical, but ultimately, you can't get through to them..." Toshiro wasn't sure how to proceed. Nobody would listen when he asked them to stop going after Nakabachi. They already did their part...
"Toshiro..." Eri said softly. She shook her head. "It's too soon to give up! Let's try talking it over with everyone again tomorrow, okay?"
"Yes, good idea. This is our responsibility." Toshiro said with a firm nod. "We have to see things through until it's actually over."
"Yeah." Eri smiled a bit. "Thanks, Toshiro. As long as we do this together, I'm sure we can pull it off!"
"Senpai..." Toshiro really felt like she was right. They could do this. They got through to everyone before. They could do it again!
"Train announcement: The express train will be arriving momentarily. Please remain behind the yellow line." The announcement told everyone.
Eri and Toshiro continued to talk. They didn't notice him coming. A broken Nakabachi, drooling at the mouth as he slowly sauntered forward. A low laugh escaped him as he continued to sneak up behind him. He bumped into a young woman, who yelped in surprise. A man watched this weirdo walk, but he wasn't sure what was going on. Honestly, as weird as it was, most people looked but ignored Nakabachi. Nakabachi had a single target in sight. The train was coming.
Eri felt a gaze on her back. She turned, only to see Nakabachi approaching, but it was already too late. Before she knew it, she was falling backwards.
Toshiro didn't see it, until Eri stared to fall. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and everything moved in slow motion. He reached out with his hand, doing whatever he could to try and catch her as the train was unable to stop...
.
.
The memory in present hit Toshiro hard. "T-That's right...I...I was..."
"Awww, what's wrong, Toshiro? I thought you had no problem standing up for what's right? Hmmm?" The voice from the speaker returned, simply to mock him.
"Stop it...gah...!" Toshiro's face paled.
"I don't believe that I will." The voice said firmly. "Remember how good it felt when you had Nakabachi on the ropes?! A righteous crusade to topple an unjust ruler? A banner of justice to unite those who were wronged!? Why don't you face reality! You sicced a lynch mob onto Nakabachi, and because of your actions, Natsuhara was-!"
"Stop it! Please, stop!" Toshiro pleaded.
"H-Hey! Get it together!" Wolf approached Toshiro, placing his hands on his shoulders. He had no idea who was talking, since Nakabachi was right in front of them! But it didn't matter. "He's just trying to get to you! You already made it this far! Don't crack now!"
"Ohohoho!" Jerri laughed from above. "He was only acting under a sense of righteous fury, with no idea of the consequences that awaited him! His teacher, his classmates...even that girl. I wonder how much they resented him for what happened?"
"I must say, watching you march in here, utterly oblivious to what you did, was an absolute riot! Ahahahahaha!"
"Hey, asshole! you wanna come down here and say that!?" Skull gripped his pipe, ready to swing on this voice.
"It's easy to speak as a spectator." Dragon narrowed her eyes. "If you came down to fight us, I believe you would change your tune in a heartbeat."
"Perhaps you should focus on yourselves, Phantom Thieves of Hearts! You do realize you're partly to blame for Toshiro's sordid situation, correct? No matter the name, a thief is a thief - and believe me when I say your childish ideals have sent the world down a ruinous path." The voice scoffed.
"This guy is really pissing me off." Viper flexed her claws. She was ready to tear into the mysterious voice.
"Show yourself already." Joker scoffed.
"And spare us the lecture. We've heard it all before." Queen dismissed the voice's complaints with them. "If you've got a problem with us, face us yourself. Unless you don't believe you can."
"Now, now, no need to rush. There's still more to tell of this sordid tale. We'll meet again soon - once the full truth comes to light. That is, of course, only if that spineless LOUT of a man still has the will to fight afterwards. Until then, I'll be waiting for you with the source of all this pain..." With that, the voice vanished.
"Just remember, Toshiro. When the pain is too much to bear...I can erase it all for you. You'll never have to worry about that pain again." Jerri left that remark in the air before she disappeared.
"What was that all about!?" Panther looked around, just as confused as everyone else.
"Uhh..." Ichinose did a double take. "Where did Erina go?"
"Wait, what?" Oracle did a quick scan, only to find that Ichinose's observation was frighteningly accurate!
"She must have vanished with that light." Wolf grumbled.
"The source of pain...could that have something to do with Erina?" Fox asked.
"Based on what we just saw and what we know...I assume that to be the case." Crow looked off to the door. "It appears that Natsuhara's fate is the key to this situation. We don't know what happened to her after that accident...although it's easy to assume given the circumstances."
"..." Toshiro placed his gloved hand on his chest. He was so close to remembering...and the thought scared him.
"They must have kidnapped her." Joker turned to the others. "Erina lies at the heart of all of this." They already knew that. If something happened to Erina, there would be irreparable damage within Toshiro's heart.
"Then we must rescue her!" Dragon wanted to uphold her promise to Toshiro. They had to protect his heart, no matter what! However...the Rebel Club soon stormed in their way.
"Hey, you." The leading Rebel glared at them with red eyes. "We were looking for you..."
"Wait...what!? Why are they so aggressive?!" Mona asked.
"We've got you. We've finally got you!" The leader Rebel growled.
"It's you..." The female rebel snarled.
"...W-Why are they glaring at us...?" Sophie looked to the others with a mildly concerned expression. She made sure to stand in front of Ichinose as well.
"You guys aren't making any sense?" Skull said with a sweat drop.
"How can you say that!?" The leading Rebel pointed ahead. "The ruler of this world - the source of all evil - is finally before us! TOSHIRO KASUKABE!"
"W-Wait...I thought it was Nakabachi who was the ruler of this kingdom?" Queen was confused. Why were they...wait...no...!
"Oh shit." Wolf felt everything fall into place at that moment.
"Yeah, it's all his fault! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"That bastard Toshiro! He reutned everything all for himself!"
"If that slimeball hadn't goaded us, we wouldn't have...!"
As the Rebels all slung familiar insults at him, Toshiro felt his legs beginning to quake, and he sobbed a bit. This was all so familiar. He remembered this. "A-Ah...!" And then, the Rebels transformed into monsters. Not quite Legionnaires, but they were no longer friendly faces either.
"OH, SO NOW YOU WANNA FIGHT!?" Viper couldn't believe this. "I hate these guys so much!"
"Of course, we had it backwards this whole time!" Crow drew his blade immediately. "We were playing the events of what already happened! So when Nakabachi was kicked out of power, the fallout only had one target for the people to look at."
"Toshiro...!" Everyone gasped. Then, they all flinched, as Toshiro's wavering will affected their power.
"If the true ruler was Nakabachi, then the others haven't been following their roles this whole time." Fox grunted, blade drawn. "But if the ruler were the despised Student Council president and not the vice-principal...!"
"HAAAAH!" Dragon threw her hand down as Bella appeared. She dropped a mighty Megioloan on the approaching Rebels. Although she felt the power waver compared to before. The Rebels were still standing, despite the damage dealt. "Oh no...!"
"Shit..." Wolf grunted. "They're getting to him...!" They had no choice but to right the Rebels, but their anger was
"Toshiro, please snap out of it!" Sophie pleaded. "We need you to fight right now!"
"I...I..." Toshiro wasn't sure what to do. What did he do..!? "I...I was just trying to do the right thing..."
"You did this to us! It's all your fault!"
"You ruined us! And Natsuhara-san too!"
"Stop it...! STOOOOOOP ITTTTTT!" Toshiro screamed in agony, as a bright light shone around him...
.
.
[Flashback]
After the incident on the train, Eri was...alive. Physically, anyway. In the hospital, she was covered head to toe in bandages. Her left eye was severely damaged as well. Toshiro didn't escape unscathed either. His left hand, the one he used to grab Eri, was also damaged and wrapped in bandages.
"Eri...how are things...?" Toshiro asked softly.
"Oh, it's fine." Eri replied. Her jovial tone was gone, replaced with a dull one. Everything she fought for nearly brought her to death's door. There was nothing to be happy about anymore and she knew it. Maybe this was karma. "Or I guess, I just can't tell the difference anymore." She turned to him. "More importantly...how did things turn out at school?"
"..." Toshiro grunted softly before responding. "Nakabachi was charged for his crimes. So were all the students who dove him to snapping."
"I see..." Eri looked down at her lap. "Sounds like everyone got a crappy ending out of this, didn't they? And you - I'm sure this hasn't been easy on you, either..."
"N-No..." Toshiro shook his head.
"You don't have to lie." Eri could see right through him. "Anyone with half a brain would guess that the kids who got punished are blaming us for it. And, you're the only one at school they can vent to now."
"It's alright..." Toshiro said.
"I'm sorry..." Eri felt her eye water, and her voice started to crack.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry, Toshiro! I'm just...so sorry!" Eri sobbed. "It's my fault! If it weren't for me...!"
"Don't say that!" Toshiro objected. The last thing he wanted was for Eri to start blaming herself. "That's not like you. The Eri I know would never give up, no matter what we were facing! C'mon! Where's that carefree attitude of yours! We'll start the next chapter! That's what you'd say, right?"
Eri let out a shaky sigh. It was sweet he remembered that, but... even though she survived the impact with that train, the Eri he knew died in that moment. "I'm sorry, Toshiro...I...I can't fight anymore..."
[End flashback]
.
.
Toshiro stood with a dead look in his eyes. "Yeah. I remember now. I remember...everything..."
"Hey, snap out of it!" Ren exclaimed.
"It's alright." Toshiro's tone was low. "I'm not off my rocker yet. I just can't believe what a fool I was. I was so intoxicated by righteousness, that I only made the situation worse." Then, he smiled. But it was a broken smile. "As if that wasn't bad enough, I came this close to making the same disastrous mistakes again. I am truly...a fool beyond redemption."
"Not off my rocker my ass!" Mika clenched her hand into a fist. "You sound like someone who's about to give up, and that is NOT what we need right now!"
"Y-Yeah!" Futaba found it rare to agree with Mika, but she was right. "You know Erina's in trouble, right? Is this really the time to be spacing out?"
"...Yes. you're right..." Toshiro barely responded. "Phantom Thieves? I have a favor to ask. Would you just...leave me here? It's not like I'm going to be of much use going forward."
"This isn't the time for jokes." Yusuke shook his head.
"Are you crazy?!" Zenkichi stared Toshiro right in the eyes.
"...You have a death wish, don't you?" Akechi glared at Toshiro. "You know exactly what happens if we leave you in here."
"No...!" Haru gasped.
"If it's what's meant to be...then so be it." Toshiro laughed dryly. "Who knows how many people I've hurt? all because I convinced myself I was doing the right thing. You all saw my past, didn't you? You saw how it all ended! Well, I'm not strong enough to laugh off all those scars. How am I going to live with myself if I take a stand again? I'll only end up hurting all of you this time! It was all a mistake! At this point, I'd rather just!"
SMACK!
Before he knew it, Futaba's hand swatted across his face. This stunned everyone...mostly because between Futaba and Akechi, everyone expected Akechi to do it first. The only reason he didn't is because Futaba was closer. "Futaba...?" Makoto said with a low, shocked tone.
"I know what it's like to be so sick and tired of everything that you almost want to die!" Futaba exclaimed. "But even if you're in a dark place, you promised your mom, didn't you!? To call that a mistake would be...just don't say you wanna run away from it all by dying!"
"Don't be an idiot." Akechi growled. "I know more than anyone, that dying is not an escape to your problems. It's the easy way out! A coward's way out."
"Sakura-kun...Akechi-kun..." Toshiro stared at the both of them. He rubbed his cheek, unable to find the words...
"...The rebels vanished when the light did." Hifumi rubbed her arm. "I believe we can safely return to the Rebel Club. Considering they are no longer rebels."
"I...I think that's for the best..." Sumire wasn't sure what to say. This situation took such a heavy turn, but not one she couldn't relate to either.
"..." Ichinose and Zenkichi were silent...
.
.
The Phantom Thieves returned to the now empty Leblanc. It was dead quiet... "...No one's here." Mika let out a small sigh.
"As Hifumi said..." Sophia pressed her fingers together "Why did the Rebels suddenly attack us?"
"Probably because they were born from the memories of the students turning on Toshiro." Zenkichi took a seat. "Damn...now I remember where I heard the name Nakabachi. I heard about that incident at the train station. He was officially arrested immediately after that."
"But I don't understand..." Sophia looked down at the ground. "Why...why would Nakabachi do such a thing to begin with? It was so cruel. Eri could have died..."
"I don't get it either." Sumire frowned.
"..." In response to this, Zenkichi let out a small sigh. "As you all know, it tends to be that evil people are in positions of power. Making sure those below them suffer, all to ensure they hold their power. It is without question that those in power are terrifying...but the opposite is also true. Sometimes, the most vile person you can come across...is a person who has nothing left lose."
"Nothing left to lose...?" Haru didn't like the weight Zenkichi put on that.
"A person with nothing to lose fears nothing. You saw Nakabachi's face in that station. He was at the top of the world. He had everything he could've wanted...and then it was snatched away in the blink of an eye." Zenkichi closed his eyes. "The students and the police drove him into a corner. He had nothing left...and he knew it was only a matter of time until the noose tightened around his neck for good. What's left for him in that case? Revenge. Revenge on the one who called him out in the first place."
"A-And that's why he attacked Natsuhara-san like that..." Makoto felt sick to her stomach. "How horrible."
"And with Natsuhara in the hospital, everything falls apart. And then there's only one person left to blame." Akechi gave Toshiro a side eye. Toshiro was sitting down, as Ren was preparing some coffee behind the counter.
"But isn't that their own fault for pushin' Nakabachi into a corner!?" Ryuji saw the unfairness of the situation, and hated it. "It's not his fault Nakabachi had a breakdown."
"People don't care about that stuff." Ichinose remarked, seriously. "Nakabachi already created a lot of ill will for himself. They call it karma, right? Even if some of it was entirely undeserved and not his fault, it doesn't matter. He made the perfect scapegoat. Who better to blame than the man who was blackmailing students and teachers alike? Everything bad at the school was his fault."
"It seems humans just can't help but pin their problems on others..." Morgana sighed. "I won't say anyone in particular's to blame, but that was a rough ending for Toshiro, no doubt about it..."
"Life's not all happy endings..." Zenkichi closed his eyes. Toshiro's battle was noble...but the ending was extremely unfortunate, to say the least.
Ann glanced at Toshiro, who was sitting in the corner. "...I hope he's alright. He hasn't said a word in a while."
"Eh, I'll just go give 'em a pep talk! Man-to-man!" Ryuji took a step forward, but Makoto grabbed him. "Agh...!?"
"Hold on, Ryuji..." Makoto said carefully.
Toshiro was staring at nothing. He only looked down when he saw a cup of coffee presented to him, by Futaba. "Hm...?"
"...Hm..." Futaba made a noise. She wasn't really sure what to say.
"...One cup of Leblanc's finest." Ren said to break the tension. "I don't know how you like your coffee..."
"...Thank you." Toshiro took a sip. "...It's bitter."
"Add some sugar, then." Futaba grumbled. "A-Also...sorry for hitting you..."
"No, it's alright. I'm a fully grown adult, and I threw a childish tantrum. No wonder a few of you wanted to hit me." Toshiro shook his head.
"I definitely did." Mika added. "But the short one beat me to it. You're lucky, too. I think she hit you harder than anyone could've. We can't have you faltering on us like that."
Ichinose moved to sit in front of him. Zenkichi decided to do so as well. "So, are you alive now?" Ichinose asked.
"Depends." Toshiro replied. "I want to apologize to you all."
"Before you do that, we want to apologize to you as well." Haru said. "We were the ones who pushed you to go in there..."
"But there's something you need to hear first and foremost." Zenkichi's tone was serious. "What happened isn't your fault. We've all suffered our fair share of loss from actions or inaction...and we can't entirely relate to how you feel. But after what we saw, I can't stand here and say it's your fault. The only thing I can do is apologize for the awful turn things took. In the end...you did what you thought was right, and stood up against an evil man for the sake of other people. You did that without any station of power, without any Personas...that was just you and your sense of justice. You did something not a lot of people were willing to. I know that feeling of regret, though. Because of what followed hurting people around you, people close to you...it weighs on your chest."
"Not everything goes according to plan." Ichinose said with a slight smile. "How you felt in that room? I get it. It must especially hurt when you don't have anyone around you either. But...you can't stop either." She leaned over and pointed at his chest. "Look at how far you've come. You may have forgotten these things, but in spite of them, you've marched on. You stopped being a doll, you stood up to your father, and now, you have to look at your worst moment in the face, and own it. If someone like me can turn a new leaf, so can you. Someone told me that it's never too late to start over."
"...!" Sophia's eyes widened. Akechi remembered hearing those words as well.
"...Did I really do the right thing?" Toshiro mumbled.
"...We don't know if what we do is always the right thing either." Ren admitted. "But we don't lie to ourselves. We do what we think is right. That's why we fight."
"..." Toshiro remained quiet. "What on earth am I doing? I take a stand, I falter, then I get discouraged, and you all come to pick me back up. Only for me to falter again! I'm supposed to be a proper adult, but I keep getting stuck in this cycle!" He felt so pathetic. "At least...I'm kinda glad I get to see this truth."
"Just because we're adults, doesn't mean we've experienced everything." Zenkichi stood up, took a step forward, and placed his hand on Toshiro's shoulder. "These damned kids have done the exact same for me, and Ichinose as well. It's because we're adults that we feel this way. We think we should have it all figured out. That we shouldn't be faltering. But that couldn't be further from the truth. In moments like this, you learn you don't know anything at all. You have to look at yourself at a new angle, and discover what you really want to do."
"Sometimes it takes a bunch of justice loving teenagers to snap you out of it. Oh, and their AI companion, too." Ichinose said with a snicker. "The point is...we're still living life. I thought my life was all but over, and I was waiting for a stupid god to make it easy. But that's not even living. It doesn't matter how many times you fall...what matters is that you keep getting back up. I learned that you can't always get up alone either...but life isn't meant to be taken alone. That's impossible."
"People can't move forward if they don't put the past behind them!" Ann chimed in.
"I...I guess I'll just take your word for it..." Toshiro said with a faint chuckle.
"So...what happened after..." Haru started to ask.
"...You know that imposing place we saw in those doors?" Toshiro knew what Haru wanted to ask. "That's how I saw the world after Eri's injury. The students kept calling for my head, and then...it all died out for good, all of a sudden. As if it never happened in the first place."
"Huh? But...why?" Ann tilted her head.
"My father." Toshiro answered. "He must have been concerned about the potential repercussions that my own issues could have had on his reputation. Supposedly, he used his political connections to silence those who criticized me. Not that my father ever said a word to me about any of this, and I've never confirmed it myself..." But given how sudden it was, it was the only answer. "That said, after that, I found I could never stand up to my father about anything. That tiny bud of defiance Eri helped cultivate was nipped in the bud...until you all opened my eyes, I was a puppet being manipulated by my father."
"Things are different now." Ren said with a faint smile.
"What do you want to do?" Sumire asked. "We're going to rescue Erina."
"No - please let me come with you." Toshiro clenched his gloved hand into a fist. "I'm not so bold as to claim I'll be able to handle anything that may come my way, but right now...I don't want to run." That was his position. "I need to stick it out if I need to be true to myself!"
"Good decision." Akechi stood up. "Running away would end up hurting yourself most of all."
"I know." Toshiro knew that in his heart of hearts. "Sakura-kun, you saved me from breaking my promise to my mother. If I ever make a fool of myself again, feel free to knock some sense into me a second time."
To that, Futaba perked up. "Oh, sure! Leave it to me! I'll make sure your head swells up like a takoyaki!"
"No fair, I wanna do that!" Mika whined.
"A takoyaki?" Haru giggled.
"Well, there you have it." Toshiro managed a smile. "Seems like I'll be in your care a short while longer."
"Let me think about it." Ren replied with an indifferent expression.
This made Toshiro sweat. "T-That was a joke, right? Your expressions are so hard to read sometimes...it's making me a little nervous."
"It's fine." Hifumi smiled a bit. "Now, we have to rescue Erina!"
"There's also the matter of our friendly voice, and Jerri..." Akechi said. "Doubtless they're working together."
"I have questions about that bird, but they can wait." Zenkichi said. "Where do we start looking?"
"I've scanned high and low, but I haven't detected anything..." Futaba frowned.
"I know where to look." The confidence in Toshiro's voice made everyone turn to him. "If this place truly is connected to events in my past, then there's only one place left for us to go...Also, it may just be my gut feeling, but I can sense that Erina is there. Let's hurry."
.
.
There was only one place to look: the Student Council room. The room where it all began. "Just as I thought. I don't knw what that fiend is plotting, but this is the place I was most attached to as a student." Toshiro said. "It's also where I spent the most time with Eri..."
"The perfect place to stage a sick mind game." Zenkichi spat.
"Are you holding up alright?" Sophia asked.
"Honestly, I'm on the verge of falling apart." Toshiro admitted. He was barely holding himself together.
"At least he's honest..." Hifumi rubbed the back of her neck.
"I can't guarantee I won't lose it again. But, I'm sure you'll smack some sense into me if that happens, right?" Toshiro smiled.
"That's right. We won't hold back." Makoto smiled. It was a little unnerving.
"W-Whoa, hang on." Ryuji waved his hands. "If you go all out, Toshiro could end up with a gaping hole in his face! Wouldn't that be bad?"
"Well, whatever happens, happens." Yusuke shrugged.
Great. Toshiro was mildly concerned now... "Please go easy on me. In any case, I can't say that I'm firm in my convictions right now. I apologize because I know this impacts your abilities as well...but, that being said, I'm not going to run, either. That's where I'm at right now."
"We'll have to take it." Akechi said. It wasn't entirely ideal, but this was the best Toshiro could manage right now.
"I mean, it's not like we're immune to fear either. I get it." Ann smiled.
"But we get through it together." Hifumi said with a firm nod. "We can accomplish anything, because we're a team!"
"Hah..." Toshiro felt a bit more confident with that. "Alright. Let's go rescue Erina, and settle the score with my past!" Everyone was in agreement. They rushed through the door, entering the Student Council Room. The moment they did, they were in uniform. The lights were dim and it was dark...
"I don't like the vibes." Mika said while looking around.
"Look!" Futaba pointed ahead. There was Erina, unconscious in a chair. Standing at the top of the chair was Jerri.
"Welcome!" Jerri extended a wing with a gleeful smile. "I see you've all decided to come here after all."
"Jerri!" Sumire's hand gripped the hilt of her rapier.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen! I'm pleased to see you arrive safely!" The voice from the speaker spoke once again.
"Enough of the games! Who the hell are you!?" Toshiro demanded to know.
"Who am I? My, what a surprise. You, of all people, should already know..." The voice taunted. But since Toshiro wanted to know... "I am the embodiment of your sin. I'm you. Toshiro..." And with that reveal, the man behind the voice made his presence known with a chuckle. "So...have you finally remembered everything, Toshiro?" Yellow eyes pierced through the darkness... "Have you recalled the crime you committed...?"
And from the darkness, Toshiro's Shadow appeared. Toshiro was in shock to see someone who looked just like him. Even though Akechi warned him about it, actually expiericing it was a different story.
"And there it is. Looks like your Shadow is a foe after all." Akechi expected this outcome, due to all the antagonizing. "The worst outcome..."
"Heh..." Shadow Toshiro adjusted his tie, giving Toshiro a nasty look. "And so, our fated encounter is finally upon us! We meet at last, my other self. You remember it all now, don't you? Being nothing more than a mindless puppet at your fiance's beck and call. Killing your mother by dragging her out on a selfish whim...and then masquerading as a hero of your school, only to send your idol careening into the depths of despair! It really is all of your greatest hits, isn't it!? All of these are sins that you decided to deny. Isn't that right?"
"He tried so hard to forget the pain...and he had the audacity to forget the consequences as well!" Jerri laughed mockingly at Toshiro. "You truly are a pathetic human being."
"Shut up. Both of you!" Toshiro demanded. He didn't want to hear this!
"You know, Toshiro...I pity you." Shadow Toshiro scoffed. "All of your pain and suffering is because of her - Eri Natsuhara. And this girl...the lingering husk of your dream."
"You would be much better off if she was gone. If you forgot about her." Jerri added, flapping down to the arm of the chair. Erina was still unconscious.
"Don't put a hand on her, or you'll regret it!" Ren exclaimed.
"Stop it! Don't you DARE touch her!" Toshiro shouted.
"Don't touch her?" Shadow Toshiro shared a glance with Jerri. "You want me to leave her alone, do you? Don't lie to me. Be honest, Toshir. You despised her, didn't you? You went through hell all on account of her silly ideals. Trust me, I know. I'm you, after all." Toshiro had no response, because...Shadow Toshiro was right. Even though he remembered all of the good times and things he did with Eri...there was a part of him that did resent her...
"You should be happy, Toshiro. Your wish will be granted." Jerri's beak gave a malicious smile. "The ghost of Eri Natsuhara will be scrubbed from your memory. And then, you will never know pain again!"
"Rejoice! Your wish is about to be granted!" Shadow Toshiro laughed. "Haven't you realized by now, Toshiro?" He snapped his fingers, causing the scenery to change. Before everyone knew it, they were outside, on the roof with the clocktower.
"What's going on!?" Morgana asked.
"Hehehehe...AHAHAHAHAHA!" When they looked over to Shadow Toshiro, he had one hand extended. There were bindings extending from his hand, which wrapped around Erina, holding her over the side of the building. There were black sparks along the bindings, which prepared to damage her at moment's notice. He cackled with a manical expression on his face. "The incessant pain and suffering you had to endure...it's all because of her! This girl truly is...your inescapable curse...!"
"What just happened!?" Zenkichi asked while looking around. They weren't aware that the building changed earlier, so this was new to them.
"Do you finally understand now?" Shadow Toshiro looked to Toshiro, his sick grin widening. "The one to blame for your pathetic life - one full of cowed obedience..."
"Stop! I said stop!" Toshiro pleaded. If anything happened to Erina...!
"How about we change that? I'll take this curse called Eri Natsuhara...and purge her from your soul eternally!" Shadow Toshiro threatened.
"You think we're going to allow that?! This ends now!" Joker shouted. "Let's get him!" The Phantom Thieves started to rush forward, but...
"And just where do you think you're going!?" Jerri appeared in front of them, flapping her wings, just as Shadow Toshiro moved his hand forward. Black paint splattered onto the Phantom Thieves and Ichinose. This prevented them from taking another step, right as bindings appeared and wrapped around them, further tying them to the ground.
"Ah, damn it! Not this paint...here...!" Mika struggled as best she could. Everyone did, but the combination of the black paint, and the bindings, meant they could hardly move a muscle.
"What is this stuff...!?" Futaba attempted to squirm free.
"Is that really the best you have to offer?! You fell right into our trap without a second thought!" Shadow Toshiro mocked the Phantom Thieves.
"Curses...I should've seen this coming...!" Hifumi was cursing herself. This was so easy to notice.
"The oldest trick in the book..." Even Akechi felt stupid for blindly rushing forward. But they didn't have a choice. If Erina was killed, Toshiro's heart would shatter...and that spelled the end for all of them.
"Shit...I can barely move..." Zenkichi grunted during his struggle.
"Ngh..." Sophia had an eye closed. Try as she might, she could not move.
"This paint..." Ichinose wasn't as covered as everyone else. Still, she didn't have any powers to do anything. So this was powerlessness... "Sophia, can you move!?"
"Not too much...just a hand..." Sophia admitted. But she couldn't do much good with that...
"...If you can aim it, wait for me." Ichinose said with a whisper. They weren't entirely powerless...
"Your sentimentality is your weakness." Jerri mocked, taking a high perch on the clock tower. "I remembered last time, you refused to let Guernica go, no matter how bad things got. The human heart is easily exploitable...and easy to break."
"Don't you see, Toshiro? There's no one left you save you now." Shadow Toshiro mocked. "Resolve, conviction, ideals! You can try to numb your soul with cheap words, but it won't make a difference. Come now, have you returned to your senses? You must remember all that pain and fear you hid away...now remember it! Drink it all in, for it will be the moment the symbol of your revolution rots away!"
"And once she's purged, you won't ever remember her! Ohoho!" Jerri laughed.
"Now you just stay there...and watch as I strangle this rebel filth!" Shadow Toshiro laughed as well. The two of them made quite the pair...
Ren wasn't having this. Even if he couldn't move forward, he would do something! He dropped his knife in his hand, and kicked it towards Toshiro with all his might. The weapon slid across the ground, before stopping at Toshiro's feet. "TAKE IT, TOSHIRO!"
"Huh...?" Toshiro's eyes went to the knife, all while Shadow Toshiro laughed in the background.
"What a wasted effort!" Shadow Toshiro laughed at Ren's efforts. "He won't be fighting back any longer! Be grateful, Toshiro. After this, you won't be making the same foolish mistake again! Die you accursed husk of Eri Natsuhara!"
"T...Toshiro..." Erina regained consciousness, although barely. When she called out to Toshiro, he looked at her in surprise. "R...Remember...how it actually ended...what we did...wasn't a mistake...!"
.
.
"I just...can't fight anymore." The weak Eri told Toshiro. "Still, though...you shouldn't regret what we have done."
"Huh...?" Toshiro tilted his head.
"You see, Kurano came by earlier." Eri said. "She apologized, over and over. She really feels guilty for the way things turned out. Apparently, she told the school about her part-time job. Said she wishes she'd done it sooner."
"...I knew it. We never should've...!" Toshiro grit his teeth.
"But...she also said she's grateful." Eri continued. "She said she's in a much better place than if she'd done nothing and let Nakabachi go on using her. Her exact words were...Thank you so much. Seriously."
"O-Oh..." Toshiro was at a loss...
"Toshiro." Eri looked to him. "You need to see her - No, our point of view. I won't say we handled it all the right way...but deciding to stand up to Nakabachi, I know it wasn't a mistake. As for me? I may not be fighting by your side for a while...but if you can find a way to keep fighting - to hold onto that will for change instead of regretting it...then I promise...I'll catch back up to you one day, and we'll keep making this world better...!"
"N-Natsuhara-senpai..." Toshiro looked to her, with widened eyes. She still wanted to fight...
"So, at the very least, that's what I want to do. You're your own person, with your own future to find. But, I know your heart. One day, you're going to..."
.
.
"The hope she placed in you, it's still right here!" Erina shouted. "So please...PLEASE! STAND UP, TOSHIRO! STAND UUUUP"
"Don't listen to her!" Jerri shouted. "Kill her now and get it over with!"
"RAAAAAAAH!" Toshiro found his resolve, sprinting forward with Ren's knife in hand. And then, threw it.
This sudden sprint caught Shadow Toshiro off guard. He turned, only for the knife to pierce his free hand, causing him to cry out in agony. "GAAAH!?" Because of this, his grip on Erina wavered, causing the bindings to slip.
With that done, Toshiro turned on a dime, sprinting straight towards Erina as fast as his legs could carry him. He wasn't the best runner, but that didn't matter. The memories flashed in his mind, and he needed to save her. "ERINA!"
"What do you think you're doing!?" Jerri wasn't going to stand for this! She took off from her perch and dove straight towards Toshiro. She'd just knock him off the building herself and be done with this farce!
"SOPHIA!" Ichinose shouted. It was now or never!
"FIRING!" Sophia knew what to do. She had one chance! She took aim at the diving Jerry, and fired a bullet! Jerri didn't notice this until it was too late. The bullet slammed against her body, throwing her off course and to the side.
Erina began to fall. As she did, the memories flooded back to him. History was repeating itself. But this time...he would catch her. Toshiro extended his left hand, grabbing onto Erina's. "Uh...1 Guhhh...!" He held onto her wrist, but his grip was slipping. He wasn't going to be able to sustain this for much longer. The black sparks from the bindings were beginning to damage his gloved hands as well.
Erina was shocked that Toshiro caught her, but she knew this would end poorly for him. "Toshiro! Your hand! Let go!"
"I've...got you...!" Toshiro grunted. His glove disintegrated, revealing the injury on his hand. "Don't you remember? When push comes to shove, I TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS!"
Erina's eye watered, and her face flushed. "M...Mhm..."
Snow began to fall. The clock began to move. Toshiro pulled her up. Shadow Toshiro and Jerri did not look pleased. "What are you DOING, Toshiro!?" Shadow Toshiro's eyes widened a bit. That look in Toshiro's eyes. It made him...nervous? Why do you look at me that way? I'm YOU!"
"..."
"No, you're wrong! You've got it all wrong!" Shadow Toshiro shouted at the top of his lungs. "You were supposed to get rid of her and end this plague of rotten narcissism! You said it yourself! Fighting and struggling on a passing whim only leads to suffering!"
"That's why you wanted me to get rid of her?" Toshiro finally spoke.
"Yes, that's right, my other self! It's not too late - let's end her! You still can't see it!? Absolutely everything you went through is because of her!" Shadow Toshiro did his best to continue goading Toshiro. "Then she has the audacity to tell you to not regret it? Ridiculous! Arrogant! She'll drag you down to hell to bask in her own narcissism! She's nothing more than a delusional lunatic!"
"Erasing her from your memory is what's best for you! You remember nothing only but the pain and sadness she brought you!" Jerri recovered from Sophia's shot, but it was still unpleasant. "Tell me, do you really think all that suffering was worth it!? It wasn't! That's why-!"
"...Shut the hell up." Toshiro said coldly. "Both of you."
"H-Huh?" Both Jerri and Shadow Toshiro were stunned into silence.
"That's enough from both of you." Toshiro told them both. "Your disgusting lies won't work on me anymore."
"...!?" Erina's eye widened. In that moment... "That's right...I"m...!"
Toshiro's eyes widened, and he felt a splitting headache. "GAAAAH!?"
"Well...you seem to have found your resolve." As Erina spoke, she began to float into the air, much to everyone's surprise. Her form was covered in familiar blue flames, and her hair wavered, revealing both of her eyes now yellow. "All manner of suffering can lead your heart astray. But a kindled flame can withstand any strife in this world."
As Toshiro groaned, a mask appeared on his face. He struggled to pry it off, blood spurting as he did so, But he didn't stop either. "NGH...AAAAAHH!"
"I-Is he...!?" Morgana gasped.
Erina looked down to Toshiro, as everyone could only watch in shock and awe. "And with this, you begin the next chapter. I am thou...thou art I...now...call my name!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Toshiro ripped his mask off, a blue pillar of energy exploding around him. "ERNESTOOOOOOO!" The pillar dispersed, and Toshiro's appearance changed. He donned an outfit similar to Erina's Rebel Corp outfit. The red skirt she normally wore was fashioned into a cape for Toshiro. On his chest, he wore a buttoned vest, and his left arm had a metal plating on it. Adding onto this, he found a weapon in his hand that wasn't there before: a spear.
As for Erina, her appearance changed entirely. A Persona with a striped shirt, a red cape lined with bullets, and legs that were long barreled guns. But she wasn't Erina. Right now, she was Ernesto, Toshiro's will to fight made manifest.
"T-This can't be...!" Jerri started to panic. This was the worst possible outcome...!
"Holy...shit..." Mika's eyes popped out of her sockets.
"Wow..." Ichinose was at a loss for words.
"Fire at will, Ernesto!" Toshiro commanded. Ernesto did just that, spinning around and pointing her legs down. Bullets shot out, easily tearing through the bindings. The moment they did, Yusuke and Ann acted, lifting their hands up to release a blast of fire and ice. The two melted together, creating a forceful gush of water that washed Jerri's black paint off of them.
"Much better!" Ann grinned.
"Way to go, Toshiro!" Sumire beamed.
"This works out perfectly." Akechi rotated his arm. "I thought we'd be in a bind if this was Toshiro's actual Shadow. But that doesn't seem to be the case. This is just a hallowed fake that failed to crush his spirit." If Erina was Toshiro's Persona, that told him everything he needed to know. "That means we can crush you both without consequence."
"I was worried for a second there." Haru gripped her axe tightly. "But we have some payback to dish out. Is everyone ready?"
"Born ready." Zenkichi held his greatsword over his shoulder.
"I've been ready to kick some ass since I saw this faker!" Ryuji smirked. "And the bird, too."
"Oh, yeah. I'm going to enjoy this." Mika said, her claws dripping with venom.
"We're ready to go!" Morgana, Yusuke, Futaba, and Sophia all said at once.
Ren walked over and picked up his knife. Once the knife was in his hand, Joker turned and pointed it to Shadow Toshiro and Jerri. "Toshiro. I think you know the words by now."
That he did. With the Phantom Thieves behind him, he was going to give it his all to win this battle. He would destroy the true specter of his past. Toshiro glared at his Shadow self and Jerri. "You can't stop us. The rebellion is here. The rebellion, within my heart!"