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Chapter Text

3/15/2014

Kuramoto Residence, Belfield North Dakota

Now where did you run off to?

A young man is searching in the backyard of his home for something. It was the most intense game of ambush for him. At any moment he could be tackled. He couldn’t let his guard down.

He could be anywhere and I’m just wandering around aimlessly, I need to stay focused. Too much is on the line now so if I screw this up then I’m-

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH” a scream was heard rushing behind him. The man quickly side stepped the right, causing the ambusher to fall to the ground.

“Gah!” The perpetrator grunted as he hit the ground. The man is laughing before going to help him off the spring grass.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that lil’ man” The older one said with a joking tone.

“Nuh-uh, no way, I win. Admit it, I HAD you bro, you saw me with the reflection of your glasses!”

“But then you decided to scream while trying to tackle me, giving away your position bro.”

*scoffs* “Whatever. Fine you win.” The boy reluctantly accepts defeat.

“Good man. Don’t worry, I’ll let you by this time, so you can get the bigger piece this time.”

A voice calls for them from the house.

“Boys! Logan! Rhys! Dinners Ready!”

“Yes mom!”  the two boys shout simultaneously.

The boy is getting up when he makes a declaration “Hey Logan?

“Hmm?” Logan replied

“Next time, you’re mine” he said with a evil smile.

Logan chuckles. “Whatever you say Rhys.”

Inside the Kuramoto Household

The boys sit around the table with their mother to eat their dinner. It was a couple of oven roasted chicken breasts with rice and broccoli. They ate while discussing Logan’s plans.

“So, you’re really leaving tomorrow?”

“Yeah mom. I am. I’m sorry. But I can’t keep prolonging my research or I will get fired.”

“Don’t worry son, I understand how much this job means to you. It just worries me how far you’ll be from us. Hokkaido isn’t exactly close to the US.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise. Besides the last time I was there was when we all traveled to Japan for the first time before Dad…”

“Shh…You don’t need to say anymore Logan. Your father would be proud of your work and how you’re providing for your family.”

Rhys finally decided to join the conversation. “But you’ll be gone for a YEAR bro! We’re gonna miss out on so much! I was wanting to go to that convention with you…”

Logan replied “Rhys, a year is only long if you make it long. If you’re sitting around waiting for me to return then you’ll practically die of boredom. No scratch that I’ve SEEN you bored, you’re gonna suffer hehehe.”

“HEY WHY DON’T YO—"

“Boys?! Be nice please.” Their mother had to intervene before a classic sibling bickering contest erupted and it would never end.

“Sorry Mom.” Both boys said.

“All is forgiven.” The mom chuckled. “Now finish up your plates. Rhys, it’s almost time for bed.”

*sigh* “Yes ma’am.” Rhys said while eyeing Logan with guilt.

Logan sees this and tries to make up for it. “Mom, why don’t you go and get a bit of rest. I’ll put Rhys to bed and do the dishes.”

“Are you sure? I can do the dishes sweetie.”

“It’s fine Mom. It’s gonna be the last time I do any house chores for a while now. And what did I tell you about calling me sweetie?”

“Okay then.” She chuckled. “Rhys no staying up late, you hear?”

Rhys nods.

Rhys’s Room

Logan got Rhys tucked into his bed. His room had pictures on top of pictures of the two brothers and Logan’s science jacket was on a chair.

“Alright that should do it. Don’t pout little man I won’t be gone by the time you wake up tomorrow.”

“I know bro. You better not.”

Logan is about to walk out when Rhys asks a question.

“Hey Logan?”

“Yeah what’s up?”

“Could you tell me about your job? You know the cool stuff like the superpowers and such and other worlds?”

Logan smiled before closing Rhys’s door and sitting back on his bed. “Guess I’ll tell you again before I leave.”

Logan sat down and began to explain to Rhys what the average person would say comes straight from a fairy tale.

“The human mind is more powerful than anyone could have ever known Rhys. It can come up with equations, imagine things, solve problems, understand emotions, and many more splendors. But what no one knows is how the human mind has the potential to influence worlds. Dimensions even. What if I told you that there are worlds out there at our reach that have existed since the dawn of time, but can be influenced by the thoughts and emotions of man? These worlds are other realities, changed by our thoughts and desires. But at times they can be corrupt, desolate abominations that are filled with distorted desires. Desires that are formed from the negativity of humans. These are our shadows. The feelings we don’t want anyone to see. They are harmful to us and can pose a threat to these worlds. However, if one accepts his other self and faces it head on, it becomes his true self, or as it is called, a Persona. A Persona is the strength of one’s true self. When conquered, the Persona can give its user the powers of a superhero. It is a sight to behold. Maybe one day Rhys, you’ll awaken to your Persona.”

This isn’t the first time Rhys has heard this story, but his reaction is the same as all the other times.

“THAT. SOUNDS. AWESOME!!!!!” The boy shouts with excitement. Logan can’t help but smile towards his reaction. Logan doesn’t tell anyone outside of his coworkers about his job because who would believe it? Not an ordinary person that’s for sure. But a eight year old boy who looks up to his brother and loves him certainly would.

“Alright you gotta get to bed bud. It’s way past your bedtime.”

“You got it Logan. Goodnight bro, love ya.”

Logan turns back before smiling again, trying his best to hold back tears.

“Love ya too Rhys. Goodnight.”

Chapter Text

3/16/2014

Logan had all his stuff packed and was ready to go. His ride to the airport was running just a bit late. It didn’t matter to him though. He got to spend just a bit longer with his family.

Rhys had just got back from school for the day. The boy was dreading watching his brother leave and was sitting in the living room. He wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t get him to stay. Rhys knew this was his job and how they could stay afloat. Logan saw Rhys’s demeanor and decided to give him a few words of advice.

“Hey little man, can I get you to promise something?’

Rhys finally got out of his daze. “Huh? Sure.”

Logan got down on one knee to get eye level with his brother.

“I need you to promise me one thing. Please, stay selfless. Selfless means to take care of those around you before you take care of yourself. It is through selflessness you gain friendship and find happiness. You’re strong Rhys, stronger than anyone that isn’t our mom. Promise me you’ll be there for her and do right for our family. You’re gonna be the man of the house for a while, so you gotta be good. Stay true to yourself. You’re only critic should be you, not people who don’t know you. Promise?” Logan held up his pinky.

Rhys looked up and smiled, feeling better. “Promise” as he lifted his finger up as well.

Just then, the doorbell rang as Logan got back on his two feet.

“I’ll go get it!” Logan said as he walked toward the front door.

Rhys was far from the door but could see a person when his brother opened the door. It was a tall, elegant woman with crimson red hair covering her right eye. She had her arms on her sides as if she knew Logan.

Coincidentally they did know each other as it was Logan’s superior. Logan began to speak to the woman in the Japanese language.

“Ah Kirijo-san, it’s been a while.”

“Indeed, it has Kuramoto-san. Apologies for the delay, there was some traffic we couldn’t anticipate. Have you got your things ready?” the crimson-haired lady asked.

“Yes, it’s all in this suitcase. Can I say one last goodbye to my family?”

“Of course. I’ll get someone to grab your belongings.” She said as she bowed and walked back to the car.

Logan turned back to face his mom and little brother. “Well, looks like this is it.”

His mom was the first to hug him goodbye. “You make us proud son, I love you.”

“I will, love you too mom.”

Rhys tried to prolong Logan staying by asking a question. “Was that your girlfriend?”

Logan was caught off guard by his little brother’s question and started to blush. “N-no…she’s a coworker. Hey stop laughing!” Rhys is punched in the shoulder by his brother after laughing at his reaction.

Logan got back down on one knee to hug his brother goodbye.

“I’ll be back one year from today, okay? Then we will have all the fun we could possibly imagine.”

“Promise?” Rhys asked.

“Promise.” Logan replied choking on his words from trying to not cry.

“Take care Rhys, I love you little bro.”

“L-love you too Logan.” Rhys is also trying not to cry as Logan begins to walk out the door of his home. Away from his family.

Later That Night

Rhys is looking at a picture of him and Logan holding up a giant mecha action figure together. Both are happy in this photo, and it brings Rhys joy seeing it.

“One year…Yeah…I can make it one year! It’s only a year. Then Logan will be back, and we can have fun again. But he’s right, auugghh this is gonna feel like the longest year ever! Hmph!” Rhys grunted in a very annoyed manner.

“I can do it. I’ll see you again bro!” Rhys is estatic for that day. Counting the weeks down as they go. 

3/16/2015

It is exactly one year later, and Rhys is anticipating his brother’s return, looking out the window for any odd cars pulling up to the house. Something that made Rhys wonder thought was why did he stop calling them?

Why did he stop calling me and mom? The last time we heard from him was in January. He probably got really caught up in research for the past two months. Yeah! That had to be it…right?

As Rhys is thinking that his mind dozes off to more memories he has with Logan. When he comes back, he notices a black car parked in the driveway. His eyes instantly beamed with excitement.

“LOGAN!” Rhys shouted as he ran down the stairs and into the living room. His adrenaline had never been this high. He was finally gonna get to see his brother again. His mom got to the door first to greet Logan. However, the brother wasn’t there. Instead, they were greeted by two tall men wearing black suits. Rhys got confused.

Where’s Logan? He should be here. Who are these two?

One of the men started to speak.

“Are you Amanda Kuramoto?”

“Yes…Yes I am. How can I help you?”

The other man asked the next question. “Does that mean you’re the mother of Logan Kuramoto?”

“Yes I am. Where is he? What’s going on?”

“Ma’am, we’re terribly sorry.”

Rhys’s mind began to grow more impatient and worried.

What are they talking about? Where’s my brother? I want to see him. It’s been a year…

“We’re employees from the Kirijo Group, where your son worked at for the past year.”

I don’t CARE!  Where is my brother?! Why do you look so sad- wait. No…

“There was a chemical leak in one of our research facilities. It caused an explosion within the lab.”

Stop saying this crap WHERE IS MY BROTHER

“And unfortunately, Dr. Kuramoto was in the lab when the explosion happened….”

WHERE IS HE?! I WANT MY BROTHER NOW! NOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOW

“We’re sorry… Dr. Kuramoto passed away.”

Everything in Rhys’s world slowed down. The men going to keep Rhys’s mom from falling. The sound of her crying. The air, the sounds, all of it stopped as Rhys’s mind came to a halt.

……what?

…. Logan’s…dead?

The ten-year-old boy’s entire world had just been ripped away from him. 

3/18/2015 

Logan's funeral could only be summed up in one word: quiet. Rhys and his mother were his only family present at the funeral. In fact, they were the only ones present to begin with. The boy stared at his brother's closed casket and wanted to act out. He wanted to scream, cry, break something, find someone to blame, anything to make him feel the pain of losing someone who is of your own blood. But he couldn't. Not because he didn't want to, but because he felt...nothing. His mother was silent the entire time as well, with him assuming she felt the same emptiness as he did.

The entire day, people walked by Rhys and his mother as they stared at Logan's grave, saying they were sorry for their loss, and tried to show an ounce of pity for the now family of two. Each time angered Rhys more and more. As the two got home, Rhys stood in the living room of where his family would confide in one another, watch TV together, do anything a family would do together. His mother walked past him and went straight to her room, and didn't come out for the rest of the night.

Rhys went to his room and stared at the belongings of his brother. The group he worked for had the decent courtesy to at least give back his belongings. Rhys didn't bother looking through the boxes of files and notebooks. He didn't want to deal with the pain of remembering the person who wrote and recorded all this data was gone. His best friend...gone. The only thing he took out was Logan's main journal. His diary if you will. Rhys scanned through the pages before tossing it and laying on his bed, staring flat at the ceiling. Any happiness he had was ripped from him. He had to face the world without his brother now. As Rhys was staring at the ceiling before falling asleep, he had one final thought regarding the death of his brother.

Chemical leak? Accident? What a load of bullshit....

Chapter Text

Three Years Later – 10/17/2018

Belfield Public School

Life for Rhys the past three years has been torture on a daily cycle. The pain never got better, and the bullying never stopped. The now 13-year-old blond has become an angry avoidant human being. Why should he care for the people around him? They’re the same people who mocked his brother even after his death, and they’re the same people mocking him now. Every time Rhys has remotely tried talking about his brother’s ideas in projects or assignments, he would be called crazy or insulted even worse. Logan was everything to Rhys. Rhys didn’t see any point to life after his brother died. He knew his mom took the death as hard as he did, but she still decided to live on. Rhys doesn’t want to. Sure, he got all of Logan’s belongings, but they just brought back painful memories. The only thing from Logan that mattered to Rhys was the sole point of his research, his jour-

The hell? Where’s Logan’s journal? Rhys went to his locker during lunch to grab some books and noticed the lock was undone and the journal of his brother missing.

“Looking for this Mr. Nobody?” a cocky voice came from across the hallway. It was another one of Rhys’s bullies. Rhys didn’t care when he got insulted, but when they brought Logan into it, all he could see was red.

“Tony, I am gonna give you one chance. I am not in the mood today. Please give me back the journal. Now.” The boy’s voice was cold, he was ready to throw the bully’s head into a locker and keep hitting him.

“Or what you little shit? You gonna summon your true self?” Tony began to mimic him and mock him even further.

“C’mon little bro. Summon your persona. I wanna hear you say it. “persona” HAHAHAHAHAHAHA what a joke you and your brother are! Oh wait, I meant "were" hahahah!”

Rhys had enough as he slowly began to walk towards the bully.

“Alright, fine Tony. But fair warning before the principal gets here to pry me off your worthless-ass face. You asked for this…”

Principal’s Office - 30 Minutes Later

Rhys was sitting in the principal's office after having an altercation with one of his bullies. He had a right black eye and his knuckles on his left hand had turned red from swelling. Perhaps the swelling came from how hard he was hitting his bully. This was everyday life for Rhys. If he wasn't getting in fights at school, he was yelling back at school faculty, skipping class, or avoiding school altogether. The blond was a shadow of his former self, who was a light hearted kid who was average in grades, but still passing. He was a genuine kid, until Logan died. The principal had just sent Rhys's bully away with his parents, the parents trying to scold Rhys themselves. All Rhys did was roll his eyes and shut out their pestering. Now, the principal had called Rhys's mother to inform of her of yet another incident involving her son. 

“Your mother should be on the way Kuramoto.” The principal said, disappointed with the boys actions.

“Good..”

“Excuse me?”

“I SAID GOOD.”

“I would begin to lecture you again but I would rather wait for your mother so she can figure out what to do with you. This is the fourth fight this year Rhys. It’s a wonder you’ve only gotten off with suspensions. I don't know what else to tell you young man. You used to be a good kid. You still can be a good kid but you actively choose not to."

“Whatever.”

The principal let out a defeated sigh. He wasn’t going to get through to the delinquent.

The two sat in silence for another 15 minutes, for what Rhys felt like a century, until Amanda Kuramoto, Rhys's mother, arrived and walked into the principal's office. 

“Ah Mrs. Kuramoto. Have a seat.”

“What did he do this time?” She said as she slowly sat down in shame. 

“Fucker took my journal, so I socked him in his face.”

“RHYS!” Amanda had been getting more and more annoyed with Rhys’s attitude. He was fighting, talking back, cursing more than he should around people. This wasn’t the joyful boy she raised. But at the same time, she doesn’t know what to do. How do you help someone who lost their best friend?

“This is the problem we have Mrs. Kuramoto.” The principal chimed in. “This the fourth fight Rhys was involved in. He’s lucky we pulled them apart before he caused more harm to the boy. I understand he is being bullied, but there are other ways to stop them. This isn’t even adding the instances of skipping class, property damage, and attitude towards teachers. This is his last chance Mrs. Kuramoto. The next time he hurts someone or brings further harm to this school, I will be forced to expel him.”

Amanda could only sit there. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to get through to her son.

The ride home was quiet and it had been raining all day. Rhys was suspended for five days. Amanda knew it was a make-or-break moment. She missed Logan as much as Rhys did. The pain of realizing you lost one your children never gets better. It didn't matter that Logan was an adult at the time of his death. To her, she had lost one of her baby boys. She struggled for three years to accept his death. She knew the pain Rhys was still feeling after all this time, but she refused to let that be his downfall.

“I thought I raised you better.”

“Not your fault.”

“Rhys, you must move on from Logan’s death. None of us could have predicted that accident.”

“BULLSHIT! You still think that was an “accident”? Accident my ASS! How could you out everyone have the NERVE to tell me to move on?! You DON'T hear the words people say to me at school! You DON'T see the looks I get when I even REMOTELY TRY to openly talk about it! People keep giving me crap about my brother and the research he did over there. I DON’T CARE WHAT THEY THINK! THEY CAN ALL GO TO HELL!”

Amanda braked the car as hard as she could “THAT’S ENOUGH RHYS!” She had never yelled at her son that loud before. She didn’t care if Rhys hated her, he had to hear her words.

*sigh* “Son, I am sorry that Logan is gone. It hurts me everyday that my precious boy isn’t coming home…I-…I didn’t think that would be the last time we would hug him. But that does NOT give you the excuse to destroy your own life.” Tears were falling down the mother’s face at this point. “Logan would want you to live your life in a meaningful way. He was the definition of selflessness. He looked out for others no matter what they said about him. Your brother would want you to do the same. Please my boy, my only child left in this world, don’t let this world’s hate destroy you…”

Rhys would be lying if he said he wasn’t moved by his mother’s words. He knew she was right. The boy began to remember what Logan said to him before he left.

“It is through selflessness you find friendship and happiness…”

Rhys finally spoke up, guilt ridden by his actions over the last three years and how it was affecting his own mother, the only family he had left. In trying to defend his brother for the past three years, he neglected the promises he made to him. To be good. To be selfless. To stay true. Rhys knew that if Logan was still here, he would not like the person his little brother had become...but he wouldn't have given up on him. 

“I-…I’m sorry mom. I’m sorry for becoming such a brat. I know I haven’t been the best son. I’ve been running from that pain. But…Logan’s research, his work, all of it, I believe it still. And nothing’s gonna change. I’m still gonna get called crazy and I’m still gonna get bullied. I don’t know what to do…” Rhys was trembling in his own voice. It had been a long time since he spoke his honest feelings and now all he wanted was to be forgiven by his mom.

Silence filled the car again. Rhys began to look down to the floor when his mom finally found the words to give him.

“…Then prove them wrong.”

“What?”

“If you believe Logan, if you believe everything your brother stood for, follow in his footsteps. You’re still going to be my son and I’ll always love you. Prove. Them. Wrong.”

Motivated, the boy looked up to his mom, accepting every word she said. Every time he had been bullied for the ideas he shared, Rhys had always took the aggressive route and not the route of reason. He has never actually tried to prove the existence of Logan's research, he just cornered himself to believing it without explaining it. Perhaps if he learned more of Logan's research rather than just relies on the stories his brother would tell him at night, he would find solace in the pain. He could get better. 

“Thank you mom. From this point forward I’m going to be better, I promise. And I think I know where to start.”

Chapter Text

Kuramoto Residence – Nighttime

When the two got home, Rhys immediately began to look through his brother’s belongings, picking through every book and file he had to find out exactly where in the hell he was suppose to start. Logan only told him the summary of his research. He never actually told Rhys the logical science behind any of it. But he had hundreds of papers to look through to find out the details, and he had five days worth of school suspension to get through, so what did the boy have to lose? When he made it to the bottom of the last box, Rhys noticed an odd-looking book. It was thick but the pages didn’t look to be made from any paper.

Hmm that’s odd. This book looks more like a DVD case than anything.

When he opened the fake book, his heart sank.

What. The. Hell?

Inside the carved-out pages was a tape recorder with a piece of tape that said in clear English “Rhys”

Rhys’s heart began to pound as he pressed "play" on the tape recorder. Nothing could prepare the boy from what he heard.

“Rhys? I’m sorry little bro, but I’m not gonna be coming home. Events have transpired that I never would have thought could come to fruition. Someone is using me. Manipulating me into using my research and work for evil. I fear I have opened the gateway to Hell itself and dealt with Lucifer himself. If they win, if they get what they want, it could mean the end of all humanity. I fear they know I’ m conspiring against them now and are planning my death as I record this. There is one positive to all of this. The last key they need to start their plan will take time to gather once I’m gone. Time means one thing: you. When you are old enough I ask you to do one thing and promise it to me. It is my dying wish. I will miss the time I spent with you and mom and love you more than anything else Rhys. I know you will grow up to become a strong and courageous person. Promise me, when the time is right, when you are old enough, strong enough, you will avenge me. Bring my conspirators to justice. Not just for me, but for all of peace and mankind. Do not show this recording to anyone, not even mom, and do NOT take it to the police! They will not believe you. You may believe you don’t know how to do this, but look through my research Rhys, you will know. Promise me brother, STOP THEM.”

The tape abruptly ends. Rhys feels as if he can’t breathe and is panicking from what he heard. It was something straight out of a suspense and mystery movie. His hunches were right. The closed casket, the lack of a physical body to begin with even with the closed casket, no details on Logan's "accident" itself. Everything he was told about his brother's death was a lie. Rhys begins to see double as his eyes fade in and out of conciousness. This revelation was sudden to the 13-year-old. Almost too sudden.

He really was killed. Logan…no

As Rhys begins to calm down, he begins to see things clearer and clenches his fist in anger and motivation. He was right, something happened to Logan and it was covered up. His conspiracies were true, he wasn't a madman. Logan had been purposely killed. 

…..NO

Rhys tries to remember where Logan went for his trip, picking up and quickly scanning file after file to find even the smallest detail of his last known location before he died. Eventually, he finds a paper that states the location of the site. “Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan”

It is now that Rhys finds his motivation and makes his vow.

I’m going to study. I’m gonna grow smarter, stronger, better. I’m gonna devote everything to my brother’s research. I will not sleep; I will not falter. I will find a way to make it to Hokkaido, and I will find the answers to this chaos. Logan, I will finish what you started. I will put an end to all of this. That is my promise.

Rhys had never felt this driven in his life. He was motivated and fueled by retribution for his brother. Rhys had to find a way to make it to Hokkaido. If he could, then the boy could find a way to get Logan Kuramoto the justice he deserved. But before he could do any of that, he had to first begin to try and understand his research. The Other Worlds.

10/18/2018

Kitchen - Afternoon

"Rhys! Come down! Dinners Ready!"

Mrs. Kuramoto had been waiting for her son to come down from his room since last night. He had yet to leave his room. And when she called for him, there was no response.

"Rhys!" She called for him again. No response.

"Rhys!" Nothing. Again.

"Rhys? Are you coming?" Still nothing.

The nerve of that boy to ignore me...she thought. 

Mrs. Kuramoto began to walk up to the stairs and to his room and began to open the door.

"Rhys dear I called you four times! If you're not gonna answer then I'm gonna come in and check...on...you." 

She opened the door to see Rhys staring at homemade bulletin he had made. There were papers pinned all over it, some looked like files, some looked like pieces of paper ripped out of a notebook. Some of the papers with pins on them had rubber bands leading to something in the middle of the board.

When Rhys's door opened he turned around. His eyes looked heavy, as if he didn't sleep at all last night. He had a can of an energy drink in his hand. 

"Oh...Hey mom." He said startled. 

"Um...Rhys? Did you become a conspiracy theorist overnight?" His mother said sarcastically.

"Well..um...You see what happened was..." Rhys is stumbling over his words from the possible sleep depravity he was dealing with.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Oh...this is Logan's research. I never pulled out any of it when we got it. You said to prove them wrong. This is how." Rhys said while smiling.

"Oh. Well I was calling you dear. Dinner's ready." 

Rhys nodded. "Sorry. I got lost in thought. I never heard you." He said nervously. 

Mrs. Kuramoto smiled. "Don't worry about it dear. Just come on down now, before I begin to think you are crazy."

Rhys chuckled. "Yes ma'am. I'll be down shortly."

His mother walked back down before Rhys stared at the board for just little while longer. He took a red marker and wrote something down in the middle and circled it before walking out of his room. Rubber bands all point to the word in the middle. Persona. 

Chapter Text

4/06/2025 - Monday

Dickinson Airport

Over the next seven years, Rhys finally got his act together. He got into less trouble and provoked less people. Academically, Rhys made one of the biggest turnarounds his school had ever seen. He was the top of his class and graduated as his class’s Valedictorian. He took two years off to get some basics needed if he really was going to go to Hokkaido, and that meant doing a year at a community college. Rhys needed enough money to transfer over as Yen, as the two countries had different economic systems, he needed a passport to fly overseas, and he needed to pass the entrance exams for the university, which meant even more studying. Eventually, he took the entrance exam and got back results he was more than satisfied with. The university sent a personal letter all the way to him with his excellent scores. The letter stated how they were so impressed with the score Rhys got that not only would he be accepted, but they also offered a scholarship with enough money to cover his housing and tuition. Rhys didn’t think twice, this was the moment he was waiting for. His mother had driven him to the airport to say her goodbyes before he left.

“You’re absolutely sure you want to do this?”

“Yes Mom, I’ve made up my mind.”

“And there’s no way I can change it? I’m your mother Rhys. Why wouldn’t I be worried?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I won’t get another chance like this. Did you SEE how much that scholarship was? I have to do this mom.”

*sighs* “Alright…just a couple of questions before you leave.”

“I’m all ears.”

“You know you’re going to an entirely different country with a different system, different beliefs, and different culture right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know the language? If you go over there and try to live a couple of years only knowing English you’re not gonna last long.”

“Mom, I started studying Japanese when I was fourteen. I’m twenty now. I think I’ll be fine.”

“Okay then. Do you know about the use of honorifics and what they mean? If you say yes then I’m going to start throwing out meanings and you say the honorific.”

“…Yes”

“Children and female friends.”

“Chan”

“Junior co-worker, young boys and friends.”

“Kun”

“People equal to you in age or are a Mr. or Ms. and so on.”

“San.”

“Great respect to people of a higher ranking”

“Sama”

“Classmates a grade higher than you.”

“Senpai”

“Good deal. A couple more questions son.”

“As long as the plane doesn’t leave without me.”

“You know the school calendar is different over there? I checked the university’s website, and there are three semesters for each school year. You also have class on Saturdays as well.”

“College is different mom. It’s just gonna be a change of pace for me that’s all.”

Attention, flights to Atlanta Georgia are leaving is seven minutes. Please board immediately.

“One more thing son, please.”

“Alright mom you gotta make it quick or I’m gonna miss the flight.”

“Promise me you’re going over there to study and get a career in environmental science and not to find clues about your brother.”

Rhys had to grit his teeth. He couldn’t tell her. He never told her or even showed her the recorder Logan left for him. This was his mission and his burden.

“…I promise.”

The mother wrapped her hands around her son and as much as she didn’t want to let go, she knew this was for the best.

“Then I’ll let you go. I am so proud of the young man you’ve become. I know your father and brother are as well. Please stay safe.”

“I will. Thanks for everything mom. I love you.”

“I love you too son.”

Rhys began to walk away and to his flight as he waved goodbye to his mom. Ready to embark on his journey.

04/08 - Wednesday  

Sapporo Airfield – Okadoma Airport

Yeah I think it will be a good long while before I fly anywhere again.

It took two and a half days to get to his location, Sapporo, Hokkaido Japan. Rhys had to get on three separate planes and go to different airports just to get here. To say he was jetlagged and tired was an understatement.

As Rhys entered the airport, he pulled out his phone to get a map. He needed to figure out where exactly his apartment was located and the best route to get there.

So many train stations…augh it’s no use, I’m gonna have to ask someone.

Rhys began to walk up to a man who look a little older than him. He looked like he was in his thirties and had silver hair in a bowl cut. This was going to be the first time he talked to someone in Japanese, or even another language.

Okay Rhys play it cool. You’ve been studying Japanese for years. You got this. Don’t fail me now.

 Rhys began to ask the man who was just standing in the middle of the airport writing in his journal.

“Excuse me, do you know the best route to get to the Otaru Apartments?” Rhys said in the most nervous he could ever be, trying not to fumble the language.

The man began to eye him down like a hawk.

Oh god did I say it wrong? I must have got a syllable mixed up. I sounded like a total dumbass.

“Sure, just take this train station and you should be at the apartments. I take it you’re new here?”

Rhys looked up in delight.

I said it right! Yes! Wait he asked me a question. Is he making conversation with me? Oh fu-

Rhys started blurting out words again before finishing his thought.

“Yes that’s right. I’m a transfer student from America. Though my father was from Japan so you could say I’m mixed.”

“Ah. Transfer student. I can relate. Well, not as a transfer student from another country but my family traveled a lot, so I moved from place to place. Have you made sure to do your research?”

“Y-yes. I hope I don’t say anything wrong or come off as disrespectful. This is all new to me even when studying it for many years.”

“Don’t stress over it. People here are nice, they’ll get you in the right direction. Well, you better get going before the stations close…uh…?

Is he wanting my name? Doesn’t hurt to make a friend I guess…

“Kuramoto. Name’s Rhys Kuramoto.”

“Good to know. I’m Yu Narukami. You can just call me Yu. It was nice meeting you Kuramoto-san.”

“You too Narukami-san.” Rhys began to walk away feeling pumped by the conversation.

That went well. And he called me san! I think I can get the hang of this!

Rhys put in his headphones and began to walk the streets of Sapporo Hokkaido in awe. The colors at night were bright and mind blowing. Rhys had never been in a city by himself and especially one he saw as beautiful as Hokkaido. He knew he had to get to the apartment he was staying at as classes began the next day. But he couldn’t help but take in the sights before thinking one thing only.

…I’m home.

While walking, Rhys saw a man taking petitions for something. He had on a hood and wore a facemask. The man stopped Rhys like the every other person who walked by him.

"Excuse me, could you take a moment of your time and sign this petition? It's about the opening of a orphanage on Shinkonishi." He asked Rhys.

"Orphanage? Why of course?" Rhys took the pen but as he signed he noticed it only had one place to write his name down. The bottom of the petition of the paper said "I accept full responsibility of my actions. My fate is my own." He didn't think nothing of it. This was probably the last sheet he had and he needed one more signature.

"Thank you young man! Have a goodnight!" The petitioner thanked Rhys.

Rhys nodded then walked off. Trying to find his way through the streets of Sapporo to get to the new community apartment he was able to apply for thanks to his scholarship. 

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartment Complex - Evening

Rhys had finally made it to where he was staying. These apartments had just been built recently and were in great condition. He couldn’t believe his scholarship got him this.

I struck out didn’t I? He couldn’t help but think as he walked through the doors.

When Rhys got inside he realized he made it to the lobby. The apartments acted as both apartments and dorms. He got one of the smaller rooms considering it was just him, but he wasn’t gonna complain.

The lobby was spacious, and no one was in there. The floor had a plat wood pattern on it and the walls were painted a tan-ish-white color. There was a coffee table and two chairs and a couch surrounding the table towards the right side of the lobby, facing a flatscreen TV raised up on the wall. There were stairs and elevators in the back of the lobby as well.

“Helloooo?” Rhys called out. He still needed his key, and no one was at the front desk.

Rhys started talking to himself. “Am I seriously the only one here? C’mon how am I gonna get in my room if I don’t have a key?”

Just then, he heard whistling coming from the near left of him. It sounded like it came from the apartment’s community kitchen. Then, someone came out of the kitchen with what appeared to be a bottle of some sort of drink and an apple in the other hand. It was a boy like him. He had on a grey hoodie and some sweatpants and had a brown side swept haircut. He locked eyes with Rhys and curiously walked over to him.

He looks my age. Maybe he’ll have my key.

The brunette was the first to speak. “Sup bro! You look different from your social media . Did you do something with your hair?”

Rhys looked confused, touching his blond hair which went down to his neck. “What do you mean different from social media? Did you already know I was coming?’

“Well duh. Every student at Hokkaido is probably gonna be nosy about the American that won the big scholarship.”

“Wait, everyone knows about that?”

“Yeah that scholarship was huge! Everyone wanted it. You shoulda seen the looks on their faces when they found out a transfer student got it. It was hilarious!”

Still confused, Rhys stayed quiet for a little bit before thinking Here’s hoping I didn’t make any enemies…

“Well either way, even if you already looked me up I still want to introduce myself. I’m Rhys Kuramoto.”

“OH shit! My bad bro, where are my manners? Name’s Takeo Hattori, I’m a second year like you!”

“Second year huh? Nice to meet you Hattori-san.”

“Ooooh, someone did some homework! Got the honorifics down and everything.”

“Thanks…I guess.”

Takeo started to ramble to change the conversation.

“A little bit ‘bout myself. I come from a long line of brothers who went to Hokkaido, they became doctors, lawyers, all the cool careers and such. Yeaaaaah I’m kind of a big deal if you know what I mean. With a reputation as hot as mine, I pick up allll the ladies.”

Rhys groaned in his head when he realized who Takeo was. Aww shit, you’re one of THOSE people.

Rhys then replied so he didn’t make an enemy his first day here. “Yeah, sure. Whatever rocks your boat Hattori-san.”

Takeo began talking again “Any who, I’m sure someone like you will figure everything out quick!”

“I should warn you about the apartments Rhys-san. We’re not the only ones living here. Right now, there’s also two little-

There is rumbling heard from the stairs as the classmates see two children run down the stairs playing what looks like some weird iteration of tag. It’s a boy with auburn hair and a girl with a natural blue hair color. The boy gets tackled on the floor of the lobby and the two start yelling at each other.

Takeo groans then mumbles something to himself. Rhys didn’t know what to make of it, so he asked Takeo.

“You referring to them?”

Takeo has his hand over his eyes before sighing “…yeah. There’s a family living here too. Dad’s cool though.”

Rhys begins to hear the children arguing.

“Got you! I win!”

“That’s not fair! You grabbed my leg!”

“Should have made better rules dummy! Now fork over that action figure- The little girl looked up and her eyes lit up at the sight of a new person in the lobby.

“There’s someone here! We have a guest bro!”

“Well get off me so I can see too!”

Now both children were looking at Rhys and he couldn’t be any more dumbfounded. “Uhhhhh”

The kids ran up to the transfer student in excitement. Both started rambling and Rhys couldn’t keep up.

“Hello sir!” “What’s your name?” “Do you like apples?” What’s your favorite color?” “Are you new here?” The questions would not stop. Rhys was getting even more awkward until a voice could be heard coming down the stairs.

“Eiichiro? Kotone? What’s causing you two to shout so much?”

The girl answered first “Dad! Come here! We have a visitor!”

Then the boy answered “Yeah! He looks weird- OW!” The girl punched him in the shoulder for the comment.

“Alright alright. What’s all the commotion about?” The man had made it to the lobby and made eye contact with the transfer student. Rhys began eyeing him down as well. Something about him felt…off. He was about the same height as Rhys and was slightly slim, but Rhys could tell he had a decent physique. He is wearing a button up and pants that look like they belong to a suit, and he has headphones around his neck. What caught Rhys’s attention was his hair.  It is blue like the girl’s and the front of it covered his right eye.

“Sorry about that. I got caught up in some paperwork and these two were acting crazy” The man started talking to Rhys. Rhys could tell he was a person to listen to.

“It’s okay. Looks like you have got your hands full. Interesting haircut by the way. I thought the emo scene stopped being relevant in 2013.” Rhys replied.

This caused the man to laugh a good bit. “Someone hasn’t made that joke towards me in a while. I missed it to be honest. You the transfer student?”

“Yep that’s me. I’m Rhys Kuramoto. I heard I’m famous around here.”

“So, it seems. Welcome to Hokkaido, Kuramoto-san. I’m one of the professors at the University of Hokkaido. The name’s Minato Arisato, I was informed by administration to help get you situated since we apparently live in the same complex.”

Minato Arisato. Rhys didn’t know who he was. He thought he was just a normal dad and teacher. Little did he know there was much more to him.  

“I take it you’ve been acquainted with Hattori-san? He reminds me of an old friend the way he slacks off sometimes.”

Takeo began to talk again to defend himself. “I do not SLACK OFF Arisato-Sensei! I just…ya’know…got other things to do.”

Minato began to chuckle again. “Just joking. But hopefully you understand what I mean.” Minato looked back towards Rhys and noticed he still had his bags and such. “I’ll introduce you to Eiichiro and Kotone later, you must be exhausted from flying all day and it doesn’t help class starts tomorrow.” Minato handed Rhys a key. “Here’s the key to your room. Hattori-san, could you help carry his things and show him where he’ll be staying? I gotta get these two to bed.”

Takeo nodded. “Sure thing boss! I will protect him with my life!” he said sarcastically.

Minato nodded back “Well Kuramoto-san, you best head on up. Don’t want to oversleep and miss your first day. Goodnight.”

Rhys responded. “You got it. Thank you Arisato-Sensei. You have a goodnight as well.”

Takeo began to lead him up the stairs “C’mon dude! I’ll take you to your dorm!” and the two began to walk up the stairs. The two children began to argue again when Minato’s mind began to wonder about the transfer student.

Kuramoto? Could it be THAT Kuramoto? Is it…no. Best not jump to conclusions. I need to wait this out.

Rhys’s Room

With Takeo’s help, Rhys was able to get everything unpacked and in his room. It was a decent size for him. The bed was in the back corner with there being a wide desk next to it. There was a closet and shelf on the left of the room and lastly there was a window with a nice view of the city. As he began to unpack some of his final belongings, Rhys got a text from his mom. He decided to call her. Rhys had his phone propped on his shoulder while leaning his head so his ear could keep it in place.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ma! I made it."

"At long last I see. That plane ride must have been dreadful."

"Plane rides as a matter of fact. It was forever. I began to think while on the final plane that I lived up in the skies."

Rhys heard his mom chuckle. "Well at least you are finally there. Is your apartment nice?"

"Very. I'll send some pictures later. There were some people living here already. One was a student like me and the others were a father and his two kids. The dad said he was a professor at Hokkaido assigned to help me out over here."

"Well that's awfully kind of them. Be sure to thank them."

"I will. Well, I should be getting to bed. I got a big day tomorrow mom."

"Oh that's right. Different time zones. Alright then dear, have fun. Don't do anything stupid. Love you."

"You got it mom. Love you too." *click* Rhys set his phone onto his desk. 

I’m beat… I should get some rest.

As Rhys changed into some sleeping attire and laid onto his bed and looked up at the ceiling, it all began to sink in to the now adult. The moment he had been waiting ten years for was here.

I’m finally here. I made it. Don’t worry Logan, your death will receive justice. This is the start of my new life. I can’t…wait…

Rhys finally dozed off. Excited for his new life and first day in college.

04/09 - Thursday

Rhys woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He set an alarm with his phone and used a metal song he listened to so he would wake up and turn off the alarm.

“WE’RE NOT GONNA BE, A COMMODITY”

“NOT ANOTHER MAGGOT IN THE FEED THAT YOU”RE GONNA EAT”

“MOTHERFUCKER, YOU CAN TRY”

“ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE”

As Rhys got up and turned off his alarm clock, he heard knocking from his door. He went to answer to see Minato was the person knocking.

"Good morning Kuramoto-san. Did you sleep well?" Minato asked the blond.

"I did. What about you?" 

"Like a baby. There is some breakfast down in the lobby for when you get ready. I should let you know that since you aren't in any of the university's clubs or organizations, there is no required school uniform. But, it would still be wise to dress appropriately."

"Noted. I'll be down there shortly."

Minato nodded as he closed Rhys's door. Rhys went to his closet to find some clothes to wear for his first day. He picked out a grey blazer and some black slacks, along with a white button up to go along with his blazer. He ran a comb through his hair until he looked satisfied, then grabbed his bag and walked down to the lobby. 

In the lobby was Takeo, sitting at a table looking at his phone, Minato at the bar beside the community kitchen, looking through some papers, and his two children Kotone and Eiichiro on the couch watching an old episode of Featherman. They were surprisingly intrigued with the actions of the Pink Ranger on screen, cheering her on whenever she was given screentime. 

Rhys walked down, poured a cup of coffee, and Takeo walked up to him as he took a sip.

"Good morning, Kuramoto-san! You ready for the first day?"

"Good morning, Hattori-san. I hope so. I haven't seen the campus in person, so I hope I can find my classes."

"You can leave that to me!" Takeo pointed his thumb to himself. "I looked at your schedule and mine is practically identical! There's another person who has a schedule like ours, she'll be joining us."

"She?" Rhys asked. 'What you got a girlfriend or something?"

Takeo scoffed. "HA! I wish...I'll let her introduce herself, she said she'll meet us at the entrance."

"Good deal. Thanks for deciding to show me to my classes Hattori-san." Rhys nodded his head to Takeo.

"Anytime. You're our guest bro." 

Minato walked up to them. "You two should go on ahead and start heading to the university, I need to take my kids to another school. Don't get lost, okay?"

Rhys nodded while Takeo said "You got it! See you there Sensei!"  Rhys and Takeo began to walk out of the lobby and make their way to the university. 

Hokkaido University

Campus

The two made it to the university campus and Rhys found it to be beautiful. There was something about the campus’s atmosphere the transfer student adored but he couldn’t figure it out.

Takeo gave a grand entrance for the school. “Here we are! Hokkaido University! One of the best colleges in the world. Take it in pal, you’re in for great time!”

“It’s an amazing looking campus. We should probably get to class. Didn’t you have the some of the same classes as me?”

“You betcha! We have the same classes today, Friday, Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday . I have different classes on Monday though, but we’re waiting for someone who has classes with you each day. I texted her and she should be here any second now.”

“Oh yeah you briefly mentioned someone else. Friend of yours?”

“You’ll see. She’s an absolute doll Kuramoto-san. Oh, there she is over there!” Takeo pointed to a girl walking toward him and Rhys. She was wearing a leather jacket with a black skirt and purple T-shirt. She had a short bob cut with the colors of her hair alternating between purple and black. She looked like she was bolting toward Takeo, not in the mood to be nice.

“Yo Hiromi-chan! This is the new transfer student! We have some of the same classes, so I figured we all could-GUH!” The girl punched Takeo right in the abdomen. Rhys was completely caught off guard by her assault on Takeo. 

“That’s for sending me that video last night! Damn pervert. Nothing about that was funny! I had to go to the bathroom so I wouldn’t throw up!” She then kicked his shin. “And that was for trying to spread all that crap about me being allergic to octopus!”

The girl then looked up at Rhys, calming down but still very pissed off.

Rhys decided to break the silence with her. “I’m not gonna ask…”

She broke her silence as well. “Good. You learn quickly. So, you’re the transfer student who won the scholarship huh? Nice to meet you, I’m Hiromi Koda, you can just call me Hiro though.”

“Ok then Hiro-san, Rhys Kuramoto. You’re a second year too? The guy you just pummeled said you had some classes like mine. We should get going because my first class starts in ten minutes.”

Hiromi looked at her watch and screamed “CRAP! We gotta go or we’ll be late!”

Rhys looked down at Takeo, still groaning in pain. “What about him?”

“Hmph! Leave him he knows where the classrooms are.” Rhys began to walk with Hiromi to class, with Takeo catching up later.

Unknown Classroom

The trio made to the class and sat down together. There were about twelve other people in the class, so it was small.

Rhys decided to make a little bit of conversation with the two to break the tension between Hiromi and Takeo.

“So, we’re all science nerds huh?”

“Something like that.” Takeo replied.

“Yep. Big nerd.” Hiromi replied right after. “I don’t know what interests me about science, but I think it’s cool.”

Takeo followed up with “I think scientists are badass. None of my brothers have actually became scientists. One of them is a doctor though. Wearing a lab coat and mixing chemicals? That’s the cool stuff people should be into. What about you Kuramoto-san? What’s so special about science to you?”

Rhys had to ponder over that question. He always told himself it was because of the stuff his brother researched that science was special to him. But he knew that wasn’t the whole truth. While studying, Rhys found it to be a fun hobby and something to enjoy. Something to push the pain of losing Logan back into the depths of his mind.

“I don’t know honestly. I guess I could say it’s the research part of science. Hypothesizing, establishing controls, variables, gathering data, coming to that conclusion you were wanting. It all feels like a process meant for me.”

Hiromi liked his answer. “I never thought of it like that. That’s a unique way of approaching science Rhys-san.”

It was then the teacher walked in. Professor Arisato himself.

“Alright class let’s get right into it. My name is Minato Arisato, I will be your instructor for fundamentals of biology. We’ll be going over the basics while diving deeper into each of your specific interests for science…”

Sometime later.

“And we’ll discuss more tomorrow. That’s all from me for today. If you have other classes please go to them. Everyone else have a great day.” Minato dismisses the class.

Minato goes to grab his bag and place his folder into it and notices the trio getting ready to walk out.

“Ah, Koda-san. You look like you’re getting along with the new kid on the block.”

“Eh, he’s managing Arisato-Sensei.”

“Hey!”

Minato chuckles “You three are definitely gonna be something else if you stick together.”  Seeing Rhys, Hiromi, and Takeo together was reminiscent of his past. He remembers the time he spent with his group and the bonds he made with Yukari and Junpei. But at one point there were four of them instead of three. Minato tries to not think of the fourth friend…

“Well, you three run along now. I have another class to teach.”

“Peace out Sensei!” Takeo waved as he walked out.

“Bye!” Hiromi smiled.

“See ya.” Rhys said as he walked out with his newfound friends.

Campus Grounds - Afternoon

The three had finally got done with the first day of class. It was a long day of introductions, but a necessary one for Rhys to get used to the new life he was living.

“AUGH Today was SO LONG.” Hiromi groaned.

“You said it Hiro-chan.” Takeo replied.

“HEY! You have lost your privilege to call me Hiro after this morning. You gotta earn it back ya smooth brain!”

“Don’t call me smooth brain!”

Rhys knew those two were about to get into another tirade of insults so he decided to come up with an idea after hearing a growl from his stomach.

“Hey, you guys wanna go get something to eat? I haven’t eaten since this morning, and I don’t know where the good spots are. Care to enlighten me?”

The two rivals realized they were hungry too and he did have a point, so why not?

“Yeah, I’m getting hungry too. What about it Hiro-cha- I mean Hiromi-san?”

“I need sustenance…” Hiromi said. “I know a good spot though, follow me!”

Tomioka-Dori Avenue, Yoshinoya

The three ate at a restaurant that served Gyudon. Rhys remembers having the dish once and it was when Logan tried to make some. He remembers why Logan was a scientist and not a chef.

“Why’d you have to pick this place. It’s expensive…” Takeo whined

“Because you’re paying for it, that’s why.” Hiromi said in the cockiest way she could.

“WHAT?! Why do I gotta pay?!”

“I don’t have any money and Rhys-san here is new, you don’t expect the newbie to pay do ya?”

“But he has that big scholarship!” Takeo was trying everything in his power to get Rhys to pay for the bill and not him.

“The scholarship only goes towards my housing and tuition ya dumbass. I can’t go waving it around like some credit card.” Rhys chimed in, annoyed that Takeo would try to put the check on him.

“Hmmmmph. Fine! But I’m paying for Rhys, not Ms. Freeloader over here.” Takeo relents and pays the bill.

As Takeo is paying for the bill, Hiromi and Rhys begin to talk to one another. 

"So your from America?"

"Yeah, North Dakota to be specific."

"How's it like over there? I always see stuff online but have never been there myself."

"Where I lived, it was quiet. But if you go to somewhere like New York or Chicago, you gotta deal with loud noises on the daily. But for the most part it was nice."

"What do you think about Japan? You look like you already made yourself at home."

"My dad was from Japan. He moved to America with his parents when he was ten. He lived in America for most of his life and married a woman with blonde hair. That's why my hair is blond itself. They had my brother when they were only 20, and had me when they were in their mid 30s. My dad always talked of having a family trip over here to show me, my brother , and my mother the "Kuramoto roots." Sadly, that trip came sooner than expected when I was only four. Dad got lung cancer and was given one year to live, so he made a bucket list and returning to Japan was at the top. So if it looks like I've already made myself at home, it's because it quite frankly is my home." 

Rhys never opened up about his dad. He died when Rhys was pretty you, so any memories he has of him are a blur. He still loved him as his father however, no matter how vague the memories were. 

Hiromi felt remorseful about Rhys mentioning his dad. "I see. I'm sorry if I caused you to bring up your dad."

Rhys grinned. "Don't be. He's in a better place now."

Takeo sat back down. "I'm getting some for later, so they're making more."

Hiromi scowled "You're not gonna have those biceps you brag about if you keep eating like that."

Takeo rolled his eyes. "It's called bulking Koda-san. You wouldn't know since you don't go to the gym."

"You wanna get punched again?" She stared Takeo down.

Takeo sighed "No...my bad."

Hiromi smiled maniacally as she rose from her seat "Good. I need to get back home. My parents will kill me if I stay out any longer. It was nice meeting you Kuramoto-san!" 

"You too, Koda-san." Rhys said to the girl as she walked out of the restaurant. 

"Interesting chick, right?" Takeo said to Rhys, blinking his left eye. 

Rhys rolled his eyes "Can we get your food and leave?" 

When Takeo got his midnight snack, the two left and made it back to the apartments. They decided to call it a night and Rhys went to his room.

Rhys laid on his bed and his eyes began to fade, he had made through his first day at Hokkaido University. 

Chapter Text

04/10 - Friday

Otaru Apartments - Evening 

Rhys's second day at Hokkaido University went just like his first. He and Takeo met up with Hiromi, they went to class, and hung out for the remainder of the day. Rhys and Hiromi made small talk while joking around with Takeo. They didn't go out to eat this time however, as Takeo would not budge when it came to paying, and Hiromi had some errands to run for her father.

Rhys decided to sit in the lobby and watch some TV to kill some time. He had already ate a cup of ramen for his meal for the day, so he was just sitting on the lobby couch, killing time. He decide to turn on the news. Rhys thought if he watched the news, he could learn more about the city and its people.

When he turned it on, the news reporter was interviewing a local artist who gained fame from his time as an artist in Tokyo. The artist was being interviewed about the exhibit he was planning on opening in five days.

"In recent news, the long awaited Saori Exhibition is on the verge of it's grand opening here in Sapporo, with tourists and citizens being able to tour the Exhibit on April 15th. Here with me today is the renown artist behind the Exhibit. Sapporo's own Yusuke Kitagawa, is here today to answer a few questions regarding the Exhibit. Kitagawa-san, thank you for being here today."

"It is an honor to be here." 

"To start, what made you want to finally open an exhibit here in Sapporo? What's the motivation after all this time?"

"It is to exhilarate the spirit of the city. I have noticed the morality of the city to be at its lowest, with some hiding in the shadows in fear of the city's horrors. I only wish to show that through this Exhibit, Sapporo is not defeated by these horrors."

"And what may these horrors be if I may?"

"It is the ones who hide behind the masks of canines and preach Chaos as gospel. They believe through their crimes and acts of horror, that Sapporo will become stronger. This Exhibit is to prove them wrong. They are nothing more than a manic cult, spewing nonsense I find inconceivable."

"And is this meant to be a message towards that cult?"

"Precisely. It may just seem like paint on a canvas, but it is more. It is the spirit of Sapporo. It will not be defeated."

"It looks like we've ran out of time. Thank you for your time Kitagawa-san."

The news then transitioned to a new report, regarding the same cult Yusuke was talking about.

"In other news, there have been numerous reports of vandalism and assault regarding the cult known as the Hounds of Chaos. The cult began to make its presence known two weeks ago with a hijacked broadcast, and since then, have become more and more known by many. It is reported by an unknown source that the amount of members of the cult have increased significantly. Police speculate the Hounds of Chaos are suspected to be responsible for the recent missing persons reports. Citizens of Hokkaido would appear missing, then show up out of nowhere around three days later, either having major injuries or showing severe mental disabilities. The police have deemed the cult as dangerous. If you see a suspected member, contact the police immediately..."

The news went on and on and while watching it, Rhys began to grow tired, barely able to keep his eyes open. 

So tired...today was long....I'll stay up...a..little...while...longer. Rhys's eyes grew heavier and eventually, he fell asleep on the couch of the apartment lobby. His exhaustion came out of nowhere. How did he get tired so quickly?

Play "Aria of The Soul"

The Velvet Room

Rhys began to wake up from his sleep, but he noticed he was not in his dorm. The walls, floor, and roof were all blue and he heard a piano and a woman singing from somewhere. The room appeared to look like a patient’s room at a hospital, except the room was larger than the average space a patient would reside in.

Where am I? What is that music? And who the hell is that?

Rhys looked up from the hospital bed and noticed a man sitting behind a desk in front of him. The odd man had wide open eyes and a really, really long nose. He was smiling and had his hands propped underneath his nose. Next to him was a woman who looked Rhys’s age. She had platinum blonde hair that went down the right side of her head and behind it and wore a blue driving cap on her head. The lady also had yellow eyes and wore a blue suit and slacks with a white handkerchief. In her hand was a book containing various unknown symbols and ancient designs.

The odd man finally began to speak.

“Ah…it seems we have received a guest tied by fate, from a far away land.”

“Do not be alarmed, you are still asleep in your world.”

Rhys wanted to say something, but he felt obliged to listen instead.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor…I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…It is a room that is only available to those who have signed a contract.”

Contract? What contract?

Suddenly, a paper appeared on the desk in front of Rhys. It was the petition he signed two days ago.

That’s the petition I signed. What’s going on?

Igor began to talk again, introducing the lady standing next to him.

“Allow me to introduce my assistant. This is Samantha, a resident of the Velvet Room as I am.”

Samantha looked at Rhys with a smile. “Pleased to be of your acquaintance!”

Igor began to speak once more.

“Your fate, destiny, and journey is one of great importance. It has been forged by the journeys of previous guests of the Velvet Room. Their journeys led you here to this very moment. The journey before you will require perseverance, strength, and selflessness. Take responsibility for your actions and agree to your contractual obligations.”

Wanting to wake up from whatever bizarre dream this was, Rhys obliged. “I understand.”

Igor chuckled. “Very well then. We will discuss more details when more to you is revealed. For now, you are about to wake up in your world. Until we meet again…”

Rhys’s eyes began to fade along with everything from the Velvet Room as he fell back to sleep.

Otaru Apartments

"Kuramoto-san" "Kuramoto-san"

Rhys began to hear a voice call for him as he was waking back up.

"Kuramoto-san!" Rhys snapped up, waking up from someone shaking him. It was Minato.

"Oh, hey Sensei."

"Did you fall asleep in the lobby?" Minato asked Rhys.

"I guess I did. I was watching the news. They had some painter on named Yusuke Kitagawa."

"Ah. I heard of him."

"His hair looked similar to yours."

Minato chuckled. "That's the only similarity between us."

"I haven't heard of him. Who is he?" Rhys asked the teacher.

"Yusuke Kitagawa is a painter that originally resided in Japan. His former Sensei was involved in a scandal of creating fake paintings. He eventually painted something that go him on the map in the world of art. He now lives here with a video game developer. That's the basic information on him."

"Sounds like quite the philosopher by the way he speaks." Rhys remarked.

"Yeah. I get what you mean. Well, you should actually get to bed. You're lucky I came down or you probably would have slept through the night in the lobby."

Rhys groaned. "Probably. I'm going to my room now. Goodnight Sensei."

"Goodnight"

On his way up to his room, Rhys began to remember the weird dream he had and started thinking to himself about it.

That was a strange dream....what was it called? The Velvet Room? Why did that dream feel different from a normal dream?

Rhys pondered these questions as he went to bed, making it through the second day. 

Chapter Text

04/11 - Saturday

Hokkaido University - Morning

Rhys walked to class by himself today. He was able to remember the route he and Takeo took the last two days to get to the university so he figured he would attempt to make it by himself.

Fortunately, Rhys was successful in the route he remembered, and now he is sitting in the classroom, waiting for the day's lecture to start. While sitting alone, Rhys had more time to think about the dream he had last night. Normally, his dreams are like hallucinations. He sees out of the ordinary things and events, and is put in situations he can't really describe when he wakes up. It's a blur of the specific details of the dream. However, this time he could remember every second of the dream. Every detail, every word said, every thought that ran through his head. It was almost if what happened in his dream actually happened. Rhys's mind began to wonder on the subject.

The Velvet Room. Igor. Samantha. Between dream and reality, and mind and matter?  Responsibility for my actions? I still don't know what to think of it. That man with the nose, Igor, said we would speak again when more is revealed. What does that mean? So many questions...so little answers...

Rhys came out of his trance when Takeo snapped his fingers in his face. "Yo, Earth to Kuramoto-san. You there?"

Rhys blinked about five times before looking at Takeo. "Yeah sorry, I was thinking about stuff."

Takeo raised his left eyebrow "Stuff?" 

"Yeah. Stuff."

Takeo shook his head remembering what he wanted to talk to Rhys about. "Anyway, did you see the news?"

"From last night? Yeah it was on that artist, Yusuke Kitagawa was it not? He was being interviewed about an exhibit he was opening in the city."

"No, not last night! This morning! It's still about Yusuke though."

"What about him?"

"Well...the exhibit got put on hold. It won't be happening on the 15th now."

"Why? Did something happen?"

Takeo looked around before leaning his head closer to his desk. "That's one way of putting it. Yusuke Kitagawa has gone missing."

That raised alarms in Rhys for some reason, but he couldn't figure out why. "Missing? Like he disappeared?"

"Yeah. The news reported someone broke into his house last night while he was alone."

"Last night? But he was on the interview."

"The interview was taped and played earlier in the morning. They replayed it for the nighttime broadcast."

Rhys hummed in curiosity. "That's odd."

"It is. Apparently it happened way late at night, and the inside of the house looked like an earthquake happened. Furniture was torn, there were holes in the walls, it looked like an all out brawl happened inside."

Rhys felt a little worried. Break ins? Kidnappings? "So he got kidnapped?"

"Precisely. That's unsettling, considering we live in an apartment complex where ANYONE could walk in."

"Does anyone else live with Kitagawa."

"One other person. I think it was his girlfriend. She's a developer at Other Self Inc, a game company that is located on the other side of town. I think her name's Futaba Sakura."

"She wasn't there?" Rhys asked Takeo.

"Nah, the news said she stated she came home at midnight and noticed the door was swung open, the inside of the house was ransacked, and Kitagawa's phone was on the ground."

"Damn...that's rough."

"It is." 

The two sat in silent before realizing someone wasn't there.

"Hey Hattori-san, did you see Koda-san as you were walking here?" Rhys asked Takeda, who was looking at his phone, trying to learn more of Yusuke's kidnapping before looking up at him.

"I didn't. Don't worry, she's probably running late. There were a couple of times last year she was late as well." Takeo reassured.

Almost on cue, Hiromi walked into the classroom and immediately plopped in her seat. She looked paranoid. 

"Yo, speak of the devil! 'Sup Koda-san! You almost were late." Takeo greeted his friend.

"Yeah...late..." Hiromi said while shaking.

Takeo showed some concern. "Everything alright? You look like you're having a moment-oh. You saw the news of the kidnapping, didn't you?"

She sounded annoyed. "Look can we not talk about it? I don't want to, nor am I in the mood to."

Rhys nodded. "If somethings bothering her, let's leave her be." 

Takeo didn't really like that bit of advice but decided it was best considering class was about to begin. "Okay, yeah sure." 

Afterschool - Courtyard

The trio were sitting in the courtyard, eating some food from a spot on campus. Hiromi had been silent all day, not looking anyone in the eye, but still decided to tag along with Rhys and Takeo.

Takeo had figured out why Hiromi was acting weird the entire day, but even he was smart enough to not bring it up. She was sensitive to the topic as is. To bring it up while she is paranoid about it would not be the smartest idea.

Rhys didn't know this, so all he had to do was speculate what was bothering her. He was thinking it had to do with Yusuke Kitagawa's kidnapping, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. 

While the three were sitting, looking over some notes they took in class, two other students who were sitting behind them. They began talking about a new rumor that was spreading online and across campus.

"Dude, did you here about the high schooler who showed up to class yesterday? He was missing for three days, then showed up as if nothing happened."

"Yeah, but I heard that whenever someone tried to interact with him, he got aggressive, it almost got violent."

"What do you think caused him to lose his shit like that."

"I think he tried out the elevator ritual."

"The elevator ritual?"

Rhys leaned back to eavesdrop on the conversation, as did Takeo. They were taking a break from going over the notes, so they figured why not? It didn't help when one of the students brought up something called the "elevator ritual."

They continued talking. "Yeah, it's a very long process, but I heard it leads to the afterlife!" 

Rhys thought in his head The afterlife? As in "seeing dead people" afterlife?

"The afterlife? What do you do?"

"Well to start, you need to be in an elevator for a building with at least ten floors. Then as you get in the elevator, wait for the door to shut by itself. Don't press any buttons. Next, press the buttons with the numbers 1-3-5-7-9 every three seconds, then press the numbers 2-4-6-8-10 every three seconds. If you do it right, you're in the afterlife! You can see lost loved ones!"

"Dude, you're spitting nonsense, let's just go home." The two students walked away, arguing over the mysterious rumor. Rhys couldn't helped but be intrigued because of the idea of seeing lost loved ones again. It sounds like BS, but I could see Logan again...no. It's just a fairy tale. Nothing more. 

Takeo began to laugh "HA! A gateway into the afterlife?! Who would believe that crap!"

Rhys nervously chuckled. "Yeah...but you gotta admit it sounds kinda intriguing."

Hiromi got up. "I'm gonna go. I don't wanna be out long." Then rushed off quickly, as if she was running from something.

Rhys decided to ask the question. "Do you know what's up with her? I can tell you know something."

Takeo sighed "It's not my place to tell you. All I'll say is it's related to Yusuke's kidnapping."

Rhys relented, "I can respect that. C'mon we should get going too."

Rhys and Takeo got up and walked back to the apartment as the sun began to set. Rhys had a lot on his mind as they walked back, the kidnapping, Hiromi's change of attitude, the Velvet Room, and the elevator ritual. Perhaps some rest would clear his head, as well as tomorrow considering he had no class. But he knew one thing. Something was happening, and it didn't seem like it was gonna go away overnight. 

Chapter Text

04/13 - Monday 

Otaru Apartments - Lobby

Rhys spent most of Sunday to himself, looking over more of Logan's research. He had hit a wall concerning it however. He had no proof of anything his brother researched. He has never actually seen a Persona, or any of it to be honest. The blond scanned each document at least five times to make sure he wasn't missing anything. It took him all day to find absolutely nothing. Rhys called it when he realized it was almost midnight. 

Rhys set an earlier alarm to try and get more stuff done before class began. He got up an hour earlier to do a better job at cleaning himself up and get his bag organized for the day.

He got down to the lobby and saw that it was empty.

Guess I’m the first one up. I should make me something…

Rhys was not an incredible cook by any means, but he understood the basics. He learned to help his mom a bit more after he got his act together. He offered to cook dinner more so she could focus on her job and not him as much.

The apartment had a community kitchen, which meant anything left in the fridge not labeled was for the taking. Rhys looked in the fridge and saw some slices of bacon and a carton of eggs. He took two slices from the package before sealing it up and two eggs from the carton. After he got done cooking the bacon and sunny side up eggs, he went to the table near the TV.

Might as well see what’s on

He picked up the remote to see what was on. Nothing really piqued his interest except a show about an old man trying to take a young girl across the United States after a zombie apocalypse had left humanity broken. Rhys decided to just watch the news.

The news was covering the cult mentioned on the news last Friday, The Hounds of Chaos.

“Heh, lunatics.” Rhys said to himself as he was eating.

The news then shifted to the missing person cases. Even as far as stating a new one that happened last night.

“In recent news, another person has seemed to have gone missing. This time it was a tourist from the small town of Inaba. The victim is claimed to be Yosuke Hanamura. Yosuke is the head manager of Inaba’s Junes, which gained attraction due to their collaboration with celebrity Rise Kujikawa. Yosuke was supposedly on a trip with journalist Yu Narukami, when Narukami states someone came into the hotel room they were staying and hit him from behind, leaving him unconscious as they made their move towards Hanamura. Narukami states when he woke up, the door was left wide open, and the room had the phrase “CHAOS BECKENS ALL” Painted on the wall. If you have any details on Hanamura’s disappearance, please notify local authorities immediately.”

Another kidnapping? And that name. Yu Narukami. Why does that sound familiar? What is going on?

Hokkaido University, Morning.

Rhys again walked to the university by himself. He remembered Takeo said he had different classes on Mondays, but Hiromi still had classes with him. He made it to the front entrance to see Takeo already there, talking to Hiromi, who looked even worse than last time. Takeo certainly wasn't helping, as he kept trying to cheer her up with banter. 

“The boogeyman isn’t gonna come get you Hiromi. Why is this bothering you?”

“Can it smooth brain. I’m not doing this today.” She sounded like she could burst into tears from this out of nowhere stress in Rhys’s eyes.

Rhys knew something was up and the kidnappings were what was causing it.

“Hey Kuramoto-san, did you see the news of that Hanamura guy getting kidnapped?” Takeo turned his attention to Rhys, deciding it was best not to provoke Hiromi any further.

“Yeah I did. Dude what the hell is going on? It’s like random people are being kidnapped by force out of their own homes.”

Suddenly, Hiromi snapped at the two. "Could you two SHUT UP about the break ins?!  You keep on talking about it and it's pissing me off!" She proceeded to storm off from the two. 

Rhys sighed. "I'll talk to her, you should get to your classes."

Takeo nodded. "Yeah. Hey I'll meet you at the apartment later tonight. Arisato-Sensei asked me to pick up his kids from school. Hey, before you go, I wanna ask you something."

Rhys looked up. "Yeah?"

"Do you...wanna try that elevator ritual tonight?" Takeo asked nervously.

"Weren't you the one laughing about that Saturday?" Rhys asked sarcastically.

"Well I figured that moods have been tense for the last two days, so I wanna try it. It could be something to get our minds off of the kidnappings."

Rhys processed it for a moment. If it really does lead to the afterlife, he could see Logan again and ask him how he died. It's worth a shot.

"Fine. We'll do it." 

"Awesome!" Takeo jumped. "I'll meet you tonight. Later!" Takeo ran off while Rhys walked toward his class.

He got in there and saw Hiromi sitting down at a desk by herself. He sat next to her as the lecture began.  

As the lecture went on, Rhys leaned his head down to whisper to Hiromi. He knew he had to try and help her, it's a part of the promise he made to Logan. To help people in need. 

“Koda-san, are you alright? Need someone to talk to?” Rhys whispered to her.

*sigh*“Later. Meet me at the courtyard after classes are done today.”

“You got it.”

After the lecture for the day, everyone begins to pack up. Rhys and Hiromi ran into Minato while walking in a hallway. However, Minato, along with Rhys and Hiromi began to overhear students talking about that damn elevator rumor.

“The elevator wouldn’t work for me.”

“I told you; it has to be at least ten floors. You gotta wait for the door to shut too.”

“Yeah I’m starting to think you’re bullshitting me.”

“I’m not bullshitting you! Akira told me it worked for him, but he chickened out last minute!”

Minato gave those students a cold stare before turning his attention to Minato and Hiromi. 

"Hey you two, I need you to do something for me." He sounded more serious and stern when talking to them this time.

"Yes Sensei?" Rhys asked Minato.

“When you get done with classes today, head straight home. Something’s going on, something wrong. I have a meeting today so I won't be back until later, so I sent Hattori-san to get my kids from school for today. Just go straight home, and lock your doors. Got it?"

The request caught the two of them off and only freaked Hiromi out even more. 

"Of course, we'll head straight home." Rhys nodded. 

"Good. Stay safe." Minato said as he walked off.

Afterschool. 

Rhys and Hiromi walked to the courtyard. They sat on a bench close to the edge of the area. When Hiromi sat down, she locked her hands together and began shaking. Rhys sat down next to her as she began to talk.

"Sorry if I've seemed weird these past couple of days...I've been dealing with some bad memories because of the kidnappings." 

"Don't sweat it Koda-san. Everyone has their moments." Rhys tried in some way to comfort her.

“Now do you mind telling me what’s bothering you? Ever since they started you acted like you're next. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But I like to help people in need of a friend. I made a promise to do so.” He reassured her.

Hiromi sighed before pushing her hair out the way of her face. "So...it isn't the actual kidnappings that are making me feel uneasy, but rather the part that stated the kidnappers broke into where the victims were living before taking them."

"Oh..." Rhys said. "If that's all you want to say then that's fine."

"No." Hiromi said immediately afterwards. "I'll continue."

"My dad used to be a lead member of a computer company in Osaka. They sold a bunch of units. We were in good standing with everyone. We had money. Money to help me pursue my career as a biologist. Everyone loved my dad. But, all it took was one wrong accusation to ruin us. He had an employee who wanted to be promoted. The employee tried everything in her power to persuade him to promote her. My dad wouldn't budge. He knew she was a slacker, but kept giving her chance after chance to improve. One day, I guess she became fed up with my dad. She went online and posted fake pictures of him having an affair with another employee. He tried to clear his name, but the photos were too convincing to the public. He was fired along with the poor soul photoshopped into the "affair." It ruined us. My mom tried to help him get back on his feet, but every time he tried, he would only get in a deeper hole. No one looked at us the same anymore, it was just the disloyal father and his delinquent family. We went into debt. But that's not even the worst part. The husband of the lady who got caught up in the scandal, hated us. No matter how much we tried to clarify, his mindset wouldn't change. I guess it became too much for him. One night, when we were all asleep, he broke into our house. He...he tried to hurt me, my mom, my dad." Hiromi began to cry from the memories crawling their way back in. Rhys sat in horror to the story.

"Dad was able to knock him out and call the police. After that, we decided to move to here. Even after everything that happened, my parents still encouraged me to go to college. But, it's hurting our family. The tuition is hurting our family because of the debt. I don't know what to do Rhys. I want to keep going to Hokkaido, but my family needs me to help get out of that debt. It...it just sucks..."

Rhys sighed before speaking. 

“Look Hiro, I know we come from different worlds and different ideologies. So, I don’t know how to help you. But sometimes not knowing what to do is the best option. Sometimes letting our minds wonder is better than jumping to the first alternative. You’re my friend, and I’m so sorry you went through all of that. No one is going to get you. Not while me and Takeo are around to talk to you.”

Hiromi began to feel better “I suppose you’re right, thanks Rhys. I gotta get back home before it turns dark.”

“Huh? No honorific?”

“You called me Hiro.”

Rhys chuckled while slightly turning red. “Sorry about that, guess I got caught up in my motivational words.”

The two began to walk away from each other in different directions. Now that was done, there was one more thing on Rhys’s mind.

Time to see if this elevator crap is real or not.

Back at the University, unknown Location

Minato was on the phone with an old friend. The elevator rumor tied with the kidnappings began to wonder in his mind. He feared the worst but didn’t want to make assumptions.

“Are you absolutely sure this is it?” The voice from the phone asked

“There have been numerous kidnappings and there’s fast-spreading rumor of an elevator to the afterlife. This is the gateway we’ve been looking for. I’m positive.”

“Even if it is, there is nothing confirming it. I can’t send the rest of the team down to Sapporo without knowing it for sure exists.”

“You leave that to me. I’m going to try the sequence in the elevator tonight. If I find something I’ll contact you.”

“If this was anyone else going into it alone, I would be against it. But I trust you Arisato. Be careful.”

“When am I not?”

Otaru Apartments - Night

Rhys and Takeo had made sure no one was around before trying the ritual. Once they were sure, they went inside the elevator in the lobby of the apartment.

Takeo still didn’t know exactly what to do.

“So uh Kuramoto-san, how is this supposed to work again?”

“From what I heard, wait for the elevator door to shut, then press the buttons with odd numbers, then even numbers every three seconds. After that we should be in the “afterlife.” That’s how the rumor went.”

“And you decided to agree to do this with me why exactly?”

“Personal reasons. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, and we can go on with our lives.”

“Eh. Fair point. Alright start mashing those buttons!”

Rhys began pressing the elevator buttons in the rumored sequence.

“Okay let’s see, press 1, then 3, then 5, then 7, then 9.”

Once Rhys pressed 9, the elevator started to move, but it wasn’t at the pace of the apartment’s elevator. It was faster. Rhys remained focused on the buttons while Takeo started to get nervous.

“Uh Rhys? Are you doing it right?!”

“Shut up! Okay now press 2, then, 4, then 6, then 8, and lastly 10!”

Once Rhys pressed 10, the elevator stopped entirely, but no matter how hard he tried, Rhys couldn’t see anything behind the elevator door. Looks like it was just a prank afterall.

“Well, you can’t say we didn’t try Kuramoto-san.” Takeo said that looking almost relieved.

Rhys was disappointed but not surprised. “Yeah Hattori-san you’re right. Heh guess it was just some stupid pran-WOAH!”

The elevator began to shake intensely as if an earthquake was happening before dropping at the speed of one of those rides at an amusement park.

“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!”

“I DON’T KNOW! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

 The two screamed as they started floating in the air before the elevator suddenly stopped and crashed. Slamming the two on the ground. The ritual had worked. 

Chapter Text

?????????????

The two boys began to gain consciousness again from the impact of the drop. The elevator door was still shut.

“Damn…that hurt like hell. Yo Takeo, you alright?”

Takeo groans “Augh…yeah. Not the first time I hit my head on something. Still hurts though.”

As the two got up Rhys asked one question.

“D-did it work?”

The elevator door opened, revealing the lobby of the apartment. However, something about the apartment felt…off.

“It’s the lobby?” Takeo asked.

“Looks like it. But look at the walls, they look torn and clawed through. None of the lights are on either. This doesn’t feel right.”

“Yeah…I’m starting to get creeped out.”

Rhys watched horror movies so he knew the words he was about to say were the dumbest thing he could say. But he still wanted to, nonetheless.

“Wanna go have a look around?”

“H-Hell no!” Takeo was trying to be the smart person from horror movies. “Have you seen any horror flicks dude?! This is the part where some ghost comes and gets us!”

“Hey, we very clearly did the ritual right so I wanna get my money’s worth! Now c’mon!”

The two began to walk out of the elevator and out of the lobby with Takeo groaning and thinking to himself Americans…

When the two walked out of the lobby and outside, they didn’t see Hokkaido anymore. It looked like an ancient city with ruptured buildings, The buildings had a gothic design, but looked badly damaged. The ground they were walking on was a pitch black pavement. And the most jarring of the two was the orange sky, as if the clouds themselves were flames, and the moon itself a blood red. 

Rhys was stunned at the sight and Takeo probably peed his pants a little.

“Whoa…I don’t think we’re in Hokkaido now Rhys. But I hope this isn’t the afterlife either.”

“You said it. Look at the buildings. They look very old and worn down. The hell are we? Babylon? The sky and the ground aren’t helping much either. I want to keep looking around, but if you wanna stay here and wait that’s fine with me.”

Takeo groaned again “You definitely haven’t seen any horror movies! That’s the SECOND thing you shouldn’t do. Don’t split up! I’m coming with only because of those rules and because I am NOT waiting here alone!”

“Well let’s get walking then.”

The two began to walk through the desolate ruins and through the ancient city.

They walked for what felt like thirty minutes. They finally came to something of interest. It was a courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard was a statue of what looked like some sort of God. It wore a helmet that resembled a human's face and skull, with a medallion at the center of the forehead. It was wearing a black cloak underneath its silver and etched battle armor. It made the two feel uneasy.

“I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all.” Takeo was scared to death at this point. He wanted to go home.

As they walked closer, Rhys noticed a sword on the ground with a broken blade. It was rusted but still looked decently sharp enough for use.

“Best take that for self-defense” he said as he picked up the sword.

The two were now in the center of the courtyard, staring the statue down. Takeo knew for sure this wasn’t the afterlife he and Rhys heard about.

“I don’t think this is the afterlife Rhys.”

“Me neither. This is hell. But it feels less than and somehow worse than hell at the same time. I think I’ve seen enough. Let’s head back.”

“Wait a minute, look up at the sky! What is that?”

Rhys looked up and saw a bird flying in the air. It had a look and feather color he had never seen before then.

“A bird?” Rhys asked.

“Is it just me or does it look like it’s coming to us?” Takeo asked concerned.

The bird began to descend towards them and slowly landed on the base of the statue. It began to eye Rhys and Takeo down.

Rhys wanted to get closer to it. Same for Takeo. They were not the smart people they thought they were.

“Hey little birdy…” Rhys said as he walked toward the bird. He loved feathered animals and always wanted one as a pet.

“Whatcha doing all the way out here?” The two got closer while going silent then stared at the bird up close. It was silent for twenty seconds until the silence was broken.

“Are you two fools gonna keep staring or am I gonna have to peck at you?”

“HOLY SHIT”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

The two boys were startled. The bird just talked.

“Did that bird just TALK?!” Takeo asked.

“Yeah, I think so? Are we high?” Rhys responded.

“No, you’re just stupid.” The bird talked again.

“IT DID IT AGAIN!” Takeo could not believe what he was seeing. Or hearing for that matter.

“What are you two doing here?! Do you realize how dangerous it is here? Why do people keep showing up here?”

Rhys actually started talking to a bird. He really thought this was some weird acid trip or dream.

“We wanted to try the afterlife rumor. And what do you mean it’s dangerous over here?!”

Almost as if on cue, there were screams. Screams of the damned. Of the demonic.

“That’s what I meant. Now, you two need to get out of here before the monsters get here. They know when people show up here so it’s a miracle you two haven’t been caught yet.”

Now Takeo was talking to the bird.  “And how do we get out Mr. Birdy? You’re just rambling weird shit!”

“Well dummy, how did you get in here in the first place?!”

“We came through an elevator in our apartment. Are you saying that’s how we’ll get out?”

“Precisely. Look I don’t know you two but too many people have gotten hurt by wandering into this place. I’ll help you get back there. I can give you directions from the sky.”

Rhys wanted to get out of there. But the more this bird talked the more questions he had.

“What do you mean people have gotten hurt wandering over here? And what are these monsters you’re talking about? And what even is this place?”

“Move now. Questions later. You wanna die? Be my guest.”

Rhys and Takeo decide to relent and follow the bird out of the weird world.

“Fine. Lead the way bird.”

“Will do. And the name’s Solomon. Rude.”

????????

The now trio were going through the streets of this unknown city. It felt like a maze even to Solomon, but the feathered being was able to still point them in the right direction.

“Okay you two, we’re getting close. Just keep walking and stay quiet.”

Takeo is still dumbfounded. The elevator ritual worked and now they’re taking orders from a talking bird.

“Dude, no one is gonna believe us at school.”

“Heh you got that right. I feel like I’m losing it-

“Rhys…”

“Did you hear that Takeo?”

“Yeah…what was that?”

“What are you idiots doing? Quit standing around!”

Rhys suddenly feels frozen, shaking from what was calling his name.

“L-Logan?...” Rhys couldn’t move at the sight of his brother. However, that was just a creation of his desires.

Solomon noticed the figure walking towards the frozen boy and knew what it was immediately.

“HEY! GET OUT OF THERE NOW! THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS!’’ The bird shouted from the air.

“Rhys! Snap out of it! We gotta go! What the HELL IS THAT THING?!”

“Logan” got closer and closer to the two and Rhys was still in a trance from seeing his brother.

Before the being got any closer towards the two, they got pulled away by someone. They couldn’t scream as whoever dragged them out of sight had their hands on both of their mouths.

“HMPHMGH LET GO OF ME!” Takeo got out of the man’s grasp and was shocked to see who was there with him and Rhys.

“ARISATO-SENSEI?!”

“Keep your voice down!” The teacher ordered. He looked more tense and serious compared to how he was in a classroom.

Rhys finally came to his senses and got Minato’s mouth off his hand and was as confused as Takeo.

“You two need to listen to me and not say a word. Those things will kill you. You need to stay behind me and stay silent. Do you understand!? This is a matter of life and death.”

Rhys finally spoke. “Wait—"

“Silent! Not QUIET! SILENT! Now who were you following earlier?”

Solomon made it to the building the three were hiding in. “They were following me until this one started seeing things. If you didn’t intervene they would’ve been caught and killed.”

Minato didn’t look as stunned as the two at seeing a bird talk. “Talking bird? Interesting.”

Isaiah was actually surprised by his answer “No one’s reacted like that before. You’re an odd one mister.”

“So I’ve been told. Now we need to move before the shadows catch us.”

Rhys’s ears caught that word out of the sentence more than anything else.

Shadow? Wait a minute. There’s no way…

Rhys decided not to question it. He was right, they could talk later. He nodded and the four were off. 

The four began to move through the streets of the city. They almost make it to the street the apartment was located when they hear a scream from behind.

And there it stood. A shadow. It screamed like it was an alarm for its friends to come and take the lives of the four that stood there.

Isaiah shows immediate concern “Oh this is not good…”

“RUN!” Minato shouts.

The humans begin to run through the streets as fast as they can, with Solomon soaring near them. The closer the screams got, the closer the shadows got as well. They were right behind them, and the apartment felt farther than it did before. Minato knew he could intervene at any second, but something was telling him not to.

I could take these shadows out immediately. But my power here feels drained. And something is off about Rhys. I need to wait this out. He could be the next one…

As Minato is running with Takeo alongside him, Rhys notices two shadows trying to catch them off guard by coming from the side.

“Look out!” Rhys shoves the two out of the way before the shadow can get them. Rhys is separated from the two as shadows swarm him from the front and behind.

Solomon makes the call Rhys was wanting.

“Go you two! I’ll find him another route!”

“Don’t just stand there! GO!  I’ll be fine!” Rhys reiterates.

Minato and Takeo start making a sprint towards the street.

“Alright bird, where to?”

“Behind you!”

Rhys moves out of the way before a shadow can tackle him and stabs it with the rusted sword he found earlier. It didn’t kill the shadow.

“What!? That did nothing!?”

“Go through the alley! I’ll direct you to the apartment!”

Rhys followed the bird’s directions, dodging shadow after shadow until he made it to the front doors of the apartment. He noticed Takeo and Minato weren’t there.

“Bird. Do you see the others?”

“oh no…” Solomon whispered as he noticed the two were corned at the back of the street by shadows. Minato got in front of Takeo to shield the scared boy, but something was still stopping him from intervening.

Rhys’s heart began to beat faster and faster. His thoughts overflowing his brain. 

C'mon Rhys, the elevator is right there. It's a straight shot. I can get out of here. I can save my own skin. But if I do that, if I abandon them, they'll die. They'll be killed. Just like Logan. 

Rhys balls his left hand into a fist and clenches the rusted sword in his right. 

No…no more watching…no more standing around. No more dying.

“I can’t let them die.” Rhys whispers.

“What are we gonna do?” Solomon asks Rhys.

“Save them.” Is all Rhys said.

“HEY! DICKHEADS! I’M OVER HERE! COME AND GET SOME!” Rhys shouted at the shadows to get their attention. The shadows turned away from Minato and Takeo and began to surround the transfer student.

It was almost instantly as they surrounded him, his head started to burst with pain, and his hand felt like it was on fire.

Minato and Takeo notice the boy in pain, but Minato could be any less worried.

“RHYS!” Takeo tries to run Rhys, but Minato stops him.

“Wait…” Minato says.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WAIT?! THEY’RE GONNA KILL HIM!” Takeo was shouting at his teacher. Minato knew what was about to happen, this was Rhys’s fate.

“Watch…you won’t believe it.” Minato is smirking.

Rhys’s head still in pain, a voice began to speak to him in his head.

So, you wish to finally intervene for the lives of others?

What?

You wish to put your life at risk? To put the lives of others before you and your benefits?

…I do.

To save the people you care about and hold most dear?

I do.

To become a hero? To become selfless?

…I…do.

Then accept the mark of heroism. The sigil of selflessness.

A glowing symbol appeared before Rhys. It glowed a light blue and took the shape a dove. It's wings were facing outward and in front of it was a scale, balanced on both sides. Rhys began to shake when he saw the sigil before his eyes before hearing the voice of his brother and nothing else.

“…Do it.”

Rhys touched the sigil with his left hand, and it began to be engulfed in a blue flame. He felt his arm being scorched to the bone as the burn sent a writing pain to his brain. His screams were louder from the pain of the flames, but his screams turned into grunts as he figured out what to do.

“PER…” Rhys began to raise his burning arm towards the sky as Solomon, Minato, and Takeo watched with awe.

“….SO…” He had his arm raised in the air and put his ring finger and thumb together to snap them together.

“…NNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Rhys screams the last syllable of the word before snapping his fingers. The snap caused a blue shockwave to burst across the street, knocking the shadows away from him..

Behind Rhys was an overarching figure floating above him. It had on what looked like old medieval knight armor that didn’t cover its arms. Long hair like Rhys’s and a headband to keep it back. It held a short sword in one hand and long sandals that went all the way up to its knees along with a silver loincloth over its pants.

Finally…you understand the true meaning of being a hero and have accepted the mark of selflessness.

I am Thou… Thou Art I…From the Sea of Thy Soul I Cometh

Revel in your strength…your power…and strike down your enemies!

For I AM BEOWULF. SLAYER OF MONSTERS! HERO!

Rhys stands up in a firm stance before the shadows. He has found his new resolve and has awakened to his Persona.

“I can’t believe it!” Solomon states stunned.

“Holy Shit!” Takeo bursts with excitement.

“I knew it…Hell yeah.” Minato couldn’t hold back his grin. He couldn’t help but remember when he awakened to his Persona.

Rhys is reveling in his newfound power. Adrenaline fills up his entire body. He can't help but smile like a demonic being. 

This strength…This power…It…feels…amazing!

The shadows grew angrier from the awakening, and closed in on Rhys.

He moves out of the way before deciding to put his power to use.

Time to fight back.

“Persona!” He shouts as Beowulf spins his sword and a green burst of Garu hits one of the shadows, killing them instantly.

Rhys takes the rusted sword from earlier and slices through two of the shadows with only three remaining. He has just the attack to finish them off.

“HAAAGH!” Rhys snaps his fingers to summon Beowulf again as he lays waste to the final three shadows with a Rampage. Rhys has survived his first fight.

However, awakening to a persona can exhaust one’s mental state, depleting their stamina.

Rhys falls to the ground from exhaustion.

Augh I feel drained. What just happened?

More shadows begin to surround Rhys as they realize the new persona user is vulnerable.

Solomon gets Minato and Takeo’s attention “Come here now! He’s exhausted!”

“Now can we help him?!” Takeo asks.

Minato knew it was time to strike.

“Yes, we can. Stay behind me.”

Minato slowly walks towards the final shadows surrounding Rhys.

Takeo notices Minato pull out something from his suit jacket.

“Is that a gun?!”

“Not exactly.” Minato says coldly as he puts the gun-like object up to the side of his head and says a name he hasn’t said in a very long time.

“ORPHEUS TELOS!” The teacher shouts as a mechanical man with Minato’s face and a harp is summoned out of nowhere. Takeo is speechless.

“You have one too!?”

“Quiet. I need to focus.”

Minato uses his Persona to finish off the enemies as  Orpheus Telos strums his harp and a ball of flame bursts on the remaining shadows, scorching them alive and putting an end to the final shadows. The battle was over.

“Now we can finally get out of here.” Minato says with relief.

“I knew something was off about you! You already had a Persona!” Solomon says to Minato.

“That I did. This world is just like I suspected, it’s another one of the shadow incursions.”

“Shadows? Persona? What are you two blabbering about?” Takeo still doesn’t know what is going on.

“I’ll tell you and Rhys later. Right now, Rhys needs to rest. He'll have to miss class until he recovers. Thank you for your help bird. This won’t be the last time we meet.”

“I figured.” Solomon sighs. “Now please leave.”

As Rhys is picked up by Takeo, everything clicks. This is what his brother was researching. Another world. Shadows. Personas. He can’t help but shed a tear as he is dozing off with one thought in mind.

Logan…you were right…I knew you were right all along.

Chapter Text

Koda Residence - Midnight

Hiromi had been home by herself since she got back from school. Her parents had some extra errands to run, and it ran into the night as she was alone in her house.

Where are they? It’s past midnight. They better be thankful I decided to stay up late…

The doorbell rang soon after.

That must be them. Best go answer it since they don’t have a key.

Hiromi walked up to the door and opened it. However it wasn’t her mom and dad. It was a tall man in a suit.

“Can I help you? I’m not in the mood for pranksters tonight.”

The stranger began to speak. "Pardon me for the intrusion young lady. I understand it is late and seeing one such as myself would raise concern at this time of hour, but I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?"

Hiromi raised an eyebrow "Moment of my time?"

He nodded. "Yes. Just one or two questions then I'll be on my way."

Hiromi sighed "Fine. What do you want."

The man smiled "Great! Firstly, what is your perspective on that cult? What are they called? The Hounds of Chaos? I've been getting answers all day, I would like yours."

"They're psychopathic criminals. I don't want to be anywhere near them. Next question?"

The man lowered his head before asking his next question. "Very well, this is the other question I have."

Hiromi notices the man reaching for something in the bag he carried. It looked to be a mask.

"How does one such as Hiromi Koda, believe it wise to open the door to her home to a stranger?"

Hiromi's heart sank and chills ran down her spine "I never told you my name..."

"I didn't need you to." The man put on a the mask he was reaching for. It was a wolf mask. 

"If you don't leave now...I'm calling the police." Hiromi tried to slam the door on the stranger, but he stopped it with his foot.

"They won't get here in time. Please young lady, this will be better for the both of us if you come with me quietly."

The man walked right into Hiromi's house as she walked away from the door, trying to get away from him.

"What!?" She screamed.

The intruder sighed "You are a dense individual. Come with me. I insist." At the moment, the man pulled out a baton. "I don't want to do this."

"Get away from me!" Hiromi tries to run away and circle around the living room of the house, until...

*WHACK* The intruder hits Hiromi's head with the baton, knocking her out instantly.

The intruder sighed again. "Why can't they just comply..." He proceeded to pull out a phone and call someone.

"I've acquired the final sacrifice."

"Excellent. Do as you will with the house. Steal anything, break anything. Write our message. It's almost time..." The phone call ends.

The man begins taking anything of value and smashing anything else with his baton, before taking some red paint he left outside the door. He took the paint and wrote on the wall a message before grabbing Hiromi's unconscious body and leaving. The message read:

CHAOS BECKENS ALL

Otaru Apartments

Minato, Takeo, and Rhys got back into the elevator that brought them to the chaotic world and pressed the buttons in the same order. That was able to bring them back to the real world. Takeo was relieved to say the least as he plops onto the floor of the apartment.

“We’re alive! We made it!” He whines. “I don’t ever want to go into an elevator again.”

Minato nods. “I’ll take Rhys to his room. You go get some rest. I’ll explain everything tomorrow. I promise.”

“Yeah. I think I’ll do that. Thank you Arisato-Sensei, you saved our necks back there.” Takeo bows to Minato then heads up to his room.

Minato mutters “It’s my promise.” As he takes the exhausted Rhys to his room.

Thank goodness Kotone and Eiichiro were already asleep when I got back. I would not have been able to explain this to them.

He put the newly awakened persona user onto his bed and shut his door. Afterwards he looked back towards the door before pulling out his phone to call an old friend again.

As he clicks the contact’s name he has a thought of realization.

It really is his brother…This changes everything.

“Hello?” the phone picks up on the other end.

“Kirijo-san it’s me” Minato replied.

“Were you able to find anything?”

“Affirmative. This is what we’ve been looking for. It’s Terra Chaos. The Land of Chaos. It’s just like the prophecy said.”

“This is both good and bad Arisato. For one, we don’t have to keep traveling across the country for the site. But you know what this means. The pieces all fall together.”

“I know. This is bigger than the Shadow Ops. We need more. I’ve reason to believe the missing persons are being thrown in here by the Hounds.”

“The Hounds?”

“The Hounds of Chaos. They’re the fanatic cult growing rapidly. It has to be them. They believe in chaos and have gotten more motivated out of nowhere. They know of this world, and they’re using it for their personal gain.”

“Well…at least we know our enemy goes beyond shadows this time around.”

“Yes. Like I said, we need more people than just our group. I don’t even know the whereabouts of Yamagishi, Aragaki, Sanada, or Iori.”

“You let me worry about them. Aigis and Labrys are with me, so they’re accounted for. You should let Takeba know about the situation.”

“Are you saying that because I know her whereabouts or are you saying that because she’s my wife?”

Kirijo chuckled “Both.”

“There’s one more thing before I let you go. Two of my students were in the other world as well. One of them is a transfer student. I got cornered by shadows with the other student when he lured the shadows to him. He awakened to his persona.”

“Interesting. Do you think he’ll help us?”

“Without a doubt in my mind. His name? Rhys Kuramoto.”

“Kuramoto? No…”

“Yes that Kuramoto. Mitsuru, it’s Logan's brother.”

“Logan…”

“I’ll get over there as soon as possible. Aigis and Labrys are still undergoing some repairs and modifications, so it’ll be a while before they arrive. In the meantime, contact Takeba, I’ll get ahold of Iori. Hold off from going back to Terra Chaos. We need to observe the area as a team."

“Understood. Heh, Just like old days, huh Kirijo?”

“Take care Arisato.” The phone call ends.

Minato goes back to check his phone to go to another contact. “Yukari Arisato” Her name had two heart emojis beside it and it was a picture of them when they were younger. He clicks call. It had been a couple of days since he last called her. It would be relaxing to hear her voice again.

The call picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey…”

“Hey. Is everything alright? You usually don’t call this late.”

“I’m fine Yuka, sorry about not calling for the past couple of days. Paperwork has been a pain, and you know how our children get when I don’t have their attention every waking second.”

“You too? Heheheh. Yeah I just got done filming the movie. We wrapped up the final scene today. I should be able to come home now.”

“Perfect timing.”

“Huh? Mina what do you mean?”

“Yukari, I found it.”

“Found what? You’re being too vague.”

“The Land of Chaos.”

“Oh…It actually exists? I know you and Kirijo-san have been obsessed with it but I didn’t think you would find it.”

“Me neither. But Sapporo has been getting strange lately. That famous painter got kidnapped and so did Yosuke Hanamura, one of the persona users we met back in that tournament years ago.”

“This doesn’t sound good. Have you talked to Kirijo-san?”

“Yes. She told me she would get in contact with Junpei and the others.”

There was a brief pause between the two.

“Okay, I should be there by tomorrow night. Thankfully the last scene wasn’t too far from Hokkaido so I shouldn’t be long.”

“That’s good to know. It’ll be great to see you again. I know Eiichiro will be ecstatic.”

“I’ve missed you three. I can’t wait. Now I have to get some sleep if I don’t want to miss my rides. Goodnight Mina, I love you.”

“Goodnight Yuka, I love you too.” The phone call ends. Minato has to figure out where to find the other persona users. He and Kirijo have been watching from afar under the Shadow Ops for any incursions such as the incident with the Phantom Thieves. He knew he could get in contact with Yu Narukami from their time in Inaba, but he didn’t personally know any of the Phantom Thieves.

Hopefully they find out themselves soon.

Minato walks to his room to check up on his kids then heads to bed.

Chapter Text

04/12

One Day Ago – Kitagawa Residence

Despite the house being in shambles on the inside, it wasn’t barred from living in. Yusuke Kitagawa’s kidnapping was sudden. There were no warnings or anything predicting what would happen. The police searched for hours for any piece of evidence as to where Yusuke went or who even took him for that matter. One person wasn’t willing to give up their search for the artist however.

“Damnit Inari, where did you go?” a woman with orange bangs and circle glasses is searching on a computer for anything that could give her the answers needed to locate Yusuke.

“Can’t even track your phone because you dropped it. I don’t see anything on the radar. There were no strange figures on the cameras in the exhibit. This is why I wanted to get security cameras for the house! But noooooo, you wanted to spend our money on some ugly shade of green. This is ALSO why I told you to not go talk shit about that cult on a public broadcast. You practically CALLED THEM OUT Inari! Ugh. Get it together. You’re Futaba Sakura. With an electronic device, you’re unstoppable!”

Futaba Sakura at one point used to be nothing more than a guilt-ridden hermit with social issues. She refused to open her door to anyone, even her own dad. It was her encounter with the Phantom Thieves that changed her forever. She gained a more positive outlook on life and finally made friends. She herself would become a Phantom Thief. However, there was one person in the Phantom Thieves that Futaba bonded with more than the leader himself. That was Yusuke. Both were dense about the feelings of love before Futaba confronted the Fox of the Phantom Thieves years after the events in Tokyo about her feelings. The amount of relief she felt when Yusuke admitted to feeling the same way was indescribable.

But now, she couldn’t find him anywhere even with the skills she had on a computer. It was helpless. In a rare occasion, Futaba felt frustration and hopelessness crawl into her mind again from being powerless.

“DAMNIT!” The red head screamed as she threw her laptop across the kitchen. “It’s no use. He’s basically wiped from the map. It’s as if he’s in another dimension.”

“May I make a suggestion?” A voice came from Futaba’s phone, startling her.

“AGH!” She shouted. “Sophia! Stop deciding to enter a conversation to startle people! Hmph!”

Sophia became the companion of the Phantom Thieves years after their encounter with the rogue AI known as EMMA. She’s a private app however, only present on the devices of the Phantom Thieves. It was Sophia herself who suggested this, as she learned of the corruption humanity can partake in, and only wanted to be its companion. Her suggestion was to only install her as a chip in the phones of each Phantom Thief member.  That way she could assist the Phantom Thieves with their needs and not worry about being used by others for twisted desires.

“Why don’t you use the distortion detector on your computer? You said yourself it was like Yusuke-san was in another dimension. What if he actually is?”

Futaba’s eyes lit up. “Another dimension…THAT’S IT! He’s in the Metaverse! That’s gotta be it! Thanks a bunch Sophie! You da best!” Futaba became excited again, speaking in the demeanor of a child despite being an adult at this point.

“I am humanity’s companion. It is simply my job.” Sophia replied.

Futaba created a software specifically for detecting distortions in locations of Japan. If the public’s desires were strong enough in a location, a public cognition would be created. The software would detect this and establish the location as a possible Metaverse location. The events regarding the Monarchs and EMMA left the Phantom Thieves paranoid. No matter what they did, shadows would always exist.

She grabbed her computer and began to run the software. She would have to find a word that described the desires of the public within Hokkaido.

“Okay let’s see. What word would the desires of the public be summed up as? Perhaps rumors?”

No Match Detected

“What about the Afterlife? That elevator rumor showed up in an article recently.”

No Match Detected

“Crap. Okay think Futaba, THINK. With the recent kidnappings and with that cult running around, mixed with the elevator rumor, the city’s sounding pretty chaotic…Is it Chaos?”

Match Detected, Distortion Linked

Futaba jumped up from the chair she was sitting in.

“It’s another world! YES! That’s gotta be where Inari is!”

Sophie decided to chime in again out of concern.

“Futaba-san, this isn’t the Metaverse…”

“Huh? What do you mean? It showed up on the radar.”

“I’m getting signals from the location. It’s…dark. There’s something very wrong with it.”

“Does it have a name? Normally the cognitions we explore have titles. What’s it called?”

“It’s the Latin phrase Terra Chaos. It means “The Land of Chaos”.”

“Spooky.” Futaba said in a joking matter. Her best friend might be in there, but she still tended to shed light on most situations.

“I would advise contacting the others before engaging. You are not equipped to properly fight shadows Futaba-san.”

The red head groans “I knoooow. Who would even be able to show up? Even with Inari possibly in danger they all have their lives. Their busy and all that.”

“Futaba-san, you know Ren-san would stop “being busy” for matters such as this. He and Meowgana would certainly make it.” Sophia reassured Futaba.

“You’re right. Friends come first. I’ll call em.”

“Have patience Futaba-san. We’ll save Fox.”

“Damn straight.” Futaba replied before calling someone she considers the big brother she wishes she had growing up.

Tokyo – Okumura Food Headquarters

The Same Day

A tall, slim, young adult in a blazer and jeans with a taper fade haircut and glasses is waiting in the lobby of Okumura Food Headquarters to discuss his status with a product he is helping establish within the company. For the past five years, Okumura Foods has began to expand greatly outside of Japan, especially in their coffee brand.

“Okumura-san will see you now Amamiya-san.”

The man nods and walks through the halls of the building before making it to the head office of the owner of Okumura foods. Haru Okumura.

“Ren-san! It’s always a pleasure seeing you!”

“Likewise, Haru-san. How’s the sales for the new batch of seeds going?”

Ren Amamiya. The leader of the notorious Phantom Thieves. Also known as Joker. Ren had finally settled down after various Phantom Thieve requests. He was tired and wanted to live his life without having to worry about the Metaverse. Part of this was due to the lack of requests for the past seven years as well. He was now an employee at Okumura Foods, or rather a lead at the company alongside Haru Okumura, another member of the Phantom Thieves, or known as Noir.

“They’re going wonderful! Please have a seat, we need to discuss your progress on the coffee branch.”

Ren sat down in the chair in front of Haru’s desk and noticed two pictures on her desk she always had. One with all the Phantom Thieves and one with her father.

“Progress is going smoothly. We managed to figure out which seeds needed different ways of preparation and what goes well with each of them Once we get the ingredients precise, we should be able to start establishing the flavors for the coffee. I also hope that we can ship it as a preparation kit for customers to make themselves as well as in bottles.”

Haru nodded and grinned. “Excellent. That should help our sales tremendously! Thanks again Ren-san. I’m still surprised you accepted the offer years ago. I didn’t think you’d say yes to help establish a coffee brand within the company.”

“Anything to get Sojiro’s recipes out there. The man deserves praise. It’s the least I could do for the time he spent taking care of me.”

“Always thinking about others before yourself.” Haru chuckled “That’s what’s special about you Ren-san, you’re always putting your friends first. I imagine that’s what Makoto-san loves about you as well.”

“You could say that again.”

“How is she by the way?” Haru asked Ren.

"She's been doing alright. Just some days are more stressful than others for her. Being assigned to Shibuya of all places will do that to you. She's tough though, so she keeps telling me it's a "walk in the park" and such. I do worry for her sometimes, but I know she can handle herself. She wouldn't be part of the police if she couldn't"

"Absolutely! Tell Makoto I said Hi." Haru was smiling.

"I will. Thanks for asking about us Haru."

"Of course. Well that about wraps up everything I wanted to discuss. Is there anything else-

Ren’s phone began to ring before she could finish her sentence. He looked at the contact and was confused.

“Hmm. It’s Futaba. What could she want right now?”

He answers her call and she is straight forward and to the point.

“Hey Futaba, what’s-

“Ren! There’s a distortion over here in Hokkaido! It’s huge! Like nothing I’ve seen in my life! It’s like an open world from a game!”

“Whoa whoa whoa slow down. Okay we have another distortion. What’s up with it?”

Haru looks up after hearing the word distortion. She knew this wasn’t good.

“It’s corruption level is shooting up to the sky. The shadows here feel angry. Demonic even. But…that’s not all.”

“Futaba, what’s wrong?”

“Yusuke…has been kidnapped.”

Ren almost dropped his phone as his heart sank. No…

“Do you know where he went? What happened Futaba?”

“I don’t know what happened! All I know is he is in that world. They must’ve taken him there.”

Ren looked down and sighed. He knew the Phantom Thieves were all at points in their lives where they couldn’t just drop everything to be a Phantom Thief. But this was Yusuke, one of them. Their friend.

“Alright, I’ll be there by Tuesday. I don’t know who all will be able to come but we’ll save him.”

Futaba cheered “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! Okay I’ll see you then bye!”

She hung up.

He looks up at Haru, whose eyes look determined and cold.

“I’m coming too. I’m sure Kenshi-san can run the company for a couple of days.

“Thank you Haru. I’ll get Morgana and we’ll head out to Hokkaido. I’ll let Makoto know we’re going on a business trip. She already has to deal with the crime in this city. I don’t want her to stress over anything else.”

04/13 - Elsewhere

Inaba, Shopping District

“You looked like you needed this.” An older man wearing grey button up and a red tie handed a bottle of water to a younger police officer with brown hair in a bowl-shaped cut with the sides and back slightly longer than the front.

“Thank you Dojima-san. Augh I’m starting to understand why you get cranky at times. These people sometimes make me wanna tear my hear out!”

The old man started to laugh. “But that’s the special part about it. They may be annoying people. But they’re your annoying people. That’s your duty as an officer Hanamura, to protect everyone in this town, even the assholes.”

Chie began to laugh. Chie Hanamura had been a police officer for eight years at that point. It was part of the promise she made to Yu Narukami to protect the people of Inaba. Over time she became good friends with Ryotaro Dojima, now Inaba’s Police Commissioner, and Narukami’s uncle. She saw him as a great mentor to have on the force.  

“Now that you’ve lightened up, you mind telling me where my nephew and Yosuke-san went?”

“Yu went to some place called Hokkaido to do a story on that weird cult with dog masks. He asked Yosuke to tag along so he wouldn’t be by himself in that big city.”

“I still can’t believe you and Yosuke managed to hit it off so well. You two were practically sworn enemies and now you two have been married for God knows how long now.”

Chie chuckled. “Yu told me when he and Kanji-san learned we were dating, they thought it was a sign of the apocalypse. But hey, feelings change with time and overtime we started to like one another some more.”

It was a pairing none of the Investigation Team saw coming. Yosuke Hanamura was a pervy, rude, and cocky transfer student from the city when he met Chie Satonaka. The two became rivals. There wasn’t a day where they didn’t argue about something, or Chie didn’t try to beat up Yosuke. But overtime after Yu left back in 2012. Something strange happened to Chie and Yosuke. They stopped fighting. Sure, they still had petty arguments every now and then, but they were talking to each other like normal people would. They were getting along. When Chie began to have feelings for Yosuke, she tried her best to deny them. Her? Falling for Yosuke? It was a myth, or so she thought. One day during their time as third years, Chie began to be picked on for her looks and her hobbies. It was hard for her. Yosuke noticed the boys that were picking on her talking about her again as they were leaving class. The things they said began to make Yosuke’s blood boil. He snapped at them and came to Chie’s defense. The boy didn’t realize what he was saying before it was too late. He had practically confessed his feelings for the tomboy. She heard the entire thing, and the rest is history. Chie doesn’t know why she loves that dork so much, all that matters to her is that she does.

“Well as long as you’re happy Officer Hanamura, then I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.” Dojima responded as he noticed it got awfully quiet for around thirty seconds.

Chie’s phone began to ring as Dojima began to walk away, she noticed who was calling him. It was Narukami.

Yu? Yosuke hasn’t called in hours. Is everything alright?

The officer then answered the phone.

“Yo! Narukami! How’s it going? Is Yosuke with you? The dork hasn’t called me in a while. Wait why am I asking the questions, you’re the one who called. What’s up?”

“Chie. I need you to listen to me and I need you to not freak out or do anything to draw attention to yourself. Yosuke has been kidnapped.”

Everything around the tomboy stopped. All she could hear was Yosuke’s voice. For the first time in a long time, she got scared.

But she knew if Yu was telling her to do something, it was serious. Being an officer for years helped her emotional outbursts more than she likes to admit.

“Wh-What do you mean kidnapped?”

“This is my fault. I’m so sorry. I got caught up in trying to gather information on the Hounds of Chaos for my journal. I got too close. They followed me back to the hotel we were staying at and knocked me out. I don’t know why they decided to take Yosuke instead of me.”

“Save the apologies Narukami! I’ll be pissed at you later! What can we do about it?”

“It’s what I need you to do about it. Come to Hokkaido, specifically Sapporo. I know where Yosuke’s located.”

“Really? Where?”

“The cult talks about the elevator being their gateway to Chaos. Turns out they’re right. Chie, it’s like the TV World. I sensed Yosuke when I went there. I need your help.”

Chie relents but remembers her husband’s life is on the line.

“Okay, I’ll be there in a couple of days. Should I get Yukiko?”

“NO!” Yu shouted. “Chie these people are more dangerous than the public realize, I can’t risk them tracking her back here. They could put their hands on Kenta.”

“Okay okay! Sorry for asking. I’ll be there. Afterwards we’re saving Yosuke. Got it?!” 

“Damn right we are. I’ll be waiting. Stay safe Officer.” Yu hangs up.

Chie walks up to Dojima. “Excuse me Dojima-san.”

The commissioner looks up “Yeah? Something up?”

“I’m gonna need a couple days off.”

Chapter Text

The Velvet Room Aria of the Soul

Rhys had reawakened in the Velvet Room. Igor, the man with the long nose and Samantha, the lady in blue were staring at him as he woke up.

Igor began to speak. “Welcome to the Velvet Room!”

“Do not be alarmed. For you are fast asleep in your world.”

“It seems you have awakened to your newfound power. That power is called a Persona. It is a manifestation of your mind. A physical being created from your psyche. It seems Beowulf was the one to heed your call. Think of your Persona as your true feelings apart from the mask you choose to wear. Your other self, if you will.”

Rhys responded. “My persona? So, it’s real?”

Igor chuckled “Of course, my boy. It has always been real. Your journey just took time to manifest.”

Samantha began to speak. “However, our dear guest, unlike most humans who awaken to a Persona, you possess a unique power and ability.”

“A unique power?” Rhys asked

Igor started speaking once more. “Indeed. Your power is known as the Wild Card. This is the power granted by the agreement of your contract. With this power, you can summon multiple personas in battle. The possibilities of the Wild Card are endless, infinite even.”

Samantha added to her master. “The Wild Card also grants you the ability to transform your bonds into strength, further increasing your power.”

That part confused Rhys “Bonds into strength? So, friends make me stronger?"

Samantha continued. “Precisely, as you grow closer to the people you consider friends, your bonds will grow stronger, leading to even more possibilities for the Wild Card. We call these bonds “social links.”

Rhys figured it out “So the closer I get to people, the stronger I can get? How do I know when I have created a bond?”

Igor chimed back in “You’ll know a social link has been established when you are able to sense a person’s feelings. Through understanding your allies, you create bonds.”

“Sounds simple enough. But why me? What’s so special about my role?”

“Your role as the Wild Card is to bring people together for a common goal. But not just the people you currently know. Your journey is one of gathering. You will bring together people who have embarked on journeys from the past, and establish a bond that has never been seen before. If you want to remain victorious over the days ahead, you must bring them all together. For your journey is a final chapter in a story that has lasted for many years.”

Rhys began to feel as if he would fade out of the Velvet Room.

“It seems our time is running short, as you will soon wake up in your world. Before you go, I would like for you to have something.”

A blue key floats above Rhys and he grabs it.

“That is the Velvet Key. With that, you will be able to enter the Velvet Room from your world.”

“The next time you arrive to the Velvet Room, will be of your own accord. Until then, farewell.”

Rhys begins to shut his eyes as he wakes back up in his apartment.

Chapter Text

04/14/2025 - Rhys's Apartment 

Rhys had finally begun to wake up from awakening to his Persona. So many questions were shifting in and out of his mind, but he already knew the answers. It was still jarring to him that Logan’s research, the very stories he told his little brother at night, the same ones he was bullied for, was true. Rhys always believed his brother but never stopped and realized he had never seen proof. He found that proof by awakening to his Persona.

When Rhys woke up, Minato was leaning on the desk to the left of Rhys’s window waiting to greet him. Rhys looked right up at him.

“You’re awake. That’s good. I didn’t expect you to wake up this early. When I first summoned my Persona I was out for a whole week.” He greeted him.

“Yeah, that was…certainly something I didn’t expect to happen in my day.”

“Can’t really expect something like that Kuramoto. C’mon, I made some breakfast down in the lobby and I sent the kids out to school with a friend so it’s just us two here for now.”

“Where’s Takeo?”

"Today's still a class day, so Hattori-san's at school. But, I cancelled mine to stay here and watch you."

“Good to know. I feel flattered” Rhys said sarcastically. 

Apartment Lobby

Sure enough, Minato made breakfast. It was pancakes. Just pancakes, but Rhys didn’t mind. He was always told to eat what was given to him by his parents to show kindness, While Rhys was eating, Minato tried to explain what a Persona is.

“So, I bet you’re wondering what happened to you last night. You summoned what is called a Persona. A Persona is a—"

“Manifestation of the Psyche. Your other self.”

Minato raised an eyebrow to his sudden response. “Yes. How did you—"

“And Shadows are the suppressed feelings of one’s true self. It’s similar to the Persona but it’s not controlled.”

The Shadow Operative chuckles as he remember who he was talking to. "Of course...:

Suddenly, Rhys stopped eating. He put down his fork and started to think about what in fact happened last night. It was the proof he has been looking for.

"Wait." He said with realization. "Holy shit. That did happen! I summoned a Persona! IT"S REAL!" The newly awakened Persona user jumped out of his seat in excitement and began to walk back and forth. "They all called me a MADMAN! But it DOES exist! Yes! I was right! Logan was right!" Rhys felt like a kid basking in his glory. He couldn't help but be excited. The research he studied, the stories his brother told him at night. All of it was true. All of it.

Minato watched the transfer student smile with joy over the revelation and decided to break the ice regarding his brother. “I should’ve expected that to be honest. You’re Logan’s brother after all.”

The response made Rhys stop from pacing as he stared at Minato with curiosity. "You knew my brother?!” Rhys wasn’t angry at the mention of his brother. He was curious how a small-time college professor could know who he was.

“Yes, I did.”

“Please, tell me all you know.”

“I work with a group of Persona users called the Shadow Operatives.  Logan Kuramoto was just an ordinary researcher at the Kirijo Group, until he was caught in the crossfire of one of our incursions. In the battle, he managed to help me control my Persona after I lost it from a friend getting hurt. A normal scientist, just like that, calmed my Persona down for me. We knew he could be an asset to the group, so we asked if he wanted to help. Not as a Persona user, but to help figure out the environments of the incursions. He was our brains outside of our Navigator. He…he was a good man.”

“Do you…know how he died?”

“Reports say there was a chemical leak in a Kirijo Group lab, but pardon my language, I believe that is absolute bullshit.”

“THANK YOU. Someone FINALLY has common sense!” Rhys was ecstatic to hear from someone who believed the same as him.

“All of the Shadow Ops feel the same way Rhys. We knew there was more to his death, but there was nothing found. We couldn’t find any security footage of the leak, or the chemical from the leak itself. It’s almost like someone covered it up. We still haven’t made progress in figuring out how your brother died.”

Rhys suddenly remembered the voice recorder his brother left for him all those years ago. His whole reason for being here.

“Wait here.” Rhys bolted back up to his room to find the recorder as he brought it with him along with many files and journals Logan used.

He brought it back down to Minato in the lobby.

“Play it.”

Minato began to play the recorder and sure enough, it was evidence.

“He gave everything to you?”

“Yeah. Logan knew no one else would believe him. Everyone at home thought he was a madman. Not his ten-year-old brother though.”

“Did you bring anything else that belonged to him?”

“A decent bit of it. I brought stuff I figured would help me in understanding his demise more. You are more than welcome to go and look through them to make more sense out of them than I have. You’ve proved to me that you knew Logan and respected him.”

“There’s so much to your brother to unpack. Once the rest of my peers arrive, we’ll come back to this. For now, good work.”

“There’s one thing I’m confused about that Logan never mentioned.”

“Lay it on me.”

“Sometimes I have these weird dreams. I hear a piano and wake up in this blue room.”

“The Velvet Room?”

“You know about it?”

“Only a select few do. I take it that means you’re a Wild Card?”

“Yeah, that’s what Igor said I was. Are you a Wild Card?”

“Yep. I have my own separate Velvet Room. I have an attendant there as well. She’s a good friend.”

“Yeah mine has one too. She looks like she works at a hospital. Her name’s Samantha.”

Rhys remembered Igor talking about the past journeys of others. Could Minato have been one of the journeys Igor was talking about?

"But wait. Igor mentioned my journey being the culmination of past journeys. Was yours one of them?" Rhys asked.

Minato was silent for a second before replying "Yes."

Rhys felt he was prying into his teachers life, but if he could learn more about the nature of his journey, this was something he needed to know.

"Was it the same for you Sensei? With another world and how I summoned my Persona?"

"No...mine was different."

"Sensei...could you tell me what happened in your journey? If you don't I understand. It isn't my right to ask about your past-

"I'll tell you Kuramoto-san. Sit down. It's a long one."

Rhys and Minato sat down at the table as Minato began to explain his journey. About the Dark Hour, and the coming of Death.

“I arrived at Tatsumi Port Island in April of 2009. It was late, almost midnight. I knew what was about to happen as I grew up having to survive, but even then, I knew I had to get to my location and fast. As soon as the clock hit 12, all the trains stopped, every human turned into coffins, blood stains surrounded the sidewalks, and a glowing green moon filled the sky. I got to the dorm I was staying at, only to be met by a girl almost drawing what I thought to be a gun on me. Before she could do something stupid, the Hour passed, and all the electricity came back on in the dorm and the student council president of the high school I would be attending greeted me. I was only going to stay at the dorm temporarily. That changed a couple of days later, when a giant shadow attacked the dorm on a Full Moon. It was there I awakened to Orpheus, my Persona. I was out for a week after that and once I woke up, learned the nature of that hour. It was called the Dark Hour. A secret hour in between one day and the next. Shadows roamed during the Dark Hour, and any poor bastard who didn’t have the potential to awaken to a persona would be killed if they happened to awaken during that Hour. The dorm I was staying at was actually a club-ran dorm for a club called the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad, or S.E.E.S for short. I joined SEES to aid in their conquest to purge the Dark Hour. Our expeditions revolved around a tower that appeared at a High School during the Dark Hour, known as Tartarus. We figured our answers to destroying the Dark Hour would be somewhere in that tower. Months would pass, and more members would join, before we learned that each full moon, a shadow of extraordinary power would appear. We were told by someone that if we destroyed each of these shadows, the Dark Hour would finally be erased. Unfortunately, we were too late to learn that this person was manipulating us into fulfilling an ancient prophecy. These twelve shadows were fragments of one extremely powerful being known as the Appraiser. The Appraiser was the fulfillment of the coming arrival of Nyx, the Goddess of Death. We had unknowingly brought the Fall upon humanity, or the end of the world. We were told that Nyx was unkillable, but we still decided to fight the Goddess of Death. In the end, we were victorious. Overtime, we learned the true nature of Nyx and the Fall. It wasn’t Nyx herself that would bring about the Fall, but her mergence with a demonic being known as Erebus. Erebus was drawn to humanity’s desire for death. If Erebus ever merged with Nyx, there would be no stopping the Fall. We decided to live our lives to the fullest to lighten the burden of death and weaken Erebus’s hold on humanity. We also learned that shadows existed outside of the Dark Hour. It was there we vowed to fight the shadows and intercept any incursions. The Shadow Operatives were born on that day.”

"So you fought a God?" Rhys asked in awe of Minato's story.

"I did. It was not easy."

 "I see. Thank you for telling me Sensei."

Minato grinned. "We can drop the honorifics now Rhys. Just call me Minato. Call it your "Wild Card Privilege" if you will."

Rhys chuckled. "If you say so."

Minato got up from his seat at the table. "Well Rhys, I think I shouldn't have to explain anything further considering your brother filled you in-

SLAM

Takeo ran into the lobby looking like a bat out of hell. He was panicking and screaming.

“HIROMI’S BEEN KIDNAPPED!”

Rhys showed immediate concern. “WHAT!?”

“TURN ON THE NEWS NOW!” Takeo demanded.

Minato grabbed the remote to see if it was true. It was.

“Another kidnapping was seen last night. The victim was 19-year-old Hiromi Koda, a student at Hokkaido University. Hiromi’s parents stated they were on a late-night delivery run and told their daughter to keep the door unlocked. When they got home, they stated the house looked as if a demon had run downstairs. Authorities believe the suspects behind the group are none other than the cult known as the Hounds of Chaos, as at the crime scene, the wall had the phrase “CHAOS BECKENS ALL” written in red paint. This can be compared to the kidnappings of Yusuke Kitagawa and Yosuke Hanamura. If you know any whereabouts of Hiromi Koda, or the previous victims, please contact local authorities immediately."

The news continued to ramble past the kidnappings.

“We HAVE to go help her!” Takeo shouted. “The longer we stand around, the more likely something will happen to her!”

“Calm down Hattori-san. We need to think this through.” Minato wanted to keep a level head for the trio. “We don’t know where Koda-san even is. We would basically be walking blind without a plan.”

“Minato’s right.” Rhys reassured “All we know is who took Koda-san, but we don’t know where.”

“Where do you THINK she’s been taken to?! I know for a FACT it’s that hellhole through the elevator—"

As the news was still on the TV, the broadcast started to turn into static, before displaying a symbol that looked like the head of a wolf, then a man with a wolf mask appeared on the screen. The Hounds of Chaos had hijacked the broadcast.

The three turned their heads to face the screen, as the man started to talk. His voice was distorted and altered to hide his identity.

“Greetings brothers and sisters of Chaos. The Day of Blood is nearly upon us! The pieces of the puzzle are nearly put together. The first sacrifice is at hand! The renowned artist, the arrogant manager, and the framed student will be the first to shed their blood for the noble cause of Chaos! Rejoice! For we will enter a new dawn come the end of the month! The call of Terra Chaos strengthens our resolve with each coming day! Fear not, for if you accept the desires of Chaos, you will know eternal glory! Until next time, CHAOS BECKENS ALL!” The TV cuts to black, returning to the normal broadcast.

The lobby is silent before Takeo asks the question “Terra Chaos? What’s that?”

Minato responds. “It’s Latin for The Land of Chaos. That’s the world behind the elevator.”

Rhys chimes in “So that IS where the kidnapped are being taken then.”

“Yes, both of you are right. If I had to guess, that’s where the three have been taken.”

“Well what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!” Takeo rushed towards the elevator.

“Hold it Hattori-san!” Minato stopped him “Kuramoto just woke up from awakening to his Persona. He needs to recover. And even then, Terra Chaos is a vast city. We would be walking for hours before we could find them. We need a plan.”

Takeo groaned “She’s in danger you moron! You want her to die?!”

“TAKEO SHUT IT” Rhys intervened. “Going headfirst into this is stupid and you know it! We need to prepare.”

“Thank you Rhys” Minato was thankful for Rhys coming to his defense.

“However, that doesn’t mean I want to wait long. I want to go back tonight. I should be fully recovered by then and although I don’t think we’ll find them, we should start getting a clear route for the city. In a way, Terra Chaos mimics Hokkaido, so we just need to stick to the streets. Another thing, did you two notice what that guy said? A “sacrifice” is gonna happen.”

“Yeah I noticed it too. If my guess is correct, I’d say Yusuke, Yosuke, and Hiromi are sacrifices.” Minato responded.

“All the more reason to go and find them” Takeo sighed “But you’re right, we need to prepare.”

Minato then remembered Takeo didn’t have a Persona. “Takeo, I don’t want to stop you any further. But you don’t have a Persona. If you tag along, you are to stay BEHIND US. No stupid shit. Are we clear?”

Takeo groaned then chuckled “Yeah yeah I know. Heh, I think that’s the first time I heard you swear Arisato-Sensei.”

“I’m a different person outside of the classroom demeanor I picked up. So, we’re going in tonight to figure out the city’s routes, is that clear?”

“Yep”

“Got it”

“Good, you two get some rest until then. You’re gonna need it.” Minato walks back up the stairs to his apartment.

“You good Takeo?” Rhys asked his friend, who seemed more stressed than usual.

*sighs* “Yeah I’m good, I just don’t like losing friends, that’s all.”

“I hear ya.”

Takeo started to lighten up after remembering Rhys’s awakening. “But DUDE! You looked like a BADASS last night! Your arm got a tattoo and everything! It was so cool!”

“I don’t remember the whole tattoo part, but I have to admit, it felt really, REALLY good.” Rhys began to laugh with his friend.

Takeo decided to leave the apartments again for one last task. “Okay bro, I’m gonna head out again. We need some weapons to fight those monsters. I have a guy I know who sells weapons so I’m gonna go get two of them for us. What’s your preference?”

“Weapon preference? You sound like you’re from a video game. I was able to make use out of that busted sword I found last night, so get me one of those. But get a cheap one. I don’t want you going broke because of some weapons.”

“You got it. Alright bro, I’ll see you later tonight!” He leaves the lobby to help with the preparations for tonight’s exploration.

Rhys gets up and stretches before deciding to get back to his room and prepare.

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartments Lobby – Nighttime

Rhys is waiting in the lobby for both Minato and Takeo to go to Terra Chaos. He realized the button up shirt he wore last night had its right sleeve burned off. Rhys threw the shirt away and pulled out another one of his button ups to wear to Terra Chao. He didn’t exactly have any clothes that were meant to be worn in combat, so he picked out what he felt he was most flexible in.

The door to the lobby opened and it was Takeo, he had on a long sleeve t shirt and wore some cargo pants. He was holding two weapons. A short sword for Rhys and for him…a big ass greataxe.

“Yo, Kuramoto-san! Here’s the sword you asked for!” Takeo hands Rhys the sword.

Rhys nods then stares at Takeo’s weapon of choice. “Thanks man. But speaking of weapons, what the hell is that?”

“What? It’s a greataxe dude! These things are badass!.”

*sigh* “Takeo my man, that’s not a greataxe, that’s a fire axe. There is a difference.”

“Oh C’mon! You said to get cheap stuff and…this was all he had for axes that were “cheap” augh you should have SEEN how much the axe costed. It’s criminal!”

“Fair point. Are you even gonna be able to swing that thing? I heard they can be pretty heavy if you have noodle arms.”

Takeo looked offended by the phrase “noodle arms” “Wha- Are you saying I don’t look strong?! Dude this thing is light in my arms. My biceps are killer.”

“Do you work out to keep biceps “killer” though?”

“We-Well yeah…sometimes…Hey why are you pressing me?! You don’t have to worry about Tak the Destroyer! I got this!”

“Tak the Destroyer? When we save Hiromi I’m telling her that’s your nickname.”

“…please don’t”

“Where’s Arisato? He should have come down by now.”

On cue, the blue-haired Professor started walking down the stairs.

“Sorry, I had to put the little ones to bed. Any who, are we ready?” The two stared at Minato as they noticed the gear he was wearing.

Takeo asked first “Arisato-Sensei? What is that you’re wearing? You look cool!”

Minato was wearing a thin white hoodie with a black blazer jacket over it. Along with his jacket and hoodie were some black slacks and around his waist was a sheathe for his sword. He wore black gloves that exposed the back of his hands, and finally, had an old music player around his neck.

“This is the gear I wear on these types of missions. I didn’t wear it last night because I didn’t want to put it all on and the damn elevator rumor be a hoax.”

Rhys eventually noticed on his belt was a holster with a small firearm inside it. Takeo noticed it too and decided to ask the question after seeing it last night.

“Okay, then what about the gun? I saw you pull it out to deal with those shadows but then you put it up to your head and it summoned your Persona. What’s the deal with that?

“Oh, right. I definitely should explain that.” Minato pulls out the gun like an object. “From what I’ve gathered, each group of Persona users has had to use different methods to awaken and from then on summon their Persona. For us, it was accepting that death is a constant in life. We accept the embrace of death and are willing to die for our cause. We do not fear death. To symbolize that, we use these. They’re called evokers. We put them up to our heads and pull the trigger, summoning our Persona.”

“Cool…” Takeo was a little creeped out but at least he knew.

Minato then turned to stare at Rhys. “As for you, I don’t know the full measures of how you summoned your persona, but we’ll leave that for when we get to Terra Chaos. Now then, we ready?”

“Always.” Rhys nodded

“Hell yeah I am!” Takeo threw his fist up in the air.

“Good, Rhys you press the elevator combination and Takeo, remember to stay behind us.”

“Roger” Takeo groaned.

Terra Chaos

The elevator ride was bumpy, but they managed to make it to the Land of Chaos. The trio walked out of the lobby of the apartment and onto the streets of the ancient city. As they walked out Rhys felt his left arm on fire again and sleeve began to burn off…again.

“AH SHIT! SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT SHIIIIIIIIT! HOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOT!” He screamed to himself as the sleeve to his shirt burned off completely exposing his arm.

“You good?” Minato asked

Rhys groaned as the pain was gone. “Yeah I’m fine, it’s not burning any more. Damnit man!  I liked this shirt.”

Takeo noticed the mark on his arm. “Dude, look at your arm!”

Rhys noticed his arm now brandished a tattoo; it was three swords facing down to his hand. The swords were glowing.

“That’s something else.” Rhys acknowledged the mark on his arm.

“I guess this would be a good time to tell us if that has to do with your Persona.” Minato insisted.

“Yeah, it would be.” Rhys nodded. “When you two were cornered yesterday, I had the chance to run to the apartment elevator and not look back. I could’ve decided my life was worth more than yours. But I didn’t. I accepted that no matter my faults, weaknesses, or problems, I can be a hero. I can save others. When I realized that, my Persona Beowulf started talking to me, saying to “accept the sigil of selflessness.” Now I have this tattoo on my arm and some sort of symbol on the back of my hand.” Minato looked at the back of the boy’s hand and noticed a symbol of a dove with its wings out over a scale singed into the skin.

“This sigil on my hand must be how I summon my Persona.” Rhys continued. “I remember the feeling of being selfless, then snap my fingers. The mark on my arm begins to glow, and my Persona is manifested.”

“I hope I get a sigil like that…” Takeo muttered.

“Good to know. We shouldn’t stand around much longer. Let’s get moving.” Minato led the two others down the chaotic streets, looking for the abducted.

30 Minutes Later, Unknown Street

“Ugh we have been walking forever! Those shadows haven’t even attack us yet!” Takeo grew impatient from walking for a while.

"Don't jinx us stupid!" Rhys said to Takeo. "The less we have to fight the better."

"Right. I see what you mean though Hattori." Minato chimed into the conversation. "Every street looks the same, and with the lack of shadows it feels like we're walking in circles."

"Think we'll run into that bird again?" Takeo asked Rhys.

"I hope so. I believe it was a dove to be more specific. But if anything has the answers to our questions, it's him."

"A dove? Aren't doves supposed to be peaceful? That bird was acting like a dick-

"Wait." Minato raised his hand in the air. "Do you see that?"

In front of the trio was a shadow and to its left and right were two more shadows.

Rhys annoyingly sighed. "You just HAD to say something, huh Takeo?"

"Why are you mad at me?!" Takeo scowled.

"Save it. Rhys get ready." Minato took his stance, getting ready for battle.

Rhys nodded and gripped his short sword in a reverse-grip form. 

"Alright, let's do it!" Takeo shouted, trying to take initiative.

"Hattori!" Minato shouted, pulling him back. "No. Stupid. Shit."

Takeo groaned. "Fine...."

The three shadows closed in on the trio as Rhys and Minato made quick work of them. They seemed pretty weak, so they decided to save their energy and just whittle them down with their weapons. 

Minato took down two of them by stabbing one three times and dodges the other one as it tries to attack him. Minato grabs his sword, which was still inside the dead shadow and slices the next shadow in half. Rhys dodged left and right, avoiding the attacks of the last shadow, before swinging his reverse-grip sword, slicing it's neck before stabbing it in the head. Killing it and ending the battle. As Rhys killed the shadow, he noticed a blue ball of energy fly out of it and into his hand with the sigil on it. The sigil began to pulse a blue light before fading away.

Rhys looked at his hand. That was weird. Something went into my hand, but I feel stronger because of it.

Minato tapped Rhys on the shoulder as he was checking out his hand. "You alright?" 

Rhys nodded "Yeah. I feel good after that."

Minato smirked "I know what you mean."

Takeo scoffed. "Man I just sat in the back while you guys did the cool stuff!"

"Don't stress over it Hattori." Minato reassured Takeo. 

"Hey, look who it is guys." Rhys said as he pointed up in the sky. It was their feathered ally from yesterday. 

The sound of a dove chirping can be heard above them before landing in front of them on the ground.

“Welcome back to my world!’ The dove greeted them in a sarcastic manner.

“Hi there uh…what was your name?” Takeo asked.

“Ugh. It’s Solomon. Blue hair over here did say you would be back. How are you feeling from awakening to your Persona?”

“Better Solomon, thanks for asking. I’m Rhys by the way. The guy with the blue hair is Minato, and this guy waving the axe around is Takeo.”

“Hey.” Minato greeted the dove.

“’Sup.” Takeo greeted.

“Anyway, why are you three back? Didn’t last time make it clear how dangerous this place is?” Solomon asked the trio.

Minato began to wonder if the dove knew if there were other people in here.

“Solomon, do you know if other people have wandered into here lately? Like can you sense them?”

The dove looked at the blue haired individual. “That’s a stretch. I know there are other people here. Where is the difficult part. Do you have anything you can give me to help pinpoint where they could be? Details will help.”

Rhys chimed in. “Have you seen a girl in here? She has purple and black hair and wears a gothic attire.”

Solomon began to float with his wings again. “I may have something, follow me.”

The three began to follow Solomon across more of Terra Chaos’s streets. The buildings began to look the same, having intricate architecture etched with patterns that looked like teeth. They eventually came across a wide street that led to a building that looked different from the rest. It looked like a church and had a stairway leading to it.

“That looks different.” Minato took notice to the church.

“Should we check it out?” Rhys asked Minato.

“I’m sensing something from that building. Maybe you’re friend is in there.”

Takeo rushed ahead of them “Well what are we waiting for!? Let’s go!” He began to run to the church and made it up the stairs.

“Damnit Hattori WAIT!” Minato shouted but realized the boy didn’t hear him.

“AUGH!” Rhys groaned. “Dumb bastard’s gonna get himself killed! C’mon!”

The two and the bird began to chase after Takeo and into the church.

Unknown Chapel – Terra Chaos

When the three got inside, they noticed Takeo standing still at the front of the chapel. Staring at a blood stain on a table.

“Takeo?” Rhys asked his friend. “Everything alright?”

Takeo was silent.

Rhys got to Takeo and saw what he was staring at. "What the hell..."

Minato looked at Solomon after seeing the blood stain. "Is that..."

Solomon realized what they thought and told them what happened. "Nonononoonoo. I remember what happened. I saw it earlier today. Your friend is not dead. She was taken here. She looked knocked out. In here were people with masks."

"Masks?" Rhys asked. "Could it be the Hounds Arisato?"

Minato nodded "Possibly. Do you know why they were here Solomon?" 

"They took her hand and slit with a knife. When it hit the table where the blood stain was, it ignited a blue flame."

"Blue flame?" 

"Yes. I couldn't hear anything they were saying." Solomon stated. 

"DAMN IT!" Takeo threw his axe to the ground. "Why didn't you stop them bird?!"

Solomon did not take too kindly to Takeo's sudden verbal attack. "What did you expect me to do!? I'm a dove and I don't have a Persona! Sound familiar?"

"Screw You!" Takeo shouted back.

Rhys was getting annoyed with Takeo's sudden temper. "What has gotten into you?! Hiromi is not dead! We can still save her!"

"YOU can save her! I CAN'T"

Minato chimed in. "Why can't you?"

"I don't have a Persona! I'm USELESS!" 

Rhys tried to calm down Takeo "Don't make this about your pride Takeo."

"MY PRIDE IS ALL I HAVE!" Takeo snaps. "I SHOULD BE THE HERO SAVING HIROMI, BUT I'M NOT!"

As Takeo was yelling, Minato noticed a giant black puddle form around the front of the chapels stage. He ignored all the sounds in the chapel as he thought Oh shit...

Rhys yelled back at Takeo "NONE OF THAT SHOULD MATTER—" 

*BOOM* Something burst from the puddle Minato was looking at, knocking over the three humans and dove away.

Rhys got up first to see a giant shadow had risen from the puddle, standing over the four individuals. Rhys let out a "Woah..."

The other three proceeded to get up as well and stare at the shadow. 

"That is a...REALLY big shadow." Solomon whipsered.

"Rhys! Get Ready!" Minato shouted. "This one's gonna be tough-HATTORI NO!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Takeo screamed as he ran towards the giant shadow with his axe in his hand and tries to swing at it.

*SMACK* The shadow swung Takeo back, sending him flying back towards the entrance.

"GAH!" Takeo grunted, gasping for air after having it knocked out of him.

"TAKEO!" Rhys shouted as he ran to his friend. As he checked up on him, he noticed three shadows come in from the entrance.

"OH COME THE FUCK ON!" He shouted. "ARISATO! We got shadows pouring in from the entrance!"

Minato looked back at Rhys and nodded. "You deal with them and I'll deal with the big guy. Solomon, stay in the air." 

"You got it." The dove soared to the roof of the chapel as the battle went underway.

Rhys moved Takeo to the side before engaging the three shadows from the entrance. 

"Alright. bring it you bastards! Beowulf!" Rhys summoned the warrior to perform a garu on one of the shadows, which ripped the shadow in half with it's strong wind. Rhys tried to use a garu again on one of the two other shadows, but the shadow was still standing. "What!? He absorbed it completely!" The shadow then proceeded to attempt to perform a bufu on Rhys. "WOAH!" He screamed as he dodged the ice attack. "Ice attacks huh? That would mean you're weak to fire..." Rhys suddenly remembered what he was told about the Wild Card and remembered the blue ball of energy he absorbed from earlier and hearing a name when it happened. Could that have been a Persona? Only one way to find out.... "Please work." Rhys said to himself as he put his fingers in snapping position.

“Ukobach!” Rhys shouted as a small green creature holding a spoon on fire was summoned and performed an Agi on the shadow, proving the weakness to fire.

“Got you ya bastard!” Rhys shouted as he sliced the other small shadow with his sword. Rhys took a deep breath. "That's all of them. I need to go help Arisato."

Minato is ducking and weaving each of the big shadows attacks, striking with his sword whenever he found an opportunities to do so. He kept on trying to Personas from his Wild Card compendium, but for some reason was unsuccessful. 

“Jack Frost!” “Nothing?”

“Sandman!” “Again?”

“Satan!” “What is going on?!”

“Fine…Orpheus Telos!” The musician appeared and hit the shadow with an agilao. 

“Where are my Personas? Is this why I felt drained the first time I went in here?” He asked himself when he had a second to catch his breath before asking a self-reflective question “…Am I getting old?”

Rhys made it to Minato's side to help with the giant shadow. "You haven't made a dent in this thing yet?" He asked.

"I'm trying! He has thick skin—"

*WHACK* "AGH!" Minato got swept by the giant shadow, knocking him to the right wall of the chapel.

Rhys began to try and attack the giant shadow, when Takeo finally got back up. 

Takeo saw the giant shadow that took him out with ease, doubts filling his mind as he began to whisper to himself "I can't do this... I can't do this..."

He kept whispering to himself. "I can't do this. I'm not strong enough. I should be, but I'm not. Why can't I...."

Rhys was getting annoyed by the giant shadow's persistence. "Die damn you! Beowulf! Cut him down!" He summoned Beowulf for a Rampage which knocked the shadow down for a second, but it got back up a second later. It did not look happy. Rhys looked it in the eyes, knowing he pissed it off. "Shit..." The shadow grabbed Rhys by his neck and began to squeeze the life out of him.

"RHYS!" Takeo shouted as he continued to watch helplessly. 

"He's gonna die. I have to do something!" Takeo said to himself.

He grunted in anger. "Screw my pride! Lives are on the line. I can save them. I KNOW I CAN!" He shouted to himself when suddenly he fell to the ground as he felt a sharp pain in his head.

So you finally accept the true meaning of heroism?

Yes

That is not about the glory. Nor the pride. But for the ability to save the ones you hold dear?

...Yes

To become a Hero? To Become Selfless

YES

Then touch the mark of heroes, the sigil of selflessness.

The same symbol that appeared before Rhys had appeared before Takeo.

Takeo went to grab the symbol with his right hand. Suddenly the flame began to surround Takeo’s right hand and went all the way to his elbow, burning his arm to a crisp.

“AAAAAAAAGGGGHHH THIS HURTS LIKE HELL.” He shouted before he snapped his fingers, stopping the burning immediately and causing the same blue shockwave as Rhys's

Takeo got up and before him was his Persona. It was a large warrior, with a golden headgear surrounding the outside of its face. It wore gold spaulders and had a body made of iron. It also wore leather brown vambraces, leather greaves, and a red waistcloth. In his hand was a giant greataxe.

Takeo looked at his right arm, noticing the sigil on the back on his hand and a tattoo going up to his elbow depicting a crest. 

Takeo looked down at the symbol. “That’s the crest of my family…of my brothers before me. Yes…This isn’t for me…This is for my friends…For my family.

You finally understand the error of your ego

Now you know what it truly means to be a hero.

I am thou…Thou Art I

From the Sea of Thy Soul I cometh.

Show your selflessness in battle…

For I am Hercules...The Mighty!

Takeo then looked at the shadow, still gripping Rhys by the neck, and took action.

"HEY! HANDS OFF ASSHOLE!" Takeo shouted as he ran towards the shadow. He threw his axe while he was running towards it. *SHCLICK* Takeo's axe managed to sever the shadow's arm, causing Rhys to fall to the ground, coughing and gasping for air as he was released from the chokehold. The shadow was knocked down with the axe swing.

"Need a hand?" Takeo said to Rhys, reaching out his arm to pull him up.

"Was that meant to be a pun?" Rhys said as Takeo pulled him up from the ground.

"Damn right it was." Takeo said while grinning.

Solomon came down from the roof while the shadow was down. "Look at you! You got your Persona!" 

Minato finally got back up and walked up to the three, holding his side. "See Hattori? You had it in you."

"Heh I guess I did." Takeo said while looking at the shadow, still down. "What do we do about that?" He asked as he pointed his axe towards it.

Minato began to smile maniacally. "All Out Attack."

"All Out What?" Rhys asked. 

"On my mark, we charge the shadow and hit it with everything we got left in us. No matter what, you keep on hitting it. That sound good to you two?"

"Let's do it." Rhys agreed.

"Hell. Yes." Takeo grinned. 

"Alright. ALL OUT ATTACK! GO!" Minato shouted as the three charged the shadow as Solomon watched them hit it again and again. Minato and Rhys kept slicing it with their swords, while Takeo kept striking it with his axe, the blade sinking into different spots on the shadow. 

"Finish it off Hattori!" Minato shouted at the newly-awakened Persona user. 

"Put it down Hercules!" Takeo snapped his fingers as the mighty warrior performed a Zio, electrocuting the shadow until it dissolved completely. The battle was over.

"You guys are a weird bunch." Solomon commented as the three were breathing heavily from exhaustion. 

When Takeo began breathing normally, he looked up and his eyes lit up with excitement. 

"HELL YEAH! I HAVE A PERSONA!” Takeo was ecstatic as Minato, Rhys, and Solomon looked over their friend, proud of confronting his true feelings.

“Okay…now…I feel tired.” Takeo fell to his knees.

“Easy buddy, don’t overdo it.” Rhys caught his friend.

“I think it’s safe to say we should call it for tonight. We at least know Koda-san is indeed here. Solomon, can you locate the abducted?” Minato asked the dove.

“I can try, but it’ll take a couple of days.” The dove replied.

Takeo looked at the dove with guilt “Sorry for being a dick earlier”

The dove nodded “Just go sleep and let me do my thing. I’ll come for you guys when I find them.”

“Please do.” Rhys said holding onto Takeo. “I remember the route Arisato, we should head back.”

“Agreed.” The three departed from the chapel and parted ways with Solomon and made it back to the apartment.

Chapter Text

Terra Chaos - Hiromi’s POV

Ow…my head feels like crap.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“Let me go you asshole!”

Hiromi finally began to wake up after being knocked out by the Hound member. When she came to, she heard the voices of two other people. They sounded like men older than her and not in a good mood. Hiromi felt pure terror and horror not knowing where she was. She noticed the orange flames of the sky and blood red moon.

“Huh? Where am I?! What’s happening?!” The girl struggled but realized her arms and feet were chained to two poles on each side. 

To her left was a man with long blue hair, his hair was ragged and getting in his face, so she couldn’t make out who it was. To her right was another man with medium length hair dyed brown. His hair went down his sides and ended with triangle-like edges, and he also had a short goatee and moustache dyed brown as well.

In front of her were four men in wolf masks. Three of them were wearing normal jackets and hoodies that covered their entire upper bodies. In their hands were firearms, real firearms, rifles. The last one had a wolf mask with red tinted eyes and white fur. They were in a velvet-red suit and wore black gloves.

“Hey! What are you doing!?” The brunette shouted at one of the armed members tried to get near him.

“Quiet you! Your purpose draws near…”

“What does that even mean!? You people are batshit crazy!”

The one in the white mask chuckled. “Oh Hanamura… you really need to learn better manners.”

“Go to hell!” The man yelled back. “Do you know who you’re dealing with! When my friends find out where I’m at you’re gonna get your ASS KICKED! YOU HEAR ME?!”

The white-masked wolf began to cackle. "Who I am dealing with!? Hanamura, your words bear no threat, as did yours Kitagawa."

The name Kitagawa rang a bell in Hiromi’s mind.

Kitagawa?! The Painter!?

"You're wrong! I gave hope in the midst of your chaos. My words are more threatening than you realize canine!"

The wolf paid no attention to Kitagawa's comment. Instead, the leader turned his attention to Hiromi. Hiromi was pleading for her life. She was in utter fear of her situation.

“Please let me go! I’ll give you anything! Just don’t hurt me! I won’t say a word about any of this!”

The white wolf put his finger on her lips. “Shhh. Don’t be afraid Hiromi Koda. You are contributing to Chaos and will be rewarded.”

One of the armed lackeys walked up to the leader to inform him of something. “Deacon, we need to move them to different platforms. Keeping them all on the same one will make the Wraith harder to tame.” 

Yosuke over heard what he said and showed concern. "What the hell? What's a Wraith!? ANSWER ME!"

The leader sighed after the lackey informed him. 

“Very well. Move Kitagawa and Hanamura to separate platforms. Keep Koda here.”

Hiromi was in a panic, hyperventilating and talking to her self. "This isn't real....This isn't real..."

“Relish in your memories, for by the end of the month…you won’t be alive to do so.” The members moved Yusuke and Yosuke away from Hiromi as the leader looks in the distance from the top of the citadel.

“And so…it begins.”

Otaru Apartments

Minato, Rhys, and Takeo arrived back in the real world. Takeo recently awakened to his Persona, so he was exhausted to say the least. They agreed to rest as soon as they got back due to tomorrow being a class day.

“Hey, you two go on and get to bed, I gotta retie my shoe.” Minato stayed behind in the elevator for a bit while Rhys and Takeo walked out of it.

“Hey Kuramoto-san, do you think my persona looked cool?” Takeo asked the blond as they slowly walked out of the elevator.

“Totally man, absolute bad..ass…oh…shit.”

The two walked out to find a woman standing in the lobby, eyeing them down like a hawk. She had on a pink jacket and a white T-shirt underneath and wore a white choker around her neck. The woman had long brown hair that covered her forehead and curved up in the back. The boys knew who it was. It could be no one else but Yukari Takeba.

They froze, as both were fans of her work as Pink Argus, trying to figure out why a famous actress was in the lobby of their community apartment.

"Dude?" Takeo whispered. "Is that Yukari Takeba?" 

"I think it is..." Rhys whispered back.

“No…” Takeo said

“…fricking…” then Rhys

“..way..” then both.

“Dude, Yukari Takeba. THE Yukari Takeba, is standing before us.” Takeo whispered to Rhys.

"What do we do?" Rhys whispered back.

“Dude we need to stay focused”

“Agreed”

“Is this real?”

“I think so.”

“Do we say hi?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does my hair look fine?”

“Could be better- wait snap out of it! We're probably seeing things out of exhaustion. Let's just walk back to our rooms before we look like a bunch of creeps." Rhys snapped himself and Takeo out of their mark-fest over the movie star. 

“Takeo? Rhys? Why are you guys talking like you just made contact with a god – oh….shit.”

Minato notices his wife in the lobby and remembers Kirijo ordered him yesterday to hold out on returning to Terra Chaos until the rest of the Shadow Ops had arrived.

Minato laughs nervously. “Yukari! My beautiful wife! Heh…heh..”

Takeo and Rhys were caught off from Minato’s comment. “YOUR WIFE!?” Both shouted. Takeo felt his heart shatter in a million pieces.

“Oh, right I never told you guys. Surprise?” Minato shrugged to his two students.

She’s still staring at him with malicious intent.

“Guys, get to your apartments…please.” Minato says as he sighs.

“Sure thing Boss-Man.” Takeo says as he bolts up the stairs.

Rhys looks back at Yukari before walking past Minato. “Good luck” he says to him as he pats his teacher on the shoulder and heads to his quarters.

Yukari just keeps on staring at Minato.

“You gonna say anything or are you gonna keep staring at me? You scare me when you’re silent.”

She finally broke her silence.

“Weren’t you told to stand down until we get here?”

Minato moved closer to Yukari. “I tried…but those two fanboys of yours insisted and I couldn’t stop them.”

“You’ve never been one to follow orders.” Yukari says as she and Minato are in each other’s faces.

“Why do you think I play Leader all the time?” Minato says before he and Yukari share a long kiss on the lips.

“That doesn’t mean you’re getting off free this time.” Yukari smirks.

“I know…but how else should a husband greet his wife after not seeing her for months?” Minato replies.

“So, the others should be here tomorrow?” He then asked his wife.

“Yeah Kirijo-san filled me in. Her and Junpei should be here around tomorrow afternoon. Why?”

“I just remembered someone else goes to the university I work at. In fact, he’s the student council president over there.”

“Oh how could I forget about him! Do you have contact with him?”

“Yeah, I’ll have him introduce himself to the second years tomorrow.”

“Good deal Mina.”

The two hear small footsteps coming down the stairs and a child’s voice. It’s Kotone and Eiichiro.

“Dad…? Who are you talking to?” Kotone asks while rubbing her eyes. Her brother is right behind her fully awake and sees his mother in the lobby.

“MOM!” Eiichiro shouts with Kotone shouting “MOM!” shortly after. The two begin to run down the stairs and tackle their mother for a hug any parent would want from their child.

“Did you two goofballs miss me that much?”

“Everyday!” Kotone shouted.

“We watched every Featherman episode! That’s how we knew you would be back!” Eiichiro shouted.

Minato yawns “They’re all yours Yuka, I’ll take your stuff to the apartment room we’re staying in and then I’m shutting down for the night.”

“Loaning them off to me just like that huh?”

“Please grant me mercy!” Minato pleaded.

Yukari chuckled “Okay then. Goodnight Mina. Love you.”

“Love you too.” The family of four walked up to their home. United once more.

Chapter Text

04/15/2025

Hokkaido University, Campus Grounds

Rhys and Takeo were walking around the campus to kill the free time they had as Minato cancelled his classes for a second day in a row.

“Dude I can’t believe we’re living in the same community apartment as Yukari Takeba. Did you have a childhood crush on her from her time as Pink Argus too?” Takeo said to Rhys.

“Yeah…I never thought I’d meet her. I heard her new film just wrapped up. I can’t believe some nerd like Minato Arisato was able to marry her.”

“Hey someone like Sensei getting someone like Takeba should boost our confidence. We’re nerds too!”

Rhys laughed “You got a point Hattori-san.”

“Exactly.” Takeo grinned. “So why do you think Sensei cancelled classes again?”

“Probably to spend his time with his wife.”

As the two were talking. Some students tried to walk up to them and harass Rhys.

“Well if it isn’t the nerdy transfer student! You feel good hoarding all that scholarship money?”

“What do you mean hoard? I earned that.”

“Yeah sure you did. I bet you cheated. You looked up all the answers.”

Takeo tried to come to his friend’s defense “Back off you dick!”

“Shut it Hattori! The only reason you’re admitted to this school is ‘cause of your parents.”

“Takahashi-san! Okada-san!” An older student walked up to confront the bullies. He was in a brown suit and tie and wore a green armband. “I can assure you the transfer student and Hattori-san earned their way into this college. Maybe if you two actually studied instead of acting like nuisances you would have gotten a better score! Now if you keep persisting with your harassment I will be forced to write you up.”

“But—"

“But nothing. Are we clear?”

The two delinquents said in sync. “Yes Amada-senpai”

The well-dressed man grinned “Good, now get to class. You start in three minutes.”

The two students bolted out of there to get to there classes.

“Sorry about that you two. Some students here are so inconsiderate.”

“Don’t sweat it. Thanks for the assist senpai.” Takeo bowed to the man.

“You know him Takeo?” Rhys asked.

“Of course. He’s been at this school forever! He was here through each of my brother’s terms.”

“Hey, I’m not that old Takeo-san.” Takeo’s senpai replied.

“Might as well introduce myself then, I’m Rhys Kuramoto. If you’re Takeo-san’s senpai, then you’re my senpai as well.” Rhys bowed.

“No need to be so formal Kuramoto-san.” The student chuckled. “I’m Ken Amada. I’m the Student Council President here at Hokkaido.”

“How many years have you been here if I may?” Rhys asked.

“This will be my sixth and final year. I took some time off to help with the Shadow Ops before applying.”

“You’re apart of the Shadow Operatives Amada-senpai!?” Takeo asked.

“Guilty as charged. I’ll save my story for later. I’m only telling you because Arisato-san informed me of the current situation. He wanted me to let you know to head back to Otaru as soon as possible. I’ll be moving over there from my previous dorm as well.”

“Will do. Thanks Amada-senpai.” Rhys nodded towards Ken.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some other matters to attend to.” Ken bowed to the two then started walking in another direction.

“Damn that dude was formal as hell.” Rhys pointed out.

“He’s a cool guy. With him moving into the apartments it’ll be nice to know him more.”

“Yeah.”

Takeo paused before the two themselves decided to get to their next class to ask Rhys something. 

“Hey Kuramoto-san. I know he said to return as soon as possible, but before that, can we meet up and talk about something? It’s been on my mind since yesterday.”

“Yeah sure."

“Cool thanks man, We'll go to the courtyard after class to talk about it.”

“Will do.” The two friends walk to class to get the day over with.

Meanwhile - Otaru Apartments

Minato and Yukari were sitting in the lobby after they walked Eiichiro and Kotone to school. They sat in the lobby to wait for some old friends to arrive. 

"They looked happy." Yukari said to her husband as he was pouring both of them some coffee. 

"They love this place Yuka. They think it's cool to be around others, despite the fact it's only been Takeo and Rhys." Minato gave Yukari her cup and sat down on the couch next to her. 

"So those are the two students giving you trouble?" 

"Not really. They remind me of myself and Junpei. The way they act and how they project themselves. Makes me nostalgic."

Yukari laughed "Nostalgic? Which one reminds you of Junpei?"

"Takeo. He acts JUST like Stupei sometimes."

Yukari laughed again before Minato kept on.

"It gets even better. They have a third friend, she's just like you. She keeps them in check like you kept us in check."

Yukari noticed Minato was silent for a second. "Is she the one that was kidnapped?"

Minato nodded. "Yes. But we'll save her."

Yukari nodded back before changing the subject. "I've missed you. The way I got through the rough days was looking at a picture of you with Kotone in your arms."

Minato smiled. "We've all missed you Yuka. Honestly, it was her and Eiichiro who got me through some of my rough days. They would remind me "don't worry dad, mom will be home soon, and we'll be a family again." It made me happy."

Yukari grabbed Minato's face "Well now I'm here Minato, and I'm not going anywhere."

As the two were about to kiss, the door to the lobby swung open, and a loud and obnoxious voice started shouting at them.

"EW! Could you two NOT be lovebirds for FIVE SECONDS!?" It was a man with a blue baseball attire and a black t shirt underneath. He wore a baseball cap backwards and had a goatee and a medium-length square cut beneath his cap. 

Yukari rolled her eyes as she got up from the couch she and Minato were sitting on. "Of course."

Minato got up soon after. "If anyone is gonna lecture us being "lovebirds" it could only be Junpei Iori." 

Junpei laughed before running up and hugging his two friends. "How are you guys doing?" 

"We're making it." Minato answered. "How's Chidori-san doing?" 

"She's doing great. Chidorita is getting situated in Kyoto right now. I told her I'm visiting Sapporo for a couple of days."

"That's good to hear." Yukari said sarcastically.

Junpei scowled. "Don't be so down Yuka-tan! Admit it, you MISSED me."

She rolled her eyes again. "Sure did...Stupei."

"Hey!" Junpei said in an annoyed tone while Minato began to laugh. 

Just then, another person walked through the lobby door. It was a women wearing a fur coat and had crimson-red hair. When she walked in she heard Junpei and Yukari bickering and chuckled. "It never ends between you two, does it?" 

Minato walked around his two friends to greet the woman. "Mitsuru Kirijo. Welcome to Otaru Apartments!" 

"It's great to see you three together again. It reminds me of simpler times." Mitsuru replied to Minato. 

Mitsuru and Junpei moved their stuff to their rooms, then sat on the couch in the lobby with Minato and Yukari to discuss the situation. 

"So there are two more we're waiting on?" Junpei asked.

Minato nodded. "Yes. Amada as well."

"Oh yeah, Amada is in his last year. He grew up!" Junpei remarked.

"Both of them awakened to Personas." Minato continued. "One of them is Rhys Kuramoto. Logan's brother."

"You're serious?" Yukari asked. Minato hadn't revealed Rhys's identity to anyone except Kirijo.

"Logan had a little bro?" Junpei asked afterwards.

"Yes." Minato answered. "He believes the same as us. He thinks Logan's death was a cover up. Rhys is a Wild Card, like me and Aigis."

"Interesting." Mitsuru replied, putting her hand to her chin. "Did you tell him of the Dark Hour?"

"Yes. I told him what happened with our group."

Mitsuru could tell there was some dishonesty in his voice. "Arisato. Did you tell him everything?

Minato knew what Kirijo was referring to and grew annoyed. "I told him enough, Kirijo."

Yukari chimed in. "Wait, you didn't tell him about—"

"No. I don't plan to and we're not having this conversation."

Junpei figured out what they were referring to. "Minato..."

"That's enough. I told him the general stuff. The Dark Hour, Nyx, Erebus. I'm not telling him about...her."

Mitsuru sighed. "Very well. We won't talk about it anymore." The four sat in silence before discussing other topics.

Afterschool Courtyard

Rhys just got done with his final class for the day and had just made it to the courtyard where Takeo was waiting for him.

“There you are. Okay there was something I wanted to ask you but it needs explaining first.”

“Alright.” Rhy said as he laid his back onto one of the benches surrounding the courtyard. “What’s up?”

“So you know how Arisato-Sensei and Amada-senpai are part of their own group of people who use personas?”

“The Shadow Ops? What about it?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk about. They have their own group meant to deal with shadows. It’s their sole purpose.”

“What’s your point?”

“I’m getting to it. Look, Sensei’s group was established to deal with specific threats and such. They have different motives and methods. Then there’s the Hounds of Chaos. They are a threat to humanity. They literally have the word chaos in their name! They scare people.”

“You have a point there. Are you saying the Hounds need something more than the Shadow Ops.?”

“Something like that. The Hounds are a new threat and need an opposite. Someone to oppose them. A new generation of people who will stand up to them. That’s us bro! Not the Shadow Ops. This is our journey! We need to be the peace that opposes their chaos.”

“So you wanna create a group that goes against the Hounds?”

“Exactly! I’m sure Koda-san will want to help out once we save her! Maybe even Solomon. He’s a literal dove. They’re the symbol of peace. And the mark on our hands that we use to summon our Personas? That’s a dove as well.”

Rhys took a second to think about it. Should they really create a group dedicated to stopping the Hounds of Chaos? A group that fights for Peace?

“I’m in,” Rhys nods.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Takeo high fives his friend. “Now we just need a name,”

"I got one already Hattori-san. The Talons of Peace. And me and you are the founding members.”

“Hell yeah.”

And so, Rhys and Takeo established the next generation of Persona users. The ones who will battle chaos head on. The Talons of Peace

Suddenly Rhys felt the forming of a new bond and remembered what Samantha said about forging bonds into strength.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Fool Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

“Alright Hattori-san we should start heading back.”

“You got it.” The two get up and start to head back to the apartments after establishing a new beginning and a new journey.

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartments – Afternoon

“So why do you think Arisato-Sensei wanted us back so early?”

“I don’t know. Is it to introduce us to Yukari-san?! Please be the reason...”

“Down boy. I don’t want to get embarrassed again. Besides if I’m guessing correctly Amada-senpai will be there as well- WOAH THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE!”

Rhys and Takeo walked into the lobby to find The four members of the Arisato family and Ken, but there were two others as well. One was a slim, tall male with long slicked-back black hair and a goatee. He was wearing a baseball jersey and a baseball cap backwards. The other was…familiar to Rhys. It was a woman. She was wearing a black tactical suit and a fur coat. But what brought familiarity was her crimson hair. The same crimson hair he saw the last day he saw Logan.

Is that her? The one who greeted Logan all those years ago?

Minato greeted them. “Ah you’re back! Have a seat.”

Rhys and Takeo sat down in the lobby where the other members of Shadow Ops were sitting. Yukari had taken Kotone and Eiichiro back to their quarters as the two were finding a spot to sit. Ken was sitting in the chair to the left of the table facing the flatscreen TV. The man in the baseball attire was sitting on the couch to the left of Ken with Minato sitting next to him in the middle of the couch. Rhys and Takeo sat on the couch adjacent to them. Lastly, the crimson haired lady sat in the chair adjacent to Ken.

Yukari came back down the stairs groaning. “Trying to get those two to stay in one place will never get easier! How do you do it Mina?” She sat down next to Minato.

“Oh Yuka-tan. They’re just in the glory days of their youth!” The one in the baseball jersey replied.

Yukari scowled “You’re only saying that because you’ve yet to grow up Stupei.”

“Stupei” did not like being called that. “Why are you still calling me that!? It’s been 16 years you know?” He groaned.

“Probably because you still call her Yuka-tan Junpei-san.” Ken remarked.

“Y’know Amada-san, I liked you better when you were a little kid.” Junpei whined.

Minato began to laugh. “I missed this.”

The crimson haired lady added to Minato’s statement. “As did I.”

Takeo leaned to whisper in Rhys’s ear. “Uh is it just me, or are the mighty “Shadow Ops” looking like clowns?”

“Just listen to em man.” Rhys groaned.

Minato started the meeting. “Alright, I think it’s time to get started. First off, some introductions. Shadow Ops, these are the two newbies I informed you about.”

Rhys groaned in his mind Newbies? Really?

Minato continued “Why don’t you two introduce yourselves.”

Takeo went first. “Hi…I’m Takeo Hattori. I go to Hokkaido University and uh…I just awakened to my Persona, like last night. Nice to meet you all…”

“Way to introduce yourself bud. Gold star.” Rhys said sarcastically.

“Hey bite me!” Takeo nudged Rhys on the shoulder. “Bet you can’t introduce yourself better than me!”

“Bet then.” Rhys cracked his knuckles. “You probably already know me considering you knew my brother. I’m Rhys Kuramoto. I’m a transfer student from America. I’m only half-American though, my father was from Japan. Cool to meet you all.”

Rhys looked back at Takeo and winked. Takeo rolled his eyes.

The one with the baseball cap started talking “Yeah you’re Logan-san’s bro alright. Only he could make a competition out of introductions.”

“You’re not wrong.” Rhys chuckled. “But before we continue to talk about my brother. I still don’t know some of your names.”

Minato nodded “That’s right. Onto introducing my friends. You met Ken Amada earlier today.”

Ken waved.

“The one with the baseball hat and the loud mouth is Junpei Iori. A baseball player.”

Junpei grinned “You probably heard about me from somewhere.”

Rhys realized the name sounded familiar. “Junpei Iori. Yeah I know you. You’re that baseball player that won the World Class Baseball Championship back in ’21.”

Junpei couldn’t help but gloat in his past glory. “In the flesh.”

“Moving on. Based on your reactions from last night, you already know my wife, Yukari Arisato. She uses her surname Takeba as a stage name.”

Yukari giggled “It’s always nice to meet a fan!”

“Who WASN’T a fan of Featherman?” Rhys replied, elbowing Takeo who chuckled.

“Let’s move on.” Minato changed the subject to introduce the last person.

“Rhys, this is Mitsuru Kirijo, head of the Kirijo Group and the head of the Shadow Operatives.”

Mitsuru stood up. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance Kuramoto-san.”

Rhys finally remembered where he recognized her. “You’re her…you’re the one who came to our house the day Logan left.”

“I was.” Mitsuru replied. “We all knew your brother Kuramoto-san. He…was a good person.”

Rhys has always been told by people who pitied him that his brother “was a good person” but the way Mitsuru spoke about Logan was different from the rest of the ones who said it. He could tell there was pain in her voice. But now wasn’t the time to ask what his brother meant to her.

“So, you guys are the Shadow Operatives?” Rhys asked. He thought there would be more if he was being honest.

“About half of us.” Mitsuru answered. “There are six more of us. However, two will arrive at a later date, we’re still trying to learn of the whereabouts of three of them and the final one is retired.

“I won’t ask for elaboration on the members any further.” Rhys asked.

Minato nodded, seemingly thanking the transfer student before changing the subject. “There’s a lot that needs to be discussed, but I assume you still have questions about us Rhys.”

"Yes I do. You already told us about the nature of the Dark Hour. It's a world filled with shadows just like the one beyond the elevator. In Logan's research, he spoke of the potential of there being multiple wonders such as those two. Do you know of any more? Do they have something to do with the elevator world's existence?" Rhys asked the Shadow Operatives.  

"Yes. After our confrontation with Erebus, we all decided to move on with our lives and live to the fullest. But, myself and Kirijo-san were hung on one factor. The existence of other worlds.” Minato answered. 

“We began to study the nature of shadows and Personas. We had a confrontation in a town called Inaba that confirmed our speculations.” Mitsuru added to his answer.

Minato continued. “I became obsessed with these happenings, these phenomenon that couldn’t be explained to the public. I studied them in secret. I knew of the world created by death as I lived through it. I learned of the world created by false truths in Inaba, a group of Persona users we encountered there dubbed it the TV World. I learned of the world created by the distorted desires of one’s heart. The desire to be controlled. This was called the Metaverse. I believed the three worlds were connected somehow. Death, Lies, Control. They had one thing in common if abused, Chaos. Me and Mitsuru came across an ancient prophecy, centuries older than the coming of the Appraiser. If the worlds of Death, Lies, and Control were to merge, the reemergence of an ancient city would arrive. This city was Terra Chaos. The Land of Chaos. We don't know the nature of the city itself, or why the Hounds of Chaos worship it. But if I had to guess, it's because deep down in the roots of the city, something is asleep. Something they are trying to wake up. I'd rather not know what it is."

“Is this what Logan-san was researching when he disappeared?” Ken asked out of the blue.

The question concerned Rhys. “Disappeared? What are you talking about? Do you know something about my brother?”

Minato held up the voice recorder Rhys showed him yesterday. “Before you got here, I showed the group the recording. Amada-san and Kirijo-san recalled one day how Logan-san was in a frenzy, packing up all of his supplies and data. He looked scared. Shortly after, he disappeared, and we learned of his death two days later. We believe someone was blackmailing your brother into researching Terra Chaos, and he learned of something within the city itself that terrified him, so he destroyed his research regarding it.”

Rhys started to put the pieces together. “Now that you mention it, there were files and pages in his notebooks that looked torn out and scribbled through.”

Yukari’s eyes widened. “So your brother was killed for trying to cover up his research?”

Rhys slammed his fist into the coffee table in anger. “WHY?!” He shouted. “Why did he have to DIE!?”

Minato was the first to respond. “That’s what we want to know to. We believe our answers lie in Terra Chaos, and the Hounds are our key to further learning more about the nature of your brother’s death.”

Rhys nodded. “You’re going to help? All of you?”

Minato nodded “Yes Rhys. We are.”

Yukari answered next. “There’s more to this than finding the answers as to why Logan-san was killed. If they're who put him in the ground, it had to be for a reason worth searching.”

Ken said something next. “The Hounds stand in our way of justice and are attempting to undo everything we fought for. I won’t stand aside while the world dissolves into chaos.”

Then Junpei. “Heck yeah man! We don’t turn blind eyes to bad guys like shadows, or the Hounds for that matter.”

Lastly Mitsuru. “This fight is the culmination of the past decade and a half. Everything we have fought for has led to this. We will fight until the end.”

Rhys began to grin and felt his resolve strengthen from his new allies. “Thank you all. It means so much to me that Logan impacted your lives.”

Takeo spoke up. “So what now?”

Mitsuru answered. “For now, you, Rhys-san, and Amada-san will rest and focus on your academic studies.”

Takeo groaned. “Aww man. But you guys sound so cool! I wanna see you fight!”

Minato chuckled “And you will in good time. You two need to rest from going into Terra Chaos two days straight. You’re still new to all of this. And I can’t have the Student Council President exhausted from fighting Shadows just yet.”

Ken looked slightly annoyed at the comment but understood the intentions. “No worries Arisato-san, it just means I’ll be stronger when I eventually get out on the field.”

Mitsuru looked at Minato “As for me, Iori, and Takeba, Arisato-san will be guiding us through the areas you three have patrolled over the last two days within Terra Chaos. We still have to get acquainted with the location.”

Mitsuru then added “I hope you two don’t mind, but this community apartment complex will for now be the headquarters of the Shadow Operatives, we all have moved into separate quarters within the building."

Takeo laughed then asked sarcastically “What, did you buy the building from the company or something?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Mitsuru answered.

“WHAT?!” Takeo and Rhys shouted.

Takeo then stared at Rhys. “Dude, do you know how much money this whole building costs?! That’s like your scholarship times five thousand!”

“Are you seriously that rich?!” Rhys asked Mitsuru.

“When you run a family led company that has been successful for decades, the funds come naturally.” Mitsuru smirked.

It was time to end the meeting, so Minato dismissed everyone, and the Shadow Ops began to head to their rooms. While getting up, Ken walked up to Rhys to ask a favor.

“Hey Kuramoto-san.”

“Yes Amada-senpai?”

“In thirty minutes, can you come to the rooftop of the apartment? Bring whatever weapon you use in combat.”

Rhys raised an eyebrow. “Sure…”

Amada nodded then walked off. Takeo said “I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”

“Me neither…” Rhys said to his friend as he walked off and headed back to his room.

What could Amada-senpai want?

30 Minutes Later

Rhys had made it to the rooftop and as requested, brought his short sword. What could Ken want that requires his weapon?

“Alright Amada-senpai, what did you need my sword for-woah.”

Rhys saw Ken standing at a distance. He was in an orange hoodie and black cargo pants. He was wearing hand wraps and in his left hand was a spear.

“Ahh Kuramoto-san, you made it. You probably have guessed what I called you up here for?”

“Are you wanting to fight me?”

The graduate nodded. “More or less.” He began to move closer while keeping the spear in one hand. “Your Persona may be a significant part of battle. But melee combat is just as important. You won’t be fast enough to summon your Persona when a shadow is up close and personal. Your weapon is your ally then.”

“So, what do you want me to do?”

Ken took his stance. He pointed the spear towards Rhys, using both hands to hold it now, and bending his left knee slightly forward and locking his right leg in a straight position behind him, leaning his upper body slightly forward.

“I want you to take a swing at me.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Do you think you can hit me?” Ken asked.

“I guess we’ll see.” Rhys walked forward and took position.

“Alright senpai, let’s see if know how to use that spear as well as you talk-WOAH!”

Rhys tried to swing at Ken while talking to him, and as he swung, Ken swiped the sword with his spear then swept Rhys onto the ground, pointing his spear at the second year.

“What were you saying?” Ken asked in a cocky voice.

“I won’t doubt you again…” Rhys replied.

“Good…now get up and try again.”

The two went at it for an hour before Rhys decided to tap out. Ken was ready to call it quits as well. There came a time when Rhys almost got him, but Ken regained his focus and put him down for a final time.

“You’re good Amada-senpai.”

“I had good teachers. In time you’ll learn more about your fighting style and the form that suits you best. You will also learn more about how to read your enemy. Know what they’re about to do next. And find the best chance to strike.”

“So, is there a point to this beat down you just gave me? Or is it just to make me better at fighting?” Rhys asked.

Ken chuckled “There is actually. I used this as an initiation for being friends with the Shadow Operatives. We are your allies Kuramoto-san, and only want to make you the best version of yourself. We want to help you get stronger. If you need anything, let any of us know.” Ken held out his hand for a handshake.

“Will do. Thanks Amada-senpai.” Rhys shook his senpai’s hand, sensing a new bond forming with the Shadow Operatives.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Death Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

Chapter Text

4/16/2025 – Hokkaido University, Afterschool

Rhys and Takeo had just got done with their classes for the day. Takeo had an errand to run for Ken, so he parted ways with Rhys quickly. While walking through the campus, Rhys met with Minato, who had been looking for the transfer student.

“Hey Rhys.” The teacher called out to Rhys before walking up to him. “Do you have some time to go somewhere today?”

“I have an assignment due, but it’s a short one so I should be good. What’s up?”

“Well, there’s some things I’d like to talk to you about. With us finally working together on this case I’d like to try and get to know you better.” Minato said as he yawned.

“Eh why not? Where do you have in mind we can go? I’ve only been here for a couple of days and with Terra Chaos and heading straight to the apartments I haven’t had a chance to fully walk around the city.” Rhys asked Minato.

“I was thinking a café. I know a place. C’mon.” Minato signaled Rhys to follow him to a café he knew about in Hokkaido that the blue-haired teacher was familiar with.

Shinkonishi – Café Chagall

Minato brought Rhys to one of the Café Chagall locations in Japan. He had been familiar with the Café from the location in Port Island. The coffee itself has changed over the years, but Minato is still fond of the tastes.

Rhys got a basic cup of black coffee. Minato got a different type of coffee that had extra ingredients with it.

“Man, that’ll wake you up…” Rhys said after taking a sip from his cup.

“You said it. But even then coffee has to work double time on me.” Minato said as he yawned.

“Have you always been this tired Arisato?” Rhys asked Minato after he yawned.

“Not in a long time.” He answered back. “I had so much paperwork to fill out yesterday. Then after the meeting we held I graded some papers from the small quiz I gave you guys on Saturday. I forgot how monotonous it can be.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why DID you become a teacher?” Rhys asked Minato. “From what I’ve figured out about you, you’re real into music. Why didn’t you get a degree in music?”

Minato had a moment of reflection for the question. “To tell you the truth, at first I didn’t know why I chose education. You’re right, I loved music. I had a plan to go to this college then try and apply to a record label and get my talent out there. But over time that changed. I began to become more appreciative of the life I was given. The second chance I was given helped me carve my path and figure out myself. That’s why I became a teacher. To help others figure out where they want to go in life. To be there for students when they’re having a hard time, and they have no one else to go to.”

Rhys nodded to his answer. “You know, that was the most genuine thing you’ve said to me since I got here.”

Minato chuckled. “Aw did my words move your soul?” He said sarcastically.

The two began to laugh together. “Look Rhys, I see a lot of potential in you. You are smarter than me in some areas of science. If you ever need someone to talk to, or need advice on something, I can try my best to help. We’re in this together now, and I look out for my people.”

“Thanks, Arisato.” Rhys nodded.

“Anytime.” Minato shook Rhys’s hand as Rhys began to feel a new bond emerge sensing Minato’s care for him.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Hierophant Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

Minato sensed the feeling too and had to ask. “Did you just forge a bond with me?”

Rhys raised an eyebrow. “You felt it too?”

Minato grinned “I did this too you know? So, which one did I get?”

“Huh?”

“Which arcana am I labeled as for your journey?”

“Hierophant”

“Hierophant? I’m not that old…”

The two began to walk out of Café Chagall and onto the streets of Shinkonishi. As they were walking, Rhys noticed a blue door in the back of an alley. He stared at it while Minato watched.

“Do you see the Velvet Room door over there?” Minato asked Rhys.

“Yeah I do…why is it there? Wait do you not see it?”

“I see it. But I have my own separate Velvet Room.”

Rhys then remembered Igor’s words. The next time you arrive here will be on your own accord…

He then pulled out the key he was given by Igor. Minato nodded.

“You go on in and see Igor, I’ll wait here for you.”

Rhys nodded, then headed towards the door. He held the key in his hand and put it in the keyhole of the door. It began to open, and Rhys saw a blue void beyond the door. He walked through and sure enough, he was in the hospital bed from his dreams.

The Velvet Room  Aria of the Soul

Igor greeted the transfer student “Welcome to the Velvet Room!”

“It seems you have finally arrived on your own accord. How can we make your acquaintance today?”

“I didn’t really have any questions; I just saw the door and remembered the key. But I do want to let you know I gained some new Personas a couple of days ago, but I feel with each Persona I gain I feel fuller and there’s less space.”

Igor responded “Overtime, as you grow stronger, you will gain the ability to possess more Personas.”

“Got it. Is there anything you need to tell me”

Samantha held out a book. “Indeed, there is. This is the Compendium. As you gain more Personas, you will be able to register them into the Compendium. Doing so will allow you to resummon any Personas you have discarded or have fused.”

“Fused?”

“With the power of turning bonds into strength comes the power of fusion. Combining multiple Personas has the chance of creating an even stronger persona. This power will only increase through strengthening your bonds.” Samantha responded.

“I see.”

Igor chuckled. “It seems you have begun forging the bonds on your journey in the Fool, Death, and Hierophant Arcanas. We look forward to seeing how you progress in your pursuit for peace.”

Rhys nodded as he left the Velvet Room and saw Minato staring at him.

“You get what you needed?” He asked

“Yeah. Was I just standing there the whole time?”

“Like a statue.” Minato chuckled. “I’ll go to the Velvet Room later. For now, let’s get back. I’m tired.”

“After drinking coffee?”

“Nothing can wake me up Kuramoto.”

Rhys remembered to ask Minato something as they were walking.

“Hey since we’re working together on this effort against the Hounds, can I have your phone number?”

Minato grinned. “I’m flattered that you ask that.”

“Shut up…”

Minato laughed and gave Rhys his phone number as the two walked back to the apartments.

Meanwhile…

Shiroishi Ward

Damn it Chie where are you?

Yu Narukami was waiting for Chie Hanamura to discuss their game plan for rescuing Yosuke from the Hounds of Chaos. Yu and Chie had agreed to meet in the district known as Shiroishi Ward, but Chie was running late.

Of course, Chie’s late…She probably got distracted by seeing a steak stand or something…She better hurry up-

Yu’s thoughts are interrupted when he feels something nudge up on the back of his shoulder.

“Hand’s where I can see ‘em…” Yu hears a voice behind him and by the terrible accent alone he knew who it was.

“Chie, it’s a wonder how you’ve managed to arrest people. And the safety better be on that thing.” Yu turns around as Chie puts her gun in its holster.

Chie began to cackle. “Relax ya party pooper. Safety’s on, see?”

“You know, you’re not really taking things seriously what with Yosuke, who is your HUSBAND by the way, being abducted and possibly put into a world like the TV.”

“Yu we faced and defeated three gods in a row and defeated some psychopath who tried to make us fight each other. I’m sure we can handle some clowns with dog masks on. Besides Yosuke is gonna be fine. The dummy can handle himself in situations. He’s probably talking shit at the people who captured him as we speak.”

Yu began to smirk. “You got a point. But we still need to stay focused.”

“Of course! So, lay it on me. What kinda mess did you get yourself into to get Yosuke taken?”

Yu made sure no one was around before he started to fill Chie in on the current situation, and what happened the day Yosuke was kidnapped.

Chapter Text

Four Days Ago...

4/12

Sapporo, Undisclosed Location

Narukami is sitting in a chair in a room he was taken to by a member of the Hounds of Chaos. For the sake of the interview, he agreed to the secrecy of the cult, so he was blindfolded when taken to the location. Right now, he was alone in the room, with another chair in front of him. As he waited for whoever agreed to do the interview, he started to think to himself. 

Narukami, you have done some pretty stupid crap in your days as a journalist. But this takes the cake. Why are you interviewing a member of a cult that is fueled by anarchism? This is stupid. I shouldn't have even thought about doing this. 

Suddenly, in the back of the room, a door slowly opened, and three members of the Hounds of Chaos came out. They had on their masks to conceal their identities, with two of them looking like bodyguards, and the last one wearing a white wolf mask and a red velvet suit. The two lackeys stood at the door as the white mask walked over to the seat in front of Narukami, staring the journalist down. 

Narukami took a big breath, realizing what he got himself into, before the cult member spoke. 

"There is no need to be afraid journalist. You asked for an interview. We did not come here with the intention of violence."

Narukami sighed in relief. "That's good to know." He held his hand out. "I'm Yu Narukami, I'm an independent journalist, so I'm not working for any specific outlet."

The white wolf reached for Narukami's hand and shook it. "A pleasure Narukami, I am referred to as "Deacon" in our ranks." Deacon sat down in the chair in front of Narukami. "Shall we get started?"

Narukami nodded, taking out a notebook and a pen. "Absolutely. Firstly, what is the genuine message the Hounds of Chaos want to display to the world?"

Deacon crossed his arms. "Our message is to express the idea of chaos. The term is normally aligned with acts such as violence, death, destruction, insanity. However, in our eyes, there is more to chaos. In the center is a voice of reason, and rejection of the ideals of our society. Man has accepted the abhorrent needs and wants of the world in exchange for their freedoms. They are shackled by their religions and governments. We simply reject them for a new purpose, to express our rebellion through chaos."

Narukami nodded. "So, you're a cult centered around anarchism?"

"Anarchism. Such a harsh word for what we believe in. However it is easily comparable. So, in a way, yes, we believe in anarchism."

Narukami asked his next question. "You said the Hounds of Chaos act as a rebellion. Would that make you similar to the group known as the Phantom Thieves?"

Deacon began to laugh. "The Phantom Thieves? The self-righteous vigilantes? The ones who forcefully shift the ideologies of people with a change of heart? No. They are weak, incompetent scoundrels, who manipulate the consciousness of man. We don't forcefully admit people to our cause with a "change of heart." You can either except the coming chaos, or get out of our way."

Narukami noticed the raise in hostility with that response, so he decided to move on to his last two question. "How do you plan to express your beliefs in chaos? What actions do the Hounds of Chaos perform to stretch their cause."

"By worshipping Terra Chaos."

"Excuse me?" Narukami raised an eyebrow. "Terra Chaos?"

"Yes. The Land of Chaos my friend. It is a world that fulfills our desires for Chaos. There, chaos is our God. We are able to worship in revelry alongside the shadows that reside there..." 

An alarm went off in Narukami's head Shadows? That can't mean...

"Do you have anymore questions journalist?" Deacon interrupted Narukami's thought.

"Yes. Just one more." 

"Go on." Deacon replied.

Narukami asked his last question. "Yesterday, the painter known as Yusuke Kitagawa stated his exhibit was a means of calling the Hounds of Chaos out and berated the cult in the process. How do you intend to respond to his words?"

Deacon chuckled. "The artist can talk. But I don't think we have to worry about his words being a threat to our cause. His words couldn't even keep him safe in his own home."

"His own home? What are you—"

"I believe that is all the time I have to day journalist." Deacon rose up from his chair. "You can see yourself out of this abandoned building." Deacon quickly walked away and walked out of the door he and his body guards came in from.

Narukami laid back into the seat he was in an sighed out of relief. "That didn't go so bad. I didn't die so that's good." Narukami pulled out his phone to check the recent headlines. "What did he mean his words couldn't keep him safe?" Narukami's eyes lit up when he read the headline "Yusuke Kitagawa Abducted From Home : Message Left That Stated Chaos Beckons All" 

He looked around him for a couple of seconds before deciding to do something really, really stupid. "I should follow those cult members. Maybe I could make more sense out of this." Yu bolted out of the door to hopefully make his way out of the building and catch up with the cult members.

When he got out onto the street, he realized he was taken to a run down part of the city notorious for high levels of crime activity. In the distance, he noticed a man in the same red velvet suit as Deacon alongside two people in black hoodies. Narukami caught up to them while staying as far away as he could to follow the three to wherever they were headed. 

Hounds of Chaos Hideout

Narukami's tailing led him to an old ten story outside of Sapporo. He noticed the building was crawling with members of the cult, so getting in wouldn't be easy. Thankfully, he noticed a busted open window that was unsupervised, so he snuck through it and into the building.

As he snuck through the building, he began to notice members more armed to the teeth. They had rifles, shotguns, handguns. The guns someone would use for an army. Why would they have these? No one should have this much firepower. Someone has to be selling these to them.

Yu eventually made it to a second level floor that had a crack he could see out of. He could see a room on the first floor, with members of the Hounds of Chaos standing before a podium and an elevator in the back of the room. There was chatter throughout the room until Deacon walked out of a door and stood in front of the podium. All the chatter stopped and Narukami watched as some sort of meeting got underway.

"Greetings brothers and sisters." Deacon said. "I am glad you have decided to attend this meeting. Today is a special day, as we have obtained the first participant in the sacrifice, and we shall perform the ritual to transport them to Terra Chaos!"

The members in the crowd began to cheer before chanting "CHA-OS, CHA-OS, CHA-OS..."

The Deacon then sighed. "However, before we can do that, we must deal with our turncoat. Bring out the traitor!" Two guards with rifles came out of the door next to the podium and shoved a man with his hands tied down on his knees next to Deacon. He looked in his mid-30s, and had messy black hair. He had a black eye and his nose was bleeding. The crowd began to berate the man. 

"Traitor!" "Kill Him!" "Coward!" "Disgrace!" Many of them shouted before it went silent again. 

Deacon grabbed the man’s skull before stating his charges. "Taka Shimura. You are guilty of treason. You tried to escape and spill information to the police. You, are a TURNCOAT!" Deacon punched the man as hard as he could across the face as the crowd cheered some more. 

Narukami watched in horror while the man was put on trial, who looked terrified. What are they gonna do to him?

"Deacon! PLEASE! I'LL LEAVE! I WON'T SAY A WORD! I WOULD NEVER BETRAY THE HOUNDS! NEVER! PLEASE I WON'T SAY ANYTHING!" As the man was shouting, pleading to be let go, Narukami noticed Deacon reach into his suit for something. And it all happened within a second.

"That's right. You won't.”

*BANG*

A spark of gunfire lit the room as Deacon pulled out a handgun and shot the turncoat in the head, murdering him in cold blood.

Narukami had to stop himself from gasping as his eyes lit up and his heart began to beat. He had dealt with murder cases, fought beings of immeasurable power, and was always at the risk of dying. But he never in his life witnessed a cold blooded murder till that day. "Holy SHIT" Yu whispered to himself as the crowd cheered on the murder. 

The lackeys grabbed the lifeless corpse as Deacon put his gun away "Burn the body. No one will remember him. Leave nothing remaining." 

After taking a breath, Deacon then said. "And now, onto the matter at hand my friends. Bring out the sacrifice!" the crowd cheered as more lackeys brought out a tall, slim man with a bag over his head. Deacon ripped the bag off to reveal Yusuke Kitagawa, who had a bruise on his jaw and his hair a mess."

Narukami regained his composer from the murder and began to take his phone out for a picture while thinking That's the painter! Yusuke Kitagawa!

Yusuke was unconscious during the entire ordeal as the lackeys opened the elevator behind Deacon while he shouted "AND NOW MY FRIENDS. WITNESS THE GATEWAY TO TERRA CHAOS!" The crowd cheered even louder than before as the lackeys took Yusuke into the elevator and shut the door. After a minute, the door itself began to shake and as the door stopped shaking, it opened to reveal no one in the elevator. The crowd began to cheer as the gateway had worked. 

Narukami was stunned by the turn of events. What the hell just happened? Narukami tried to take a picture of the gathering with his phone, but didn't realize the flash turned on *CLICK* he took the picture and Deacon noticed the bright flash and looked up where the journalist was hiding "What was that!?"

"Oh shit." Narukami quickly crouched down. "I gotta get out of here." He said as he bolted out of the building and back to the city.

Streets of Sapporo - Nighttime

It was nighttime by the time Narukami realized where he was at and bolted towards the hotel he and Yosuke were staying at. He didn't realize behind him were two stalkers in wolf masks.

Narukami made it to the hotel and got to the door of the room he and Yosuke were in. He began to knock in a panic.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* "YOSUKE! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Yu heard Yosuke's voice behind the door. "Narukami?" 

Yosuke opened the door as Yu was panting and his hands on his knees. "Partner? Did the interview go well?"

"Yosuke, grab your stuff we’re leaving—"

*WHACK* Yu fell to the floor as he felt something strike him in the head. Knocking him out. When he woke up, he noticed the room had been destroyed, with a message on the wall reading CHAOS BECKONS ALL.

Narukami threw his journal across the hotel room before screaming "DAMN IT." He realizes he just put his friend in danger.

4/16 - Present Day

"Oh my..." was all Chie could say to Narukami's story. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. These hounds are murderous psychopaths."

"I couldn't believe I wanted to INTERVIEW these maniacs. They murdered that man in cold blood then followed me and took Yosuke to get back at me." Narukami started to beat himself up.

“Damn…Yosuke…” Chie whispered to herself. She sighed before saying “It’s in the past. What matters is the now. What’s our plan?”

“Simple. We try what the Hounds did with the elevator, kick ass, rescue Yosuke, get out.”

“You never explained the elevator thing.”

“We go into the elevator at the hotel I’m staying at. It has ten floors so it should work. We wait for the door to shut, then press the odd numbers every three seconds, then the even numbers every three seconds. I heard it as a rumor from some high schoolers who were shouting about it as the “way to the afterlife” and such.”

“A rumor? Just like the Midnight Channel…” Chie said in concern.

“Exactly. But we’re gonna go in, save Yosuke, get out and not look back. I’m tired of dealing with Personas and the other bullshit that comes with it.” Yu stated.

“But it’s just us two?” Chie questioned.

“Yeah. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“You didn’t want to bring anyone else? I know what you said about Yukiko but what about Kanji?”

“Too busy with the Textile shop. Plus I don’t need his hothead demeanor for this. Look to tell you the truth I haven’t kept up with most of them so I don’t know what they’re doing. Rise-chan’s out being Risette right now, Naoto-kun’s probably on some tough case in Tokyo, Teddie is dealing with the commotion at Junes because of Yosuke’s disappearance, and Marie is…I don’t know where Marie is.”

Chie noticed Yu’s demeanor change when he mentioned Marie. “You don’t know where Marie is? Do you think she could help us?”

“I don’t know. Look it’s just us on this job. We don’t need to bring anyone else into this. The Hounds could track anyone of them down. I can’t risk that.”

Chie sighs “I know Narukami, I respect that you’re not forcing them into this.”

“Thanks Chie-san.”

“So when are we trying this?”

“Tomorrow night. I need to go find a sword. Let’s get to the hotel for now. I already rented you a room.”

Chie smiled. “You didn’t have to do that. I’m not the same freeloader that charged Teddie’s clothes on Yosuke’s account.”

Yu chuckled. “It makes me feel better. Let’s go.” The two walk off determined to save their friend from Terra Chaos tomorrow night. 

Chapter Text

4/17 – Hokkaido University, Lunchtime

Rhys was listening to music while eating lunch to kill time. He had just got out of a painful lecture about Romantic literature. He was not a fan.

Buzz buzz Rhys’s phone went off so he checked to see what it was. He had remembered the day he and Takeo formed the Talons of Peace, he gave his number to him for the group. What did he want?

Tonden Nishi Park – Afterschool

Rhys walked up to Takeo, who was sitting on a bench near the playground throwing food to pigeons.

“You know that’s what old people do, right?” Rhys asked him.

“It calms me. I don’t know why. Also don’t diss old people man!”

“Meant no offense. Anyway, what’s up?”

“I wanted to tell you more about my family.”

“I’m your therapist now?”

“Dude just listen please.”

“Okay okay I’ll listen. Tell me more about your family.”

“Well, my family is mainly filled with doctors. They feel it’s their duty to save lives and I respect that. That goes for my brothers. I have seven of them and I’m the eighth. I’m the youngest of the bunch. Some of them felt different about being a doctor so they pursued different careers. The bottom line is that they all went through Hokkaido University. They passed the entrance exams first try and were always top of their class.”

“By how you’re telling me this, I assume it’s the opposite for you?”

Takeo sighs. “Yeah, it was. I had to take the entrance exam three times and even on the third try I barely got by. You remember that dick who said I’m only in the university because of my parents. They were practically right. I’m the meathead of the family. I’m not that smart. I honestly don’t even know why I’m there. It’s difficult. I myself am going for chemical engineering, but I don’t know if I’m trying to study it because it interests me, or if I’m doing it to not let my parents down.”

Rhys could tell if he helped Takeo with getting better at academics as well as help him understand his motive for attending, they could become closer in the process. What’s there to lose?

“Want me to help you?” Rhys asked.

“Are you kidding?! You would actually help me just like that?” Takeo was shocked.

“Takeo, I felt directionless at one point too. I didn’t know what I want to do with my life. Sure I’m here because I wanted to learn more about what happened to my brother, but I also love the world of science. It’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. If I can help you figure out why you’re at Hokkaido and on top of that help your meathead brain get smarter, I’ll gladly do it.”

Takeo beamed with joy. “Thank you so much man! You really are my friend huh?”

“You bet your ass I am you meathead.” Rhys patted Takeo on the shoulder, feeling a faint bond start to ignite between the two.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Magician Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

Takeo began to throw the bird food again while talking to Rhys.

“Say Rhys-san, where would we begin with helping me get better.”

“Well for now we should look at your study methods. How do you study-

“This food tastes terrible.”

The two heard a voice in front of them before the pigeons.

“Did you hear that?” Rhys asked Takeo

“Yeah I did.”

“Honestly I don’t know how you eat this. You pigeons really settle for less huh?”

Rhys already saw what was talking. It was a white dove among the pigeons with black outer feathers.

Rhys ripped the food from Takeo. “Give me the damn pigeon food.” Before throwing it all at the talking dove, fastballing it at him.

“Ow! You fucking mop-headed jerk! Why would you throw all of it at me?! Now these pigeons are gonna take it all! AUGH!” The dove yelled.

“Knew it was you.” Rhys smirked.

Takeo looked stunned. “SOLOMON?! What are you doing here!? Aren’t you supposed to be looking for Hiromi-chan? And how did you even get over here?! Did you peck the numbers on an elevator?”

“Why would you ask me so many questions?! Besides I have been looking for you two all day! This city is too big and there’s too many people. I hate it!”

“ANSWER THEM BIRD!” Takeo shouted.

“Okay okay. But don’t call me bird again you thumb! I came over here through the elevator you guys come in. Thankfully no one was around to scream bloody dove when I got out. And yes I used my beak to peck the numbers. But the reason I’m here is because I wanted to let you know that I have found your friend.”

Rhys began to stare colder at the dove. “Are you positive.”

“Yep.”

“Alright, I’ll let Arisato know. Takeo-san let’s start heading back. We might not be able to go in yet, but the Shadow Ops can go in to at the very least confirm it.”

“You got it. Solomon, are you going back with them?” Takeo asked the dove.

“Yes, I’ll show your new friends where to go.”

“Then let’s get going. It’s getting late anyways. Arisato told me he and his group were planning on going in tonight, so might as well message him before they go in.”

As the three were walking Rhys began to text Minato about the abducted being found.

Meanwhile…

Kitagawa Residence

“Is this the right place Ren-san?”

“It’s what the address said. Why?”

“The house just looks so…elegant. That’s all. Don’t you think so to Mona-chan?”

“This is Yusuke we’re talking about. But it’s also Futaba so I thought the house would be a mixture of looking nice and looking rough.”

“Can you guys just come into the damn house and stop judging the outer design? It’s unlocked.”

Ren, Haru, and Morgana had just arrived in Hokkaido to help Futaba rescue Yusuke. Futaba was gonna need all the help she could get if she was gonna take on the Hounds.

The three went inside and the house looked ransack still from Yusuke’s struggle with the Hounds. The painter put up a noble fight against the intruders, but the numbers game eventually caught up to him. Futaba was sitting on a torn couch on her laptop when the three walked in.

“You didn’t wanna tell us the door was unlocked?” Ren asked Futaba.

She groaned “I forgot about the door having a lock since those jerks broke it when they took Yusuke. I’m cutting straight to the chase. I don’t know where they took him but it sure isn’t the metaverse. It’s more distorted, open world, and above all else chaotic. But I managed to pinpoint the signal of the worlds distortion. I believe that’s where Inari is.”

“Are you certain?” Morgana asked.

“I wouldn’t have called you guys here if I wasn’t! This is the “are you sure you’re prepared before starting the mission” part of all this.”

“You said it yourself. Even Sophia told us the entry-way is different from the nav app. How so?” Ren asked.

“We take elevator, push buttons on elevator, we’re in. Well, actually there’s more to it but leave the button pressing to me mwehehehehe….” Futaba chuckled.

Haru pulled out her axe and grenade laucher she purchased from Iwai. “So when are we going?!”  she said with malicious intent.

“AHH. BIG GUN!” Futaba shouted.

“WOAH WOAH WOAH!” Ren shouted to Haru. “I know the grenade launcher only works in the metaverse but you can’t just swing it around like that!”

“Oh…sorry.” Haru looked down, dropping her weapons.

Morgana whined “Why does she get so scary so quickly?”

Ren shrugged. “But she has a point about when we’re going. How about tonight?”

Futaba looked up. “Are you sure? You guys just spawned. Don’t you think you’d be severely under leveled?”

Ren grinned “Meh, I want to get Yusuke out as quick as possible and Haru looks like she’s about to go through shadow-killing withdrawal. So, what do ya say? Tonight? You can tag along too Sophia.”

Ren’s phone bursted with a “Yay!’” coming from Sophia.

“Yeah.” Futaba nodded “Let’s go.”

Haru giggled “I can’t wait to see the look on the shadows faces when I cut them down!”

The rest of the Phantom Thieves in the room just looked at her nervously before Ren asked “So where are we going to do this elevator thing you were yapping about?”

“I know a place. Let’s go!” Futaba led the present members of the Phantom Thieves to where they would enter Terra Chaos. Unknowingly, they would cross paths with others on similar missions…

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Rhys, Takeo, and Isaiah had made it back to the apartment. They were in the lobby as each member of the Shadow Ops made it down there to wait in front of the elevator. Ken insisted he stay behind to make sure Rhys or Takeo didn’t try to go.

“Dude, why are you gatekeeping who goes in the elevator?” Takeo whined at Ken.

“Because this is a Shadow Ops mission. Not a Shadow Ops and two other Persona users mission. They need to get a feel of the area by themselves. It’s a standard protocol we have used. Besides, if things DO go awry, we are to act as backup.”

“If we’re meant to be backup, then how are they going to contact us?” Rhys asked.

Damn I didn’t think of that Ken thought “Um…look you’re staying here and there’s no ifs ands or buts!”

Ken then looked at Solomon. The dove followed the same concept as Morgana. People only hear him chirp until they go to Terra Chao with him. Then from then on, they have to deal with Solomon’s voice for the rest of their lives.

“So, is that the dove Minato-san was telling us about?” Ken asked.

“Why yes I am.” Solomon chirped.

“Aww it chirped at me. Cute.” Ken smirked.

“Oi! Who you calling cute!” Solomon shouted.

“Dude I think he can’t hear you talk.” Rhys whispered to Solomon.

“What are you- ohhhh I know what you mean.” Solomon nodded. “I’ll stop talking.”

“Anyway, this is the dove we met in Terra Chaos; he seems to know the place.” Takeo swapped subjects.

The members of Shadow Ops began to walk down the stairs. First was Minato, in the same gear he wore from Sunday.

“The others should be down shortly. And Rhys? Takeo?”

“Yeah?” The two said in sync.

“Try not to have a nosebleed on the nice wooden floor when Yukari gets down here. Just a warning.” He said as he winked towards them.

“What do you mean by that?” Takeo asked nervously.

Junpei came out shortly after. He was wearing the same baseball attire he wore at the meeting, except this time he had black fingerless sports gloves on and had his evoker across his torso. In his right hand was a red metal baseball bat

Minato groaned. “Do you have nothing better to wear?”

Junpei rolled his eyes. “My baseball clothes are made for this bro! Can’t blame me for wanting to wear something comfortable. At least I have the jackets we wear wrapped around my waist!”

“Fair point.”

Next was Mitsuru, who was wearing the black combat suit she wore at the meeting minus the white fur coat, along with a black leather waist cape. She was brandishing a rapier with the point as sharp as a knife and thin as paper.

Junpei nodded at Takeo “Doesn’t she look like a—"

“Iori, I would watch my words if I were you.” Mitsuru stopped him from saying something rather vulgar.

“Yes ma’am.” Junpei whispered.

Takeo began to laugh “Okay Arisato-Sensei, why were you telling us to not act weird when Yukari-san gets down here? To be honest, I think you’re making a very bad judgement of character. Me and Rhys are grown up adults. We don’t freak out over girls anymore! I think you’re overreacting-Rhys? Why did you turn away from everyone so quickly?”

“Look. At. The stairs…” Rhys whispered.

“What are you-HOLY FU—" Takeo turned away from the Shadow Ops the moment he looked up the stairs. There was Yukari, in her Shadow Ops gear. She had created a modified version of the Pink Argus suit she wore during her time as the character. It was modified to be used in combat.

“Okay. I’m ready! Were you all waiting on me? Hey why are those two facing the other direction?”

Minato nudged Junpei’s shoulder. “Pay up Stupei” He smirked.

Junpei handed out a stack of yen and handed it to Minato. “Life’s not fair man…”

“Takeo…if we don’t turn around…we’ll never conquer our demons.” Rhys whispered.

“Dude…how do we do this? She’s in her Pink Argus suit…I can’t go on much longer.”

“STAY WITH ME TAKEO! We can do this. On three we turn around. One…two…three!”

The two turned around to face the Shadow Ops and hopefully get over their obsessions over their childhood crush.

“Man…” Rhys chuckled “You guys look badass…right Tak?”

“Yeah…all of you do! Even…uh”

‘Look can you guys GO ALREADY?!” Rhys shouted.

Junpei started to laugh…and so did Minato.

“Hmm? What’s so funny? And why are you guys flustered?” Ken’s innocent soul asked.

Junpei faced Ken “Oh Amada-san you innocent soul…”

Minato faced Yukari. “You’re famous around here.”

Yukari groaned “What made you think that?”

Mitsuru brought everyone down to Earth. “We still have a mission to get underway. Arisato-san, can you start the elevator sequence.”

“Sure. Shadow Ops, get in. You too dove.” Isaiah and the Shadow Ops got inside the elevator.

“Alright we’ll be back shortly. Ken?” Minato got the third year’s attention

“Yes?”

“Make sure these two behave.” Minato said as the elevator door closed and the team headed for Terra Chaos.

When the elevator opened back up, Ken was surprised to see it empty. “Wow they’re really gone!” He turned back to see Takeo and Rhys still frozen and flustered. “Seriously what’s up with you two guys? I watched Featherman all the time, you don’t see me getting a nosebleed from seeing Yukari-san in her gear.”

“Ken? Let’s move one from this shall we?” Rhys asked him

“Yeah…please…” Takeo followed up.

The lobby remained silent before Ken broke the quiet.

“So…you guys like fighting games?”

Terra Chaos – Apartment Lobby

The members of the Shadow Ops and Solomon had walked out of the elevator and out onto the street of the chaotic city. The group took in the atmosphere of the world and noticed the architecture that surrounded them.

“You weren’t kidding. This place is creepy.” Yukari said.

“It’s just as I expected. This place feels…demonic.” Mitsuru added.

“Yeah…I don’t like this place and we haven’t even seen the shadows yet.” Junpei followed.

“Oh don’t worry lads, it gets worse.” Solomon said, deciding to make his voice known.

Junpei jumped as well as Yukari.

“Did the bird just TALK?!” Junpei shouted.

“Yes yes get it all out!” Solomon groaned.

“Yeah we never actually got formal introductions, I’m Solomon. I come from this world, and you can only hear me talk if you hear me talk in this world for the first time.”

“Incredible…” Mitsuru responded.

“Yeah I forgot to mention the dove talks…my bad.” Minato apologized.

“Well now that we got that out of the way, we should get going. The Citadel is a ways ahead.” Solomon said.

Minato got distracted by seeing the door to the Velvet Room. He decided to go in to prove one of his suspicions.

“Hold on a second, you guys wait over there.”

“Yeah sure thing Minato-san” Junpei replied.

Minato walked over to the Velvet Door and entered.

Minato/Aigis’s Velvet Room  Aria of the Soul

Minato had awakened in the elevator that was his Velvet Room. And in there was Igor and the woman he had questions for…Elizabeth.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room!” Igor greeted the veteran guest.

“Hey Igor. And hello to you Elizabeth.”

“Welcome back Arisato!” Elizabeth said with glee.

“How’s Theodore doing?” He asked his old friend.

“Theodore is dealing with outside matters for me. He’s doing well!”

“It seems you have finally returned after embarking on a new journey. What business do you have with us today old friend?” Igor asked.

“Two things. Firstly, Elizabeth, could you show my compendium.”

“Why of course!” She began to flip through Minato’s compendium. “Over the years, your compendium has only gotten stronger! Each Persona gathered has…benefited…you…WHAT?!”

“Why what is the matter Elizabeth?” Igor asked his attendant.

“The compendium is empty!” Minato never saw Elizabeth mad before now.

“Where did they go?” Minato asked. “When we went into Terra Chaos, my power felt stripped. I only had Orpheus Telos.”

Igor answered, “It seems your journey could be tied to the new journey that has begun.”

“Are you talking about Rhys?”

“It is only a theory. However, if it is tied to the new guest, the progress he makes could affect other Wild Cards as well.”

Minato was slightly annoyed by that “My compendium…you know how long it took to find Hell Biker? But if it’s tied to Rhys then I have no say in it.”

“Is there anything else?” Igor asked.

“Yes, another thing for Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth looked back up, having calmed down from losing Minato’s compendium “Yes?”

Minato’s demeanor changed. He became cold, serious, focused. “The Great Seal…What is the Status of it?”

Elizabeth knew Minato was going to ask about the Great Seal, so it hurt her even more to tell him the unfortunate news. “I sincerely apologize…But the Great Seal is almost undone.”

Minato got even colder. “How long…”

Elizabeth stayed quiet.

“HOW LONG!?” Minato shouted “Please…I have to know.”

“It will be completely undone within six months. By then, Erebus will return.”

Minato began to breathe heavily. Bad memories began to resurface. Years of pain. Years of anger and training meant for that THING. The thing that was locking him away from seeing the one person he ever wanted to see again.

Minako…

“However my friend, all is not lost. For it is the new Wild Card who will assist you in defeating Erebus once and for all, neglecting the need for the Great Seal.”

“Rhys?”

“Yes. Through our journeys, me and Theodore have learned of the nature of how to truly defeat Erebus. The new Wild Card will forge bonds created by the bonds of your journey and the journeys of others. Bonds strong enough to defy death itself.”

“Six months…”

“Is there anything else my friend?” Igor asked.

Minato whispered “No…No that will be all. Farewell you two.” Minato abruptly left the Velvet Room.

Terra Chaos

Minato came back from the Velvet Room in a more serious mood. “Let’s get moving.” He said as he walked past everyone.

“Is he good?” Solomon asked Yukari.

“He didn’t look too happy Yuka-tan. Do you think…” Junpei chimed in.

“We’ll ask him later.” Yukari said.

“Agreed.” Mitsuru said. We need to stay focused. Let’s catch up to Arisato.”   

The team walked through the streets of Terra Chaos, following Isaiah to the location of the kidnapped, while getting a feel of the world. They took in the buildings of the city mixed with the bright orange sky and the blood red moon.

Mitsuru was certainly astonished by the city’s architecture. “This city is something I have never seen before. It feels as if it was once a city that used to thrive. It was populated, even in the chaotic atmosphere it brings.”

Solomon begins to educate the Shadow Ops on the city. “I don’t know much about the history of Terra Chaos, but you are correct on that assumption. The city has never been a place of good. It was corrupt and filled with the worst souls imaginable. But in their chaos, they thrived. What happened to make the city so isolated is beyond my understanding.”

“What about the shadows?” Yukari asked. “If this was once an ancient city, how could shadows be present here?”

“That’s a question I have had for a long time. Shadows shouldn’t be here. I can only hope that we are able to find our answers—"

“Hold it.” Minato raised his hand up while in the lead of the group, stopping them in their tracks. “Do you feel that?” He asked them as the ground in front of them started to turn black.

They stared at the ground turning black and knew what stood before them. “Oh…shit…guys? Are those the shadows?” Junpei asked getting in his swinging stance.

Yukari pulled an arrow out of her quiver and placed it on her bow, readying it. “It’s looking like it. What’s the call?”

The shadows jumped out of the ground and began to close in on the Shadow Ops.

“Shadows!” Mitsuru shouted. “Operatives, ready yourselves!” As the rest of the team took stance.

“Ah yes, deal with them please!” Solomon shouted as he flew behind the rest of the team.

“Yeah! Like old times!” Junpei shouted with excitement.

Minato gripped his sword and took stance. “Yukari, keep at a distance and whittle them down with arrows. Mitsuru, take point in analyzing their weaknesses. Junpei? Let’s hit em hard.”

“Hell. Yeah.” Junpei grinned. The battle with the shadows had begun.

Minato and Junpei closed the distance with the five shadows, as they specialized in ranged attacks. Junpei swung his bat at one of the shadows and was able to knock it onto the ground. Minato finished the knocked down shadow off by stabbing it in the ground with his sword. Four remained.

“The ones on the left are weak to fire!” Mitsuru shouted.

“HA! Say no more!” Junpei pulled out his evoker. “Trismegistus!” He shouted as a warrior in red robes with wings and a beak appeared behind him to fire a Maragi at the remaining four shadows. He knocked the two shadows on the left down, however he didn’t let Mitsuru finish her sentence. The other two shadows were nulled to fire and as Junpei summoned his Persona, one of them used a Bufu, knocking Junpei down.

“Agh!” Junpei grunted in pain as he was knocked down.

“The other two shadows absorb fire Iori! Let me finish next time!” Mitsuru shouted at him.

“Yeah…I know….” Junpei laid on the ground in pain.

“Minato! Back up!” Yukari shouted as she fired an arrow at one of the shadows.

Minato pulled Junpei back for Yukari to heal him, while he dealt with the remaining two shadows still standing.

“Arisato, there weak to wind!” Mitsuru shouted.

“Got it!” Minato nodded as he pulled out his evoker. “Orpheus Telos!” Minato summoned his Persona to use a Magaru attack on the two shadows still up. The final two were knocked down and now all four remaining shadows were down. “Yukari! Mitsuru! All Out Attack!” Minato shouted as he and the two women rushed the downed shadows. Hitting them with blow after blow from arrows and blades until they were all defeated. The five shadows had been defeated.

“Is that all of them?” Minato asked scanning the area.

“Yes. That’s all of them. Great work everyone.” Mitsuru smiled.

Junpei was still on the ground hurt. “Yeah…go team…”

Minato looked at Yukari. “Hey could you…?”

Yukari sighed. “Yeah I got him.” She pulled out her evoker. “C’mon Isis let’s heal this dummy.”

Yukari healed Junpei and he got back up.

Solomon was impressed with the Shadow Ops and how they handled the shadows. “Wow you guys are organized well. You really have been doing this for a while.”

“Yeah we have.” Minato nodded at the dove. “We need to keep moving. C’mon.” He said as he continued to walk, still letting what he heard in the Velvet Room bother him.

Yukari decided to stop her husband before they moved on to as to find out what was bothering him so suddenly.

“Mina wait.” She grabbed his arm. “Is something up? After you got done checking out the door earlier, you have been looking bothered by something.”

“It’s nothing. Thanks for looking out for me Yuka.” Minato tried to continue walking but she relented.

“I know how you get…It’s something serious. Isn’t it?”

Minato sighed. “I’ll tell you all later.”

Mitsuru decided to confront Minato about the secret he did not tell Rhys and Takeo regarding the truth of how they purged the Dark Hour.

“One other thing before we move one Arisato.” Minato looked at Mitsuru after she got his attention.

“It’s about something the Dark Hour, and what you told Rhys and Takeo of it before we arrived.”

“What are you talking about?” Minato asked sternly. He knew what Mitsuru meant but he hoped no one else would bring it up.

“You described the events as if it was just you. You neglected the existence of—"

Minato cut Mitsuru off. “We’re not having this conversation.”

Yukari realized what Mitsuru meant and took her side. “Minato…you can’t just act like she never existed.”

“I’m NOT!” Minato snapped. “They don’t deserve to know…not yet.”

Junpei interjected himself into the conversation. “Dude…they’re putting their trust in us. They need to know the truth. About the sacrifices we made. They deserve to know about Minako—"

“ENOUGH!” Minato shouted. “In time. But not now. Solomon? Are we close?”

The dove was silent for the argument. “Yes, follow me. We’re almost there.”

The Shadow Ops were silent for the rest of the time as Solomon led them to where the kidnapped were located. They realized after all this time. All the help they gave him. Beneath his happiness. Minato Arisato’s pain remained, just weaker than it was when she was taken from him. His only family.

Chapter Text

Citadel of Envy – Entrance

“This is it. This is where your friends are located.” Solomon said as he and the Shadow Ops arrived at a courtyard that acted as the entrance to a tall citadel.

“Woah.” Junpei gasped. “This place is huge.”

Solomon knew what the building was but had never seen any of them or found any of them until now.

“This is a Citadel.” He explained. “One of the beacons of Terra Chaos. It stands as a place of sacrifice. Inside is a nest of shadows, but your friends should be at the top. I’m certain.”

“Did they act as strongholds?” Mitsuru asked the dove.

“I can’t say. They do look heavily fortified, but there shouldn’t be anything but shadows in there. But something big is at the top with your friends. I sensed it. It’s not a shadow. It’s worse.”

Hearing that made Yukari a little worried. “Uhh…worse? How could it be worse than a shadow?”

“Perhaps it is what things are sacrificed to?” Junpei asked.

Minato nodded. “Regardless, it looks like we have found our victims. Let’s make sure we remember this place so we can come back and rescue them—"

*BOOM*

 The Shadow Ops screamed as an explosion went off between them, knocking them all down. Minato got up first amidst the smoke.

“What the hell was that?! He shouted as he got up. “It was like a bomb went off.”

Yukari gets up next to see a pebble-like object coming their way. “MOVE!” She shouts as she pushes Minato out of the way as another BOOM goes off.

Minato grabs Yukari by the face. “Are you alright!?”

“I’m fine. What about the others? Where are Kirijo and Junpei?”

They hear Junpei’s muffled screams as the smoke begins to clear. “Junpei?” Minato asks.

“GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!” Junpei is shouting as he is running in any direction he could think of as what looked like a cartoonish cat was on his head trying to put the baseball player down.

Minato and Yukari were confused. “What the fu—"

Suddenly, someone tries to hit Minato, but he steps out of the way to see a man in a black trench coat and red gloves, he had what looked like a thief mask on. Then, Yukari ducked as she saw an axe come her way, avoiding a lethal injury. Her attacker wore a pink long sleeve poet shirt with a black vest and had a musketeer hat on.

Mitsuru finally got up. “Shadow Ops!? What is happening-GAH” Mitsuru suddenly feels a string wrap around her legs and she gets pulled down. Her attacker looks as if she is using two yo-yo’s and whore a white hoodie with the hoodie over her head and had goggles on.

“Yeah kick their ass Joker!” Minato hears a girl’s voice as he is trying to avoid getting hit by a knife his attacker was holding. Joker? Wait a second, there’s no way they’re here too…

Minato found an opportunity to disarm his attacker when he thrusted his knife forward. Minato grabbed his arm and knocked the knife out of it. When he went in to attack him, the attacker pulled out a handgun and pointed at Minato. That’s when he got a good look at who was attacking him. It was Joker, the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Junpei was still panicking from whatever was on his head and Mitsuru was still being pulled down by her attacker’s yoyo, and Yukari was still trying to avoid getting decapitated by the maniac swinging an ax at her. It was chaos in front of the Citadel while Solomon watched as two more people approached them. One had silver hair and the other was wearing a green parka.

Minato realized it was the Phantom Thieves who were attacking them but they were not going to listen, so he just had to pull out his evoker to get their attention.

“ORPHEUS TELOS” Minato shouted, which summoned his persona and stopped all the fighting instantly. It caught Joker’s attention as he put his handgun down.

“A Persona? Phantom Thieves stand down!” Joker shouted as Noir stopped swinging her ax, Sophie loosened her grip on Mitsuru, and Mona jumped off of Junpei’s head, staring at Orpheus Telos.

Minato put his evoker away before shouting “CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A FUCKING TIME OUT?!”

*BANG*

A gunshot rang through the courtyard as someone behind them all then shouted. “NOBODY MOVE!”

They all turned around and Minato recognized the people who got their attention. “Narukami?!”

Narukami and Chie were stunned to see the group they joined forces with many years ago. “Arisato?!” Narukami exclaimed.

No one knew who to talk first. Everyone was just staring at each other, anticipating who would make the first move.

Yukari was pissed at her attacker, so she decided to break the silence. “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?! YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN MY HEAD OFF YOU PSYCHOPATH!”

“That was the goal…” Noir said before chuckling maniacally.

“WHY YOU…”

“Yukari that’s enough.” Minato said.

Joker caught that name. “Yukari? Like Yukari Takeba? The actress?”

Minato nodded. “Yes that’s her. I assume you guys are the Phantom Thieves?”

“That’s right.” Joker nodded back. “Who the hell are all of you? We thought you were hostiles but then you summoned a Persona back there.”

“We’re part of the group known as Shadow Ops.” Mitsuru said while getting up. “But considering you decided to attack us unreasonably, I’d say we are allowed to question you.”

Joker sighed. “Alright fine. Before that could you put your gun away lady?” He said while pointing at Chie, who still had her pistol out.

Narukami nodded. “Chie just do it.”

Chie grunted before lowering her gun and putting it back in her holster.

“Now, Phantom Thieves. Do you mind telling us your reasoning for being here?” Mitsuru barked at the Phantom Thieves. Junpei was starting Mona down like a hawk, not sure to be angry, confused or terrified.

“One of our members Yus- I mean Fox has been located and this is where he is.” Oracle said as she walked closer to Joker.

“Fox?” Yukari asks.

“Yes. Fox.” Oracle said. “We don’t have to tell you his name!”

Minato put two and two together. “You’re here for Yusuke Kitagawa? He’s a Phantom Thief!?”

“Yeah. He’s one of us.” Joker answered.

Chie leaned into Yu’s ear and whispered “These are the Phantom Thieves? They seem weird.”

“Who isn’t weird these days Chie?” Yu whispered back.

“Alright then.” Minato looked at Narukami and Chie. “I assume you two are here because Hanamura is up there?”

Chie nodded. “Yeah. Some jerks called the Hounds of Chaos took him and Narukami here heard about some elevator rumor. We tried it and we have been walking forever until we heard some ruckus coming from over here.”

Joker realized Minato’s group and Narukami’s group were already familiar with each other. “You guys already know each other?”

Minato nodded. “Long story.”

“So, what are you doing here then?” Oracle asked the Shadow Ops.

Mitsuru answered. “We discovered a shadow incursion and came to investigate. Little did we know we would end up finding Terra Chaos.”

“You knew of this world?” Narukami asked.

“Yes, it was just a matter of where it was located.” Minato responded.

Sophie bowed to Mitsuru. “I sincerely apologize for attacking you. I was following the orders of Joker.”

“Why are you blaming me?!” Joker shouted.

“Because you’re the leader.” Oracle stated.

“Well, regardless, do any of you have any other questions for us Phantom Thieves?”

Junpei raised his hand and his voice got cold. “Yeah…I do…”

“What. The HELL!? Is this thing!? And give me ONE GOOD REASON why I shouldn’t KICK IT LIKE A FOOTBALL!?” He said while pointing at Mona, the cartoonish cat that was attacking his head minutes earlier.

“I’m not a thing! I’m Mona! You need to watch your mouth!”

Junpei jumped “IT JUST TALKED!”

Mona put his head down. “Why does everyone have to react like that?”

Joker laughed. “You might as well get used to it Mona.”

Yu began to talk. “So, we’re all here to save the people on top of this castle?”

Minato nodded “Looks that way.”

Solomon broke his silence. “Why are there so many of you all of a sudden? I can’t handle this…”

The Phantom Thieves and Yu and Chie looked up at the bird surprised but not terrified considering they just heard a cat talk.

Mona was still shocked. “Did that bird just talk?”

Isaiah decided to get smart with Mona. “You’re one to talk feline…”

Mona got mad. “What did you say to me?!”

“Oh, I never introduced myself. I am Solomon. I am a resident of Terra Chaos. Ironic since I’m a dove…”

Sophie waved at Isaiah “It is nice to meet you Solomon-san.”

Suddenly a voice came from the entrance to the Citadel. “Ah. You have finally arrived…”

The group all turned to the entrance to see a figure in a white wolf mask and a red suit. "Deacon." Narukami whispered.

“We were wondering when you would show up and try and play hero. But nonetheless, you are now all here and in one place…”

Minato and Joker tried to walk forward. “You must be one of the Hounds of Chaos.” Minato said. “Your treachery ends here!’ He began to walk forward.

*gun clicking noises*

The white wolf began talking again. “Ah-Ah-Ah. I wouldn’t try entering the Citadel Of Envy if I were you…look up.”

Everyone looked up above the entrance and saw three other Hounds pointing firearms at them from above a balcony.

“One more step and I will order them to open fire. Those are high-tech assault rifles my friends. Not the toys you Phantom Thieves use. The effects will be…lasting ha-ha.”

Minato and Joker stepped back. “Shadow Ops…” Minato whispered. “Stand down.”

Joker nodded to the Phantom Thieves. “Yes. Stand Down.”

“What do you want?!” Narukami shouted.

“Yeah you have our friend damn it!” Oracle shouted afterwards.

“You think your guns scare me!” Chie proceeded to shout. "That won’t stop me from saving Yosuke!”

“Oh! Such hostility!” The white wolf cackled. “You’ll have your chance to rescue your friends in due time.”

Minato relented. “Then tell us!”

Deacon shouted. "IN. DUE. TIME. For now, know your friends are here, and watch as you remain helpless. Bring your arms! You're gonna need them." The gate to the Citadel began to close and the Hounds left the Persona users. 

Everyone stands in silence as they stare at the Citadel. “DAMN IT!” Chie shouted.

“So, those were members of the Hounds of Chaos?” Yukari said.

“What are we going to do? They looked like soldiers.” Noir asked

“This is unlike any enemy we have faced in the past.” Mitsuru said afterwards.

“Those guys are crazy.” Junpei added

“Can we even save our friends?” Oracle asked.

Everyone began to show some sort of doubt about facing this new enemy. Can they even win?

That’s when Minato remembered the powerful bond Elizabeth mentioned earlier. Could it be the bond of every Persona user?

Minato thought about it for ten seconds before making a decision.

“It seems we have a common enemy.” Minato said.

“Yes.” Joker agreed.

“Absolutely.” Yu agreed. “What are you suggesting?”

“We join forces.”

Joker and Yu looked at their respective friends. “It seems we were thinking the same thing Minato-san.” Joker said.

“Join forces?” Chie asked. “Is that the best move?”

“It’s the only move we have Chie-san.” Minato replied. “Look I don’t know where you guys come from and what you believe. But right now, we have friends in that Citadel over there waiting to become sacrifices for a group we still don’t know much about. They could have more people, and from what we’ve seen are armed to the teeth. Worst case scenario, they have their own members with Personas. We need to work together.”

“Agreed.” Yu said. “So are we going to work together?”

“It’s on the table.” Minato said. “I have a suggestion. You’re all in Sapporo right?”

The non-Shadow Ops all nodded. “Then why don’t you all come to the Otaru Apartments tomorrow afternoon? We can discuss it more there. Besides we have more there for you to meet.”

The Phantom Thieves and Yu and Chie gave it some thought before all agreeing to go to Otaru Apartments tomorrow.

“Then it’s settled. There’s someone I would like for you to meet someone while you’re there. Yu, he’s a Wildcard like us.”

Joker and Yu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? A Wildcard?”

“You two are Wildcards?” Joker asked.

“You’re one too?” Narukami asked Joker.

“Yeah. Didn’t know there were more than me.”

“Hehe guess you’re not so special now, huh Joker?” Mona smirked.

“Can it.” Joker said.

“We’ll discuss it more tomorrow.” Minato said. “For now, you guys go back to the real world from the elevators you came in from.”

“Got it.” Joker said. “Phantom Thieves. Move out!” The Phantom Theives left the courtyard.

“See you then Arisato.” Yu and Chie used a Go-home to get back to their elevator.

“Well looks like you made some new friends.” Solomon said.

“Are you sure we can trust them Arisato? I’m not too fond of having this many people outside of our own helping us.” Mitsuru doubted.

“Yeah I didn’t like that cat dude.” Junpei added.

“You know I support you regardless Mina, but was this the right call?” Yukari added.

Minato breathed in and out. “Guys. This is bigger than us. Kirijo, do you remember what I said to you back on Monday? If Terra Chaos is as dangerous as we’ve believed, we need all the help we can get. This might be the biggest battle we have faced. We. Need. Help.”

“As long as you’re confident about it, then I’m confident about it.” Junpei said.

“Yes. You make good points as always Arisato.” Mitsuru added.

“Well you four, can we get going now?” Solomon interrupted. “I would like to leave before they come back to shoot at us.”

“That makes two of us.” Junpei agreed.

“Then let’s start heading back.” Mitsuru stated. “Those three are most likely awaiting our return.”

“Agreed.” Minato said as Junpei, Mitsuru, and Solomon began to walk back. He and Yukari stayed behind as Yukari had something to say.

“Everything’s gonna work out Yuka.” Minato said as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

“I know. I’ll support you no matter what. Just remember our kids, okay? I don’t want them to get dragged into this.”

“They’re on my mind every day.”

“Good. Hey about earlier, I didn’t mean to bring back any bad memories-

“Don’t. You are just looking out for me. I’m grateful for that. Thank you Yuka.”

“Anytime Mina.” The two kissed. “Now we should probably catch up to them or Junpei won’t ever stay quiet.”

Minato chuckled. “Fair point.” The two caught up with the rest of the Shadow Ops, anticipating meeting their new allies tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartments – Elevator

“So do you think Amada-san got along with the two newbies?” Junpei asked while the elevator was transporting the Shadow Ops back to the real world.

“I’d like to think so. They seemed pretty friendly with each other for the short time we’ve known them.” Yukari replied.

“I’m sure they’re fine. Rhys-san is level-headed. Takeo-san reminds me of you Junpei.” Minato said as the elevator stopped.

“Yes.” Mitsuru nodded. “I’m sure Kuramoto is a polite individual—"

“THAT’S BULLSHIT! Amada-senpai you know ALL OF MY MOVES!” As the door slides open, the four and Solomon hear Rhys shout in anger at Ken. They walk out to see Ken has hooked up a game console to the TV in the lobby. They were playing a rather violent fighting game that contained palette swapped ninjas and allowed players to gruesomely kill their opponents at the end of matches. Ken had beaten Rhys and Takeo fifty times total.

“You’ll get me next time Rhys-san.” Ken said grinning.

“You said that to him the previous FIFTY TIMES!” Takeo groaned.

“What are you three up to?” Minato said as they watched Ken perform an input.

“Looks like they’re playing a fighting game!” Junpei shouted. “Oh…hey Ken don’t you think you should hold off on doing the finishers? There are kids living here.”

“But Iori-san, that’s the best part of the game! Yukari-san watch.” Ken performed a finisher move on Rhys’s character.

“Okay what am I-OH MY GOD! Why is there so much blood!? And why did he rip his spine out?! I think I’m gonna vomit…” Ken, Takeo, and Junpei laughed at Yukari’s reaction to the finisher in the fighting game.

“I think that should be enough for now.” Ken said as he turned off the game console.

Rhys turned around to face the Shadow Ops. “So, was Solomon right? Was it the place?”

“Affirmative.” Mitsuru nodded. “It was a Citadel. And there were members of the Hounds of Chaos there. The hostages are for sure there.”

“But that wasn’t even the most interesting part.” Junpei added.

“Oh?” Ken raised his head. “Please elaborate.”

“We encountered other Persona Users.” Minato revealed.

“For real?!” Takeo questioned.

“Yeah. They were all there for the same reason we were there.” Yukari added.

“Will they help us?” Rhys asked.

“We can only hope so.” Minato answered. “They are coming here tomorrow afternoon so once again I need you three to come here straight after classes. This meeting is of great importance. Especially for you Rhys-san.”

Rhys raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“Two of them are Wild Cards. Just like us.”

“Oh…okay I’ll be here. Hopefully that means I can learn more about it.”

“It’ll help out, that’s for sure.” Minato reassured.

“Well, I’m going to go rest.” Ken said as he stretched. “I need to take my mind off of the imaginary yen we wagered on the game.”

“Don’t remind me…” Takeo said. “I’m going to bed too. Being humbled is not a good feeling.”

The two walked up the stairs. Yukari went up next. “I’m gonna make sure the kids are still asleep then I’m sleeping myself. Don’t take too long.” Yukari said as she kissed Minato on the cheek and went up to her and Minato’s room.

“oooooooooooooh.” Junpei said as he walked up to go to his room.

Minato groaned as he knew he would never hear the end of it from Junpei. “Well Rhys-san, you should go to bed as well, considering there’s a quiz tomorrow in my class, which you have studied for, right?”

Rhys nodded up and down quickly. “Yeah totally studied.”

Mitsuru silently walked up while they were talking before Minato himself walked upstairs. All that was left was Solomon and Rhys.

“Alright Solomon the lobby is all yours. Don’t put dove shit everywhere, alright?”

“Hey I have the audacity to have manners!” Solomon shouted. “Hey Rhys wait.” He stopped Rhys from walking up the stairs.

“Yeah?”

“So, I don’t really know much about myself and where I came from. I just know I resided from Terra Chaos. I don’t exactly know why.”

“That sounds rough. Not having any memory of your past.” Rhys comforted his feathered friend.

“It is.” Solomon sounded more down.

“I can help you Solomon.” Rhys could sense the dove’s sadness from not knowing his past. He knew it would be right to return the favor for Solomon’s assistance.

“You can? How?”

“You were born from Terra Chao right? Help us find out more about the city, and I’m sure we’ll find your answers. You have already done a lot for us, so I want to help you.”

“You’re serious?” Solomon said sounding more relieved and happier.

“Two days ago, me and Takeo started a group of our own separate from the Shadow Ops. We called ourselves the Talons of Peace. What do ya say? Wanna join? You’re literally a dove.” Rhys had offered the dove to join the new group of Persona users to oppose the Hounds of Chaos.

“I will. I will join you.”

“Then it’s settled.” Rhys nodded.  “Because you accepted, I will help you find your answers. I was going to anyway, but I needed to ask considering you’re the same type of bird of the name of our group.”

“Dually noted friend.” Solomon said realizing what he had called Rhys. “Friend. I think I can get used to that. Goodnight friend.”

Rhys nodded and grinned “Goodnight, friend.” Rhys said as he walked to his room, sensing a new bond forged between him and Solomon.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Star Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

Saturday - 4/18

Hokkaido University - After School

Rhys and Ken were walking back to the Otaru Apartments to meet the supposed Persona users the Shadow Operatives encountered last night. They walked by Takeo as they were leaving who looked down. 

"Yo Tak, what's up? You don't look too happy." Rhys asked his friend.

"Dude...that quiz sucked..." Takeo whined.

"Did you not study?" Ken asked the second year.

"I tried to...last night...after my brain was fried from trying to beat you in that fighting game Senpai..."

"I didn't find the quiz too difficult." Rhys remarked.

Takeo sighed "Of course you didn't..."

Ken patted Takeo on the shoulder. "All you can do is improve Hattori-san. For now, we must return to the apartments. They're waiting for us." 

"Yeah. Let's get going." Rhys, Takeo, and Ken continued to walk back to Otaru Apartments to meet their new friends. 

Otaru Apartments 

The trio walked into the lobby to see a group of people around the couches near the TV, and a couple more near the bar table by the community kitchen. 

Takeo whistled. "Damn they weren't kidding. They met a bunch of them."

"I recognize those two." Ken pointed at Yu and Chie, who were sitting at the bar table. "They were involved with the tournament we fought in years ago."

Rhys looked at Yu and remembered where he knew him from. "I know him. When I first arrived in Sapporo last week, I asked him where to go to get to the apartments. He's a Persona user?"

"I guess so." Takeo answered. "Who are those guys over there?" He pointed at the group of people sitting on the couches. "They have a cat. That one with the pink hair looks cute." 

"Hattori don't flirt with strangers." Ken ordered Takeo.

"I'm not! I'm just complimenting her looks you know?"

Minato walked into the lobby soon after with Eiichiro and Kotone, the trio still standing by the door. "You guys got here before me." He told them.

"Yeah." Rhys replied. "Do we just start talking to them?"

"Yes. Go and make yourselves known. I want you guys to be introduced to each other before we get started. Amada-san, you too."

Kotone and Eiichiro were in awe. "Woah...Why are there so many people Dad?" Kotone asked. 

Minato picked up his daughter.  "You'll get the chance to talk to your new friends later Koto. For now, you and Eiichi need to work on your homework." 

Eiichiro groaned. "Awww." Minato took his kids upstairs to their apartment while Ken went to introduce himself to the Phantom Thieves. 

Takeo looked at Rhys. "You wanna go talk to the two at the bar table?" 

Rhys nodded. "Yeah. Let's get social." 

Rhys and Takeo walked up to Chie and Yu, with the silver haired journalist recognizing Rhys immediately. 

"Do you happen to believe in fate American?" He asked as he looked at Rhys.

Rhys chuckled. "I guess I do now. We meet again Narukami-san." 

Chie raised an eyebrow "You already know him Yu?" 

"I do." Yu nodded. "This is Rhys Kuramoto. I helped him out with some directions when he first got here." 

Rhys bowed to Chie. "Pleased to meet you." 

Chie smirked. "No need for that Kuramoto-san! I'm Chie Hanamura. I'm one of Yu's friends from high school. So, who's your friend?"

Takeo was dozing off, thinking to himself when Rhys nudged him on the shoulder. "Huh-oh sorry, I'm Takeo Hattori. Nice to meet some veterans."

"Veterans?" Narukami questioned Takeo. 

"He talking about you guys being Persona users." Rhys chimed in. 

"Ooooh..." Chie nodded. "Yeah we're Persona users. We haven't had a reason to use them in a long time though, so we might be a bit rusty."

Rhys nodded. "Well it was good to meet you guys. We best go and meet the others." 

"Nice to meet you guys!" Takeo waved at the two. 

"You too!" Chie waved back as Rhys and Takeo walked to the Phantom Thieves. 

The Shadow Operatives were talking to the Phantom Thieves as Rhys and Takeo walked up to them, with Solomon sitting on the table, eyeing Morgana down. 

Ren noticed the two walking towards them and greeted them. "You two must be the new Persona users."

"You figured it out." Rhys said to Ren. "I'm Rhys and this is Takeo."

"Sup." Takeo said to Ren. 

"Good to meet you guys. I'm Ren Amamiya." 

Takeo raised an eyebrow. "Ren Amamiya? As in Joker? The Phantom Thief leader?"

"In the flesh." Ren smirked. 

"You guys are the Phantom Thieves?" Rhys asked. 

"Yep. We're some of the members. One of our own is stuck in that world, so we're here to get him out." 

"So you guys are Persona users? All of the Phantom Thieves?" Takeo asked Ren. 

"We always have been Takeo-san. It's how we performed out change of hearts."

"Interesting." Rhys replied. "Who are the rest of them."

Haru, Futaba, and Morgana were still talking to the Shadow Operatives when they turned to look at Rhys and Takeo and waved at them before going back to talk to them. 

Ren pointed to each of them. "The one with the pink hair is Haru Okumura, the red head with the glasses is Futaba Sakura, and the cat's name is Morgana." 

"Good to know." Rhys nodded. 

Minato came down from his apartment and sat down next to Yukari. "Shall we get started?" He asked Ren and Rhys. 

"Yes." Rhys agreed while he signaled Yu and Chie to come over to the couches where everyone had gathered. The Persona users gathered around to start the meeting.

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartments Lobby - Evening

The present members of the Shadow Operatives, Phantom Thieves, Investigation Team, and the newly formed Talons of Peace gathered around the lobby of Otaru Apartments to discuss the nature of their current situation. The Phantom Thieves and Investigation Squad both were there to rescue their respective friends from their captivity within Terra Chaos. The Shadow Operatives were there to investigate Terra Chaos as a shadow incursion. However, The Talons of Peace were there for all these reasons and one more. To stop the Hounds of Chaos. 

Minato stood up to begin the meeting. "Thank you all for coming. Yesterday was an unexpected series of events that brought us together. There are many factors to our situation that need to be discussed before we begin to plan ahead. First and foremost, the Hounds of Chaos."

Futaba raised her hand. "Sakura-san I presume?" Minato asked. "What do you got?"

"I looked up and dug through old files regarding the Hounds of Chaos. They started as a small cult with the oldest news article surrounding them suggesting they formed in 2022. For the past three years, they were just some fanatic group that performed small juvenile crimes such as vandalism and disturbing the peace. They remained small and their influence was barely known. However, the Hounds were always around. They may have officially formed three years ago, but there are files suggesting the oldest members. The founding members if you will, were active around 2014 to 2015. So despite the cult officially being formed for three years, their roots make the cult ten years old."

"Were you able to find anything on the identities of the oldest members?" Mitsuru asked Futaba.

"Unfortunately no. In every piece of media I could find, the Hounds are always hiding their faces with their wolf masks. Any pieces of evidence that could help me identify them has been wiped clean."

"I see..." 

"Were you able to find what caused them to get so popular?" Narukami asked. "I saw how many people are exactly in this cult when I followed Deacon back to their headquarters. They're big, almost the size of a small militia."

Futaba scrolled through her laptop as she answered "The earliest article that expressed the increase in ranks for the Hounds of Chaos was dated back to March 25th 2024. It states the reason for their increase was due to their sudden use of propaganda. They began hijacking radio shows, TV, social media. They were drawing in the most sadistic people with their gospel."

"If that's the case, then what kind of people make up the cult?" Rhys asked. "Narukami. You said you watched them cheer as this "Deacon" murdered someone, that could mean the people in this cult are criminals."

"That could be the case." Chie answered. "I've thrown a lot of people in jail. Most of what I've heard regarding the members of the Hounds could label the members as past criminals, rejects, hell even mercenaries."

"Mercenaries?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, although I've never had any cases regarding mercenaries. Some of the members within the cult could be hired guns, while the others are just downright psychotic." 

Ren nodded before remembering a vital piece of the meeting. "Oh crap, I forgot to mention another present member of the Phantom Thieves." He pulls out his phone and Sophia's face appears on the screen. "This is Sophia, an artificial intelligence built into our phones. You guys saw her last night in that world. She's an ai in the real world."

Yukari nodded. "I was wondering where that one was."

"Woah you guys have an ai? That's cool!" Takeo said while looking at Sophia. 

"It is great to see you all." Sophia said through Ren's phone. 

"Back to the topic at hand." Ren said. "Sophia, were you able to find anything on the Hounds of Chaos."

"Only one hidden file. It was a criminal record of a deceased member." 

"Shit really?!" Junpei questioned. "Does it say who it was?" 

"Yes. The record states his name was "Sergei Romanov."

Rhys raised his eyebrow "That name sounds foreign."

Sophia continued "The file further states Sergei was born in Kazan, Russia. The rest of the file has been deleted." 

"Romanov." Mitsuru whispered to herself. "Why does that name sound familiar?" 

"That was all I could find regarding The Hounds of Chaos. Any records regarding suspected members was either erased or does not exist." Sophia added. 

"So we know their little history and numbers." Haru chimed in. "What about the other world? Terra Chaos, was it? Were they the ones to discover it before any of us?"

"It could be a possibility." Rhys answered. "Were there any articles about the Elevator Ritual around the time the Hounds gained popularity?" 

Futaba began to type on her computer before grinning. "You might be onto something. An article talking about the Elevator Ritual released two weeks before the March 25th article. And get this, both articles were posted by the same outlet."

Minato nodded. "The rise of the Hounds has to be tied to the Elevator Ritual as well as their discovery of Terra Chaos."

"I agree." Rhys stated after. "The Hounds seem to be ten steps ahead of us regarding that city." 

"There's one more thing we need to talk about before we plan anything." Ren interrupted "The captives and where they're being held. That Citadel."

"Right." Minato nodded. "Solomon said the nature of the Citadel was to act as one of the cities beacons. Another thing was the use for the buildings and that was to sacrifice to something."

At this point, everyone could understand Solomon except Ken, who hadn't been in Terra Chaos to hear him speak yet. However, whenever the dove began to talk and all he would hear is chirping, he wasn't weirded out. As the dove spoke, he just stared at it. He had faced a Goddess of Death and was friends with an android, so talking animals intrigued the graduate rather than freaked him out.

Solomon nodded from Minato's comment. "Yes. The kidnapped are in the Citadel. If I had to guess, they're at the top. The top of the Citadels are where the sacrifices are initiated." 

"What makes the Citadels special?" Haru asked the dove. "Why would they be specifically for sacrifices?" 

"I don't know." Solomon answered. "There's a lot more to Citadels, hell even Terra Chaos that even I am unaware of." 

"But we know where our friends are located." Narukami replied. "We know the basics, we know the location, we need to discuss what we're gonna do about it."

"I say we explore the Citadel tomorrow night." Minato said afterwards. "We can fight our way through and hopefully make it to the top."

"I like the sound of that!" Junpei exclaimed. 

"I do too." Ren said as well. 

"So, are we working together on this?" Rhys asked.

"Yes. I believe we are." Narukami stated. "However, I myself am not one to stick around and deal with that world or the nature of Personas anymore."

"Wait what are you talking about?" Minato questioned.

"I have too much at risk trying to fight the Hounds and I can't risk getting any more of my friends involved."

"I know what you mean Narukami." Ren agreed. "We have daily lives, we can't just drop everything until the Hounds are dealt with."

Rhys started to get annoyed. "What are you guys saying?! They are a threat!" 

Narukami sighed "What I'm saying is once we save the three who have been kidnapped, myself, Chie, and Yosuke are leaving and returning to Inaba."

"Fucking WHAT!?" Takeo shouted. 

"We will be as well." Ren stated. "Like I said we have lives to live now. As selfish as it sounds, it's the truth. I'm sorry. Besides you guys look like you can handle the Hounds and Terra Chaos."

"BUT THAT'S—"

"That's enough Kuramoto." Minato interrupted. "We can't force them to fight our battles." Minato was clearly angry with their decisions, but he knew to show restraint.

Narukami and Ren nodded as they came to an understanding. "So it's settled." Ren stated. "We go save our friends, and move on with our lives."

Minato nodded while looking at the disappointment in the faces of Rhys and Takeo. "Yes. We'll go in tomorrow night. Are you guys okay with coming back here and using our elevator? That way we can move together while heading to the Citadel."

"I'm okay with that." Chie answered.

"Same. How about you Mona-chan?" Haru asked Morgana as he hissed.

"Then we have a plan." Mitsuru stated. "We shouldn't keep any of you longer. Head to where you are staying and get some rest. We head to the Citadel tomorrow." 

The Persona users outside of The Shadow Operatives and Rhys and Takeo began to walk out of the lobby until they were all gone. Silence filled the lobby. Minato knew this was a waste of time. He had hoped the other two groups would stay after they saved Hiromi, Yusuke, and Yosuke in order to create the bond needed to kill Erebus. His efforts fell short.

Junpei sighed "So much for having our own army."

"Well at least they're helping out with the Citadel. That's gotta mean something, right?" Yukari chimed in.

Rhys slammed his fist into the table. "THAT IS NOT ENOUGH!" He shouted.

"Kuramoto, please try to remain calm." Mitsuru tried to calm the student down. "We can't force them to fight, and we can't blame them for wanting to live their lives."

That only angered Rhys more. "BULLSHIT! I have a life too! I'm going to SCHOOL for fuck sake! They only agreed to help to save their OWN FRIENDS!"

"Kirijo-san is right." Ken interjected. "But this is nothing we can't handle. We've faced worse."

"You DON"T know that!" Takeo shouted, taking Rhys's side.

"Those were the groups of Persona users I was supposed to be excited for!? Those were the other Wild Cards!?" Rhys kept shouting. 

"Rhys that's enough." Minato tried to stop him.

"They're SPINELESS! FUCKING. SPINELESS!" Rhys shouted before storming upstairs to his room. Takeo did the same as well. While walking up the stairs, Rhys punched the wall as hard as he could in anger. He believed the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team would be willing to help with the entire case. Now he believed they were only in it to help their own friends. He saw as cowardice. To waste a gift such as the Persona.

The Shadow Operatives were sitting in the lobby in silence after the decision the other groups made. Solomon had flown up the stairs to go after Rhys. 

"Give Kuramoto some time Mina." Yukari tried to comfort Minato as she saw he became upset himself. 

Minato got up from the couch he was sitting at. "I thought they would be the army we needed. I thought...GOD...DAMNIT" Minato threw a bottle across the lobby in anger. 

Mitsuru got up as well. "Arisato, we can still do this on our own. Terra Chaos won't be difficult for us."

"IT'S NOT TERRA CHAOS I'M WORRIED ABOUT DAMNIT!" Minato snapped at his team. 

"What are you talking about?" Ken asked in confusion.

Minato took a breath. He realized he had to tell them the truth and what he had learned in the Velvet Room. "The Great Seal...is going to become undone."

"WHAT!?" Shock filled the lobby as the Shadow Operatives showed immediate concern and horror.

Junpei felt a chill down his spine. "Does that mean..."

Minato sighed again "Yes. Erebus is going to return."

"Is that what you learned yesterday?" Yukari asked.

Minato nodded. "Elizabeth told me Erebus will return in six months. She also told me Rhys will form a bond of great power. I figured it would be the bond of all Persona users. I thought if they helped us with our cause, a bond would be forged that could defeat Erebus. I was wrong."

The group stood in silence, realizing the end had returned and was drawing near.  

Chapter Text

4/19 - Sunday

Rhys's Apartment

Rhys has remained in his room for a majority of the day. The transfer student was still upset with Narukami's and Ren's decisions to leave with their groups once the kidnapped were rescued, though not as irate as he was last night. He was reading a novel from America that released in 1925 and took place in the Jazz Age about the narrator's time spent with a mysterious millionaire to try and get the meeting off his mind. Rhys couldn't focus and sighed as he looked at the ceiling of his apartment. 

"I don't get it." He whispered to himself. "Why waste that power?" 

It angers you, doesn't it?

Rhys jumped up immediately from his bed "Who's there?"

No response. 

Rhys sighs again "Maybe I'm just going insane."

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* 

He hears a knock on his door and goes to answer it. Rhys opens the door to see Minato standing there in a flannel jacket and slacks. 

"Good afternoon Kuramoto." The blue-haired teacher greeted Rhys.

"Hey." Rhys greeted back. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you want to go somewhere to get your mind off of last night? You've been in your room all day, and gloating won't change their minds."

Rhys scoffed. "Don't you have a wife and kids to look after?"

"I look after my people. Remember?" Minato answered back. 

Rhys sighed and relented. "Ok. Let's just go back to that café we were at last time."

Minato grinned. "Good man. We should get going. Yukari can only keep Kotone and Eiichiro distracted for so long."

"What does that mean?" 

"Don't worry about it."  Minato and Rhys left the apartment to get some fresh air. 

Shinkonishi – Café Chagall

Minato and Rhys sat down at the café and ordered the usual. They began to chat as they sipped away at their coffee.

"I just don't get it Arisato. Why would they leave?" Rhys asked Minato regarding the situation that was clearing bothering both of them. 

"Rhys, one thing you gotta understand is when the Phantom Thieves, Yu's group, and my group dealt with our separate worlds, we were all in high school. The only responsibilities they had were going to school and passing. Now, they have jobs they must attend to not get fired. They run companies, work for the police, all of the responsibilities of an adult."

"You and your friends are able to help. You have a job at a university. Why can't they?" Rhys fired back.

"Perhaps this isn't their journey to embark on Rhys. I hate just as much as you do. We still don't know the full capabilities of the Hounds, so the thought of our numbers dwindling once we finish this operation bothers me. But, Kirijo and I know all too well the idea of forcing people to a cause. If they don't want to do it, if they just want to live their lives and not worry about other worlds beyond ours, then we can't make them." 

Rhys sighed. "You're right." He then remembered what Takeo said to him the day they formed the Talons of Peace and said it himself. "It has to be us."

"Say again?" Minato responded to Rhys. 

"I never told you didn't I? The day I and Takeo met your friends, we first got together to discuss the Hounds and Terra Chaos ourselves. He believed they were a threat to humanity, and compared it to the threats you faced as Shadow Operatives. Takeo thought the Hounds needed an opposite. A new group of Persona users to face them head on. Not the Shadow Operatives or any other group from the past. So, me and Takeo formed our own group, separate from all of yours."

"You did? That takes initiative Rhys."

"Yeah. We decided to base our name off of the mark that is on our hands in Terra Chaos. We call ourselves the Talons of Peace."

Minato nodded with a smirk. "Quite literally the opposite of our enemy." 

Rhys nodded. "Solomon agreed to join as well and when we rescue Koda-san, we hope she will join too. But, that's assuming she has a Persona."

"Well whatever happens Kuramoto, we'll face it head on." Minato patted Rhys on the shoulders.

Rhys smiled back. "Yeah. We will. Numbers shouldn't mean anything to us."

The two sat and sipped more of their coffee as Rhys changed the subject, now feeling better about the current situation. 

"Now Arisato tell me. How does someone like you marry someone like Yukari Takeba. You do realize how lucky you are right?"

Minato began to chuckle. "I wouldn't call it luck. I knew her before she was an actress you know?"

"You did?" 

"Remember in my story when I got to the dorm and saw a girl pull a "gun" on me? That was Yukari almost pulling out her evoker."

"She joined SEES before you? That means you knew her in high school?'

"That's right. She, I, and Junpei were three new members that joined in a span of a week and a half. I just knew her as a member of the archery team and one of the popular ones. Back then she was just a friend."

Rhys decided to ask the obvious question. "When did she become more than a friend?"

Minato sighed. "After we had destroyed two of the full moon shadows in a night, a couple of days later we took a trip to Yakushima. Not only was it a great beach for a trip, but Kirijo's father had lived there in a mansion. After we had our fun at the beach, we returned to discuss the origins of the Dark Hour with Kirijo's father. Earlier, Yukari found out that Kirijo group was responsible for creating the Dark Hour in a means to establish time travel. In the meeting Yukari learned of a secret that was nothing but a lie. But at the time she believed it and it angered her. She stormed out of the room and towards the shore. I acted without thinking and went after her. It was like my mind was acting on its own. I didn't know why I went after her with no hesitation, just that Yukari was my friend and I had to help her. We talked for a while and she blew up at me, calling me "Mr. Perfect" and for a moment I thought about snapping back, but only for a moment. I knew that wouldn't solve anything."

"What did you do instead?"

"I kept listening to her. I waited for the right moment and told her to not lose hope. She began to cry again and once again my mind acted on its own...and I hugged her."

"Damn you went in just like that? You got guts Arisato."

"Slowly after that we began to hang out some more, I listened to Yukari talk and would give my advice on it. Eventually, she asked me to come to the rooftop of the high school we were attending."

"Oh shit..."

"Oh shit is right." Minato's cheeks began to turn red from embarrassment even after all these years. "I never really loved someone like that before in my life. I didn't understand the feeling, so I was a mess when it came to it. Sometimes I would begin to stutter when around Yukari. So when I went to the roof and she asks me why I hang out with her so much I flustered and my mind couldn't handle it, so I blurted out "Because you're a precious friend." I knew immediately I screwed up. I saw Yukari's demeanor change and could tell she felt the same way I did by the way she tried to walk away as fast as she could, not wanting me to see her tears. I stopped her, and told her how I truly feel. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders."

"So she felt the same way? She loved you back?" 

"To my surprise, yes." Minato began to smile. "So we started dating."

"Did the tough Minato Arisato just tell me a romance story?" Rhys asked sarcastically.

 "When did I say I was tough?" The two began to laugh at the remark.

Minato checked his phone. "I'll tell you more later. For now, it's getting late. We need to head back and prepare."

"Right." Rhys rose from his chair. "Let's go check out this Citadel."

The two left the Chagall to prepare their expedition of the Citadel of Envy.

Chapter Text

Rhys’s Apartment – Evening

Rhys was preparing for the exploration of the Citadel while talking to Solomon. The dove kept him company as the rest of the crew prepared as well.

“What do you think the inside of the Citadel will look like?” Rhys asked the dove while wrapping his right hand.

“It’s hard to say. Each Citadel is reflective of the ideal it is named after. The one your friend is in is called The Citadel of Envy, so I imagine there will be scenery depicting one’s jealousy.”

“That should be intriguing.” Rhys replied back to Solomon while putting on a long sleeve hoodie.

“Wouldn’t it be wise to put one something without sleeves Rhys?” Solomon questioned as he put on the hoodie.

“Huh? Oh…I know what you mean.” Rhys remembered the last two times he went into Terra Chaos, his left sleeve burned off because of the tattoo left from awakening to his Persona.

“I guess I can wear the shirt I wore last time.” Rhys grabbed the shirt from his exploration with Minato and Takeo as he hadn’t thrown it away. He could see the part of the shirt charred from the flame that took the sleeve.

As he put on the shirt with one sleeve, Rhys asked a question regarding the nature of the tattoo. “Solomon, why do you think that happens with my tattoo? It burns whenever it’s covered up. What gives?”

Solomon flew over to Rhys to look closer at the burnt shirt. “Maybe it’s a metaphorical thing. You’re hiding the mark that came from your Persons. So in a sense, when wearing clothing over the mark, you’re hiding your Persona, restricting the exposure it needs.”

Rhys nodded. “Best go tell Takeo, at least he can wear a short sleeve t shirt or something. I remember seeing his tattoo go up to his elbow.”

“Are you ready?” Solomon asked while flying to Rhys’s door.

Rhys grabbed his short sword which was leaning against a wall. “Let’s not keep them waiting.” Rhys and Solomon began to head down to the lobby.

Lobby

Rhys and Solomon made it down to the lobby to see the Phantom Thieves, Mitsuru, Ken, and Junpei waiting for him, Takeo, Yukari, Minato, and for Yu and Chie to show up. Ren and Morgana walked up to Rhys and Solomon, when Rhys noticed none of the Phantom Thieves were in their attire, just casual clothes.

“Hey you two.” Ren greeted them. “I hope we can work together well for this mission.”

“As do I.” Rhys replied before asking “Where’s the gear you guys wear? The Phantom Thief costumes and such.”

“Oh, the Phantom Thief costume only appears on us in the other world. We know it as the flames of rebellion. We’ll immediately change once we enter Terra Chaos.” Ren answered.

“So that’s why you guys looked weird.” Solomon said while looking down at Morgana, who Rhys heard hiss at the dove.

“And why is your cat here?” Rhys asked “Don’t tell me he’s a Phantom Thief.”

Ren nodded before Solomon said “Yeah fair warning mate, he’s like me, when we get in there, you’re gonna hear him talk and he looks like he’s from a cartoon.”

Rhys groaned “Great a talking bird AND a talking cat. This is gonna be fun.”

Ren and Morgana went back to check up on Haru and Futaba as Ken walked up to talk to Rhys next. As Ken approached Rhys, Takeo walked down the steps and the two looked up at him.

“Yo! I’m ready for my first actual mission as a Persona user! How do I look Amada-senpai?” Takeo asked the graduate.

Takeo had on a white Gym T-Shirt tucked into some jeans and a red blindfold tied around his forehead to keep his hair back.

“Hattori-san, I like it.” Amada replied.

“You do?! What about you Rhys-san?” Takeo asked like he needed approval to wear his gear.

“You look like you’re a survivor in a apocalypse, I dig it.” Rhys replied.

“Awesome!” Takeo jolted his fist down.

“Rhys? You should probably warn them about the cat.” Solomon chirped at Rhys.

“What did Solomon say Kuramoto-san?” Ken asked after seeing the dove chirp at the blond.

“You guys see the cat beside Amamiya-san? He talks too.”

Takeo raised his eyebrow “Really? I never heard him say a word yesterday.”

“The way Solomon explained it to me is that normal people who haven’t heard him talk while in Terra Chaos will only hear Solomon chirping. So Amada-senpai, once we make it to Terra Chaos, you will hear Solomon and the cat talk.”

Ken hummed. “Interesting.”

Takeo was weirded out by Ken’s response. “Senpai how are you unphased by the idea of hearing animals talk?”

“Hattori-san, we go into worlds that are practically supernatural and surreal as it is. If I hear an animal speak I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised.” Ken replied with a smirk.

“You make a good point I guess…” Takeo muttered.

Yu and Chie walked through the doors of the lobby. Yu was wearing a grey peacoat with a white button up underneath, and some black slacks. The collar of the button up was raised up and the collar button was undone. Chie was wearing the lower half of her police uniform with a green puffer jacket on.

“We’re here.” Yu said to Rhys as they walked up to him, Ken, and Takeo.

“Yeah sorry about almost being late. We took a wrong turn.” Chie said afterwards.

“Don’t sweat it. You’re here and that’s all that matters.” Rhys reassured.

Yu nodded “Where’s Arisato? There’s something I need to ask him and Amimiya.”

Minato and Yukari walked down as Narukami asked that question. They met the five in front of the elevator before calling the rest of the Shadow Ops and Phantom Thieves over.

“Sorry for the holdup. We had to take care of something.” Minato said to Yu, Chie, Rhys, Ken, and Takeo.

“Yeah we had to figure out what to do with Kotone and Eiichiro.” Yukari said afterwards.

Rhys raised his head up. “Shit that’s right, your kids are gonna be here unsupervised. They gonna be alright?”

“We told them to lock the door to our apartment and stay in there if they wanted to get the newest Featherman action figure.” Minato answered.

“Works every time.” Yukari said as she fist bumped her husband.

“Well what are we waiting for party people! Who wants to kick some shadow ass!” Junpei tried to pump up the group.

“Me! I do!” Takeo answered back.

Mitsuru walked up to the elevators. “When we get to the Citadel, we need to scan the area and see how far it reaches.”

Ren looks at Futaba “Think you can do that Futaba?”

Futaba nodded “Yep. I can figure out how many floors there are and how the inside is structured.”

“Ooh. The thought of storming a castle and slaughtering shadows excites me!” Haru shouted out of nowhere with excitement.

Rhys and Takeo looked at Haru nervously.

Ren sighed “You’ll have to excuse her. She tends to get…psychotic.”

“We should get started.” Minato gets everyone back on track “We’ll take two elevators since there are more people. Kuramoto, you take an elevator with the Phantom Thieves, Solomon, and Hattori. Nsrukami and Hanamura, you get in the elevator with the Shadow Ops,”

“Got it.” Rhys replied.

“Let’s not keep our friends waiting.” Narukami replied.

“We’ll see you on the other side.” Ren stated as the groups got in separate elevators.

The Talons got into the elevator with the Phantom Thieves who stood there as Rhys inputted the sequence for the elevator.

As Rhys is pressing buttons, Solomon begins to talk. “So the moment we enter Terra Chaos, you guys are gonna be in your Halloween costumes, yeah?”

“They’re not Halloween costumes Bird!” Futaba shouted at Solomon.

“Oy! Who you calling a bird?!” Solomon snapped back.

“But yes. We will change the moment we transition to Terra Chaos.” Ren replied.

“That’s gonna be cool to see.” Takeo chimed in.

Terra Chaos

The elevator shaking began and stopped as Takeo watched as each member of the Phantom Thieves changed into their attires with a blue flame engulfing each of them as they transitioned. The most noticeable changes were Morgana changing from his normal cat appearance in the real world, and the addition of a girl in a white hoodie appearing out of thin air.

“Whoa! Where did you come from?!” Takeo jumped.

Rhys turned around and recognized her from yesterday’s meeting. “Hey you’re the ai from Ren’s pbone. Sophia right?”

“Correct Rhys-san!” Sophia answered.

The elevator opened and they all walked out of it at the same time as the Shadow Ops and Yu and Chie walked out of theirs. They met up in the lobby of the apartment that was now in Terra Chaos.

“Alright, did we all make it?” Minato asked.

“Yep. All here.” Rhys scanned the room to figure out who said that. It sounded like a child.

Ken looked down at who said it, Morgana. “Ah so not only does the cat talk, it looks different here too. That’s neat.”

Morgana looked up at Ken surprised “You’re…not surprised by a talking cat?”

“He’s probably seen worse mate.” Solomon chimed in.

Ken then looked up at Solomon. “You talk too, as I figured.”

Morgana was somewhat relieved and offended that Ken didn’t get concerned with the fact that he was a talking cat. “B-but that’s my whole bit! I talk, then someone gets caught off guard and says something like “dId ThAt cAT JuST taLk?” and then I explain to them I am not a cat!”

“Eh.” Ken shrugged.

“What do you mean eh?!” Morgana said irritably.

“Just let it go Mona.” Ren sighed.

Junpei raised an eyebrow “Mona? I thought your name was Morgana.”

“Each Phantom Thief, not just Joker, has a codename.” Futaba explained.

“Correct.” Sophia agreed. “Ren-san is Joker, Meowgana is Mona, Haru-chan is Noir, Futaba-chan is Oracle, and I am Sophie. Please use our codenames when in the field.”

“Sophie?” Chie asked. “That is a one letter difference.”

“We’ll use your codenames, don’t worry.” Rhys reassured.

“Thank you.” Joker nodded.

“Let’s not waste anymore time.” Minato interrupted. “We need to start making our way to the Citadel.”

“Agreed.” Narukami said. “The sooner we can rescue the hostages, the sooner we can get out of here.”

“Yes.” Mitsuru replied. “If we encounter any shadows along the way, we’ll deal with them accordingly.”

The group of Persona users nodded as they entered the streets of Terra Chaos and began to move towards the Citadel.

The Citadel of Envy – Entrance

The Persona Users arrived at the entrance to the Citadel. Along the way, they encountered shadows that appeared weaker and were dealt with quickly. Rhys had gained two new Personas from the defeated shadows, strengthening his compendium and unknowingly rebuilding the compendium of the other Wild Cards. Narukami remembered the question he had for Minato and Joker when he tried to summon Yoshitsune, but realized the only Persona he had was Izanagi-No-Okami, but even with the Persona that defeated Izanami, he still felt weaker than he was in the TV World. While Rhys and the rest of the group was waiting for Oracle to finish scanning the Citadel, Narukami gathered the other two Wild Cards to discuss this situation.

“Hey since you two are Wild Cards, have you tried summoning one of your Personas?” Narukami asked the two.

“And when I tried to, I could only summon Satanael. I couldn’t even summon Raoul.” Joker replied.

“Yeah. What’s up with that?” Narukami said back.

“Did you guys go into your Velvet Rooms?” Minato asked.

“I did.” Joker nodded. “My attendant, Lavenza, said my compendium was tied to another Wild Card.”

“Hey Margaret said that too.” Narukami’s eyes lit up. “Could they be talking about Kuramoto?”

“Yes, they are.” Minato answered, “Our compendiums are now tied to Rhys’s compendium, which is a fresh one.”

“That’s something to look into.” Joker replied.

“For now we should see the progress Oracle has made.” Minato said as the other two nodded and walked towards the goggled Phantom Thief.

“Oracle, you got a layout on the Citadel?” Joker asked.

“Yep. Got it locked down.” Oracle finished typing on her laptop. “Sophie, show us that map!”

The artificial intelligence held her hand out and a holographic image of the Citadel was displayed.

Oracle began pointing to locations of the Citadel. “This Citadel is more of a tower with an outer area at the top. There are eight floors inside the Citadel. At the eighth floor is a gate leading to what looks like a courtyard. Above the courtyard are three circular platforms, one of them raised higher between the other two platforms. Beyond the raised platform is a pit. I don’t know what’s in the pit, but it’s…big.”

“What about shadows?” Mitsuru asked. “Were you able to locate any within it?”

“Oh there are shadows in there alright. But they seem more aggressive than the ones we faced in the streets. You could say they’re scaled higher than us.”

Solomon sighed “I figured. I always could sense stronger shadows within the Citadel.”

“That just means we can’t go in swinging at the first shadow we see. We need to take it slow.” Narukami objected.

“Agreed. Right Iori?” Ken said while staring at Junpei.

“Right Takeo?” Rhys said afterwards while staring at his friend.

“Yeah don’t be too aggressive. Right Noir?” Mona said while looking at her.

Noir, Junpei, and Takeo all let out a sigh before saying “Right.”

“Let’s not waste anymore time. Move in.” Mitsuru ordered as the Persona Users nodded and entered the Citadel.

Citadel of Envy – Inside

When they made it inside the Citadel, the Persona Users noticed its interior design. Inside the Citadel was lit up with torches that burned a green flame. The inside glowed green from the torches and reflected off of the tile floor. The walls were etched in the patterns of snakes, along with sculptures of humans looking scornfully at a separate person expressing success or happiness.

“Look at the walls.” Yukari pointed at them. “They look like they have a snake pattern etched into them.

“Snakes are the animal that represents envy. Same for the color green.” Oracle replied.

“So this place is the physical representation of jealousy? The people in the sculptures look jealous of the one expressing success.”  Noir pointed at the sculpture in the middle of the floor.

“Jealousy/Envy is a negative emotion.” Sophie chimed in. “The idea of disdain towards another human because of their success can hurt a relationship.”

“Yeah…I know the feeling.” Chie sighed.

“What does envy have to do with Terra Chaos? Much less the idea of chaos.” Takeo asked.

“We can find out the nature of this Citadel later.” Rhys interrupted the conversation.

“Right. We need to keep moving and keep a look out for any shadows.” Joker added.

“Luckily I don’t detect any shadows on this level.” Oracle checked her computer. “But I’m picking up movements on the next floors.”

“Let’s not keep those shadows waiting then!” Junpei exclaimed as he pointed towards the stairs to the next floor.

The group walked up the stairs to the second floor to see the exact same interior design as the previous floor, however there were no shadows around the floor. They continued to journey through the floor and still, no shadows.

Takeo groaned. “C’mon man…Where are the shadows?”

“Why do you want to fight shadows so bad Hattori-san?” Narukami asked the impatient rookie.

Minato nodded “Yeah the less we have the fight now, the more energy we have to deal with whatever the hell is at the top—"

“WAIT!” Oracle stopped the entire group. “I’m detecting shadows on this floor!”

“Really?” Junpei scanned the floor confused, still not seeing any shadows. “Where?”

“They’re—"

Suddenly, the shadows appeared around the group of Persona users, surrounding them. They took a humanoid form, wearing ritualistic cloaks and dawning the blue shadow mask, each holding a small dagger.

“…around us.” Oracle finished her sentence.

“You wanted to fight some shadows Tak.” Rhys took his stance. “Here’s your chance.”

Takeo gripped his battle axe “Finally…”

“Get ready everyone!” Minato took stance.

“Phantom Thieves, let’s get the ones behind us!” Joker, Noir, Mona, and Sophie grouped up to battle the ambushing shadows.

“We’ll help you.” Yu stood by Joker as he drew his sword and Chie took her battle stance.

“Best get in a safe spot Solomon.” Rhys told his feathered friend as he flew away.

“There’s a lot of them. Let’s be careful.” Mitsuru said as she pulled out her rapier.

The shadows began to close in, and the battle got underway.

The Shadow Operatives and Talons of Peace stood their ground as the shadows advanced, playing towards a defensive strategy rather than an offensive strategy.  Minato used his sword to slice off the arm of a shadow trying to stab him, then ducked as Yukari shot it in the head with her bow, killing it. One shadow kept at a distance and attempted to use a Mudo to take out Ken. Ken dodged the attack then proceeded to pull out his evoker and aim it between his eyes. “Kala-Nemi!” Ken shouted as the Rim of the Wheel of Time came forth and casted a Hamo towards the shadow, knocking it down. Takeo dug his axe into the shoulder of another shadow before kicking it down.

“Damn! You weren’t kidding. These shadows are tough!” Takeo said as he pulled his axe away from the shadow. Seeing the shadow get back up, Takeo felt his right forearm begin to pulsate, and his hand glow. “Finish ‘em off Hercules!” Takeo snapped his fingers as the demigod casted a Zio at the shadow, electrocuting it to death.

Junpei and Mitsuru double teamed the next shadow, as it tried to launch its dagger towards the baseball player, he dodged to the left while knocking the dagger out of the shadow’s hand with his bat. He proceeded to swing into the shadows gut, then hit it on the back to knock it down. That’s when Mitsuru pulled out her evoker. “Artemisia!” Mitsuru pulled the trigger to summon the advisor to Xerxes and rain down a Bufu onto the knocked down shadow, taking it out in the process.

The shadow Ken knocked down and one other shadow were the last to remain on their side. Rhys noticed the knocked down shadow getting back up as the other one closed in on him. He dodged out of the way of the closer one while summoning one of his newer Personas to deal with the ranged shadow. “Jack Frost!” Rhys yelled as he snapped his fingers, and a cartoonish snow man appeared above him to cast a Bufu at the ranged shadow, killing it with a freezing blow. As the last shadow advanced towards Rhys, he grabbed his sword by the blade and threw it at the shadow. The blade pierced its chest as Rhys ran up to it, pulled the sword out, and decapitated the shadow, clearing the side he was on.

The same number of shadows closed in on The Phantom Thieves and Narukami and Chie.

Joker parried the dagger of one of the shadows attacking him with his own dagger, then proceeded to shoot it with his handgun three times before stabbing it in the head and kicking it down, killing it with one last shot to the head. “Joker, over here!” He heard Sophie call for him to see her tying down a shadow with her yoyos. “Satanael!” Joker ripped off his mask to summon the demon to cast a Megido towards the shadow, obliterating it with the almighty attack.

“Noir, watch out!” Oracle shouted as a shadow attempted to cast a Frei towards the sadistic Phantom Thief. She began to giggle. “You’re going to regret that…” Noir says after she dodged the nuclear attack. “Lucy!” Noir ripped off her mask to summon the Countess of Carlisle to cast a Triple Down towards the shadow, before tearing it to nothingness with a round from her grenade launcher.

Mona was hopping around a shadow that kept trying to stab him until the cat took his scimitar and attacked its legs. However, before Mona could land the killing blow, Noir cut it in half from behind with a sadistic look in her eyes.

“Heeeeey!” Mona groaned. “That one was mine!”

Noir giggled. “Maybe kill them quicker next time.”

The last shadow was actually putting up a fight against Narukami and Chie. Everytime Chie tried to land a blow with her kicks, it would try to sweep her down. Narukami noticed and the moment it tried to sweep Chie down again, he sliced at its leg, knocking it down. “Now Chie!” he shouted towards the cop.

“Hehehe…” Chie snickered as a tarot card fell in front of her. “Go Haraedo-no-Okami!” she kicked the card in front of her and the summoned Shinto goddesses to cast a Black Spot towards the shadow, destroying it and ending the battle for good.

The groups regathered themselves and met towards the stairs to the next floor.

“Everyone good?” Minato asked as they made it to the stairs.

“Yeah, we got em.” Narukami answered while checking a cut on his jacket from the shadow he and Chie were fighting.

“They weren’t too difficult if I say so myself.” Takeo brushed off his shoulder.

“You guys handled yourselves pretty well, I’m impressed.” Joker said towards the Shadow Operatives.

“Hey, we were doing this while you guys were still in elementary school.” Junpei shot back.

Noir began to giggle again “I missed this! The sounds of the shadows dying. The adrenaline from plunging my axe into their skulls!”

Solomon looked concerned at the woman. “Right…well…you do you I guess…hehe.” The dove laughed nervously.

“I’m not picking up any more shadows on this floor.” Oracle checked her laptop. “But the next couple of floors do have shadows, so expect that each time.”

“That’s good information.” Mitsuru nodded. “Now we won’t be walking blindly around each corner.”

“Right.” Minato agreed. “Let’s keep moving then, shall we?”

The group proceeded to make it through the next six floors, each one getting more difficult than the last. It was clear that the higher up the Citadel, the stronger the shadows that resided. Nonetheless, they were able to push through with minor injuries that could be healed with a Persona.

Citadel of Envy – 8^th Floor

The group of Persona users eventually made it to the last floor before the courtyard containing the sacrificial platforms that contained their friends. When they made it to the eighth floor, they noticed it was just an open room with the gate at the very end.

“Is that the gate to the courtyard?” Yukari asked as they stared at the edge of the room.

“Right on.” Solomon “Looks like just a straight shot to your friends.

“Really?” Chie asked. “The door is just right there? No shadows? Nothing?”

“Indeed.” Sophie answered. “I do not detect any signs of shadows in this room. It is in fact a “straight shot” to the courtyard and to Fox.”

“I don’t know…” Junpei doubted the fact that there was nothing guarding the door. “This looks like a trap to me.”

“Now that you mention it…” Minato started to doubt as well. “We haven’t seen any of the Hounds since we entered the Citadel. I don’t like this.”

“Me neither.” Rhys shook his head. “But we can’t bicker any longer. We won’t know until we start walking towards it.”

“Agreed.” Ken nodded his head. “We should just hope for the best.”

The group collectively agreed to begin walking towards the gate, keeping their guard up along the way.  For a moment, they all thought they were going to get to the gate and save their friends until…

*SPLASH* A giant shadow appeared right in front of the gate. It took a humanoid form as well, except it wielded a flail, was larger than the normal shadows within the Citadel, and had a red aura glowing around it. Three smaller shadows then appeared beside it.

“Ah damnit I knew it was trap!” Junpei shouted as he gripped his baseball bat.

Oracle ran behind some cover “The big one’s stronger than the rest. It’s a mini boss!”

“We’ve taken down worse.” Narukami readied his blade.

“It’s just another shadow in our way. Let’s take it down!” Minato shouted as the rest of the Persona users readied themselves for the battle against the shadows.

Two of the shadow grunts acted as support for the giant shadow, boosting its strength and defense while one kept the Persona users at bay with small magic attacks.

The giant shadow slammed its flail into the ground, causing them to scatter to dodge the impact from the attack. Yukari begins to shoot arrows at the flail swinging shadow, with each arrow either barely piercing it or bouncing off it completely. “It’s got thick skin!” She yelled as she tried to fire more arrows at it.

Rhys dodged to the right of one of the incoming attacks from the grunts before feeling his mark glow. “Beowulf!” Rhys snaps his fingers to summon his first Persona to perform a Magaru that hits two of the grunts, but one grunt dodges out of the way entirely and the giant shadow blocks the attack completely. “Shit!” Rhys notices the elite not taking a scratch from the attack. “Wind won’t do anything!”

Joker noticed the shadow’s immunity to wind. “Got it. Mona, back off and act as support.”

“Same goes for you Yukari.” Minato ordered as he tried to rush the powerful shadow again.

As Minato rushed it, Narukami, Takeo, and Noir followed behind him and each tried to land a blow on it. Minato and Narukami attempted to slash at its legs while Noir and Takeo kept circling around it, landing blow after blow with their axes, but leave no lasting damages on the shadow.

“What the hell man!?” Takeo shouted as he kept hitting it. “This bastard isn’t going down-AGH!”

The shadow swung its flail around and caught Takeo with it, causing him to go flying across the room from the hit. It proceeded to pick up Noir by her axe, then throw her across the room, with her barely landing on her feet. Minato and Narukami kept slashing at the shadow, dodging the attacks it tried to hit them with. “Narukami, we need to back off before we end up next!” Minato shouted as they kept swinging. “Agreed. I got this!” Narukami backed up to hold a tarot card in his hand. “Izanagi-No-Okami!” Narukami crushed the card in his hand to summon his ultimate Persona to fire a Megido at the shadow while Minato backed up to regroup with his friends.

Narukami regrouped as well as he noticed the shadow once again not taking any damage even to an almighty attack. “This is getting ridiculous!” Narukami shouted. “No matter what we do, it keeps getting back up and hitting us back even harder!”

“We can’t even get near its lackeys!” Junpei shouted back. “It swings at us every time we do!”

“We need to try something else!” Minato shouted. “Maybe we should—"

“LOOK OUT!” Mitsuru pushed Minato out of the way of an Agilao, getting caught in the fiery blast and getting knocked down.

“Kirijo!” Rhys shouted as he went to check up on the downed teammate. Mitsuru, Noir, and Takeo had taken serious hits from the shadows, needing support from a healer. Rhys began to scan the room and the shadows buffing the leader, plans began to run through his mind as he observed how the shadows were positioned.

Rhys got up and gripped his blade. “Everyone! We keep hitting it blindly and we’re surprised we can’t put a dent into it. Look at the other shadows!” Rhys points to the shadows that are buffing their leader.

Oracle takes a closer look at them. “They’re buffing it! Taking out the smaller shadows should leave that big bastard wide open!”

“Exactly.” Rhys nodded. “I got a plan, but I need you all to trust me! Yukari and Mona, stay back and heal the wounded. Arisato, Narukami, and Joker, keep the big guy distracted. Use your Personas, slash at it, shoot at it, I don’t care, just keep its eyes on you. Iori and Amada, take out the shadow boosting its defense, and Sophie and Chie, take out the one boosting its attack. I’ll deal with the one using ranged attacks. Sophie, when they’re defeated, I need you to hold down the big one using your yoyos. We lay into it. Got it?”

“Got it.” The remaining Persona users up said in synchronization as they agreed to Rhys’s plan.

“Let’s go put this shadow in its place!” Chie shouted as she pulled out her gun.

“Time to kick ass!” Junpei shouted afterwards.

“Then let’s do it!” Rhys shouted as he charged towards the shadows. The three Wild Cards charged towards the powerful shadow and begin to lay into it with their weapons and Personas, keeping it distracted from their allies dealing with the lackeys.

Junpei smacked the defense shadow in its face with his bat as Ken followed up by leaping in the air and thrusting his spear downward into its shoulder, pinning it in place. “Now Iori!’ Ken shouted as Junpei then pulled out his evoker and summoned Trismegistus to scorch the shadow and finish it off.

“The shadow’s defense has been lowered!” Oracle began to analyze the battlefield. “That leaves the other two!”

Chie and Sophie surround the attack shadow and begin to confuse it. Chie begins to kick it in the gut and the head while Sophie summons Pandora to cast a Kouha towards the shadow, stunning it. Chie proceeds to shoot the shadow in the head with her pistol, killing it and taking out the powerful shadow’s source of strength.

“That’s it’s attack down!” Oracle shouted. “Just take out the ranged lackey and it’s all alone!”

Rhys dodges the ranged array of Zio attacks the shadow tried to throw at him as he rushed it and sliced its arm off before summoning a new Persona. “Oberon!” Rhys snapped his fingers and out came a fairy in a red uniform and crown to perform a Zan-ei on the shadow. The physical blow knocks the shadow down as Rhys rammed his sword into its chest, killing it and leaving the giant shadow vulnerable.

“That’s all of them! Do it Sophie!” Rhys ordered the AI.

Minato, Narukami, and Joker backed off as the ai proceeded to spin circles around the last shadow, tying it down with the strings from her yoyos.

Minato saw an opportunity as it tried to swing at Sophie with its flail and slashed the shadows arm clean off, disarming it and weakening it even further.

“Yeah take that flail and shove it!” Junpei shouted as he and the rest of the group circled around the now defenseless shadow.

Sophie had finished tying the shadow down, leaving it vulnerable to an All Out Attack.

“It’s down!” Rhys shouted as he gripped his sword. “Everyone! All Out Attack!”

They proceeded to rush the shadow and hit it with everything they had. Minato and Narukami slashed it with their swords. Junpei and Ken laid into it with magic attacks from Trismegistus and Kala-Nemi. Sophie remained holding it down with her yoyos as Chie laid kick into kick followed by gunshots. Rhys thrusted his sword into the shadow’s mask and Joker finished it off with an Almighty attack from Satanael, the once powerful shadow is now nothing more than a puddle of its own remains before dissolving completely. The group was exhausted from the battle finally being over.

“Is…is it over?” Chie asked, gasping for air from wailing into the shadow.

“Yeah…I think we got ‘em.” Joker breathed a sigh of relief while looking at the cleared area.

“Alright we did it!” Junpei pumped his fist in the air. “Nice going kid!” He bumped Rhys on the shoulder, complimenting him on the plan.

“Yeah. That was a good plan Kuramoto. You actually have some good leadership skills.” Minato turned towards Rhys who was still panting after taking the initiative.

Yukari and Mona walk over with Takeo, Noir, and Mitsuru, healed from their injuries.

“Ngh…you ever been smacked in the back and had the wind knocked out of ya?” Takeo groaned as he walked over.

“You get used to it…” Noir said as she groaned from getting tossed.

Mitsuru scanned the area and noticed the defeated shadows. “Good job Arisato,  I suspect you helped put the shadows down.”

Minato shook his head. “It wasn’t me; it was him.” He pointed towards Rhys as the blond raised his head after gaining his composure.

*CLAP…CLAP…CLAP…CLAP*

The group turned towards the gate to the courtyard to see none other than Deacon standing before them clapping.

“Excellent work.” Deacon said as he continued clapping. “You are worthy of the skills you inherit. It’s a shame you waste them…”

Minato and Narukami began to walk towards him when three more Hounds moved out of the corners of the gates, their guns pointed at the Persona users. They stop in their place immediately.

“I’ve heard that spill before scum!” Minato shouted. “You want me to put my skills to good use?!”

“Oh? You’re threatening me? Good. Embrace that violence you’re craving. That’s chaos my friend.”

This was Rhys’s first time seeing Deacon and he hated him already. The member of the Talons of Peace walks in front of Minato to confront the Hound.

“Cut the crap! Get out of the way and let us get our friends!” Rhys shouted at Deacon.

Deacon noticed the accent difference between Minato and Rhys. “Ah. Look brothers, an American is with them. That is a first. You’re new. Are you being dragged around by these pretenders?”

Rhys began to get annoyed. “Shut up! Where’s my friend? Where…is Hiromi Koda!?”

Deacon pointed towards the courtyard. “Out there. Your friend is waiting to become a sacrifice for the Wraith.”

The Persona users became concerned with that title. They looked at each other in confusion.

“Wraith?” Joker asked the Hounds. “What are you talking about?”

Deacon began to chuckle “There is much more to Terra Chaos than any of you could possibly imagine. The shadows are the suppressed emotions of others. Beyond shadows and Personas lies Archetypes. They are the universal ideals birthed from the public unconscious, influencing humanity’s emotions. These ideals swell like a virus within Terra Chaos and take the form of veracious beasts. Entities even stronger than the shadow you just defeated. The Archetypes within Terra Chaos are known as Wraiths. They can be tamed but require…sacrifice.”

“So you plan to kill our friends to tame whatever the hell this Wraith is?!” Junpei exclaimed.

“Precisely!” Deacon shouted. “The Wraiths are our key to Chaos. If we can control them, we’ll be unstoppable.”

“Like we would let that happen!” Takeo shouted

“We’re saving our friends! Whether you like it or not!” Yukari shouted afterwards.

They began to run towards the Hounds. However, they shut the gate as they rush towards them, sealing them off from the courtyard.

“Damnit!” Narukami shouted as he banged on the gate. “You won’t win!”

“Whatever you say journalist.” Deacon backed up from the gate. “You can try to save your friends. If you truly believe you’re strong enough to save them, then come and try.”

The Hounds began to walk away from the gate. “We plan to summon the Wraith on the 30^th, but if you try to attack us before then, we will have no choice but to summon it anyway. Come and save your friends…if you can. HAHAHAHAHAH!” Deacon and the Hounds left the Persona users behind the gate.

Minato sighed. “It’s best this way. We pulled through the entire Citadel, and it took a lot out of us to take out those shadows just now. We can come back later and save them.”

Narukami relented and groaned. “You’re right…but we have to save them.”

“If this “Wraith” is everything Deacon has described it as, we need to prepare.” Mitsuru interjected, holding her right shoulder.

“I never heard of a Wraith in the Metaverse.” Mona added “What could it look like?”

“No one knows.” Solomon replied. “Wraiths are a thing of legend here. I have never seen any.”

Rhys began to think about the current situation. Deacon stated they will summon the Wraith on the 30^th but will summon it early if they intervene. What are the consequences for summoning it before the 30^th?

“We should have a specific time as to when we come back and save the hostages.” Joker suggested. “Deacon said the 30^th right? We must save them before then.”

“But we need time to prepare.” Yukari replied. “Who knows how strong that “Wraith” is and we haven’t even fought a Hound yet. We don’t know how skilled they are or what they’re capable of.”

Rhys finally came up with a plan. “Why don’t we go in on the 25^th? This Saturday.”

“The 25^th?” Ken questioned. “Why then?”

“That gives us six days to prepare. We can train in Terra Chaos. I don’t know about any of you, but with each shadow I defeated, I felt stronger. We can come in on our own time, kill shadows, and get stronger in the process. The Hounds don’t necessarily know we are coming back on the 25^th, so we can take them by surprise. If we’re quick enough, we won’t have to worry about them summoning some rabid monster.” Rhys explained.

“That is a well thought out strategy Kuramoto-san.” Sophie complimented.

“Yeah, it could work.” Minato added.

“So is it settled? We come back here on the 25^th?” Narukami asked to confirm the decision.

“I believe it’s the best course of action. It would be wise to prepare, but not to dwell on returning.” Noir agreed with Rhys’s suggestion.

“I’m cool with it.” Chie nodded her head.

“Same here.” Oracle agreed.

“If that’s what we believe is best, then yeah!” Takeo said pumped.

“25^th’s fine with me. We’re gonna kick ass anyways!” Junpei exclaimed.

“The 25^th it is then.” Minato looked at Rhys “Since when did you get so bossy?”

“Just saying what I think is best Arisato.” Rhys said back. “We should leave for now and get some rest. Phantom Thieves, Yu and Chie. If you guys ever feel like coming in here to prepare before Saturday, do so on your own time. Same goes for the Shadow Ops. We’ll meet up at the lobby like we did today for when the time comes.”

“Got it.” Minato nodded. “On Saturday, we save those hostages.”

The group of Persona users nodded in agreement then proceeded to return to the real word. They began to prepare for the 25^th. The day they save their friends and put an end to the Hounds of Chaos.

Chapter Text

4/20 – Monday

Hokkaido University Library – Afterschool

Rhys agreed to meet with Takeo in the library after classes were over for the day to help his friend with his academic struggles. He planned to observe what exactly Takeo does when studying to find the root of his problems. Rhys felt that hanging out with Takeo today could strengthen the bond he had with him.

“So you’re just gonna watch me study? Kinda creepy man.” Takeo whispered to Rhys.

“I can’t critique you or give you feedback if I don’t know what you do Tak.” Rhys whispered back. “Just show me what you start with. Like how do you start learning a chapter before a quiz?”

“Well, I start with reading the textbook.” Takeo pulled out a bulky textbook on chemistry.

“Ok, well start reading. Pretend I’m not here.” Rhys ordered Takeo.

Takeo began to read through the textbook as Rhys watched. Each page took him three minutes to read, with him flipping a page once he got done. Rhys noticed as Takeo didn’t take time to register the words on the page, and every once and a while, Takeo would get distracted by something on his phone, or start twiddling with his pen. Rhys watched as Takeo read for 30 minutes before the second year tapped out.

“Okay I can’t read anymore…” Takeo groaned. “My brain is fried…”

“Right.” Rhys said sarcastically.

“Well? What do you think I should fix?” Takeo asked.

“Everything.” Rhys bluntly said.

“What?! What do you mean everything?!”

“Keep your voice down we’re still in a library.” Rhys whispered back to Takeo after he raised his voice.

Takeo sighed “Fine. Please explain.”

“Well to start, you basically glanced through each page. I saw how long the pages are, you can’t exactly understand the material on one page in three minutes. You didn’t take time to reread anything that confused you or for that matter pay attention to the words on the page. I noticed whenever you checked your phone or started to chew your pen. You get sidetracked very easily and lose interest in the material you’re reading.”

“But it’s so boring…” Takeo groaned. “I can’t keep interest by just reading alone.”

“Then find a new strategy to make book reading interesting.” Rhys answered.

“Say that again?” Takeo raised his eyebrow.

“I know what you mean by it getting tedious Tak, believe me it does. But I find ways to keep myself interested in the material. What I do first and foremost is put my phone out of arms reach so I don’t get on it whenever I’m studying. Then, as I read through a chapter I highlight anything that interests me or confuses me. I annotate the chapter. Once I am finished reading, I return to any highlighted words and make annotations out of them. Keeping yourself active while reading will help keep your attention span stable.”

“Does that really work?” Takeo asked.

“Even for the subjects you hate. As long as I understand the material, I use that method each time.”

“I’ll try it tonight then. I’m gonna reread through the chapter and make notes out of it. Thanks Rhys!”

“Anytime.”

“Now that we’re finished, you wanna go grab some grub? I owe you for giving me advice.” Takeo offered Rhys.

Rhys accepted the offer and he and Takeo left the library to go eat. Rhys sensed his bond with Takeo get stronger.

Minato’s POV

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Minato just got back from a faculty meeting issuing new guidelines concerning issues such as attendance and late work policies. He didn’t expect the meeting to last for three long hours. Ken was there as well to represent the Student Body at the meeting. Both were mentally exhausted from the lasting discussion.

“They normally don’t go on for that long.” Ken yawned.

“Seriously. What was the point of discussing basic necessities for three hours? It’s the worst part about the job.” Minato yawned.

Ken sat down on the couch in the lobby. “I can’t believe I’m finally in my last year.”

Minato nodded “It took a while, but yeah I’d say you are. The noble Ken Amada on his way to becoming a lawyer.”

Ken smiled “It’s the right side of justice.”

Minato sighed “You know Amada, you’ve come a long way from the vengeful ten-year-old we knew you as. I never expected your future being in the courtroom. I thought you would stick to soccer.”

“As much as I loved athletics, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life Arisato. My encounter with Strega and Aragaki changed me. Vengeance isn’t justice, neither is violence. I believe a role in the courtroom is the noble side of justice.”

Minato patted Ken on the shoulder “I have no doubt you’ll do good Amada.”

Junpei walked down from his room soon after hearing them chatter. “Sup you two! Whatcha talking about?”

“Amada’s future.” Minato answered, “This is his last year at Hokkaido.”

“Oh yeah that’s right!” Junpei grinned. “Little Ken’s a grown up now! So Amada-san, found yourself a chick yet?”

The question caught Ken off guard “What does that have to do with my future!?”

The slugger clicked his tongue “Amada-san. You are 26 and about to finish college to become a lawyer! You realize how good you got it? If you get good cases, you’re gonna be swimming in Yen. You basically got the future any man would want. The only thing you’re missing is a girlfriend! Have you ever tried talking to any girls?”

Ken became flustered “N-no! It’s not that I don’t want to…it’s just…uh…I have a lot of stuff to do! Yes…I’m always busy so I just don’t have time to!”

“What’s going on down here?” Mitsuru walked down the stairs next to see Ken putting his hands over his eyes. “Why is Amada hiding his face?”

“Junpei is trying to get him to talk about his love life.” Minato spilled.

“It’s easy for you to say Arisato-san.” Ken raised his head still flustered. “You figured out love when you were in high school.”

Mitsuru began to chuckle “You never talked to anyone about it Amada?”

“No not really. Plus, I never really found a girl that I liked.”

“What’s your type?” Junpei blurted out.

“Okay I’m going to my room before I embarrass myself even further!” Ken got up from the couch and ran up the stairs.

“Iori you know he’s uncomfortable talking about matters such as love.” Mitsuru scolded Junpei.

“I’m just trying to look out for my bro. If he turns 30 and doesn’t find any love he is doomed.” 

“Junpei if you’re his wingman he’s doomed already.” Minato answered back.

Junpei gasped “I take offense to that.”

Mitsuru looked at Minato “Have you seen Hattori or Kuramoto? I would like to see if they are interested in training.”

Rhys and Takeo walked through the door on cue.

“There they are.” Minato smirked. “Try to go easy on them.” He remarked towards Mitsuru as he walked up to his apartment.

Arisato Family Apartment

Minato walked into the apartment he and his family lived in. He saw Yukari sitting at the table in the far side of the living room on a laptop and Kotone and Eiichiro sitting on the floor watching TV. Nothing relaxed the college professor more than coming home to his family. Someone waiting for him to come back. People for him to go home to and confide in. It was the life he always dreamed of having.

“Hey Dad!” Kotone got up from the floor to hug her father.

“Mom, Dad’s home!” Eiichiro got up as well.

“Looks like he is.” Yukari smiled as she closed her laptop.

“Did you two get your homework done?” Minato asked his children.

“Yep. Mom said we could watch TV if we did. It was on subtraction.” Eiichiro answered.

“Subtraction? Did you two work together?”

“Mm-hm” The twins hummed.

“Well you can go back to watching TV then. Just remember to not stay up late.” Minato gave Eiichiro and Kotone one more hug before going to sit at the table Yukari was at.

“How was the meeting?” Yukari asked Minato.

“Long.” Minato said as he kissed her on the lips. “All of that to tell us they’re changing the policies for late work and attendance. I thought we already established that stuff at the beginning of the year.” Minato sat down in a chair at the table.

“Didn’t Amada-san have to go as well?” Yukari asked as she grabbed something from the refrigerator.

“He hated it just as much as me. It doesn’t help the moment we get back Junpei starts trying to get him to open up about his love life.”

Yukari began to laugh “Him being Amada-san’s wingman would ruin him.”

“That’s what I said. But at the same time, Junpei has a point. Ken has a good reputation. He’s the Student Council President, he’s becoming a lawyer, and has the looks.”

“But his downside is he doesn’t talk to girls.” Yukari interrupted. “Sound familiar?”

Minato began to chuckle. “Yeah it does. But I was never a Student Council President. Popularity had never been on my side.”

Yukari handed Minato a plate of sushi she made earlier in the day. “There’s your food. I’ve been watching them all day.”

“You go rest some Yuka, I got it from here.” Minato smiled at Yukari.

“Thanks Mina, love you.” Yuka kissed Minato on the forehead before going into their bedroom.

Minato began to eat and as he ate he leaned back into his chair, thinking to himself how lucky he was to have the life he lived.

Otaru Apartments – Rooftop

Mitsuru asked Rhys if he wanted to have a sparring session with her. Rhys thought of it as a chance to train with one of the Shadow Operatives and sensed the possibility his bond with the group growing stronger from the session. He agreed and met the scarlet-hair woman on top of the roof. Solomon had been flying around the city for the entire day and decided to watch as the two trained.

“So how are we doing this?”  Rhys asked Mitsuru “Are we just gonna go until one of us gets hit first or is it more of a “you teach me something” kind of session?”

“I want to test your defensive capabilities.” Mitsuru began circling around Rhys. “You proved your ability to go on the offensive, but can you defend yourself when the opponent is just as aggressive?”

“I like to think I can. The way I make sure I don’t have to defend myself is by closing in and hitting first.” Rhys took his reverse grip stance.

“You won’t always get the chance to hit first. Shadows come in different forms and are equipped with different abilities. You must be ready for anything.” Mitsuru began to close in on Rhys and attack him first.

Mitsuru thrusted her rapier towards Rhys as he dodges towards the right and blocked the next two thrusts with his sword. He then tried to swing his blade at the empress, only for her to block it and deflect his blade forward, causing Rhys to lose his balance and stumble.

“Whoa…” Rhys regained his composer. “How did you…”

“There are three strategies we use for defense. You already did the first one, dodging. It’s easy to dodge your enemy’s attacks but eventually you begin to wind down, get more exhausted. A lack of stamina results in slower dodging and a lack of reaction timing.”

“Then what are the other two?” Rhys asked while catching his breath.

“There’s obviously blocking. To block successfully, you must be able to know exactly what your attacker is trying to do. Always keep an eye on the arm their weapon is in. Take stance, I’ll show you.”

Rhys took stance as Mitsuru slowly showed him her attacks and what direction to block from. “If you see me swing from your right, block from the left. If you see me swing from your left, black from the right. Blocking is less of a hassle when taking the direction of attacks into perspective.”

Rhys was able to better understand blocking after a couple of tries of reading Mitsuru’s attacks.

“You learn fast Kuramoto. I’m impressed.” Mitsuru smiled.

“Thank you Kirijo-san.” Rhys bowed. “So what’s the other method of defense?”

“I’ll leave that to another one of the Operatives to teach you. For now, let’s call it there. Good work.”

Rhys remembered something he wanted to ask Mitsuru before they left the rooftop.

“One more thing Kirijo-san.”

“Hmm?” Mitsuru looked up.

“How did you know my brother? I know he worked for you, but how did you know him as a friend?”

Mitsuru sighed “I knew Logan as a friend because he sympathized with the fact that I lost my father as well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Rhys replied.

“Don’t be. He helped me truly get over my father’s death. Takeba’s father shared the same fate, and I always knew of that. But, to hear it from your brother was different. He showed compassion towards any person he met. He…cared about me.”

Rhys nodded. “You’re right about him being compassionate.” Wait what do you mean cared? Another time Rhys, ask her another time.

“Thank you for telling me Kirijo-san.”

“Of course Kuramoto.” Mitsuru said as she and Rhys walked back down into the building, Rhys sensed his bond with the Shadow Operatives grow stronger.

4/21/2025 – Tuesday

Kita Ward – Afterschool

Ken’s POV

Will yogurt go well with it? No, it could end up bitter. How about chocolate? No, could be too sweet. Vanilla syrup could add a balance to the flavor…

Ken took some time after school to go to a grocery store he liked in Kita Ward to find some new ingredients to try out in his coffee. The graduate began practicing with coffee while in Iwatodai many years ago. He kept practicing despite Minato’s criticisms of it being overly bitter. Ken has turned it into a hobby he likes to do in his free time. It’s a bonus for him considering he gets a chance to figure out what he likes and doesn’t like in coffee.

“Vanilla will work…” Ken grabs a bottle of vanilla syrup from a shelf and places it in his basket. “Maybe…protein powder? Nah, I’m not Sanada-san.” Ken then looks up to see a bottle of honey he used to get. “That could work.” He picks up the bottle of honey and places it into his basket. “That should be everything I need.” Ken kept talking to himself when he noticed a familiar face in the store. He never actually got her name and if she ever said it, he wasn’t listening. It was a women with curly pink hair trying to reach for a bottle of creamer on the top shelf. It was just out of reach for her. Hey that’s Noir. I should help her.

She was still trying to reach for it but wasn’t successful. Ken began to walk over to help his ally out. Ken was just tall enough to reach for the bottle of creamer Noir was trying to get.

“Here you go.” Ken handed the bottle to her.

“Oh thank you!” Noir said relieved “I don’t think I’m tall enough to reach items on the top shelf.”

Noir then looked at Ken’s face “Ah, you’re one of the Shadow Operatives that helped us two days ago. It’s great to see you!”

Ken smiled. “Likewise. I don’t think I ever caught your actual name.”

“Haru Okumura.”

“Ken Amada.” The name clicked in Ken’s mind “Wait. Okumura as in Okumera Foods?”

Haru giggled “Looks like I’m caught. No one ever recognizes me.”

“I love the coffee your company makes.” Ken grinned “I came here to get some ingredients to make some myself.”

Haru looks at Ken’s basket. “I love that combination! Vanilla and honey go well together.”

“After saying that, now I have to try it.”

Haru began to check out her items. “We’re going to that other world to train later tonight, but I have some time for myself. Would you like to chat some more?”

In his mind Ken began to ponder Chat? Why would she want to talk to me some more? Now that I think about it she looks the same age as me. I got nothing better to do…

“Sure.” Ken nodded. “I always wanted to have a one-on-one conversation with a Phantom Thief.”

Haru giggled. “Wonderful!”

The two paid for their groceries then found a bench to sit on in the district of Kita Ward and began to talk to each other.

“So what’s it like being a Phantom Thief?” Ken asked Haru.

“To tell you the truth I find it exciting. We haven’t had a job as a full group in years however. Everyone now has their lives to live. But the time we spent years ago made me cherish my time as a Phantom Thief.”

“It sure was exciting from an outside perspective.” Ken replied.

“You knew of us?”

“Who didn’t? I was in high school when I saw a vigilante group on a quest to reform society in Tokyo. It excited me. I thought you guys were cool.”

“It’s always nice to meet a fan!” Haru began to laugh.

“What is like running the company?” Ken asked, “It must be difficult due to where you are in life.”

“For a short time, it was. It was difficult balancing the company with college. If it wasn’t for my friends, I don’t think I could have been able to do it.”

The two were silent for a second before Haru began asking questions to Ken.

“So what is it you do Amada-san?”

“I’m attending Hokkaido University alongside those two new Persona users Kuramoto and Hattori. I’m a graduate student and this will be my last year before I get assigned to my career.”

“What are you planning to be?”

“A lawyer. I think it’s the best course of action for my sense of justice.”

“Justice.” Haru looked across the streets of the district. “That word can hold many different meanings.”

Ken nodded “It can. For me, it’s solving cases in a courtroom. Not violence.”

Haru grinned at Ken. “You seem to be a noble individual Amada-san.”

Ken is complimented a lot when it comes to his life. He has grown used to the compliments and appreciates them. However, Haru’s compliment made him feel twice as good than how he normally feels.

“Thank you Okumura-san.” Ken stood up and bowed.

Haru stood up as well. “I best be on my way. I don’t want to keep my friends waiting. It was a pleasure to talk with you Amada-san!”

“You too. Take care.” Ken nodded at Haru as they said their goodbyes.

While walking back to the apartments, Ken began to think about the recent interaction he had with the Phantom Thief member.

In Terra Chaos she came off as somewhat sadistic. But here she is just Haru Okumura. What a nice woman. Wait. What is this feeling? Why do I feel different towards her? I just had one conversation with her. But…she was nice…and…pret-

Ken stopped in his tracks to regain focus of his mind.  Calm down Amada…it was one conversation. Once they save their friend she’ll be going back to Tokyo to run her company. Forget it.

Ken looked at his watch “I should pick up the pace.” He began to try and hurry back to the apartments to take his mind off of…whatever that was.

Rhys’s POV

Otaru Apartments – Evening

The Shadow Operatives, Takeo, and Solomon decided to enter Terra Chaos tonight to grow stronger and prepare for Saturday’s mission. Rhys offered to stay behind just in case Eiichiro and Kotone woke up from their nap. He was sitting in the lobby reading a novel depicting a rather graphic and dark version of Pinocchio, where the puppet’s creator created other puppets to slaughter an entire city. Rhys was intrigued by the use of graphic imagery mixed with a convoluted plot.  After a while, Rhys put the novel down and remembered one thing that he shouldn’t have forgotten about.

“Oh crap…I’ve been here for one and a half weeks, and I haven’t even called Mom again.”

Rhys pulled his phone out and began to call his mother.

“Then again, why hasn’t she called me? I figured she would be worried sick.” He said to himself as the call on the other end picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey Ma! I’m so sorry I haven’t called these past couple of days.”

Rhys’s mom began to chuckle. “Don’t worry about it dear, I’ve been quite busy myself.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t called me either since I got here. Everything alright?”

“Rhys my boy I’m fine. I just got caught up in some work that’s-*cough* *cough* *cough*

“Mom. Are you okay?”

“Yes. You don’t have to worry about me Rhys. I’ve just came down with a cold.”

“As long as its just a cold. Have you gone to a doctor yet?”

“I’m going tomorrow. I’ve been dealing with this cough since you left.”

Rhys sighed “Mom if its anything serious I will drop everything over here and come straight home-

“No you won’t. You said it yourself son, this is your only opportunity. I don’t want you losing it for me.”

“Family matters to me Mom. You taught me that.”

“I know…thank you for looking out for me son.”

Rhys began to hear chatter coming from the stairs.

“Alright Ma.  I gotta go. I’ll call you again in a couple more days, alright? Just let me know what the doctors say.”

“I will dear. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Rhys hears the call end. Is there something she’s hiding from me?

He then turns his attention to the chatter he heard from the stairs. “Kotone-chan, Eiichiro-kun, you can stop hiding now.”

He hears a smack come from the stairs. “Ow! Don’t hit me!”

“Then move out of the way!”  Down the stairs came Kotone and Eiichiro, wearing the pajamas they sleep in.

“Hey you two.” Rhys greeted them “Woke up from your sleep?”

Eiichiro was rubbing his eye “Yeah…we couldn’t go back to sleep by ourselves.”

“Do you know where Mom and Dad are Rhys-san?” Kotone asked while holding a stuffed Jack Frost doll.

“Your mom and dad went out with their friends for a while. They’ll come back later.”

“Can we stay down here until we get tired again?” Eiichiro asked the babysitter.

“Yeah. I wanna stay down here too.” Kotone pouted.

Rhys smiled. “Of course. Just no sweets or anything that will keep you up okay?”

“Thank you.” The twins said at the same time.

“Do you guys wanna watch some TV? That’s the best way to fall asleep.” Rhys grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it on. The twins sat down on the couch, with Eiichiro sitting to Rhys’s right, and Kotone his left. He eventually came across a channel doing reruns of older Featherman seasons. The seasons where Yukari played the role of Pink Argus.

“I love this episode!” Kotone cheered as her eyes became glued to the screen.

“You guys like Featherman?” Rhys asked the twins as they watched.

“Yeah. We watch every single episode and get every single action figure!” Eiichiro leaned towards the screen.

“I bet you guys love it especially because of your mother.” Rhys said referring to Yukari.

“She’s like a superhero!” Eiichiro shouted.

“Mom’s a superhero!”  Kotone shouted afterwards.

Rhys chuckled as they watched the rerun together. Sometime later, Kotone’s face changed. Something was on her mind.

“You okay Kotone-chan?” Rhys asked as he noticed her look a little sad.

“Mom travels a lot.” Kotone began to talk. “Sometimes she will be gone for months. And sometimes when she’s gone for too long, Dad will start to get sad.”

“Your dad just misses her, that’s all” Rhys reassured the eight-year-old.

“I know. It’s just sad seeing Dad like that.”

Eiichiro chimed in “But then we put on one the episodes of Featherman, or anything Mom is in. We show Dad that she’s on the screen, and he gets happy again.”

Kotone began to smile again. “Yeah! It helps Dad know she will come back! It reminds us she does this for us.”

Rhys began to smile at what the twins told him. “That’s a good thing you two.”

Kotone began to yawn “Rhys-san? Can we play with you sometime?”

Rhys smiled again “Of course. Anytime. It can even be just watching more TV.”

“Yay!” Eiichiro said while yawning.

“Can we watch one more episode?” Kotone mumbled.

“Sure.” Rhys answered.

Fifteen minutes passed by and the two twins were out cold on the lobby couch. Rhys took them to their room one by one and shut the door behind them. He himself began to yawn.

“They should be asleep for the rest of the night. I’m clocking out.” As soon as Rhys said that he heard the elevator door opening in the lobby. He was too tired to greet his friends, so he decided to go to bed for the night.

As he began to fall asleep, Rhys felt a slight bond form between himself and Kotone and Eiichiro. He fell asleep smiling at the forging of a new bond.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Strength Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

Chapter Text

4/22  – Wednesday

Café Chagall – Afternoon

Rhys and Minato agreed to hang out today and decided to return to Café Chagall once again. Minato told him how the trip to Terra Chaos last night went and they discussed other things from there. Rhys began to grow more appreciative of Minato’s company. He grew to look up to him as a mentor over the past two weeks. The more Rhys understood Minato, the more he looked up to him.

“Takeo did what?!” Rhys exclaimed from the story Minato was telling him.

“He tried to look up as Kirijo-san went up a ladder we found to one of the buildings. Junpei was the one who told him to do so.”

“What happened afterwards?”

“I smacked Junpei on the head and Kirijo-san caught Hattori. I’m surprised he walked out of there without a concussion.”

Rhys began to laugh.

“Then Solomon kept making fun of him for the rest of the night. The amount of embarrassment that kid went through was a sight to behold.” Minato began to laugh as well.

“Isn’t Iori-san in a relationship? Why would he do that?” Rhys asked remembering Junpei talked to him one time about Chidori.

“That’s why I smacked him on the head. He needs to remember he is in a relationship. Hell, he’s BEEN in that relationship for who knows how long. He needs to stop trying to be a pervert.” Minato explained.

“I should’ve known Hattori had a side like that. The way he acts sometimes when we see girls is weird…”

“Iori is the same way.” Minato said as he sipped his cup of coffee. “But he’s my friend. I would consider him to be my best friend. Or as he likes to call himself “best bro.” Do you have anyone like that in your life Rhys?”

Rhys began to remember some good memories amidst his struggles with Logan’s death. He remembers someone like that being in his life. It was the only friend he ever made in school, but it was only because of the fact the two were troublemakers. But he remembers his childhood friend all too well.

“Actually, I do. I only ever had one friend in school. He’s a childhood friend. His name is Aiden Foster. He’s an American. Not half American like me, a full-blooded American. We only became friends because we liked to cause trouble. Aiden was the one person to never make fun of me or my brother. And if he did, he made sure to let us know he was joking. I haven’t seen him in years though.”

“What happened to him?” Minato asked Rhys as he saw him grab a necklace with the Christian cross on it.

“He had to move away in 2020. I’d rather not say the reasons.”

“Do you think you’ll ever see him again Kuramoto?”

Rhys smiled “I’d like to think so. I consider him a brother and he saw me as one as well.”

Minato nodded, deciding to change the subject. “Kotone kept telling me how cool of a babysitter you were last night.”

“Oh really? I made sure they went back to sleep just before you guys came back. She and her brother are an interesting bunch.”

Minato chuckled “That they are. What do you expect from an Arisato?”

“Those are some cool names. Kotone and Eiichiro. How did you come up with them?” Rhys asked Minato.

The blue-haired father began to smile while reminiscing about his past. However, for a moment he’s silent, conflicted on how to tell the blond how his daughter was named. “…Kotone was name of my mother, who had blue hair like me and my daughter. Eiichiro was the name of Yukari’s father. She looked up to her father.”

“Did you two agree with the names?”

“For the most part…” Minato mumbled.

“What does that mean?” Rhys raised an eyebrow.

Minato sighed. “If I’m going to tell you, might as well tell you the full thing. When Yukari got pregnant, we only knew of there being ONE baby. I wanted a girl, Yukari wanted a boy.”

“So how did you settle your differences?”

“We made a bet. It was still early into Yukari learning of her pregnancy, so we didn’t know the gender. If it was a girl, I’d get to name her. If it was a boy, Yukari would get to name her. A few months later, we learned that we would be having a boy. I didn’t let it get to me though, I was still happy about being a father.”

“What was it like if you don’t mind me asking?” Rhys became more intrigued into the conversation.

“Learning you’re going to be a father? It is both the greatest feeling in the world but it is also terrifying. Raising a child as your own, knowing you are the one who has to shape them into a good person. Knowing it is you who has to take care of them, hold onto them, comfort them. It’s a huge responsibility. Me and Yukari felt the same way. We were already nervous bringing Eiichiro into the world. Imagine the feeling when we learned it wasn’t just Eiichiro.”

“That’s right…You said you only knew about Yukari being conceived with one child. What happened with Kotone?”

Minato smiled “A story for another time Rhys.”

Rhys groaned. “Seriously? You’re going to leave telling me your life story on a cliffhanger?”

The father laughed. “It’s late as it is. Besides I don’t want to tell you everything at once. Let’s start heading back.”

Rhys got up and left the café with Minato as they noticed the sun setting. Rhys felt he understood Minato’s feelings as a parent better, strengthening his bond with the Hierophant.

Rhy’s Apartment – Evening

Rhys was alone in his apartment. He began to look through his own personal belongings he brought along with him. There were books he read, collectables he owned to remind him of his past, a pair of headphones, a hat he used to wear, but at the bottom of it all was a pile of photos. Some contained his entire family, some only Logan. The one he picked up was a photo of him when he was 15. Alongside Rhys was a teenager who looked the same age. He had green eyes and brown, curly hair, and a bruise on his forehead. In the photo, the two were in a high school gym and were smiling while holding two medals that both read “Most Improved Student.” Rhys sighed as he put the photo down and went to bed.

“I wonder where you are right now Aiden…” He whispered to himself as he began to fall asleep and prepare for the next day.

4/23 – Thursday

Narukami’s POV

Hotel in Shiroishi Ward

Yu Narukami was typing down the notes he wrote down from his interview with Deacon a week and a half ago, trying to figure out what would be the best method to upload his article. He began to hesitate to upload the article after realizing the risks that could come with it. Yu began to talk to himself.

“If I upload this article, more information will surface of how dangerous the Hounds of Chaos are. That’s including the photos I gathered from sneaking into their hideout. But…if I do this, I’m essentially calling them out, just like Yusuke Kitagawa. What if they have eyes everywhere? What if they’re like a mob? They could learn my whereabouts, my information, my home…my family. They could come for more of my friends…they could come for Yukiko…for Kenta. But nothing’s gonna change with this article. Even if we rescue Yosuke and stop their plan, they’re still gonna be the same malicious group as before. I want to help stop them. I have the power to do something about it. But…I don’t want to risk any more of my friends getting involved.”

Narukami closed his laptop and put his head down on the table. He was conflicted about the situation with the Hounds. He knows their power and what they’re capable of. Yu want’s nothing more than to help stop them. But if he does he puts more of his friends at risk. The Hounds are more than just a cult now. They’re an army.

The journalist then heard a knock on the door to his room. He went to check the eye hole to see Chie outside. Yu opened the door.

“Yo Narukami. Can I come in for a sec?” Chie asked holding her phone in her left hand.

“Sure. Come on in.” Yu closed the door as his friend walked into his room. “So what’s up?”

Chie sighed. “So…when we save Yosuke…are we really leaving?”

“Yes. We’re getting the hell out of this city. Away from the Hounds.” Yu sat back down as he said that.

Chie put her phone away, then crossed her arms. “Narukami, you should know better than anyone that what we’re doing is running away.”

Yu became annoyed with that statement. “The hell do you mean “running away?!” This isn’t our fight Chie!”

“Not our fight?!” Chie shouted back “It became our fight when they purposely kidnapped one our friends. MY HUSBAND! It became our fight when another world was discovered. It became our fight when I started thinking the Hounds themselves could possibly have Personas. It became our fight when the threat of shadows came back!”

“We haven’t faced anyone like the Hounds before CHIE! They’re not just some crazy fanatics in a cult! They’re SOLDIERS. They’re CRIMINALS. They’re GODDAMN MURDERERS CHIE! We don’t know who is in their militia. These people are well armed and have connections! The best strategy we use is to get as far away from them as possible.”

“STOP WITH THE EXCUSES NARUKAMI!” Chie threw her arms up in the air. “Leaving Sapporo doesn’t mean we escape them!”

“What are you talking about!? They came from this city.”

Chie sighed, trying to calm herself down. “I did some digging last night to figure out what the hell these bozos are even all about. Have you seen any of the headlines?”

“Yes I have-

“No. Not local headlines Narukami. NATION-WIDE headlines. GLOBAL headlines. Look at this.” Chie handed Narukami a news article she printed off and translated into Japanese. Narukami began to read aloud the title and article.

“A NEW THREAT TO SOCIETY: The United States Senate declares The Hounds of Chaos as a “criminal organization” after the cult began to spread in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The Senate came to this conclusion after the same occurrences in countries such as England, Russia, and Singapore, along with the ongoing events involving the cult in Japan. The cult itself started riots with these expansions, indicating its rise in numbers across the globe. The Hounds of Chaos continue to add to their ranks through their propaganda and influence. If you know a potential Hound member, please contact local authorities.”

“They’re everywhere Yu. There could be members in Inaba right now. No one even knows what they truly do, what their intentions are…but we do.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one knows about Terra Chaos except for us and the Hounds. The police, the governments, they don’t have the power to stop them or to even figure out what they’re truly planning. But we have that power.”

“I don’t know Chie…the risks are too high. You don’t know who exactly could be in this cult.”

“You’re right. There can be criminals, soldiers, mercenaries, other scum. The kinda people I haul in as a job. Look Narukami, I get it. You feel guilty for Yosuke getting kidnapped, and you don’t want to risk anymore people getting hurt. But did you ever stop to ask yourself why they specifically went after Yosuke and not yourself?”

Narukami’s mind began to wonder. “I always thought it was some sort of way to make me pay for spying on them.”

Chie raised her head and looked at Narukami. “What if that was their plan? They knew who you were and what you did in the past?”

“What are you- Oh my god.” Yu began to feel a rush of realization and horror. “Do you think they know of what happened back in 2011? The TV World, the fog, the fact that we’re Persona users?”

“It’s a huge hunch.” Chie looked at her hand. “But if it’s true, Yosuke won’t be the last person they try to kidnap. We have to stop them. I know they’re dangerous, but so has been the crap we faced in the past. I know we can stop them.”

“But what about my family? What if they go after Dojima, or my daughter?”

“We won’t let them. Look, I don’t want to force you Narukami, but I’m staying.”

“Staying? You can’t take more days off you know?”

Chie pulled out her phone. “I called Dojima-san earlier today and requested I be assigned to Sapporo for a year. Once we save Yosuke, I’m gonna ask him the same thing.” Chie began to walk out the door.

“Just know this Yu…as long as the Hounds are still around, no one is safe. We can stop them. I know we can.” Chie closed the door as Yu stood in his room, conflicted once more.

He pulled his phone out and looked at a photo of him and Yukiko with their five-year-old daughter, Kenta. He sighed deeply from Chie’s words and suggestion. Should he really stay to help stop the Hounds of Chaos?

I’ll have to think this through… Narukami thought as he laid on the hotel bed.

4/24 – Friday

Ren’s POV

Teine Inazumi Park

Ren Amamiya was sitting down at a park alongside Futaba and Morgana as they discussed the plan for tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day. The day they rescue Yusuke and stop the Hounds from killing him. However, as they discussed what will happen tomorrow, Ren began to think about the future. What happens after they save Yusuke? Will they just leave Sapporo like it was just another job as a Phantom Thief? Will the Hounds truly be stopped? Can the Shadow Operatives really handle this on their own? What if more people get kidnapped? More specifically, what if another Phantom Thief gets kidnapped? All these questions began to flood Ren’s mind as he began to have doubts about leaving Sapporo. He knew this was his fight just as much as the Shadow Operatives.

Ren feels a flick on his forehead. “Ow.”

“Yoooooooo. Earth to Reeeeeeeeeen? Were you even listening?” Futaba groaned at the infamous Joker as he came back to his senses.

“Yeah. Yeah I was listening.” Ren adjusted his glasses.

“Oh really?” Morgana jumped onto the bench Ren was sitting on.

“…no.” Ren sighed.

“What’s on your mind then big bro?” Futaba asked. “When you start to think about something I know it’s a serious plot point.”

Ren leaned back onto the bench. “Futaba, what do you plan to do AFTER we save Yusuke?”

“Well I’m gonna make him fork over more money to get the house fixed, duh.” Futaba bluntly answered.

“Really? You’re gonna move on from all of this just like that?” Joker sarcastically asked.

“Ugh stop talking like that! You need to drop the mysterious schtick.” Futaba groaned.

“Yeah what are you getting at?” Morgana chimed in.

“I’m starting to doubt if we really should leave. Should we stay and help out the Shadow Operatives deal with that new world?”

Futaba adjusted her glasses. “I’m not sure. Do we really want to get involved? The Phantom Thieves could get public again, and I’m not sure that’s what we want.”

“Maybe that’s what the city needs!” Morgana leaped up. “The city needs to know there are people fighting against the Hounds. Look no further than the Phantom Thieves!”

“Besides Futaba, what if someone else gets kidnapped? It could be Ann, Ryuji, Zenkichi, or any other Phantom Thief.” Ren brought up one of his thoughts.

“That would be implying the Hounds know the identity of EVERY Phantom Thief.” Futaba began scratching her head. “Think that’s true?”

“Only one way to find out.” Ren stood up. “I’ve made my decision. I’m staying in Sapporo until we stop the Hounds of Chaos for good. I don’t think foiling their plans tomorrow is going to get rid of them. So we’re going to stop them ourselves.”

“Really!? You guys are staying?!” Futaba’s eyes lit up.

“Looks like it.” Morgana jumped onto Ren’s shoulder. “I’m fine with staying. Cats need to put dogs in their places every once and a while.”

“That’s the spirit Mona.” Ren rubbed the cat’s head. “I’ll let Okumura-san know. I’ll be working online from here. If she decides to stay too, all the better. Now let’s get going. We have a Fox to save tomorrow.”

“Hell yeah we do!” Futaba raised her fist in the air as they left the park with a new decision and to prepare for the rescue of the Fox.

Chapter Text

4/25 – Saturday

Otaru Apartments Lobby - Evening

This is it. Today is the day of action. The day of rescue for Yosuke Hanamura, Yusuke Kitagawa, and Hiromi Koda. All the groups have gathered in front of the elevator to finally save their friends. The Phantom Thieves, The Investigation Team, The Shadow Operatives, and The Talons of Peace. They don’t know what the consequences are for saving their friends before the 30^th, but all that mattered to them was stopping the Hounds of Chaos from making them sacrifices for what the fanatic cult called a “Wraith.” No more time for discourse, no more time for training, no more preparation. Today was the rescue.

The four Wild Cards, Minato Arisato, Yu Narukami, Ren Amamiya, and Rhys Kuramoto stood in front of the elevator before going over the plan to save their friends.

“This is it everyone.” Minato stood before them all. “No more standing around and waiting it out. We make our move tonight.”

“Yes.” Ren nodded. “We stop the Hounds from whatever they are planning. It’s our turn to hit back.”

“Tonight, we save our allies.” Narukami added to the other two Wild Cards. “We show the Hounds that they’re not as tough as they think.”

Lastly, Rhys stepped forward beside the veteran Persona users. “We show them that in the heart of their chaos lies one thing that they fear the most. The desire for peace. Tonight, we take our friends back from them.”

“Yeah!” The group all chanted as one. Motivated to save their friends.

“Do you think the Hounds will really attack us? The last time we were in the Citadel, three of them had firearms. And they looked ready to use them.”  Yukari asked nervously.

“Pffft yeah duh.” Futaba bluntly answered. “But so what if they got some scary guns? We got Personas.”

“Yeah! Let ‘em try and shoot at me! I’ll send them flying!” Chie cheered.

“But haven’t any of you thought about it?” Ken interrupted. “These aren’t shadows or rival Persona users. They’re normal human beings who want to kill us. That’s more dangerous than any shadow.”

“Now that you mention it…” Haru asked next. “If the worst comes with the Hounds within the Citadel, do you think we’ll have to…”

“No. We’re not murderers.” Mitsuru answered. “We will not kill them. We’re going to subdue whatever Hound members are at the Citadel, then I’ll have a contact of mine pick them up to arrest them.”

“That’s if they give us the chance to subdue them.” Takeo added.

“It doesn’t matter what they have up their sleeve. We’re taking them down!” Junpei tried to pump the group up even more.

“We haven’t even talked about what their plan revolves around. The Wraith.” Solomon brought up the mysterious entity while flying to the front near Rhys.

“I was thinking about it too…” Morgana agreed. “We should stay cautious.”

“According to many sources, a Wraith is an apparition or spiritual being.” Sophia explained what the word meant to the public. “What this could mean in Terra Chaos is unknown.”

“Morgana’s right.”  Minato started speaking again. “We don’t know if this “Wraith” is even real or not, but we need to keep our heads up.”

“Right.” Rhys agreed with the blue-haired leader of the Shadow Operatives. “Our best course of action would be to make sure they don’t try to summon whatever it is. That leader said they would summon it manually if we attacked before the 30^th. We need to head straight there, and quickly make our way through the Citadel. Once up there, we deal with the Hounds, and save our friends. Are we clear?”

Everyone nodded at Rhys’s plan, uniting to save their friends.

“Then let’s get going. We have a rescue to pull off!” Ren gave one last word of encouragement before the groups got into the elevators to enter Terra Chaos.

Terra Chaos

The Citadel of Envy

The group of Persona users made quick work of any shadows they encountered on the streets of Terra Chaos, as well as any shadows that got in their way while ascending the Citadel of Envy. They reached the gate where they encountered the powerful shadow and the Hounds to find it open this time.

“This is it.” Minato turned to look at everyone. “No point of return once the Hounds see us. Are we ready.”

“Damn right we are.” Rhys gripped his sword.

“Then let’s get in there.” Joker said as the group walked through the gate and entered the courtyard and ritual site for the Citadel. Outside of the Citadel, the flame-orange sky was as bright as ever as it shined onto the ritual site. Before the group of Persona users were three platforms, each of which held one of their friends in chains. Yosuke was on the left bottom left platform. Yusuke was on the bottom right platform. Hiromi was on the platform in the center, raised higher than the others. The floor of each platform was etched with a symbol. The symbol was eight arrows in a radial pattern, looking almost like a compass pointing towards each direction. The arrows were etched and scratched, with the very center of the symbol displaying the skeletal skull of a wolf. The platforms themselves had no railings or protection from the edges. Over the edges of the platforms was the bottom of the streets of Terra Chaos. It would be a long way down, and a fatal end if someone were to fall.

The group of Persona users noticed the Hounds were on the top platform with Hiromi, but this time Deacon, the velvet red suited leader, was nowhere to be found, and there were five members of the cult this time. However, one of them looked to be more of a second in command to the four lackeys holding M-16’s. He wore a solid black wolf mask and wore a long black military coat, with gloves covering his hands, and grey cargo pants and boots.

One of the lackeys noticed Joker walking into the courtyard and alerted the rest. “SHIT!” He yelled. “Imperator! They’re here!” The lackey shouted, pointing his gun towards their enemy.

The one in the black mask walked forward to the side of the lackey. “So it would seem…” He whispered in a cold, raspy voice. “A pity we have to summon it ourselves now…”

“You arrived!” The “Imperator” started to speak louder so they could hear him. “It’s a shame you decided to provoke us and intervene this early. Now, your friends will die slowly to the Wraith.”

“We’re giving you one chance FREAK!” Narukami shouted, pointing his katana towards the Imperator. “Get out of our way and let us take our friends back. You don’t wanna do this!”

“What he said!” Junpei yelled afterwards. “You really wanna get your asses kicked?!”

The Imperator began to cackle. “You can try…” He turned around to the four lackeys while pointing at each of them at a time. “You and you, activate the runes on the lower platforms. You other two keep our guests distracted as they prepare the sacrifices. I’ll stay up here and reign fire as well.”

He turned back around towards the group of Persona users. “Now…You will witness…TRUE CHAOS!” The black mask captain shouted as he pulled out an MP5 from his jacket. “HOUNDS!” He shouted even louder as he cocked the firearm.

“Oh shit…” Rhys whispered.

“OPEN FIIIIIRE!” The Imperator shouted as he and two other Hounds aimed their guns towards their enemies.

“GET DOWN!” Minato shouted as he saw them raise their weapons.

*BRAKA* *BRAKA* *BRAKA* *BRAKA* *BRAKA* *BRAKA* *DUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDU*

The group ran behind large pillars on each side of the courtyard. Rhys, Takeo, and Solomon got behind a pillar set in the center of the courtyard, Ken and The Phantom Thieves ran behind three pillars on the right side of the courtyard, and the two members of the Investigation Squad and the rest of the Shadow Operatives ran behind the pillars on the left side of the courtyard. They ran towards them as the Hounds continued to rain gunfire towards them.  

“HOLY SHIT THEY’RE ACTUALLY SHOOTING AT US!” Yukari shouted as she ran behind cover.

“WHAT!? DID YOU EXPECT THEM TO ROLL OUT A WELCOME MAT!?” Chie shouted back.

On the side with the Phantom Thieves, Joker tried to peek around one of the pillars and fire back with his pistol, but almost gets hit as a bullet scrapes the pillar.

“Son of a BITCH!” Joker shouted. “We’re sitting ducks here! We need to move!”

“We can’t with them shooting at us!” Oracle shouted back. “Where did the other two go!?”

On the two side platforms, two other Hounds were pulling levers on each side that poured a red liquid into the runes on them. As the runes became a blood-red, the Citadel began to shake, and the flame orange sky became darker.

“What’s happening?!” Mitsuru shouted as the Citadel shook.

“They’re trying to summon the Wraith.” Solomon answered amidst the gunfire. “We have to hurry!”

“Oh crap! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!”

“What is it Oracle?!” Noir asked the navigator as she was scanning her laptop.

“A swarm of shadows just appeared on the bottom floor. They’re moving up here quickly! We need to move or they’ll overrun us!”

“We can’t with all of this gunfire!” Yu shouted, “They just won’t stop shooting!”

During all the shouting, Rhys peaked around the pillar and noticed how the platform at the top was structured. It was held up by a wall with cracks, holes, and gaps in it. A person could climb up that wall if they could. Rhys began to come up with the plan.

“EVERYONE! SHUT THE HELL UP AND LISTEN!” Rhys ordered the groups to his left and right. “We can avoid their gunshots if we scatter! They can’t hit us all at once! Yukari, Chie, you have ranged weapons, use them! Phantom Thieves, you have guns as well, USE THEM! We need to split up! They have to reload eventually, so when they do, that’s when we run! Shadow Operatives, Narukami and Chie, rush the left platform while Yukari and Chie, you lay down suppressing fire with your arrows and bullets. Amada, Phantom Thieves, rush the right side. Noir, blindside them with that grenade launcher of yours. As soon as you begin to run, fire it at the bastards! Takeo, do you see the wall holding up the center platform? We’re going to climb it and jump the fucker at the top. Once you save your people on your sides, go back to the bottom and hold off the shadows that are rushing to us! We can do this! Are you READY!?”

“We have to try!” Minato shouted. “Let’s do it!”

“Yeah!” Everyone agreed and cheered on the plan.

“Hold it…” Rhys raised his palm up as he noticed the gunfire slowly stopping. Then it all stopped and he heard were clicks. “NOW! GO!”

The three separate groups began to rush their individual platforms as the Hounds’ gunfire ceased. Solomon flew behind Takeo and Rhys as they climbed up the wall to Hiromi. Narukami, Chie, and The Shadow Operatives rushed the left side to Yosuke. Ken and the Phantom Thieves rushed the right side to save Yusuke. 

Hounds of Chaos Battle Music

The Phantom Thieves and Ken POV

As the Phantom Thieves and Ken rushed the stairs to save Fox and take out two of the five Hounds, Noir fired a round towards the lackey who had to reload his rifle. *KABOOM* “AGH!” The lackey grunted as he got knocked back from the explosion. The other Hound lackey who was preparing the ritual took notice of the explosion and saw the Phantom Thieves getting closer. He pulled out a pistol from the back pocked in his pants and a knife.

“Oracle, Sophie, Mona. You get Fox out of those chains. I’ll deal with the other Hound.”

“Understood.” Sophie stated as she ran up the stairs with her allies.

“Hold on Inari! We’re here!” Oracle shouted afterwards.

Ken and Noir were behind the rest of the group and started to slightly fall behind from running up the stairs. “This is fun!” Noir shouted.

Joker, Sophie, Mona, and Oracle made it to the top of the stairs to the platform but didn’t see the lackey who was firing at them earlier. All they saw was a beaten and battered Yusuke in chains and a Hound pointing a handgun at them.

*BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG* The Hound fired seven rounds towards the four Phantom Thieves. Joker dodged to the left while the other three scattered towards the right and rushed it for Yusuke.

*CLICK* *CLICK* “Shit!” The Hound realizes he is empty and throws his gun towards the rushing Joker. He pulls out a knife and starts to swing at the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Joker ducks and weaves each swing, then tries to pull out his own pistol. As Joker aims it at the Hound, he kicks it out of his hand then suddenly *SLASH*

“AGH SHIT!” Joker is knocked back after the Hounds knife cuts him on the right cheek, blood falling from his face. He quickly regains his focus after the attack and grabs the Hound’s hand his knife was in and pushes him away.

As Joker is fighting his attacker, Sophie, Oracle, and Mona make to Yusuke, who begins to wake up and see his friends.

“Futaba?” Yusuke says weakly.

“Shut it Inari! Codenames, remember?” Oracle snaps back as she is messing with one of the chains holding Yusuke.

“You all came.” The artist begins to smile. “I should’ve known you would find me.”

“Just relax Fox.” Mona says while also messing with one of the chains. “We’ll have you out of here in no time.”

Sophie began to scan the restraints holding him. “The chains holding Fox’s hands and waist are latched by cuffs. They should open with either brute force or unscrewing the locks.”

“Well let’s get to breaking these locks then!” Mona shouted as he began to hit the chain holding Yusuke’s right arm.

The Thieves didn’t realize the other lackey was hanging from one of the platforms edges after getting knocked back from the blast. He began to pull himself up just as Ken and Noir made it to the platform.

Ken and Noir made to the platform and noticed Joker fighting one of the Hounds as well as the other three Phantom Thieves trying to get their friend out of his chains.

“Joker needs our help!” Noir pointed towards the Hound still swinging his knife at Joker. “Let’s get over there and-

*SMACK* The other Hound got up from the ledge and punched Noir right in the back of her head.

“NOIR!” Ken shouted as he drew his spear to defend himself and his ally.

The Hound began to circle around Ken and the knocked down Noir before unsheathing a medium-sized katana from his holster.

“Maybe YOU will be worth my TIME!” The Hound growls at Ken as he rushes towards the graduate. Ken holds his spear up horizontally to block the downward slash coming from the Hound’s katana. He then kneed the Hound in the gut before twirling his spear and thrusting it towards him. The Hound barely moved out of the way of Ken’s spear, dodging to the left and elbowing the Shadow Operative in the face. Ken grunted as his nose began to bleed from the hit and started to see double. The elbow to his face had that much impact. The katana-wielding Hound then started to hold the blade with both of his hands before doing a straightforward thrust towards Ken with the intention of stabbing him in the torso. Ken recovers from the hit just in time to deflect the Hound’s incoming attack with his spear before swinging its pommel right into his enemy’s head. The Hound began to stumble and back away from Ken towards the ledge.

The Hound began to laugh while holding the katana in his hand. “Not bad…” he began the rush Ken again as the two continued to fight.

On the other side of the platform, Joker was still struggling to subdue the knife wielding Hound as the two clashed their serrated blades over and over again. Joker knew he had to end this soon before the shadows made it to the top. As the two stared at each other in a stand off from their recent barrage of attacks towards each other, Joker noticed his gun on the floor next to the Hound. He had an idea steer in his head. The Hound began to rush Joker and bring his knife down towards the Phantom Thief’s head. Joker rolled out of the way and towards the pistol, grabbing it. The Hound tried to swing at him again, but this time Joker kicked the knife out of his hand and tried to raise his gun towards him. The Hound quickly noticed the gun and went to grab it. The two were now struggling for the gun, with Joker’s finger on the trigger. The Hound was screaming as Joker didn’t realize the gun’s barrel was moving closer and closer to the Hound’s chin before suddenly…

*BANG* The struggle caused Joker to put pressure on the pistol’s trigger, eventually setting the firearm off towards the Hound. Blood splattered on Joker’s face as the bullet went through the Hounds chin and out the top of his skull, killing him instantly. Everyone on the platform looked at Joker as the Hound’s lifeless corpse fell to the floor. Oracle gasped in shock, Mona’s eyes lit up, and Sophie’s jaw dropped at the altercation. Joker had never killed before, hell none of them have ever taken a life. And the leader of the Phantom Thieves would be the first of many to take a life on this journey.

The Hound Ken was battling had stopped fighting as well as he stared at his dead colleague’s corpse and began to express his rage.

“You…KILLED HIM!” The Hound shouted and pointed his katana towards Joker. “YOU BASTARD! YOU’LL PAY- *SMACK*

As he tried to rush towards the frozen Joker, Noir got back up and punched him right in the jaw, knocking off the wolf mask and causing him to drop his katana.

What nobody saw was a shadow crawling up the ledge of the platform. As the Hound got punched he stumbled towards the ledge, and the shadow began to grab him.

“AGH! GET OFF ME! AGGH!” The Hound began to panic as the shadow attached to him and began to kill him, struggling and not staying still. The Hound lost his step and fell off the platform from the shadow’s attack “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” he screamed as he fell down the eight story Citadel towards the bottom streets of Terra Chaos.

Ken began to relax from his stance and breathe in and out from the end of the battle. He knew the deaths of the two Hounds could’ve been avoided, but it was an intense moment, and he couldn’t dwindle on saving the lives of two people who attacked them with the intention of killing them.

“Are you okay Noir?” Ken asked as the Phantom Thief, who was shaking her left wrist up and down from hitting the Hound so hard. She had a bruise on the right side of her jaw from when the Hound ambushed her and Ken.

“I’m fine…but…Amada-san the Hound…” She was clearly distraught from the two quick deaths. It was then Ken realized the situation involving the Hounds was different for the Phantom Thieves.

“Hey don’t think about that now.” Ken tried to comfort Noir and calm her down. “We can gloat on our actions later. They chose this.” Ken said coldly.

Noir sighed then nodded before looking at Ken’s busted nose. “Amada-san your nose.”

Ken put his right hand to his face and saw the blood and noticed the numbness stemming from his nose. “That’s why having a Persona is useful Noir. I’ll patch myself up later. We need to go help your leader.” They began to walk towards Joker as they saw him still staring at the Hound’s corpse.

Oracle, Sophie, and Mona were shaken from the kill but regained their focus to continue unshackling Yusuke as Ken and Noir ran towards Joker.

“Joker? Are you…?” Noir asked as she stared at the blood on his face.

“I killed him…I didn’t mean to…I…I…” Joker was shaking. Even if it was an accident, even if it wasn’t the intention, Joker knew. He just killed a human being.

Ken grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him aggressively. Ken’s whole purpose of becoming a lawyer was to achieve justice outside of violence. But this wasn’t about justice. It was about a matter of kill or be killed. A matter of survival. He realized the Hounds of Chaos are willing to take the lives of others without remorse. As much as he hated to admit what he was thinking, they had to be stopped no matter if they were subdued or dead.

“Joker! Listen to me!” Ken shouted at the Phantom Thief to bring him to his senses. “That man shot at us and pulled a knife on you. This entire time, he attacked you with the intention of KILLING YOU! You were only defending yourself. If he grabbed that gun, he would have shot you with zero hesitation. Joker, you did what you had to, even if it was an accident. You’re not an awful person for defending yourself. GET IT TOGETHER!”

Joker began to wipe the blood from his face and took a deep breath. “You’re right Amada-san. I can worry about this later, we still have a mission to complete.”

Ken still looked at Joker with stern eyes but nodded as the two and Noir walked over towards Sophie, Oracle, and Mona, who had just gotten the shackles off of Yusuke.

“Got the last one!” Mona shouted as Yusuke collapsed after being freed by his chains. Oracle grabbed him before he could hit the ground and the two locked eyes. Before Yusuke could say anything, Oracle began to kiss him on the lips, relieved she had saved her best friend.

“I told you not to talk trash Inari!” Oracle then shouted at him.

“I didn’t think they would take offense to it.” Yusuke calmly replied. He began to raise to his feet as Oracle helped him stand straight up. “Thank you all. I knew you would come to my aid.”

“You’re one of us. Of course we would save you.” Mona said cheerfully.

Yusuke looked towards Joker, then looked towards the corpse. “Joker…did you?”

“Worry about the past later.” Joker replied back. “What matters is now. And now, I need my Fox. Care to help?” Joker picked up the katana the Hound dropped earlier and held it out to Yusuke.

Yusuke began to grin before the flames of rebellion engulfed him, shifting the painter into his Phantom Thief outfit once more, becoming Fox.

“I’d be honored to.” Fox grabbed the katana then started to stare at Ken. “You’re an unfamiliar face. But you helped my friends. Thank you.”

Ken nodded. “Ken Amada. I take it your codename is Fox?”

“Indeed it is.” Fox nodded back.

Oracle looked down at her laptop “We can save the introductions for later people! The shadows made it to the top!”

“We need to head back down to the courtyard and hold them off!” Joker ordered his allies.

“I’ll help to the best of my abilities.” Fox put the katana in his usual sheathed stance.

Fox joined his fellow Phantom Thieves and Amada in fending off the shadows that began to swarm the Citadel of Envy. He was saved from being sacrificed.

Shadow Operatives and Investigation Team POV

On the left side of the courtyard, Narukami, Chie, and the other Shadow Operatives began to rush the stairs to the platform holding Yosuke Hanamura, who was guarded by two more Hounds of Chaos. Yukari was trying her best to fire arrows at the one who was shooting at them a while ago to keep him from reloading and firing again.

“Narukami and Chie!” Minato shouted as they ran up the stairs. “You get your friend out of those chains. We’ll deal with the Hounds! Iori and Kirijo, rush the Hound near Hanamura! Yukari, you and I will jump the one shooting at us!”

“Got it!” Narukami shouted.

Junpei noticed the Hound finally reloading his gun as they ran up the stairs. “Guys!? He’s fixing to shoot at us again!”

“Like hell he is!” Yukari stopped running and crouched as she steadied the aim of her bow and fired an arrow towards the Hound. The arrow flew over the stairs at a swift speed.

*PLIK* “AGH!” The Hound screamed in pain as the arrow Yukari fired hit him in the shoulder, the arrowhead going deep into his body and causing him to drop his gun.

The other Hound, who was finishing the preparations for the sacrifice, noticed his ally get hit and saw his enemies rushing him. “Oh SHIT!” He shouted as he turned around and tried to aim his rifle towards them. Unfortunately for him, Yosuke was still awake and very pissed off, so the hostage used what ever strength he could muster and headbutted the back of the Hounds skull, causing him to drop his rifle.

The Hound noticed Junpei and Mitsuru closing in, so instead of trying to pick up his gun, he pulled out two kunai knives from his harness and rushed them himself. He first started to swing at Mitsuru, swiping the kunai left to right as she blocked each attack. Junpei was by no means a skilled fighter, but he was able to hold his own alongside Kirijo, He tried to hit the Hound’s side with his baseball bat, but the Hound side stepped out of the way and roundhouse kicked Mitsuru’s face in the process, knocking her back as he dealt with the slugger. Junpei kept swinging at the Hound as if he was a baseball, and the Hound managed to deflect the metal bat before crouching and sweeping Junpei, causing the slugger to fall and drop his bat. As Junpei tried to grab his bat from the ground, the Hound threw one of the kunai towards him.

*SCHLICK* “AGH YOU ASSHOLE!” Junpei shouted as the kunai went into his arm, preventing him from grabbing his bat.

The Hound then turned around with his other kunai and began to attack Mitsuru once more.

The other Hound was able to snap the arrow in his shoulder, pulling the side with the arrowhead out the other way. As he pulled out the arrow, he noticed Minato and Yukari rushing him. This Hound had no other weapons on him, so he was going to have to use his fists to defend himself, until he could find an opening to grab his rifle.

The Hound rushed Yukari and grabbed her bow to pull her in and headbutt her, dazing the archer while he fought Minato. Minato rushed towards him after seeing his wife get headbutted and tried to land swing after swing towards the Hound, but to no avail. The Hound ducked and weaved each one before punching Minato in the gut, then grabbing his sword arm to try and take his weapon from him. The two struggled for the blade until Minato kneed the Hound in the gut the regain control. He then slashed the Hound in the arm before sweeping him to the ground then punching him in the face three times, putting the Hound down. Minato went to check on Yukari afterwards. “Are you okay?”

Yukari groaned. “Jerk headbutted me…That bruise isn’t gonna go away soon is it?” Yukari had a bruise on her forehead from the headbutt.

During all of this commotion, Narukami and Chie made it to Yosuke. As much as Chie wanted to embrace her husband, they first needed to get him out of his shackles.

“About time you guys showed up!” Yosuke shouted.

“You could at least be thanking us you jerk!” Chie shouted back.

“Well forgive me for being pissed about getting abducted by deranged lunatics cosplaying dogs!” Yosuke was not in the happiest of moods, even when his friends came to rescue him.

Yosuke began to recognize the Shadow Operatives. “Are those the weird guys we fought in that tournament years ago?”

“Long story partner.” Narukami chimed in. “Just stay quiet and let us get you out of these chains.”

“Yeah please do. My wrists have gotten cramped from these damn shackles. I feel like a damn sla-

“SHUT UP YOSUKE!” Yu and Chie yelled at the same time, still trying to get their friend unshackled.

Mitsuru is still dealing with the other Hound, who is still swinging a kunai at the scarlet empress. At one point, the kunai got really close to Kirijo’s head, scraping some of her hair clean off as she weaved the sharp weapon. “Ugh! Enough of this!” Kirijo shouted in anger as the Hound rushed in for one more swing, she grabbed his right hand holding the kunai.

She battered the Hounds skull with the pommel of her rapier, before thrusting her red blade into his right kneecap, incapacitating the Hound as he screamed from the injured ligament.

The Hound is now laying there, gripping his knee in pain, while Mitsuru goes to aid Junpei.

“A little help here?” Junpei said while pointing to the kunai stabbed into his left triceps.

“Sure.” Mitsuru nodded. “Hold still. This won’t hurt.”

“Yeah sure make it quick-OW!” Mitsuru ripped the kunai out like a band aid. “You said It wouldn’t hurt!” Junpei whined.

Minato walked over while gripping his sword as well as Yukari, who had her hand over her head. “Stop whining Junpei.” Minato groaned while helping the slugger up. “Nothing a couple of Diarahans can’t fix. Just be happy it wasn’t any permanent damages.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Junpei said nervously.

The four Shadow Operatives stood over the Hound gripping his popped kneecap as Yu and Chie finished getting Yosuke freed. The Junes manager gripped his left wrist as he got freed.

“Aw man that feels much better.” Yosuke said as he shook his wrists. “I thought I would never get out of those-*SMACK* Chie punches Yosuke right in the face. “That’s for getting kidnapped!”

Yosuke grabbed his jaw. “Ow! Chie what the he-HMPH!” His words are muffled as Chie presses her lips onto his, embracing her best friend being saved. “And what was that for?” He asked with a wide cocky grin.

“For being okay you dummy.” Chie replied back with a grin as well, pinching his right cheek.

“Okay you two, enough of the romance stuff.” Narukami stood there with his arms crossed.

“Thanks for the rescue partner. Though…this is kinda your fault.”  Yosuke said while he turned to his friend.

Yu sighed “I know…My bad.”

While the three original members of the Investigation Team talked, the four Shadow Operatives continued to look down at the Hound member. Mitsuru pointed her rapier towards the defeated Hound.

“You are beaten. Surrender and you will be given a fair trial.” Mitsuru declared.

“I wouldn’t say fair…” Yukari mumbled.

The Hound began to cackle while reaching for something in his pocket. Minato noticed and gripped his sword even harder. “Don’t do it…” Minato ordered.

“Go to hell…” The Hound growled as he reached for a pistol in his back pocket. “Chaos…beckens…ALL!”

“DON’T” Mitsuru shouted as the Hound raised the gun towards her. He was about to fire until…

*SWOOSH* *SCHLICK* Minato had thrown his sword towards the Hound as he raised his pistol and the blade dug right into the center of the Hound’s skull. The Hound slumped over, dead. Mitsuru, Yukari, and Junpei were wide eyed, as well as the Investigation Team. Minato on the other hand, just groaned in annoyance.

“ARISATO!” Mitsuru started to scold Minato. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? YOU KILLED HIM!”

Minato snapped back. “WOULD YOU HAVE RATHER HAVE HIM SHOOT YOU!?” Minato walked over the dead Hound to grab his sword while making a new declaration after realizing the measures the cult is willing to take. “Kirijo…it is either them…” Minato lodges the blade out of the dead Hound’s skull. “…or us. The Hounds are willing to kill us. We have to adapt if we want to beat them.”

Yukari did not like the way her husband said that. “What has gotten into you?! Mina this is the desire of death! This is the crap that will bring Erebus back sooner!”

“You think I wanted to kill him!?” Minato shouted back again. “That’s the part you don’t understand. The desire for death is to WANT someone dead. I didn’t want to see this man dead. Death is a natural part of life. That includes defending ourselves. I only killed him in an act of defense. I’m not saying killing is a good thing. It is what we have to do to survive.”

“Dude…that’s cold.” Junpei whispered nervously.

Mitsuru sighed. “This never happened. Let’s just forget about this. I’m not saying you’re wrong Arisato. But…murder is still murder.”

“…I know.” Minato whispered.

The Shadow Operatives walked over to the Inaba trio, who were silent and trying not to say anything that could potentially set someone off.

“Sorry you three had to see that…all of that.” Minato apologized to the three for his actions.

Chie, being a cop, knows the acts of defense that were taken by Minato were somewhat justified. “Don’t mope about it Arisato-san. You were defending yourself and your friends.”

As they were talking, the Hound Minato defeated earlier started to wake up, and reached for his rifle. No one is noticing him aiming towards Yukari. He has the reticle pointed at her skull and is about to pull the trigger when suddenly…

*BANG*

The Shadow Operatives turn around to see the Hound now dead with a bullet hole in his chest. They turn back around to see Chie with her gun out, smoke coming out of its barrel, and her breathing in and out before holstering her pistol.

“And now you’re not the only one.” Chie remarked towards Minato. “He was about to shoot your wife. Defense is defense.”

Yosuke gulped and his eyes lit up. “Uh Chie babe? Did you just shoot that guy?”

“Yep.”

“And you’re not at all phased by it?” Narukami asked afterwards.

“Do you two forget that I’m a cop!?” Chie scowled. “It happened. Let’s move on.”

“So much for subduing them…” Junpei muttered.

Yosuke sighed, then looked at the Shadow Operatives as they turned back around and looked back at him. “It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? Thank you guys for your help.”

“Of course.” Mitsuru nodded. “Can you fight?”

Narukami went and grabbed the two kunai the Hound was using earlier and handed them to Yosuke.

“Yeah…I still got some steam to let off!” Yosuke twirled the two knives in his hands.

“Good.” Minato nodded. “Because shadows will be here any minute. We need to get back down to the courtyard to help Amada and the Phantom Thieves.”

Yosuke jumped back. “The fricking Phantom Thieves are here?!”

“Long story partner.” Narukami patted him on the shoulder. “Just a warning in advance, one of them is a talking cat. Let’s get down there.”

The group begins to run back down the stairs with the saved Yosuke Hanamura as Minato stopped and turned around to look back at the stairs that lead from the left platform to the center platform, then looked straight at the Imperator who ran to the back of the platform towards Hiromi. “I hope you can handle him Rhys…”

The Talons of Peace POV

The Imperator noticed his allies defeated and the other two sacrifices saved. “No no no!” He shouted as he ran towards the last lever stationed near Hiromi to activate his platform. The center platform would take longer to fill with the blood red liquid than the left and right ones.

Rhys and Takeo were almost at the top of the platform from climbing the cracked structure holding it up. Solomon was floating above them closely.

“When we get up there. I’ll summon Beowulf to knock that guy out. Just try not to get shot.” Rhys said while climbing.

“Yeah…not get shot…should…be easy.” Takeo slowly said as he kept climbing.

“I’m right behind you guys!” Solomon chirped while floating alongside them.

They eventually made it to the platform, and the Imperator saw them immediately. He began to fire his SMG towards the three.

“Persona!” Rhys snapped his fingers as quickly as he could, summoning Beowulf to cast a Garula at the Hound. While they were running towards the Hound, the wind attack picked him up and tossed him behind the Talons of Peace. He grunted as he hit the ground, and his SMG fell off the platform. The three looked back at the Imperator as he laid on the ground, thankfully still breathing.

“That was easy.” Takeo said while smiling.

“Don’t jinx anything.” Rhys sarcastically told his friend. “Let’s get our friend out of her chains.”

Rhys, Takeo, and Solomon made it over to Hiromi, who began to wake up similar to Fox. She instantly recognized Rhys and Takeo

“Kuramoto-san!? Takeo!? What’s going on!? Where are we!?” What are you guys doing here!?” She began to panic.

“We’re rescuing you Hiro-chan!” Takeo smirked back. “And I DEFINITLEY earned the right to call you that again because so!”

Hiromi began to calm down from seeing her friends. “These people are crazy! I just want to go home! Where even is this!?”

“They can tell you later lady.” Solomon chirped while analyzing Hiromi’s shackles.

“THE BIRD JUST TALKED! AM I DREAMING!?” Hiromi began to panic again.

“OH C’MON!” Solomon scowled.

As the three were trying to get Hiromi out of her chains, they heard a voice come from behind them.

“AMERICAN!”

Rhys and Takeo turned around to see the Imperator standing back up. He was looking dead at Rhys.

“It’s going to take more than your Persona to put me down…” The Imperator then took off his coat to reveal a sleeveless vest and two steel kusarigama wrapped around his waist with chains. He began to unwrap the weapons’ chains and grab their hilts. The chains from the hilts of the kusarigama rattled as they hit the ground and straightened out. The Imperator wanted a fight.

Rhys turned back around to Takeo and Solomon. “Get her out of those chains.” He said coldly.

Takeo nodded before with a stern look saying, “Kick his ass…leader.” 

Rhys peaked a small grin before turning back to face the Imperator. He unsheathed his short sword with his right hand and twirled it into his reverse-grip formation. The leader of Talons of Peace began to walk towards the Imperator. The Hound began to spin the kusarigama around with the attached chains as the two began to slowly circle each other.

“The Wraith is coming.” The Imperator growled. “There is nothing you can do to stop it now…”

“Yeah?” Rhys stopped walking in a circle. “I can stop you…”

The Imperator began to chuckle. “Then come and try American.” He then proceeded to let out a war cry before rushing Rhys with his kusarigama. He swung the left one in a downward motion and as Rhys dodged to the right, the Imperator swung the right one in a horizontal motion to Rhy’s left. Rhys deflected the attack and went in on the offense. He slashed his reverse grip sword upward and as the blade clanged with the Imperator’s kusarigama, he twirled into the normal short sword stance. Rhys then thrusted the sword towards his gut, but the Hound parried the attack by bringing his two weapons inward, then swinging them in an outward motion. Rhys backed up before he could be hit by the sharp, hook-like blades. Noticing his enemy now at a distance, the Imperator grabbed the kusarigama by their chains. He began to swing the hooks as if they were rope darts towards the Talon, keeping him spaced out of his sword attacks. Rhys is deflecting and dodging each of the chained weapon’s attacks. He begins to become exhausted from the fast barrage of attacks to the point where he doesn’t see the left kusarigama coming straight towards him. He deflects the Hound’s right swing and then *SLASH* “AAAAGH!” The sudden swing from the left kusarigama hits Rhys in his right triceps, causing him to drop his sword. The slash left a deep gash in his arm, with blood beginning to run down his entire arm and down to his hand.

Rhys gripped the wound and began to grit his teeth. “NNNGH FUCK!” He grunted as he noticed the Hound walking closer.

“Did you really think you could beat me?” The Imperator began to mock Rhys. “A low life such as yourself couldn’t stoop to the tactics we use. You’re soft, weak, pathetic.”

“Shut up!” Rhys grunted while still holding his wounded arm. He’s mocking you. Are you really going to sit there and let him hurt you again? The voice Rhys heard last week came back.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick.” The Imperator said as he got closer to Rhys. “Then I’ll move onto your friends…”

No…Rhys thought in his head, and then the voice came back even louder. YOU FEEL THE ANGER. THE HATE. USE IT!

“NO!” Rhys’s eyes began to glow a blood red compared to the blue they would glow from summoning his Persona. All of a sudden, Rhys felt as if he was becoming possessed by a demon, before feeling out of control of his own actions.

The Imperator began to bring down his kusarigama towards Rhys’s head, when the blond grabbed the weapon by it’s hilt mid swing. There was force to the grab, pressure even. The Hound Captain noticed the sudden increase in pressure and was caught off guard. “WHAT?” He shouted. Rhys slowly stood back up, no longer gripping his gashed arm, as the skin, muscle, tissue began to reform, closing the wound back up. Rhys’s eyes became bloodshot and glowed a scarlet red. He looked into the Imperator’s mask lens as the Hound Captain stood in shock and realization. “It’s you…” He whispered. “As the prophecy foretold…”

Silent, Rhys then headbutted the Imperator, causing his mask to crack. At a distance once more, he tried to swing his kusarigama towards Rhys again. This time, Rhys caught the chain and pulled him closer. Rhys punched the Hound right in his nose five times before throwing both kusarigama to the left side stairs of the platform. He kept laying into the Hound with strikes and kicks before grabbing him by the neck. With this demonic strength, Rhys hurled the Hound all the way across the platform towards his friends. The Imperator had been defeated.

Takeo and Solomon heard the thud on the ground next to them as they got Hiromi’s chains undone. “Chains are off!” Takeo shouted as he got the last shackle undone. “See Hiro-chan? Everything is oka-

Hiromi began to hug Takeo in relief, not wanting to let go. “THANK YOU! THANK YOU!” She began to sob into Takeo shoulder. He sighed. “You’re safe Koda. You’re gonna be alright.”

Solomon noticed the defeated Hound Captain near them. “Did Rhys do that?” He asked as he saw the leader in the center of the platform breathing heavily.

Who are you? Rhys asked in his head.

More shall be revealed soon. Until then…The voice began to fade away and Rhys’s eyes went back to normal, insinuating his return to control over his body.

Rhys ran over to his friends after regaining composure. “You guys alight?”

“Yeah we’re good.” Solomon chirped as Rhys noticed Hiromi hugging Takeo.

“Takeo? Hiromi?” Rhys asked in confusion.

Hiromi finally came back to her senses and realized what she was doing. “AAAH!” She kicked Takeo in the gut to get him off of her.

“OW! What was that for!?” Takeo groaned.

“Don’t tell anyone what just happened! GOT IT!?” She growled.

“You hugged me first!”

Rhys began to smile. “You guys are already back at it?”

Hiromi calmed down before looking around at the world she was in. “Seriously guys. What is this place? Don’t tell me that stupid elevator crap was legit.”

“It was legit.” Rhys answered. “We’ll fill you in later.”

Meanwhile…

“Takehaya Susano-o!”

“Gorokichi!”

“Orpheus Telos!”

“Izanagi-No-Okami!”

“Lucy!”

“Isis!”

The Phantom Thieves, Shadow Operatives, and Investigation Team were holding off the last wave of shadows flooding into the Citadel from the summoning ritual. With the addition of Yosuke and Fox, combat was even smoother due to the increase in accuracy and agility.

“This is the last one!” Oracle shouted while analyzing the battle.

Fox sliced the shadow in half with the katana he was given earlier, killing the last shadow and clearing the courtyard.

“That’s all of them!” Joker scanned the area, noticing the lack of shadows. “Good work everyone!” 

Everyone began to breathe a sigh of relief. “We should go to the center platform.” Minato ordered. “Hopefully Rhys didn’t kill the leader…”

“Yeah…hopefully.” Joker replied afterwards, still feeling the effects of killing the Hound lackey from earlier.

“Huh?” Yosuke raised his eyebrow. “Who the hell is Rhys?”

“Let’s go meet ‘em partner.” Narukami patted Yosuke on the shoulder as the rest of the group nodded and started to walk up the array of stairs to the center platform.

The Talons of Peace and Hiromi were staring at the incapacitated Imperator, who they moved towards the edge near the endless pit beyond the sacrificial platforms.

“So what do we do with him?” Takeo asked Rhys.

“Can I kick him?!” Hiromi asked, recognizing this was the Hound that came to her house.

“No. We’ll let the others deal with him.” Rhys stated while crossing his arms, still pondering over what happened in the battle. What was that? It took over his body and defeated the Hound in seconds. No one saw his possession however, so all he could do was ponder about it.

“Wait, what others?” Hiromi asked.

On cue, the three groups of Persona users walked up the stairs and met up with the Talons of Peace. Hiromi began to recognize some familiar faces, as well as recognize the Phantom Thieves.

“Arisato-Sensei!? Amada-Senpai!? Yukari Takeba?! The Phantom Thieves!? These are your friends!?” She could not register seeing all these people here. Four people she knew from school, a famous movie star, and an infamous group of vigilantes. She then looked at Yosuke, one of the people kidnapped alongside her. “You’re part of this too?! Where’s the damn painter? Kitagawa?”

Fox took off his mask and revealed his face.

“Yusuke Kitagawa is a Phantom Thief!?” Hiromi shouted.

“I know this is a lot to take in Koda-san.” Minato reassured Hiromi. “We’ll tell you everything later.”

She scoffed. “Yeah. You better.”

Fox looked towards Rhys and Takeo. “You must be the ones who helped my friends. I thank you for the assistance.”

Yosuke nodded. “Same here. We owe you guys.”

 Hiromi looked back at Solomon then noticed Mona standing far away from her. Her eyes lit up but not in horror. “Is that a cat? I swear if that thing starts to talk…”

“YES I TALK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD CAN WE DROP THIS CRAP PLEASE!?” Mona had grown annoyed from getting the same reaction. Every. Single. Time.

“Why are you getting pissy at me!?” Hiromi just started arguing with the cat. “No NORMAL individual is going to react calmly to seeing a talking bird and cat in the same day!”

“Wait the bird talks too?” Yosuke nervously asks.

“Do you need proof?” Solomon said out loud.

Yosuke sighed. “Talking bear, talking bird, talking cat. What did I do to deserve this?”

Fox began to look at Solomon. “Your feather are extraordinary.” He then put his thumbs and index fingers in a frame shape. “I could create something out of this…”

The Imperator began to cough as he got up, gasping for air from Rhys’s attack. He held his rib cage as he looked at all the Persona users in front of him. He knew he himself was defeated…but not the Wraith.

“It’s over Hound.” Minato stood in front of the last Hound. “Please…surrender.”

“Over?” The Hound began to cackle. “You really believe this is it for us? That you have foiled the plans of the Hounds of Chaos?!”

“Yeah! We stopped you from doing your dumb sacrifices! You got nowhere to run Hound!” Junpei scolded the Imperator.

He began to cackle some more. “Fools. Arrogant fools. You won’t stop us. There will be more kidnappings. More disciples to fall into our ranks. More Citadels. More Chaos. And as you begin to realize that, your morals will change. You will begin to break and make decisions that affect others. Three of you have already proven my point. I’m not stupid. I saw you kill my brothers.”

Rhys and Takeo turned towards the vets in horror. “You…killed them?” Rhys asked.

“Don’t you worry boy.” The Imperator turned his attention to Rhys. “In time, you will break as well.”

“Quiet!” Joker order. “Your mischief is finished!”

“I may be finished…but my colleagues are not. Deacon will come for you, as will the rest of the hierarchy. That’s if you make it out of the Citadel alive…”

The Persona users started to look at one another. “What are you talking about?”  Narukami asked the Imperator.

Immediately after he asked, the rune on the platform finished being engulfed in the red liquid. The ground once again began to shake, this time more aggressively, and felt alive.

“AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The Imperator began to cackle maniacally. “IT’S HERE!”

“WHOA!” Ken began to lose his footing from the shaking. “WHAT’S HAPPENING!?”

“Um…guys?!?” Oracle began to check her laptop. “I’M GETTING A READING FROM THAT PIT! IT’S…HOLY SHIT! IT’S HUGE!”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HUGE!?” Takeo shouted from the loud shaking.

*SHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK* A loud shriek is heard from the pit and the shaking comes to a complete stop.

“We need to leave…” Solomon said nervously, shaking.

“You’re all already dead…” The Imperator scowled.

“Why did it stop…?” Mitsuru quietly asked, making sure to keep her guard up.

Then, it rose from its grave.

From the pit in front of the Imperator rose a colossal, monstrous cobra snake. As it slowly rose up the Hound turned around to look at it in splendor and awe. The cobra had a grey, shadow-like outline with dark black scales, glowing red eyes, and venomous green fangs. Its hisses and snarls echoed across the courtyard and throughout the streets of Terra Chaos. It was fear incarnate. It…was a Wraith.

The group of Persona users stood frozen while staring at the abhorrent being, not sure to be in horror or awe. This monster was the size of a water tower. The only thing keeping them from not looking at it from ground level was the very platform they were standing on.

“Oh my god…” Minato whispered.

“You’ve gotta be fricking kidding me…” Yosuke whispered afterwards.

“What…is that?” Noir shakingly said.

“I think I might’ve pissed my pants a little bit…” Junpei took a gulp of fear.

“That…is a really…REALLY…big snake…” Yukari whispered as she back up to behind Minato.

Mitsuru stood in shock of the colossal being, but remembered they faced death itself. She gripped her rapier and took stance. “Be ready.” Was all she said.

The Imperator reached out for the serpent in hope of trying to pet it, still in wonder of the Wraith’s presence.  “Ah…. The Envious Serpent…you are as beautiful as chaos itself…Immaculate…”

As the Imperator reached out for the Wraith, it arched its head back and opened its mouth.

*SWOOSH* *CHOMP* The serpent swung its mouth down and grabbed the Imperator’s upper half, before biting down with its fangs, severing the Hound in half and consuming his upper half before catching his lower half in the air and consuming that as well.  It then began to stare at the Persona users and growl.

“SOLOMON GET HIROMI BACK!” Rhys pushed the two away as he took stance.  

“This thing’s power readings are spiking! Stay focused guys! This is a boss!” Oracle summoned Al Azif to start analyzing the Wraith as the battle commenced.

The Envious Serpent   Wraith Boss Battle Music

The Talons, Operatives, Phantom Thieves, and Investigation Team scattered across the platform as they prepared to battle the Wraith.

 “I don’t know what this thing’s attacks are.” Oracle analyzed the black serpent. “Be careful!”

“Fox. We could use that agility right now!” Joker ordered his fellow Phantom Thief.

“Understood! Enhance us Gorokichi!” Fox ripped of his mask to summon the Japanese outlaw to boost everyone’s speed and agility.

The Envious Serpent raised its head in the air as a white aura blinked out of it.

“It boosted its defense!” Sophie shouted.

The Serpent then raised its head and opened its mouth to try and bite at Yosuke. It jolted toward him as he dodged out of the way of the bite. “AGH! I almost became that thing’s dinner!”

“We need to start going on the offense!” Rhys shouted. “Noir! Light it up! Shadow Operatives, fall in afterwards!”

Noir loaded one of her last three rounds into her grenade launcher and fired it at the Serpent. It let out a slight hiss and barely staggered. The Shadow Operatives began to attack soon afterwards.

“Orpheus Telos!” Minato cast a Garula towards the Serpent and watched as it deflected the attack. “It deflects wind! Lay off with Beowulf Rhys!”

The rest of the Shadow Operatives attacked with their Personas soon after. Yukari stayed at a distance and fired her bow due to the Serpent’s resistance to wind. Junpei used Trismegistus to perform a Torrent Shot towards the Wraith, delivering a barrage of physical attacks towards it. Mitsuru summoned Artemisia and cast a Bufula towards the Serpent, shortly followed by Ken summoning Kala-Nemi to cast a Hama towards it. Both attacks barely dented the Wraith.

“It’s got thick skin!” Ken shouted. “We’re barely hurting it!”

The Envious Serpent then did the same movement it did when it boosted its defense, only this time it boosted its attack.

“It’s gonna hit harder! Look out!” Oracle shouted.

The Serpent then performed a Mazio attack, a bolt of lightning fell towards the group. Mona, Junpei, and Noir got hit by the attack and got electrocuted, while the rest of the Persona users managed to dodge out of the way of the attack.

“Get them back up!” Minato shouts as he tries to swing at the Serpent as it lowers its head.

As the Talons and Phantom Thieves help their allies up, the Investigation Team attack next. First was Yosuke. “Go Takehaya Susano-o!” He shouted as he kicked his tarot card to summon the god of storms to perform a Power Slash towards the Wraith. The slash barely left a mark as the Serpent kept up even through the attack.

“Agh this thing’s pissing me off!” Yosuke groaned. “Chie! Cyclone Stomp!?”

Chie got an evil grin and began to laugh. “Oh you bet!”

Chie begins to run towards the Envious Serpent and as she gets closer, Yosuke resummons Takehaya Susano-o to use a Garula to boost her into the air. Chie raises her right heel above her head and as she flew down from the air, slams her heel into the Serpent’s head, doing a decent chunk of damage despite its sturdy defense.

“Good stuff guys!” Narukami shouted as he summoned Izanagi-No-Okami to fire a Megido attack towards the Wraith. The Almighty attack scrap the Serpent’s scales, damaging it.

“That’s it!” Rhys cheered. “Keep hitting it! That thick skin doesn’t mean anything!”

The Envious Serpent then performed a special ability. Its eyes began to turn white as the Serpent raised its head a spat out a white venom over it, which healed it and restored its defense and attack.

“WHAT!?” Oracle shouted. “IT HEALED AND BUFFED ITSELF!”

“Watch out! It’s going for another attack!” Joker shouted as he noticed the Serpent’s eyes change to green.

As the Serpent’s eyes turned green, it spat out a venom of the same shade of color. The venom connected with Takeo, Junpei, Yukari, Sophie, Chie, and Noir.

“Oh man…” Takeo groaned. “I don’t feel too hot…”  

“Me neither…” Chie groaned afterwards…

“What…did it do to us?” Noir started to cough.

“Ah Crap!” Mona shouted, “It poisoned them!”

“Noir and Sophie, back off until you can get that poison off of you! You’ll only hurt yourself if you try to attack!” Joker ordered the two Phantom Thieves.

“I’ll be fine!” Sophie barked. She proceeded to hit the Serpent by extending her yoyos. “Pandora!” Sophie barrages the Serpent with a Kouga attack whilst poisoned.

Mona stayed out of harm’s way due to the Wraith’s deflection of wind, firing his slingshot towards the Envious Serpent. “Ugh! Joker this thing it way too tough! We need to find a way to weaken it!”

Joker proceeded to fire a couple of rounds from his pistol, then summoned Satanael to launch an array of Eiga attacks to no avail. “Damnit! You’re right. It just keeps rejuvenating itself!”

The Serpent’s eyes then started to glow a brighter red and pulsate as it looked up in the air and started to shriek.

“OH NOT GOOD NOT GOOD!” Oracle shouted. “It’s charging something! Take cover!”

Rhys noticed and took action. “Takeo! We need to take it out quickly!”

Takeo began to cough worse from the Serpent’s charging. “I’ll try…”

Takeo tried to hit the Wraith with a Zionga from Hercules but missed the attack due to being worsened by the poison. “Damnit!” He gasped.

Rhys decided to try one new Persona he acquired as a last-ditch effort. “Eligor!” Rhys snapped his fingers to summon a red armored knight on horseback to perform an Agilao on the Serpent. The fire attack did damage to the Wraith…but not enough.

“SHIT!” Rhys scowled. “WHY WON’T THIS THING GO DOWN!?”

The Serpent’s eyes began to glow even brighter, and shriek even louder.

“IT’S ATTACKING!” Oracle shouted. “GET DOWN!”

The Serpent let out a green shockwave that knocked down all the poisoned individuals. Takeo, Chie, Sophie, Noir, Yukari, and Junpei all fell down to the ground screaming from the Envious Shockwave.

“NO!” “YUKARI!” “CHIE!” “SOPHIE!” “JUNPEI!” “NOIR!” Their friends screamed their names in horror as they fell down in pain, knocked down from the fight.

After the shockwave, the Wraith boosted itself again, and became more aggressive with its attacks. It swung its head at Ken and Mitsuru, knocking them to the side. Then it blasted Mona and Fox with a Torrent Shot of its own. Lastly, it struck Yosuke with a Zionga, stunning him and leaving him down. All that remained were the Wild Cards.

“NO!” Oracle screamed. “Guys get up!”

Rhys stood in front of the knocked down Takeo as the Serpent began to slowly lower its head towards him and the rest of the Wild Cards guarding their friends.

Rhys raised his sword, willing to go down fighting despite the Serpent still having a skin of titanium from its rejuvenating abilities. “Come and get some you son of a BITCH!” Rhys growled.

Hiromi and Solomon watched powerlessly as their friends stood in front of the Envious Serpent on the verge of defeat.

“They’re gonna die…” Solomon whispered.

Hiromi stared at the Envious Serpent and continued to feel fear. She was terrified but felt like she had to do something. If she didn’t step in, her friends, the people who risked their lives to save her own, would surely lose them.

They’re going to be killed by that thing…She thought. I HAVE to save them! But…I’m scared. That thing terrifies me. All of this scares me. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to die…

Hiromi then sees the two kusarigama the Imperator used earlier on the ground next to her. As she looked at them, she remembered her memories from her early teenage years. Her father once taught her the arts of poi spinning, an activity that originated from the Maori tribe of New Zealand. She used poi spinning as a hobby. A pastime. An escape from the scandal her family went through.

She took a deep breath “Okay…you can do this…you can do this. You are Hiromi Koda. Your strength lies from within. Your courage comes from your heritage…”

“Hey lady wait!” Solomon tried to stop Hiromi as he saw her run up from the stairs and grabbed the kusarigama.

She rushed to the front of the platform, in front of the Wild Cards protecting their friends.

“Hiromi!? Get OUT OF HERE!” Rhys shouted as he tended to Takeo and Junpei.

“Koda-san what are you doing!?” Minato shouted as he stood in front of Yukari and the other Shadow Operatives.

Hiromi was now looking at the Wraith dead in its scaly red eyes. The Wraith hissed and continued to stare into the second year’s soul. It smelled the fear stemming from her. It wanted to make her death slow.

As she stood before the Envious Serpent, doubt began to fill her from the fear she was feeling, barely able to hold the kusarigama from shaking so much.

This is too much…I’m too terrified…I can’t do this…I’m too scared…. Hiromi started to say things in her head.

Is that how you really feel? A stern, feminine voice filled Hiromi’s head.

What!? What was that!?

Do you wish for your fear to hold you back?

Hiromi took a deep breath as she began to shut out all the fear and noise and lock cold eyes with the Serpent.

“No. My fear doesn’t matter.” She whispered to herself. “I can be scared. But it won’t stop me from doing what’s right.”

The moment Hiromi made her declaration, she began to feel her right hand on fire, and her head pulsate with pain. She screamed as she dropped the two kusarigama and fell to her knees. The voice continued to talk to her.

So you finally accept the meaning of heroism?

I believe so…

That your fear shouldn’t burden your abilities. It doesn’t restrict you from helping the ones you love?

…Yes.

To become a Hero? To become Selfless?

…I…Accept.

Then touch the mark of heroes. The Sigil of Selflessness…

Before Hiromi glowed the symbol of the dove and scale. The same symbol that Takeo and Rhys bared. She got up from her knees and grabbed the symbol with her right hand. Suddenly, her shoulders became engulfed in flames. They began to scorch to her muscle and bone as she screamed in agony. In the center of her agony, she felt the courage inside of her swell like an infection, and grunted as she snapped her fingers on her right hand.

After she snapped her fingers, a blue shockwave blasted from her, knocking the Envious Serpent back, and caused the Wild Cards to put their hands over their faces. When they began to lower their hands they noticed what stood in front of Hiromi.

The pain stopped immediately from snapping, and Hiromi began to come to. She noticed there was a sigil burned into the back of her right hand of a dove flapping its wings behind a scale. Then she noticed her shoulders. The source of her burns and pain. On her shoulders were tattoos. They were pink pedals scattered across her shoulders, surrounding the top of them and ending at the start of her arms. Before her was an entity floating above her. She had long black hair tied into a bun. She was wearing a red robe and brown pants tucked into black boots that reached the top of her lower legs. Over her red robe was a silver-colored set of heavy tang lamellar armor. In her left hand was a Jian sword and in her right was a flagpole hoisting a wide flag bearing the same pattern of pink pedals on Hiromi’s shoulders.

You finally confronted your fear and conquered it.

Now you know what it truly means to be a hero.

I am thou…Thou Art I

From the Sea of Thy Soul I cometh…

Show your selflessness in battle…

For I am Mulan…The Filial Daughter!

Hiromi began to grin as she grabbed the kusarigama from the ground and stared at the Envious Serpent, who grew angry from the awakening.

“Okay Mulan…” She said to herself as she took the poi spinning stance. “Let’s do this.”

She provoked the Serpent by establishing her courage. “TRY ME YOU BITCH!” She screamed towards the Wraith.

The Wild Cards watched as Hiromi faced the Wraith head on. Ken, Mona, and Yosuke began to wake up and look at the newly awakened Persona. Rhys couldn’t help but grin before looking at Minato, who had the same grin as him.

The Serpent lunged forward towards the poi spinner and tried to grab her with its fangs. She jumped back at the last second and threw the kusarigama at its fangs, wrapping the chains around the sharp teeth and pulling it down to the ground. Hiromi’s shoulders began to glow pink from the pedal patterns on them as she felt her Persona giving her strength. “DEKAJA!” She shouted as she snapped her fingers to summon Mulan to debuff the Serpent. Its strength and defense had been reversed.

“IT’S DEFENSE AND ATTACK ARE DOWN!” Oracle began to scan the Wraith again. “IT’S VULNERABLE!”

Rhys nodded. “Amada, Kirijo, Hanamura, and Mona. Get our downed friends back up. Arisato, Joker, Fox, and Narukami? Let’s get ‘em.”

“With pleasure…” Minato gripped his sword.

“This is our chance to strike!” Fox unsheathed his katana.

“It’s just a slimy snake without its precious defense!” Narukami readied his blade.

“Time to slay a Wraith…” Joker twirled his knife and readied the last five rounds for his pistol.

The five Persona users let out a war cry as they rushed the head of the Serpent, still being held down by Hiromi’s kusarigama. They landed blow after blow with their weapons into its head, whittling the Wraith down piece by piece. The Wraith eventually gained the strength to raise its head back from the platform, knocking the six Persona users back.

Hiromi noticed the Envious Serpent boost its defense again. “Oh NO YOU DON’T! WEAKEN ‘EM MULAN!” Hiromi summons her Persona again to perform another Dekaja, before using the warrior again to cast a Bufula towards the Serpent, dealing a massive blow to the Wraith.

“Keep it up!” Oracle shouted. “It’s wearing down! The scales on its neck are damaged. Strike there!”

Rhys noticed the gash on its neck below the head and came up with a plan. “I got a plan! Fox, up our agility again! Narukami, Arisato, Joker, hit it with your Personas with EVERYTHING you got! Hiromi, lure it in and pull it back down!”

Fox nodded then proceeded to summon Gorokichi to boost their agility. Minato pulled out his evoker and summoned Orpheus Telos to fire an Agilao towards it, scorching its face and making it scream from the flames. One after the other, Joker summoned Satanael and cast a Megido at its gash, making it scream in pain. Then Narukami summoned Izanagi-No-Okami to perform a consecutive Megido, the Almighty blast hitting the Serpent in the face, taking out its left eye. As it began to scream and hiss in pain, Rhys noticed the opening. “Now Hiromi!” He screamed as Hiromi threw the kusarigama at its face, the hooks stabbing deep into the Wraith’s face. As she pulled it down, Rhys jumped up in the air with the help from Fox’s boost to agility. “BEOWULF! AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!” Rhys summoned the Persona as he and the warrior raised its swords in synchronization before both bringing them down towards the Serpent’s gash, cutting into its neck and decapitating it. The decapitated body of the Serpent began to shake and glow orange. It began to convulse and spew a black liquid and grow more and more intense before evaporating into an orange flame, the orange sparks and dust of the body floating up into the sky. Its head dissolved like ash. The Envious Serpent had been defeated. The Wraith had been slain.

The group stood there panting and gasping from the rush of adrenaline and exhaustion. The ones who were knocked out from the poisonous blast were up and recovered. They all walked towards the six left standing as the battle ended.

“Did…did we kill it?” Junpei asked as he looked at the clear pit the Wraith rose from.

“Yeah…I think we did…” Narukami breathed a sigh of relief.

“I do not detect the Wraith anymore.” Sophie chimed in. “It has been slain.”

“ALRIGHT! YEAH!” Chie began to cheer. “WE JUST SLAYED A GIANT ASS MONSTER!”

“Damn right we did!” Oracle cheered afterwards. “Gimme Five!” Oracle and Chie high fived.

“You guys actually did it…” Solomon was in shock. “You killed a Wraith.”

“You were doubting us?” Minato looked towards the dove.

“That thing was kicking our butts Mina.” Yukari replied to his question. “What caused it to weaken?”

“It was her.” Rhys pointed towards Hiromi. The purple-haired woman turned around as he said that and jumped as she noticed everyone staring at her. “Oh…uh…Hi…hehe…” She said nervously. “Did I just do that? What was that?”

“That was your Persona Koda-san.” Mitsuru explained. “We’ll explain everything to you in time. You must be tired.”

“Uh…yeah now that you mention it.” Hiromi grabbed her head. “I really could use a nice, soft bed right about now. And some clothes that didn’t smell like smoke and cinder…”

“That is a natural feeling once you awaken to your Persona.” Noir replied. “It only happens the first time.”

“You go Hiro-chan!” Takeo patted his friend on the back. “Where did you learn to use those hooks?”

“It was a past time.” She answered as she yawned.

“Was it flag spinning? Perhaps it was whip-painting?” Fox chimed in.

“What does that even mean?!” Yosuke asked.

“When we get back to the apartment, I’ll escort Koda-san back to her home.” Minato informed the others. “It’s best you go in alone from there.”

“Yes. We don’t need Arisato-san to be pulled into any police investigations.” Ken agreed.

“Do you guys think that Hound was serious?” Mona asked.

“What, about their being more kidnappings and Wraiths?” Joker asked.

“Yeah I was thinking about the same thing.” Yosuke replied. “Are they going to keep doing this?”

“I’m not sure.” Minato answered. “But I do know this…this is far from over.”

“Since there is no class tomorrow, can we have a meeting in the afternoon?” Rhys asked. “It’s time we start seeing the bigger picture.”

“I agree with Kuramoto.” Mitsuru nodded. “We must discuss what has happened here.”

“Absolutely.” Minato agreed. “We’ll have a meeting tomorrow.”

“We’ll be there.” Joker chimed in.

“Wait you will?” Ken was confused. “I thought you said you were leaving once you saved your ally?”

“We changed our minds.” Noir cleared up Ken’s confusion.

Narukami was silent before Chie stared at him, remembering the argument they had two days ago.

“We’ll hear you out.” Narukami accepted. “Besides Yosuke needs to rest.”

“Good deal.” Minato smiled. “Let’s get out of here.”

As the group of Persona users walked out of the Citadel and left Terra Chaos, Hiromi had one last question.

“Wait just a moment guys.”

Everyone began to stare at her. “When the police eventually come to question me. What do I say? Who do I say saved me?”

The groups began to look at each other, before Minato looked at Rhys, mouthing to him “This is your journey. This is where it begins.”

The blond transfer student nodded and walked towards Hiromi. “Do you see the sigil on your right hand?”

Hiromi began to look at the symbol and held her hand up as she looked at it. “Yeah. What of it?”

“Remember how it looks. Sketch it down. Then tell them…tell all of Sapporo. Tell them that you were saved by the Talons of Peace.”

She nodded. “I will.”

The four separate groups returned from the land of Terra Chaos. They saved their allies. They defeated the first of many Wraiths. They foiled the plans of The Hounds of Chaos and learned that their journey had only just begun. Their mission…was complete.

Chapter Text

4/26 – Sunday

Rhys’s Apartment – Noon

As soon as Rhys got back from the rescue, he and the rest of the Persona users went to rest. The battle was lasting and the most challenging one yet. Rhys was watching a TV show that aired on Sundays while lying on his bed. It was set in the end of the American Wild West and followed a gang of outlaws on the run from the government. He really liked the main protagonist of the series and how his morals changed over time. When the show ended, Rhys turned the channel. He stopped three channels later after hearing a really…REALLY catchy theme song.

Tanaka's Amazing Commodities

Then a man who looked to be in his late 50’s showed up on the screen and began to talk.

“Here comes Tanakaaaaaaa!”

“Over the Airwaves to youuuuuuu!”

“Granter of your desires!”

“The hell?” Rhys leaned toward the TV from his bed.

The man then began to say his name was “President Tanaka” the host of “Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities.”

“A shopping program?” Rhys asked himself. “Don’t people usually buy stuff online nowadays? Eh, I’ll humor it.”

Tanaka began to go through three items that were up for sale this week. The first was a pair of shoes that for some odd reason came with a six pack of energy drinks.

“Lame.”

The next was a jacket. That’s it. Just a blue, thick jacket.

“Really? C’mon gimme something worthwhile.”

The last item was an acoustic guitar, which looked in prime condition and had a nice dark oak color to it.

“Woah that thing looks expensive…” Rhys got closer to the TV and scanned the instrument.

Tanaka then said if whoever buys this will also get a book called “Dummy’s Guide to Guitar” for only 3,500 Yen.

“I always wanted to learn how to play. A guitar costing that much in that condition is a steal. Where’s that phone number.”

Rhys saw the phone number to call in during the program and dialed it into his phone. He requested the guitar bundle and was told how to transaction the Yen over phone. The catchy song ended and went back to normal programming as Rhys bought the instrument.

“Cool.” Rhys said to himself as he turned off the TV.

Rhys got up from his bed and as he walked by a mirror in his apartment, he stopped to look at it. He then decided to roll up his right sleeve from his T-shirt and look at where the big gash he received from the Hound Imperator last night should’ve been. It was completely gone. His arm was healed as if he never got hit in the first place. Rhys then remembers losing control of his own body. He remembers how he was then winning the fight against the Hound. He took him out in a matter of seconds. However, Rhys feels as if it wasn’t him who defeated the Hound, but something else. He began to talk to himself.

“What happened to me last night? It was like I got possessed by a damn demon. All I remember is him getting underneath my skin, then I heard a deep, fragile voice in my head. I lost control. What was that?” Rhys rolled his sleeve down as he continued to ponder over what became of him last night as he left his apartment and walked down into the lobby.

Lobby

As Rhys walked down to the lobby, he noticed Solomon flying around as usual and Junpei, Ken, and Minato sitting on the couch watching the news. They turned to see Rhys walking down from his apartment for the first time today.

“Yo! What’s up Kuramoto-san!” Junpei greeted Rhys.

“Good morning Iori-san. Good morning to you as well Arisato and Senpai.”

“Check it out dude! Your little group is on the news!” Iori pointed towards the TV.

“Little group?” Rhys raised an eyebrow.

“Look.” Minato pointed at the TV as well, as the news broadcasted the three rescued victims.

“The three kidnapped individuals known as Yusuke Kitagawa, Yosuke Hanamura, and Hiromi Koda were all found safe last night. Kitagawa and Hanamura were found at hospitals, checking up on wounds received from the kidnapping. They were alongside their loved ones as they informed the authorities of their rescue. The most notable of the kidnapped found alive was Hiromi Koda, the 19-year-old student of Hokkaido University. Her parents stated she walked through the door of her home at around midnight alone, with the shoulders of her shirt slightly burned. Hiromi is currently recovering from the kidnapping. But in the light of the fear stemming from the kidnappings of the Hounds, there appears to be a shed of hope. When police questioned Hiromi on how she was saved, the young adult stated she was saved by a group opposite of her kidnappers. She proceeded to sketch a symbol of shorts, depicting a dove with its wings spread behind a scale. Hiromi called the group the “Talons of Peace” and stated the group saved her from the grip of the Hounds of Chaos. Yusuke Kitagawa and Yosuke Hanamura stated similar testimonies. As the rescued now rest in the confides of safety and the Hounds’ glooming threat remains a mystery to the people of Sapporo, only one question is now on everyone’s mind. Who are The Talons of Peace?”

Minato turned off the TV and he, Ken, and Junpei stared at Rhys.

“Looks like the Phantom Thieves have some competition.” Ken said sarcastically.

“You got a point Amada.” Minato turned to look at him. “This is how the Phantom Thieves began to gain popularity. The news began to talk about them after the Kamoshida incident. Looks like you made an impression Kuramoto.”

Rhys began to grin. “Looks to be that way. Too bad the only members are me and Takeo.”

Solomon flew down to the couches. “Hey I thought you said I was a member?!”

Rhys chuckled. “Of course Solomon, you’re a member too. You’re practically the mascot.”

“I am not a mascot!” Solomon began frantically flapping his wings.

“Only joking.” Rhys began to smile a bit more.  Rhys then looked at Amada’s bandaged nose. “Senpai you never healed your nose?”

“I forgot to do so as we were walking back.” Ken put his hand over his nose. “Until we go back in and I can use my Persona to heal it, I’ll just have to keep it bandaged. It’s difficult to breath with a busted nose.”

“Yeah you can’t smell anything either. It sucks…” Junpei groaned.

“Speaking from experience Iori-san? Did you fail to catch a baseball or something?” Rhys smirked towards the slugger.

“It wasn’t baseball…” Junpei whimpered.

Minato began to laugh as he remembered the story. “Us two and Yukari were sitting at a table in the co ed dorm we stayed in during high school. Yukari was just texting on her phone, and I was reading a book. Junpei heard a dumb rumor about us and began to run his mouth. I thought Yukari was just ignoring him, until he kept on talking. I noticed her reaching for a hard cover book I laid on the table to read next. I figured she was gonna stop texting and start reading to ignore Junpei’s bickering. Boy was I wrong. This woman grabbed the book by the page side and hits him as hard as she possibly could with the spine side of the book. His nose took two full weeks to heal.”

Rhys, Solomon, and Ken began to burst out in laughter from the story, Ken holding his rib cage from how hard he was laughing.

Junpei tried to hide his face with his baseball cap. “Yeah…I learned my lesson after that.”

“No you didn’t.” Minato began to shake his head while smiling.

“So when should the other groups be here?” Ken asked.

“They should be here in about 3 hours.” Minato answered. “That’s when we’ll hold our meeting. Yukari took the twins out, Hattori is running some errands for me, and Kirijo is signing a waver regarding the apartments. Why Amada? Want to see them?”

“Okumura-san got hit in the jaw pretty hard by the same Hound who busted my nose. I feel responsible for her getting ambushed, so I want to make sure she is okay.”

“ooooooooooooooh.” Junpei oohed. “Amada wants to check on Okumura-san. I think I know why…”

Ken began to stumble his words. “T-that’s not the reason why! W-we…just g-got caught off guard by that guy! I wanna make sure there isn’t any swelling! You don’t know if she went to a doctor or not!”

“Whatever you say Amada…” Junpei began to get up and walk outside.

Minato grinned. “I believe you Amada.”

“Thanks Arisato…” Ken mumbled.

“Though if Junpei is referring to what I think he’s referring to, I’ll believe when I see it.” He walked back up the stairs and to his apartment.

Ken sighed and walked into the community kitchen for the apartment. Rhys was left standing in the lobby with Solomon as the dove put his head down.

“Am I really just a mascot?” He said in a gloomy demeanor.

Rhys looked towards him. “Of course not man!” He began to pet Solomon’s head. “I haven’t forgotten my promise. You matter to this team. You’re more than a mascot. Got it?”

Solomon looked back up at Rhys. “Do you think we’ll find my answers in Terra Chaos?”

“Yes.” Rhys nodded. “It’s gonna take time. We’ve barely scratched the surface with that city. We’ll find them Solomon. I promise.”

The dove smiled back at Rhys. “Thank you friend.” Solomon then flew away from Rhys. The Wild Card felt his bond with the mysterious dove strengthen.

Afternoon – Three Hours Later

Everyone has gathered around the lobby of Otaru Apartments, including Yosuke and Yusuke. The Prince of Junes was wearing a white jacket with the inside of its hood being orange, as well as some brown cargo pants and boots. The renown painter was wearing an indigo button up with blue slacks. He had his hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it from getting in his face.

Each of the groups sat next to their friends and were chatting while waiting for Minato to start the meeting. Meanwhile, Ken went to do as he said he would and check up on Haru Okumera, who still had that bruise from the Hound’s ambush last night.

“You didn’t heal either I see?” Ken greeted the pink-hair owner of Okumura Foods.

“Oh hello Amada-san!” She replied cheerfully before putting her hand on her bruise. “I guess I didn’t. I was so caught up in everything I forgot to get Mona-chan to heal me. Ren-san didn’t forget about his wound. He healed it himself.”

“Yeah that guy cut him pretty good.” Ken said as he looked at Ren and noticed the cut left from the Hound’s knife attack to be gone.

“Does it hurt?” Ken asked to check up on Haru.

“It’s only a little soar.” Haru. “I should be fine.”

“You could put some ice on it. The relief from cold objects on a bruise makes me feel better.” Ken recommended.

“Of course!” Haru smiled towards Ken. “How is your nose? You were hit harder than me it seems.”

“I’ll live.” Ken gloated. “Things like this tend to happen in the field, but normally I just heal it and move on. But like you said, we got caught up in everything.”

“Either way, I’m glad you are okay Amada-san.” Haru continued to smile at him. “Thank you for asking if I am okay.”

Ken smiled and nodded. “Likewise Okumura-san.” Ken walked off and sat with the rest of the Shadow Operatives. Haru continued to stare at him and got lost in thought.

That was awfully polite of him to check up on me…I wonder why he is being so kind towards me?

“Alright people let’s get started.” Minato addressed the rest of the Persona users as he stood in front of them in the lobby. “First of all, Phantom Thieves, Inaba Squad, thank you for joining us. Kitagawa-san, Hanamura-san, how are you two feeling?”

“Rejuvenated. As if I’ve been set free.” Yusuke answered.

“Like a million bucks. Felt great to breathe normal air again.” Yosuke answered.

“Good to hear.” Minato nodded then looked towards Rhys. “I got word from Koda-san’s parents, she’ll be back in classes tomorrow. I expect you and Hattori-san to help her catch up.”

“You got it.” Rhys gave a thumbs up.

“Hiro-chan is back! It’s gonna be great for the three of us to be back together.” Takeo cheered.

Minato moved his hair out of his right eye. “Now then, the reason I wished to have this meeting is to discuss the events of last night. To say a lot happened would be an understatement.”

“You got that right.” Narukami chimed in.

“Last night was the first time we fought the Hounds.” Ren began to speak. “I thought they would be just some lackeys who were handed guns by a maniac. Turns out I was wrong.”

“We all were.” Mitsuru crossed her arms as she stood around her fellow Shadow Operatives and allies. “They were trained in hand-to-hand tactics. The years of training we have all put in were put to the test. They were willing to fight with the intention of taking our lives.”

Minato sighed. “And in doing so forced us to make tough decisions.”

“Do you think they will retaliate?” Futaba asked. “Not only did we stop their sacrifices from happening, but they lost five of their members.”

“I don’t know.” Narukami answered. “They were devoted to losing their own lives to take ours. They themselves are killers. To them, members of their Cult may be expendable.”

“We only know of one of the members of the Hounds of Chaos.” Rhys allured to the one in the red suit. “Deacon.”

“Right.” Ken nodded. “But that one Hound. The grunts called him “Imperator.” He said it wasn’t just Deacon, but a Hierarchy. Are they following the structure of a church?”

Sophia began to blurt from Ren’s phone until he pulled it out and showed her face. This was Yosuke’s first-time seeing Sophia as an AI and not in physical form.

“Whoa, you’re an AI? Cool.” He whispered to himself.

“If the leadership of the Hounds is following a church structure, I suspect there to be at least three more similar to Deacon. They could potentially be titled “Priest” “Bishop” and “Cardinal.” However, none of these would fall under a central leader of all the Hounds of Chaos.”

“There’s still much to them we’re not sure of.” Haru propped her right hand under her chin. “But I doubt they will cease their efforts because of us.”

“I’m with you on that.” Yukari replied to Haru’s remark. “That “Imperator” said there would be more kidnappings and more Citadels discovered. Which means there will be more of those Wraiths.”

“The first one was bad enough.” Morgana jumped onto the coffee table at the center of the couches. “I don’t want to imagine how many more there will be, or what they will be for that matter.”

“If only we had some sort of way knowing who would be kidnapped next. Then we could probably stop the Hounds from taking them.” Junpei started to scratch his head.

Chie remembered the theory she told Narukami in their argument. “I may have something.”

“Really? Please tell.” Mitsuru nodded.

“Something has been bugging me about Yosuke’s kidnapping. I told Narukami this a couple days ago. But why didn’t the Hounds kidnap him instead? Why did they follow him to where he and Yosuke were staying, and kidnap Yosuke specifically?”

“Oh yeah, you’re right.” Yosuke lifted his head up. “They went after me once they decked Narukami. Why me specifically?”

“I think it’s because they know who we are…” Chie revealed.

Everyone was quiet. This happens everytime Chie sounds right on a situation and it’s just here spouting out words.

“W-why are you guys getting quiet?! Why does this always happen when I come up with a theory?!” She groaned.

“They know who we are…” Yusuke muttered. “That would mean they’re targeting Persona Users!”

“That seems to be the case.” Minato answered. “It would make sense. They seemed to already know of Personas and shadows. It wouldn’t be surprising if they found a way to figure out our pasts.”

One part of that theory wasn’t adding up for Solomon. “Then what about Takeo and Rhys’s friend. Hiromi, yes? She awakened to her Persona only 24 hours ago. Until that point, she was just a normal individual.”

“Could it be because she had the potential to awaken to a Persona?” Rhys asked.

“What do you mean?” Narukami asked.

“In his notes, my brother stated that only certain individuals can awaken to a Persona. It is the ones who accept their true self don’t let their true desires hide from society. That is what gives a person potential. When we were first tracking down Hiromi-san, Solomon led us to a chapel. At the podium was a table with blood on it. Solomon witnessed what caused the blood. He said the Hounds took Hiromi’s hand and slit it with a knife. When her blood hit the table, it burst into a blue flame. Could that be potential?”

“That could be the case.” Ren raised his head. “So they’re targeting Persona Users, and those who have potential. There’s still no way to predict who they will kidnap next. But I’m certain that if they knew to kidnap you two, they know of the others.”

“So our friends are in danger?” Junpei asked nervously.

“I hate to say it, but yeah, I think they are…”

Everyone was silent on the matter for a second.

“Then we stop them.” Rhys interjected.

“What?” The group of Persona users were all now staring at the new Wild Card.

“There are still many questions we don’t have the answers to. Many mysteries about that city, the Cult, all of it. We may not be able to predict who they will go after next, but we sure as hell can find them once they’ve been taken and rescue them. But I, Takeo, and the Shadow Operatives can’t do it alone. The Hounds are hellbent on sheer destruction of our world, our home, and our friends. I know we can do it. We need the Phantom Thieves, and we need you three Narukami-san. Our answers lie in Terra Chaos. Our goal for peace is through taking out the Hounds of Chaos. If that means making the toughest decisions, no matter what the cost, so be it.”

Everyone was silent from Rhys’s speech and began to put their heads down to think. Suddenly, Yusuke stood up first.

“I will aid you.” He spoke.

Then Yosuke and Chie stood up. “Yeah. We’re in.” Yosuke stated. “I owe you my life, we all do. I can tell my dad to take over the reigns for Junes. I’ll go on involuntary leave.”

Futaba stood up next. “I’ll help as well.”

Morgana nodded. “Count me in too.”

Ren’s phone began to blink. “I would like to assist you as well Kuramoto-san.” Sophie spoke out of the phone. Ren stood up soon after. “You won me over. I’m sure me and Okumura-san can work from here, right?”

Haru then stood up next. “Absolutely. I’ll do everything I can to help you all!”

The last person to stand up was Narukami, who was now even more worried about his friends, especially Yukiko, getting kidnapped. But, he knew this was the right thing to do. “I got your back kid. It’s time we take the fight to these maniacs.”

Rhys watched as the members of the Investigation Team and Phantom Thieves declaring their uniting with the Shadow Operatives and Talons of Peace. He began to smile.

The Shadow Operatives stood up next, with Minato speaking. “Thank you. We are grateful for your help.”

Mitsuru waved her hair back. “Now that we are officially one group, I believe it is time we assigned a leader. I believe Arisato will lead us well in this operation.”

“I disagree!” Futaba raised her hand. “If anyone is gonna lead us it should be Joker!”

“As if!” Yosuke scowled. “Narukami should be leader!”

The three Wild Cards watched as their friends debated and bickered over who should be leader. “Guys, guys!” Minato stopped the arguing. We shouldn’t be arguing over which one of us should be leader. You haven’t even heard who I want to be leader.”

Takeo looked weirdly at Minato. “Who do you want to be leader Sensei?”

“I vote for Rhys to be our leader.”

“Yeah, I agree, Rhys would be a great le-WAIT ME!?” The foreign student was confused and shocked at Minato’s decision.

“I vote for Rhys as well.” Narukami nodded his head.

“As do I.” Ren agreed with the other two Wild Cards.

“Why? Why me?” Rhys asked.

“Kuramoto, this is your journey.” Minato explained. “We have all had our own separate journeys.”

“We found our true selves and played our roles in conquering corrupt desires.” Narukami further elaborated.

“You’re a Wild Card and you manage to create your own group.” Ren finished their reasoning. “It is through you that we come together for strength.”

“Besides, when we explored the Citadel and defeated the Wraith, you showed great leadership and pulled us together. You have what it takes to be a leader Rhys.” Minato smiled while telling the blond why he should be leader.

The rest of the Persona users began to look towards in acknowledgement. They began to agree for Rhys to be leader.

“All in favor of Rhys Kuramoto being our leader, say aye.” Mitsuru ordered.

“Aye!”  all of the Persona Users said in sync. Rhys took a deep breath while looking down.

“Alright.” Rhys began to look back up. “I’ll do my best.”

“We’re counting on it…leader.” Narukami acknowledged the leader of the Persona Users.

It was here Rhys felt a new bond begin to form. A bond that was faint, quiet, and hidden. But, if strengthened, if forged correctly, if pushed beyond its limit, could be a bond more powerful than any other. Powerful enough…to destroy the desire for death itself.”

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Judgement Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

“So…what do we do now?” Yosuke asked.

“Yeah. We just gonna stand here as it gets more awkward and take in the air?” Junpei sarcastically asked.

“I already have taken care of the next step.” Mitsuru remarked. “Phantom Thieves, you three. Since you will be joining our efforts, I would like for you to move into these apartments.”

“Really?” Futaba asked. “We already have a house.”

“Yeah a house that has been destroyed on the inside.” Yukari remarked.

“Hey! Leave our house alone miss!” Futaba grunted.

“About that…” Yusuke muttered.

“Inari? What did you do?” Futaba was looking at Yusuke dead in his eyes now.

“You see…Our home wasn’t really the best to begin with. Kirijo-san contacted me earlier today about moving into these elegant apartments. And we needed the money so…I sold…the house.”

“YOU WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?” Futaba started to see red and began to smack Yusuke on the shoulder over and over again. “YOU SOLD OUR HOUSE!? AND YOU’RE TELLING ME NOW?! IF ALL MY STUFF IS GONE WHEN WE GET BACK, YOU’RE GOING TO WISH YOU BECAME WRAITH DINNER!”

“…Sorry?” Yusuke whimpered.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!” Futaba ran out the lobby door.

Yusuke stood up and rubbed his shoulder.

“You good bro?” Junpei asked the painter.

“Of course.” Yusuke smiled. “Sakura-chan never lets me finish a sentence. I had intended to sell the house even before it became a ransacked dump. I plan to save up and purchase a new one. One that is more beautiful and delicate. Until then, these apartments will suffice. I shall return to my quarters for my belongings and return at once.”

“You may want to go calm down Futaba while you’re at it.” Ren remarked.

Yusuke nodded before leaving the apartment to go get his belongings from his now sold house.

“I just realized all of my stuff is still in Inaba…” Yosuke moped. “That means if I want it I’ll have to ask you know who…”

Chie shushed Yosuke. “You don’t have that many belongings to begin with. Besides I brought my stuff with me and you practically get your stuff from me. Talk about irony.” 

Yosuke chuckled. “I guess you’re right.” He then turned towards Kirijo. “Do the apartments already have furniture in them?”

“They do now.” She replied.

“Daaayum.” Chie whispered. “She must have…connections.”

“Let’s get going you two.” Narukami patted their shoulders. “We gotta get our belongings and I have to break it to Yukiko that I won’t be home for another couple of months.”

“Yeah good luck with that partner.” Yosuke groaned.

The Investigation Team then left the apartment lobby to get their belongings to move in.

Morgana jumped up onto one of the couches and looked at Ren. “If it’s alright with you I’m gonna stay here while you and Haru get your things. I wanna get to know this bird more.”

Solomon smacked Morgana with his feathers. “OW!”

“Don’t call me a bird feline!”

“We need to get going as well then.” Ren checked his phone. “Narukami-san is not the only one who has to tell someone he loves that he won’t be home for a while longer.”

“Yes. We should get going.” Haru checked a watch she was wearing. “I have to make a few calls to get some equipment I left in Tokyo moved here.”

The final Phantom Thieves except for Morgana left the apartment to start packing their belongings. Takeo and Rhys stood alongside the Shadow Operatives, happy over the results of the meeting.

“There’s your army Sensei.” Rhys remarked towards Minato.

“Yes. We have a chance now…” He whispered.

“Huh?” Takeo didn’t hear what Minato said.

“Nothing to worry about. You two should get to your rooms and rest. Don’t want to miss school, especially with Koda-san returning tomorrow.”

“Got it.  Imma go hit the tank then. Oh-ho MAN I’M PUMPED!” Takeo said enthusiastically as he ran up the stairs.

“I guess I’ll go to my room as well.” Rhys remarked. “Looks like things are gonna work out.”

Rhys walked to his room as Minato stood in the lobby looking relieved and happy.

Yukari noticed Minato’s sudden happiness. “I know that look Mina. What are you so happy about?”

“I think Rhys just created the bond we needed.” Minato whispered.

“You mean the one to defeat Erebus?” Mitsuru questioned.

“Yes. I felt it. It’s faint, but in time it should be enough.”

“Alright!” Junpei cheered. “We just gotta give it time! I’m sure when more people eventually arrive, it’ll grow stronger.”

“I agree with Iori-san.” Ken nodded. “This is our chance to destroy Erebus once and for all.”

Minato looked down at a necklace that belonged to someone he loved long ago and began to smile even wider. “Yes. Once and for all.”

Chapter Text

The Velvet Room Aria of the Soul

Rhys began to wake up inside his Velvet Room after going to sleep for the day. He began to recognize the faint piano and woman singing, the blue walls, ceiling furniture, and the hospital bed he laid on. Sure enough he was greeted by Igor and the attendant known as Samantha.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room!” Samantha greeted Rhys this time.

“Hello.” Rhys answered back. “I take it I’m asleep right now?”

“Correct.” The attendant confirmed. “You are a fast learner indeed!”

Igor began to snicker as always. “It seems you have overcome the first of many challenges in your journey. Obstacles that will require the strength of yourself and others to overcome.”

“You’ve already come to the conclusion of your journey only beginning.” Samantha added. “More obstacles remain in your path to peace, and more bonds are to be forged.”

Igor proceeded to hold out the Judgement arcana card. “It appears you have ignited a bond of unwavering potential. The spark of this bond is faint. However, with enough time and as your numbers increase, this bond will become stronger.”

“It is the bond to defeat Death itself…” Samantha hinted.

Rhys was confused about why the Judgement bond was of significance. “Defeat Death itself? What does that mean?”

Igor looked down, trying his best not to say anything that could seem intervening. “A fragment of the past is on the verge of returning. This will be one of the biggest obstacles in your pursuit of peace. This bond shall aid you if mended properly.”

Rhys was still confused but felt himself start to fade away.

“It seems we are out of time for now. Until next time…” Igor dismissed Rhys as he began to wake up in his apartment.

4/27 – Monday

Hokkaido University – Entrance

Rhys and Takeo began their walk to class for Monday, excited to see their friend back at last. It would be nice for the trio to be back together despite being together for only a week before Hiromi was kidnapped. When they got to the entrance of the university, they saw her standing with her usual purple backpack, wearing black jeans and a purple long sleeve shirt.

“Yo! Hiro-chan! Welcome back!” Takeo greeted the purple lover.

“It’s great to see you again Koda-san.” Rhys greeted as well.

She began to chuckle “Kuramoto-san, we’ve been over this. You can call me Hiro.”

“Whatever makes you feel better Hiro-san.” He shrugged.

“Sensei told me you guys would help me get caught up. But buy “you guys” I’m guessing he meant just you Rhys-san because I doubt Takeo-san remembers anything from the past couple of weeks.”

Takeo groaned “Heeeyah! I’m getting better.”

Rhys remembered asking Solomon to meet him and Takeo somewhere after class, so he decided to ask Hiromi as well.

“Hey Hiro-san, can you meet come with us somewhere later today? We’d like to talk to you about that stuff.” He whispered.

Hiromi nodded “Yeah I’m too nosy for my own good to not be intrigued by whatever happened to me. I’ll tag along.”

Takeo threw his fist in the air. “Alright! Fair warning that talking bird is gonna be there.”

“Yeah, figured you should meet him. Don’t worry he’s nice if you don’t throw anything at him.” Rhys joked.

“Cool.” Hiromi nodded. “We should probably get to class then, we don’t want to be late on my first day back!”

The three walked to their first class together and got on with the day. Hiromi took notes on current subjects and lectures while Rhys and Takeo helped out where necessary by giving past notes and materials. They eventually made it through the day and went to one of the more secluded areas of the university’s campus.

Afterschool – Campus Grounds

“Uuuuuugh that was SO many notes…” Hiromi groaned as she threw her bag onto a table and slumped into a chair.

“Yeah you said it.” Takeo said as he handed Hiromi and Rhys some bottles of water. “Didn’t help that today was one of Sensei’s big lectures.”

As Rhys took a sip of his drink, he began to scan for Solomon to see if he was in the area. He couldn’t find him.

“Where’s that dove at? I told him where exactly we would be.”

“Give him a second Rhys-san.” Takeo leaned back into a chair. “He’s probably eating some pigeon food again.”

“I can’t believe I met a talking dove and cat in the same night.” Hiromi said as she was organizing pencils in a small plastic packet. “I think I have finally lost it.”

“At least you said dove.”

“AHH!” Hiromi jumped from hearing a voice come from behind her. It was the dove himself. Her pencils flew out of her hand as she got startled.

“There you are.” Rhys said as he helped pick up Hiromi’s pencils.

“Why did you have to do that?!” Hiromi scowled. “You couldn’t have just flown in front of us?!”

“Think of it as a unique introduction young lady.” Solomon jokingly said.

Takeo groaned. “Leave it to the bird to do something weird…”

“Hey! I’ll come over there!” Solomon chirped back.

“Settle down for now.” Rhys sat down as he got his friends in order. “It is time for our first official meeting.”

“I’m sorry what now?” Takeo asked.

Solomon was confused too. “Meeting? But we had one yesterday.”

“Not the entire group you two. Just us.” Rhys looked around to make sure no one was around before leaning in. “This is the first meeting for the Talons of Peace.”

“Ohhhh.” Takeo gasps. “Cool!”

“Wait then why am I here?” Hiromi raised her hand.

“Yeah she’s not a Talon! Buzz off lady!” Solomon chirped again.

“I’m gonna pluck one of your damn feathers if you don’t shut your trap!” Hiromi pointed a pencil at the dove.

“Guys!” Rhys interrupted. “Let me finish my sentence please. Hiro-san, you wanted to know what happened on Saturday, so I’m gonna tell you.”

Rhys began to explain the elevator ritual, the shadows, and the meaning of the Persona. He explained what a Persona was and the story behind his brother Logan. Every little detail he could think of, he filled Hiromi in on.

“So the elevator ritual was real?” Hiromi asked.

“Yeah…just not in the way you’d think.” Takeo said scratching his head.

“And the thing that came out of me, that is my Persona?”

“Yep. Your other self if you will.” Rhys elaborated.

“And Sensei has known all of this his entire life?” Hiromi asked regarding Minato.

“His situation was different than ours.” Rhys answered back. “I figure the same could be said about the Phantom Thieves and the other three Persona users, but I don’t know their exact stories yet.”

“Hiro-chan, we believe The Hounds of Chaos kidnapped you for a specific reason, like you were on a list or something.”  Takeo leaned forward.

“Really? Why?” Hiromi raised an eyebrow.

Solomon hopped to the table in the center. “Do you remember being taken to a chapel of sorts? Perhaps the feeling of getting cut on the hand?”

Hiromi eyes lit up. “Hey I do remember that! I kept fading in and out of consciousness. I couldn’t really hear anything, but I remember hearing one thing. Those guys slicing my palm woke me up for just a second, but my mouth was covered so I couldn’t scream. When my blood hit the table, it turned into something bright and blue, like a flame. All I remember hearing before I fell unconscious again was someone saying, “she’s worthy of sacrifice.” That’s all.”

“Could that be the way they test one’s potential?” Rhys asked Solomon.

“It’s the best thing I can think of.” The dove replied.

“You guys never specifically said why you think they took me.”

“We think the Hounds took you because they knew you had the potential to awaken to a Persona.” Rhys revealed.

“How would they know that?” Hiromi questioned the theory.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Takeo answered. “Look if this really isn’t over, then that means you weren’t the last Hiro-chan.”

Rhys nodded. “I agree with Takeo, they’re going to find another person with potential, but we don’t know who. We need to stop them from whatever they plan to do, even if it’s another sacrifice.”

The group remained silent for a second, trying to think of their next move.

“I’ll help.” Hiromi blurted out.

“Wait you will?!” Takeo exclaimed. “We haven’t even asked you yet!”

“You guys saved my life, it’s time I returned the favor. Besides, I got a score to settle with those Hound jerks.” Hiromi stood up.

Rhys stood up as well. “As long as you want to.”

“Wait you letting me in just like that?” Hiromi asked. “Your other friends don’t get a say before so?”

“Well last night they appointed me leader over literally all of them, so the way I see it….” Rhys grabbed his bag and took another sip from his bottle. “…I can do whatever the hell I please.”

“So what does that make Hiro-chan?” Takeo asked Rhys.

“You remember that symbol on your hand Hiro-san? Me and Tak have the same thing. That means you’re one of us now. Welcome to the Talons of Peace.” Rhys held his hand out to the new member.

Hiromi shook Rhys’s hand. “I’ll do my best.”

Takeo jumped out of his seat. “Alright! We got a new member! Welcome aboard Hiro-chan!”

As the three began to leave with Solomon, Hiromi remembered one more question. “Hey guys?”

Rhys and Takeo turned around. “What’s up?”

“You guys…wouldn’t happen to know a good place to stay would you? The kidnapping made my parents paranoid, and they don’t feel safe leaving me in that shack we call a house. So until they can afford a better place, they want me to live somewhere else.”

“We can ask Sensei if you can live in the apartments with us.” Takeo came up with a solution to Hiromi’s predicament.

“You can!? Please do!” Hiromi sounded excited to have a chance to live in the apartments.

“Of course.” Rhys smiled. “I’m sure Arisato will find a way to place you in a room. We’ll ask.”

“Thank you guys!” Hiromi checked her phone. “I’ll go let my parents know. Later Talons!” She ran off as Takeo, Rhys, and Solomon watched.

“She’ll make a good member you two.” Solomon reassured. “Let’s start heading back.”

The two of them nodded as they strengthened the numbers of their group. Hiromi Koda has joined the Talons of Peace.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Rhys, Takeo, and Solomon returned to the dorm as the moon began to set. As they walked in they noticed the lobby looked more filled than usual as the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team had finished moving into each of their rooms. Yosuke and Chie were put in a single room, as were Futaba and Yusuke. The rest of the new residents were put into rooms by themselves. In the lobby was Yosuke, Ken, and Morgana sitting on the couch near the TV, and Narukami and Ren sitting at the bar next to the entrance to the kitchen. Takeo went up to his room to finish some homework and Solomon flew to the top of one of the ceiling fans in the lobby while Rhys decided to first talk to the three sitting on the couch. He hadn’t had a proper conversation with the Prince of Junes yet, so he figured he’d get to know him.

“There’s our leader!” Junpei said while pointing at Rhys who had walked over to the couches.  He was sitting on the sofa chair in between the two couches Yosuke and Ken were sitting on. “What’s good Rhys-san!”

“Good evening, Iori-san.” Rhys greeted as he sat in the chair adjacent to Junpei.

“Were you able to get Koda-san caught up?” Ken asked as he wrote notes down in his journal.

“We got started. It’s gonna take a couple of days to get her fully caught up. Arisato is merciless with his notes.” Rhys answered as he yawned.

Yosuke had a pair of orange headphones on and was looking at his phone during the conversation. He eventually looked up and took them off when he noticed Rhys.

“Oh your name’s Rhys, right? I never actually introduced myself ‘cause I figured you already knew my name from the kidnappings. Either way, I’m Yosuke Hanamura. Thanks again for helping my friends save my skin. I owe you a drink sometime.”

“Don’t mention it.” Rhys nodded his head. “So what is it you do? I never really caught wind of what you make a living out of.”

“I work at a department store in Inaba called Junes. My dad runs the business and over time I took the role of head manager. I just recently told the old man I’ll be staying here for a while longer, so he put me on involuntary leave.”

“How long have you worked there?” Rhys asked.

“Basically since 2011. I tried college when I graduated but it was not for me, so I dropped out. My dad was struggling to keep Junes afloat, so I stayed to help him get it back up. The store is in good shape now since we merged with the Shopping District.”

“Do you have any more friends beside Narukami-san and your wife?”

Yosuke groaned. “Unfortunately, yeah. I’m just gonna warn you in advance some of them will say or do things that’ll leave you banging your head against a wall.”

“Did you guys ever go your separate ways like Arisato’s friends?”

“Hey we had lives to live Rhys-san!” Junpei exclaimed. “Going separate is natural in life!”

“Kinda. Narukami moved back to the city after the first year he was in Inaba. Some stayed in the town while others did things outside of Inaba. Narukami eventually moved to Inaba permanently after he got done with college.” Yosuke replied.

Rhys nodded as he began to get up. “Well I got something I need to take care of. It was nice getting to talk to you Yosuke-san.”

“You too Rhys-san.” Yosuke put his headphones back on as Rhys said later to Junpei and Ken.

Rhys walked over to the bar Ren and Narukami were sitting at to greet them.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?”

“Hey Kuramoto. We’re doing fine.” Ren greeted the new leader.

Narukami took a sip out of a shot glass. “What’s up leader? You doing good?”

“Yeah just dandy.” Rhys jokingly said. “Have you two seen Arisato anywhere? I need to ask him something.”

“Uh yeah. Arisato is-

Clanging pots can be heard from the kitchen before a faint “shit!”

“Doing something in there.” Ren pointed towards he kitchen.

“It smells good though.” Narukami sniffed the air.

“Got it. Thanks you two.” Rhys nodded at the other two Wild Cards as he walked into the kitchen. When he got in there, he saw Minato frantically trying to put a pan back on an eye. There was some vegetables in it alongside some beef. He began to turn the stove off as Rhys walked in. He noticed the transfer student and put the pan to the side.

“Need any help?” Rhys asked his teacher.

“Oh-uh no I just got done. I don’t know why I keep dropping the damn pans though. Might just be that I’m tired. Yukari assigned me to cook for her and the kids today. I might be decent at cooking, but I’m a school professor, not a chef.”

Rhys began to laugh. “I can relate. I had to learn how to cook just so my mom didn’t have to. She is my biggest critic.”

Minato laugh as well as he put a lid over the pan. “So what’s up? Did you get Koda-san up to speed in her material?”

“Kinda. But this is still about Hiro-san.”

“Oh? What about her?” Minato crossed his arms.

“She told me and Tak something earlier today. Her parents want her to live somewhere safer because of her kidnapping. So…I was wondering if she could live here? I already made her a member of the Talons so I think it would help if she was here all the time.”

Minato hummed. “This theoretically is a safe place. There are a ton of adults here all the time. And you said you filled her in on everything. If she is willing to help, then I see no problem with it. I’ll talk to Kirijo about it considering she bought the place, I’d go on ahead and tell her she can move in here. I’ll contact her parents myself.”

“She’ll be thrilled. When can she move in?” Rhys said with a thankful grin.

“Let’s try the 29^th. That’s Showa Day so you guys will be out of class for the holiday.”

“Got it. I’ll let her know tomorrow. Thanks Arisato.” Rhys dismissed with Minato as the bluenette agreed to get Hiromi a room in Otaru Apartments. After that, Rhys went back to his room and went to bed for the day.

4/28 – Tuesday

Hokkaido University – Entrance

Rhys walked to the university by himself today. On the way there, he decided to call his mother. He remembered she told him she was going to get a check up due to some coughs and forgot to call her. It had been a week since he called her.

While walking on the sidewalk he began to call her. Rhys put his phone back in his pocket since he had his headphones on and began to talk to his mom as he was walking to class.

“Hello?”

“Hey Ma. How are you doing?” Rhys began to speak in English.

“What do you mean dear?”

“Last week you said you were going to the doctor to check up on that cough, did you go?”

“Oh…yes I went.”

“What’d they say?”

“It’s nothing…doctors said it is just flu. It will pass eventually.”

“That’s good to hear.” Rhys said that as he heard his mom coughing. But…the cough was really aggressive. It sounded like the cough was physically draining her.

“I’ll be fine son. Now it is nighttime over here and I need my rest. So you get to class, okay?”

“Okay Ma, I’ll let you sleep. Love you.”

“Have fun Rhys. Love you too.” *click* The phone call ends. Even after she said it was just the flu, Rhys was still concerned about his mother. He felt there was more to it but he knew his mom would never lie to him about anything. He ended the call as he made it to the entrance to the university, where Hiromi was standing again.

“Hey Rhys-san! How’s it going?” Hirmoi waved at Rhys as he walked over.

“Good morning Hiro-san. I’m doing great. I walked by myself today. Takeo-san had to stop by some other part of campus.”

“So…” Hiromi began twiddling her thumbs. “What did Sensei say?”

“Hiro-san, looks like you’re the newest resident of Otaru Apartments.” Rhys said while grinning.

“Really!? He said yes!?” her eyes lit up.

“Yep. He said he would call your parents today and he and one of his friends would get your room assigned.”

“YES!” Hiromi jumped in the air, her black and purple hair flying all over her face as she jumped with excitement. “So when am I moving in?”

“Arisato suggested tomorrow since we’re out for Showa Day. For now, let’s get you caught up with everything.”

“Say less! C’mon let’s go.” Hiromi and Rhys walked to class for the day and proceeded as normal. Rhys began to feel like his life in Sapporo was going to be the best for him, and everything was gonna work out. His journey had only just begun.

Evening

Kita Ward – Unknown Company Tower

It is nighttime in Kita Ward and people have filed out of the sidewalks and streets. A bald man in a red velvet suit is walking on the district’s sidewalk towards one of the tall buildings there. He walks into the empty lobby, the only person there being a receptionist. She smiles politely and begins to greet him.

“Welcome to Ashina Refreshments! I’m sorry, but we’re about to close. If you wish to make an appointment, please sign the form on the counter.”

The man leaned forward and looked the receptionist with cold eyes. “Sanguis pro Chaos.” He sternly spoke. The smile on the receptionist vanished and she pressed a button on her desk that calls the elevator in the lobby.

“They’re waiting for you…my Deacon.”

Deacon nodded as he walked into the elevator. The door shut but instead of going to a higher floor, the elevator began to go down despite Deacon not pressing any of the buttons. As the elevator descended underground, he began to slip on black gloves and pulled out his white-fur wolf mask that went over his entire head. As he put it on, he took a deep breath and the elevator stopped.

The door began to open to a concrete hallway, candles lighting it to a black door at the end. Before the door were two heavily armed Hounds of Chaos. They wore red hoods over the back of their heads and black leather wolf masks on their faces. Along with what they wore on their heads, the two guards wore black trench coats that covered their entire body.

“The others are waiting for you Deacon.” One of the guards said as they both bowed while placing their right fist on their chests.

“Very well.” Deacon nodded as he opened the door. Behind the door was a meeting room of sorts. It was a long narrow room with candles hoisted on the walls. A dim lamp lit the top of the room and in the room itself was a long table with papers and books placed all over it. In the room were two other members of the Hounds, but like Deacon were dressed differently from the average grunt.

The one to the left of the table from Deacon’s view was a man. He was taller than Deacon and the other hound and wore a silver metal wolf mask. The mask only covered the top of his head to his nose. The inner part of the mask’s ears had a darker shade of silver compared to the rest of the mask. This darker shade covered the inner part of the mask’s forehead and went down a narrow line to the nose. The outer frame of the mask was a dark red that bled into the inner parts of the mask in a branch like pattern. Underneath his mask, the Hound was covering his entire head and neck with a black full-face mask. He wore a dark, midnight blue tailcoat that came with a hood. He had the hood over his head. On the tailcoat itself was silver wrist gauntlets and small shouler pads on each side, with the coat being zipped up with a leather grey vest.

To Deacon’s right was a woman the same size as him. Her wolf mask covered her entire face, but not her medium length orange hair. Her mask was made out of wood and looked like a wolf’s skull with the addition of pale white ears. The white wolf skull mask was etched with a dark orange trellis pattern. She wore a long, white poncho over black slacks and a white long sleeve and black tactical vest.

“You’re late Deacon.” The man in the dark blue tailcoat spoke to him.

“There were other matters to attend to Cardinal. I’m sure you would understand. Besides, I’m not the only one late it seems.” He turns to look at the woman. “Do you know where the others are Bishop?”

Bishop crossed her arms. “It will just be us three tonight. The two Archbishops are gathering more leads.”

“Those two are our sources for our targets.” Deacon scowled. “Did the Alpha authorize this?

“Yes.” Cardinal replied. “The Alpha informed me of their absences. But that is not the matter of this meeting.”

“What is the report on the Wraith from the Citadel of Envy? The Alpha has grown impatient with your silence Deacon.”  Bishop ordered their colleague to speak.

“The Citadel of Envy was a failure.”

“Failed!?” Cardinal exclaimed. “Explain Deacon!”

“We were making the preparations for the sacrifices in order to tame the Wraith. However, on the 25^th, I had to leave for other matters. During my absence, their friends attacked and saved them. In the process…they killed the Wraith.”

“But that’s impossible!” Bishop shouted. “The Wraiths are too powerful, that’s why we wanted to tame them to begin with.”

Cardinal sighed. “What of our men? Were there any casualties.”

Deacon began to laugh. “Oh yes. All of them were killed. Three of them were killed by their own hands.”

“Oh Really?” Cardinal began to look at an ancient book on the table. “It’s just as the prophecy said. “In the journey, the righteous heroes will sacrifice their morals. Morals contradicting their codes to spare the lives of their enemies.”

“If the prophecy really is coming to pass, does that mean..?” Bishop began to gasp.

“I believe it does.” Cardinal looked at Deacon again. “Was he there Deacon?”

“Yes. Logan’s little brother was there. Rhys Kuramoto.”

“The Kingslayer…” The two other Hounds whispered to themselves.

“They don’t know our true intentions yet.” Deacon grabbed the ancient book and began to flip through the pages. “Let’s keep it that way.”

“Who does the prophecy say the Kingslayer meets next?” Bishop asked. “He already met the last line of intellectual blood and the framed victim.”

Deacon began to read pages aloud from the book. “In the next chapter of the Kingslayer’s journey, he will meet another ally to his cause. The one who was abandoned at birth, lived a life of mockery, and only sees the world through one eye…”

“One eye?” Cardinal asked. “So we must search for a monophthalmic?”

“It seems so. They have already created their cause.” Deacon scowled.

“Yes. The Talons of Peace.”  Bishop growled.

Cardinal got a buzz from his phone. “Ah. It seems the Archbishops have found our two other targets.”

“Good.” Deacon breathed. “For now, we should lie low, and wait for the cyclops to make themselves known. We will begin to make our move on the 15^th of May.”

“Agreed.” Bishop nodded. “This is your assignment Deacon.”

“Don’t fail the Alpha again.” Cardinal scowled towards Deacon. The three then put their fists over their chests. “To the glory of Chaos!” The three chanted. The hierarchy of the Hounds of Chaos dismissed, their goals in mind, and their next targets located.

Chapter Text

5/5 – Tuesday – Children’s Day

Otaru Apartments – Midday

For the past week, Rhys has been taking it slow in Sapporo. He and Takeo helped Hiromi move into her room last Wednesday and she’s gotten acquainted with the rest of the Persona users. Over the week, Rhys got to learn more about Ren and Narukami, but didn’t actually really know them. They were still strangers to him and if he was going to be their leader, he knew he had to learn their histories. That could also be said for the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team. In the past week, Rhys was able to strengthen his bonds with Takeo, Minato, Kotone and Eiichiro. He helped Takeo learn some new study methods two days in a row, hung out with Minato for a day, then watched over Kotone and Eiichiro the next night. He spent the rest of his week studying and training.  

Today was Children’s Day, and the university took the day off, despite the students being outside the age of a child. Rhys was practicing the guitar he ordered from Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities last week as it came in two days ago. His fingers began to get sore from pressing them against the fretted strings for too long. He decided to take a break and go down to the lobby.

In the lobby was Narukami, drawing a picture of a mountain in his journal. He began to close the journal and put his pencil in his blazer pocket before looking up Rhys.

“Hey Kuramoto-san, how’s the guitar going?” He asked the blond.

“Eh I’m taking a break. I’m getting individual notes down but the chords began to hurt my fingers.” Rhys looked at his left fingers and could see where the strings dug into his skin.

“It takes practice. Believe me I know.” Narukami said as he got up. “You’re out for Children’s Day right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Wanna go somewhere? I think it’s time I tell you what went down in my journey.”

“Really? Arisato told me about his, so I was wondering when you or Amamiya-san would tell me yours.”

“We’ve known each other for some time now, and I want you to trust us, so I figure the best way to do that would be to tell you my journey.” Narukami said while checking his phone.

“Well where should we go then?” Rhys asked.

“A park will do. Let’s get moving.” Narukami and Rhys began to leave the lobby as the day went on.

Teine Inazumi Park

Narukami and Rhys sat on a bench in the pleasant, quiet park. The sun was out, and it was a decently warm temperature with clear blue skies.

“This is a nice park.” Narukami nodded while he looked around at the trees, pavement, and grass.

“I’m with you there.” Rhys said as he opened a bottle of water he brought with him. “Now, what’s your story?”

“It’s a long one, so get comfortable.” Narukami took a deep breath before telling Rhys the events of Inaba in 2011.

“It was April of 2011, my mom and dad traveled. A lot. I learned we were gonna have to move overseas again, but instead of taking me with them, my mother had a different suggestion. She suggested I go live with her brother, my uncle, for the year they would be gone. I was always a city kid, so moving to the countryside would be a nice change of pace for once. So, I took a train to a small remote town called Inaba. On the train ride there, I fell asleep and woke up in the Velvet Room, I didn’t know what to make of it so I chalked it up as some weird dream. I make it to Inaba’s train station and see my uncle along with his daughter. We greeted one another and then he began to drive me into town. On the way to their house, we stopped at a gas station. Remember this part for later. I decided to get out while my uncle got the car refilled. Before I got back into the car, one of the employees offered me a job there. He told me to think about it as he held out his hand as a way of welcoming me. I shook his hand, but three seconds later, I got a terrible headache and felt like utter crap. As soon as we got to their house, I unpacked my stuff where I would be staying and went to sleep to shake off the sudden fever. The next day was my first day of being a student at Yasogami High. I met Yosuke that day but didn’t actually talk to him yet. I got to class and was introduced to my classmates by some dick named Morooka, who was our homeroom teacher. That day I met Chie, and another girl named Yukiko Amagi. After the day was over, we were told to stay in our classrooms a little while longer. Couple of minutes later, we heard sirens blaring and we were told we could leave. Me, Yukiko, and Chie walked home from class together and stumbled across what the commotion was about. Apparently someone had been murdered and were strung up on an antenna. It creeped us out and we decided to head home for the day. Later that night, the news stated the victim was a famous announcer. This same reporter was having an affair with a secretary of the city council. The next day I go to school and this is the day I begin to talk with Yosuke.”

“So what’s the importance with the affair?” Rhys asked.

"That’ll come back later. A lot of things are connected to later event, but back to the story. After the day, Yosuke takes me and Chie to Junes, where he and his Dad work. While there, Yosuke goes to talk to a girl he liked at the time named Saki Konishi. Afterwards, Chie brings up a rumor that began in Inaba. It was called the Midnight Hour. If you stare at a black screen of a on a rainy night, you will supposedly meet your soulmate. I figured I’d give Chie’s rumor a try. I stared at the TV screen that rainy midnight, and it turned on. I saw a silhouette of a girl, but what happened next I still remember to this day. I reached towards the TV, and my hand went straight through. I got pulled in but was able to pull myself back out. My heart was pounding, I had no idea what had just happened. I decided to tell Yosuke and Chie about it the next day. The next day, I overheard students gossiping about how Saki was the one who discovered the body of the murder victim. Chie brought the rumor up to me and Yosuke before we talked about the Midnight Channel. Apparently we all saw the same girl, but I told them about how my hand went inside the TV. They didn’t believe me, and I didn’t blame them. They joked how I got stuck halfway because my TV was too small. Chie was looking for a new TV so the three of us went to Junes to see what she could get. While Yosuke was showing Chie available TV’s I wanted to put their joke to the test about my TV being too small, so I reached out towards a larger flat screen. My hand went in again, and the two saw the whole thing. I then stuck my head in, I couldn’t see anything though. In a struggle to hide me, the two frantically ran into the TV, shoving me and themselves into it completely. We fell for what felt like forever, until we hit the ground of what looked like a weird studio or set. We panicked for a bit before deciding to walk around and look for an exit. There was a thick fog covering the entire place. We eventually made it to a normal looking room, except it had a scarf hung like a noose and torn posters scattered around the walls. We decided to head back where we came in and met someone who lived in this world. He called himself Teddie and said someone was apparently throwing people into his world. Teddie then gave us a way to head back to our world. He pushed us out and we made it back. Creeped out and tired, we all went home and rested. The next day it was raining again, and we were called for a school meeting. We learned overnight Saki Konishi was found dead, murdered just like the announcer. Heated, Yosuke came up with the assumption Saki was the one we saw on the Midnight Channel two nights ago. He heard other students talking about how when they checked the Midnight Channel a couple nights before, the announcer was who showed up for them.”

“So people who showed up on the Midnight Channel died?" Rhys jumped to a conclusion.

“Exactly. That’s what Yosuke believed. He then suggested we go back to the TV world to get answers. Chie was heavily against going back in, so we didn’t force her to go. She stayed behind and held a rope attached to Yosuke. That rope snapped when we got in. We met Teddie again and after a brief back and forth, me and Yosuke talked about how both bodies were discovered when fog settled in after a rainy day. Teddie then states how when it’s foggy in his world, the fog lifts in ours, and the other way around. After some more back and forth, I promise Teddie to help find the culprit so he eventually will let us back out. Teddie then tells us he can take us to where Saki was thrown in before handing us some glasses that gets rid of the fog in the TV world. He takes us to a part of the world that looks like a part of Inaba. Suddenly we’re attacked by shadows. This is where I awakened to Izanagi, my original Persona. After I defeated the shadows, we went inside one of the buildings, which was a liquor store owned by Saki’s family. In there Yosuke heard some rather negative things Saki said about him before seeing a shadow that looked just like him.”

“Just like him?” Rhys raised an eyebrow. “Shadows are one’s suppressed feelings. The ones they purposely hide. That means Yosuke was hiding his true intentions.”

“Correct. The more Yosuke’s shadow kept talking, revealing his true feelings, Yosuke got more and more mad before shouting “You’re not me!” Yosuke rejecting his true feelings caused the shadow to become aggressive. I fought and defeated Yosuke’s shadow. Yosuke had to accept his shadow for it to not be aggressive. Once he accepted his true feelings, Yosuke’s shadow turned into his Persona.”

“His shadow turned into his Persona?”

“Yep. We decided to call it there and go back to the other world. Chie berated us before leaving. On the way back, I saw Yukiko and talked to her for a bit on the rainy day. That evening, she was being interviewed by a reporter on TV due to her mother giving her the reigns of their job.”

“Job?”

“Yukiko’s family owned the Amagi Inn. It’s where the announcer was staying when she was murdered. The reporter kept asking weird questions to her. I decided to check the Midnight Channel again.”

“Yukiko was the next victim I assume?”

“Damn you catch on quick. At first it was just a vague silhouette of her, so we couldn’t tell it was her. The next day me and Yosuke apologized to Chie, but she brushed it off as Yukiko wasn’t at school for the day. We began to grow worried until Chie got a call from Yukiko saying she was helping out with the Inn. Crisis averted…or so we thought.”

“Did the Midnight Channel air again?”

“Yes. This time it showed Yukiko clear as day. But this time, she was dressed like some princess and acted like some weird TV host. Behind her was an enormous castle she ran into.”

“I take it that was her shadow?”

“Yep. The next day we went into the TV. This time Chie insisted she go in with us, even though she didn’t have a Persona. With Teddie’s help, we made it to the castle Yukiko was in. Chie ended up confronting her shadow our first time in the castle and then she got her Persona. We planned to save Yukiko before the fog settles in the TV world.”

“Because when the fog settles, the shadows attack the victim?”

“You put the pieces together well Kuramoto. It took a while, but we saved Yukiko from her fate, with her confronting her shadow as well. Eventually, we make a vow to keep checking the Midnight Channel for any future victims, with Yukiko joining our cause.”

“And that’s how your group of Persona users came to be?”

“Right on. As months passed, we saved more people who were kidnapped, who joined our cause. At one point there was a copycat, which threw us off our pursuit for the culprit. Months later, there was a kidnapping that made us think we caught the killer. Remember that secretary that had the affair?”

“It was him?”

“Yes and no. His name was Taro Namatame. We defeated him and saved the person who was kidnapped. For a while, that person died after we saved them. It put us all in a frenzy, wanting to make Namatame pay. We were so close to making Namatame pay, but then there was something he said that make me question everything.”

“You started to second guess yourself? What caused it?”

“He kept saying the people we rescued were the ones he “saved.” If that was the belief he followed, then the person who died in that hospital bed would have been someone he failed to save. We vowed to find the truth from that point on. Couple of days later, we ask Namatame his side of the story. He said he saw the announcer he was in an affair with on the Midnight Channel, the next day she was dead. The same thing happened with Saki Konishi. He decided to act once Yukiko showed up on the TV. He thought throwing her into the TV would keep her safe, when he unintentionally was sending them to their deaths. Namatame showed his guilt after learning what the TV world truly was. He begged us to find the true culprit. As this is all happening, a thick, green fog began to fill Inaba. And it wouldn’t go away.”

“Was the TV world’s fog bleeding into the real world.”

“Yes. The two worlds were merging. In the middle of this merging, we found the true culprit. It was a detective who worked with my uncle. Tohru Adachi. We chased him into the TV world, where he revealed he was behind the two murders and was helping merge the two worlds. When we defeated him, an entity known as Ameno-sagiri emerged from him. It was a spirit of fog, believing itself the granter of humanity’s desires. It believed humans believed in a world covered in fog, oblivious to the world around them, only wanting to see what we wanted. It didn’t see the potential of humans using Personas though. We proved it wrong by defeating it. It vanished as we defeated the spirit and vowed to keep searching for the truth.”

“A sagiri is simply a spirit. In Arisato’s story, they fought a literal goddess.”

“We did too. Months go by and I’m preparing to leave Inaba, but something was bugging me. How was I able to enter the TV, but my friends couldn’t before getting their Persona? The same thing was bugging Adachi, as he sent me a letter talking about how the rumors of the Midnight Channel only started after he and Namatame arrived in Inaba. So the same person who gave them their power had to have given them to me as well.”

“And it was only after they first arrived in Inaba, so it had to be someone you greeted on your first day…The gas attendant?”

“You remembered. Yes, as weird and unorthodox as it seems, the gas attendant I saw when I first arrived to Inaba last year was the one responsible for everything. The gas station employee turned out to be Izanami, a goddess. She had awakened the powers of me, Adachi, and Namatame to find humanity’s true desires. Adachi’s actions affected humanity more than what me or Namatame did, so Izanami based humanity’s wish as a world covered in fog. But we wouldn’t let her win. We vowed. I vowed. To live in a world not of fog, but to seek the truth. It was through our bonds we defeated her. The fog was gone at last. And that’s my story. Well…most of it.”

“Good enough for me. So you defeated Izanami? That’s cool.” Rhys got up and stretched from listening to the long story.

“As long as you say so.” Narukami got up as well. “Listen Rhys, I’ll give you all the help I can get. Even if it’s just you finding the truth to how your brother died. I know a thing or two about searching for the truth.” Narukami held his hand out.

“I’m counting on it Narukami.” Rhys shook Narukami’s hand, better understanding him after hearing his journey. He began to feel a faint bond form between the two of them.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Sun Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

“Which one did I get?” Narukami asked, sensing the bond forged.

“Arisato asked the same thing.” Rhys began to chuckle. “You got Sun.”

“Sounds about right.” Narukami and Rhys laughed. “Told you that would take a while to tell you. We should head back.”

Rhys began to walk with Narukami back to the apartments, now understanding the journey the silver haired Wild Card went on.

Chapter Text

5/6 – Wednesday

Hokkaido University – Lunchtime

Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi were sitting in one of Hokkaido University’s food courts, killing time until their next class by eating lunch and talking about many topics. The three began to grow close as a trio of friends. Rhys felt like he was finally making friends for the first time in years. The last person he ever called friend after his brother’s death was Aiden Foster, a delinquent like him. Aiden moved five years ago but he never told the blond transfer student where he was being moved to. Rhys always wondered where his childhood friend was now.

“Earth to Rhys? Hellooooo?” Hiromi snapped her fingers in Rhys’s face. “Dude, you’re doing it again…”

“Oh-sorry.” Rhys got out of his trance. He was holding a chopsticks and eating while he began to think about Aiden.

“You good Rhys-san?” Takeo asked concerned about his friend. “You been doing that a lot lately.”

“Yeah I’m good man.” Rhys put his chopsticks down. “Just thinking about a childhood friend I had.”

“In America?” Hiromi asked.

“Yeah. He moved five years ago so I just wonder if I’ll ever see him again.”

“He was your friend that much?” Takeo asked next.

Rhys leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. I met him a couple of months after my brother passed. He was causing the same trouble I caused. We were a mischievous bunch. But when I began to get my act together, he promised to get better too. He was like a new brother. Someone who filled in the void left by Logan’s death.”

“Well…I’m sure he thinks the same of you Rhys-san.” Hiromi said while smiling towards Rhys.

Rhys nodded and smiled when Ken walked by, carrying a bunch of boxes in one hand and more in the other. Ken placed the heavy boxes on the table next to the trio to take a breather.

“Oh hey you three.” Ken greeted them while stretching his arms. “Could I ask a favor out of you?”

“Sure Amada-senpai!” Takeo cracked his knuckles. “Need some strong men to carry those boxes?”

“If you could, please. The first load was pretty light. So I thought I could carry it all. I underestimated how heavy it could get.”  Ken replied while breathing in and out.

“What’s in the boxes?” Rhys asked while looking at them.

“Just some books for the Student Council. They’re mainly on things such as how we could be a better at leadership and such. I’m taking them to our meeting room.”

“Sure. We’ll help.” Hiromi nodded.

“You’ll have to show me where the Student Council Room is though.” Rhys told Ken as he picked up one of the boxes. “I haven’t been to that side of campus yet.”

“Of course!” Ken smiled as Takeo and Hiromi picked up two other boxes as he picked up the last. “I’ll take you there.” The three followed Hokkaido’s Student Council President to the committee’s meeting room.

Student Council Meeting Room

“Thanks you three. Just set them on this table.” The trio followed Ken into the meeting room and began to set the boxes down on a table in the center.

“Whoo.” Hiromi wiped some sweat from her brow. “You weren’t kidding. Those boxes can get heavy…” She began to stop speaking as she noticed a woman on the far side of the table looking at a book. “Oh god.” Hiromi groaned immediately recognizing who it was.

“What are you groaning about Hiro-chan?” Takeo said as he began to look up and see the woman too. “Ah great. Here we go…” He groaned afterward.

Rhys began to look up from placing his box down. He looked at the woman too. “What’s up with you guys? You don’t sound too fond of whoever that is.”

“Oh don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough.” Hiromi whispered to the transfer student.

Rhys could only see the left side of her face, as she was turned sideways when looking at the book. She had red-blonde hair pulled back by a dark green slick headband. She was wearing a formal attire like Ken. It was a dark green suit jacket and slacks with a white button up and a black tie. On her left arm was a yellow Student Council arm band.

The woman looked up and noticed Ken out of her left eye. “Oh, hello Amada-senpai. Are those the new books for us to read?” She said as she put down the one she was reading.

“Yes they are Suzuki-san.” Ken said to the woman.

The woman stood up and turned her entire body towards Ken and the trio. Rhys was at first caught off guard. “Oh shit…” He said in his head as he looked at her full face. The woman had a large eyepatch covering her right eye and a small part of her face near the covered eye. Rhys knew this was a time to stay quiet and be respectful.

“Oh. I see you requested the help of Hattori-san and Koda-san. But that one is new. Is he the transfer?” The woman asked.

“That would be correct. You two haven’t met yet. This is Rhys Kuramoto. Kuramoto-san, this is Emiko Suzuki. She is a second year like you and the head of the Disciplinary Committee. I hope she’s the one to take my spot as President once I graduate.”

“Nice to meet you Suzuki-san.” Rhys bowed to greet Emiko.

“Hmm.” Emiko grunted. “I hope you’re staying out of trouble and doing decent in your classes. The company you’re around says otherwise.”

“Yeah nice to see you too Suzuki-san.” Hiromi rolled her eyes in annoyance to the remark.

“Apologies Senpai, but I must get going. I have more important matters to attend to then socializing with students. Have a good day.” Emiko stated as she began to walk out of the Council Room door.

“Of course, Suzuki-san. You have a good day as well.” Ken dismissed her as she left.

“Maaaaan.” Takeo groaned. “Why is she always like that?!”

“Yeah Rhys-san, that was your first introduction to the high and might CYCLOPS of Hokkaido University.” Hiromi scowled.

“Koda-san!” Ken shouted at Hiromi in disappointment. “That is disrespectful to your peer!”

“And?” Hiromi fired back. “Just because she has one eye doesn’t give her the right to be a complete bitch.”

“That’s not the- Ken stopped himself and sighed. “Look, just be more respectful next time, okay?”

“Yeah Hiro-chan. Don’t want her waving her mighty disciplinary wand around. Let’s dip. I’m annoyed now.” Takeo scowled as he and Hiromi left the Council Room.

Rhys was still just standing there as Ken put his hands over his eyes sighed. “Sorry you had to see that Kuramoto-san. There’s some history there you don’t know about.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to her…you know?” Rhys tried to stay respectful but was still a little nosey for his own good.

“Her eye? She was born with some condition that required doctors to remove her right eye and the tissue around it years later. Suzuki-san is very private about that information, and I don’t necessarily blame her.” Ken answered.

“Why were those two not fans of her? They looked like they hated her guts.”

“Suzuki-san was made part of the Disciplinary Committee her second semester here. Since then, there have been times when…she might have abused her power every now and then.”

“How so?”

“Punishing students who broke rules, even if they were minor rules. I don’t know why she treats her fellow students the way she does, but it hasn’t given her a great reputation. I don’t hold it against her because I can tell she must have had a terrible past.”

Rhys sighed. “I can relate. If you lived a terrible childhood, you won’t exactly grow up to be a good person.”

“Yeah. That’s right. Kuramoto-san, if you ever talk to Suzuki-san again, just please treat her with kindness and not hold her attitude against her. She can’t help it.”

“Of course.” Rhys nodded. “She hasn’t done anything to me. I have no reason to quarrel with her.”

“Thank you.” Ken said as he looked at his phone. “Crap, looks like classes are starting up again. You and I best get out of here.”

Ken and Rhys left the meeting room and went their separate ways to class. As Rhys hurried to his class, he began to think about Emiko again. That sure was a wild first impression. He thought about talking to her again if he saw her again.

Afterschool

Rhys began to walk back to the apartments by himself as Takeo and Hiromi left in a hurry, still aggravated with Emiko’s comments earlier in the day. As he was walking, he heard his phone buzz. Rhys checked his phone to see a text message from Mitsuru. He remembered over the last week, as the Persona users got comfortable living together, he went around asking for their numbers for easy communication within the group. He wondered what Kirijo could want.

“A new arrival huh?” Rhys said to himself as he put his phone back in his left pocket. “Wonder who it is.”

Rhys then began to continue his way back home as he planned to spend the night studying and wrapping up assignments.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Ren’s POV

Ren is sitting in his apartment, filling out paperwork regarding legal agreements for stores to start distributing Okumura Foods’ coffee in stores. He first wanted to see how it would sale in Tokyo before sending it out to more stores in Japan. Morgana is sitting on a couch in his room as he finished filling out his last contract.

“And done.” Ren groans as he tosses the pen and leans back in his chair.

“That’s a new record!” Morgana cheered while looking at a stopwatch set on his desk. “This time you finished in…4 hours, 35 minutes, and 12 seconds.”

“Why does it take forever just to write my name on so…many…papers?” Ren began to yawn.

“You look tired. You should go to-

“If you tell me to go to bed one more time Morgana…” Ren interrupted the cat.

“Had to try…” He hisses.

As Ren looks back at his desk, he looks at a photo he has propped on it. It is him next to a woman with medium-length brown hair and red eyes. They’re standing in front of a mountain with Ren’s arm around the woman’s side. He then sighs as he looks at his phone next.

“You haven’t called her yet, have you?” Morgana puts two and two together when he sees Ren’s mood change.

“…No. I’ve been procrastinating it.”

“I’ll leave the room. You call her so she doesn’t murder you later.” Morgana went into the bedroom of the apartment.

“Murder…right.” Ren chuckled to himself as he picked up his phone and began to call one of the contacts in his list of numbers, but perhaps one of if not the most important to him, Makoto Amamiya.

Tokyo

Shibuya Police Department

Makoto’s POV

At one of the desks inside the Shibuya Police Department, Makoto Amamiya is filling out paperwork of an arrest she made earlier in the day. It was nothing too serious, just another drunk causing problems in Shibuya’s streets. She was in her police uniform while wearing a pair of reading glasses. She looked up after finishing before looking at her ring and sighing.

“Where are you?” Makoto whispered to herself. She then looked at one of the TVs in the station, airing news coverage on the recent events in Sapporo. These events being the growing aggression of the Hounds of Chaos and the emergence of the Talons of Peace.

“That looks crazy don’t it?” A male police officer walked over to Makoto while drinking a cup of coffee.

“Yes it does. Kinda looks familiar if you ask me.” Makoto said as she crossed her arms.

“The weird cult part or the group opposing them?” The other officer asked her.

“The other group. What did the news call them?”

“The Talons of Peace.” The officer scoffed. “I know what you mean. I swear we don’t need more teenagers running around playing Phantom Thief.”

Makoto chuckled. “I don’t think they’re playing Officer Tatsu.”

“I’m serious.” The officer replied. “Apparently that Hound group has gotten so dangerous and mixed with this new group coming out of nowhere, it got the SIU’s attention.”

Makoto groaned. “Oh god, really? Why are they putting their nose in it? The last time this happened the SIU got into some trouble.”

“You gotta remember the Phantom Thief business was ten years ago Officer Amamiya. New management has taken over. I heard they already have a detective assigned to investigate it.”

“Who?” Makoto curiously asked.

“Some bigshot.  Been doing this sorta thing since 2011 in some small town. Probably another one of them who calls themself “ace detective.” Ugh.” The officer groaned at the thought.

“Well, if they really have changed, I’m sure they picked someone who has decent morals.” Makoto said as she got up from her chair. “I’m clocking out.”

“Lucky. I got night patrols this time. You stay safe and have a good night Officer Amamiya.” The male officer yawned as he said goodbye to Makoto.

“You as well Officer Tatsu.” Makoto nodded her head as she left the Police Department.

As Makoto is walking through the streets of Shibuya, she begins to think to herself about many things going on as well as what to do once she gets home.

I figure Ren isn’t going to be home tonight. What should I treat myself to? Maybe some ramen? Or maybe a beef bowl? I wonder why he hasn’t called in a couple of days. Didn’t he say he and Okumura-chan were on a business trip in Sapporo? Where those two groups are fighting each other? Hmm…

*BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ*

Makoto hears her phone begin to ring as she is walking and checks it. Her eyes lit up when she saw its Ren calling. She accepts the call immediately.

“Hello?” She said excitedly.

“Hey hey. How’s my badass wife doing?” Ren’s replies and asks Makoto.

“Well if I’m being honest, I could be doing better. But my day has been made better since you finally called.” She chuckled.

“Yeah sorry about that.” Ren apologized. “I’ve had to sign so many contracts and go to one too many meetings.”

“Don’t apologize Ren-Ren.” Makoto says as she boards a train. “I’ve been busy too you know.”

“Well you are a cop soo…”

“Hey, where did you say the business trip was at again?” Makoto wanted to confirm where Ren was and hopefully he didn’t say Sapporo.

“Sapporo. I thought I told you. Why?” Ren asked.

“The news has been covering what’s happening over there. Do you know about it?”

“You talking about the Hounds of Chaos?”

“Yeah. And that other one.”

“Other one?” Ren tried to remain oblivious to not give himself away. He doesn’t want Makoto to get involved after seeing how dangerous the Hounds really are.

“They called themselves the Talons of Peace, but the news hasn’t confirmed seeing any of them yet.”

“Hmmm.” Ren hummed.

“Ren. It IS just a business trip, right?” Makoto concernedly asked.

“Yes Makoto. Don’t worry, me and Haru are just here on business for mergers and such. We’re not in danger and we sure aren’t getting involved with whatever the hell is happening with those two sides.”

“As long as you say so.” Makoto sighs in relief. “When will you be back?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Ren sighed in shame for having to lie. “It all depends on how the next meetings go. But we might be here for a couple more months if push comes to shove.”

“A couple of months?” Makoto asked in disappointment. “Are they that important?”

“They’re expansions of Okumura Foods Makoto. I’d assume so. I’m sorry. Just know that I miss you more than anything in the world.” Ren tries to relieve Makoto after breaking the news to her.

He hears her breathe a deep sigh over the phone. “I miss you too Ren. As long as you’re safe and not doing anything dumb I’ll be fine.”

“Good to hear my lady.” Ren jokingly says as he hears Makoto chuckle. “Well, I gotta get some rest. And you should too Officer.”

Makoto gets off at a train station near home. “You know me too well. Bye Ren, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Ren hangs up the phone call soon after.

Makoto walks home and feels relieved Ren is safe and not involved in the situation in Sapporo. She begins to think of one question now that the news in Tokyo has begun covering it. Who are the Hounds of Chaos?

5/7 – Thursday

Sapporo Station – Afterschool

Rhys’s POV

Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi are standing outside the Sapporo Station, waiting for a train to arrive. In the train would be a member of the Shadow Operatives. Mitsuru asked Rhys to escort them to the apartments. She only gave him a name and nothing else. He brought Takeo and Hiromi along after yesterday’s exchange with Emiko to learn more about the one-eyed Council member.

“Hey Rhys-san, sorry for being a jerk yesterday.” Hiromi said as they waited for the train.

“Yeah I’m sorry too.” Takeo said afterwards. “We sorta just bolted out of there after what Suzuki-san said yesterday.”

“Yeah what was that about?” Rhys asked. “Senpai said she tended to abuse her power as head of the Disciplinary Committee. Is that true?”

“Yep.” Hiromi groaned. “She can be rude and infuriating to deal with.”

“Why?” Ren pried out of his friends.

“It’s personal stuff to her. As much as I hate how she treats people, I respect her boundaries and personal life not to ask too much.” Takeo answered with a sigh.

Rhys figured he wouldn’t get more out of the two, so he changed the subject. “Where is that train?” He said as he checked his watch. “It should’ve been here by now.”

“Who exactly are we waiting for?” Hiromi asked. “You said Kirijo-san told you it was one of her friends.”

“All she gave me was that it was a retired member of the Shadow Operatives. She stated his name was Koromaru. That’s all she said, plus to not tell Senpai.”

“Koromaru?” Hiromi raised one of her eyebrows. “What kind of a name is that? She didn’t even give you a last name or anything?”

“It’s gotta be a codename!” Takeo said while thinking who this “Koromaru” could be. “It must be some grizzled old head coming out of retirement. Do you think he could be a badass?! He’s gotta be!”

As soon as Takeo asked, a train came to a halt in the station.

“Guess we’re gonna find out.” Rhys said as he and his friends began to scan each person who walked out of the train. “Look for an old person who looks like he could be good in a fight or something.”

The trio began to look at each person in the station, none fit the assumed description of Koromaru. Takeo notice a tall old man wearing a trench coat and thought it was him.

“Excuse me? Are you Koromaru?” Takeo asked the old man.

The man scoffed and walked away. “Hey! No need to be a dick about it!” Takeo shouted as he walked off.

The train station had become empty as each person walked out of the train. No one could find whoever Koromaru was.

“Ugh I had no luck.” Hiromi groaned. “Were you two able to find him?”

“No…” Takeo sighed.

“No luck either.” Rhys said. “Do we got it wrong?”

“Excuse me! Over here!” Rhys heard a man in a suit calling them. He looked old, so could that be him?

The trio walked over to the older individual in the suit. “You must be the ones Kirijo-san said would be here. Nice to meet you.”

“I take it you’re Koromaru?” Rhys asked.

“Yeah. We heard you need escorting!” Takeo said afterwards.

“Oh no-I’m not Koromaru. I am just a scientist from the Kirijo Group sent to make sure he made the trip by train.” He answered.

“What?” Hiromi began to get annoyed. “Then who and where the hell is Koromaru?!”

The man then looked at the inside of the train. “It’s okay Koro-chan. Come on out.”

“Wait Koro-chan?” Rhys asked confused. Why was he calling a retired member “chan?”

Rhys’s jaw dropped as he noticed out of the train came an albino Shiba Inu with pure red eyes. The dog was wearing a white harness with small wings on it.

Hiromi’s eyes lit up in shock. “No frickin way…”

“This is Koromaru.” The Kirijo Group scientist introduced the albino dog.

“What the?!” Takeo jumped. “A DOG!?”

“Woof!” Koromaru barked at Takeo.

“The retired Shadow Operative’s just an adorable little dog!” Hiromi crouched and began to rub Koromaru’s head.

“Wait was Koromaru around during the events in Port Island?” Rhys asked the scientist.

“Yes. That makes him around 20 years old.”

“TWENTY YEARS!?” The trio shouted in confusion. “How is this little guy still alive?!” Takeo asked.

“We’re not sure of the nature of Koromaru’s increased lifespan compared to average dogs, but we believe it is one of the gifts granted by his Persona.”

“His Persona? That lets him live longer?” Rhys became intrigued at the ability of a Persona allowing an animal to live longer.

“However, Koro-chan’s body still ages and it still takes a toll on his agility. With some proper treatment, we were able to get him back in the fight. He actually insisted to return.” The scientist crouched to pet Koromaru, who was sitting and panting as usual.

“Is that so Koro-chan?” Hiromi baby-talked the albino Shibe.

“Woof!” Koromaru barked.

“One more thing you three. Could you inform Kirijo-san of something?”

“Sure thing.”  Rhys nodded while petting Koromaru. “What is it?”

The scientist began to walk back towards the train. “Tell her that Aigis will be ready by next month.”

“Aigis?” Takeo asked. “What’s up with these weird-ass names?”

“Sounds Greek or something. Either way, we’ll let her know.” Hiromi said while smirking at the scientist.

“Thank you, you three.” The scientist nodded as the train sounded off to leave. “I should be departing. I’ll leave Koromaru with you. Safe travels!”

“Likewise.” Rhys nodded and waved goodbye as the train left the station. The trio now had to walk from Koromaru to Otaru Apartments.

Takeo began to laugh out of nowhere. “Hehe. Hahaahahaha. HAHAHAH!”

“Whoa Takeo-san! What are you busting a gut over?” Hiromi looked on as he kept laughing.

“What do you think Morgana and Solomon are gonna do? You think Koro-chan is going to chase Morgana?” Takeo asked before he continued to laugh.

“Oh…hehehehe.” Hiromi began to chuckle at the thought of a panicking Morgana and Solomon.

Rhys chuckled a bit before looking down at Koromaru. “You ready to see your friends again Koromaru?”

“Woof Woof!” The albino Shiba Inu jumped in the air before running in circles.

“Let’s get over there then. C’mon Koro-chan!” Hiromi led the dog as the trio escorted him to Otaru Apartments.

Otaru Apartments – Lobby

“We’re back!”  Rhys shouted as they returned with Koromaru. The first one to see the dog was Solomon who was standing on one of the railings near the roof.

“Oh dear…” Solomon gasped. “Not a dog…”

The Shadow Operatives except for Ken were in the lobby along with Haru, Yusuke, Chie, and Yosuke.

“Welcome back you three.” Mitsuru greeted the trio before looking down at their canine friend. “And welcome back to you too Koro-chan.”

“The guy who brought him wanted me to let you know someone named Aigis will be here next month.” Rhys informed Mitsuru as everyone began to surround Koromaru.

“Excellent.” Mitsuru nodded. “I’ll tell you more about Aigis when she arrives. For now, thank you.”

Yukari walked over and began to pet Koromaru. “Look who’s up on his paws!” She cheered.

“Dude is that the same dog from your team?” Yosuke asked as he and Chie walked over to Koromaru.

“It’s gotta be!” Chie said as she began to pet the dog. “Where else have you seen a dog with eyes like this?!”

Yusuke and Haru walked over to Koromaru next. “This dogs fur color and eyes are exquisite.” Yusuke said as he stood over Koromaru, framing him with his fingers. “There is potential for a masterpiece here…”

“He’s so adorable!” Haru squealed as she began to pet Koromaru next. “Is this why you have kept Amada-san in his room since he returned?”

“Yep!” Junpei answered. “He and Koro-chan are tight!”

Minato grinned as he began to pet Koromaru on his back while crouching. “What he means is Amada got really close to Koromaru after we graduated and moved on with our lives. Amada moved back into the dorms we stayed in during our time there, and Koromaru was able to stay with him. He hated having to watch Koromaru get older and eventually retired from his duties as a Shadow Operatives. But, The Kirijo Group has helped our furry companion get back in shape.”

“So the canine has a Persona?” Yusuke asked Minato.

“He does.” Minato nodded. “Koro-chan is a Persona-user.”

“Should we call for Amada-san now?” Haru asked.

“Yeah I wanna see this.” Hiromi wanted to see her Senpai’s reaction to his best friend being back.

“I would like to see why I had to keep this a secret from him.” Rhys said while grinning.

“Yeah we’ve had him in there forever.” Yukari nodded. “Call him down Junpei.”

“YO! AMADA! COME DOWN! WE GOT A SURPRISE FOR YOU!” Junpei called for Ken to come to the lobby.

Everyone in the lobby hears a door open and shut from the first floor. “There better be a valid reason why I was shoved into my own room like a ten-year-old.” Ken began talking as he walked down the stairs, holding a book in his hand. “I like to stay out of my room as much as…”

Ken stopped talking when he got to the lobby and saw Koromaru sitting with a joyful smile on his face. Ken dropped the book he was holding and began to shake. “Ko-Koro-chan?”

The dog looked right at Ken and recognized him immediately. “Woof Woof Woof!” Koromaru began to run towards Ken.

“KORO-CHAN!” Ken excitedly ran towards the dog and fell as Koromaru tackled him to the ground. Ken began to laugh as the dog sniffed and licked his face.

“Worth it?” Rhys said to Hiromi and Takeo for keeping it secret.

“Worth it.” The two said back as they smiled and watched the graduate reunite with his friend.

“How?” Ken asked as he held Koromaru. “I thought he couldn’t do this anymore.”

“We were able to treat him. Anything is possible at the Kirijo Group.” Mitsuru bragged while explaining why Koromaru was even there.

“Thank you guys.” Ken began to tear up. “You don’t realize how much Koromaru means to me.”

Everyone in the lobby began to aw at the wholesome moment as Narukami began to walk down from hearing talking in the lobby. “What’s going on? I swear I just heard a dog.”

He looked at Koromaru and recognized him. “Ohhhhh…It’s him. Koromaru, right?”

Ken nodded at Narukami as another voice could be heard coming down the stairs. “Inari!? I hunger! I thought you said you were heating up some rame-OH MY GOD A DOGGIE!” Futaba screamed and ran towards Koromaru and began to pet him. “What’s his name?”

“Koromaru.” Ken answered. “Don’t worry, he won’t bite anyone.”

“HEY REN! GET DOWN HERE! BRING MONA-CHAN!” Futaba shouted to get Ren.

“Here we goooo.” Takeo whispered while snickering.

Solomon flew down towards Rhys while Ren and Morgana walked down.

“So there’s a dog here now?” The dove asked Rhys.

“Yeah.” Rhys nodded. “Don’t do anything to make him bite you.”

“Oh I am gonna stay as far away from him as possible. I can do that.” Solomon reassured Rhys. “Morgana on the other hand…”

“Okay okay we’re coming down!” Morgana shouted as he ran down the stairs. “What are you guys rambling about-

Koromaru and Morgana locked eyes immediately. The dog began to tilt his head and the cat became wide-eyed.

“Morgana?” Ren called as he got down. “What’s wrong-oh. Oh this is gonna get good.” Ren smirked maniacally as he noticed Koromaru.

“Who…is…that?” Morgana asked nervously.

“This is Koromaru Mona-chan.” Haru answered.

“I wanna see!” Sophie blurted from Ren’s phone as he pulled it out to show the AI the dog. “Oooh it’s a doggie!” Sophie exclaimed. “Meowgana has a friend now!”

“F-Friend!?” Morgana exclaimed. “Hey stay back!” Koromaru began to walk closer to the cat.

“Woof?” Koromaru let out a confused sound as Morgana got defensive. He then began to sniff the cat’s face.

“What’s he doing!?” Morgana asked panicking.

Futaba decided to add fuel to the fire. “He’s smelling your fear…”

“MEOOOOOOW!” Morgana screamed as he began to run around the lobby. “GET AWAY FROM ME!”

“ARF ARF ARF ARF ARF ARF!” Koromaru began to chase the cat as he thought Morgana was trying to play.

Everyone in the lobby began to laugh as Morgan got chased by Koromaru. Another Persona user has joined the team. As Rhys looked around at everyone laughing at the wholesome moment. He sensed them get just a little closer from the arrival of Koromaru, The Guardian of Tatsumi Port Island.

Chapter Text

5/8 – Friday

Tokyo – Special Investigations Unit Department

The Director of Japan’s SIU is sitting in his office with a rookie agent, discussing the situation in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The constant rise of The Hounds of Chaos has now gotten their attention and with the emergence of another fanatical group, The Talons of Peace, has led them to decide to investigate the matter.

“Some sources are claiming the Hounds of Chaos have obtained illegal weaponry and firearms suitable for a small army.” The male agent informs the Director.

“What of the Talons of Peace?” The Director asked next.

“There have been no more reports on the opposing group. After the broadcast of the kidnapped victims being found, there haven’t been any additional mentions of the Talons of Peace.” The agent answered.

“So much we don’t know, yet the Hounds have proven to be dangerous.” The Director leaned back in his chair crossing his arms.

“I recommend we act. It’s time we send someone to investigate the nature of these groups. What if this becomes another Phantom Thieves situation, but worse?”

“It won’t come to that.” The Director declared. “I have already permitted an investigation of the matter. Another agent should be here soon enough to hear the assignment.”

“Really? If I may ask, who did you pick?” The rookie asked.

“You haven’t met her yet Agent Itami. But she is one of our best.” The Director grins.

 A knock can be heard from the Director’s door. “It’s open.” He raised his voice just a little so whoever was knocking would let themselves in.

The door opens and in walks another Agent. “You summoned me, Director?” It was a woman, about 5’6 with blue, nearly waist-length hair, the front of it hiding her forehead in an arrowhead-shape. She was wearing a blue trench coat with a white button up and yellow tie. In her hand was a blue baker boy cap she took off before walking into the office.

“Yes. Please have a seat.” The Director said as the woman sat in the chair next to the rookie.

“Agent Itami, this is Agent Naoto Shirogane. She has solved many cases others would deem impossible.” The Director introduced the famous detective.

“Tatsumi, sir.” Naoto corrected the Director’s introduction.

“Apologies, Tatsumi-san.” He replied. “Itami, you may leave us.” The rookie agent nodded and left the office for the two to discuss Naoto’s new assignment.

The Director sighed. “You have been married for five years and I still forget. Guess that just means you brought fame back to your Shirogane heritage.”

Naoto smirked. “No need to worry about it Director.” She then pulled out a small journal and pen. “So, what is the situation?”

The Director then pulled out a file containing photos of Hound members, supposed meeting locations, and other details about the cult. “Are you aware of the current events taking place in Sapporo?”

“The Hounds of Chaos.” Naoto said as she looked at one of the photos. “Yes, I have been keeping up with each detail I could find. One of my colleagues was a victim of the first kidnapping.”

“I see. Does that mean you have noticed the rise of another group?”

“Yes. But there has only been one report on them. The Talons of Peace. The group’s emergence is still recent, meaning any details about them aren’t known for the time being.”

 “There’s too much we don’t know Tatsumi-san.” The Director closed the file and handed it to Naoto. “The Hounds are an anarchistic bunch. I haven’t seen a group this dangerous on the rise in a long time.”

“Am I being assigned to this case?” Naoto said as she put the file in her coat.

“Affirmative. Your mission is to discover more about the Hounds of Chaos and if it comes to it, shut their crusade down. Same goes for the Talons of Peace if they prove to be just as opposing as the Hounds.”

Naoto looked down for a second before taking a breath. “When do I depart for Sapporo?”

“We will have a plane ready for you tomorrow at noon. Make any preparations and calls for now. I know calling your husband is one of your priorities. You are dismissed.”

The detective prince nodded and got up from her chair and begins to walk to the door.

“One more thing Shirogane.” The Director called as Naoto turned her head to face him again.

“The Hounds are dangerous. They are criminals willing to do anything to reach their goals and stop whoever gets in their way. That means they will not hesitate to cause harm or worse. You have full authorization to defend yourself if it comes to that.”

Naoto nodded and walked out of the Director’s office, assigned a new case to solve. As she walked out of the SIU Building, she began to pull out her phone and select a contact that had one name, Kanji.

She was now walking on the streets of Tokyo, waiting for Kanji to answer her call.

“Helloooo?” A raspy male voice can be heard on the other end.

“Good afternoon Kanji.” Naoto says formally. Even now, she still talked in a formal manner with her friends, even with the love of her life.

“Oh hey babe!” Kanji greeted back. “Train ride back to Tokyo didn’t bore you that much?”

“For the most part it was quiet. Thank you for that novel you gave me before I left.” Naoto said while walking by other passing people.

“Well I couldn’t leave you sitting on your tail for hours on end, could I? Did you get let off early? Usually you call later.”

“Yes and no. They have assigned me to a new investigation.”

“Shit, really!? You just got there after staying home for months and they already got you solving another one!?” Kanji exclaimed.

“It is nothing to dwell about dear.” Naoto reassured Kanji. 

“Well whenever you get put on a case, it’s always the scary ones. The ones with people who are batshit crazy.” Kanji sighed.

“I’m afraid this won’t be any different.”

Kanji groaned. “If you get hurt I’ll be pissed. Where are they sending you this time?”

“Sapporo, Hokkaido.”

Naoto hears Kanji whistle on the other end. “Damn that’s pretty far. Hey isn’t that where Narukami was going to interview that weird-ass cult?”

“Correct. That cult is the center of the investigation.”

“Course it is.” Kanji groaned. “Well if anyone can snuff those creeps out, it’s the badass detective that is my wife!”

Naoto smirked and chuckled. “You flatter me too much. I promise to be safe.”

“A promise is all I need babe.” Kanji replied. “You give ‘em hell, I’m gonna get back to doing my thing.”

“Making more stuffed animals I presume?” Naoto joked with Kanji.

“How’d you know!?” Kanji jokingly replied. “I’ll talk to ya later babe, love ya.”

“Goodbye Kanji-kun, Love you too.” Naoto ended the phone call. She put her signature hat back on before continuing to walk through the streets of Tokyo, it was time to solve another case.

Rhys’s POV

Hokkaido University – After School

Rhys is walking around campus after a long day of classes. Hiromi and Takeo were exhausted from the busy day as well, so they immediately went back to the apartments. Rhys studied in the library and is now beginning to leave campus. As he walks through the courtyard, he notices a woman sitting at a table with some weird headphones on. They looked like normal headphones, except each speaker was on a separate cord and not connected with a plastic piece that would normally go over someone’s head. The speakers looked like they attached to someone’s ears. These weird headphones were connected to her phone. As Rhys looked closer, he recognized the red-blonde hair and eyepatch. It was Emiko, doing some schoolwork while listening to music. Rhys decided to get closer and try to talk to her before leaving.

When Rhys got in eye view of Emiko, she looked up and took off her headphones from her ears. “May I help you?” She asked abruptly.

“Good afternoon Suzuki-san.” Rhys greeted his classmate. “Still here I see?”

“Oh. Yes, I guess I am. Kuramoto-san, right?” Emiko replied.

“Yep, that’s me. Mind if I sit here?” Rhys asked the red-blonde council member.

“Huh? Sure. Knock yourself out.” Emiko said as went back to working on her homework.

Rhys sat down and pulled out a book as cover. It was one of his science books he studied with. The topics within the book consisted of chemical equations, biological phrases and terms, and diagrams of cells. As Rhys read, he could over here the music coming from Emiko’s headphones. He recognized the beat and melody of the song she was listening to. It was an American metal band he liked. Does she like the music I like? He thought to himself. He began to hum the catchy melody to himself loudly. Emiko noticed Rhys humming the song she was listening to and paused it on her phone.

“Do you know this band?” Emiko asked as she took her headphones back off.

Rhys looked up. “Huh? Oh, yeah I love Mister Can Thee. Great band.”

“Hmm.” Emiko hummed. “Prove it.”

“What? Prove it?” Rhys was confused.

“What was their debut album and what year did it come out?” She asked Rhys a trivia question on the metal band.

“Repentance for the Frail and it came out in 2009. I was four years old when it dropped.” Rhys answered.

“Nice.” Emiko smirked. “I haven’t met anyone who listens to the type of music I listen to.”

“Me neither.” Rhys replied. “I haven’t seen headphones like that. What are they?”

Emiko held one of the speakers out in front of Rhys. “It’s a mouthful. I think they’re called ATH-EM7x Headphones. None of the big tech companies make these kind.”

“That probably explains why I haven’t seen them anywhere. Why do you use them?” Rhys asked.

“They’re comfortable to me. I don’t like normal headphones because the speakers are always too small, and the headpiece always hurts my head. I don’t like earplugs because you have to clean them, and they can hurt your ears by getting deep in them.”

“Valid reasons. They look comfortable.” Rhys replied.

Emiko nodded before sighing. “Um…why are you talking to me exactly?”

“Come again?” Rhys raised an eyebrow while closing his book.

“I thought you would want to steer clear of me after Wednesday. I’m not exactly popular here just because I’m on the Student Council.” Emiko clarified.

“You haven’t done anything to me. Why would I avoid you? Plus, I don’t know you. Can’t judge a person you don’t know.” Rhys answered. He was taking Ken’s words into consideration.

“That’s one way of looking at it.” Emiko said as she checked her phone. “I need to get going. I shouldn’t stay here too late. You have a good rest of your day Kuramoto-san.”

“You too.” Rhys said as Emiko began to walk in an opposite direction of the one he was walking. “She isn’t too bad.” Rhys said to himself. “Those two were overreacting.” He got up and began to walk back to the apartments. Maybe Emiko wasn’t the evil person Takeo and Hiromi made her out to be.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Ken’s POV

Ken is sitting in the lobby alone with Koromaru, spending time with the dog he considered his best friend. He was brushing the albino Shibe’s coat while laying on the couch. Ken missed spending time with Koromaru. It was clear that he had grown close to the dog with each year. As much as he loved each member of the Shadow Operatives, there was something about Koromaru. Was it the unending loyalty found in most dogs? The desire to protect the people who took him in? Or was it maybe the fact that as everyone grew up and moved away from Port Island, their home, Koromaru stayed with Ken in his worst moments? Either way, the graduate was thankful for the Kirijo Group’s role in helping the tiger wolf and was beyond happy his friend was by his side again.

“You missed this, didn’t you Koro-chan?” Ken asked as he continued to brush Koromaru’s coat. The dog let out a howl as he was getting combed to reply to Ken.

“Me too buddy. Me too.” Ken said with a wide grin. “The place we found is weird Koro-chan. This time there are other humans as our enemy. They call themselves Hounds of Chaos. They’re more dangerous than anything we’ve faced.”

“Grrrrrr.” Koromaru growled as Ken brought up the cult.

“Easy boy. They’re not gonna hurt us. We’ll stop them.” Ken scratched the dog’s head while continuing to comb him.

As Ken kept combing the red-eyed Shibe, he heard someone begin to walk down the stairs to the lobby. He kept combing and minding his business.

“Hi Amada-san.” Ken turned around to see Haru in her usual pink sweater walking over to them.

“Oh hi Okumura-san!” Ken greeted back. “Say hi Koro-chan.” Ken commanded the dog as he stopped combing.

“Woof!” Koromaru got up from laying down and barked at Haru while doing his signature dog smile.

“Hi to you too Koro-chan!” Haru smiled while scratching the dog’s head. “Is it just you two down here?”

“Mm-hm” Ken nodded. “Arisato went up his room with Yukari-san and the twins as soon as they got back. Same for the three second years. Solomon went up to Rhys-san’s room with him. Everyone else has just been in their rooms. What they do is not my business.”

“Seems everyone had things to do by themselves today.” Haru replied while sitting down next to Koromaru and Ken. “I know me and Ren-san were certainly busy.”

“Business meetings?” Ken asked.

“Mm-hm.” Haru nodded while she yawned. “Board meetings online. Papers to sign. It ends up taking longer than expected.”

“Koro-chan here doesn’t have to worry about being an adult.” Ken joked while petting Koromaru.

“Is it true he’s over twenty years old?” Haru asked Ken.

“The whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Ken replied. “He’s been with us for a long time. Everyone seems to think its because of his Persona and I haven’t been able to find a different reason, so I don’t question it.”

“Interesting.” Haru replied. “You must be really close with him.”

“That would be an understatement. I love this dog more than anything else. The only other person I felt similar about was my mom.” Ken voice got a little more lower when he brought up his mom.

“If you don’t mind me asking…” Haru began to speak again while petting Koromaru. “Why is it you love Koro-chan so much? Your friends seem to love him just as much, but it looks different for you.”

Ken sighed. “After everything that happened in Port Island, everyone began to move on with their lives. Everyone was turning into adults, but I was still a kid only going to middle school about to go to high school. I got…lonely. It didn’t help that we were forced to move out of the dorm we stayed in during our time as SEES. Eventually the dorm reopened for high school students. I started going to Gekkoukan High School at the time, so I got to move back in. But…it was filled with students I didn’t know. People who I didn’t call friend. Still, I was lonely. It was when I was able to convince higher ups to let Koro-chan stay in the dorm with me. It was through him I found comfort in my loneliness. He’s…my best friend. If I lost Koromaru…I…I wouln’t know what to do…” Ken felt a lump in his throat trying to get out that last sentence.

“Shh. You don’t need to say anymore.” Haru calmed Ken down. “I understand how much Koro-chan means to you Amada-san. From my perspective, you took him in as everyone moved on. I admire that.”

Ken nodded before letting out a small cough. “Thank you Okumura-san. I appreciate you hearing me out. I don’t tend to open up like that anymore. I guess Koromaru is one of my weak spots.” He said while letting out a small chuckle.

“Of course.” Haru smiled while getting up. “Would you like any coffee? I came down here to make some, but I got distracted by you and Koro-chan.”

“Woof! Woof!” Koromaru jumped off the couch to follow Haru.

“You can’t have any buddy!” Ken joked at the dog. “Who knows what it will do to you…”

Koromaru let out a small whimper.

“Aww it’s okay Koro-chan.” Haru crouched to pet Koromaru. “We’ll find you something!”

“Give him a small cup of milk.” Ken told Haru. “That should do.”

“You never told me what you want…” Haru smirked at Ken.

“Oh. I can get it myself. You don’t have to do that for me…”

“I insist.” Haru interrupted. “You told me your story, so this is how I repay your kindness.”

Ken sighed. “Well if that’s the case, just put sugar and vanilla in mine.”

“Coming right up!” Haru jokingly cheered while see walked to the kitchen to make the coffee.

Ken smiled as he turned to look back at Haru preparing two cups of coffee. He then turned to look at Koromaru, who was staring at him while panting.

“What?” Ken raised an eyebrow at Koromaru just staring at him weirdly.

“Woof!” The dog barked at Ken then turned his head towards the kitchen Haru was in and barked again.

“Ah.” Ken realized. “You like her? You want to be her friend?”

Koromaru let out a sigh then groaned. “Arf.” He barked silently while taping Ken’s knee with his paw then looking back at Haru.

“You want ME to be her friend?” Ken asked confusingly.  “As in you want me to hang out with Okumura-san more?”

“Woof woof woof!” Koromaru barked joyfully.

Ken hummed. “Well if you want to be friends with her Koro-chan, then we will. Besides, she’s a nice person. Couldn’t hurt to talk to another person.”

Koromaru groaned, annoyed Ken wasn’t taking the hints, but relented as Haru walked back with three cups on a plate.

“Here’s your milk Koro-chan!” She set a cup of milk on the floor for Koromaru. The dog began to lick at it. “And here’s yours Amada-san!” Haru handed Ken his cup. “Be careful it’s still a little hot.”

Ken nodded as he began to blow at it to cool it down. He then took a sip from cup. Ken noticed this coffee tasted different from how he made it. “This is really good. Like, way better than what I make. It tastes sweeter but more rich. I love it.” He said as he took another sip.

Haru giggled. “Thank you! I take the coffee beans off mid roast, let them cool off, then put them back on with sugar to get that effect. I thought it wouldn’t work, but it did! I appreciate the compliments Amada-san.”

Ken was silent for a second before replying. “Hey…you can just call me Ken. If-if you want.”

Haru smiled at the reply. “Okay Ken-san.” She said before chuckling. “Then you can just call me Haru!”

Ken nodded and smiled. He finished his coffee and kept talking with Haru before both of them decided to call it a night. Ken smiled as he and Koromaru walked up to his room, happy of the conversation and new friend he made.

Rhys’s POV

5/9 – Saturday

Hokkaido University – Lunchtime

Rhys is sitting down with Takeo and Hiromi in the university’s commons studying for the upcoming Midterms. With them slowly creeping up on the trio, they decided to take the chance to look over material for Minato’s section of the exam. The Midterms would take place from the 15^th to the 20^th, with a break in between on Sunday the 17^th.

“So what did you get for the four letters in the DNA?” Takeo asked Hiromi.

“I got A:T and C:G.” Hiromi answered. “What about you” She turned to ask Rhys.

“Yep. I got that. What do you guys have for the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance?” Rhys asked back. “I got thermal energy.”

“Hey I got that one too!” Hiromi cheered. “Nice.”

Takeo groaned. “Augh I got kinetic energy. Crap…”

“Don’t sweat it Tak we still got six days to get better.” Hiromi smacked Takeo on the shoulder.

“Yeah we got this.” Rhys reassured. “Now what is the pH of water?”

“Yo hold up.” Takeo interrupted the study session. “Look.” Takeo pointed across the commons to a student arguing with someone. Rhys turned around to see who the student was arguing with and saw it was Emiko who hand him a red piece of paper.

Hiromi whistled. “He must be laying into her.”

“Yeah he best shut his mouth before she writes him up even more.” Takeo scoffed.

Rhys kept his head turned to try and hear the argument. He began to hear the insults and exchanges the two were making.

“You seriously are writing me up for something as dumb as that?!” The student lashed out at Emiko.

“Sato-san you should know that the rulebook states to not leave trash on campus grounds. I saw you finish a bottle of tea then throw the bottle onto the ground. That is littering, against the rules, you get a write up for that.” Emiko replied back.

“That’s horse shit! You could have just asked me to throw it away, but no you’re writing me up like a bossy jerk!” The student began to shout insults at Emiko, who kept her ground.

“And now you keep insulting me, which is why I handed you that red slip. Maybe you should learn decent manners when speaking to people if you don’t want to get written up.

Rhys eavesdropped as the student kept throwing constant insults at the head of the Disciplinary Committee. Then there was one insult Rhys heard that got under his skin.

“Why don’t you go join your dead mother you cyclops BITCH!” He shouted.

Rhys groaned in anger. “Oh screw THAT.” He jumped up out of his seat.

 Take tried to stop him from interjecting but it was too late. “Rhys no-

“Hey why don’t YOU back off and take the punishment like a man!?” Rhys shouted at the student.

“Kuramoto-san?” Emiko was startled by Rhys’s interjection.

“Who the hell are you!?” The angry student shouted back at Rhys.

“I am none of your goddamn business.” Rhys scolded the student. “Now you need to show a little bit of respect. Take the slip and walk away.”

“You best stay out of this you shit!” The student got in Rhys’s face.

“Oh crap.” Hiromi whispered.

“Last chance. Walk away.” Rhys gritted his teeth in an attempt to intimidate the student.

“Kuramoto-san.” Emiko scowled at the provoking.

The student sighed and balled up the red slip. “This isn’t over EMIKO.” He scowled as he walked away.

Rhys began to breathe in and out to calm himself down. He then turned to look at Emiko. “Are you good Suzuki-san?”

She did not look happy. “I didn’t need your help. I had it under control.”

“Yeah and then he cheap shotted you with a personal insult. That crap pisses me off.” Rhys replied. “I don’t care how you treat people here, but they shouldn’t resort to digs like that.”

Emiko sighed. “Fine. Thank you. But if you decided to start a fight with Sato-san, I would have had to write you up as well. Consider yourself lucky.”

Rhys grinned. “Of course.”

“Now I have to report this to my advisor. Get back to studying with your friends.” Emiko groaned as she walked away from the trio.

“Well that happened.” Hiromi groaned.

“See what we mean about her Rhys?” Takeo scowled.

“Back off Takeo.” Rhys replied back. “Can you blame how she acts when people talk to her like that? Koda-san, if someone bullied you over your dad, would you treat them differently?” He turned to Hiromi.

“That’s different…” Hiromi whispered. “Why did you do that anyway?”

“Because I’ve been treated like that before.” Rhys answered. “Other than Aiden, who was in detention most of the time, I had no one to back me up.”

“Who’s Aiden?” Takeo asked.

Damn I slipped. Rhys thought to himself before sighing. “Look let’s just start walking to class now please?”

Rhys’s two friends sighed as they got up and walked to their next class, their moods slightly down from the altercation.

Afterschool

“Alright, I gotta bounce, see you two later.” Takeo waved goodbye to Rhys and Hiromi after finishing up class for the day. Rhys and Hiromi were by themselves and began to walk out of campus when Hiromi came up with an idea.

“Hey Kuramoto-san?”

“Yeah?” Rhys turned to look at her as they were walking.

“Why don’t we go somewhere today? I need to talk to you about something.” Hiromi asked him.

“Sure, we got some time to kill. Where do you have in mind?” Rhys asked back.

“How about a shopping district? I need to go buy stuff and I know a good place that’s not far.” Hiromi suggested.

“As long as I don’t end up being your bag boy…” Rhys sarcastically said. He sensed another bond potentially forging from hanging out with Hiromi today.

“Great!” Hiromi cheered. “C’mon, let’s go!”  She began to lead Rhys to one of Sapporo’s famous shopping streets.

Tanukikoji Shopping Street

Rhys followed Hiromi from store to store in the shopping street she took him to. He ended up being her bag boy after all. She just kept buying more and more things. Clothes, soap, groceries, lipstick, anything could be in the bags Hiromi had Rhys carry.

“How much more stuff are you gonna buy?” Rhys groaned after following Hiromi after what felt like forever.  

“That should’ve been the last thing. I HAD to get those clothes. Did you see the deal on ‘em?” She said joyfully. “We can sit down over here. I didn’t realize how much stuff you were carrying.” Hiromi pointed to a bench while holding a bag of her own.

Rhys put the bags down and sat on a bench in the busy shopping district with Hiromi. She sat down as well and put her bags down too.

“Thanks for helping me carry this stuff. Sorry I made you a carrier.”

“No worries. Needed something to do anyways.” Rhys said while leaning back. “This place is huge.”

“Yeah funny story.” Hiromi began to twiddle her thumbs. “I…never actually been here before.”

“Really?” Rhys raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

“I’m a paranoid person.” Hiromi answered. “The break in and the drama with my dad did a mental number on me. I don’t like going to places by myself. Guess you could say I’m scared of the public.”

“So you came here today to try and overcome your fear?” Rhys asked.

“Something like that. Some of these things are for my parents. I want to give back to them for letting me stay in college even after everything that happened with dad’s false scandal.” Hiromi said seriously.

The two were silent for a second. “Thanks for helping today Kuramoto-san.” She muttered.

“No problem. We Talons look out for each other.” Rhys said before coming up with an idea. “How about you take me to places you are paranoid about going to alone, and along the way we can come up with more ways of giving back to your parents?”

Hiromi smiled thankfully. “I think I’d like that. I’ll shoot you a text whenever I have a place in mind. Alright, time to overcome my fear!” She said cheerfully while raising her fist in the air. Rhys sensed Hiromi’s motivation to help her parents and began to feel a bond forming between the two.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Lovers Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

“Well would you look at the time?” Hiromi said while checking her phone. “We should start getting back before Takeo starts rumors.”

“Agreed.” Rhys nodded as the two began to head back to Otaru Apartments. Rhys has forged yet another bond.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Rhys and Hiromi just walked through the doors to the lobby of the apartments. In the lobby was Minato, Yosuke, and Solomon. The dove was on the coffle table at the center of the couches. Yosuke was eating a bowl of ramen while watching the lobby TV, and Minato was scanning three sheets of paper with a pen in hand.

“Look who’s returned.” Solomon chirped as Rhys and Hiromi walked towards them.

“Hi Solomon! Hi Mr. Arisato! Hi Hanamura-san!” Hiromi happily greeted the three in the lobby.

Minato looked up to see Rhys holding an endless amount of filled bags and chuckled. “Koda-san, did you make Rhys carry your shopping bags?”

“Yeah…she did.” Rhys groaned. “It wasn’t too bad at first. But she just kept buying stuff.”

“Oh quiet. They’re not THAT heavy.” Hiromi joked.

“We know the feeling Kuramoto-san.” Yosuke chimed in. “I can’t remember a time when Chie didn’t make me carry the five hundred things she decides to buy.”

Hiromi laughed. “Ok fine. I’ll take them back to my room. Hand ‘em here.”

Rhys handed Hiromi the rest of the bags and she began to walk up the stairs to her room.

Rhys sat down on the couch adjacent to Minato as the Shadow Operative leader kept scanning through papers. “What are you looking at Arisato?” Rhys asked.

Minato yawned. “I’m reviewing the Midterm for my class. The questions need to line up with each of my lectures, so I’m making sure they’re answerable. You guys have been studying, right?”

Rhys nodded. “Yeah, we have. We were able to get through most of the material.”

“Augh, Midterms.” Yosuke groaned.  “Sure as hell don’t miss THOSE.”

“Didn’t do too well on them Hanamura-san?” Minato sarcastically asked.

“Dude they would post the scores for EVERYONE to see. You know how humiliating it was to not do good on an exam and then have your friends see your score?” Yosuke complained.

“I never had to since I was at the top of my class.” Minato bragged.

“Show-off.” Rhys scowled. “Why are you down here reviewing the Midterm anyway. You have an apartment.”

“That’s what I was telling him.” Solomon chirped. “Why not just review it in there?”

“Because I have two eight-year-olds who refuse to turn down the volume on the TV and act like maniacs most of the time.” Minato answered. “And there’s not exactly an office in the apartment we live in.”

“So you leave Yukari-san to deal with them?” Rhys asked.

“She can handle them.” Minato replied while getting up. “Either way I just finished, so she doesn’t have to deal with them alone. You two have a good night. You as well Solomon.” Minato left the lobby.

Solomon began to flap his wings. “I’m going to my nest.”

“Nest?” Rhys raised an eyebrow. “When did you make a nest? And where is it?”

“It’s near the roof of the lobby.” Solomon said as he flew to his nest, which was resting on top of a large shelf sitting in the lobby.

It was now just Yosuke and Rhys sitting in the lobby. Yosuke began to talk to Rhys. “So how is being the leader of other Persona users?”

“Cool, I guess.” Rhys awkwardly answered. “To be honest, I still don’t know what I’m doing in most situations.”

“What do you mean?” Yosuke asked.

“Planning, martial arts, learning how to use my Persona effectively.” Rhys admitted. “I still feel green to all of this even with my brother’s research. What’s getting me is not knowing how to learn more about the Hounds out here rather than Terra Chaos. I want to find out more about them, but I don’t know where to start.”

“Let us help you man.” Yosuke sternly said.

“Help?” Rhys asked.

“Yeah. Me, Narukami, Chie, we can help you with advice. We did solve a murder case you know. We can help you find ways to solve the mysteries of the Hounds.”

“So you guys will give me advice on how to lead an investigation and find clues?”  Rhys asked.

“Right on.” Yosuke smiled. “So what say you…leader?”

“Any help is help.” Rhys accepted. “I’ll listen to your advice. You guys matter to this just as much as the Shadow Operatives do.”

“Good to hear.” Yosuke smiled. “I’ll let Chie and Narukami know you need help with investigation skills. Plus I think it’ll be a chance for you to get to know us better. We’re your friends Rhys, we won’t let you down.”  He held out his hand as he got up.

Rhys shook Yosuke’s hand, accepting the help of the Investigation Team, and sensing a new bond forged between him and the Persona users of Inaba.

I Am Thou…Thou Art I

Thou Hast Forged A New Bond

With this Bond Brings the Strength to Carry Thee Closer To Peace

It is through the Blessing of the Chariot Arcana Thee Gains The Power Necessary

To Become a Hero…

Chapter Text

5/10 – Sunday

Otaru Apartments – Command Room

On the top floor of Otaru Apartments was an empty room with as much space as the old SEES surveillance room from Iwatodai Dorms. Mitsuru took advantage of the spacious room by turning it into the main command room for the Persona users. Over the past month, Kirijo had the room modified by planting a large monitor in between two smaller monitors onto the left side wall. Beneath it was a built-in desk and keyboard used for the three monitors. In the center was a long and wide metal table with chairs around it. There were more things in the command room such as weapon racks for the Shadow Operatives, Investigation Team, Phantom Thieves, and Talons of Peace, as well as a small training dummy in the right corner.

Futaba was currently on the large computer searching the web for anything on the Hounds of Chaos. Mitsuru had asked her to look into early Hound sightings and potential original members of the cult. Every site and source led the Oracle to one name each time.

Mitsuru walked into the Command Room to check on Futaba. “Have you found anything Sakura?” she asked as the red head stopped typing.

“Nothing too revealing.” Futaba groaned while adjusting her glasses. “Just some small details that could be hints and clues but other than that, I haven’t found anything.”

“Have you tried finding a potential profile on Deacon? If we can identify him, we may be able to narrow our findings.” Mitsuru suggested.

“Nothing on Deacon. His first appearance in the media was an interview a small news outlet did with him when the group wasn’t much of a group.”

“Damn…” Mitsuru sighed. “We need to know our enemy. We still don’t know their motives, their origins, anything.”

“Hold your horses “Ice Queen” I didn’t say I couldn’t find anything.” Futaba began to type on the computer. “I traced the supposed “chemical leak” that killed Logan Kuramoto. Did you know there was a radiational explosion at another Kirijo research site two weeks later?”

“Another explosion? We never heard of it.” Mitsuru was caught off guard. “In that same timeframe…oh my god.”

“OH? You just realized something, didn’t ya? Hehehe.” Futaba snickered.

“After Kuramoto’s death, four scientists went missing. One of them was found wandering the streets of Kyoto. There were heavy burns and injuries all over his body. He survived and made a full recovery. But…continue.”

“There was little surveillance footage of the explosion. As if the scientists behind the site wanted to keep it a secret from the rest of the Kirijo group. However, there was a small bloodstain at the site of the explosion. Get this, you might recognize the name. Or not, I don’t know. I did some rather illegal digging to find the blood sample. I was able to scan it and find a name.” Futaba began to click on a hidden website.

“What was the name?” Mitsuru asked with her arms crossed.

“It was a Russian Kirijo scientist. His name was Sergei Romanov.” Futaba clicked on a photo of a bald man with light skin and a black bushy beard.

“Romanov.” Mitsuru gasped. “The deceased Hound member Sophia was able to find.”

“Yeah…but this is where it gets weird.” Futaba began to click on another website. “Two weeks after that explosion, four weeks after Logan Kuramoto’s “death,” was the first sighting of the Hounds of Chaos, at the time called “Disciples of Havok.” So. I think this Sergei guy faked his death and became a Hound of Chaos.”

“This is a lot of information.” Mitsuru nodded. “Sergei Romanov. No wonder I found that name recognizable.”

“You knew him?” Futaba asked. “I mean I know he was one of your employees, but still.”

“Yes. Sergei Romanov was a chemical engineer who worked alongside Logan on an experiment he never told me any details for. All Logan told me was the head of the project who offered Logan a promotion to head experimentalist. He was the surviving scientist of that radiation explosion.”

“Well either way, I think we got something. The Hounds have to have stemmed from the Kirijo group. Somehow, someway, they are connected to your corporation Kirijo-san.” Futaba concluded as she saved all the information on a flash drive.

“Good work Sakura.” Mitsuru nodded. “Let’s keep these findings between us for now. Rhys needs to stay focused, and if he finds out one of the Hounds was somehow tied to the death of his brother, he could lose that focus.”

“Yes captain!” Futaba jokingly said as she stuffed the flash drive into her pocket. “I’m gonna go drag Inari to get some curry. We’ll be back laterz.” She left the command room as Mitsuru stood still, the image of Romanov’s face in her head. “What did you get yourself into Logan?” She whispered to herself as she left the command room next.

Teine Inazumi Park

Rhys was hanging out with Narukami for today as the silver haired journalist asked if he wanted to get some fresh air on his day off from school. Rhys wanted to get to know one of the veteran Wild Card users better after hearing the story of his journey. He knew there was more to Narukami than just the brave hero who conquered the world of fog.

“Nice day out huh?” Narukami asked as Rhys looked at the sky.

“Sure is. You like this kind of weather Narukami?”

“Who wouldn’t? I’d take this over fog and rain after the crap I went through.” Narukami jokingly said.

Rhys laughed as he watched Yu twist a silver ring on his right hand. “Wedding ring?” He asked as he pointed to it.

“Huh? Oh yeah. Yes Rhys I am a married man. I’m sorry.” He answered sarcastically.

Rhys began to laugh. “Very funny you dick.”

Narukami laughed soon after. “In all seriousness, this is my ring. Remember that girl I brought up who’s family runs an Inn?”

“Yukiko Amagi? Or should I say Yukiko Narukami?” Rhys asked.

“Either or.” He answered. “She uses Amagi around the Inn to keep her family’s name alive. I’m the one who encouraged her to do so. At home, she can be Narukami. At the Inn, she can be Amagi.”

Rhys tried to embarrass Narukami. “Aww how thoughtful of the tough Yu Narukami.”

“Man kiss my ass.” He replied, which caused the two to begin to laugh.

Narukami then sighed while smiling. “She’s a good soul Kuramoto. We’ve been married for seven years now.”

“What made you know she was the one for you?” Rhys asked.

“Want me to tell you how I began to like her?” Narukami asked.

“Hey Arisato told me his love story with Yukari, I’m just saying.” Rhys put his hands up.

“Alright. This one won’t be as long as my journey though.” Narukami leaned back and began to tell Rhys about his time spent with Yukiko.

“After we saved Yukiko, she made up her mind to leave Inaba once she finished school. She wanted to learn how to live on her own and not rely on her family for everything. So, I helped her by taste testing whatever food she made. It was…a work in progress to say the least. I disagreed with her decision to leave her family. I thought it was selfish and she knew it was as well. I kept helping her when a camera crew for some exaggerated TV show tried to pry into the family’s life and make a show out of them. Yukiko refused each offer. The more I hung out with her, the better I understood her. She wasn’t just a misunderstood girl with zero self esteem, but a kind soul who wanted to succeed on her own terms. She stood her ground against those douchey cameramen and expressed how much her family meant to her. It was something I admired. That admiration turned into a feeling I had never felt before. I had fallen in love with somebody. When moving from city to city, I would always get these cheesy love letters, but I always threw them away. I didn’t understand what it meant to love someone until I met Yukiko. It eventually came to the point where she asked why I helped her with her problems, and I told her the truth that had been building up inside me. Thankfully she felt the same way, and we have been lovers since.”

“Seems you really care for her Narukami.” Rhys sighed. “Think I’ll ever find love?”

“I’m sure there is someone out there for you Kuramoto.” Narukami patted Rhys on the back. “Maybe you’ve already met them, but you don’t TRULY know them.”

Rhys nodded and smiled at Yu’s advice. “Thanks for telling me your story Narukami.”

“Hey thank YOU for asking about it. It’s nice to air out my thoughts every once in a while.” He as he got up from the bench. “Now I’m hungry. Wanna go get some steak?”

Rhys nodded as he got up and followed Narukami to get some food, understanding the leader of the Investigation Team just a bit more, and strengthening his bond with him.

Naoto’s POV

Unknown Bar – Atsubetsu Ward

The detective prince turned SIU agent arrived in Hokkaido yesterday and is now following a small lead the SIU was able to give her regarding the Hounds of Chaos. Supposedly, a member of the cult was a regular at a bar in Atsubetsu Ward. This member acted as a courier for the Hounds. They would be taken to the main hideouts of their meetings. If Naoto could find this courier, she could go in their place and learn more about the cult.

Currently, she had her head lowered and her cap covering the top of her face. She was given descriptive details of the courier. Thankfully, they were the same stature as Naoto, so playing the role of a Hound wouldn’t be too difficult for the agent. The Hound was male, square cut black hair, and had a silver nose ring. Naoto sat in the bar for what felt like hours with a shot glass, waiting for the right person to walk through the door of the bar.

Suddenly, the bells near the door went off and another customer walked through the door.

“’Ay Yoshi, lemme get a shot of the usual, I’m tryna be quick today.” A cocky voice asked the bartender as he placed Yen on the bar.

“Sure thing Ryo.” The bartender said as he prepped the drink. “Got another one of your “business meetings” today? You just be taking anything to those guys.”

Ryo groaned. “Yeah. But they pay well. And the cops are too stupid to figure anything out. So it’s a good career for an entrepreneur like me.” He started laughing obnoxiously.

Naoto looked out of her left eye to see a Hound mask peeking out of the man’s jacket, and noticed a suitcase near his feet, and noticed the silver nose ring.

Caught you She thought to herself as she stared at the Hound member.

“The hell you looking at?!” Ryo scowled at Naoto as he noticed her staring at something beneath him.

“Apologies. I got lost in a trance.” Naoto said as she finished her drink and put a Yen bill on the bar. “Thank you for the drink.” She left the bar.

Ryo scoffed. “Weird broad.”

Ten minutes later, the Hound courier walked out of the bar and began to walk through Atsubetsu Ward. He eventually made it to an empty alley and began to look all around him to make sure he wasn’t being followed. “So far so good.” He said to himself as he made it to the end of the alley. As he was about to walk out of the quiet area, he is cut off by Naoto who is standing in front of him.

“You again!?” Ryo exclaimed. “Look bitch, you better get out of my way!”

“And I will.” Naoto replied. “As long as you comply. Give me the mask and suitcase.”

“The hell?!” The courier shouted. “How’d you know-

“You’re sloppy at keeping your “job” a secret…Hound.” Naoto revealed.

“Oh…SHIT!” The courier dropped the suitcase and began to pull out a knife with his right hand. Naoto rushed the Hound, grabbed his arm and slammed his head into a nearby trashcan. She had his arm in a twisted position, ready to break it.

“AAGH BITCH!” The courier screamed in pain. “SCREW YOU!”

“Where are you meeting your client. Answer and I won’t break your arm.” Naoto coldly said as she began to put more pressure on his arm.

“AUGH! AH!” He kept grunting in pain with each twist and turn of his arm. “OKAY! OKAY! I’M MEETING DEACON IN TWO HOURS NEAR THE ABANDONED WAREHOUSE IN NANGO DORI! THAT’S ALL I KNOW! I SWEAR!” The courier pleaded and gave in.

“Thank you.” *WHAM* Naoto raised his head up and slammed it into the trash can again, knocking him out and handcuffing him to it. She began to dial the local police number and inform them of the arrest. She left the unconscious Hound courier after grabbing the suitcase, mask, and a letter of the meeting place.

“Deacon.” Naoto said to herself. “Could you be their leader?” She began to walk towards the meeting location and prepare for the infiltration.

Two Hours Later…

Nango Dori Avenue

Naoto has disguised herself as the Hound courier, discarding her badge and gun back at the hotel she was residing in. This was the closest the SIU had gotten to the Hounds. This was her chance to find answers. As she was breathing heavily through the thick wolf mask, a man in a velvet red suit and white wolf mask began to approach her. She figured that was the courier’s client. It was Deacon.

“You’re here earlier than usual courier. I’m impressed.” Deacon said as he approached Naoto. “Do you have the package.”

Naoto silently nodded and handed him the suitcase. He opened it up, but Naoto couldn’t see what the package was. All she could observe was Deacon chuckle. “Very Good. Your payment is with the rest of the Hierarchy.” He said as he closed the suitcase. “Come along brother.”

The disguised Naoto began to follow Deacon to an old rustic warehouse in the dead of night. In front of the entrance were two other Hound members armed with MP5 submachine guns.

Looks like the rumors are true. The Hounds have assault weaponry. Where are they getting them? Naoto thought to herself as she walked through the doors with Deacon to the inside of the warehouse.

Naoto noticed two other Hounds standing at a table with a stage light over them. It was the other members of the Hierarchy of Chaos. Bishop and Cardinal. “Welcome Deacon.” Cardinal spoke. “Is that the package?”

“Yes it is.” Deacon replied as he placed the suitcase on the table and opened it. This time Naoto was able to see what was inside. Her eyes widened inside the mask as she saw C4 explosives inside the suitcase.

Bishop began to laugh. “These will do.” She then looked right at Naoto. “We have your payment courier. But first, we must discuss a few matters. Stay right there.”

Naoto bowed. “At once.” She said in a raspy manly voice.

“So…who are our targets?” Deacon asked.

“That is for me to tell you.” An eerie voice can be heard as a tall man with a grey wolf mask with bright red fur on the back of the mask walks out of the shadows and to the table. He is wearing a green button up and jacket.

“Archbishop Red!” The three Hound members kneeled. Naoto played along and kneeled as the eerie Hound member emerged.

Archbishop Red cackled. “You guys are WAY too formal. It’s kinda weird to be honest. Get up. It’s time to discuss two of your next targets.”

“Of course, Archbishop.” Cardinal answered.

“If I may.” Bishop first interjected. “We have yet to locate the cyclops.”

“Then find the damn cyclops.” The Archbishop scowled. “The Alpha will be pissed if you can’t. But that’s not the topic of tonight. Your first target resides in Osaka as a member of the Police’s SWAT team.”

The Archbishop threw a photo of a grizzly man with hand wraps on. He had a white buzz cut and a scar over his left eyebrow. “His name is Akihiko Sanada. You best send a bunch of men to get him. Bastard hits hard.”

“This is one of THEM!” Deacon scowled. “Kirijo Trash.”

“Yes.” Bishop growled. “Kirijo…”

That name sounded familiar to Naoto as she listened from afar. Akihiko Sanada? I heard that name long ago…

“Don’t get pissed yet. Take that anger out on the cocky asswipe when you get him.” The Archbishop said as he pulled out another photo. “This one will be a cakewalk.” He jokingly said. Naoto’s heart dropped as she recognized the photo from afar. It was a woman about her size, with long brown hair and sunglasses holding a microphone on a stage. “She’s a famous celebrity, so getting to her will be difficult. But close is all you need to knock the bitch out.”

Deacon took a closer look at the photo and chuckled. “Rise Kujikawa? The obnoxious celebrity is a Persona user?!”

PERSONA USER!? Naoto began to breathe heavily as she listened more and more. One of the next targets was another of her friends and they knew she had a Persona. How is this possible?! Who could know that information?! She continued to think to herself.

“She acted as their navigator. Revealed their weaknesses.” The Archbishop revealed. “This one is most important to me.” He growled.

“Past history with them Archbishop?” Cardinal asked. “You especially don’t seem too fond of their leader…”

“They ruined me many years ago.” He answered as he balled his fist. “I don’t give a damn how the rest of them end up. But they’re leader? I’m going to kill him. I am going to take my blade and stab him in the throat and watch as he bleeds. Or better yet, I make him watch as I slowly kill all his friends.”

“Personal endeavors are not our goal Archbishop!” Deacon scowled. “Or have you forgotten the Alpha’s deal?”

“Shut your damn mouth Deacon!” The Archbishop shouted. “I am giving you your information for your stupid crusade. I get to kill that bastard. THAT is the deal!”

Deacon sighed. “Very well Archbishop Red. We’ll send Imperators to capture the two Persona users starting the 15^th. As soon as we locate the cyclops, we will take them to the next Citadel in Terra Chaos.

“Good boy.” The Archbishop jokingly said. “Take the elevator at the usual headquarters. You know the combination. I’m out of here. The Alpha needs me for something. That concludes this meeting. Now get out of here before someone walks by and calls the cops.”

The three other Hounds nodded as the Archbishop left the warehouse.

“This is your assignment Deacon.” Cardinal spoke up. “You will see this through. Don’t fail this one as well.” He said as he left.

Bishop handed Deacon a small duffle bag. “This the courier’s payment. This is your last chance Deacon.” She said as she left next.

Deacon sighed as the other two Hound members scolded him and growled. “Kingslayer…This damn prophecy will not come to pass.” He then walked over to Naoto and handed her the bag. “Go. Don’t speak of this. Or you’re next.”

Naoto nodded and rushed out of the warehouse and to a nearby alley. After making sure no one was around, she ripped off the wolf mask and began to breathe normally. She looked at the money in the bag, then tossed the bag with the money still in it, refusing to take it.

“What?” She whispered to herself. “Elevator? They know about Persona users. Rise-chan…” Naoto began to breathe in and out, realizing the dangers and revelations of this case. One of her friends was going to be in danger, again. “I need to find this Terra Chaos.” She continued to talk to herself. “I found reports of an elevator rumor, that could be my best bet. But…I need to warn Rise-chan.” Naoto pulled out her phone to try and call Rise, but saw the number wasn’t available. “Damn. She changed her number after the stalker incident.” She put her phone back into her pocket. “I hope you can handle yourself.”

Naoto began to walk back to where she was staying, having found a new lead and learned of the shocking revelation of Terra Chaos. But one thing kept her mind racing. The Archbishop. His voice, his demeanor, his stature. They were familiar to the SIU agent. Who was he? These were questions the persistent Shirogane would have to find later.

Rhys’s POV

5/11 – Monday

Hokkaido University – Morning

Rhys is walking to campus as another day begins. He began to realize how long it had been since they last went to Terra Chaos. He believed they would start getting rusty if they prolonged going in any longer. They needed to get stronger for the coming battles.

“Yo Rhys! What’s up?” Takeo caught up with Rhys with Hiromi following soon after. “Slow down you meathead!” She shouted as she caught up.

“Sup you two. Ready for the Midterms?” Rhys asked.

“Ugh don’t ask.” Hiromi replied. “I think we just need to get them done.”

“Hey do you think you an me could hang after class today Rhys-kun? I need some help with some more study methods” Takeo asked.

“Rhys-kun?” Hiromi began to snicker. “He’s not 15 you know?”

“Hey man call me what you like.” Rhys said. “I think we’ve been hanging long enough for you to start using kun. And yeah we can hang today.”

“Sweet!” Takeo cheered.

“But, I want to go to Terra Chaos tonight.” Rhys said right after.

“I was gonna ask you about that.” Hiromi chimed in. “I haven’t been in there since you guys saved me, so I need some practice and to get a feel of that place.”

“Eh I get what you mean.” Takeo replied. “Plus we haven’t been in since. We need to stay ready and not slack.”

“Then its settled. We’ll go in tonight. We’ll take a small team this time though. I was thinking we take Kitagawa, Yosuke, Amada, Koromaru, and Solomon.” Rhys confirmed their plans for tonight.

“Good thinking.” Hiromi nodded.

“Hell yeah!” Takeo cheered. “Now let’s get this day over with!”

The trio began to walk to class. Their minds settled on infiltrating Terra Chaos.

Afterschool

Rhys is walking with Takeo to a spot to help him with studying while he pulls out his phone and begins to text a group chat he asked Sophia to make with the Persona users.

“Alright Tak, what we got today?” Rhys asked as he put his phone away and sat down.

“Okay, so.” Takeo began talking as he sat down. “I think we’ve done enough with helping me find new study methods, so now I want to focus on chemical engineering as a whole.”

“Meaning?” Rhys questioned.

“Meaning I want to put these to practice in my field. If I really want to be a chemical engineer, then I’ll be invested in this study session. Now, I’ve gotten index cards, written notes, highlighted stuff. I think we should give it a go, yeah?” Takeo elaborated.

“Okay. Hand me the cards. Let’s get started.” Rhys held his hand out for Takeo to give him the flash cards and get started with the session.

As time went on, Rhys asked questions about chemical engineering to Takeo and whenever Takeo got one wrong, he would write down in a notebook for further study. Rhys was impressed with Takeo’s methods. They eventually got to a stopping point as it was getting late.

“Ok my brain is fried.” Takeo wiped his head. “Let’s stop there.”

Rhys nodded and handed his friend back the cards. He then noticed Takeo let out a tired sigh while putting up his notes and books. “What’s up Takeo? You did good. And you were writing down notes for questions you got wrong. I don’t even do that.”

“I know…” Takeo sighed. “It felt great to know the answers and such. But…I don’t know. It felt like a chore near the end. I wasn’t enjoying it, ya’know?”

“That tends to happen at the end of things like this. That just means your brain is exhausted from feeding itself information.” Rhys answered.

“I don’t know about that man.” Takeo disagreed. “Should I really be here? I still feel like I’m here because of my brothers and not myself.”

“We gotta give it more time bro.” Rhys patted Takeo’s shoulder. “Everyone is on a different path for a reason. We’re gonna find your reason for being here.”

 Takeo raised his head and smiled. “Yeah. You’re right. Thanks as always Rhys-kun. Thanks for hearing me out too.”

“Of course.” Rhys said as he checked the time. “Now get up. We need to go prep for the exploration tonight.”

“Damn right we do!” Takeo got up as he and Rhys began to walk back to the apartments. Rhys felt he understood Takeo’s conflict more, growing closer to the last brother of the Hattori heritage.

Otaru Apartments

“Okay, we all down here?” Yosuke asked while waiting by the elevator. He was wearing his orange headphones, a white winter jacket, an orange t shirt, some boots, and brown cargo pants. In his pockets were two kunai knives.

“We’re still waiting on Hiro-chan.” Takeo said, his red head band on and axe in hand.

“I believe Amada-san is helping the canine get ready.” Yusuke said as he came down the stairs, he had put his blue hair into a pony tale and was wearing a belt with a sheathed katana in it. In his hand was a real-looking M16 assault rifle.

Rhys, Takeo, and Yosuke were caught off guard by Yusuke’s firearm.

“Please tell me the safety’s on.” Rhys nervously said.

“WOAH DUDE!” Yosuke jumped from seeing the rifle. “WHERE DID YOU GET THAT!? That’s A RIFLE MAN!”

“Hmm?” Yusuke was confused. “Oh.” He clicked his tongue. “Do not worry. The Phantom Thieves do not use real firearms. We use airsoft weaponry. They have the same effect in worlds such as Terra Chaos.”

Takeo breathed a sigh of relief. “That makes sense considering Haru-san uses a grenade launcher.”

“I should clarify. Sophia will appear out of my phone when we enter this world.” Yusuke said.

“Yep. Noted.” Solomon said as he flew towards the elevator.

“Okay! I’m ready!” Hiromi said as she flew down the stairs. She had two kusarigama Kirijo had given her. She was wearing a hoodie…covering where her Persona tattoo would appear.

“Um. Hiro-chan? Do you remember where your tattoo appeared on your body when you awakened to your Persona?” Takeo asked.

“My shoulders. Why?” She asked. “This better not lead to something pervy Tak!”

“How much do you like that hoodie?” Rhys asked. “Because wherever your tattoo is located needs to be exposed. Or those flames you felt are gonna come back and burn that hoodie right off.”

“You’re kidding.” Hiromi said upset. “Damn, alright thank goodness I have a shirt on that’ll not get burned.” She sighed as she took the hoodie off. Hiromi was wearing a black shoulderless shirt with a tank top underneath. “How about now?”

“Oh yea…That’ll work fine.” Takeo said creepily.

“Down boy.” Rhys smacked the back of his head. “But yeah that’ll do. As long as you don’t have the entire mark covered you’ll be fine.”

Hiromi nodded as Ken walked down with Koromaru. The white Shibe was wearing his silver evoker collar and a white harness with wings on it.

Hiromi giggled. “Aw look at Koro-chan! You ready to go on an adventure boy!” She said as she crouched and began to pet the dog.

“Woof!” Koromaru barked.

“Looks like I was the last one.” Ken said as he came down, spear in hand. “Solomon, do you know where this new district opened up?”

“Yup.” The bird chirped. “I’ll lead the way once we get inside.”

“Then let’s not waste anymore time.” Rhys said as he called the elevator and the group of Persona users entered the gateway to Terra Chaos.

Terra Chaos

The group of Persona users felt the shift in atmosphere as they stepped into the Chaotic City. Fox’s clothes changed and Sophie formed out of his phone. The tattoos of the Talons glowed a blue flame before appearing on their bodies.

“Shit you weren’t kidding Rhys-kun.” Hiromi hissed as she grabbed one of her shoulders. “That would have done a number on my hoodie.”

“Uh-huh.” Rhys said as the group walked out of the lobby and into the streets.

Koromaru walked in front of everyone and began to sniff the ground before looking at the orange sky.

“Alright Koro-chan lay it on us.” Takeo spoke up.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Ken asked confused.

“We have met a talking bird. We have met a talking cat.” Hiromi began to speak. “So I’m expecting Koro-chan to start talking right about now.”

“Arf?” Koromaru tilted his head confused.

“See- wait what?” Takeo raised an eyebrow. “He just barked like a normal dog.”

“Did you two expect the dog to start talking?” Yosuke asked Takeo and Hiromi.

“I do not believe Koromaru can speak any human language.” Fox stated the obvious.

“Yeah Koro-chan doesn’t talk you two.” Ken answered.

“What!?” Hiromi groaned.

“BOOM!” Rhys cheered. “Pay up you two. I told you!”

Takeo and Hiromi groaned as they handed Rhys some yen.

Sophie then walked forward and started to pet Koromaru. “Since Woofmaru is of the real world and not of a world such as this like Chirpomon and Meowgana. He is just a normal dog.”

“Aw man.” Takeo groaned. “He’s just a normal dog. Guess I should be relieved.”

“Woof!” Koromaru barked.

“Koro-chan said it’s impolite to make assumptions Hattori-san.” Sophie replied.

“Wait you KNOW how to speak dog!?” Hiromi exclaimed.

“Dogs do not have a known language, but I can understand Woofmaru through his expressions and thoughts.” Sophie explained.

“Kinda like Aigis.” Ken whispered to himself.

“We shouldn’t stand around long.” Solomon flew in front of the group.

“Yes.” Rhys nodded. “Solomon. Take us to the new district. Fox, Yosuke, Hiromi, and Koro-chan, stay behind until we make it there. Me, Amada, Sophie, and Tak will clear any fodder that gets in front of us.”

“Got it.” Yosuke nodded as he put his headphones on.

“Let’s get moving.” Rhys ordered the group as they followed Solomon to the newly appeared district of Terra Chaos.

Naoto’s POV

Random Hotel Elevator

Naoto is testing the theory of the supposed “elevator ritual” to see if this is the Terra Chaos the Archbishop was talking about when she snuck into the Hound meeting. She loaded her snub nose revolver and brought extra rounds in her coat.

Thankfully this hotel had ten floors She thought to herself as she began to recite the ritual steps to herself.

“Wait for the elevator to close.” She says as the door to the elevator closes.

“Then press the odd numbers in three second intervals.” Naoto begins to press 1-3-5-7-9 on the elevator.

“Now the even.” She feels the elevator shake as she presses 2-4-6-8-10.

Naoto grunts and gasps as the elevator slams and the air around her changes. She feels Yamato Sumeragi, her Persona, light up inside her. As she realizes she found Terra Chaos.

The elevator door opens, and Naoto finds herself on a street of ancient gothic architecture underneath a burning orange sky. She walks to one of the old buildings. “These structures look as if they’re prehistoric.” She gasped as she laid her hand on the wall of one of the buildings and took a closer look at the material used. She scratched some of it off a smelled it’s scent. “Obsidian?” Naoto said to herself as the sharp material almost cut her finger. “How does one forge buildings out of a material such as this?”

Naoto then hears talking and screams coming from further into the town. She takes a deep breath before pulling out her revolver and starts to walk through the streets of Terra Chaos.

Rhys’s POV

Avaricious District

The small group of Persona users made it to the recently appeared district. Most of the city is blocked off by gates. However, the gates to the Avaricious District opened up once the Envious Serpent was slain. The mystery of this city still lingered within its center. A center the Talons and everyone else would encounter in time.

As they walked through the district, they noticed tents with tables underneath them and items that looked as if they were meant for trading.

“This looks like some shopping district of sorts.” Hiromi said, looking at the abandoned marketplace.

“You’re not far off.” Rhys said as he picked up an old coin made from obsidian. “This must’ve been the currency of the city.”

“So amidst their beliefs of Chaos, they still traded as normal individuals.” Fox instigated as he picked up a piece of ancient pottery. “Who exactly lived within these walls?”

“I’ve asked myself that for who knows how long now.” Solomon said as he landed on a table in the marketplace. “Answers will have to wait unfortunately.”

Sophie picked up a piece of the obsidian currency. “These coins are made of obsidian, an extremely sharp material. The markings and inscriptions imply the currency is almost 5000 years old.”

Yosuke whistled. “Yeah I’d say this town is ancient. It’s like the further we walk, the older the place looks-

“Grrrrrrrrr.” Koromaru began to growl at a figure standing in a courtyard near the marketplace.

“What is it boy?” Ken took stance as Koromaru continued to growl, a knife gripped by his teeth.

“Guy?” Takeo said as he readied his axe. “Shadow?”

“Yeah. Shadow.” Rhys declared as he unsheathed his short sword.

The figure dissolved into the ground and rose back up, with prehistoric armor and a spear. Five more arose behind it. Yosuke, Fox, Hiromi, and Sophie took their stances next.

“I’ll be your eyes!” Solomon said as he flew to the sky.

“Take ‘em!” Rhys shouted as the Persona users began to battle the six shadows.

Shadow Battle Music

Koromaru howled as Cerberus emerged from his Evoker. The three-headed guard dog of the underworld casted a Maeiga towards the six shadows. Two of them got hit by the attack and were stunned, while the rest dodged and rushed the eight Persona users.

A shadow thrusted its spear towards Ken, who deflected the attack with his own spear before stabbing it in its knee and pulling out his Evoker. “Koro! Knock ‘em down!” He shouted as he fired his evoker and summoned Kala-Nemi. Koromaru sliced the shadow’s other leg with his knife before tossing the blade and pouncing onto the shadow, growling and digging his teeth into its shoulder. As the shadow got knocked down, Kala-Nemi reigned down a Kouga, piercing and killing the shadow with spears of light. “Good boy.” Ken compliments the dog while breathing in and out. Koromaru barked at him.

Five more shadows remained as Hiromi and Takeo doubled team one shadow. It swung its spear at Takeo who dodged and lodged his axe into its back. The shadow elbowed Takeo in the nose before ducking a swing from Hiromi’s kusarigama. The shadow then kneed Hiromi in the gut and kicked her back. As it began to rush her with its spear, she wrapped the chains of her kusarigama around the weapon and pulled it down, disarming the shadow before sinking the chained scythes into his shoulders and kicking it back.

Oh I’m feeling it now… Hiromi thought to herself as began to feel a warm sensation come from her shoulders. “Shatter it Mulan!” She shouted as snapped her fingers and the pedals on her shoulders began to glow purple and the ancient warrior appeared, waving her flag before a shard of Bufula froze the shadow in its place. Takeo recovered as he saw the shadow frozen. “Hell yeah!” He shouted as his right forearm’s family sigil glowed once his snapped his fingers, summoning Hercules to reign down a bolt of Zionga towards the shadow, electrocuting it and shatter it to pieces. “Boo-yah” Takeo said as he and Hiromi fist bumped from taking down the shadow.

Yosuke rushed a shadow while tossing his two kunai towards a it. One hit it in the left shoulder while the other hit it in the stomach. Yosuke then ripped the two kunai from its body as he kneed it in the jaw. “Let the winds take you!” He shouted as he kicked his tarot card to summon Takehaya Susano-o to lift the shadow up with a Garula and rip it in half from the windy current, killing it as it dissolved into black particles.

Fox and Sophie made quick work of the next shadow. Sophie tied the spear it was holding with her yoyos before yanking and grabbing it to use herself. The shadow palmed her in the face and tried to grab the spear back. As it tried to throw another punch, Fox sliced its arm off with his katana before putting five shots into it with his rifle. The shots knocked it back from Sophie, allowing her to chuck the spear into its chest. “Now Fox!” She shouted.

Fox nodded before shouting “I lend it!” and summoning Gorokichi to cut it in half with a Giant Slice. The shadow bursts with black blood before dissolving into nothing.

“Two are rushing you Rhys!” Solomon shouted from the sky as Rhys noticed the last two shadows rushing him. He dodges the first shadow thrusting a spear towards him, then deflects the next shadow’s spear attack. Rhys then elbows one shadow before slicing at the other’s throat, knocking them both back. He then made use of a new Persona he fused not too long ago. “Shiisaa!” Rhys grunted as he snapped his fingers to summon the yellow guardian lion to bash one with an Assault Dive, bludgeoning its head in with the physical attack. Rhys then rushed the last shadow by stabbing it in the throat, and spinning the blade through its neck, decapitating it and ending the battle.

Everyone regathered at the courtyard after the battle ended. “Everyone good?” Rhys asked the group.

“Woof!” Koromaru leaped up while barking.

“I’m with you Koro-chan!” Hiromi cheered. “That felt great!”

“Please do not turn into Noir. I implore you.” Fox pleaded Hiromi.

“We took them down with style!” Takeo bragged. “How can you not find that fun?”

“I gotta admit, I did miss the adrenaline rush you get from fighting shadows.” Yosuke chimed in as he took off his headphones.

“Maybe it’s the feeling of power you get from your Persona.” Sophie replied.

“Either way, we have defeated the shadows. We are victorious in battle. Should we keep going leader?” Ken asked Rhys.

“Only if you guys want to.” Rhys answered. “I don’t wanna tire you guys out too much-

“So when do you think the Deacon will send the Imperators to acquire the next targets?” Rhys cuts himself off after hearing a voice in the distance.

“Did you hear that?” He asked the group.

“Yeah.” Solomon answered. “It sounded like someone talking.”

Rhys held his hand up to keep everyone quiet. “I’ll take lead.” He whispered. “Follow behind.” He began to quietly walk out of the marketplace and towards a street. Solomon and the other Persona users followed behind Rhys as they got closer to the people they heard talking. Rhys eventually walked around a corner and was startled from who he saw.

“Shit, get down!” He whispered as the other Persona users scattered across the street behind walls and other objects of cover as Rhys noticed two Hound members standing in front of a building that looked different from the rest of the district. It had lights on inside, and spotlights all around it. On the front of the building was a banner with the Hounds of Chaos sigil painted on it.

“What are they doing here!?” Yosuke whispered.

“It looks like a base of sorts.” Hiromi answered.

“They’re setting up strongholds over here now?” Ken whispered. “Why won’t the shadows attack them?”

“Quiet!” Rhys quietly ordered. “I’m trying to listen to the guards.”

“They haven’t even found the final target.” One of the Hounds guarding the base door said. “Why are they rushing to act on the 15^th?”

“The Wraiths only wake up once a year. Time is not on our side.” The other Hound replied. “The Persona users are needed to wake them up. If we wait too long to act, then our opportunity will be gone. Learn initiative young Hound.”

“Yes sir.” The two guards finished talking and stood in silence, guarding the door to the small stronghold.

“Ok I think we’ve explored enough.” Solomon whispered to Rhys. “Let’s go before they see us.”

Rhys then noticed a small window on the right side of the building. He began to think about how they still knew little about the Hounds of Chaos. If this truly was one of their bases, there had to be information inside.

“I’m not fond of that look Kuramoto-san.” Fox noticed Rhys staring at the opening. “What are you planning?”

“I wanna go in there.” Rhys whispered back.

“What!?” Takeo exclaimed quietly. “You don’t know how many more of those guys are in there!”

“Hattori is right.” Ken whispered. “We would get spotted easily.”

“That’s why it’s just gonna be me.” Rhys began to elaborate his plan. “Look, we need information, badly. I’m tired of dealing with an enemy we know nothing about. I’m gonna sneak in there ALONE, then look around for anything that could get us an advantage on these bastards. The rest of you are staying here. If they see you or anything goes awry, get back to the apartment.”

“Dude we’re not going to leave you!” Hiromi scowled.

“I’ll be fine.” Rhys gave a thumbs up.

“Spoken like a Phantom Thief.” Sophie smiled. “Be careful Kuramoto-san.”

“Arf.” Koromaru let out a grunt to wish Rhys good luck.

“I don’t trust this.” Yosuke chimed in. “But I agree with your reasons. We’ll be right here if anything goes wrong.”

Rhys nodded as he then turned to face the opening in the base. As the guards turned to face a different direction, he bolted towards the opening and shimmied his way into the building.

There were three floors in the base. Rhys snuck through the first floor, which had one Hound walking through it. The room was lit up with tall yellow work lights and scattered on the table were firearms, medical supplies, and ammunition. Rhys snuck past the Hound to the stairs leading to the second floor. On the second floor were two guards looking out one of the bases windows. As he walked by, he noticed a journal that had one word on the cover. “Sacrifices.” Rhys picked up the book and shoved it into his backpack and continued onto the third and final floor.

When Rhys made it to the top of the Hound stronghold, he was surprised to see the floor completely empty. There were tables and chairs scattered everywhere, but what caught Rhys’s attention was a table in the back. On it were files and books stacked on top of each other. “Bingo.” Rhys whispered to himself as he rushed to the table and began to look through each file and journal. Nothing was of any interest, just supply lists and meeting arrangement descriptions. No names or anything of interest. However, there were two pieces of evidence Rhys found that caught his attention. One was a sketched and copied book of something called “The Prophecy of The Kingslayer” and contained a note on the front that read “VITAL INFORMATION.” The other was a file, but as Rhys looked closer at the it, he noticed the red words “CLASSIFIED” and then recognized a logo that shook him. It was the logo of the Kirijo Group and underneath it was the name of the file. “Project Metamorphosis.”

Rhys knew both of these would help in their search to know the history of the Hounds of Chaos. He began to take the file and book and put them into his backpack. He was able to get the Kirijo file in there and was just about to put the ancient book into his bag.

*SMACK*

“AGH!” Rhys grunted and fell to the ground as he is hit in the back of the head, dropping The Prophecy of The Kingslayer. Rhys quickly collected himself and put his bag back on. He turned around to try and hit whoever struck him, but the attacker just effortlessly dodged to the left. Rhys turned around to see Deacon standing in front of him. 

Deacon began to chuckle. “Nice job. You managed to get past my men. I’m impressed…Rhys Kuramoto.”

Rhys then tried to rush in for another punch, but Deacon caught his arm and punched him in the side before throwing him down.

“Rhys Kuramoto. You must be the one who formed that self-righteous “Talons of Peace.” You and your allies have been a massive thorn in my SIDE.” Deacon scowled as he kicked Rhys in the face.

Rhys rolled away from Deacon and got back up. “What can I say? I’ve always been a delinquent.”

“Of course.” Deacon chuckled. “I take it you plan to stop our next plans?”

“Damn right.” Rhys said as he and Deacon circled each other. “You’re not gonna win.”

“Bold words Kuramoto. You can try.” Deacon declared as the two of them began to hear shouting outside.

“The Persona users are here! Raise the alarm!” A Hound shouted as he began to fire his gun.

“OH CRAP!” Rhys heard Yosuke shout as the gunfire grew louder.

“Looks like your friends got spotted.” Deacon said as he pulled out a gun. “I saw the file you grabbed.” He pointed it towards Rhys. “I can’t let you leave with it.”

Rhys then noticed a window to his right and came up with a really, REALLY stupid idea.

“That’s a damn shame.” He said as he flipped a table near him and rushed for the window. As Deacon began to fire shots at the blond, he jumped through the window and out of the three-story building.

“MMHG!” Rhys grunted as his back hit the ground, escaping Deacon’s gunfire and gaining some possible information on the Hounds of Chaos.

“AUUUUUGH!” He groaned as he lay on the pavement and proceeded to get up. “That hurts more than the movies make it out to be.” He then looked around and began to come to. “Okay, they probably are making it back to the apartment. I gotta get moving.” Rhys then proceeded to run through the streets of the Avaricious District, getting as far away from the Hound stronghold as he could.

Rhys got closer to the exit point and began to recognize the routes and streets he’d been taking.

“Okay, almost there.” Rhys said as he was panting for air, running through Terra Chaos’s streets. He proceeded to run around a corner to another street.

“Don’t move!” Rhys stops in his tracks as he suddenly hears a woman’s voice behind him and the cocking of a gun. Whoever stopped him must have been waiting around the corner to ambush someone.

“Easy lady.” He said as he put his hands up and slowly turned around. “I’m not one of them. I’m reaching for my sword. Don’t shoot.”

The blue cap-wearing woman kept her revolver pointed at Rhys as he dropped his sword. “Keep your hands in the air.” She ordered. “Don’t reach for anything.”

“What? Look I’m not one the Hounds okay? Who the hell are you anyway!?” Rhys began to get agitated by the sudden ambush by a stranger.

“Rhys?” Takeo’s voice can be heard coming from the corner behind him. “Is that you buddy?”

The group of Persona Users then ran in front of Rhys and the woman in the empty street. Fox pointed his rifle at the woman, who still had her gun pointed at Rhys.

“Don’t move! Any of you!” The woman shouted at the group.

“Friend of yours Rhys?” Hiromi said as she readied her kusarigama.

“Wait a minute.” Yosuke said in the back of the group, not being able to see the person holding Rhys hostage. “I know that voice, move out of the way!” He shoved Ken and Takeo out of the way. “NAOTO!?”

“Yosuke-san?!” Naoto lowered her revolver. She then looked at Ken and Koromaru. “You’re the boy from the tournament. That’s the same dog too.” Naoto then looked at Fox and Sophie. “Phantom Thieves!?”

“What is the meaning of this Yosuke!?” Naoto then shouted. “Why haven’t you returned to Inaba!?”

“Would you chill out Naoto-kun!?” Yosuke shouted. “What are YOU doing here!?”

Naoto sighed before holstering her revolver. “I was sent by the SIU to investigate the Hounds of Chaos.”

“Wait, SIU?” Fox asked. “We shouldn’t trust her.”

“It’s not the same SIU from when your little group dealt with them.” Naoto scowled.

“Yosuke said your name was Naoto? As in the Shirogane detective?” Takeo asked.

“Yeah that’s her.” Ken answered. “It’s been a long time Shirogane-san.”

“How’d you even learn of this place?” Solomon asked.

Naoto became wide eyed. “That dove just talked!”  

“Okay time out!” Rhys got everyone’s attention. “As much as I would love to sit here and chatter, I’d rather not have Hounds breathing down our neck.” He picked up his sword and looked at Naoto. “It seems you’re a friend of Hanamura’s. We have an exit point not too far from here.”

“That would be nice. This place is a maze to me.” Naoto agreed to follow the group of Persona users, shaking off seeing a talking bird and a group of new and old faces.

“One more thing.” Takeo said before they moved. “Were you able to find anything about the Hounds in their base, Rhys?”

“Yeah. I got something.” He answered.

“If I may, I was able to find information on the cult as well.” Naoto blurted out. “If you’re confronting this group, it could be beneficial.”

“Nice!” Yosuke exclaimed.

“We’ll keep introductions and information regarding the Hounds for later.” Rhys said. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Agreed.” Sophie nodded before disappearing into Fox’s phone.

The group then proceeded to take Naoto back with them to the exit point and to the apartments.

Otaru Apartments

Everyone began to walk out of the elevator and back to the real world. Everyone who didn’t go on the trip to Terra Chaos was sitting in the lobby waiting for them. Minato, Chie and Narukami walked up to greet the Persona users pouring out of the elevator.

“Sup you guys.” Minato greeted them.

“How’d the exploration go?” Chie asked soon after.

“We need to hold a meeting tomorrow.” Rhys said immediately.

“Oh and look who we found in there.” Yosuke said as Naoto walked to the front.

“Naoto-kun?!” Narukami and Chie exclaimed.

“It seems you two are here as well.” Naoto smiled. “It’s good to see you.”

“Did the agency assign you here or something?” Narukami asked.

“Correct. I have some information regarding the Hounds I’d be happy to share with you all. For now I’m tired, and need time to process recent events.” Naoto sighed.

“We found a Hound base while we were in there.” Rhys said then looked at Mitsuru. “And I found something regarding the cult. But I would like to keep that for tomorrow.”

“A Hound base in Terra Chaos?” Ren asked. “Interesting.”

“Then it’s settled.” Mitsuru declared. “It’s been a long time Shirogane. We’ll hear what you have to say tomorrow.”

“For now, you guys get some rest.” Minato said. “We can discuss any findings tomorrow. Shirogane, do you have a place to stay?”

“Yes. A Hotel not too far from here.” She said as she took off her hat to scratch her head. “And it’s Tatsumi. Shirogane is simply my detective name now.”

“Oh yeah you and Kanji got married!” Chie smirked.

“Regardless, I should get going. I will see you all tomorrow.” Naoto dismissed herself and put her hat back on as she walked out of the door.

“So you just ran across Naoto while in there?” Narukami asked Rhys.

“We got separated and when the others found me, she had a gun pointed at me.” Rhys answered.

“Will she help us?” Mitsuru asked the Investigation Team.

“Hell yeah she will!” Yosuke cheered.

“Yeah! Naoto will absolutely help us!” Chie agreed.

“I will go on ahead and prepare her a room then.” Mitsuru replied. “Good work Kuramoto, I look forward to hearing this information.”

Rhys began to walk up the stairs. “Yeah I’m sure you will.” He said as he went to his room.

Everyone began to file out of the lobby and get some rest. With the potential of a new member in the ranks of the Persona users and potential information that could reveal the past of the Hounds of Chaos, Rhys considered tonight’s expedition of Terra Chaos a success.

As he went to sleep, questions began to fill his mind. Who exactly was this Naoto? Was there more to Deacon than the Hound leader was letting on? What is Project Metamorphosis? What was The Prophecy of The Kingslayer? It seemed as if the more they dug when searching for answers, questions would double like a decapitated hydra.

Either way, there was new information acquired, it’s just a matter of what will be revealed by it at tomorrow’s meeting.

Chapter Text

5/12 - Tuesday

Minato’s POV

Otaru Apartments – Morning

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Minato groans in his and Yukari’s bed as he wakes up from an alarm clock and reaches to turn it off. He stretches as he sits up and takes off the covers before rubbing his eyes with his palms. Minato then hears Yukari begin to wake up as well after the two hear shouting from the living room of the apartment. Yukari groans realizing its Kotone and Eiichiro arguing as usual.

“Seriously?” She yawns. “It’s like they wake up earlier every day…”

“I don’t know who they got THAT from.” Minato says as he gets up. “I’m too sleepy all the time to have that much energy.”

Yukari then looks at the time as she moves her hair out of her face. “I’ll go make sure they’re not tearing the place down.” She says as she stands up and walks over to Minato. “I’ll give you some time alone to do your thing.” Yukari then kisses Minato before leaving the bedroom and closing the door.

“Kotone! Eiichiro! Why can’t you two get along!” Minato chuckles as he hears Yukari get on to the twins. He then gets up and reaches under the bed to pull out a small red mat. He rolls it out in front of the bed and gets on his knees as he puts on his signature headphones and sets a photo out in front of him. The photo is Minato when he was a teenager at Gekkoukan High School. Beside him is a girl that was his age at the time, but it was not Yukari. It was a girl with the same face as him but had crimson red eyes and auburn hair in a high ponytail. Around her neck was a red scarf and she had her arms wrapped around Minato’s left arm as she pointed a peace symbol at the camera with the most joyful smile anyone could imagine. As the sound of peaceful winds and crashing waves played through his headphones, Minato closed his eyes and began to whisper to himself.

“Good memories.” Minato whispered. “Memories of you…sis.” His mind then began to fade as he reflected on a past memory.

9/14/2009 – 16 years ago

Gekkoukan High School

Minato is sitting in class at Gekkoukan High listening to yet another long lecture. Sitting in front of him was Yukari listening as well and to her right was Junpei, struggling to stay awake. To Minato’s right was a girl with auburn hair and silver barrettes on the side of her head that resembled a XXII shape. She groaned as she began to fall asleep and dropped her pencil. The teacher noticed the girl’s lack of attention and scoffed.

“Minako Arisato! Are you listening!?” The teacher scolded.

“Oh crap.” Minako whispered as she panicked. “Uh yes Mrs. Terauchi!”

“Then answer this question.” The teacher responded.

“Damn.” She whispered to herself.

“Who is one referring to when speaking of their “better half”?”

Minako groaned as she tried to come up with an answer in her head.

“Their soulmate.” Minato whispered to Minako.

“Is it their soulmate?” Minako asked the teacher.

“Looks like you were paying attention after all.” Mrs. Terauchi smiled as she continued with her lecture.

Minato looked at Minako who gave him a smile and a thumbs up. “Thanks blue!” She whispered. The boy nodded as he began to listen back to the lecture.

Afterschool

“So what do you want to do today?” Minato asked Yukari as they sat in their desks after the last class of the day ended.

“I chose the last time.” Yukari answered. “It’s your turn.”

“How about the Café today? I need something to wake me up after today.” Minato suggested.

“You know I’ll go wherever you want Minato.” Yukari flirted.

Minato smiled before getting hit by a wad of paper thrown at him from behind. “Hey!” He groaned as he turned around to see Junpei and Minako snickering and laughing.

“You two are so cliché.” Minako sarcastically said as she and Junpei walked up to them. “Look Junpei, the lovebirds are planning another romantic adventure.”

“oooooh!” Junpei said as he and Minako began to laugh again.

“Yeah laugh it up you two.” Yukari scowled. “I’ve seen you awfully close to Sanada-senpai these past couple of days Mina-chan!”

“Yeah but I’m not cheesy with my flirting Yukari-chan.” Minako confidently said. “You’re gonna make my brother pass out one day with your flustering remarks.”

“Is this how you thank me from saving your skin earlier today?” Minato chimed in while elbowing his sister.

“Augh I ALREADY thanked you though!” Minako groaned while pulling out a Yen bill. “Here will that make you happy?”

“Oh would you look at that Yukari?” Minato sarcastically said. “I now have some money for us to go somewhere now.”

Yukari chuckled before Minako punched her brother in the shoulder. “Asshole.” She scowled.

“I’m not an asshole. I’m your brother. There is a difference sis.” Minato said as he got up.

“Yeah whatever.” Minako rolled her eyes. “You better be thankful for how much I look out for you little bro.”

“You are EIGHT seconds older.” Minato groaned. “You act like that’s eight whole years.”

“Okay you two stop fighting, you’re embarrassing me and Yuka-tan.” Junpei remarked.

“SHUT UP STUPEI!” The twins shouted at the same time.

Yukari began to laugh. “Okay can we get going?” She said to Minato as she grabbed her bag.

Minato then looked back at Minako and the two smiled at each other before laughing. “Thanks for the money sis. I’ll pay you back.”

“Ah don’t worry about it blue!” She said as she scratched his head. “Go have fun. Me and Iori are gonna go bug Sanada-senpai about something. Later!” Minako and Junpei then left the classroom as Minato smiled at his sister leaving.

“You two really are siblings.” Yukari said to him.

“What made you think that?” Minato sarcastically said.

“Oh gee I don’t know, the banter maybe? Or how about how inseparable you two are?”

Minato chuckled. “Bingo. Now let’s go.” He and Yukari left shortly after as his mind began to fade from the memory.

Present

Minato opens his eyes back up and takes a deep breath as he comes to. He then sighs as he puts up the photo of him and Minako, rolls up the mat, and puts his headphones on a desk. He then goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair before going to the closet and pulling out a suit to wear for the day. As he pulls out the suit, he notices the same red scarf Minako was wearing in the photo in the corner of the closet. He smiles as he closes the closet door.

“I’m making it sis.” He says to himself. “I won’t let you down.”

Minato walks out of the bedroom after getting ready to the apartment living room. He sees Yukari preparing a metal cup of coffee and Kotone and Eiichiro sitting at the table with their bookbags.

“Good morning Dad.” The two kids said in pouty state.

“Good morning you two.” Minato said as he walked over to Yukari. “Really? Timeout?”

“They wouldn’t. Stop. Arguing.” Yukari groaned.

“Eiichiro ripped my Jack Frost doll!” Kotone shouted.

“She started it!” Eiichiro snapped back.

“No I didn’t!”

“Hey, HEY!” Minato calmed the two kids down. “It looks like your mother put you in time out for a good reason.” He said as he went to them and crouched at their level. “Now I need you two to apologize to each other. Pointing fingers won’t help anything, yeah?”

“Mm-hm.” Eiichiro and Kotone nodded. “I’m sorry.” The two said at the same time.

“There ya go.” Minato said as he patted both of them on the shoulders. “I’ll get you another doll later today Kotone, okay? Just go easy on your brother, please?”

“Yes Dad.” Kotone groaned.

“And you please be nicer to your sister.” Yukari said in the background to Eiichiro. “I’ll get you one of your own so you’re not taking her stuff, got it?”

“Yes Mom.” Eiichiro mumbled.

Minato nodded as he walked back to Yukari to grab that cup of coffee. “Now that’s what we call teamwork.”

Yukari smiled. “I’ll walk them to school. Your own students make it to class before you.”

“Ugh Rhys seems to wake up just like those two.” Minato groaned.

“Have a good day Mina, love you.” Yukari said as she and Minato kissed.

“Will do Yuka, love you too.” Minato said as he began to walk out of the apartment.

“Have fun Dad!” Kotone shouted at Minato.

“Love you Dad!” Eiichiro shouted afterwords.

“Love you too.” Minato smirked at the twins as he closed the door and began to walk to the university, ready to get the day over with and prepare for the next meeting.

Rhys’s POV

Hokkaido University – Afterschool

“Try not to stay here long. Tatsumi-san will be at Otaru in about two hours.” Minato was telling Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi as they left his classroom.

“Is that when the meeting is taking place?” Hiromi asked Minato.

“Yeah. Rhys you looked serious about the information you supposedly found. I wanna hear it as soon as possible.” Minato said as he got up from his chair and picked up his bag.

“Oh it’s serious alright.” Rhys responded. “I don’t even know what to make of it, but it’s a lead.”

“Now I’m even more intrigued. I’ll see you three back at the apartment.” Minato said as he left the classroom and left the three Talons of Peace.

Later, the trio begin to walk through the campus and back to the apartments, their minds on whatever information Rhys and Naoto had on the Hounds. Rhys couldn’t stop thinking about the file he picked up. A Kirijo Group file on a blacklisted experiment called “Project Metamorphosis.” How was the Kirijo Group, the corporation his BROTHER worked for tied to the Hounds of Chaos? Rhys relented looking at the file before the meeting. He wanted to discover the means of the Hounds along with his companions. But he couldn’t get his mind off of that file and he needed to kill some time before the meeting.

“Hey look who it is.” Takeo stopped Hiromi and Rhys as he pointed to Emiko sitting at a table, pen in hand doing schoolwork while listening to the music.

“Time to keep walking.” Hiromi said to not pay any attention to Emiko.

Rhys thought of an idea to kill some time before heading to the meeting. “Let’s go talk to her.”

“Uh-uh.” Hiromi shook her head. “Absolutely not. I am not talking to her.”

“Yeah Rhys, we have to be back at the apartment for the meeting.” Takeo groaned. “No time for chit chat. Especially for Emiko Suzuki of all people.”

“Well would you RATHER wait at the apartment for two hours?” Rhys shot back. “Besides it would probably get you two closure from the other day, yeah?”

Takeo and Hiromi let out individual sighs. “Fine.” Hiromi said. “But if she starts anything I’m leaving.”

“Same here.” Takeo replied.

Rhys nodded. “That’s the spirit. Now stop moping about it, then we won’t get anywhere.” He said as the trio walked over to Emiko.

Takeo and Hiromi sat at a table next to Emiko while Rhys sat right in front of her. The one-eyed red head took off her headphones and looked up as Rhys sat down.

“Oh hey Kuramoto-san.” Emiko said before turning to look at Hiromi and Takeo. “Good afternoon Hattori-san, Koda-san.”

“Hey.” Takeo said while looking down.

“Sup.” Hiromi said while looking at her bag.

“How has your day been Suzuki-san?” Rhys asked as he sat his hands on the table in a locked gesture.

“What’s it to you?” Emiko scowled. “Don’t you three have a nice apartment to go back to?”

“There she goes.” Hiromi whispered to herself.

“We don’t have to be back for another…” Rhys checked the time on his phone. “Hour and fifty-five minutes. Think of this as us killing time by talking to someone.”

Emiko sighed. “Well in that case, it’s been a usual day. More students to write up, more to cuss up a storm in my face and call me the usual.”

“And you just put up with it?” Rhys asked.

“Words are words. Besides it doesn’t matter to me when I can just write them up for discipline whenever they run their mouths.”

Rhys felt the tension rise on Takeo and Hiromi’s side as Emiko made that comment. He was able to see how they view her role as Head of the Disciplinary Committee as a dictator trying to rule with an iron fist.

“Anyways…” He said to change the subject. “How’s Midterms looking for you? Think you’ll do good?”

“For what it’s worth, yeah.” Emiko replied. “Just some minor electives and some main stuff that isn’t too difficult.” She then looked at Takeo and Hiromi again. “How about you three? I take it you’re all in Arisato’s class, so science Midterms?”

“Yep.” Takeo answered. “We’re actually pretty confident this year.”

“Yeah.” Hiromi replied afterwards. “This year’s gonna be a cakewalk.”

“Well that’s good.” Emiko said. “Is Kuramoto-san a good luck charm for you two or something?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Takeo was now learning forward looking at Emiko.

“Yeah I wanna hear this.” Hiromi was now agitated.

“I’m just saying. Last year you two BARELY passed and gave me shit EVERY day. Now all of a sudden you two are above average students and patron saints?” Emiko shot back.

Ah crap Rhys thought to himself as he saw Takeo and Hiromi get angrier from the comment. “Hey guys let’s take a secon-

“Oh HERE WE GO.” Hiromi scowled. “We didn’t “give you shit every day” you almost got us expelled for voicing concerns!”

“You kept writing us up for getting to class late! That’s not your decision to make Suzuki!” Takeo shouted.

“Well MAYBE if you were DECENT friends and didn’t resort to calling me a “cyclops bitch” just like the rest of the delinquents at this damn school, I would’ve STOPPED at writing you up for being late.”

Takeo jumped out of his seat. “And now you act like a victim AGAIN!”

Hiromi then jumped out her seat next. “I’m just gonna say this and I don’t give a DAMN what you do. Write me up like the bossy jerk you are! You ABUSE that role you’ve been given. You don’t know the first thing about how to control students. You just write anyone up who does anything remotely wrong in your eyes. Oh I’m sorry, eye!”

“HIROMI!” Rhys slammed his hands on the table to get everyone to stop arguing.

“Man screw this, I’m out of here.” Takeo said as he picked up his bag and left.

“Good luck on your Midterms, if you have any.” Hiromi scowled as she left afterwards.

Rhys turned back to Emiko to see her head down and was shaking as she gripped her pen as hard as she could.

“Look I’m sorry about those two.” Rhys said as he sat back down. “Anything sets them off.”

Emiko begins to take deep breaths to calm down and try to get back to her schoolwork. “And now I can’t concentrate on these stupid chords.”

Rhys looked over to see what see was working on, it looked like a guitar chord sheet she needed to fill out. “Is that guitar? I can help.”

Emiko looked up. “Oh really? A science major knows music theory?”

“I ordered a guitar a couple weeks back and practice it when I have free time.” Rhys said as he got out a pencil. “I’m not no Johnny Cash, but I can help out with some of the small stuff.”

“Who’s Johnny Cash?” Emiko raised an eyebrow.

“Really you don’t know who—never mind, just lemme see the chords.” Rhys said back as he began to look on with Emiko.

“So what chord would that be?” Emiko asked.

“That’s the E chord.” Rhys said as he pointed at the chord on the sheet. “You would press a finger down on the G-string on the first fret, then cover the A and D strings on the second fret.”

“And the circles above the chord mean the strings you play open?” Emiko asked as she filled in the sheet and began to calm down.

“Yep.” Rhys said.

“What about the numbers on the bottom? I don’t get that part.”

“I think the numbers mean what finger you use for that string. So if a note was labeled with 1 you’d use your index finger and go down your hand from there.”

Emiko’s face lit with realization of how to read guitar chords. “OOOOOOOOOOH. I think I get it now.” She said as she began to fill out the sheet quicker and quicker.

Rhys watched as Emiko ended up finishing the schoolwork. “Done.” She sighed while wiping her forehead. “Looks like you were right.”

“Why do you have guitar chords as homework anyways?” Rhys asked. “Does it have to do with your major?”

“You’re a bright one, you know that?” Emiko said. “Yes. I’m majoring in music production. I want to help produce music in a studio, I think that would be what I’d enjoy.”

“It’s a cool career.” Rhys nodded.

“Yeah…it is.” Emiko looked down.

“Hey I’m not trying to make fun of you Suzuki-san.” Rhys said as he realized her tone changed. “It takes a lot of talent to go into a musical career, and you’re doing it well as far as I can tell.”

She sighed. “I know. Just sucks when everyone still sees you as nothing more than a monster.”

Rhys sighed. He could sense Emiko’s pain from whatever happened in her past. Underneath that hardshell of a dictator was just a girl who wanted to succeed.

He looked at his phone and noticed how much time flew by while he was helping Emiko with her paperwork. The meeting was starting in forty-five minutes.

“For what it’s worth.” Rhys said as he got up from the seat. “I don’t think you’re a monster. Just a human like me.”

Emiko then looked up. “C-could you tell those two I’m sorry? I was out of line with my comments…again.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand.” Rhys said. “You stay safe going home Suzuki-san.”

Rhys began to turn away from Emiko and walk away from her.

“Hey Rhys?” He turned around after Emiko called him by his first name.

“Thank you for helping me with my work. That was…kind of you.” Emiko said while looking down.

Rhys smiled. “Sure. Anytime.” He then walked off, feeling good about the conversation with Emiko and prepared for a meeting that would get him one step closer to his answers. Who the Hounds of Chaos are and what really happened to Logan Kuramoto.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

As Rhys walked into the lobby, he noticed everyone gathered and Naoto sitting with Narukami, Yosuke, and Chie at a table in the right corner of the lobby. But before Rhys went to introduce himself to the detective, he wanted to confront his fellow Talons over their words. He noticed Takeo and Hiromi talking to Ken and Minato at the bar table, with Solomon perched on a stool next to them.

“You two. Kitchen. Now.” Rhys ordered as he bumped Hiromi and Takeo on their shoulders.

“But it wasn’t our fault-

“KITCHEN. NOW.” Rhys shouted as he cut off Hiromi. The two second years walk into the lobby kitchen next to the bar table.

“Don’t start the meeting yet Arisato.” Rhys said as he looked back at him and Ken. “This won’t take long. Solomon you can come to since you’re a Talon.”

“Oh-ho he’s fixing to lay into them.” Solomon laughed. “I wanna see this.” The dove followed Rhys into the kitchen as the blond slammed its door shut.

“The hell did those two do?” Ren said as he and Morgana walked over to Ken and Minato.

“I don’t know.” Minato said. “Koda-san and Hattori-san did look a little heated when they showed up.”

“I think I got an idea.” Ken said as he sighed. “Stuff at school. Don’t worry about it.”

Everyone in the lobby stopped talking as they heard Rhys’s muffled shouts from the kitchen.

“You mind telling me what the HELL that was about!?” Rhys began to scold Hiromi and Takeo.

“Did you not hear what Emiko said!?” Hiromi fired back.

“That’s the crap we TRIED to warn you about Rhys!” Takeo shouted. “She’s an asshole by nature!”

“SHE’S AN ASSHOLE BY NATURE BECAUSE OF COMMENTS LIKE “OH I’M SORRY, EYE.”” Rhys shouted.

“I didn’t mean it like that-

“But you SAID IT HIROMI.” Rhys scolded. “Look I don’t know what happened between you three but that does NOT give you an excuse to bully her and take digs at her personal issues.”

“Are you seriously taking her side?!” Takeo became even more irate.

“I’m not taking ANYONE’S side Tak.” Rhys scowled before taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t for the comments she made either, but after you two berated her and just left out of nowhere, she told me to apologize to you.”

“She said she was sorry?” Hiromi asked in a curious tone.

“Yes. I don’t know what she did for you two to hold a grudge against her. But she isn’t a bad person. I talked to her for a while after you two left and she said no one sees her as nothing more than a monster.”

Takeo and Hiromi sighed in guilt. “Maybe…we did cross a line just like her.” Takeo said.

“Yeah. I can do better than that.” Hiromi sighed.

“Yes. You can.” Rhys said as he looked at Solomon who perched on a counter during the conversation. “You know what it means to be a Talon of Peace? To care for others like Suzuki-san no matter their transgressions. If you two are bothered by stuff like that, you’re gonna lose focus in battle. So please, stop acting like children and make amends.”

Takeo sighed. “We’ll try. We could probably respond in a better manner next time Suzuki-san says something like that again.”

“Look Rhys-san, we’ll tell you what happened between us another time.” Hiromi said afterwards. “But we’ll try to be better.”

“Thank you.” Rhys nodded. “Now let’s go get this meeting started.” He said as he opened the door back to the lobby and the trio walked out of the kitchen with Solomon flying behind them.

Rhys then walked over to Naoto as Minato began to get everyone to gather around and start the meeting. “Sorry about that, I had to deal with personal matters before anything else.” He said to her as he held out his hand. “I’m Rhys Kuramoto.”

“No need to apologize Kuramoto-san.” Naoto said as she shook his hand. “Naoto Shirogane-Tatsumi. I’m an agent for the Special Investigations Unit and a friend of Narukami’s.”

“Good to know.” Rhys nodded. “They fill you in on everything that happened since April?”

“Yes. It’s intriguing working alongside the Phantom Thieves. However, I must keep this portion of the investigation a secret to the SIU.” Naoto said.

“And they told you the cat is one of them and talks?” Rhys asked next

“They told me about that as well. I won’t be able to understand Morgana until I hear him for the first time in the other world. I’d chalk it up to insanity, but considering I heard a bird talk last night, anything is possible.”

“Do you know the Shadow Operatives as your friends do?” Rhys asked.

“It’s a strange circumstance. But yes, I know the Shadow Operatives all too well. Their leader is a different person from the one I encountered years ago.”

“You mean Minato? How so?” Rhys asked.

“That is information personal to him.” Naoto said as she began to walk over to the rest of the Persona users. “Best not prolong this meeting any longer.”

“Agreed.” Rhys said as he walked over to them as well.

“It’s time we get started.” Mitsuru said to begin the meeting as everyone sat or stood beside each other in the lobby. “Supposedly, there is new information regarding our enemy. The Hounds of Chaos. Kuramoto and Shirogane acquired possible leads on the cult. First off, welcome Shirogane.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here.” Naoto nodded. “This is more than a solo case for me, so I hope I can be of any assistance.”

“So which one of you wants to go first?” Minato asked Rhys and Naoto. “A lead’s a lead, so give us what you got.”

“If I may, I would like to share my evidence first.” Naoto said. “It’s purely a witness explanation.”

“Witness explanation?” Junpei asked. “What does that mean?”

“I was given one lead regarding the Hounds when I arrived in Sapporo. The group has members called “Carriers.” They deliver illegal packages to the cult’s higher ups. The SIU gave me the identity of a suspected courier. I trailed him, apprehended him, then took his mask and package in his place.”

“You mean you disguised yourself as a Hound and got close to them?” Yusuke asked. “That is quite bold of you.”

“Talk about badass.” Takeo whispered to himself.

“But also dangerous.” Ren said afterwards.

“Regardless, I disguised myself as a Hound Carrier and met the client. It was a member with a red suit and a white-fur mask.” Naoto said.

“Deacon.” Narukami said.

“Yeah we know good ol’ Deacon alright.” Futaba said afterwards.

“We believe him to be their leader.” Minato said. “He looks as if he has a high standing in the cult.”

“It makes sense to think he’s the leader.” Chie said afterwards.

“Yeah, we haven’t seen any other members of the Hounds other than what was called an “Imperator” that have some form of leadership within their ranks.” Yukari elaborated on Chie’s claim.

Ren’s phone buzzed as he pulled it out to let Sophia speak. Naoto was already introduced to the AI, so she wasn’t stunned to see her, especially considering who the Prince Detective has met in the past.

“Imperator is just another term for either commander or emperor. It is safe to say the one we encountered was a captain of the Hounds.” Sophia said.

“Unfortunately, you are wrong on Deacon being the leader of the Hounds of Chaos.” Naoto said.

“Damn, really?” Ken sighed.

“Then who is controlling them?” Haru asked. “They’re organized. More organized than any of us.”

“No kidding.” Yosuke said. “It’s like a small army. Kinda scary.”

“Deacon is just one of many leaders dictating the movements of the Hounds of Chaos.” Naoto revealed.

“There’s more like Deacon?” Minato asked. “Like a Council?”

“It would seem so.” She answered his question. “However, it seems their names are based on the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Back to my infiltration. After I handed Deacon the package, he informed me to follow him to an old warehouse. That is where the “payment” was. He said it was with the rest of the Hierarchy. I followed him to the warehouse guarded by two Hound members armed with automatic weapons. Inside the warehouse were two more Hound members dressed differently than the average member. One was female, around my height, orange hair, wore a wolf’s skull for a mask, and a white poncho. Deacon referred to her as “Bishop.” The other was tall, male, sounded in his late 40s, wore a silver metal wolf mask with red engravings, a dark blue tailcoat, and had a hood over the rest of his head. Deacon referred to this Hound as “Cardinal.”

“Bishop and Cardinal.” Mitsuru said. “If they follow a Church Hierarchy, then this Cardinal has superiority over Deacon and this Bishop.”

“And Bishop has superiority over Deacon.” Ren finished her sentence. “Which means Deacon’s the lackey of the Hierarchy.”

“You’re both correct and incorrect.” Naoto revealed. “After we walked in, Deacon sat the package on the table and opened it. Inside were remote explosives.”

“Jesus.” Rhys said to himself in English. “Someone HAS to be smuggling them their gear.”

“Bishop then laughed before telling me to wait for my payment as they had matters to discuss.” Naoto said afterwards.

“You walked right into one of their meetings.” Solomon said.

“It seems you were a sheep in wolf’s clothing.” Yusuke said a reverse version of the old saying.

Naoto then continued to tell the group her findings. “Deacon then asked about the next “targets.” It was then another Hierarchy member emerged from the darkness of the warehouse. He had on a grey wolf mask with bright red fur on the back, an all too familiar green button up shirt, and an eerie voice I also found familiar. Cardinal called him “Archbishop Red.”

“Archbishop Red?” Narukami asked.

“Yes. Putting “Red” on the end would imply there is another Archbishop, but that is purely a theory as of now. He talked differently from the rest of the Hierarchy. Deacon, Bishop, and Cardinal talked with a fraction of formality. They were civil in their discussions. Archbishop Red came off as arrogant, hot-tempered, and brash. He then threw photos of two of the next targets for their kidnappings. I believe you know one of them.” Naoto looked at the Shadow Operatives as she finished her sentence.

“Oh no.” Ken said as Koromaru whimpered next to him.

“It’s one of ours?” Mitsuru asked nervously.

“Who is it?” Minato asked firmly. “We need to know.”

“A member of the Osaka SWAT Force, Akihiko Sanada.” Naoto revealed.

“Not Sanada-san.” Yukari said as she put her hand over her mouth.

“Pfff. You guys are worried about Sanada-san getting kidnapped by these bozos?” Junpei confidently said. “He’ll wipe the floor with them!”

“The Hounds are different Junpei.” Minato scowled. “But…let’s hope you’re right and Sanada puts up a fight against them.”

“Akihiko Sanada.” Rhys said out loud. “Who is he?”

“Akihiko was one of the founding members of SEES.” Minato explained.

“He was also mine, Junpei, and Minato’s senpai along with Kirijo-san.” Yukari said afterwards.

“Sanada-san lives for a good fight.” Junpei said. “If you ask me, I think he would enjoy this.”

“Oh yeah I remember him.” Narukami said. “He made such a weird comment to Naoto.”

“Is he wearing shirts now?” Yosuke groaned. “Dude had his damn pecs showing day and night.”

“We haven’t talked to Sanada in a long time.” Minato said. “He’s been dealing with some…personal issues. So he decided to face them by himself.”

“I’m glad you have much faith in your friend having the ability to defend himself.” Naoto scowled.

“Naoto-kun?” Chie asked nervously. “Who’s the next target?”

Naoto sighed. “It’s Rise-chan.”

“NO!” Narukami shouted in anger. “This is why I DIDN’T want anyone getting involved!”

“Calm down Narukami.” Ren said. “Rise-chan? As in Rise Kujikawa?”

“Correct.” Naoto said.

“The celebrity?” Rhys asked. “She was one of your friends?”

Narukami took a deep breath. “Yes. She returned to Inaba during my stay there. Her grandmother owned a tofu shop there. Rise eventually returned to her role as “Risette” though.”

“Yeah I know her.” Rhys replied. “She was slated to perform a show in America in 2018.”

“I remember her talking about that.” Chie said. “Where was it supposed to be?”

“Madison Square Garden in New York City. But the tickets sold out so quickly and more people wanted to see her. It was more than how many people could fit in the arena, so they moved it to Michigan Stadium. It was one of the biggest concerts performed in the U.S.”

“Risette is a Persona user?” Takeo asked to get everyone back on track.

“Yes.” Naoto said. “That was the part that initially shocked me. This Archbishop Red knew the targets were Persona users. He said Rise would not be an issue, and he may be right. Narukami, you and I both know she is not a fighter.”

“What do you mean by that?” Futaba asked. “Is she like me or something?”

“Precisely.” Narukami said. “She was our navigator as you are to the Phantom Thieves Sakura-san. She’s our eyes.”

“She’ll be defenseless.” Chie said. “Her security won’t be able to stop them.”

“I attempted to call her, but her number’s been changed.” Naoto said.

“Don’t worry, I have some connections.” Narukami said as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll ask for her new number and warn her.”

“The reveal of the targets was not what worried me afterwards.” Naoto continued. “It was the Hierarchy’s reaction to each of the targets. They referred to Sanada as “Kirijo trash.” Deacon, Bishop, and Cardinal looked as if they scorned him.”

“Kirijo trash?” Mitsuru asked. “So they have a vendetta towards me and the Shadow Operatives?”

“That is most likely the case. The Archbishop had disdain for him as well. But with Rise-chan, his demeanor changed. He expressed a deep hatred for her. When Deacon noticed…” Naoto turned to look at Narukami. “He said he didn’t look too fond of her leader.”

“I don’t like where this is going Naoto-kun.” Narukami stated.

“Archbishop Red then went on a tirade, saying we “ruined him many years ago” and talked as if he made a vow to kill Narukami.”

“Sounds like someone has it out for you personally Yu.” Ren said. “Anyone come to mind?”

“Someone who knows me and my friends are Persona users and wants me dead personally?” Yu began to ponder. “Adachi is still in a cell, so it’s not him.”

“Whoever Archbishop Red is, they acted as if they knew the Shadow Operatives and Kirijo Group as well.” Naoto revealed.

Rhys was confused before lifting up his head in realization. “You two groups first met in Inaba years ago right?”

“Yeah.” Minato answered. “What about it?”

“Was there a common enemy? Someone who brought you all there to take you down?”

“That’s a good question.” Ken said.

“Someone who knows Narukami’s group and the Shadow Operatives personally and wants us dead. No one fits under that category except…” Minato’s eyes lit up. “Oh you gotta be shitting me.”

“Minato you better not say who I think.” Narukami stood up.

Minato sighed. “We shouldn’t worry about this Archbishop as of now. He seems to work from the shadows. We should stay focused on Deacon.”

“Was there anything else to the meeting Naoto?” Ren asked. “Any other targets?”

Rhys stood straight up. “Exactly. If this is following the same pattern as the first kidnapping, then there is one more target, and it isn’t any of your friends.” He said as he looked at the other three Persona groups.

“There is one more part. And I think they gave away the title of the above all leader of the Hounds of Chaos.” Naoto revealed.

“Shit really? The Hierarchy answer to someone?” Yosuke asked.

“The Archbishop called someone in particular “The Alpha.””

“Alphas are leaders of wolfpacks!” Haru gasped.

“That’s gotta be the leader then!” Junpei shouted. “This “Alpha” is the leader of it all!”

“These are just TITLES though.” Minato groaned. “We don’t have ANY actual names.”

“They brought up this “Alpha” when discussing their struggle with locating the third target. What’s interesting is they didn’t have a name for this one. Not even any photos.”

“Then how were they finding them?” Hiromi asked.

“They only referred to this person as the “cyclops.” That was all they were going off of in the meeting.” Naoto stated.

“Cyclops?” Takeo raised his head. “You don’t think they mean…”

Hiromi gasped. “There’s no way…”

Rhys’s eyes lit up and his heart dropped as he came to the same conclusion as Hiromi and Takeo. “Emiko…”

“Emiko Suzuki is the next target!” Ken stood up from his chair when he came to the same conclusion.

“Emiko Suzuki? Mind filling us in?” Chie asked.

Minato looked up. “Emiko Suzuki is part of the Student Council and Head of the Disciplinary at Hokkaido University, the school I teach at and the one these four attend. She’s been the victim of some severe bullying and neglect because of her condition.”

“Condition?” Yukari asked.

“It’s not my place to say what the cause of it was, but her right eye was amputated at a young age. She’s had that eyepatch on for all her life.”

“How do you know Suzuki-san Sensei?” Takeo asked.

“She was in my class with you two last year, remember?” Minato said in a guilt-trip manner to Hiromi and Takeo.

“Either way she is in danger.” Rhys said. “Were there any more details you can give from the meeting.”

Naoto held her phone and went to a calendar. “The Archbishop ordered Deacon to send two Imperator’s to capture Sanada and Rise-chan beginning on the 15^th, this Friday.”

“Okay, we got time.” Ken breathed a sigh of relief. “They don’t know her identity yet, so that gives us a chance to warn her and get her out of harms way.”

“So we know more members of the Hound leadership and the next victims they’re coming for next.” Mitsuru confirmed. “Excellent job Shirogane.”

Naoto nodded and moved back to sit down after giving her statement.

“Well Rhys, what do you got?” Minato asked the blond who grabbed his backpack to pull out the two pieces of evidence he found in the Hound stronghold located in Terra Chaos.

“When exploring the new district that opened up in Terra Chaos, we came across a Hound base. They’re starting to set up strongholds over there now.” Rhys confirmed with the group.

“That could be problematic.” Mitsuru said. “But it’s a smart move.”

“Right.” Ren replied. “Police can’t track them if they’re base of operations is in an entirely different world.”

“I decided to sneak in and see if there was anything worth grabbing.” Rhys began to pull out the journal titled “Sacrifices.”

“This was something I found. This all but confirms the Hounds know you guys in some shape or form.” Rhys opened the journal to reveal photos of each of the Persona users taken in a stalker-like fashion. The front page had pictures of potential leaders of the groups.

“They’ve been stalking us?” Narukami asked. “This a photo of me from Inaba.”

“Hey who’s the red-head girl on the page that said “Potential Leaders?” She looked like you Arisato-san. And it looked like an older photo.” Futaba asked Minato as she saw a photo of Minako in the journal.

Minato’s eyes lit up in anger. “Give me the damn book.” He ripped the photo from the journal and took a long look at it. “It’s photoshopped.” He said as he crunched up the photo. “I don’t know anyone like that. Rhys did you find anything other than just photos of us?” Minato asked frustratingly. The Shadow Operatives and Investigation Team looked at him with great concern, noticing the neglect he shows whenever Minako is mentioned in any form. Yukari knew even with the coping mechanisms he has used for so many years, Minato still felt the same hurt as he did on that very day. The day he shattered into a million pieces.

“Okay?” Rhys said confused from the sudden outburst from Minato as he put the journal away. He then pulled out the file. “I want to see if YOU knew of this.” He said as he looked at Mitsuru.

“Me?” She looked confused.

“It’s ironic since Naoto-san mentioned the Hounds potentially having a past with the Kirjo Group.” He then threw the file onto the table. “Because I found this as well.”

“What the hell?” Mitsuru whispered as she looked at the name of the file as if she saw a ghost.

“I thought you shut that shit down Kirijo.” Minato said as he looked at the file name as well.

“So, you mind telling me what Project Metamorphosis is?” Rhys asked as he crossed his arms out. “How do the Hounds fall in with the same group my brother worked for?”

“Project Metamorphosis?” Takeo asked confused.

“It also has “Classified” stamped on the front.”  Haru noticed as she looked at the file.

“Yeah Kirijo-san, didn’t you blacklist this entire project? You said it was too risky.” Yukari revealed.

“I don’t understand.” Mitsuru was confused at the file’s existence. “It should never have happened.” She began to flip through the file and whatever pages were in it.

“Well?” Rhys asked. “What was it?”

Mitsuru sighed before putting the file back down. “Project Metamorphosis was an experiment one of my past researchers asked could be given further expansion. He theorized the neurons in the cerebral cortex, the ones that effects our feelings, thoughts, the part of our brain that stimulates the Persona, could be evolved.”

“What?” Narukami said. “Evolved how?”

“He proposed a device that could draw the cortex neurons from any human nearby like a vortex and charge them with chemical energy. Doing so would mutate the neurons and activate a Persona within a person automatically.”

“It was an experiment to create Persona users.”  Ren realized as his eyes widened.

“This wasn’t the first time someone wanted to experiment with the creation of Personas.” Mitsuru revealed. “I shut the project down immediately, knowing the risks of an unstable Persona.”

“What did the inside of the file say?” Rhys asked.

“It was the basis information regarding the project.” Mitsuru claimed. “Just a detailed thesis and a more expanded paragraph of the information I explained.”

“There wasn’t anything on who was assigned to the experiments?” Naoto asked.

“Unfortunately no. The front pages that would NORMALLY contain the names of the head researchers of the experiments was ripped out.”

“Well what about that head researcher?” Minato asked. “The one who asked for your permission to greenlight the project in the first place.”

“That could be a good place to start.” Ken suggested. “Do you know of his whereabouts Kirijo-san?”

“Yes. He is a surgeon at Sapporo-Kosei General Hospital. He doesn’t work for the Kirijo Group anymore after an accident from years ago.” Kirijo said as she pulled out an ID of the man. It was an older individual, in his 50’s, had tan skin, a black comb over haircut and white reading glasses on.

“His name is Antoine Moreau.” Mitsuru revealed the name of the former Kirijo scientist.

“A Frenchman?” Rhys asked. “You had French and Americans working for you?”

“Kirijo-san had to rebuild her family’s corporation from the ground up after cutting off a majority of mergers and deals.” Minato elaborated.

“Yes. I allowed different nationalities to join the Kirijo Group as I believed it would fasten the process of finding new employees.” Mitsuru said as she put Antoine’s former ID away. “Your brother and Moreau were some of the people hired within these openings.”

“Kirijo-san, could you try and get in contact with Moreau?” Minato asked Mitsuru.

“Absolutely.” Mitsuru answered as she pulled her phone out. “I’ll try to schedule a meeting with him.”

“Good. I’ll come with to question him.”

“I want to tag along with you two.” Rhys interrupted. “There’s a good chance he knew my brother, so I would like to talk to him.”

Minato and Mitsuru nodded, agreeing with Rhys tagging along when they eventually question Antoine Moreau.

“Was there anything else in the stronghold?” Narukami asked the blond.

Rhys then remembered the ancient book he wasn’t able to retrieve. “Actually there was. In the stronghold was a sketch of an ancient book. Beside it were photos of the actual book for reference. It looked prehistoric. I’d go as far as to say it was pre-Biblical. It had a title called “The Prophecy of the Kingslayer.” I couldn’t grab it though, as Deacon attacked from behind as I tried to take it.”

“Kingslayer?” Naoto gasped as she remembered a small part of the Hound meeting. “Deacon mentioned that word after being scolded by the rest of the Hierarchy for his failures. He said the prophecy “won’t come to pass.”  Is it something they’re trying to work against?”

Yukari groaned. “Once again, when we THINK we found our answers, there ends up being more to it than we don’t know.”

“The mysteries of the Hounds of Chaos double like the heads of a hydra.” Yusuke emphasized as he sighed.

“Well either way, we know more about the Hounds even if more questions are raised.”  Rhys said as he put the Project Metamorphosis file away.

“Right on leader!” Junpei cheered. “We know who they’re goin after next.”

“We know there is a branching leadership in the Hounds and other members pulling the strings.” Haru said afterwards.

“One of the leaders of the Hounds personally knows Narukami-san, and has a personal vendetta with his and Arisato-sensei’s group.” Hiromi confirmed next.

“The Hounds have some sort of past with the Kirijo Group and are tied with something called Project Metamorphosis.” Ken said next.

“And on top of all that, apparently the Hounds are following some weird prophecy about someone called Kingslayer.” Yosuke ended the recap.

“So what are we going to do with this information?” Morgana meowed. “We can’t just sit on it.”

“Agreed.” Solomon chirped. “We should plan forward.”

“I’ll get in contact with Kujikawa’s manager and try to get her number and warn her about the Hounds coming for her.” Yu said as he scrolled through his contacts on his phone.

“Arisato, Kuramoto, and myself will question Moreau when I get a time and day.” Mitsuru claimed next.

“We’ll warn Suzuki-san about her potentially being targeted by the Hounds.” Takeo said afterwards.

“But we can’t directly tell her Tak, she would then start to get suspicious of us.” Hiromi nudged Takeo on the shoulder.

“Right, we’ll just tell her to be more careful on her way home. Make up some story to get her to keep her guard up.” Rhys clarified to the two.

“And pray that your Akihiko friend displays unwavering strength when the Hounds come for him.” Yusuke chimed in.

“Don’t you worry about ol’ Sanada!” Junpei braggingly said with a smirk. “He’ll give them a run for their money!”

“That settles it then.” Minato uncrossed his arms and walked forward. “You three should give Suzuki-san a heads up in some form. They still don’t know her identity, so that gives us time through at least Midterms.”

“Oh yea…Midterms.” Takeo groaned. “Thanks for reminding me…”

“Yeah good luck with those.” Chie said sarcastically.

“Don’t listen to her.” Yosuke jokingly said. “She was average at BEST.”

“Look who’s talkin JERK!” Chie punched Yosuke in the shoulder after the snide remark.

“Shirgane, since I was under the assumption that you would be aiding us in our cause, I set up a room for you on the 4^th floor.” Mitsuru told Naoto.

Naoto nodded while smiling “That is most thoughtful of you. Considering the depths of this case, it is I who will need assistance. I will join you.”

“What did I tell ya!” Chie cheered. “Her deadeye and investigation skills are gonna one up those Hounds!”

“Won’t be the first time we worked with an “Ace Detective.”” Futaba mumbled to herself.

“Then this meetings dismissed.” Minato declared. “You can all go back to your normal routines and such.”

Everyone nodded and began to file out of the apartment lobby. The only ones left were Solomon, Minato, and Rhys.

“I’ll let you know when Kirijo-san has gotten a time to meet Dr. Moreau. For now just focus on school.” Minato said.

“Will do. Thanks.” Rhys nodded to Minato as the Shadow Operative leader left the lobby for his apartment.

Solomon then flew to Rhys’s shoulder like a parrot. “I forgot to tell you, but when we were exploring that new area in Terra Chaos, I suddenly remembered it was called the “Avaricious District.” There was a vague familiarity to the area, but it went away soon after.”

“You’re beginning to remember. Maybe you do have history with the place.” Rhys encouraged Solomon’s resolve to learn of his past.

“Without a doubt. We just gotta go deeper.” Solomon said. “Terra Chaos is bigger than I realized. Areas are just cut off from the opening portion of the city.”

“Either way, we’ll keep going until the Hounds are gone. And along the way I’ll stay helping you.” Rhys reassured the dove.

“Thank you friend. I’m confident in our journey.” Solomon confidently said as he remembered a miniscule fraction of his past. As Rhys nodded and went upstairs to his apartment, he felt he and the dove’s bond strengthen from the newfound motivation.

Rhys laid in his bed, still having more questions. He couldn’t help but feel secrets being kept from him. Secrets of about his brother, Minato’s past, and other areas he still had no clue about. What exactly was Project Metamorphosis? Who were the scientists leading the experiment? Did Mitsuru know of its existence and kept it secret from him? More questions filled the boy’s mind as he began to fall asleep.

9/13

Hokkaido University – Lunchtime

Food Court

Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi are once again sitting in one of the university’s food courts in an attempt to get any last minute study sessions in before the start of the Midterms on Friday. The three are mostly confident in most of the topics that will be on the exams. At this point, it was cleanup for the three.

 “I’m feelin’ good about the Midterms this year!” Hiromi optimistically said while writing. “Maybe Suzuki-san was right. Rhys-kun is our lucky charm.”

“Hey I better not become your study crutch.” Rhys jokingly said as the three laughed.

“Man I just want Friday to get here before I forget everything I’m cramming into my brain.” Takeo groaned. “I’m afraid I’m gonna get in there and see a subject I KNOW we went over, but don’t know it ‘cause I was too busy trying to remember something else.”

“I feel you.” Rhys nodded. “That’s the worst part about it.”

“Yo you two, look over there.” Hiromi pointed over to Emiko who was standing in line to get food from one of the stands in the court.

“Think we should warn her?” Takeo asked. “In front of all these people?”

“Ah it’s too risky if you ask me.” Hiromi groaned. “Everyone would notice if the three of us walked up to her out of nowhere like that.”

At that moment, Rhys had an idea. “But not if it’s just one of us. Be right back.” He said as he rose from his seat.

“Whoa dude hold your horses!” Takeo whispered to Rhys.

“We don’t know if we’ll see her again until after Midterms.” Rhys said. “Besides I’ll tell her you two apologized. Win-win.” He blinked as he began to walk over to Emiko.

“Gee if I didn’t know any better, I’d say Rhys likes Suzuki-san.” Hiromi sarcastically said.

“Hiro-chan that can take SO many meanings!” Takeo warned Hiromi.

Rhys walked up behind Emiko in the back of the line, who was listening to her music while waiting for her turn.

“You know you stick out like a sore thumb.” Rhys said to get her attention. The girl with the eyepatch and green slick-back hair holder turned around as she took off her headphones.

“Oh hey Kuramoto-san.” Emiko greeted back. “Did you tell Hattori-san and Koda-san I’m sorry?”

“Of course.” Rhys said confidently.

“Then why are they still sitting over there?” She pointed to them as she looked at the two second years.

“They wanted to focus on Midterms, I told them I’d speak to you in their favor.” Rhys explained.

“Hmm.” She hummed. “Good enough.”

“You ready for them?” Rhys asked Emiko.

Emiko nodded. “Thanks to your knowledge in chords, I feel better about my exams.”

The two then stood in silence before Emiko remembered to ask Rhys something.

“Hey is anything strange been occurring in the city as of lately? I don’t keep up with the news.”

“You don’t? There’s been that weird cult and people getting kidnapped. Koda-san was one of the victims.” Rhys confusingly told Emiko.

“Oh that’s right.” She remembered. “Sorry I actually don’t watch any news broadcasts or TV to begin with. I remember overhearing some students talking about that cult and I do remember Arisato-sensei informing me to refrain from marking Koda-san up for any absences due to her being kidnapped.”

“Why do you ask?” Rhys curiously asked.

“Amada-senpai asked me if I noticed anyone strange or something off about my surroundings. He sounded serious. He then told me to return home as soon as possible and lock my door for the next couple of weeks.”

Looks like Amada-senpai already warned her Rhys thought before saying “Well in that case, yeah I’d try to stay safe. Looks like those Hound guys just pick up anyone off the street.”

Emiko nodded. “Strange of you to warn me as well, but regardless I appreciate the concern. It’s a nice change of pace.”

Rhys smirked. “Well I best let you order your food. You have a good rest of your day Suzuki-san.”

“You too.” She replied before turning back around and putting her headphones back on. Rhys then walked back to Hiromi and Takeo and picked up his bag.

“We’re good. Senpai already warned her.” Rhys said before taking a sip out of a water bottle.

“Looks like we gotta thank Senpai sometime later then.” Takeo said as he proceeded to get up next. “We should dip and get to class.”

“With you on that.” Hiromi said as she picked up her bag and got up as well. The three then went on with their day and got through the rest of their classes.

Afterschool

Rhys is standing in line to check out a book he saw in the library he found intriguing. It was a novel based on Greek mythology about a Spartan warrior who gave his soul to Ares, the God of War, and in doing so, was tricked into killing his wife and child. The Spartan went on a rampage to seek revenge and become the new God of War. As he is standing there, he feels a buzz come from his phone and sees a text from Hiromi.

Kita Ward – Big Bang Burger

Rhys was surprised to find that Hiromi had taken him to a fast food burger restaurant. The American inside of Rhys was relieved to see a burger place, but at the same time, fast food?

“A fast food restaurant?” Rhys asked confused as she and him got in line.

“Oh come on, you HAVE to have heard of Big Bang Burger!” Hiromi bumped him on the shoulder. “This place has gone global!”

“Of course I know what Big Bang Burger is!” Rhys groaned. “There was a location that opened up in Belfield.”

“Then you know you’re in for a treat!” Hiromi cheered. “Now hurry up and decide so we’re not hoggin up for the line.”

Rhys and Hiromi ordered their food and sat down in a booth as they began to eat. It was a burger alright. Rhys ate it and talked to Hiromi while doing so.

“My Dad used to take me here when I was 13.” Hiromi started talking. “It’s got great atmosphere for a burger restaurant.”

“That might just be the cash register constantly going off and the constant chatter.” Rhys replied.

“Maybe.” Hiromi laughed. “One time he tried to do that challenge they have with the burger the size of a steering wheel. He couldn’t even get it in his mouth.” She and Rhys began to laugh at the story.

“Thanks for tagging along. I feel less paranoid coming here now.” Hiromi smiled at Rhys “I forgot to tell you, but I went back to that shopping district alone. It was rough for the first couple of minutes and my paranoia was killing me. But I eventually got a hold of myself.”

“Good on ya.” Rhys nodded. “How do you think I felt walking through this city the day I landed here? Everyone is somewhat paranoid of their surroundings when alone.”

“You think so?” Hiromi asked.

“I know so. After the first time, it gets easier. Unless you’re in pitch black woods at midnight. That crap creeps me out.” Rhys shivered.

“Well either way, thanks. I feel like I still have a long ways to go before I can conquer my fear, but I’m confident we’ll get there.” Hiromi said as Rhys sensed her motivation, their bond growing stronger.

“Now then, I’m gonna order food for my parents and take it to them. You can go on ahead and go back to the apartment, I’ll be fine from here.” She said as she got up from her seat.

“If you say so.” Rhys got up and picked up his back. “See ya later.” He said as Hiromi waved goodbye and he went back to the apartment, another bond strengthened.

Otaru Apartments - Evening

Rooftop

Rhys agreed to train with the Shadow Operatives tonight, sensing a possible change in his relationship with the Persona Users. This time, it was Yukari training with him. He held his sword in his hand as he stood at a distance from Yukari and her bow. Junpei and Koromaru were also on the rooftop with the two.

“Thanks for agreeing to train tonight.” Yukari said with some form of relief.

“Um…Your welcome?” Rhys confusingly said.

“Pfft. Yuka-tan’s only thankin’ you ‘cause she needed to get away from the little demons she raises.” Junpei jokingly said.

“That’s not true!” Yukari shouted. “I actually have something important to base some training around!”

“Whatever you say Yuka-tan…” Junpei sarcastically replied as he stretched his back.

“So what is today’s lesson?” Rhys asked.

“Well I think it should go without saying we’re up against people who like to play the range game with us.” Yukari said as she picked an arrow from her quiver. “So I think it would be great to help you learn how to dodge ranged attacks.”

“Then why are Junpei and Koromaru here? Junpei uses a bat and no offense Koro-chan…but you’re a dog.”

“arf…” Koromaru let out an annoyed grunt.

“Cause I can throw a MEAN fastball Rhys-kun!” Junpei said as he threw a baseball in the air.

Rhys was confused why these two were training him on ranged attacks. “Seriously? I don’t know if you guys noticed or not, but the Hounds use GUNS. A bullet goes faster than any arrow or baseball and are smaller. I’ll see an arrow or one of your “mean fastballs” coming from a mile awa-

*WHACK* “OW!” Rhys screamed as a baseball suddenly struck him in the shoulder. “OW! My shoulder!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Junpei began to laugh. “Not so cocky now are ya-

*SMACK* “OW! My back!” Junpei shouted as Yukari hit him in the back with her bow.

“Don’t throw it so hard yet stupid!” Yukari scowled. “You could’ve knocked one of his teeth out!”

Koromaru fetched the baseball and took it back to Junpei. Rhys then stopped grabbing his shoulder in pain. “Okay…I’ll eat my words. What do you got?”

“How we deal with ranged attacks is the sound created by the velocity of whatever is coming at us.” Yukari explained. “Back at the Citadel in April, did you hear any whistling sounds when we were fighting the Hounds? Those were the bullets grazing you.”

“So what, I’m supposed to dodged ranged attacks by the sound of their velocity?” Rhys asked.

“Bingo.” Yukari said. “Bigger objects are gonna naturally have less speed than a bullet, so we’ll take this part slow and when Aigis gets here, we’ll have her use rubber bullets to simulate.”

“She’s gonna shoot at us!?” Junpei nervously asked. “You can’t scare him like that Yuka-tan! Those bullets hurt!”

“Can you get anymore stupid?” Yukari rolled her eyes. “They’re not real. The worst they’re gonna do to Rhys-kun is leave a small bruise.”

“Are we going to train or are you two gonna keep bickering like my friends?” Rhys asked.

Yukari and Junpei sighed as they then began throwing baseballs and dull arrows at Rhys’s way. He was able to dodge a decent amount of both ranged objects but got hit every now and then. Rhys was panting from dodging the objects back-to-back-to-back and eventually tapped out.

“Okay I can’t go anymore.” Rhys sighed. “My body aches.”

“Arf!” Koromaru barked.

“Thanks for fetching my baseballs Koro-chan!” Junpei petted the dog. “But yeah I get ya. My throwing arm is startin to get stiff.”

“Yeah my drawing arm is a little sore too.” Yukari said as she moved her arm around. “It’s getting late, we should get back inside.”

“So did you two really know Arisato since High School?” Rhys asked as he took a sip of water.

“Yuh-huh.” Junpei nodded. “He and I have been bros forever! Course he became a lil more intimate with Yuka-tan-OW!”

“Zip it.” Yukari said as she punched Junpei in the shoulder. “But yes. Minato-san has known us since our second years. That was when he moved to Port Island. I got to show him how to get to school and we three ended up in the same homeroom.”

“…four.” Junpei mumbled to himself.

“We’ve been friends ever since.” Yukari smiled while fidgeting with her ring. “You’re lucky to have him as one of your teachers Rhys-kun. He’s got a good alibi. And that’s not me being biased.”

“Yuka-tan’s right.” Junpei said. “You struck gold with good ol’ Minato-san.”

Rhys nodded and smiled. “That’s reassuring. Thanks for telling me. You two have a goodnight.” He waved as he left the rooftop and went to his room to get ready for bed, he felt he understood the friendship between Junpei, Yukari, and Minato a lot more after that small conversation. He sensed his bond with the Shadow Operatives grow just a bit stronger.

As he laid in bed once again, Rhys couldn’t help but think of one thing in the information he found. What exactly was Project Metamorphosis? A project to activate one’s Persona? What were they planning to do with the project if it succeeded? Sell it and allow countries to create Super Soldiers? It was a scary concept to Rhys. Not everyone is meant to have a Persona in his eyes. He pondered on the blacklisted experiment as he fell asleep and ended the day.

Chapter Text

5/14

Otaru Apartments – Morning

Mitsuru is sitting in the lobby reading one of Naoto’s detective novels, making conversation with the SIU Agent along with Narukami, who is writing in his journal as usual. The second years, Ken, and Minato had already left for Hokkaido University, Chie went on patrol as part of her assignment in Sapporo as a police officer, Haru and Ren went to an in person meeting with a name-branded market to discuss selling products, Futaba went to her job as a game developer, Junpei watched over Koromaru in his room, Yosuke was surprisingly out getting a morning jog and not slacking off, and Yusuke was busy in his and Sakura’s room brainstorming on a canvas. Morgana was busy climbing and jumping around the building and Solomon was soaring through the city, getting a feel of the real world.

“I understand why you’re fond of this novel Shirogane-san.” Mitsuru said as she closed the novel and placed it on the coffee table. “The characters are well written, and the plot is extraordinarily convoluted.”

“The twists are especially intriguing.” Naoto replied as she sipped a cup of coffee. “To tell you the truth, it is a nice change of pace getting to converse with colleagues from the sleepless nights figuring out how to solve a case.”

“That is called work-fatigue Naoto-kun.” Narukami sarcastically said. “It’s finally caught up to you.”

Naoto smirked. “This coming from someone who types words on a computer every day?”

Narukami chuckled as he put his journal away. “Hey my hand gets tired too ya know?” He then turned to Mitsuru. “What about you Kirijo-san? Has fatigue ever hit you running your family’s company?”

“Indeed.” She nodded. “There have been times it has been quite exhausting. With the addition of the Shadow Operatives, the exhaustion can be overwhelming. However, my friends make every second enjoyable.”

The three heard the lobby door swing open to see Yukari return from taking Kotone and Eiichiro to school. She walked over to the three sitting at the lounge. “Hey you three.” She greeted them.

“Welcome back Yukari.” Mitsuru greeted back. “I take it the twins didn’t give you any difficulties this time around.”

“Not this time.” Yukari sighed as she sat down on the couch next to Mitsuru. “It baffles me how Minato was able to walk them to school, then somehow get to his job soon after.”

“He looks like a different person than the one we met 13 years ago.” Narukami stated. “Dude looks like he works ass off week in and week out.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Yukari replied back. “Sometimes I feel like he overdoes it. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’d rather he exhaust himself to provide for us than not put any effort into being a dad.”

“How has he been doing, if I may ask?” Naoto questioned Yukari.

“What do you mean?”

“When your squadron arrived in Inaba, he didn’t seem in the best of spirits. We learned that when his shadow appeared.” Naoto elaborated.

“Oh…” Yukari realized.

“Yeah. Has he gotten over it?” Narukami asked next. “I don’t mean to pry or anything. But the guy seems happy. His shadow said a lot of things he didn’t want anyone to hear. If I remember, his was the worst out of all of ours. So, how is he doing?”

Yukari looked down and let out a deep sigh. “I’m gonna be honest. I don’t think he ever got over it. He doesn’t ever want to talk about her. You saw how he acted when Rhys pulled out the journal and a photo of her was in it.”

“Does he still take the anti-depressants?” Mitsuru asked.

“No, he dropped those as soon as Kotone and Eiichiro were born. But it took a couple of months for Minato to start having nightmares about what happened to her. The trauma started to slowly come back, so I begged him to at the very least see a therapist. He agreed.”

“Does he take any coping mechanisms?” Naoto asked. “Something to ease the heartache?”

Yukari nodded. “The therapist recommended he write down his thoughts in a journal. Let it act as a diary. Minato did that for two years then tried another method.”

“Was it the meditation?” Mitsuru asked next.

“Yeah, the meditation.”

“Meditation?” Narukami curiously asked.

“Every morning, I leave Minato in our room alone, he rolls out a yoga mat, lays on it, puts a picture of her in front of him and closes his eyes while breathing in and out.”

“It helped him reflect on memories that made him happy.” Mitsuru finished Yukari’s explanation. “I recommended it after hearing about his grief returning.”

“So he hasn’t gotten over her then?” Narukami asked. “He’s just putting on a happy-mask and keeping her a secret from everyone else?”

“Exactly.” Yukari answered. “I wish he would be more open about her. He doesn’t even tell our own children about her. It…hurts to see him still deal with grief so many years later. I know it upsets him, not being able to move on mentally.”

Naoto looked down before raising her head back up and talking. “Perhaps Minato-san doesn’t wish to burden anyone with his grief?”

“Yeah.” Narukami said agreeing with Naoto. “It’s probably too personal of a topic still. Can’t really fault him for that.”

“I believe Minato still deals with that depression every day.” Mitsuru said. “In some form, we all still feel the grief we felt on that day.”

“He does…” Yukari said when she realized something he told her one night in bed. “Minato told me he still grieves everyday…but he also said he won’t let that trauma control him.”

“That’s a great mindset to have.” Narukami said. “It’s okay to not get over something. It’s not okay to let that depression wrap you in shackles. That’s something my old man once told me.”

Yukari looked down at her ring. “Either way, I’m gonna be there for him. I promised I would.”

Mitsuru nodded as she got a message on her phone. It was the number from Sapporo-Kosei General Hospital. “Excellent.” She said while smiling.

“What is it?” Naoto asked.

“I received a message from Sapporo-Kosei General Hospital. Dr. Moreau has agreed to meet with us.”  

“Nice.” Narukami nodded. “Did he give a time?”

“We are scheduled to question him this Sunday, the 17^th.” Mitsuru said as she made a mental note of the date.

“That’s good to know.” Yukari said as she got up. “You should probably let Minato and Kuramoto-san know since they’re tagging along.”

“Absolutely.” Mitsuru nodded as she got up. “One more thing. Let’s keep this conversation between the four of us.”

“Right. Minato has asked us to not talk about her as much. Don’t say anything about this to the Phantom Thieves or Kuramoto’s group…” Yukari stopped herself suddenly remembering Erebus’s destined return. “…not yet at least.” She said as she and Mitsuru walked upstairs to their individual rooms, leaving Naoto and Narukami in the lobby alone.

“Not yet at least?” Narukami became confused. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“The Shadow Operatives are a secrete group.” Naoto began to ponder. “And they’re sloppy at hiding it.”

Hokkaido University

Afterschool

Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi are packing up to return home for the day, feeling ready for Midterms starting tomorrow and ending on Wednesday, the 20^th. As the three walk out of the classroom for the day Minato stops them as he himself is packing up. 

“Hey hold up you three.” He said which caused them to turn around and face him.

“Something up Sensei?” Hiromi asked.

“Two things.” Minato answered. “Firstly, Kirijo-san just messaged me about meeting Dr. Moreau, we’re set to question him this Sunday, so Rhys don’t make any plans.”

“Got it.” Rhys nodded. “What else?”

“I was wondering if you three would like to have one last study session at the apartments.” Minato said as he put his coat back on. “Amada will be joining us and I’m sure the others could help you three in some way.”

Takeo smirked. “Ah a study session with the pros. We’re gonna be getting free tutoring from our own teacher!”

“That’d be nice.” Hiromi answered. “It’d be a chance to make sure we’re up to speed on everything.”

“Great.” Minato grinned. “We’ll be waiting for you. Let’s say about two hours from now, yeah?”

“You got it.” Rhys said. “See you then.” The trio then left Minato and walked out of the classroom.

Narukami’s POV

Odori Park

Narukami is relaxing in a park, getting out of the apartments for fresh air and is trying to get the number of Rise Kujikawa. His friend was confirmed by Naoto to be one of the next targets on the Hound’s list of sacrifices. Yosuke decided to tag along to get out as well, getting out again after his jog.

“Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah.” Narukami is talking to one of his connections on the phone while Yosuke is swiping through his own, texting his dad and other Junes employees.

“Look I went to High School for a year with Kujikawa, I know her. What do you mean proof just take my word for it. You know I don’t lie.” Narukami began to argue with whoever was on the other end of the call. “Thank you. Have the number to me by tomorrow.” He clicked the hang up button. “Holy hell, it should not be that difficult when the woman has backed up my journalism for years now.” He groaned.

“Any luck partner?” Yosuke said as he took off his headphones and looked up.

“Yeah, my contact should have Rise’s number by tomorrow. I’ll call then since that’s when Naoto-kun said the kidnappings are gonna begin.”

“Yeah we at least gotta try and give her a heads up. It’s crazy though, she hasn’t really kept in contact with ANY of us besides you.”

“Don’t hold it against her.” Yu said defending Rise. “Being a celebrity on her scale means having ZERO time to be free. But at the same time, I get you, she could have at least told us she got a new number and made an effort to get in contact with us.”

“You think the fame has truly gone to her head this time?” Yosuke asked. “I mean she was trying to escape her life as Risette years ago, but now its like she wants to live it forever.”

“Yeah…” Narukami sighed. “For her own sake this time, she needs to take a break before she ends up one of those egotistical celebrities who only do it for the luxuries and push everyone else away.”

“Exactly.” His friend agreed. “Maybe you can convince her to take a break tomorrow.”

“Eh I don’t know, you remember what happened the last time she visited us?”

Yosuke clicked his tongue. “Oh yeah, you called her out on some crap. It was shortly after you proposed to Yukiko. It really has been years since she talked to any of us huh?”

“Yep. Part of me wish I could take back those words.” Narukami sighed. “Regardless of how she felt or how she acted, she was a friend.”

“What happened to have you explode at Rise-chan like that again? Nothing really upset you that much back then.” Yosuke asked.

“Do you remember how absolutely CLINGY Rise was to me despite the fact that I was ALREADY in a relationship with Yukiko? For years, she was hoping me and Yukiko would eventually break up and I would finally confess a love that didn’t exist to her. Don’t get me wrong, Rise’s family just as you, Chie and everyone else is, but I don’t love her that way. Why would I dump someone I genuinely love and consider my soulmate for someone who just wanted to live out her fantasies? I guess she eventually took the hint and got jealous of Yukiko, so when I proposed, she started drama with her over me.”

“Yeah that’s not of her. I don’t get why she woulda done that.” Yosuke said. “But speaking of Yukiko…have you called her lately?”

“Of course. I called her back at the end of April to tell her I would be down here longer to interview other sources for separate articles NOT pertaining to the Hounds. She was fine with it surprisingly.”

“Seriously?” Yosuke asked. “Even with Kenta-chan?”

“She knows how much journalism means to me Yosuke. She understands.”

“But dude, you’re LYING to her. You know how Yukiko gets when she eventually gets mad, and she HATES lying. You’re basically asking for it man.”

Narukami groaned. “I’m only lying so she doesn’t end up coming down here. It’s to keep her and Kenta safe.”

“She’s eventually gonna find out man. We men are shit at lying.”

“Speaking from experience?” Narukami sarcastically asked.

“Dude I lied to Chie ONE time and instead of us talking through it like a couple would, she just KICKED me in the nads!” Yosuke scowled.

Narukami began to laugh. “It must’ve been a terrible thing to lie about.”

“One of my only regrets in life.” Yosuke groaned. “Seriously, how was I supposed to know how she would react to scratching up that DVD?!”

Narukami looked at his watch. “We should start getting back before Chie starts getting suspicious, she’ll think you’re at a club or something.”

“Still bringin that up huh?” Yosuke whimpered as the two got up and left the park.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

The second years are sitting in the lobby with Minato, Ken, Haru, and Junpei as they get help reviewing for Midterms. Minato is reading questions to the three as they answer each one. Junpei and Haru are helping whenever they can…mainly Haru.

“So that’s what you mean by that formula?” Takeo asked Minato.

“Yup. The difference is small on paper but would actually lead to opposite reactions if put into a lab.” Minato explained. “You three actually look like you’re gonna do good.”

“That’s more than what SOME people here can say.” Ken said while staring at Junpei.

“Don’t kick me when I’m down Amada!” Junpei groaned. “I didn’t do terrible on my exams!”

“Did you have difficulties in High School Iori-san?” Haru asked while she sipped some coffee.

“Difficulties is an understatement.” Minato sarcastically said.

Junpei sighed. “Math should stay MATH. They keep changing it!”

“Wait Amada-senpai, where’s Koro-chan?” Hiromi asked noticing the dog nor Solomon the dove was around.

“Kirijo-san took him out for an evening walk. We used to take him on night walks all the time. Solomon tagged along.”

“I tried to get Mona-chan to go as well.” Haru chuckled. “But he refused to get near Koro-chan after he almost chased him to death.”

“Do Eichi-kun and Koto-chan have any tests coming up Sensei?” Takeo asked Minato.

“That is what Yukari’s doing right now. She is helping them. It’s easy stuff, even Junpei could do it.” Minato jokingly said.

“You know what, I’ll take that as a compliment!” Junpei cheered.

“Ooooh watcha guys doin?” Futaba said as she slid down the stairs to the lobby.

“Hi Futaba-chan!” Haru said. “They’re studying for Midterms.”

“Ugh MIDTERMS. Blegh.” Futaba replied in a disgusted tone. “Glad I beat that boss. Talk about a grind!”

“Has Kitagawa-san figured out what he’s gonna do for his next canvas yet?” Hiromi asked.

“Pfft Nah.” Futaba shook her head. “Inari doesn’t know aesthetics from his own face. You think he’s gonna come up with something HE would be satisfied painting within a few weeks?”

“We should get back to studying.” Minato said getting the trio’s attention again. “Sakura-san, I know you have some knowledge of science, you’re welcomed to join to help these three out.”

“You mean I can Sherpa these noobs?” Futaba excitedly asked. “I’m in!”

“Did she just call us noobs?” Rhys asked Haru.

“Indeed she did.” Haru chuckled. “It’s how she talks.”

“Good to know…” Takeo groaned as the group got back into the study session. Rhys felt his knowledge increase from the session and felt slightly closer to the people in the lobby who helped. He felt ready for the incoming Midterms.

5/15 – Friday

Hokkaido University – Morning

Rhys is walking to his first class to get started with Midterms. Takeo and Hiromi had already left to get one last desperate glance at any notes they couldn’t remember. Rhys himself felt confident about the exams, so he took his time getting to the first exam of the day. As he is walking he bumps into an oncoming student and drops his bottle of water.

“Crap.” He whispered to himself as he went after the bottle, which began to roll out of his reach. As it finally stopped rolling, Rhys crouched down to grab if. As he reached for the bottle, another person crouched in front of him and grabbed it. Rhys looked up as he got out of his crouched position to see the same eyepatch and held back auburn hair he knew of. It was Emiko.

“You dropped this.” Emiko held the bottle out to Rhys.

“Oh-uh thanks Suzuki-san.” Rhys nodded as he took the bottle. “Guess I got slippery hands huh?”

“Perhaps.” She replied while holding her bag. “Are you ready for your Midterms?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. You?”

“Absolutely.” Emiko nodded while adjusting her eyepatch. “These amateurs are going to be outdone by the “cyclops hag.” That’s a new one I heard yesterday.”

“You keep a list of them or something?” Rhys asked sarcastically.

“It’s a long list at this point.” Emiko scowled. “Some of them are annoying. Others are just dull words.”

She then looked at her phone and saw the time. “Well, its best we end this conversation here. Don’t want to lose any time on our Midterms. Best of luck to your Kuramoto-san.”

“You too Suzuki-san.” Rhys said to end the conversation between the two and go separate ways to get their next days of long Midterms past them. It would be a long six days. However, something else would begin on this day outside of some exams. It is time for the Hounds of Chaos to strike again.

Elsewhere…

Echizen, Fukui – Sun Dome

Evening

A woman with long brown pig tails in a pink jumpsuit is on the stage of the Sun Dome at the end of an energetic concert. The crowd is ecstatic as the show comes to an end, chanting the woman’s name as she thanks them for an amazing concert.

“THANK YOU!” The woman cheers as she waves and leaves the stage. She hears the volume of the chants decrease as she goes backstage. “RI-SETTE! RI-SETTE! RI-SETTE…”

“When Risette makes it backstage, a man in a suit and glasses is waiting with a checkbook and water bottle in his hand. “Another excellent performance Rise-san!” The man cheers.

“Thank you Gyobu-san!” Rise said as he handed her the water bottle. “That was the last show of the tour too!”

“Shall I get the car ready?” Gyobu said.

“Yep! Trying to earn that paycheck, huh?” Rise jokingly said to her manager.

“Simply doing my job.” He replied. “Oh and one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

Gyobu handed Rise her cell phone, as she leaves it backstage during performances. “Near the end of the show, someone tried to call you.”

“Probably another call from a fan or something, ignore it.” Rise said as she went behind a closet in the makeup room to change outfits.

“Well I would, but this one stated he knew you from High School. I looked him up and turns out he’s a journalist too. Went by the name “Yu Narukami.””

“Senpai?” Rise whispered to herself.

“Should I just block the number?” Rise heard her manager’s muffled speaking as she quickly put on a hoodie. “N-no! I’ll call back in a sec! Just leave the phone by the door and get the car ready!”

“Will do. Don’t stay too late! You have a filming for that commercial tomorrow!” He said as he left.

“Augh I KNOW!” Rise groaned. “Don’t have to remind me…” She grumbled. Rise walked out of the closet and checked her phone, and sure enough the number checked out. She recognized Yu’s number as she read across the digits.

Rise took a deep breath as she hovered over the button to call Narukami. “Okay Rise, you’ve said some dumb crap to your friends. Don’t do it again.”  She pumped herself up as she pressed call. Rise put the phone up to her right ear and started to walk back and forward in anticipation. She stopped as she heard the ringing stop and heard a phone pick up on the other end.

“You seriously havin your manager answer your own phone now? You realize how creepy that could get?” She hears Narukami’s voice from the other end of the call.

“Senpai!” Rise squealed. “How’s it going?”

“Oh you know, the usual, I pretend to be a cool journalist when I’m probably one of the most amateur ones out there. What about you? It’s been a while.” Narukami replied.

“I just got done with my last show. I’m beat.” Rise groaned as she grabbed her purse and any other belongings of her she brought backstage.

“I bet. Those tours gettin to you yet?”

“Not yet.  I’m enjoying them this time around.” Rise said as she got a melancholy feeling as to why exactly Narukami was calling. “Hey Narukami, is there any reason you decided to call me besides a catch up with an old friend? Knowing you, making a sudden call like this is serious, so what’s up?”

“Ah you caught me!” Narukami sarcastically said. “Have you kept up with the news?”

“Not much.  I just know that there’s some weird cult making the rounds. They wear these creepy wolf masks. Why?”

“Well this has to do with that cult. Did you see last month that Yosuke was kidnapped?”

Rise gasps as she remembers reading an article about the Hounds of Chaos Sapporo kidnappings. “Oh I DO remember that! I saw that he was found to. Is he okay?”

“He’s still Yosuke if that’s what you’re asking. Point is, Naoto-kun got put on an investigation regarding that cult. They’re called the Hounds of Chaos. After Yosuke was found, she got some dirt on why Yosuke was specifically kidnapped.  And after some thinking, she believes you’re next on their list.” Yu said as to try and not give too much away while on the phone.

“They’re coming after me?” Rise chuckled. “Yeah-okay, I’d like to see those creeps try! They’re just more stalkers Senpai! My security can handle them, easy-peasy.”

“Well as long as you say so, just be careful. Figured I’d give you a heads up or some sort of warning. Just please watch your back.” Yu pleaded with Rise.

“Well thanks for the warning anyway. But I think I should be fine.” She said before a ten second silence filled the call. “Hey Yu listen…um…Couple of years ago…I said some mean things to you and Yukiko-Senpai. I…don’t like the person I was. I’m sorry.”

She heard Yu sigh on the other end. “I’m sorry too. We both said stuff out of anger and spite. For what it’s worth, there are no hard feelings between you and me. I still consider you a friend even after calling you out and what you said about me and Yukiko.”

“That’s relieving…” Rise breathed. “But…I take it it’s not gonna be so easy to get Yukiko to forgive me? Isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid not.” Narukami chuckled. “You did say some meaner things to her than to me. I think you two will make up eventually. Mind if I keep this number? I’m sure the rest of the group would love to talk to you again.”

“Go on ahead. Like you said, it’s been a while.” Rise then checked a clock on a wall backstage. “Oh no! My manager’s been waiting forever with my ride! I gotta go! I’ll be careful! Okaybye!” She quickly said as she hung on Narukami and then rushed around the arena, trying to find an exit and get to the place where Gyobu would pick her up.

As she made her way through the stadium she noticed a tall figure appear behind her. “Not taking autographs! Sorry I’m in a rush!” She said as she passed him. Rise made it to the front of the arena where all  the booths and concession stands were. “Augh this place is like a maze!” She groaned as she began to walk in a different direction back towards the backstage area.

When she got back to the backstage area, Rise began to remember the way she came into the arena earlier in  the day. “Kay now we’re getting somewhere…” She whispered to herself as she began to walk through some narrow hallways. As she turned another corner, the celebrity noticed the same tall figure standing in the back of the hallway, now she was getting annoyed. “I’m not taking autographs! Now beat it!” She yelled at the man who began to slowly walk towards her. “Hey are you deaf!?” She continued to berate the man. “Get lost-

Rise stopped herself when she remembered Narukami’s warning and felt her heart begin beating faster. “Oh crap…why do you gotta be right Senpai!?” She whispered to herself as she ran to another exit on the opposite side of the stalker. She made it outside to the car her manager was waiting in as the figure began to get closer to Rise. Thankfully, this time there were no fans blocking her way, as she bolted for the car and got in the passenger side.

“DRIVE!” She shouted as she slammed the car door shut.

“Huh? What’s wrong-

“Just DRIVE!” Rise shouted at Gyobu, cutting him off and causing him to press his foot on the gas pedal and begin driving away from the arena and away from the ominous person following the celebrity.

“Whew.” Rise breathed as she leaned back into her seat.

“Mind telling me what that was about?” Her manager said as he had his eyes on the road. Eventually she began to talk as they got to a red light.

“So I called that Narukami ‘cause we were friends in the past, right?”

“Uh-huh.”  

“And we talked and talked until he weirdly warned me about getting kidnapped by that creepy-ass cult on the news.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. So that stalker following me got me scared. Narukami might’ve been wrong on that cult out to get me. Everything’s fine! No cult’s gonna get me Gyobu-san!” She said as she took a relaxing deep breath in the passenger’s seat.

“That’s good to hear Rise Kujikawa.” Gyobu said while smiling and taking off his glasses. “But I think your friend may have been right…”

“Huh? Wha-

*ZZZAAAP*

Rise jolts and shakes intensely before her head hits the dash of the car, knocking her out as Gyobu pulls out a taser and drives it against her neck. “Haha…That wasn’t so hard…” Gyobu said as he drove the car to a secluded ally. “Maybe think twice before making me your errand boy…dumb bitch.”

He pulls out his phone and dials an anonymous cell number. “I got her. Like you said Archbishop Red…too easy.”

“Did you zap her?”

“Yup. Bitch plopped like a pancake.” Gyobu responed.

“HAHAHAHAHA!” The Archbishop cackled on the end. “Good shit Imperator. You know the drill, just take her to Deacon and he’ll handle the rest. For Chaos.”

“For Chaos.” The secret Hound Imperator ended the phone call and drove off with the unconscious Rise Kujikawa. The first victim of the next sacrifice had been successfully kidnapped.

Chapter Text

5/17 – Sunday – Mid-Morning

Sapporo-Kosei General Hospital

Rhys had made it through the first two days of Midterms with Sunday giving a break between the exams. He, Mitsuru, and Minato are waiting in the lobby of a hospital to be taken to Dr. Antoine Moreau, a French surgeon working at Sapporo-Kosei General Hospital. Moreau was a former head researcher in the Kirijo Group, who supposedly was the one who proposed Project Metamorphosis to Mitsuru before being denied and shut down immediately. Moreau came to terms with the denial of his request, however it appears as if someone began to research and run the project without any authorization. Not even Mitsuru, the head of her own family-run organization, knew of the project being tested behind her back. The folder itself was even blacklisted without her knowledge, making the project and its experiments almost erased from any records, headlines, or other sources of information for the group of Persona users to gather. The project was all but just a name with one goal in mind: to activate the Persona within a person by mutating the cortex neurons in the brain. Since the Hounds of Chaos got their hands on this folder, it could mean that the frenzied cult of murderers, maniacs, and mercenaries had an unknown connection or past with the Kirijo Group, or they were trying to rebuild Project Metamorphosis from the ground up. Either way, the only lead the heroes had was Moreau, the one who proposed the conduit experiment in the beginning.

As they’re sitting in the lobby, Rhys is twiddling his thumbs wondering if there was any connection between Dr. Moreau and Logan, his deceased brother. “So did Moreau know Logan?” He asked Mitsuru who was reading one of the books laid out on a table in the lobby. “They did both work alongside you, so does he know him well?”

“You would be correct in your assumption.” Mitsuru said as she closed the book and laid it back down on the table. “Your brother aided Dr. Moreau with his weekly experiments and diagnostics. The two maintained a steady routine in any laboratory they were assigned to.”

“You think he knows what happened to him?” Rhys asked next.

“Hard to say.” Minato said as he stopped scrolling on his phone. “After Logan went missing before his death, Moreau quit his job at the Kirijo Group.”

“He…resigned after suffering an accident.” Mitsuru sighed. “Moreau believed he would be safer in the role of a surgeon rather than a researcher.”

“Accident?” Rhys said as he scratched his head. “What happened?”

As he asked the question, a nurse exited out of some doors leading to the offices of the hospital. “Dr. Moreau will see you now. Follow me.” She said to Minato, Mitsuru, and Rhys.

“Leave that question for Moreau.” Minato whispered to Rhys as the three got up and began to follow the nurse to Dr. Moreau’s office. They walked down a long hallway filled with the scent reminiscent of any medical facility and passed many offices and doctors either walking pass them or talking to the side. At the end of the hallway was a birch-styled door with a metal handle. On the wall next to the door was a metal nametag screwed into it that said “Dr. Antoine Moreau.”

 The nurse held the door open for the three, with Minato entering first, Mitsuru next, and Rhys last. Rhys noticed the surgeon stand up as the three entered his office, he looked slightly older than from the picture Mitsuru showed them. He still had his black comb over hair, tan skin, and glasses, but his face was more wrinkled, wore two black surgeon gloves, and noticed what looked like a scar or burn mark peeking out from his neck as the rest was covered by the collar of his jacket.

“Ah, Arisato-san! Welcome.” Moreau greeted with a raspy but optimistic voice.

“It’s good to see you Antoine-san.” Minato bowed his head before shaking the doctor’s hand.

“Bonjour Mademoiselle Kirijo! (Hello Miss Kirijo!)” The French doctor then greeted Mitsuru in his native language. “Comment ca va? (How are you?)”

“Bonjour Moreau-san.” Mitsuru answered back in French. “Je vais très bien. Merci de demander. (I’m doing great. Thank you for asking.)”

Moreau then turned his attention to Rhys and couldn’t hold in his grin seeing the younger brother of an older friend. “And you must be Rhys Kuramoto.” He greeted the boy in English. “It’s an honor to meet you so many years later.”

Rhys bowed “Likewise Dr. Moreau.” He replied in English, his own native language. “So you knew about me?”

“How could I not?” Moreau chuckled while the two kept speaking in English. “Logan kept a picture of you on his desk and bragged about you every day. Although in those pictures you were just a boy, and smaller, and didn’t have such messy hair. But look at you! You’re all grown up.”

“Ahem.” Minato coughed. “I hate to break up your introductions, but we came to you on some Shadow Operative Business.”

“Shadow Operative Business?” Moreau questioned while going back to speaking Japanese. “You mean Rhys is…”

“Affirmative.” Mitsuru nodded. “Kuramoto-san is working with us, as well as other colleagues. We are investigating an incursion located within Sapporo.”

“An incursion here?” Moreau asked shocked. “So Rhys, you know of your brother’s research then? That his work was not any fairy tale?”

“Yeah.” Rhys answered. “I always did. The stories he told me got me through a lot. But that was the past.”

“What we’re trying to get to is that there is another group using this incursion as a means to their own benefit and desire for carnage. The Hounds of Chaos.” Minato revealed while having his arms crossed and leaning back in one of the chairs in Moreau’s office.

“That deranged cult of terrorists on the news?” Moreau scoffed. “They know of Personas? Of Shadows?”

“Unfortunately, it appears so.” Mitsuru answered. “The incursion is the location of where they took the abducted from last month. We were successful in extracting the hostages and in the meantime have been attempting to accumulate information regarding the Hounds.”

“They knew of Terra Chaos, the “incursion” Kirijo-san speaks of.” Rhys continued. “These people discovered it way before these two and their group could, and before I even knew of its existence.”

“T-Terra Chaos!?” The doctor exclaimed. “It’s real!?”

“You knew of it as well then?” Minato pressed Moreau.

“Not in the way you think!” Moreau explained himself. “My father used to tell me nightmarish stories as a child. Of a city that worshipped entities of sin and destruction. He called it “Ville du Chaos” which is French for essentially the same name of the city. My father related it to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.”

“The city from the Bible?” Rhys asked.

“Yes. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for embracing sin and chaos. Father would tell me Ville du Chaos fell victim to the same desires, except God sentenced the city to an entirely different area in time and space. Between dream and reality. The people, the architecture, the buildings, the entire city was banished to its own personal, isolated hell. He would tell me this to teach me to never fall to the same desires…so I myself am not banished to a fate worse than the Seven Circles of Hell itself…”

“So the thought of Terra Chaos terrified you into knowing it?” Minato asked.

Moreau nodded. “But that’s not the point. You wouldn’t be telling me of the Hounds unless I had something of knowledge for you. What is it you need of me?”

Rhys began to talk while Mitsuru began to reach into a suitcase she brought. “Recently, we learned the Hounds are beginning to set up bases in Terra Chaos. I infiltrated one of these bases and found this inside.”

Mitsuru set the file name side down onto Moreau’s desk. The former Kirijo scientist flipped the file and immediately stood up from his chair, took three steps back, and gasped as soon as he saw the Project Metamorphosis as the name of the file.

“I-Impossible!” Moreau gasped. “I scrapped it…I burned the pages myself!”

“We were wondering if you know anything else about this. After all...and I say this out of respect for you Moreau after what you’ve been through…” Minato leaned forward in the seat. “This project came from YOUR mind…”

“Steady Arisato.” Mitsuru said to keep Moreau calm. “Breathe doctor. We know you’re not responsible for this project’s sudden reemergence.”

“Right.” Rhys said right after. “We went through the file and all that’s in there is the details of what the purpose of Metamorphosis was. No names. No head researchers. Nothing. What do you remember about this project.”

Moreau began to breathe normally as he began to twist and pull at the medical gloves on his hands. He took his glasses off afterwards and sat back down in his seat. “Initially Kirijo-san, after you denied greenlighting me and my team to proceed with Project Metamorphosis, I thought you were wrong. So, I ran some individual tests of the device on a research simulation I had coded by one of the programmers. The results I got were…terrifying to say the least. It would draw from the neurons of the cerebral cortex and charge them. However, depending on the desires of the individual, could leave unstable affects. If we were to run the device and activate it…the charging would’ve resulted in the device imploding, the radius would be devastating, and the lives lost would’ve ranged in the thousands…”

“Damn…” Rhys whispered to himself. “So if you resent this project so much especially after seeing what could happen if you went through with it, then who could’ve brought it back?”

“Are there any names that come to mind Dr. Moreau?” Minato asked. “Perhaps any scientists who felt the same as you but were too ambitious for their own good?”

“Well not anyone in particular except that damned fool Romanov. He never listened to a word I’d say. When I told him of the project’s denial, he went irate and threatened to quit-

“Wait did you say Romanov?” Rhys asked seriously.

“Are you referring to Sergei Romanov?” Mitsuru asked. “Another former employee?”

“Yes. Why? What does he have to do with any of this? Do you believe he is the head researcher?” Moreau asked.

“Not exactly. But Romanov is tied to this in some way.” Minato revealed. “A criminal record of his states he was a member of the Hounds of Chaos long before its emergence.”

“Romanov was part of that cult?” Moreau gasped. “I wish we could ask him ourselves but…”

“He’s dead…” Rhys whispered. “Is there anything you can tell us of Romanov then? Like how did he die? That could get us somewhere.”

Moreau looked down at his hands and scratched his neck. “There is…something of substance to the information you desire…”

“Moreau…” Mitsuru sighed. “You needn’t not reexperience that memory…”

“No, no…someone is attempting to bring my past ambitions to fruition. I won’t allow it.” Moreau said as he began to tell them what happened. “When your brother Logan died in what was deemed a “chemical leak,” two weeks later, Romanov was running tests on a chemical reactor he had created to give Kyoto enough energy to last a century. The site was located outside the city away from civilization. I was stationed there with my daughter…Diane. One day I brought my daughter to the site as I was wrapping up some paperwork. Romanov was running tests as usual, but…something went wrong. We heard screaming as alarms began to ring throughout the lab. As I grabbed Diane to get out of that lab, I noticed the reactor began to pulsate a blood red light before it became a blinding explosion. The entire lab was eradicated from the chemical explosion. I…was the only survivor. Sergei had been torn apart from the explosion and Diane…she died in my arms. It is a miracle I somehow survived with how lethal the chemicals experimented on could be. But that was the same time Romanov went AWOL. The interesting part about Romanov being reported as “torn apart” is no one could find his body.”

“You think Romanov survived and is still a Hound Kirijo-san?” Rhys asked Mitsuru after hearing the story.

“It is a significant stretch.” She said. “However, this explosion…Moreau I’m sorry you experienced this.”

“Do not apologize for something that occurred ten years ago old friend.” Moreau sighed. “I hope this information can be of some use to you.”

“So Romanov ran an unstable experiment in Kyoto shortly after Logan’s death.” Minato said as he pondered. “And he did it after the rejection of Project Metamorphosis…this is something we can work with. He was a former Hound member, which means his research and the explosion were caused by him obeying the orders of the Hounds.”

“That’s all I can think of.” Rhys sighed. “We’re slowly getting there…we should let the rest know of our findings when we return. It shouldn’t require a meeting.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t have been more help mes amis (my friends).” Moreau sighed. “I quit my job as a researcher shortly after. The accident put me in a new mindset…”

“You’ve done more than enough Moreau.” Mitsuru said as she stood up smirking. “Merci.”

Rhys and Minato nodded as a way of saying goodbye to Dr. Moreau and left with Kirijo as they exited the hospital. They had learned of another conspirator stemming from the mysterious Project Metamorphosis. A name that keeps reoccurring at the end of every answer to the Hounds of Chaos: Sergei Romanov.

“There’s gotta be more to that explosion Moreau was talking about.” Rhys said as they walked out and into Kirijo’s limousine. “Why would this Romanov figure want to proceed with Project Metamorphosis so badly, and what exactly WAS he experimenting on?”

“I don’t know.” Minato groaned. “His name is at the end of every road. I bet he’s still alive somehow…like you said, if only we knew more about the experiment in Kyoto that caused a chemical explosion.”

“Regardless we have learned new information today.” Mitsuru reassured the two. “I have faith in finding more answers to our questions.”

The three nodded in agreement as they drove off back to the apartments, closer to the truth of the Hounds of Chaos and how they are connected to a project that stemmed from well over a decade ago. The question is, how much deeper into hell will they crawl before the Devil reaches out? Will they stop their pursuit of revealing the nature of the deranged cult, or will they dig too deep?

Two Days Later…

5/19 – Tuesday - Late Night

Unknown Gym in Osaka

It is a late night at a gym in the City of Osaka. The training center had become empty and less populated as the day went by, with the employees who usually greet members of the gym at the front desk clocked out. The gym was open 24/7, meaning anyone could go for a workout or exercise at any time of the day. Members of the gym would need to scan a key at the front entrance in order to enter the gym after dark. In the gym is only one member, alone in the building training. It was an early middle-aged man with a white buzz-cut and stubble-beard. He had a white piece of medical tape above his left eye and wore a red sleeveless gym shirt and black gym shorts. The man was wearing hand wraps as he landed strikes against a training dummy. Each hit and punch was that of a boxer’s, the jabs being quick, precise, and fueled with force. Behind him was his gym bag planted on the pavement. In it was a badge from the Osaka Police Force, a designated handgun from the Force, some extra clothes, a metal thermos with water in it, a silver necklace with a locket the shape of a boxing glove attached to it, and a piece of identification of the gymgoer that read “Akihiko Sanada.”

Akihiko eventually relents from striking the dummy, stretching his hands while breathing in and out from his heart racing. As he pants, he walks over to his gym bag and first pulls out his water and takes small sips from it. Sanada then puts it in the bag and pulls out the silver locket, he opens it to look at the inside. In the locket was a photo of Akihiko in his red vest and school uniform from Gekkoukan, sitting with a girl with auburn hair in a high ponytail and red eyes. In the photo the two are holding hands as they look into the camera. Akihiko sighs while grinning and puts the locket away and heads towards a locker with his gym bag. As he opens the locker, he notices a person walk into the gym and move towards the dumbbells. The man is wearing a black hood and covering his face as he picks up a small dumbbell.  At first Akihiko made nothing of the man, figuring he was just another member of the gym, until he heard the man start talking to himself. “Sanada’s here…” Akihiko heard the man whisper. “Move in…”

This set Sanada into a focus, realizing the man who entered the gym was there for him as four more people entered the gym and went to separate stations and exercise machines. He noticed the five sudden people casually working out at whatever station they were at.

“Fall in on my command…” Akihiko heard the hooded man whisper as he faked his workout. The boxer-turned SWAT then slowly closed his locker and put his belongings inside.

“I know you’re faking it.” Akihiko said out loud which caused the hooded man to drop the dumbells. “Whatever you five are planning, I’d advise against it. This is your only warning. If you want to keep your teeth and walk out of here in one piece, I’d suggest walking out of those doors this instant.” He turned around and saw the five people reach for their gym bags, pull out wolf masks, and slip them onto their faces.

“Ah.” Sanada realized. “You’re the Hounds of Chaos. Criminals, murderers, lunatics, am I getting it right?”

“Akihiko Sanada.” The hooded man who now wore a Hound mask coldly said as he pulled out a baton hilt. “You are to comply and come with us immediately.” He then flicked the hilt and the rest of the baton extended out. “Or would you rather make this difficult?”

The four other Hound members then moved closer to Sanada, each spread out in front of him, surrounding the SWAT member. Akihiko let out a malicious and eager grin. “Difficult for me, or for you? Last chance. You really wanna do this?”

“He said you’d be a pain in the ass.” One Hound blurted out. “We’re doing this alright…”

Akihiko then cracked his knuckles and held his fists up in his boxing form. “Then please don’t pull any punches…I’d like a challenge for once.”

“GET ‘EM!” The hooded Hound shouted as the five proceeded to rush the hard-hitting Akihiko Sanada.

A Hound closes in and tries to grab Sanada from his right, but he pushes his attacker’s arms away before jabbing him in the gut, then left hooking him in the jaw, the Hound’s head colliding with the metal lockers from the force of Sanada’s punches. The next Hound grabs the former boxer from behind by locking his arms around his back, with another of Sanada’s attackers running at him to hit him in the face. Akihiko kicks his front attacker in the gut and throws the one holding him down to the ground in from of him. He lands a punch right in the Hound’s face before backing up out of the corner he put himself in and strafing to a more open part of the gym. The Hound Sanada just threw down began to get back up as the Hooded Hound with the baton and the other two lackeys surrounded him.

“Is that it?” Akihiko said with a cocky grin. “I expected more…”

“HAGH!” The lead Hound grunted as he pointed his baton towards the white-haired fighter. “I’m gonna pop that dumb smirk off your face! SUBDUE HIM DAMNIT!” He shouted as the other two Hounds rushed Sanada. One grabbed a steel barbell as he rushed Akihiko and tried to swing it at him. He ducked the steel bar and blocked a punch coming from his right from the other Hound. The SWAT member blocked another punch before grabbing the Hounds arm and twisting it. “AGH!” The Hounds screamed before Akihiko struck him in the gut twice and socked him with a right hook to the face. The other Hound tried to swing the barbell at Sanada again, but the boxer saw it coming and threw the Hound he was laying into in front of the barbell, getting pummeled in the side of the head from the steel object. Sanada then rushed the Hound and knocked the barbell out of his hand before kneeing him in the gut and landing left hook after right hook after left hook into his face before uppercutting him, sending the Hound flying back as he grunted from pain.

“Your boss isn’t going to be happy if you fail I presume?” Akihiko said as he began to stare down the last standing Hound member twirling his extended baton.  “I’d recommend you begin coming up with an excuse as to how you and four of your own men got arrested by one person…”

The Hound scoffed. “Still cocky huh? Time to humble you…”

He proceeded to rush Akihiko and swing his baton in a constant motion, aggressively trying to strike from left to right. Sanada ducked and weaved each swing before raising his forearms in front of his face to block one attack directed towards his face. He then grabbed the baton from the Hound, who held on tightly to the weapon. Akihiko used his strength to pick the Hound up by the baton and throw him towards a mirror across the gym. “AAAAAAGH!” The Hound screamed as he went flying and collided with the glass, causing it to shatter and knock him over. Akihiko began to walk over to the knocked over Hound, not noticing the one who he threw over earlier getting up and reaching into his locker for something.

“Damn you!” The Hound shouted as he tried swing at Akihiko around the shattered glass. Akihiko grabbed his hand before striking him in the right eye. “Too easy…” He sighed. “You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain sil-

*BANG* “AGH!” Akihiko screamed as he heard a loud gunshot and felt a stinging pain enter his right shoulder. He turned around to see a Hound had reached into his locker and pulled out his registered gun. The Hound leader took this as his opportunity to strike. He grabbed Akihiko by his head and slammed him into the broken mirror, shattering it even more as glass cut up the right side of his face. “AAAAAGH!” He grunted and shouted as his face made contact with the glass. Akihiko’s right cheek began to bleed from the glass as the Hound then struck him in the gut five times. Sanada fell to the ground, gripping his shot arm as blood fell from his face.

He then noticed the Hound pick up a small weight and raise it above his head. “Shit…” He groaned.

“For Chaos…” The Hound declared before striking Sanada in the face with the weight, knocking him out unconscious. He then turned towards the Hound holding the SWAT’s gun and aggressively walked towards him. “GIVE ME THAT YOU DAMN FOOL!” He shouted at the Hound as he yanked the gun out of his hand and struck him in the gut. “We are to bring him in ALIVE! What did you intend to do if you DIDN’T hit his shoulder!?”

“Apologies brother…” The Hound groaned as he got up. “We shall get him patched up so he doesn’t die from his injuries.”

“Good. Contact Deacon, tell him we have acquired the target.” He said as the rest of the Hounds began to get up from being defeated by Sanada, groaning in pain. “The rest of you get up! Pathetic…”

“Brother, what about his belongings?” One Hound asked while picking up his bag. “Should we leave them here?”

“Yes. Especially his phone.” The lead Hound said. “He’s a damn cop, they could track him through this stuff, so leave it. You two carry him.” He ordered two other Hounds who got up and picked up the unconscious Akihiko.

The five Hound members began to exit the gym with the knocked-out Persona user. Another target has been kidnapped. Another sacrifice for another Citadel collected. The Hounds of Chaos have struck again…

Chapter Text

5/20 – Wednesday – Morning

Otaru Apartments Lobby

Rhys is walking down to the lobby after getting ready for the last days of Mid-Terms. In the lobby are Mitsuru, Ren, Narukami, Junpei, and Solomon watching the news broadcast. As Rhys came down, he looked at the screen and saw the main headline on the broadcast: THE HOUNDS FIND NEW PREY?.

“Hey man, look at the TV.” Junpei said to Rhys while pointing at the screen.

“Ah crap.” Rhys groaned. “Did they get them?”

“It’s looking that way.” Ren replied while adjusting his glasses. “Listen.”

Rhys began to listen into the new broadcast and the reporter’s words.

“In a recent turn of events, celebrity icon Rise Kujikawa has been reported missing. Kujikawa never arrived in the city of Ishikawa to film and star in a commercial for the Dr. Salt brand after her performance in Fukui. Fans who attended the performance reported seeing suspects wearing the same wolf masks that resemble that of the ones worn by the Hounds of Chaos. The cult has been silent and inactive since the recovery and finding of last month’s kidnappings. When asked about what could’ve happened to Rise Kujikawa, many witnesses and fans who attended last Friday’s performance in the Sun Dome stated they believed the Hounds of Chaos set they’re eyes on the renown Risette as their next target to kidnap. This claim is only further strengthened by the events that transpired last night in Osaka. When an employee of the gym “Strike Fast Fitness” entered the facility earlier this morning, they noticed the inside in shambles. Weights and other equipment were scattered or bent, shattered glass was on the floor, and blood was stained on the broken mirror and floor in what looked like what the employee called an “absolute brawl had broken loose overnight.” The witness waited for local authorities to arrive before reviewing security footage. When reviewed, the footage showed a skirmish between four supposed gym goers who then brandished the Hounds of Chaos masks, and a member of the fitness center who was wrapping up their session. When police zoomed in the security footage on the single gym member, they were able to confirm the victim of the sudden attack was none other than Akihiko Sanada. Sanada is a former renown boxer and martial artist, who won many world championships before retiring from the sport and becoming a member of Osaka’s SWAT unit. The SWAT member was overwhelmed in the shuffle, having been shot in the shoulder by one of the attackers before being subdued and abducted by the cult. When asked about the situation, Osaka’s Police Force stated this was “an attack on Osaka’s defenders,” and that they would “put all their efforts into finding and rescuing their fellow police.” With the disappearance of Rise Kujikawa, and the attack on Akihiko Sanada, many believe there is to be a third victim based on last month’s kidnappings. Two questions are on the minds of many: Who is the third victim? And are the Hounds of Chaos ever going to relent from their attack on humanity? This is a live coverage, therefore we will inform you of any updates on the matter. Back to you…”  

Rhys begins to turn his attention away from the news after the reporter began to transition to another topic. “It’s only a matter of time before they come for Suzuki-san.” He said to the five sitting at the lounge.

“Damn it.” Narukami groaned. “My warning fell on short ears…”

“Looks like Sanada-san did put up a fight against ‘em” Junpei replied while taking off his cap and readjusting it.

“It still wasn’t enough.” Mitsuru sighed. “One thing we can be relieved over is Osaka and Fukui are fairly distanced from Sapporo. Therefore, I suggest we use this to our advantage.”

“What do you mean?” Solomon chirped while flying to Rhys’s shoulder. “How far are these two cities?”

“Far enough that they won’t be able to sacrifice them this instant.” Ren replied. “It’ll take time for them to return to Sapporo. Which begs the question, how are they getting them over here without being caught? That’s a long way to take an unconscious person you just kidnapped.”

“You make a good point.” Narukami said while resting his hand on his chin, pondering as to how the Hounds could move so quickly. “Maybe they’re smuggling them?”

“Either way, like Kirijo-san said.” Rhys said to get everyone’s attention. “We can use this to our advantage. We do this by locating the next Citadel.”

“That’s right.” Solomon agreed with Rhys. “There is a Citadel in each of the districts of Terra Chaos, meaning there has to be one in the district made accessible after defeating the previous Wraith.”

“Oh man does that mean we’re gonna fight another one of those things?” Junpei whimpered. “The first one was tough as nails…”

“We just have to be prepared.” Mitsuru claimed. “If I remember correctly, the Hounds of Chaos summon the Wraith and prepare the sacrifices by the end of each month. Despite not knowing the reasons behind the sacrifices having such deadlines, we can sustain a good pace by preemptively locating the next Citadel and using the remaining time to prepare and infiltrate at our own standards.”

“Exactly.” Rhys said. “It sucks these kidnappings happen out of our power, but let’s use that to our advantage. Solomon, can you take the time to go on ahead and find the next Citadel?”

“You got it.” Solomon agreed while flying off of Rhys’s shoulder. “I’ll take that time to get a good layout of the Avaricious District as well.”

“I’ll come with.” Narukami said while getting up. “It’s been a while since I last went in Terra Chaos, I need to be ready.”

“Same.” Junpei agreed with Narukami. “I’ll tag along as well with ya!”

“I’ll come as well.” Ren said afterwards. “I can get Futaba and Morgana to join as well.”

“We’ll find that Citadel, no sweat!” Junpei exclaimed.

“As Iori said.” Mitsuru said while staring at Rhys. “Kuramoto, for now finish out your final day of Midterms and ensure Suzuki is safe.”

“Heard.” Rhys nodded as he left the lobby and began to head towards the university for his final day of Midterms for the first semester. It was almost time for Rhys’s next hurdle, one he would have to overcome with strength and willingness to do what’s necessary for peace.

Hokkaido University – Afterschool

Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi are sitting in a classroom after just finishing their last Midterm. The days of exams were long and exhausting for the trio, having to answer question after question on different subjects within a set time limit per class. After many study sessions, cramped wrists from writing, and aching eyes, they finally had some sort of relief from the Midterms officially being passed them.

“Augh it’s finally over!” Hiromi groaned while she stretched back into her seat. “Each test just felt longer than the last…”

“That sucked so much…” Takeo whimpered. “Hey Rhys-kun, what did you get for “the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance?””

“Thermal energy.” Rhys answered as he shoved his pencils into his bag. “Please tell me you didn’t get that one wrong…”

“AW!” Takeo cried. “I put kinetic energy!”

“How did you get those two mixed up smooth-brain!?” Hiromi smacked the back of Takeo’s head. “That was like one of the things we went over a billion times!”

“That part wasn’t till the end of the tests!” Takeo groaned. “My attention span was runnin on fumes at that point…”

“Let’s just get out of here.” Hiromi yawned as she got up from her seat. “Now that Midterms are done we can focus on Talon Business.”

“Talon business?” Takeo chuckled as he got up next. “Really Hiro-chan?”

“Shaddup!” She punched him the shoulder. “Rhys-kun, didn’t you tell us that those two other people got kidnapped? It was Risette and someone named Akihiko Sanada?”

“Yeah. But we shouldn’t rush trying to find them.” Rhys rose from his desk and grabbed his bag. “Last month’s sacrifice, your kidnapping Hiro-chan, was meant to happen by the end of the month if we didn’t intervene five days prior. Kirijo-san theorized that the Hounds have deadlines for when they sacrifice the kidnapped and summon the Wraiths. While we don’t know why this is, it gives us a specific time as to when we NEED to save the kidnapped before they are made dinner for whatever is in the next Citadel.”

“And they still haven’t found a third sacrifice, right?” Takeo asked.

“Correct. Which means it’s only a matter of time before they figure out who the “cyclops” is and come for her, and by her I think we all have the same feeling of Suzuki-san being next.”

“Yeah I dunno any other person that only has one eye.” Hiromi said as she scratched her head. “But you’re right, we should have time to get ready. So we should relax, make sure Suzuki-san is safe, and keep cool while doing so, right?”

“Yep. Heard that.” Takeo nodded. “Now how ‘bout we get some grub? Them Midterms got me starving.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting some food.” Rhys agreed with Takeo. “We should probably begin to find a spot to eat before it gets late though.”

“How about some beef bowls?” Hiromi suggested. “I know a spot, c’mon.” Takeo and Rhys followed their black and purple-haired friend out of the classroom and building and out to the campus. The three began to walk through the courtyards and sidewalks of the university grounds, getting close to the exit, when Rhys noticed someone walking in front of them. It was Emiko with her headphones and red-blonde hair, which has grown a small length since Rhys first met the Head of the Disciplinary Committee and was pulled back by the usual green hair piece on top of her head.

“Hey you two.” Rhys stopped his two friends. “Want to see if she’ll tag along?” He asked while pointing at Emiko, who kept walking further from them.

“I mean we would be able to keep an eye on her, so yeah I don’t mind.” Hiromi agreed.

“Yeah and we still need to bury the hatchet from a couple days ago.” Takeo groaned. “So why not?”

“Let’s catch up to her then.” Rhys said as he picked up his pace to catch up with Emiko, with Takeo and Hiromi following behind.

“Yo Suzuki-san!” Takeo called out which got the one-eyed girl’s attention, causing her to lower her headphones onto her neck.

“Oh. Hey you three.” She sighed, not looking in the most energetic of moods as always. “Finish your Midterms?”

“Yep.” Hiromi answered. “We were fixing to jet and go get some beef bowls.”

“So we wanted to see if you would like to join us?” Rhys finished Hiromi’s sentence. “It’s never okay to go home with an empty stomach.”

“Hmm.” Emiko hummed. “I am a little hungry…Well as long as I can get back to the dorm before curfew, don’t want to be a hypocrite to my own rules.”

“Now we’re talking!” Takeo cheered. “Let’s get moving then boss-lady!”

“Boss-lady?” Emiko asked seriously. “That a dig?”

“’Course not! Hehe…” Takeo laughed nervously. The four then began to walk through the campus and make it toward the exit of the university, making conversation while Emiko continued to walk in silence and keeping her headphones wrapped around her neck.

“So Suzuki-san, think you did alright on Midterms?” Hiromi asked as they continued to walk towards the exit, it still being a slight blur from a distance.

“Better than alright.” Emiko bragged. “I am confident in my scores and how I did on my exams.”

“That’s more than Tak can say.” Rhys joked. “He got kinetic energy and potential energy mixed up AGAIN.”

“Hey man bite me!” Takeo scowled. “’S not my fault the two have to do with the same subject! I bet there were some musical or something on Suzuki-san’s exams that she got confu-

“Hold it.” Hiromi stopped the four and interrupted Takeo’s blabbering. She noticed what looked like a group of people crowded around the entrance of the university. “You guys see that?”

“Yeah, what is that?” Rhys asked confused, squinching his eyes to try and see what was happening in front of them.

“C’mon Sato! Kick his ass!” They heard someone from the crowd shout.

“Yeah! Get us that Yen! Beat ‘em Sato!” Another person yelled within the crowd.

“The hell?” Takeo asked confused. “What’s that clown Sato doing now?”

“Oh crap.” Hiromi groaned with realization. “I think I know…he did this last year too…”

“You’ve GOT to be kidding me…” Emiko groaned. “Sato…” She growled before picking up her pace. “He’s DONE for!”

“Whoa Suzuki-san WAIT!” Rhys tried to stop her. “You two know what that’s about?” He asked Hiromi and Takeo.

“It’s best we catch up with Suzuki-san and you’ll see why…” Hiromi whimpered as the three proceeded to chase after Emiko and make it to the commotional crowd.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Emiko shouted at the crowd, which all let out a collective groan as they heard the voice of the person that dictated them and moved out of the way for Rhys to see Sato, the person who he confronted after he insulted Emiko a week and a half ago, and another person on the ground. In each of their hands was a kendo stick and yen were stacked in baskets in each of their circles.

“Shit they’re gambling!? And they’re beating each other up with kendo?!” Rhys whispered to Takeo and Hiromi.

“Yep…” Takeo whispered back. “Everyone in this circle needs to start thinkin about what their eulogy should say…”

“Oh look everybody!” Sato said sarcastically. “It’s the cyclops comin to ruin our fun! We’re only celebrating the end of Midterms with our annual wagered duals! No need to get all high and mighty this time…” The crowd then began to laugh at Emiko.

“There is NOTHING high and mighty about it you damn APE!” Emiko snapped.

“What did you call me-

“You are GAMBLING on SCHOOL GROUNDS!” She cut off Sato. “Not only that, but you’re using kendo sticks that DON’T belong to you! You know you’re not allowed to touch or take them if you’re not part of the Kendo Club, which you AREN’T!”

“Oh c’mon Suzuki!” One of Sato’s friends yelled back. “Can’t we have just a little enjoyment without you breathin down our necks?”

“NO!” She yelled. “If you don’t RETURN the kendo, and hand back everyone’s respected yen THIS INSTANT, I will have ALL OF YOU fined and this WILL be put on your record!”

The crowd began to erupt in boos and insults towards the one-eyed dictator, frustrated with her attitude and forceful behavior controlling them.

“Hey Suzuki-san.” Takeo whispered to Emiko. “Can we just leave? Let them be stupid.”

“Better listen to that meathead Suzuki…” Sato growled. “We aren’t going anywhere…”

“Can you guys just stop!?” Hiromi interjected. “I don’t get why you guys are so pressed about her being pissed at you when it is literally ILLEGAL to gamble on school grounds!”

“Piss off Hiromi!” Sato yelled. “Go back to being a paranoid bitch!”

“They shouldn’t be your concern Sato!” Emiko shouted. “Now this your LAST chance-

“YOINK!” One of Sato’s friends reached over and ripped Emiko’s headphones off of her neck and tossed them to Sato. “Whatcha gonna do when you don’t have your precious music!?”

“Dude give those back to her!” Takeo shouted.

“Yeah stop being such a dick!” Hiromi scolded Sato.

“Give. Them. Back.” Emiko growled while breathing heavily.

“No can do Cyclops…” Sato laughed. “If you want us to disperse so badly and stop wagering the money we agreed to bet, and if you want your stupid headphones back, then you have to come take a kendo stick and beat me for it!”

“Come on Suzuki, just leave them be and we can get your headphones back later…” Rhys tried to whisper to an irate Emiko, who began to ball her right hand into a fist.

“Fine.” She sternly said to Sato. “Give me a shinai…”

“Whoa you can’t be serious!?” Hiromi exclaimed.

“HAHAHAHA!” Sato began to cackle along with the rest of the crowd. “You think you actually stand a chance!?”

“How about this?” Emiko asked as she picked up a shinai sword from the ground. “If you beat me, I’ll leave you be and you can continue acting like delinquents until the police arrest you or a counselor catches you. If I beat you, then you are going to put the shinai back where you found them, and I’m going to put this in your record Sato. Same goes for the rest of you. So Sato…their fate lies in your vile hands. First to three hits wins.”

“Deal Cyclops.” Sato blurted out with cockiness and arrogance, swinging his kendo stick around like a baseball bat.

“This isn’t a good idea Suzuki-san!” Takeo scowled to Emiko. “You can get hurt!”

“You need to start listenin to your buddy Ms. Cyclops.” Sato scoffed. “Gonna lose this battle if you don’t back out now…”

“Who said I was going to lose..?” Emiko said before taking a deep breath and gripping the pommel of the weapon with both hands and lowering the stick downward, pointing it towards Sato’s knees. She then bent her right knee forward and leaned slightly towards him. “Your move…”

“Heh…” Sato chuckled. “I’ll make this quick so I don’t take out your only eye.”

Sato began to pace back and forth while Emiko stayed stagnant in her stance, eyeing him down while breathing in and out. Rhys, Hiromi, Takeo, and the rest of the crowd circled around the two as silence filled the pit. Sato began to breathe heavier and grip his shinai even tighter.

“HAH!” He screamed as he rushed Emiko and swung the kendo stick to Emiko’s left. In the blink of an eye, Emiko raised the stick slightly up from her stance, connecting with Sato’s weapon, and deflected the attack before grabbing him by the shoulder and shoving him away. The crowd gasped at the sudden deflection, none of them seeing it happen, that is how fast the defensive move was to everyone else.

“Whoa…” Rhys quietly gasped.

“Try again.” Emiko ordered before going back to her original stance.

Sato scoffed “Lucky deflect,” before grunting, raising the shinai sword above his head and bringing it down towards Emiko’s head. She raised her weapon up to her eye-level, with the stick facing horizontally as Sato’s blade struck hers. Emiko blocked the attack before swinging her blade to her right, pressing onto Sato’s blade as he felt the stick move away, and proceeded to elbow him right in the nose. “AGH! My nose!” He grunted as he grabbed his nose and stepped back away from Emiko.

“That’s a hit. One point for me.” Emiko said as she got out of her stance and began to slowly pace back in forth. “Do you just swing that thing and hope you get lucky?”

“BITCH!” Sato shouted as he wiped his nose and pointed his kendo stick towards Emiko.

 She then adjusted her stance by raising the blade up, now pointed at a slant towards Sato’s upper body, while sliding her left foot behind her right, and slightly raising her left heel.

“You just gonna keep playing like a coward!?” Sato scowled regarding Emiko’s defensive strategy.

“Only if you keep rushing with a sloppy offense.” She shot back. “I’m waiting…”

Sato proceeded to rush Emiko again and tried to thrust attack her. This time, Emiko swung her stick to the right as Sato thrusted his weapon. The two kendo sticks collided as Emiko put force behind her swing, deflecting Sato’s thrust and knocking him off his balance. She then swung the hard piece of bamboo on his back, a loud smack ringing out as the stick collided with Sato. He screamed as the strike left a stinging pain on his back and backed away while placing his right hand where he was hit.

The crowd proceeded to ooh and hiss from the sound of the hit and impact of Emiko’s strike.

“Dayum!” Takeo chuckled. “She got him good!”

“Where did she learn how to do THAT?” Hiromi gasped.

Rhys began to grin from the second hit, recognizing the skills Emiko secretly had.

“That’s 2-0 Sato.” Emiko sighed. “Still wish to waste my time?”

“AUUUUUGH!” He groaned. “You’re DEAD you BITCH!” Sato then took a stance of his own, digging his feet into the ground as he raised his blade to his eye-level and point it towards the one-eyed swordswoman.

Emiko noticed the aggressive stance he took and got back into her stance. “Got you…” She whispered to herself. She had Sato right where she wanted him.

“You not deflecting this!” He shouted.

“Watch me.” Emiko coldly said as she locked onto her opponent.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Sato roared as he rushed her with his stance. Instead of holding her ground and defense, Emiko began to rush Sato, bringing the kendo stick down with the blade hiding behind her side. When Sato got in swinging distance, he leaped into the air and swung the kendo stick in a 360-degree circle movement. As he swung all the way around with his stick coming towards Emiko’s eye, she brought her shinai blade up in an upward slash, deflecting and knocking Sato’s weapon out of his hand, and striking him with her weapon in the stomach then the shoulder. Emiko then swept Sato from behind his legs, knocking him down onto the ground. She had defeated him in their dual.

“Oh C’mon!” One person in the crowd groaned. “We’re gonna get written up now?!”

“You suck Sato!” A girl shouted.

“ALRIGHT! LET’S GO!” Takeo cheered.

“You kicked his ass Suzuki-san!” Hiromi cheered afterward.

“Holy shit…” Rhys gasped as he chuckled. “She’s a badass…”

Emiko placed the kendo stick back down on the ground “Now…Sato-san could you please hand me my headphones, and just take the write up?”

“Fine.” He groaned while on the ground. Sato took Emiko’s headphones out of his pocket. “Here ya go…”

Emiko went to grab her belongings but as she grabbed one of the speakers, Sato gripped onto the other one. And he wouldn’t let go, tightening his grip around the speaker as Emiko tried to take the headphones. “What are you doing?! Let go!” Emiko grunted as she and Sato began to struggle for the headphones in a tug of war.

As Sato kept defying Emiko, Hiromi noticed one of his friends reach for the kendo stick the Head of the Disciplinary Committee dropped earlier. And with one swift movement…

*SWOOP* “AUGH!’ Emiko grunted as the student swept her from behind by sweeping the front of her legs, causing her to fall forward and onto the ground…hard. As she hit the pavement, Emiko heard a cracking noise, sounding like plastic being broken.

“WHAT THE HELL MAN!” Takeo shoved the student that made Emiko fall over.

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?” Hiromi shouted as she tried to lunge at the bully.

Rhys is starting to feel his blood boil but then in front of Sato’s feet, who just got up, was Emiko’s eyepatch which sled onto the ground after she fell. “Suzuki-san…?” He tried to get her attention.

In Sato’s other hand as he picked up Emiko’s eyepatch was the other speaker to her headphones, the cord ripped. “Whoops…” He said sarcastically. “My hand must’ve slipped…”

Rhys then thinks to himself. Scumbag, I wanna knock his lights out…

THESE HUMANS ARE INSUFFERABLE RATS…THEY NEED TO BE SUBJECTED TO PAIN…

The hell? That voice again…Rhys heard the same voice he heard in his head back when he defeated the Imperator at the Citadel of Envy…what is this voice?

Emiko slowly starts to raise her head as she begins to breath heavily. In her hands is the other speaker, which cracked and busted when she fell. She slowly turns her head to look at Rhys. Rhy’s eyes widen as he sees what her eyepatch was covering. He could see Emiko’s right eye socket, with the eyelid and the skin surrounding it a bruised red color, as if the scar tissue surrounding that part of her face had been cut through. He could only stand there and try to calm himself down and not put Sato in a chokehold as Emiko became irate with her aggressive breathing.

“What the HELL is wrong with you!?” Emiko shrieked when she looked back at Sato, who was laughing at this point.

“Hey everyone! Look! It’s the Cyclops Witch in her natural form! Look at that ugly face!” The crowd began to erupt in laughter as the trio of Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi witnessed the harassment Emiko was facing.

“GIVE ME BACK MY EYEPATCH!” Emiko ordered. “NOW DAMNIT!”

“No can do Queen Bossy…” Sato clicked his tongue. “Looks like no one here wants to put up with you anymore…”

“NO!” Emiko shouted. “I control ALL OF YOU! You will ALL PAY FOR THIS!”

The crowd continued to laugh as Sato put the eyepatch in his pocket and threw down the other speaker of the headphones. “Lemme make it abundantly clear to you Emiko…no one here likes you. No one here WANTS you around. We are TIRED of putting up with you waving around that role on the Student Council like that makes you SPECIAL. You are not SPECIAL. Just a dumb abomination!”

“HEY!” Rhys shouted. He intervenes, walking in front of Emiko and getting in Sato’s face. “If you want to keep those disjointed, crooked teeth of yours, shut your damn mouth and WALK AWAY!”

“Tch.” Sato scoffed. “Whatever…Let’s get out of here guys.” He and the crowd of people began to disperse and leave the university, leaving the trio of Rhys, Takeo, and Hiromi with a humiliated and broken Emiko, who was still on the ground looking at her broken headphones, shivering and breathing heavily.

“What a buncha assholes!” Takeo shouted. “How could they treat ANYONE like that!?”

“We’re sorry you had to deal with that Suzuki-san…” Hiromi sighed.

“Sorry…?” Emiko whimpered. “You’re sorry…?”

“Suzuki-san…” Rhys sighed as he tried to reach his hand out towards her. “All of us here understand what you just went through-

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH!?” Emiko smacked Rhys’s hand away and got up. Rhys noticed tears pouring out of her left eye, seeing her cry out of it while also seeing the scarred and empty right socket. “I HAVE DEALT WITH THIS MY ENTIRE LIFE! I AM CALLED HIDEOUS, UGLY, ALL OF THIS VILE GARBAGE BECAUSE I HAD TO GET MY EYE REMOVED SO I DIDN’T DIE OF CANCER!”

“Suzuki-san…” Takeo sighed.

“EVERYONE TELLS ME I’M GOING TO GROW UP TO BE NOTHING, NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING BECAUSE I’M A DAMN CYCLOPS…”

“But you KNOW they’re wrong!” Hiromi tried to calm Emiko down. “Why let their words get to you? You have to earn their respect if you want to it to end…”

“I HAVE EARNED IT!” She cried back. “YOU THINK THE BULLYING IS EVER GOING TO END!? IT WON’T! SO THIS IS HOW I FIGHT BACK! THIS IS HOW I PROVE ALL OF THOSE WORTHLESS PIECES OF FILTH WRONG! I AM THE ONE WHO CONTROLS THEM! THEY’RE NOTHING MORE THAN EXPENDABLE PARASITES THAT NEED TO BE PUNISHED FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE TO ME!”

“Suzuki-san, that’s selfish reasoning and you know it…” Rhys explained. “I get it…you have taken dirt your whole life for something out of your control. But you can still prove them wrong without becoming a vicious dictator that punishes their every action…”

“YOU’RE WRONG! THEY’RE UNCAGED ANIMALS!” Emiko pushed Rhys out of the way. “JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU’RE NO BETTER THAN THE REST!” She then bolted out of the university and into the streets of Sapporo.

“Suzuki-san! Wait!” Rhys shouted. “She’s gonna get lost in that city!”

“Let’s split up and try to catch up with her!” Hiromi suggested. “She’s in a bad state right now, she shouldn’t be alone…”

“I’m with you on that…” Takeo agreed. “Let’s go!” The three then split up and went into the city to try and find Emiko, who had reached her breaking point with the lifelong bullying…

Emiko ran as fast as she could before reaching an alleyway where no one was around. She pressed her back up against a wall and began to slide down and lay on the ground. “Damnit…” She cried as she looked at her busted headphones, trying to think of someway to fix the speakers. “Why can’t they just follow my orders…? What am I doing wrong…?” She continued to sob and cry as she looked at her broken headphones, her escape from all the noise, the pain, and insults, the past…

“Because you can’t control man Ms. Suzuki…” Emiko hears a voice echo from the other end of the alley. It startles her as she jumps up and looks down to see a person at the end begin to slowly walk towards her.

“Who’s there…?” She nervously asked. “Sh-Show yourself!”

“No need to be so frightened young lady…” The man said as he got closer. “I’m only here to embark you on a new journey…”

“New journey?” Emiko whispered to herself.

“You see Suzuki…you try so desperately to control your classmates and punish them as a means of revenge for all the years of mental damage they have done to you...but as I said before…you can’t control man. It is in man’s nature to be an uncaged animal. They’re rabid, unpredictable, selfish, violent. You know what that creates? Your dictatorship over an uncontrollable species…?” The man asked as he got close enough for Emiko to make out what he looked like. It was a man in a white wolf-fur mask with a red velvet suit. It was Deacon…The Hounds of Chaos had found they’re last sacrifice. “…chaos.” Deacon finished his sentence.

“You’re one of them…”  Emiko gasped as she backed away from Deacon in fear. “Don’t come any closer!”

“Oh I’m afraid I must my dear…” Deacon joked. “Your purpose in this world is to serve the crusade of chaos…as sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice!?” Emiko shouted. “Stay back!”

“You mustn’t fear Suzuki…” Deacon said as he began to reach into his suit for something. “This is all for a glorious purpose…you’ll see.”

“NO! GET AWAY FROM-HMPH! HMMMPH!” Emiko began to scream but was muffled by what felt like a cloth someone from behind pressed against her mouth. She began to stop struggling as the cloth had chloroform on it, making her lose consciousness. Emiko eventually stopped struggling and screaming, passing out as her body went limp.

“Is she unconscious?” Deacon asked the Hound who snuck up from behind to subdue Emiko.

“Yes Deacon.” The Hound answered as he noticed Deacon pull out a voice recorder from his suit. “Is that the recording?”

“Yes.” Deacon said as he picked up the headphones. “Kuramoto will be here soon…we’ll leave Suzuki’s memento here with the recording for him to find. For now, carry the woman…we’re done here.”

Deacon and the Hound lackey left with the knocked-out Emiko as they exited the alley and snuck through the streets of Sapporo. They had successfully subdued the next and final target for the Citadel of Avarice.

“Emiko! Emiko!” Rhys made it to the alley five minutes later after Emiko had been taken by Deacon. As he ran into the alley, he stopped himself as he saw the broken headphones on the ground and then a tape recorder next to them. “Emiko?” He whispered to himself as he went to pick up the voice recorder and the headphones. He placed the headphones into his bag and then pressed play. As Rhys started the recording, he began to hear the voice of Deacon speaking over it.

“Hello Rhys Kuramoto…it is almost time for the next sacrifice. Emiko Suzuki was indeed difficult to pinpoint…but all it took was you beginning to interact with her to find out who exactly the cyclops was. There are many pieces to this puzzle you and your peers do not understand. You cannot fathom, much less comprehend our intentions, our past. You continue to walk blindly on a road of nails and broken glass. This is your only warning. Do not enter the next Citadel. Do not save these people. The Wraiths serve a high purpose, and you won’t foil our plans again. But if you decide to defy my words and strike at us again, I only have one question for you American…how far are you willing to go into the depths of Hell to achieve the peace you so desperately desire? What measures are you and your peers going to take to truly stop the marching beat of chaos? I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. There’s more to Terra Chaos, more to the Hounds of Chaos, than you could possibly comprehend. If you continue down this path to Hell…the Devil himself will answer. And you won’t like the aftermath of that response…”

The recording abruptly ends as Rhys grips the piece of equipment tightly. “DAMNIT!” He shouted as he stomped his foot on the ground. He began to contact the rest of the Persona users about Emiko’s kidnapping. Rhys ran out of the alleyway and began to return to the apartments. Another rescue was upon the Talons of Peace and the Persona users of the past. One person stood in their way from saving the lives of Rise Kujikawa, Akihiko Sanada, and Emiko Suzuki…The Deacon of Chaos.

Chapter Text

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Rhys stormed through the doors to the lobby of the apartment complex after finding out about Emiko’s recent abduction by the Hounds of Chaos. In the lobby were all the people who didn’t enter Terra Chaos earlier in the day to help the city’s residential dove Solomon locate the next Citadel, that being Ren, Futaba, Morgana, Narukami, Junpei, and Mitsuru. Hiromi and Takeo were waiting next to the entrance for Rhys as he pushed the doors open, Minato, Yukari, Yosuke, Chie, and Naoto stood up from the couches they were sitting on. Ken, Koromaru, Haru, and Yusuke were standing near the bar table and began to walk towards Rhys as he stormed into the lobby.

“Emiko just got kidnapped and I was too DAMN slow to stop it!” He shouted as he began to pace back and forth.

“How did they get her so quick!?” Hiromi shouted in frustration. “Augh we just LET them take her!”

“Why did we lose her so quick!?” Takeo groaned as he kicked a chair. “Sonuvabitch!”

“That’s enough!” Minato got the attention of the Talons of Peace. “Beating yourself up about it won’t make you feel better.”

Rhys took a deep breath while closing his eyes. “Right. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Hounds were a step ahead of us.”

“Do you have evidence of the Hounds kidnapping this Suzuki individual?” Naoto asked. “Anything that can at the very least confirm she has indeed been abducted by the cult.”

“I found this in an alley I ran into…” Rhys first pulled out Emiko’s broken headphones.

“Hey I know those type of headphones…” Minato walked towards Rhys to get a closer look while holding his hand out. “May I?”

Rhys then handed Minato the broken headphones. “Yeah these things are RARE now…I wore a pair when I was in high school. I still do.”

“Not the time Mina…” Yukari sighed to get Minato back on the topic at hand.

“Oh, yes.” He nodded. “Were they broken before the Hounds grabbed her?”

“Yeah…” Hiromi groaned while looking down.

“You remember when that dumbass Sato-san gambled while on the campus grounds by holding kendo duals?” Takeo asked Minato.

“Did he seriously try it again…?” Ken groaned. “After the crap I gave him for orchestrating that in the first place…?

“Of course he did!” Takeo scowled. “Either way, Suzuki-san saw it going down and went apeshit and was about the fine the entire group, but then one of Sato’s buddies took her headphones…”

“A scuffle happened to say the least…” Rhys sighed. “To sum it up, the jerks smashed her headphones and embarrassed her…”

“She didn’t take it well…” Hiromi sadly said. “Unfortunately, we were the ones there for her to snap at ‘cause those idiots bailed shortly after.”

“Thanks for letting me know that.” Ken said sternly. “I’ll make sure Sato-san and his friends get punished. Whether Suzuki-san is valid in how she treats students, she was right to be irate at them gambling.”

“But that’s not what confirms the Hounds took Suzuki-san.” Rhys said as he pulled out the voice recorder Deacon left beside the broken headphones. “It was this…” He then pressed play and the Persona users heard the recording Deacon dropped for Rhys.

“How far are you willing to go into the depths of Hell to achieve the peace you so desperately desire…” Yusuke quoted one of Deacons sentences from the recording. “What could this Deacon possibly mean by this?”

“He also said we keep blindly walking on a road of nails and broken glass…” Chie stated as she crossed her arms. “Are we biting off more than we can chew?”

“It’s too late for us to be asking these questions.” Haru stated. “I have a feeling I already know what Deacon is alluding to with what Kitagawa-san stated…”

“What would that be?” Yosuke asked. “Besides, don’t you think he could be thinking about JUST Kuramoto-san when he asked that question?”

“Then that would mean…” Haru began to ponder as the room became silent.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“He’s testing him…” Naoto blurted out.

“Huh? Testing me?” Rhys asked confused. “Now that I think about it…Why does Deacon know me? How does he even know my name?”

“The Hounds are a secrete group.” Minato claimed. “They could have an endless possibility of connections we don’t know about. Many ways for them to learn your identity.”

“But even then, Shirogane-san said Deacon is testing Rhys-kun. Why exactly would he test him and for what?” Hiromi asked.

Silence filled the room once again before the elevator dinged and the door opened. Solomon, Junpei, Mitsuru, Futaba, Morgana, Narukami, and Ren all began to exit the elevator and into the lobby, confused as to why everyone else was scattered around, looking as if they were waiting for them to return.

“Were you guys waiting for us?” Narukami asked. “Sorry but that district is practically a maze. Way too many tents and markets to keep memorized.”

“You all look kinda serious…” Futaba noticed. “Did something in the plot happen while we were gone?”

“Were you able to find the Citadel?” Rhys asked immediately.

“Oh we found it alright!” Junpei answered.

“That was MY question to answer!” Solomon smacked Junpei’s head with his wing. “But yes, we were able to locate the Citadel, though its more of a underground dungeon than anything.”

“Great.” Minato nodded. “That means its time to start preparing…”

“Hey you didn’t answer Futaba’s question.” Morgana hissed. “What happened while we were over in elevator-world?”

“Emiko Suzuki, the “cyclops,” was taken by the Hounds about an hour ago.” Hiromi answered. “Rhys-kun found her headphones in an alley beside a voice recorder left by that Deacon creep.”

“I see…” Mitsuru lowered her head. “Very well…as Arisato mentioned, it is time to start preparing for the infiltration.”

“Agreed.” Ren nodded. “How should we approach this leader?’ He asked Rhys.

The leader lowered his head while thinking about how to deal with the next Citadel. Deacon has suddenly gotten more involved in the matter of Terra Chaos, which means the chances of him being present at the sacrifices are high. Going in straight away with some of the Persona users not having enough experience or training to face the Shadows and Hounds of the Avaricious District would make the infiltration more difficult for the group. It would be best to take it slow for the next few days and prepare when also considering the Hounds are most likely still smuggling the kidnapped Rise and Akihiko to Sapporo. Emiko is going to remain alive until the end of the month, the deadline for the sacrifices to take place.

“Slow and patient.” Rhys sighed. “Remember, they don’t sacrifice the kidnapped until the end of the month. Once again, we don’t know why that is but a deadline’s a deadline. That’s going to be the 31^st, eleven days from now. That gives us eleven days to prepare how we see fit. If we just barge into the Citadel this instant, chances are the three of them wouldn’t even be in there just yet and we would be running into a battle blind. We don’t know how strong the shadows are going to be in this one, and there could be more than just five armed Hounds.”

“With you on that…” Junpei groaned. “Just that small group of them gave us a hard time back in April…”

“It would still be best to begin an infiltration of the Citadel soon.” Ren stated. “That way, we can mark down a clear route to whatever chamber or alter these guys put your friends in.”

“That is a valid suggestion Kuramoto-san.” Naoto nodded, agreeing with the leader of the Phantom Thieves. “I myself need to get up to speed and prepare. It has been years since I last used my Persona in combat.”

“Why not begin the infiltration on the 24^th?” Ken suggested. “It’s an off day for schools, so that would give myself, Kuramoto-san, Hattori-san, Koda-san, and Arisato-san time to rest and focus for the evening exploration of the Citadel.”

“I’m good with goin on the 24^th.” Takeo agreed.

“Me too.” Narukami nodded. “That would give us seven days on the dot to save Kujikawa, Sanada, and Suzuki.”

“And then that gives us four days to farm and grind for experience!” Futaba cheered. “Then we start the raid…”

“Sounds like everyone’s in agreement.” Minato nodded. “Well leader? We making our way through that Citadel on the 24^th?”

Rhys looked down for a second and took a deep breath before deciding. “Yes. The 24^th is our best bet at how we approach this. Now that we know the nature of these Citadels and what’s potentially inside them, like lead-spraying cultists…we should be able to prepare better this second time around.”

“Arf Arf!” Koromaru barked while smiling.

Haru began to giggle. “Looks like Koro-chan likes the plan Kuramoto-san.”

“Then it’s decided.” Mitsuru nodded while throwing her hair back. “Regarding the next four days, we should explore Terra Chaos whenever we have the opportunity.”

“Agreed.” Rhys nodded. “But don’t think just because I’m the assigned leader that you need my permission to go over there. You guys are vets at this, so go in when you see fit.”

“Well shoot that’s all you had to say!” Yosuke stood up. “We can take Naoto-kun in with us to get her that warm up she needs.”

“For now you guys need to rest.” Rhys suggested to the group that searched for the next Citadel today. “Exhaustion will be your end if you don’t.”

“Correct.” Solomon chirped. “We should head to our spots and call if for today. We have a plan and we can start preparing tomorrow.”

The group of Persona users all nodded in agreement with the plan to take the next four days to prepare for the infiltration, then begin exploring the Citadel on Sunday the 24^th to not only get a route of the structure’s inside, but to prepare for what lies inside…another Wraith.

5/21 – Thursday

Teine Ward – Anchorfit Personal Training Gym – Afterschool

At the behest of Takeo, Rhys joined him at a gym to exercise after school rather than another study session. Oddly enough, he sensed his bond with the chemical engineer major having a chance to grow from the gym session, so he tagged along. Rhys met Takeo up at the fitness center after going back to the apartments and changing from his usual khaki pants and white button up to some black gym shorts and a grey t-shirt. He and Takeo were now standing in front of the entrance of the gym before heading in and seeing the array of equipment they could use.

“So why are we here and not helping you get better at being an academic student?” Rhys bluntly asked.

Takeo scoffed. “Dude, I don’t know if you noticed or not, but we just finished up Midterms. You think I wanna study some MORE after going through that. My mind needs to recover, and exercise is the best way to do that.”

“Good point.” Rhys nodded. “It’s been a while since I was at a gym. Hell I don’t know if I’ve ever actually done weight lifting, just some cardio and martial arts training.”

“Then your in for a treat my man!” Takeo cheered. “My Dad always tells me and my bros “a weak mind is festered through a lack of an active body and spirit.” It sounds philosophical as crap but it’s kinda true. If we slack around too much and get all lazy, our minds are gonna be mush and our bodies are gonna be friggin twigs.”

“Heh. You said something that actually makes sense.” Rhys chuckled. “We’re gonna need to get rid of those weak minds and fragile bodies if we want to smoothly run through a Citadel.”

“Exactly!” Takeo said feeling pumped up. “Now I know just where to start and that’s legs! Let’s get to pumping that iron!”

The two proceeded to work out for about an hour and a half on their leg muscles, ranging from calf raises to leg extensions to squats. Rhys felt the muscles in his lower body and limbs ache and cramp up. At the end of the exercise, the two were trying their best to walk normally but couldn’t and would resort to walking without bending their knees. To say the least, the two had definitely worked themselves out.

“My legs…” Takeo groaned. “I can’t feel my legs anymore…why did we put so much weight on the squat bar?”

“We?” Rhys panted while wiping sweat from his forehead. “That was all you…”

“Still…” Takeo sighed. “I feel great…this will definitely help us in the long run.”

“Agreed.” Rhys said as he took a sip out of his jug of water.

“Well look who it is…” The two looked up to see two older men walking towards them. Rhys noticed they almost resembled Takeo, with one of them having the exact same side swept brown hair as him, and the other having a beard and a face that literally looked like Takeo’s if the beard was shaved.

“Check it out, it’s the little bro!” The other one jokingly said. “How you doin Takeo?

“Oh hey guys!” Takeo smiled. “I’m doing great, me and Rhys-kun here just got done with a workout.”

“Rhys-kun?” The one with the beard asked. “Is this the guy you were telling us about? The transfer student?”

“Yep.” Takeo nodded. “Rhys-kun, these are two of my seven brothers. The one with the beard and my face is Michio and the one with my hair is Rokuro.”

“Hey technically it is MY hair little bro.” Rokuro joked with Takeo.

“Seven brothers?” Rhys asked. “So that means you’re brother number eight Tak?”

“Ding-ding-ding! That is correct.” Michio sarcastically said. “I’m the fourth oldest of us, and Rokuro is the sixth oldest.”

“But I share that “sixth oldest” title with another one of our brothers because he and I were born on the same day and hour, making us twins. So technically Takeo’s the seventh oldest of the bunch,”

“That’s some weird math Rokuro.” Takeo groaned. “And stop being a nerd with all the “technically this and technically that.””

“Your academics coming along well Takeo?” Michio asked. “I heard Midterms just ended.”

“Uh yeah…” Takeo stuttered. “I’m gettin through it with Hiro-chan and Rhys-kun.”

“But are you ENJOYING it?” Rokuro asked right after. “You’ve told us about how you feel about being a chemical engineer. Have you started to like what you’re majoring in?”

Takeo was silent for a minute, lowering his head and sighing. “I’m…I’m trying, okay?”

“I’ve been helping him get better with studying and such.” Rhys backed up Takeo. “He’s doing great.”

“That’s good to hear.” Rokuro nodded towards Rhys, seemingly thanking him. “But Takeo…you don’t have to major in something if you don’t like it. Mom and Dad are still going to see you as they’re son-

“Look I said I’m fine!” Takeo said annoyed. “I’m enjoying my time at Hokkaido, so can we just drop it?”

“We’re just trying to look out for you bro.” Michio said while patting Takeo’s shoulder. “None of us want you to overwork yourself on something you’re not exactly passionate about.”

Takeo sighed. “I…I know” He then grabbed his gym bag. “Thanks for the workout Rhys…I gotta go…”

Takeo then left the gym, leaving his brothers with Rhys.

“You can see it too, can you?” Michio then asked Rhys. “He doesn’t want to be a chemical engineer, but he’s trying to play if off.”

“Yeah I see it…” Rhys sighed. “That’s why I’ve been helping him get better academically. But if he doesn’t like his career goal, then why is he doing it to begin with?”

“Because he doesn’t want to be deemed as the drop out brother who has to spend his life flipping burger patties.” Rokuro replied. “I take it he told you that each of us have successfully went to Hokkaido, got good grades and have excellent careers as doctors, scientists, and engineers.”

“That’s what everyone on the outside of our family calls the “Hattori Bloodline Legacy.” Everyone knows our family because of how each of us were the academically dominant family for a long time. Eight brothers with different ages means a lot of years. So when Takeo started failing his classes in High School and failed his entrance exam to Hokkaido three times…our mom and dad knew what would happen, so they helped him get into the University. He bluntly said he wanted to be a chemical engineer because it was similar to what we all have studied.” Michio elaborated on Rokuro’s statement.

“Yeah he told me that part.” Rhys nodded. “If you ask me, he’s directionless. I’ve tried showing him ways to make studying feel like less of a task, but Tak’s still somewhat unabsorbed by his major.”

“He doesn’t want to be seen as a disappointment by our parents.” Michio replied. “With everything they did to get him accepted by Hokkaido, Takeo doesn’t want to mess this up, even if he hates what he’s studying and fakes it.”

“Could you keep on helping our little brother Rhys-san?” Rokuro asked. “He seems to listen to you more than us nowadays. Maybe convince him there’s a way to find something else to do but still stay in Hokkaido.”

“Absolutely.” Rhys nodded while grabbing his gym bag. “He’s my friend, and I’m not going to leave him directionless.”

Takeo’s two brothers bowed and thanked Rhys for continuing to help him through his mental struggles. As Rhys left, he felt he better understands Takeo’s conflictions with his major because of his brothers and begins to understand how much exercise means to Takeo. This caused the bond the between the two to strengthen once again.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Rhys returned to the apartment complex shortly after wrapping up his workout at the gym with Takeo. When he entered the lobby, he noticed Yosuke sitting alone in the lobby swiping away on his phone while listening to music through his signature headphones. He noticed Rhys walk in and raise his head.

“Hey there Kuramoto-san!” Yosuke greeted Rhys while taking off his headphones. “How’d that gym session with Hattori-san go?”

“Tiresome.” Rhys sighed as he plopped on a couch adjacent to Yosuke. “Did Takeo already come in here.”

“Yeah you just missed him. He walked in and went straight up to his room. Didn’t look all that bright if I’m being honest.”

“Eh he’s just tired, don’t worry too much.” Rhys said while wiping his face with his hand. “Where’s everyone else? I know Koda-san said she was gonna be at her parents’ house for today, so she won’t be back until later.”

“Well for starters, the Phantom Thieves went into that elevator world, so that’s where they’re currently at. The Police Force Chie asked to be assigned to over here while we deal with the Hounds got her working a night patrol, that’ll make her grumpy for sure. Um…oh yeah, Narukami is typing up a journal article for some website to get some money in, Naoto-kun is reviewing all our evidence to see if she can piece anything together, The Arisatos are helping their kids out with some schoolwork, Kirijo-san is on a video call with some of her workers, Amada-san is watching Koro-chan as always, Iori-san is doing…who knows what. And there’s one more person I’m missing…who am I forgetting…?” Yosuke said the last part sarcastically before clicking his tongue. “Oh yeah…this FRIGGIN BIRD WON’T STOP THROWING CRAP AT ME!” He shouted while looking at the dove Solomon, who was perched up on the rafters in the lobby.

“OY!” The dove chirped. “Don’t call me that you pillock!” He then flew up and grabbed a rock he brought in from outside and placed on the rafters with his talons before dropping it like a bomb on top of Yosuke’s head.

“Agh! Will you cut it out already!?” Yosuke scowled towards the groan. “But anyways…that just leaves me and beakface over here doing nothing.”

“That makes three of us…” Rhys groaned.

“Hey if you’re not doin anything, wanna take up the offer I made a while back?” Yosuke asked. “About learning new ways to investigate?”

“You mean you give me advice on how to lead an investigation?” Rhys asked, sensing a potential bond change between him and the Investigation Team.

“You know it.” Yosuke nodded. “I got some tips and tricks for you. I mean I WAS the second member of our group y’know…”

“Sure. Why not?” Rhys agreed. “You already have something in mind?”

“I said I got some tips and tricks for you, didn’t I?” Yosuke said while he was getting up. “Let’s go to the rooftop, that way birdbrain doesn’t distract us. You hear that Solomon?! I’m letting you have the lobby to yourself now. Happy?”

“Joyful.” The dove chirped sarcastically. “Now shoo.”

Otaru Apartments Rooftop

“Okay so you just stand a small distance away from me. Don’t worry this isn’t no fight or anything.” Yosuke said as he and Rhys got to the roof of the apartment complex.

“So what do you have for me?” Rhys asked as he walked to the spot the Prince of Junes pointed towards. “Where do I start when it comes to an investigation?”

“There are two things I like to think are needed for a good ol’ investigation. We’ll go over one today, and then the other one later. For now, the first thing you should keep in mind when it comes to investigating something is simple…learn how to talk.”

“Come again?” Rhys said, being confused. “Learn how to talk? But I can talk good as it is.”

“Well duh, of course you will when it comes to talking to people you consider a friend or someone you know.” Yosuke scoffed. “You gotta know how to talk to strangers and discuss your findings with partners like a pro.”

“And how do I go about doing that?” The blond asked.

“To start, you need to approach people with a respective mindset. Now that may not seem much coming from a guy like me, but Chie, Naoto, and Narukami would tell you the same thing. You gotta understand the perspective and boundaries of the people you question. You don’t want to ask too many questions that could back them into a corner and make them suspicious or defensive. You also gotta have confidence. You walk up to someone a nervous mess, you’ll hardly get the question out in the first place and might annoy the person you wanted to ask.” Yosuke rambled while moving his arms around every now and then.

“So respect their boundaries, act sympathetic, and have confidence. Got it.” Rhys nodded. “What next?”

“Now you wanna ask the appropriate questions. Start out with vague questions, then as the suspect is either beginning to understand what you’re asking out of them or starts to get confused, try to elaborate the question and be as open-ended as possible. Any answer could be a lead or possible evidence. And if you need to, ask for more explanation on something.”

“I think I understand. I need to keep questions simple and clarify as the questioning goes on longer. Allow for open-ended answers to the questions I ask and then see if they can further clarify their answers.”

“That’s it.” Yosuke nodded. “The last part of questioning a person you need to practice when it comes to talking skills is your body language. How you react, move, act, and listen to the suspect matters more than you would think. You gotta keep a good attention span and listen to every word they say. And when you’re doing that, don’t react like a dumbass out of the blue.”

“Speaking from experience?” Rhys sarcastically asked.

“Hehe. That and on the behalf of two other people in our group. You haven’t met them yet but you’ll know exactly what I mean if you eventually do. Anyways, try to not interrupt at any point of the suspect’s confession or answer, and keep as Naoto-kun likes to put it, a “professional and approachable demeanor.” After that, you should be good with questions and now can take your evidence to your team, which would be the rest of us.”

“Was I on the right path with that the other day? When I presented the two pieces of evidence at the meeting?” Rhys asked.

“Kinda.” Yosuke hummed. “You did present it well but you gotta summarize at times. Yes, every detail matters, but when showing evidence to your partners you should probably not tell it as a story. You wanna keep your findings short but go over every detail you or the team could find interesting or important.”

“Sounds good.” Rhys nodded. “So how am I gonna put this into practice?”

“Simple. I want you to walk up to me and ask me about my kidnapping. Use all the advice I gave to get as much out of me.” Yosuke crossed his arms.

Rhys nodded then began to approach Yosuke in a professional manner and ask him about his experience with the Hounds kidnapping him. Yosuke would try to throw Rhys off every now and then, but the blond maintained a stone-statue demeanor and asked for anything he needed elaboration on. Rhys would not react with any sudden facial expressions or gestures and stayed respectful by putting himself in the perspective of a victim of abduction and assault. He eventually got to the end of the questioning by getting the information he deemed interesting.

“Now that’s how you question someone!” Yosuke high fived Rhys. “See leader, you’re a natural at this already.”

“Hey you went into detail with your tips so I was able to put that in my terms.” Rhys smirked. “Thank you for the advice Hanamura-san.”

“No problem. We’re here to help out however we can partner.” Yosuke grinned.

“So I gotta ask. And this is out of the investigation portion. How’d you and Chie-san get together?”

“By hell freezing over.” Yosuke scoffed immediately. “Believe it or not, we were practically sworn enemies during high school. I was A LOT more stupid as a teenager and in some ways I still am. I did crap to make her life hell and she would do things ten times worse back to me. At the end of the day though, we were still friends and maybe we stayed friends because Narukami came to town soon after. Something strange began to happen after Narukami left a year later though. During our third year I began to hang out with Chie more than normal. Yeah we still bickered like children, but we just realized that’s part of who we are. I began to laugh at more of her dumb jokes and smile more because of how damn optimistic the girl was. I did everything in my power to reject the idea. Me? In love with Chie? The person I have pranked and argued with for years? Can’t happen. But as our third year went on that feeling got worse and worse. I wanted to tell her SO bad, but it was the one time I didn’t want her to make fun of me or joke around. One day I was working at Junes and there these three dudes sitting at a table just saying the most gross crap about Chie. I was sweeping the ground and heard them say stuff that dicks like them bullied her for constantly, such as liking guy-stuff, or basically being a carnivore, or being into Kung-Fu movies. One thing they said that set me off was “No one’s ever gonna get with that ugly tomboy because she can’t even keep her breath clean from all the meat she eats.” Yeah that pissed me off.”

“What did you do?” Rhys asked as the two sat down on the bench on top of a roof.

“I threw my broom down and confronted the jerks. I went off on them not only because Chie had already been my friend after what went through with the rest of the crew over the past year, but because I was tired of running away from feelings I knew were real. I defended the living crap out of Chie. I told them she’s funny, tough as nails, understanding, and is someone you can argue with and still be friends with at the end of the day no matter what. But there’s one thing I told them that I remember word for word. “Chie is one of the most beautiful women on the planet and I wish I could find someone as amazing as her to spend my life with. You wish you could find a girl who liked what you liked and acted how you acted at times. You’re just jealous that you suck so bad at talking to girls that you resort to talking down on someone who is unique from others.” Little did my dumbass know that Chie and Yukiko were sitting three tables over and she heard the entire thing.”

“That must have been embarrassing.” Rhys said. “But you were able to get it out of your system.”

“Yeah.” Yosuke groaned. “I noticed how friggin red her face got and she just ditched Yukiko and bolted out of there like lightning. I groaned and screamed so loud out of embarrassment and the three douchebags making fun of her left too. Yukiko came up to me shortly after and looked me straight in my eyes. All she said was “best place to look for her would be the school rooftop, go after her.” And so I did…”

13 years ago…

10/8/2012 – Yasogami High School Rooftop

Yosuke’s POV

“I remember running through the first floor of the high school we went to and just being an absolute mess, screaming her name and calling for her to come out.”

“Chie! Chie! Damnit where did you go!?”

“Thankfully I remembered Yukiko said she would most likely be at the rooftop because that’s where she would hang around and meet up with Narukami if he wanted to hang out with her for the day. I go up there and dude when I tell you my heart was beating, it felt like I was gonna go into cardiac arrest on the spot. She was facing away from me and staring at the view of Inaba you could see from the roof. I took a deep breath and began to walk towards her, stuttering my words like a damn idiot.”

“H-hey Chie? Listen um…About what just happened…I was only trying to defend you…Be-because you’re my friend and we don’t abandon each other…I wasn’t trying to st-star-start anything that would embarrass you even further…So I’m so-sorry about what I said if you took it the wrong way-

“Did you mean it?”

“Huh?”

“Did you mean what you said!? Just tell me you idiot!”

 I remember Chie turning around, tears falling down her eyes, I didn’t know how to act so I did what we always did.”

“HOW COULD I MEAN THOSE WORDS WHEN YOU WERE JUST GONNA MAKE FUN OF ME FOR IT TO BEGIN WITH!?”

“Wh-what…?”

“Why would YOU want someone like ME!? I’ve been an asshole to you! I’ve treated you like CRAP! BUT…yes I meant it. Every. Single. Word.”

“…”

“Chie…I know we have butted heads at every step of the way…but the truth is I think it’s what makes our friendship different. That we can yell at each other and be jerks to one another but at the end of the day laugh and joke around like nothing ever happened. I didn’t think these feelings were real…but I’m tired of running from how I really feel. Truth is I like to be around you. You’re funny, always looking at the positives, keep everyone’s spirits up with your energy, and…you stand up for us…for me. Here we go…You’re either gonna yell at me, laugh at me, or punch me in the gut, but I have to say this. Chie I…I love you.”

“All I can remember was Chie just looking down after confessing to her. Man I was as red as a tomato at this point Rhys-san. I couldn’t have felt more humiliated.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“So get on with it…do whatever you want…I just felt like telling you…I’m sor-

“Just shut up already.”

“…then she kissed me. Just like that. No warning, no insults, jokes, punches. Chie…kissed me. Nothing could have prepared me but at the same time, it was the most relieving feeling in the world.”

“Did you seriously just do that?”

“Don’t say another word Yosuke, just listen. Yeah we yell at each other a bunch…but the way you have went out of your way to spend your days with me of all people said a lot. And the words you said to back me up back a Junes…they mean so much to me. So you may be a jerk, idiot, and a perv at times…but you’re special to me. So…I love you too.”

“Is this happening? Are we really a thing now?”

“I guess we are Yosuke…if you want. We could always just forget this ever happened and I can just knee you in the gut. Your call.”

“I think having a kung-fu-loving carnivore as a girlfriend is a better choice.”

“And I think I would rather hug you than kick you this time around.”

“We hugged and did all this mushy crap we made fun of Yukiko and Narukami for. We did it for what felt like hours that I didn’t want to pass. It was the first time in a long time I felt love. Like actual love….”

“Chie, I just wanna let you know none of them are gonna believe this happened.”

“Hehe. Yeah they’re gonna think Hell itself probably froze over or think it’s a sign of the apocalypse or something.”

“The look on Rise-chan’s face is gonna be hilarious.”

“I’m more excited to see how Kanji-kun’s gonna react. But let ‘em act how they want.”

“Yeah. We’re gonna have our days Chie…but let’s do everything we can to make this work. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Present

“And there you go.” Yosuke said while standing up. “That’s the only mushy lovey stuff you’re gonna hear out of me or Chie. That’s how we ended up being a couple.”

“You sound like you care about her a lot though.” Rhys said as he stood up afterwards.

“You’re right. Chie means…everything to me. She and my Dad are the two most important people in my life. Yu used to be up there, but Chie ended up filling that gap. I still consider Yu to be my best friend though. My friends…I wouldn’t be where I am without any of them. They were the first real group of friends I considered a family away from the shelter of my home.”

“I’ve never really had any friends I could call family. Only one but I don’t know where he is.” Rhys sighed.

“Maybe Hattori-san and Koda-san will fill your gap Kuramoto-san.” Yosuke reassured Rhys.

Rhys quietly nodded. “Here’s hoping. Thanks again for the advice Hanamura-san. I’m going to get some rest now. Have a goodnight.”

“You too leader. Get some rest.” Yosuke nodded as the two went back inside and called it a day. As Rhys laid in bed he felt he could use the advice given to him by Yosuke well in his search for peace, the Hounds, and the mystery surrounding his brother Logan. He felt he better understood how much Yosuke cares for Chie as the love of his life, as well as the rest of his friends, strengthening his bond with the Investigation Team of Inaba…

Chapter Text

5/22 – Friday

Norbesa Shopping Mall – Afterschool

Rhys ended up being dragged by Hiromi for another shopping spree. This time it was at a separate mall further away from the University. The new Wild Card felt this was a chance for him to grow in his relationship with the purple and black-haired second year, so he decided to tag along. The mall they went to was different from the previous in that it looked like an amusement park in some areas, with a bowling alley inside the shopping mall and a Ferris wheel towering over the building.  Inside were the usual shops and restaurants one would see inside of a shopping mall. The two were standing in the middle of one of the walkways as Rhys waited for Hiromi to tell him the plan for today.

“So what’s on the agenda?” He asked. “This is just another shopping mall, and we already went to one to help with your paranoia.”

“Going to one shopping mall isn’t going to make me go to every other one by myself.” Hiromi explained. “I don’t exactly trust strangers when I’m alone. Especially after the incident with my parents. Don’t think I need to explain that to you again.”

“You got me there.” Rhys nodded. “Well now I know we’re pretty much goin on another shopping spree, you mind telling me why we came to this one instead of the last one? Something unique here?”

“Yeah. Norbesa has some food markets I wanted to go to. They got some really nice fruits they grow themselves. I figure we could go get some for the apartment and for my mom and dad.” Hiromi said while pointing at a food market on a map board displayed on one of Norbesa’s walls.

“Lead the way.” Rhys smirked as the two began to head to the food market. On the way there, Hiromi would occasionally tense up and start to get worried as the mall got more crowded with people, especially if she saw a person she deemed creepy and began to get paranoid. Rhys would do his best to keep her calm and reassure her that they were just normal people visiting the mall just like they were. Eventually, Hiromi calmed down and began to walk through the crowds with ease. The two friends made it to the food market and Rhys couldn’t believe how fresh the scent of the shop was. He could smell the vibrant air coming from the fruits on sale.

Rhys whistled when looking at the variety of goods in the market. “You weren’t kidding, this place is practically a garden.”

“I know right?” Hiromi laughed. “So what do you like? My parents love tangerines and grapes so I’m getting some for them.”

“Call me basic but an apple is my go to.” Rhys replied while looking at a pile of green and red apples organized in different baskets. “After that I like to go with strawberries.”

“I know Takeo-kun likes apples.” Hiromi said. “Well let’s get to picking out what we want!”

The two began to walk around the food market and pick out anything they found appetizing while Hiromi picked up a separate batch of tangerines and grapes she meant to give to her parents as a way of giving back for allowing her to go to college despite their struggles with poverty. Rhys grabbed a small basket and began to place some apples and strawberries in it for both him and the rest of his friends at the apartment. He and Hiromi separately paid for their items and made it to a courtyard in the shopping mall to sit down.

“It’s so tempting to just eat a grape right now…” Hiromi sighed as she sniffed the scent coming from the basket of fruit she bought. “Thanks again for helping me as always.”

“Of course.” Rhys nodded. “Do you feel like this place has been conquered?”

“I’m…not sure actually. Don’t get me wrong I’m feeling fine right now. Don’t feel stress, fear, paranoia, the usual I would when if I did this by myself with a crowd THAT large. But…I don’t know, there’s still some part of me that just gets freaked out in these places. The break in wasn’t the only thing that messed with me before we moved to Sapporo.”

“It wasn’t?” Rhys asked. “Then what else gets you so paranoid about public spaces?”

Hiromi sighed, not reluctant to talk about her past just of yet. “Maybe next time…but just know it’s getting better. I still have a good bit to go before I can walk through places like this mall and Big Bang Burger by myself.”

“We’ll work through it Hiromi-chan.” Rhys calmly said while smirking. “Getting rid of that fear will only make you a stronger person.”

“Yeah.” She replied while smiling. “Thanks again Rhys-kun. My parent’s house is not far from here, so I should be able to get there by myself. One step at a time right?”

“Right.” Rhys nodded. “You be safe coming back.”

“You too. Bye!” Hiromi got up and waved goodbye before walking in a separate direction of Rhys. As he walked away, Rhys checked his phone and saw a message from Minato.

Rhys put his phone away as he slipped on his headphones and began his walk to the apartments. As he walked through Sapporo he reflected on his recent time spent with Hiromi and learned how the break in at her old home after the scandal she and her family went through wasn’t the only event that diagnosed her paranoia. Despite not knowing what else happened, Rhys feels he can get her to open up more in time and better understand her struggles with trauma and agoraphobia, strengthening his relationship with the second-year poi spinner.

Otaru Apartments – Evening

Rhys made it to the lobby of the apartment complex and as expected saw the children Kotone and Eiichiro sitting down on the couch. Minato asked him if he could watch the twins while he and the rest of the Shadow Operatives took this evening as an opportunity to train before Sunday’s infiltration of the next Citadel. Oddly enough, someone else was keeping them occupied until Rhys returned. Kotone and Eiichiro were giggling as Solomon was perched on the table in front of them.

“It’s Kuramoto-kun! Hi Kuramoto-kun!” Kotone waved at Rhys as she looked up and saw him enter the lobby.

“Hey Kotone-chan.”  Rhys smirked while placing the basket of fruit on the lobby’s front desk. “Did your Dad tell you two to sit down here and wait for me?”

“Uh-huh.” Eiichiro nodded. “Mom and Dad said to wait in our rooms for ten minutes then go down to the lobby. Mom set a clock for ten minutes and when the clock got loud she said to go downstairs and wait for you.”

“Is this your pet bird Kuramoto-kun?” Kotone asked regarding Solomon. “He keeps chirping at us. It’s funny!”

“I’m NOT A PET BIRD!” Solomon shouted but came out as chirps for Kotone and Eiichiro, who then started to laugh again. “Please help me I can’t keep this up…”

Rhys began to chuckle as he winked towards Solomon. “Why yes he is. I named him Solomon…”

“What are you-

“So-lo-mon?” Eiichiro said slowly. “That’s a weird name.”

“Hey I’ll show you weird!” The bird chirped again.

“It might be a weird name but there’s a meaning behind it Eiichiro-kun.” Rhys elaborated as he sat down in one of the cushioned chairs. “My bird is a dove, and doves are a symbol of peace. The name “Solomon” is one of many names that mean “peace.” So Solomon is a peaceful bird.”

“Oooooooooh.” Kotone gasped. “I think I can get it…”

Solomon groaned as he looked down and sighed. “At least it got them to stop bugging me…” Then he flew up to the lobby roof and perched up on one of the rafters.

“What is in the basket?” Eiichiro asked Rhys. “It smells good!”

Rhys got back up and grabbed the basket of fruit he bought earlier in the day and placed it in front of the twins. “It’s some fruit for everyone to eat. Do you two like apples and strawberries?”

“Oh! I love strawberries!” Kotone cheered. “Can I have some?”

“I want first pick!” Eiichiro ordered. “Kotono always takes the good ones!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”  

“Yuh-hu-

“Okay you two settle down!” Rhys said as he began to chuckle at the small fight the two just started out of nowhere. “You can have some strawberries but make sure you save some for everyone else, okay?”

The twins nodded while looking at the strawberries in the basket as Rhys reached in the basket and handed them one strawberry each. They began to chew on the vibrant red strawberries and Rhys grabbed an apple for himself while the two kids enjoyed their treat. After the three had their share of fruits, Rhys placed the basket back on the desk and left a letter beside it telling the rest of the residents in the apartments to take some of the fruit if they wished.

“Were they good?” Rhys asked as he sat on the couch next to the twins.

“They tasted amazing!” Eiichiro cheered. “It was like candy!”

“It was very sweet but also good!” Kotone smiled and chuckled. “Thank you Kuramoto-kun!”

“You’re welcome.” Rhys smiled back. “You two wanna watch something until your parents get back?”

“Uh-huh.” Both children said simultaneously.

“Awesome.” Rhys said while grabbing the remote to the lobby TV and turning it on. He flicked through channel after channel until he could find something that was suitable for kids to watch in the evening but also something Kotone and Eiichiro would enjoy. He ended up coming across a sci-fi cartoon that featured space battles and sword fights. It was jam-packed with enough action to keep the two energetic children occupied until they fell asleep. “How about this? I used to watch it all the time when I was your age.”

Eiichiro’s eyes lit up as the show came on. “I love this show! Can we watch it?”

“Sounds good to me.” Rhys nodded. “How about you Kotone-chan?”

“Mm-hm.” She hummed while nodding her head.

The three began to watch the cartoon as it got later and later into the evening. Rhys himself was starting to get tired and the twins were still wide awake. He had to make sure those two were sound asleep before the Shadow Operatives got back from Terra Chaos. Explaining why they all, especially their own mom and dad, got out of one elevator and were wearing battle gear and holding weapons was not something he wanted to do.

“Hey Kuramoto-kun?” Kotone asked for Rhys while she was rubbing her right eye.

“Yes?” Rhys answered while yawning.

“Where does Mom and Dad go with their friends on nights like tonight? They sometimes are out until after midnight…”

Crap Rhys thought while trying to quickly come up with an answer. “Um…Well you see uhhh…Your parents and their friends are in this…club. It’s one they made themselves.”

“Oh. Like a friendship club?” Eiichiro curiously asked.

“Y-yeah! That.” Rhys exclaimed. “Your Dad told me they’ve been running it since they were teenagers in high school and sometimes…they um…have these meetings where they have to go somewhere secrete at night. It’s a secret…he wouldn’t even tell me…all he said was it’s for members only…hehe…”

“Oooooh okay.” Kotone gasped. “So it’s like friends who like to go to treehouses. I think I get it now…”

“I love Mom and Dad’s friends!” Eiichiro tried to cheer while yawning. “Sanada-san is the coolest…”

“Nuh-uh! It’s Fuuka-chan!” Kotone scowled at her brother.

“Huh? Fuuka-chan?” Rhys asked. “That another one of their friends?”

“Uh-huh.” Kotone nodded. “She likes space stuff like this cartoon and can fix my tablet!”

“Do your parent’s friends meet with them often?” Rhys asked.

“No…” Eiichiro sighed. “Not anymore…they used to come over a lot when we were four…but now everyone’s moved far away.”

“But when they get to be together Dad is happier. I think Dad really likes his friends.” Kotone said while yawning.

“Think about it this way you two.” Rhys tried to put it in a perspective they’d understand. “Life moves on when you get older. That means your friends are going to one day not be around to talk to you every day. Your parents’ friends are more than just friends. Friends move on in life and don’t think about the people they were around. Others keep in touch with their friends as they become adults and grow older. To me…that’s family. Not friends. So I think your mom and dad consider their friends as family. That could be why your dad’s happier. He’s around more family…”

“So would that mean Junpei-san is my uncle?” Eiichiro asked.

“Hehehehe.” Rhys chuckled. “Definitely…”

“That’s so cool…” Kotone said while yawning and rubbing her eyes. “That means Fuuka-chan…is…my…aunt…” She began to slur her words as she and Eiichiro started to fall asleep on the couch and before Rhys could realize they were sleeping, his eyes began to grow heavy and he too eventually passed out, softly snoring while leaning his head on the back of the couch cushion.

An hour later the elevator door dinged, and the Shadow Operatives began to walk out exhausted and yawning.

“Man I’m tellin you Amada-san…” Junpei yawned while walking out the elevator. “I can hook you up with some of them energy drinks so you don’t fall asleep in cla-

“Hey quiet!” Yukari whispered to Junpei as she and Minato were the first to walk out and noticed Rhys and their two kids sound asleep on the couches in the lobby. She began to chuckle. “Look…”

“He got them to fall asleep…” Ken whispered.

“Apparently so…” Mitsuru whispered. “However it seems in his efforts to watch over the twins, Kuramoto fell asleep as well…”

“Well Yuka-tan, looks like Kuramoto-san has Ai-chan beat for best babysitter…” Junpei whispered towards her and Minato.

“Okay we need to quietly go to our rooms and make sure they get to theirs as well…” Minato whispered to the other operatives. “Me and Yukari will get Koto and Eiichi. Iori and Amada, mind carrying Kuramoto to his room…quietly?”

“Of course.” Ken silently nodded. “You guys have a goodnight. C’mon Iori-san.”

Junpei and Ken picked up Rhys and quietly put him in his bed while slowly but quietly closing the door to his room. Minato and Yukari each picked up one of their slumbering children and tucked them in their beds as they called it a day. As Rhys dreamed in his sleep, he remembered the time he shared with the Arisato twins and learned of how much they care about the Shadow Operatives as part of their family, strengthening the bond he shares with the two children.

5/23 - Saturday

Hokkaido University – Afterschool

“Thanks again for watching those two.” Minato said to Rhys as the two walked through campus on their way back to the apartments.

“I was starting to get tired before them and that started to worry me.” Rhys yawned. “Thankfully they dazed off watching TV before I passed out myself.”

“I’m just surprised you got them to sleep again, normally they’re really hyper. I honestly don’t know who they got it from because I am the opposite of energetic.” Minato said as he chuckled. “I grabbed some apples on the way out this morning. Yukari wanted me to tell you thanks for the fruit. She loves strawberries.”

“I figured to just get some while I was in that shopping mall with Koda-san. You should’ve seen it the place was like a green…house…the hell?” Rhys slowly stopped talking as he saw someone in the distance he recognized sitting down at one of the tables drinking tea from a stand the university placed outside. She had on a blue driving cap, wore a blue suit and slacks and Rhys immediately knew who it was the moment the lady was able to spot him from far away with her yellow eyes. It was Samantha, his Velvet Room attendant.

“Kuramoto! Over Here!” She joyfully said while waving. “I wish to speak with you!”

“Wh-what!? S-Samantha!?” Rhys let out while giving a confused expression.

“Is that…your Velvet Room attendant?” Minato asked, having been familiar with attendants visiting the real world out of curiosity thanks to his own attendants in Theodore and Elizabeth.

“Uh-huh…is she supposed to be out here?” Rhys nervously asked.

“It’s what mine did from time to time.” Minato said while waving at Samantha. “I don’t recognize her though. Definitely yours…I’ll let you go handle that before she does something to get her in trouble.”

“Yeah talk to you later.” Rhys sighed as he parted ways with Minato and began to walk towards Samantha and a medium pace. He started to look around as Samantha kept shouting for his attention.

“Can you believe what humans put in this substance? They call it “tea” and use mint leaves as an ingredient! It’s quite extraordinary!” Samantha cheered while she took another sip.

“What are you DOING here!?” Rhys shout whispered as he sat down in front of Samantha. “Does this world not affect you?”

“Of course not!” Samantha chuckled. “Your world has no effect on us attendants. The only affect I could possibly fathom is refusing to return to the Velvet Room!”

“Okay so…why are you here?” Rhys asked. “And how’d you know to come to the university of all places?”

“Signing the contract allows us to view your life as you live it in momentary glimpses. I used those glimpses to find you. As to why I am here it is for two reasons.” She answered while adjusting her blue cap.

“And what would those be?” Rhys asked as he laid back in his seat and crossed his arms.

“First and foremost, it has been some time since your last visit to the Velvet Room. Therefore, I wish to inform you that you are making excellent progress on your bonds. In the span of one month you have managed to establish a total of ten separate bonds. That is a feat previous guests have never achieved. However, the established bonds must be strengthened in order to manifest the power deep within each of the Arcana.”

“Right.” Rhys nodded. “A lot of people to be around in just one month…”

“We who reside in the Velvet Room are restricted from interfering with the journeys of those who sign the contract and become our guests. However, my master has wished for me to deliver a message regarding your bonds.”

Rhys looked confused. “Okay…that doesn’t sound weird at all…what is it?”

“My master wishes to inform you that one of the bonds you have established is of great importance. It is a bond needed to survive the future…” Samantha ominously said.

“Survive the future…?” Rhys asked nervously. “What’s in the future…?”

“That is all we are allowed to communicate on the matter.” Samantha sighed. “It is merely as humans call it a “heads up.” Just know you have a sufficient amount of time to strengthen this and the bonds you have forged and the ones you will create in the future.”

Rhys sighed at the ominous hint. A bond needed to survive the future? What was the bond Samantha spoke of and what did the future hold for this bond to be of great importance. “I’ll take the advice. What was the other reason you came over to visit me?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Samantha excitedly said as Rhys changed the subject. “In the past, my master has allowed my sisters the opportunity to visit the human world as long as their guests escorted them. I am here to ask if you could accompany me to specific areas of this city? There are a plethora of locations and activities humans partake in that intrigue me and I wish to visit them. You will be compensated for your aid in escorting me.”

“Compensated? How exactly?” Rhys asked.

“With money of course! It is what you humans desire, no?” Samantha asked as she began to pull out something from the inside of her suit jacket.

“Well some people call money the “root of all evil” but I see it as a necessity in life to keep up…so I’m fine with money. Wait do you even have any yen on you?”

“Why of course!” Samantha pulled out a wide blue wallet. “This belongs to one of my older sisters. She allowed me to borrow it. This will be your reward for escorting me.” Samantha then opened the wallet and turned it upside down. Rhys’s jaw dropped as yen began to fall onto the table in an endless rainfall. There was no end to the yen falling out of the wallet as it began to pile on top of the table.

“Okay-okay you can stop now!” Rhys got Samantha to close the wallet to prevent the table becoming crowded with yen. “Where…did you get…all of that yen? And how did you even fit it all in that wallet?”

“My sister asked for that to remain a secret.” Samantha chuckled as she began to sweep the yen back into the wallet. “However, this is proof of your compensation if you ever wish to escort me around your world.”

“I’m not questioning anything anymore…” Rhys groaned. “I’ll do it.”

“Thank you so much!” Samantha joyfully said as she got up from her seat. “My master requested I return as soon as I received your answer. The Velvet Door can be located in an alleyway not too far from here. I look forward to visiting your world. Farewell!” She then proceeded to walk away from Rhys who just leaned back in his seat and let out a tired groan while putting his hands over his face. “I’ve lost it…”

Terra Chaos – Evening

The Citadel of Avarice

Deacon is standing in the pit of the Citadel of Avarice, looking at the cage doors sealed shut on each side of the arena. In the center is one wooden pole dug into the ground by the Hounds. As Deacon stares at the gates holding back the Citadel’s Wraiths, he begins to feel his left-hand twitch and burn. “Grrrgh.” He groaned as he ripped off the glove covering his hand and noticed a black flame engulfing it, as if the flame was alive and trying its best to escape. Deacon eventually gained control of the flame and slipped his glove back on. He began to chuckle from the pain, “Hehehehe…Do not worry Zmey…you will have your freedom and bloodshed soon…”

A Hound holding a rifle walks up to Deacon as he finishes grunting from the burning sensation. “Deacon, we have the three sacrifices in the stronghold away from here.”

He turned around and faced the Hound member. “Did you test the cyclops’s blood?”

“Yes sir. Her blood sparked a blue flame as the last. She has potential. We located the correct individual mentioned in the prophecy.”

“Good.” Deacon hissed. “Did my request to the Alpha get granted?”

“Affirmative. The Alpha permitted for three of his Harbingers on the day of sacrifice to ensure the ritual is completed.” The Hound answered.

“Excellent. Have the sacrifices locked away in the stronghold until the day of sacrifice. We didn’t predict our enemies correctly last time and it cost us. Do not move them until my command.”

“Yes sir.”

“We should have more than just five grunts this time around.” Deacon said as he began to walk out of the pit. “As usual, make sure they know to stay clear of the shadows unless they are Harbingers. Just because we are under the Alpha’s watch doesn’t grant us immunity from the manifested desires of man.”

“They will not win this time Deacon, for Chaos.” The Hound bowed as he followed behind the leader.

“As it is written...” Deacon nodded. “For Chaos.”

Chapter Text

5/24 – Sunday

Terra Chaos – Citadel of Avarice Entrance - Evening

The group of Persona Users had journeyed through the Avaricious District to make it to the designated Citadel located in the Marketplace of Greed. Solomon the dove was successful in pinpointing the exact spot of the dungeon from the patrol he and a portion of the Investigation Team, Phantom Thieves, and Shadow Operatives went on a few days prior. Rhys is standing in front of the group of Persona Users, now including the rest of the people who weren’t involved in finding the next Citadel such as the Talons of Peace. He is looking at the Citadel as are the rest of his partners and friends but is rather confused by its design.

“Solomon? Oracle? Are you two sure this is the Citadel?” Rhys said in his makeshift combat gear, that being just a white hoodie with its left sleeve torn off for his mark, a black wrap on his right hand, and some black cargo pants.

“I mean it has to be.” Solomon chirped. “This building looks different from the rest of the district and is build like a fortress like the last Citadel.”

“It’s definitely the next level.” Oracle said as she pulled out her laptop. “I was able to scan shadows all up in it like a nest. This is the Citadel alright.”

“Then why is the first floor the roof?” Yosuke asked. “Aren’t Citadels castles? Where’s the rest of it?”

“If I had to assume, this “Citadel” goes down.” Fox said while framing the entrance of the Citadel with his hands.

“Oh! So it’s like Mementos!” Noir gasped. “The final floor is the very bottom.”

“Mementos?” Hiromi asked. “What was that your guys’ version of this place?”

“Somewhat.” Mona answered. “In the Metaverse, Mementos is the thoughts and desires of the general public rather than the average palace, which is the desires of one person.”

“It took the form of subway tunnels and had descending levels to the very bottom, which was the palace of the general public.” Joker answered.

“Descending levels?” Yukari asked. “So then it’s just a reverse-Tartarus?”

“That’s what it sounds like.” Ken said afterwards.

“So this “Citadel” as you call it goes down?” Naoto asked. “Do we have a structure or map of the inside?”

“Course we do!” Oracle cheered as she typed on her laptop before walking up to Sophie. “Sophie, digitize the map!”

“Projecting the Citadel now.” Sophie said as her eyes began to glow and project a blue light displaying the complete structure of the Citadel, how many floors it had, and where the Persona users were currently at.

“Gather around the map.” Rhys ordered the Persona users. Everyone began to circle around Sophie and Oracle who displayed the model of the dungeon they were about to enter.

“This is where we are.” Oracle pointed to the top of the Citadel. “The entrance is the top of the Citadel. The floors are accessed by going down this time around. Looking at the size of this building, I think I can say there are twelve floors. The entrance in front of us being the first…” She then lowered her finger towards the bottom of the map. “…and this pit being the last floor.”

“Is that pit where the Wraith is located?” Narukami asked.

“It’d be safe to assume so.” Oracle answered. “That big ass snake was the Wraith last time and it was literally at the very top.”

“So we can assume whatever form this Citadel’s Wraith has taken, it will most likely be at the very bottom.” Mitsuru stated while crossing her arms.

“Were you able to locate the kidnapped? Are they inside?” Joker asked.

“Nope…” Oracle sighed. “The only signs of movement I could pinpoint from the Citadel came from the shadows. No signs of our three or Hounds.”

“If I had to guess, the kidnapped have either not been moved into the Citadel yet, or the Hounds are using something to block their presence inside. Like a jammer of sorts…” Minato suspected.

“Well either way, we still have time to save them, so if they’re inside or not doesn’t matter right now.” Takeo said while holding his axe.

“He’s got a point.” Chie nodded. “I think we should just go on through and get a feel of this place. I bet it looks way different than the last.”

“Now that you mention it, wasn’t the last one called the “Citadel of Envy?” Does this one have a name too?” Junpei asked.

“As a matter of fact it does.” Solomon chirped. “This one is called the “Citadel of Avarice.” Which connects it to this district, the “Avaricious Marketplace.””

“Avarice?” Yukari asked. “What does that mean?”

“Avarice is a worsened version of greed.” Naoto said while adjusting her hat. “It is an extreme desire for riches and materialistic needs, which manifests the greed someone can feel.”

“So the last one was jealousy, and this one is greed…” Rhys pondered. “Two ideals looked down on and not really a thing someone wants to feel.”

“It’s too soon to make assumptions, but maybe these Citadels are created from the extreme sins of man? Desires and acts deemed cruel or evil.” Narukami speculated.

“Or perhaps when merged with other negative ideals…they manifest Chaos….” Fox slowly said.

“So what’s the plan leader?” Junpei asked Rhys. “How we doin this?”

“We still want to take this slow.” Rhys said while pointing towards the first four floors of the Citadel. “We’ll try to get to the fourth floor tonight. The floors look much bigger and more open than the first Citadel, so we need to watch all sides for shadows as we locate the entrance to the next floor. We don’t know what lies in here. There could be more shadows and there could be more like the one we faced when we finally reached the top floor of the Citadel of Envy.”

“There is something I wanted to bring up regarding going through these Citadels.” Minato said as Sophie turned off her digitized map. “In the past when we explored Tartarus, we kept teams that went in at a minimum of four.”

“Hey we did that too for the TV world!” Chie said.

“We also kept to four people when infiltrating palaces as well.” Noir said afterwards. “What are you suggesting?”

“Obviously when it was just our separate groups at one point, they were smaller and meant about four to six stayed behind while the rest went on patrol.” Minato explained. “I believe it would help to have some stay behind as backup.”

“But there are eighteen of us…” Takeo groaned. “Only havin four go in while the other fourteen stay behind isn’t that smart if I’m being honest.”

“Then why don’t we just have more people go in?” Narukami asked. “Since Oracle is a navigator, she goes in by default, so her spot is of its own. As for who goes in since there are eighteen of us how about nine go in and the others follow behind.”

“That’s not that bad of an idea…” Joker nodded. “Nine go in, nine stay behind.”

“And if more join us, we can adjust the amount in time…” Mitsuru said while flicking her hair. “Kuramoto, thoughts?”

Rhys looked down before nodding. “That’ll work. If anyone gets exhausted or hurt, they can swap out with someone else.”

“So who’re you bringing in?” Junpei asked.

“It would be smart to leave one of the other Wild Cards behind to lead the other group.” Mona said. “They were the leaders in the past from what I’ve seen.”

Rhys looked at each of the Persona users and began to think of who he wished to bring. There were many choices for him to pick. He had seven other people to decide to bring with him into the Citadel of Avarice while the others slowly followed behind. He wanted to cover all grounds when it came to bringing people from the Talons of Peace, Phantom Thieves, Investigation Team, and Shadow Operatives. He agreed with Mona’s suggestion of leaving one of the other Wild Cards in Narukami, Joker, and Minato behind to lead the backup team. Rhys knew he wanted to bring Naoto to get her up to speed and to see how she fairs in battle, so that now leaves six spots. He felt Hiromi would be vital as backup due to her stamina, so he decided to bring Takeo over her. Only five more spots remained for the infiltration team, and Rhys knew he wanted at least one of the Wild Cards to join him inside, so naturally he picked Minato and Narukami for his next two spots. For the final three party members, Rhys thought and decided for them to be Fox, Junpei, and Noir.

“Naoto, I need to see how you fight so you’re going in with me.” Rhys said after making his decision in his head.

“Very well.” Naoto nodded while checking the rounds in her revolver before holstering it. “I won’t be a burden to your team.”

“Takeo, you’re taggin along too. Same goes for Arisato, Narukami-san, Fox, Noir, and Iori-san.” Rhys said next while nodding towards each of his chosen party members. “As for the rest of you, stay behind and follow us. If we need your help, Oracle will give you a signal.”

“Sounds good to me.” Hiromi said.

“I’ll take point for the backup team then.” Joker nodded towards Rhys.

“Then let’s get inside.” Rhys said while unsheathing his short sword. “Time to see what’s inside this Citadel…”

Citadel of Avarice – First Floor

Rhys’s team entered the Citadel of Avarice and began to scan the first floor of the descending dungeon. They noticed the change in design from the first one in the patterns of the walls, color, and intricate sculptures scattered across the room. The torches lighting the room were burning a yellow flame, lighting the walls which were patterned with toads in a leaping movement. In the center of the room was a stone statue of humans trampling over one another to get to a chest at the top, opened and revealing a shiny gold wealth.

Junpei whistled as he looked around the first floor and noticed the statue. “This sure does scream “greed” if it is the theme for this one…”

“This shade of yellow is a representative color of avarice and greed…” Fox said while looking at one of the torches.

“Then what about the frogs on the walls?” Narukami asked.

“Correction, these are toads if this “Citadel” embodies avarice.” Naoto answered while looking closely at the wall patterns. “With a vice such as greed, the toad is the quintessential animal for its symbolism.”

“What makes toads so greedy?” Takeo asked. “They’re just bigger frogs right?”

“Like the Metaverse or TV World, I think this place is altered and affected by human desires.” Rhys began to look around. “And most people nowadays are money hoarders, so in some way I’d say the toad is the symbol of greed because of us. We made it the manifestation of greed.”

“That could be true.” Noir nodded. “In a couple of books I read, toads are often seen as hoarders or trade wealth for a price.”

“There is an abundance of literature and cultures that associate toads with wealth.” Naoto said as she moved towards the center statue. “In some alchemical texts, they’re the base embodiment of human nature…”

“Greed is a dangerous ideal.” Minato said as he moved beside the SIU Agent. “It can change someone’s relationship with a simple piece of gold. When people find something they don’t want to get rid of or share, they become agitative of those around them.”

“And soon aggressive…” Fox said afterwards. “Bringing violence. Bringing chaos…”

“I don’t detect any shadows here…” Oracle said as she checked her computer. “Looks like the first floors of these Citadels are meant to play the role of an entrance or lobby.”

“But that means there will for sure be shadows on the next one…” Rhys said as he walked past the statue.

“Yeah I was fixin to get to that. I definitely just saw some movement pop up on the map for the next floor.” Oracle said. “So watch your back.”