The night was silent. A cicada on an unknown tree suddenly drew out its call, a long note that, despite being the beginning of early summer, sounded like a startling awakening in mid-spring.
In the deepest room of Fujiki Residence, Gotou Hitori, wearing a cardboard box on her head, swayed unsteadily, then plopped down onto the floor.
After a dull thud, Rupa quickly removed the cardboard box from her head and helped her band's guitarist to her feet.
Ebizuka Tomo was about to criticize Gotou Hitori's bad habit of always rushing the beat due to her accustomed guitar solos, but when she saw her reddened fingers, she silently swallowed all her words, clicked her tongue in annoyance, and then looked at the bassist Rupa.
"We're missing a lead singer."
Rupa soothingly stroked her head. Although it was quickly slapped away in annoyance, she still offered a gentle smile, "There's nothing we can do, Tomo-chan gets so shy when she sings... The cardboard box went to Gotou, so there's no one left to be the lead singer."
Ebizuka Tomo glared at her, somewhat embarrassed, "Who, who gets shy when they sing!"
Gotou Hitori, intimidated by the keyboardist's terrifying aura and unable to move, hugged the cardboard box dejectedly and hid behind Awa Subaru.
Awa Subaru subtly shifted her butt towards Gotou Hitori, completely shielding the guitarist who had maxed out her social anxiety stats.
Meanwhile, the two girls opposite seemed to have reached a conclusion, and simultaneously turned their heads to look at Awa Subaru.
"Subaru!"
"Awa!"
And in unison.
"Can we ask you to go find another lead singer?"
"How is that even possible?!"
Awa Subaru laughed in exasperation. You discussed for half a day and this is the result? This kind of makeshift band, always using "Budokan" as their slogan...
She vented by raising her drumstick and striking the cymbal, unleashing a metallic clang.
Ebizuka Tomo, not to be outdone, pressed a series of keys on the electronic keyboard, and the room was immediately filled with a harsh, sharp, crow-like screech.
Rupa watched their sulking expressions, changed her posture, and then smilingly strummed her bass, immediately producing layers of low, coughing sounds.
Just a moment ago they looked like they were about to quarrel, but now they had resumed playing, as if all their emotions were fully expressed through their instruments...
How amazing... Is this rock and roll?
Gotou Hitori sat on the floor, dazed, watching the three girls in the room change their expressions without warning, feeling an urgent urge to join in.
...
Kurusu Akira swiped his card at the train station, found the Shibuya station sign, and strode towards it.
On a greyish-white wall to one side, various promotional flyers for cram schools were plastered. Against this backdrop of colorful, vibrant blocks and a spell-like pattern formed by countless phone numbers, a man dressed in a neat suit, wearing a baseball cap, looking like a corporate drone, was leaning against the wall, fast asleep.
As one drew closer, one could see a small plastic stick from a lollipop still in his mouth, and his face was covered with fine, pale blue stubble.
As if by some mysterious intuition, the man opened his eyes as Kurusu Akira approached.
"You're the one."
He rose with surprising agility and grabbed Kurusu Akira's shoulder.
"Huh?" Kurusu Akira almost instinctively gave him an over-the-shoulder throw.
As if sensing Kurusu Akira's confusion, the man pulled the plastic stick out of his mouth, awkwardly glanced around, and seeing no trash can, simply tucked the plastic stick into his pants pocket.
Then he pulled out a red and blue business card from his overcoat pocket and handed it to Kurusu Akira, "Let me introduce myself, I'm Iwai Munehisa, a professional agent from Atlus Idol Agency."
Iwai Munehisa adopted an unyielding attitude, "Young man, your looks are outstanding! Have you considered working for us? The agency operates professional record companies and film companies. One of the founders is the master-level music producer, Mr. Meguro Shoji. The agency has a history of half a century in Tokyo. Although we can't compare to those famous major labels, our qualifications and heritage are not inferior."
His demeanor seemed more like a ruthless debt collector from the underworld than a professional agent, and the way he opened his briefcase suggested he might pull out a handgun at any moment.
Kurusu Akira calmly took the business card from him, "I'm still a high school student and don't plan to drop out of school for now. Let me think about it, and we can talk more later."
Iwai Munehisa paused in the act of opening his portable briefcase, looking at Kurusu Akira with some surprise... A normal high school student at this point should have been intimidated into meekly nodding. He had easily found qualified young people across Japan for agency auditions using this trick.
He remembered it was just last year when he was on a business trip near Osaka. He had, with just a few words, sent the now-famous "Suzumiya Haruhi," along with her chair, from Hyogo Prefecture to Tokyo.
Of course, that habitually free-spirited girl, after becoming famous, left behind a rather eccentric, chuunibyou line like "I've had enough of rock and roll, I'm going to the moon for a trip, see you next year," and then disappeared without a trace from Tokyo.
If Miss Suzumiya Haruhi hadn't left behind an alternative rock piece called "To the Moon" before she left, stating that she was going for inspiration... people would probably have thought she was walking at night and was drowned in Tokyo Bay by a sasaeng fan.
However, thanks to this, Iwai Munehisa's monthly income, which had finally stabilized for over half a year, immediately plummeted. Seeing it about to hit rock bottom, he met this handsome boy at the train station, a boy who made him, as an agent, exclaim, "If he doesn't debut as an idol, it would be the biggest loss for the entertainment industry."
Kurusu Akira was interested in any money-making venture, but he was very busy tonight, so he casually brushed off Iwai Munehisa, tossed the business card into his pocket, and hurried towards the waiting area.
Iwai Munehisa didn't try to keep him much, just regretfully watched his back gradually disappear from sight.
Entering the empty train car, which seemed spacious due to the few passengers, Kurusu Akira found a seat opposite and sat down. The TV in the car was broadcasting the education channel's latest interview program.
[Mr. Shinba Takakiyo, principal of the renowned entertainment school "Shin Kawasaki" in Kawasaki City, speaks out for all victims of the out-of-control incident:]
["My students are all lovely and sensible children. They had bright prospects, beautiful futures, and unlimited possibilities... However, due to recent negligence in campus security and neglect of student psychological health education, their once blossoming lives have been... I am deeply saddened by this."]
["To ensure similar incidents do not happen again, I have personally funded the addition of a Psychological Health Education Department to the infirmaries of 'Shin Kawasaki' and other entertainment and cram schools. Furthermore, I plan to return to Tokyo, to Shujin Academy, to continue practicing the educational philosophy of 'focusing on student psychological health and safety, and maintaining campus security.'"]
[...]
"My Psychological Health Education Department is going to get more club funding?"
Kurusu Akira looked at Shinba Takakiyo, who flashed across the car TV, and couldn't help but let his mind wander: Now that the Metaverse Navigator is completely useless, to make him repent, he'll have to wait until he returns to Shujin, then figure out if he can forcibly enter his inner world.
The scenery outside the window blurred like frosted glass, scraping against the night. By the time the train arrived at the station, Kurusu Akira was the only one left in the carriage.
He slowly stood up and walked out of the station.
----------------
Meanwhile.
Shibuya Central Avenue, Big Bang Burger joint.
Togawa Sakiko, having finished her part-time job, bowed and thanked the manager. With her day's wages, she carried an employee meal from the back kitchen and sat down in a corner of the restaurant.
The employee meal was quite substantial: a "Signature Mars Explosion Burger," a bucket of "Moon Chicken Nuggets," and two boxes of "UFO Egg Tarts"... The price was 1200 yen, but she only paid 600 yen.
Togawa Sakiko put on disposable gloves and quietly said to the empty seat opposite her, "I'm going to eat."
Kurusu Akira sat down opposite her.
"Can I have some?" The Phantom Thief looked longingly.
Togawa Sakiko silently pushed a box of egg tarts towards him, "You didn't have dinner."
"No time."
"Hmm..." Togawa Sakiko hesitated, then pushed the burger in front of her to him as well, "There are still a lot of chicken nuggets, you can eat more."
She blinked, "I need to maintain my figure. Eating so much at night will make me fat."
"Much obliged." The Phantom Thief pressed his hands together in an awkward prayer.
Togawa Sakiko took off the glove from her left hand and handed it to Kurusu Akira, while she picked up an egg tart and took a small bite. "I'll be relying on you tonight."
Then she felt a vibrating sensation in her pocket; her phone was ringing.
Togawa Sakiko picked up her phone with her free left hand. Seeing the contact name, her expression immediately tensed. She put down the egg tart, made a shushing gesture towards Kurusu Akira, and then answered the call.
"Hello, this is Togawa Sakiko."
"Mm." The voice on the other end simply replied with a very short interjection.
Then, after a few seconds of silence, that familiar old voice, filled with heartache and sadness, once again reached Togawa Sakiko's ears, "Sakiko, are you working at a fast food restaurant again?"
Togawa Sakiko instinctively sat up straight, her expression more flustered than ever, "Yes."
"Did you have dinner?"
"Yes, it was the staff meal from the restaurant."
"Hmm... Where is that man?"
"He... He's not home."
"The gambling, he hasn't done it again, has he?" The voice on the other end seemed to suddenly rise.
Togawa Sakiko opened her mouth, but couldn't utter any words in defense of her terrible father.
"I never expected him to cook for you, but to degenerate into such a pathetic, useless state, it's truly... utterly disappointing!"
The sound of a table being slammed could be clearly heard on the phone.
After a while, the old man's tone returned to calm, "Sakiko, come home. Don't take care of him anymore. You should know, the debts your family now carries are all from his gambling addiction after he left."
Togawa Sakiko bit her lip, "He's my father."
"You've done well enough."
"I..." Togawa Sakiko looked at Kurusu Akira sitting opposite her.
The legendary Phantom Thief was devouring the "Signature Mars Explosion Burger" in his hands.
He had no intention of getting involved in Togawa Sakiko's family affairs, but merely sitting there already gave off an indescribable sense of security.
Deep down, she seemed to find the courage to face life again.
Togawa Sakiko said to the old man on the other end of the phone, "Please give me a little more time. I will try my best to make him change."
"Even if he changes, what then? There's no place for him in the Togawa Family anymore..."
"But he is my father," Togawa Sakiko said firmly.
In response to this, the old man on the phone merely sighed deeply, "You and your mother have exactly the same temper... Well, go ahead and try then. Just remember, don't get hurt. If something like what happened in Shinjuku happens again, remember to contact me on the emergency line, understood?"
One can only lament that there are always fools in the world, and the Kamo Group of Shinjuku Street is one such example. As a newly emerging yakuza organization, they knew very little about the various overt and covert forces in Tokyo, and naturally couldn't know or investigate Togawa Sakiko's true background, only making deductions based on her father's usual behavior at the casino and various mortgage certificates.
Therefore, even if they genuinely repented, they received the most severe sentence in court due to the Togawa Family's influence, and even their time in prison would be worse than others.
Ever since Togawa Sakiko experienced the Kamo Group's kidnapping, she had been angrily reprimanded by her furious maternal grandfather, practically ordered to return to the Togawa Family.
If she hadn't personally witnessed the miracle of the Phantom Thief making people repent, Togawa Sakiko would probably have despaired and given up on her self-destructive biological father. And he, in turn, might have started doing even worse things, ultimately leading to his own demise... Her mother's passing had already made her feel an unprecedented blow to her life, and if she lost her father again... Togawa Sakiko couldn't imagine what she would become after that.
She had to be grateful that at that time, the appearance of the Phantom Thief brought her hope of changing the situation, which gave her the courage to continue staying by her father's side.
Togawa Sakiko felt her heart rate suddenly quicken, and her hands on her lap were tightly clenched into fists.
"I'm truly... very grateful for your care."
The old man could only sigh repeatedly in response. "Then I won't disturb you. The Togawa Family will always welcome you back, no matter when."
"..."
Togawa Sakiko hung up the phone, letting out a sigh of relief as if a great burden had been lifted.
Kurusu Akira sat opposite her, chewing on a ketchup-covered 'Lunar Chicken Nugget,' muttering indistinctly, "So there wasn't sixteen billion after all..."
"I told you, they wouldn't be inherited by me."
"I just didn't expect even your father wouldn't have to inherit this debt." Kurusu Akira swallowed his food, picked up his tray, and walked around to sit beside her. "Can you tell me more about it?"
Togawa Sakiko didn't dislike Kurusu Akira's closeness; instead, she felt more at ease. Her eyes were gloomy as she quietly explained to him.
"Father wasn't like this at first."
"Hmm." The Phantom Thief made a listening expression.
"The Togawa Family are actually quite an influential prominent family," Togawa Sakiko described her former background in as humble a tone as possible.
"My father was adopted into the Togawa Family, and then he married my mother."
"Adopted..." Kurusu Akira nodded. He had also considered the idea of being adopted into a family before; financial freedom could be achieved with just a signature, but after careful thought, he still felt it was unreliable, always having a sense of inferiority.
"Until my third year of junior high, Mother passed away from illness."
Kurusu Akira's movements stiffened for a moment.
He remembered that the Amamiya Ren of this world seemed to have lost his parents around the same time.
Togawa Sakiko's voice grew softer, "And Father began to pour all his energy into work, seemingly trying to vent his inner pain in this way."
"Later, due to a mistaken investment decision, he caused the Togawa Family to lose sixteen billion yen... So he was kicked out of the house. After that, he truly regarded this money as his 'debt,' living in regret every day."
"I voluntarily left the Togawa Family to take care of him, because... I'm sorry, now I don't know what to say here..." Togawa Sakiko's voice trembled continuously, but even so, she didn't shed any tears.
Kurusu Akira quietly took the egg tart in front of her and offered his opinion, "Togawa is a girl with strong self-esteem. It's normal for her to actively take care of her father who was kicked out... After all, his side is your 'home.'"
"Even if he lost everything overnight, he wasn't like this at first..."
"Hmm, I know what happened next. You should calm down." Kurusu Akira raised the egg tart and took a bite. "Because of regret, one wants to make up for mistakes. Because one wants to make up for mistakes, one begins to fantasize about time travel, fantasizing about getting rich overnight... The emotion of 'regret' has permeated the entirety of human history at all times... Ha, when you think about it this way, you realize the enemy is terrifyingly frightening."
Although he said "frightening," Kurusu Akira's tone was relaxed and casual.
What has always been able to defeat the Phantom Thief is never the so-called "evil enemy," but life itself.
If one suddenly encounters an unbearable life change, perhaps even Kurusu Akira would abandon some of the "principles" he once set, and give up a part of the "justice" he must adhere to... When that time comes, perhaps he would no longer be qualified to be called a "Phantom Thief"... And to embrace this fear and worry, yet still firmly adhere to one's original self, this is truly precious courage.
Kurusu Akira in his previous life hadn't experienced terrifying debt, but he had already won every imaginable arduous challenge in life, so even if he was informed that he was heavily in debt overnight, he would be confident that he would never make any wicked choices.
The Phantom Thief patted Togawa Sakiko's shoulder, "Worry, suspicion, and fear are all human instincts... Even when facing death itself, even if one is too scared to lift a leg, one must try to stand tall and face an enemy beyond cognition and imagination. This is true 'courage.'"
He looked at the fast-food restaurant's ceiling, "This is the realization I gained after being 'saved' by someone."
"Amamiya was also saved by someone..."
"Yes."
"That person must have been amazing, right?"
"Yes, very amazing... It's just a pity that I don't even have the chance to thank her anymore." Kurusu Akira turned to look at Togawa Sakiko's close face.
"We are very lucky; we won't have the chance to face death itself, but there are too many invisible or tangible things in life that are no less terrifying than death. Even I worry and fear."
"So, by consistently persevering on the path you've chosen, Togawa, you are already very brave. No one has the right to mock your choice."
Kurusu Akira gestured with his hand on her face, "Awakening such a powerful Persona already speaks volumes about Togawa's..."
He couldn't finish the latter half of his sentence as Togawa Sakiko had already thrown herself into his arms, desperately suppressing the urge to cry.
"I'm sorry, at least for now... please let me lean on you."
Kurusu Akira sighed, raised his hand and stroked the girl who was constantly losing things. He could feel her body trembling, but she wasn't crying. "Only sixteen, yet she has already resolved to give up her right to cry. How remarkable, Togawa."
The manager behind the counter brought two cups of cola and quietly walked out with a box of tissues, placing them on the table in front of Kurusu Akira... Although he didn't know what these young people, who once worked together in his store, had gone through, as an adult, this was all the help he could offer.
When a flushed Togawa Sakiko finally left Kurusu Akira's embrace, she kept her face almost entirely downcast, no longer daring to look at him directly.
The Phantom Thief didn't mind, tearing off a tissue to wipe his mouth. "Let's go, it's time to get your life back on track."
He crumpled the tissue into a ball and tossed it towards a distant trash can.
The white sphere traced a dazzling arc in the hazy light, then slowly descended—
It fell into the depths of Shibuya Ward's Mementos.
After a roll, it stopped in front of Kurusu Akira.
...
Togawa Sakiko commanded her Persona, Nimrod, to play a "chaotic" melody, causing the attacks from the terrifying shadow named "Hunter" to immediately reverse direction and strike itself.
The shadow shrieked and fell to the ground, and the crumpled paper ball flew out from its body, landing at Kurusu Akira's feet under the deep red warning lights of the Mementos.
Kurusu Akira bent down, picked it up, and unfolded it; it was actually a resignation letter.
It was filled with his past feelings for the company and various hopes for his future life.
However, to appear here as a shadow twisted by desire, he was probably hindered by the company he once loved, leading to a very unsatisfactory life afterwards, right? Being "betrayed" can indeed make various desires in one's heart susceptible to being amplified and distorted by an evil god.
Kurusu Akira walked past the dissipating black mist.
Poor corporate slave.
This time, the surrounding black mist didn't disappear directly; instead, it bypassed Kurusu Akira and surged straight into Togawa Sakiko's shadow.
"?!" Togawa Sakiko was startled.
The Phantom Thief, with his hands behind his back, calmly walked ahead of her. "I already told you when we were on the upper level of the Mementos, this is a cognitive power you gain from the defeated shadows, representing their 'recognition' of you before their demise. At the same time, they will help you believe more firmly in your own heart."
"When we defeated those 'shadows' on the upper level, there wasn't this black mist."
"Who said there wasn't? They were just too faint for you to see. This time, the shadow was stronger, so the 'recognition' it gave you became more obvious."
Kurusu Akira explained to Togawa Sakiko, "This is like the experience points you get from defeating monsters in a video game. You get more from stronger monsters, allowing you to level up faster. Similarly, defeating weaker monsters will hardly give you any significant improvement..."
"Sorry... I haven't played games."
Kurusu Akira's words came to an abrupt halt.
After a while, he said gloomily, "Miss Togawa, I suddenly feel your life is a bit of a failure."
Togawa Sakiko hunched her shoulders, not daring to refute Kurusu Akira, whose mood had suddenly turned abnormal.
The two walked one after another in the blood-colored light; the entire Mementos seemed to be coughing violently. A train crashed through a wall, burst onto a track, and roared away.
At the spot where it appeared, in the gap of the Mementos, a room independent of the tunnel could be seen.
"We're here." Kurusu Akira flicked the hem of his trench coat and tightened his crimson gloves. "This should be the underground casino in Shibuya Ward in reality... According to Miss Navi's information, your father is inside."
"It's his shadow..."
"Exactly. This is the manifestation of your father's subconscious. Whatever questions you have, just ask him directly, and as his 'subconscious,' he will immediately tell you truthfully."
"Remember not to kill him; just take away the twisted desires from him." Although he said that, Kurusu Akira looked somewhat eager, even gripping his dagger.
Togawa Sakiko walked past him, "Let me do it myself."
The Phantom Thief paused, then smiled happily, "How remarkable, Togawa... Oh, no, Miss Oblivionis."
Kurusu Akira actually sat down cross-legged on the spot. "Then, I can start looking forward to your good news."
He looked up at the vein-like pulsating patterns on the ceiling, and suddenly felt that having a tacitly cooperative partner in the Phantom Thief's actions seemed far more efficient than acting alone.
'Why didn't I ever think of forming the Phantom Thieves back then?'
Even Shiomi-senpai had her own Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, leading her club members to challenge that towering spire every night.
Kurusu Akira began to self-reflect.
It was probably because he inherited Shiomi-senpai's "legacy" in the Velvet Room, and his suddenly surging power interrupted this line of thought.
...
When Togawa Sakiko reopened her eyes, she was in a dim space.
It looked like an underground parking garage.
Dark and monotonous concrete filled her vision, and a slightly hunched man stood in the middle of the underground parking garage, looking over as if bewildered.
"Sakiko...?"
"Father." Togawa Sakiko said softly, "I've come to see you."
The bewilderment on the man's face vanished almost instantly, replaced by a terrifying ferocity. "Did you come empty-handed? Didn't I tell you in the text message... bring the money and come find me!"
"Why do you insist on 'earning money' this way?" Togawa Sakiko looked at him with her usual disappointed expression.
And this gaze seemed to deeply wound the other party, who almost immediately burst into a hysterical roar, "If I don't do this, how can I pay back that money?!"
Then he charged at Togawa Sakiko with an almost hideous expression, "Since you came without money, then you might as well stay here and work hard to earn money for me... I will make good use of this money to return..." His voice twisted and distorted continuously, and by the time he approached Togawa Sakiko, he had completely lost his human form, turning into something as ugly and filthy as mud.
But before it could attack.
The half-demon, half-angelic Persona, Nimrod, behind Togawa Sakiko had already begun to play.
Every note was filled with the call of "freedom," praising the will of freedom, extolling the will of freedom, and then this King of Kings seemed to stand on the walls of Babel, raising his arms and shouting.
"Even gods cannot take away our freedom—"
The angel's wings burned, Nimrod's body continuously expanded and cracked, and flame-like blood burst forth from within!
The blood rushed out of its body and truly burned like raging flames.
Togawa Sakiko stared intently at the ugly monster in front of her, reaching up to press the silky black mask on her face. "Purifying Fire."
Nimrod immediately responded to the monster in front of it with an angry roar, then slammed its hands onto the ground. The karmic flames from hell instantly shot skyward, completely engulfing it!
All the mud was instantly incinerated, and the slovenly dressed man staggered back a few steps, then collapsed to the ground.
"Daughter... my good daughter..." he stammered, "Please forgive me... I will..."
The demonic Nimrod suddenly reached forward, and in a flash, snatched the pendant from his chest.
The man let out a heart-wrenching scream, as if he had lost his most cherished treasure, "Please! Not this one..."
The pendant fell into Togawa Sakiko's palm. She opened its clasp, revealing a miniature family photo tightly embedded within.
Her mother, who had not yet passed away, her still normal father, and Togawa Sakiko, who had just entered junior high.
The three stood beneath the Snow White statue at Disneyland, their faces radiating a happiness that words and text could not describe.
The man, who had been desperately trying to rush forward and reclaim the pendant, his voice and movements came to an abrupt halt.
He just stared up, looking at Togawa Sakiko's face, then tears streamed down his cheeks.
"....I'm sorry."
I truly am a... an incompetent father.
His initial rationality was awakened amidst the chaotic and twisted desires that were gradually being stripped away. He was bewildered by his actions up to that point, and tears streamed down his face. With a thud, he knelt to the ground as if about to vomit blood.
The man, who had been decadent and disheartened for so long, cried bitterly in front of Togawa Sakiko for the first time.
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