55 The Day After the Heist.
(I just hired the artist for the Futaba, pharaoh mask art from chap 47, so we should have that pic in about a week. It was a bit of a challenge finding someone who wasn't too crazy expensive yet was also good, but depending on how the picture turns out I might ask him for another illustration.
Lemme know if there are any other moments in the future you all think would look pretty cool as a drawing, can't promise anythign since it costs money but I would like to do a few things like it in the future. Shoutout to JonRedSea for the idea. And hey, if anyone reading knows how to draw, I would love to see anything you can come up with.)
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Waking up the following morning, the discomfort that had plagued him vanished, leaving in its wake a peculiar change. As he observed his reflection, he noticed his eyes had transformed into a vivid golden hue.
Surprisingly, this change brought with it a surge of energy, more potent than he was accustomed to. Stretching, he detected subtle changes in his physique. However, without a practical test, these differences remained speculative.
Mona had exited through the window earlier, intent on keeping surveillance on Kaneshiro, promising to return by afternoon. This left Ren to navigate the peculiar situation of his altered eye color on his own.
Despite his apprehensions that this sudden shift might draw unwelcome attention, his descent downstairs proved otherwise. Sojiro's greeting was as warm and customary as ever, and even the familiar faces of their Sunday clientele didn't seem to register any anomaly.
After thinking for a few moments, he theorized that it was probably similar to something he had already experienced. Only those who had been to the Metaverse and had heard Morgana talk could understand him in the real world, otherwise they would only hear a regular cat's meow.
Having sent a message to the group that he was feeling better, they were all going to meet up in Leblanc before making any more plans. Their previous infiltration had shown them just how underprepared they truly were. Their weekly group exercise sessions might as well have been for nothing.
"Yo, Ren! Could you lend a hand with the shop until your friends arrive?" Sojiro inquired upon noticing Ren's distant gaze.
With a nod, Ren promptly washed his hands and donned an apron, his face lighting up with his customary customer service smile. As the door swung open, admitting a new patron, Ren's attention was drawn to her.
A woman entered, her long blue hair and somewhat androgynous appearance striking an intriguing contrast with her elegant grey suit. Her stoic demeanor was evident as her gaze swept across the café, absorbing every detail before she settled at the bar and took a seat.
"Hello, is there anything I could get for you?" Ren inquired, his smile reaching the sophisticated woman as he approached her.
Upon taking the woman's order, she shifted her attention towards the television, which was broadcasting the news on mute. Her gaze intensified as she noticed the vivid crimson billboards dominating the screen.
"Would you mind turning up the volume? I'm trying to stay informed on the local news," she requested, her focus unwavering from the screen.
Acknowledging her request, Ren promptly grabbed the remote and increased the volume. The news was predominantly a recap of the previous evening's events. Futaba had done an absolutely stellar job as she had not only hacked the billboards, but every single news website, and practically every major screen in Tokyo.
Ren, too, seized this opportunity to catch up on the aftermath, since he had been feeling too sick to listen to anything before.
The broadcaster seemed to dismiss the spectacle as a mere publicity stunt by an audacious group of hackers. Yet, Ren couldn't suppress a grin, thinking ahead to their forthcoming announcement.
During this first hack, Futaba had made sure to hide a small backdoor into all of the sources she had hacked. In fact, that was the reason it had taken her so long to prepare. Their plan to imbed themselves into the hearts of the masses was not as simple as one simple annoucement of their existence. They would need to show proof that they had actually kept their word.
Once Kaneshiro was arrested and confessed to all of the information he knew, and once everythign that was to be discovered was found, they would speak up again. They would show the 'proof' that they had indeed kept their promise of cleanign the streets of Shibuya. Especially knowing that the director of the Special Investigation Unit was their enemy, they had to make sure that their show wasn't buried by the news.
"What's your take on them?" the woman inquired, casually sipping her coffee.
"Hm?" The question caught Ren off-guard as he turned to her.
"Well…" He began, yet he caught the subtle narrowing of her eyes, causing him to act clueless instinctively. "Can't really say much, since I don't know much about hacking. But at least it is interesting."
Her interest seemed to wane with his response, and she returned her attention to the television. However, after a few minutes, her gaze sharpened once again, though she chose not to voice her thoughts.
The woman continued to consume her coffee and meal in relative silence, lost in contemplation, until her phone rang. She hesitated for a moment, letting out a sigh before finally answering.
"Shirogane speaking," she announced, her tone flat as she absorbed the details from the other end of the call. After a brief pause, she nodded in understanding.
"Understood... Please inform Miss Kirijo that I'll arrive in about 30 minutes," she concluded, a hint of exhaustion seeping into her sigh as she ended the call.
Rising from her seat, she settled her bill and swiftly exited the café. Her departure coincided with the arrival of some of the Phantom Thieves. As they did, they all made their way to Ren's room to have some privacy from the rest of the customers.
"Wow, what's with all the greenery?" Ryuji exclaimed, taken aback by the transformation of Ren's room.
What was once a stark, somewhat empty space was now vibrant with life, adorned with numerous ornate flower pots scattered around, each nurturing the beginnings of sprouts.
"Oh, that?" Ren replied, his smile gentle. "I might have gone a bit overboard with planting. I was gifted a packet of seeds that turned out to have a bit too many, so I ended up getting more pots. I thought it'd brighten up the room."
The room, indeed, felt more inviting, a sentiment echoed by Ann's surprised observation.
"It really adds a nice touch... What kind of flowers are they?"
"Poppy flowers," Ren shared, his smile lingering.
As the room filled with the remaining members of the group, the atmosphere shifted from curiosity about the flora to a more somber tone. No one had asked any more questions about the Velvet Room, so Ren began by addressing their recent mission.
"We managed to clear another Palace, which is great… However, we all saw how it went down." Ren began, the seriousness in his voice setting the tone.
Makoto chimed in, her expression reflecting a mix of determination and regret.
"We got too comfortable after the infiltration, leaving us unprepared for the actual confrontation," she admitted, her voice laced with self-reproach.
Ann nodded in agreement, the disappointment evident in her response.
"Mona and I had spent so long practicing our combined attack, but the chaos with the bills threw me off. I can control a good amount of fire thanks to Carmen, but I lost focus after I saw Shiho being attacked."
"It was mostly my fault…" Mona added with his ears drooping slightly. "I miscalculated during the infiltration. Since I spent most of our infiltration working with you, Ren, it made me overestimate the strength needed for Ann's fire. Since your persona's fire intensity is different, my adjustment backfired, causing it to get out of hand."
"It's not just you; I've become overly reliant on my confusion and sleep spells. When they failed,, I was caught off guard." Shiho confessed, her gaze dropping in self-reproach.
Ren shook his head gently, accepting the weight of leadership upon his shoulders.
"As the leader, the bulk of the responsibility for our missteps rests with me. If I had been more prepared, I could have given directions better during the battlefield. If I am being honest, I looked down on Kaneshiro. And that caused me not to prepare as much as we should have." he acknowledged, capturing the group's attention.
"From the moment I first laid my eyes on him in the real world, I saw him as nothing more than a fake mobster. Every time I manipulated him in his Palace, it only made me look down on him even more.
With every will seed we picked up, it only confirmed my bias against him. That he was nothing more than a fraud who had been carried to his position rather than a true criminal." Ren reflected, his tone imbued with regret.
"But-" Shiho tried to speak before Ren cut her off.
"No buts. I was wrong, and my bias almost caused us to lose the fight. If I am being honest, I half expected us to steal the treasure without him even noticing. The encounter with the robot took me by surprise, but I assure you, it will not happen again." Ren said with a serious expression.
Then, as he turned to Ryuji, he added.
"Honestly, the only one here that actually had his mind in the game was Ryuji. From beginning to end, he was focused on his role as an attacker, keeping pressure on Kaneshiro and drawing his attention.
I didn't realize it at the time, but he had left some dents and traces of damage in the Piggytron. Had I been at the top of my game, I would have noticed it and commanded all of us to attack the same spot until creating a weakness in it, winning us the fight."
As the group's eyes shifted to him, Ryuji, with a hint of bashfulness, confessed.
"Well, to be honest, I have really been enjoying fighting in the Metaverse, and with my leg feeling better, I wanted to push myself a bit further… So, I might have been sneaking into Mementos to practice fighting some shadows in my free time. I know it isn't smart to go alone, but I am making sure to keep to the first few floors."
At Ryuji's admission, Ren couldn't contain a burst of laughter, an idea sparking within him.
"We probably should've been doing that the whole time, Ryuji. From now on, we will start venturing into Mementos regularly. I know some of our schedules are a bit busy, but let's try to go down in groups of two or three from now on. We don't know what sorts of dangers might lie down in the depths."
Upon hearing this, Makoto's demeanor brightened significantly.
"I can take on the task of creating a schedule for us," she offered eagerly. "Organizing schedules has always been something I'm proficient at, so I'm confident I can arrange something that accommodates everyone."
Somehow, Ryuji's sheepish comment had been the spark that lit the fire in the group. Shifting their focus from blaming themselves to thinking as to how they could better prepare for their next infiltration.
