41 The Illusory Popess.
(UwU, what's this bulging from your Inkstone? Could it possibly be an extra chapter!?!? It's soo long.
Cringe aside, I was having fun writing, so here's another one for ya'll. Extra chunky at 2.5k words. Imma go play P3R since I only just unlocked Theurgy, so I have a lot of catching up to do. Enjoy.)
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As Ren stepped into the building, the transition from the unremarkable exterior to the interior's lavish decor was stark. The club, with its soothing music and richly adorned walls, exuded an air of opulence that was almost suffocating with the dense smell of cigarettes lingering in the atmosphere. The velvety purple cushioning that draped the walls and the plush carpet underfoot spoke volumes of the establishment's pretensions to luxury.
As Ren and 'Taro' ascended the stairs, the heart of this clandestine empire came into view, Junya Kaneshiro. The man was far from the formidable figure Ren had envisioned; instead, he was a short, overweight individual with slicked-back brown hair. His attire was ostentatious, dripping with gold chains and rings.
Flanked by two women who clung to him, Kaneshiro exuded a sense of self-importance that was almost tangible. Yet, through Ren's third eye, the true nature of Kaneshiro's distortion became apparent. A grotesque mask resembling a fly enveloped him.
As Ren's gaze settled on Kaneshiro, any remnants of the mythic figure he had concocted in his mind crumbled. Before him was not a criminal mastermind like the man who raised him, but rather a person clearly pretending to be one.
If he had to be honest with himself, Ren was disappointed. He had spent so long planning this interaction out in his mind over and over, but now it was clear it was for nothing.
"Huh, Taro, what's with the brat?" Kaneshiro's voice, dripping with disdain, cut through the air.
Ren barely suppressed a sigh. His initial suspicion was confirmed as he heard how he spoke; the man before him was nothing more than a poser. He didn't have a single ounce of the true confidence or presence he had seen in true criminals.
His relaxed and confident attitude might be able to fool most people, but after seeing the mask he wore, Ren knew it was nothing more than a facade.
"Boss, this is the kid I've been talking about," Taro interjected, a note of deference in his voice as he nudged Ren forward. "He's had a brush with the criminal underworld before. I see a lot of potential in him."
Kansehiro's response was swift and dismissive.
"I don't need some brat in our ranks. Get him out of my sight." he decreed, tightening his grip on the women at his side.
Taro, visibly irked, countered.
"If you doubt his value, why not put him to the test? If he fails to meet your standards, I'll bear any punishment you see fit."
A flicker of intrigue crossed Kaneshiro's features at the challenge, a predatory glint in his eyes. Rising, he seized a gun from the table, its presence unnoticed until now. With deliberate steps, he approached Ren, leveling the firearm at his forehead, a stark ultimatum hanging in the charged air.
"Kid, you better leave before I blow your brains out." Kaneshiro threatened, his voice a cold promise of violence.
Yet, Ren faced the dire threat with an unnerving calm, his gaze steady. Closing the minimal distance between himself and the gun's muzzle, he scrutinized Kaneshiro. He noted the uncertain grip and the fact that the safety was still on. A telltale sign of the man's unfamiliarity with his own weapon.
He had promised both himself and Shiho that he wouldn't play bets with his life anymore, but in his eyes, this was nothing more than a bad joke.
"Have you seen the material this room is made out of? You'd never be able to get my blood out of it if you shot." Ren remarked, his voice steady, a wry smile playing at his lips.
The standoff hung in the air for a tense heartbeat before Kaneshiro's demeanor shattered into laughter.
"For fucks sake, Taro, you weren't lying about the brat." Kaneshiro conceded as he casually tossed the gun aside. Settling back, he drew the unsettled girls closer, trying to regain the composure disrupted by the standoff.
"Brat, what do you want?" Kaneshiro inquired, swirling a glass of wine before taking a sip.
Suppressing a reflexive eye-roll, Ren maintained his composure.
"I was looking for a job. Moving stuff is a bit below my pay grade. So I'm hoping you have something a bit more… entertaining." Ren proposed, his voice steady and devoid of emotion.
Kansehiro appraised him critically before asking.
"You look like you still go to school. Am I wrong?"
"No, you are right. I go to Kosei." Ren said without an ounce of hesitation.
"Interesting... Here's the deal, then. If you can get a few of your classmates to move some product for us to prove you can get the job done, I'll consider you for the more... complex tasks. How does that sound?" Kaneshiro proposed, a sly grin spreading across his face.
Ren nodded, accepting the challenge.
"I'll return once the task is done," he assured, turning to leave.
Taro's puzzled expression was cut short by Kaneshiro's impatient interjection.
"Where the hell do you think you're going? I haven't even handed you the goods yet."
Ren paused at the threshold, turning to look at Kaneshiro.
"It wouldn't be fun if I got everything handed to me so easily, just give me a few weeks and you'll see what I can do." he replied, a hint of defiance in his tone before exiting, though he could hear the groups distant laughter as he walked away.
Once safely outside, and after making sure he wasn't being followed, Ren signaled for Morgana to emerge from hiding, and together, they returned to Shibuya to regroup with the others. The team, having waited near the designated alley for their infiltration, gathered around Ren as they ventured into the shadows, entering the Palace to speak freely.
"Did something go wrong?" Ann asked as she noticed the slight traces of annoyance in Ren's face.
"No, far from it. Everything went according to plan." Ren assured her, stepping out to look at the looming bank. "However, our target was more of a letdown than I anticipated." he confessed with a hint of disappointment.
"What do you mean?" Makoto inquired, her interest piqued.
"It's hard to explain, but it is almost as if he was just playing pretend," Ren said as he thought back to his short interaction. " I don't know how he became the leader of the crime organization, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who could accomplish something like that on his own."
"So, you're suggesting there's someone else pulling the strings?" Ryuji asked, visibly surprised.
"Definitely." Ren confirmed with a decisive nod.
Morgana chimed in, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You know, now that you mention it, there were a few individuals in suits who visited the office once. They arrived in the same black car that dropped you off. I didn't give it much thought back then since I was focused on learning the name of the boss, but in hindsight, they were quite conspicuous."
"If anything, rather than the suits you would see in criminals, they were wearing outfits more fit for doing office work." Mona added.
"Does this mean we're not targeting the real mastermind?" Ann asked with some concern.
"No, but dismantling Kaneshiro will disrupt the elaborate network supporting him," Makoto interjected, reassuring the group. "Taking him down means undoing the efforts of those behind him."
"She's right. We might not be taking down the true leader, but we can probably find out more about him through Kaneshiro's shadow." Ren pointed out.
After the group had finished discussing for some time, Ren looked up at the bank before shouting.
Looking up into the sky, he shouted at the bank.
"Let me in. I work for your boss!" Ren shouted, and to their astonishment, the bank halted its aerial drift and began to descend.
"It worked!" Morgana exclaimed, his excitement palpable as the bank settled at building height, unfurling a gigantic ramp leading up to it.
Once the group made their way up to the bank entrance, Ren turned to Makoto before saying,
"You're aware of what it takes to awaken a Persona, right?" Ren inquired, receiving an affirmative nod from Makoto.
"I know... it won't be easy, but I'm prepared," Makoto affirmed, her resolve unwavering.
Offering a comforting hand on her shoulder, Ren led the way into the bank, with Makoto at his side. The rest of the Phantom Thieves, except Mona, decided to wait outside, poised to intervene in case of an emergency. Their strategy was to minimize attention, focusing solely on Makoto's awakening before making a swift retreat to allow her time to recuperate.
Mona, meanwhile, planned to stealthily follow them inside, ready to guide and alert the others should anything go awry.
Taking a deep breath and focusing, Ren's mask glowed briefly before his attire changed from that of a Phantom Thief to the clothes he wore in the real world. Since their way into the bank was thanks to his connection to Kaneshiro, they didn't want to blow his cover so early. Then, after getting a nod of confirmation from Makoto, the two of them entered the bank.
The bank's interior was grandiose, mirroring the real world's largest financial institutions with its sprawling ceiling and the vigilant march of guards, their gear reminiscent of riot police.
As Ren and Makoto made their entrance, guards quickly communicated over their walkie-talkies. Soon after, Kaneshiro's voice echoed throughout the bank via the speakers.
"I must admit, I'm pleasantly surprised. You've delivered such a fine asset to me far sooner than expected." Kaneshiro boasted as surveillance cameras swiveled to focus on Ren and Makoto.
"The guards will escort you." he declared, his voice then fading into silence.
Shortly after, a guard gestured for them to follow, leading the way. Ren and Makoto exchanged a determined glance, silently agreeing to proceed.
Going past the crowds of ATM people huddled, pleading for assistance from the tellers, they were eventually guided to a meeting room not far from the entrance. Inside, three guards stood before a large TV screen, with the door closing behind them as the guard who led them positioned himself outside.
The TV flickered to life, displaying Kaneshiro, his skin a striking purple hue, dressed in an impeccable suit, flanked by two men posing as his personal guards. On his face was a small mustache that he didn't have in the real world, which only added to his strange appearance.
Kaneshiro's voice brimmed with an unsettling mix of surprise and delight as he noticed Makoto.
"Oh my, could it be? Did you really bring the sister of Sae Nijima to me?" he inquired, almost giddy, the room's cameras refocusing to capture their reactions more closely.
Makoto visibly tensed at the mention of her sister's name, her discomfort palpable.
"How… How do you know that?" Makoto's voice was a mix of shock and apprehension, inadvertently confirming her identity to Kaneshiro's shadow.
Using that as confirmation, Kaneshiro's shadow let out a laugh before saying.
His laughter filled the room, a sound devoid of any warmth.
"That bitch tried to look into us not too long ago. At the time, my hands were tied. But now, with her sister in my grasp, I bet I could use you to get my hands on her too…" Kaneshiro mused, ribbing his hands with a sinister glee evident as he envisioned his revenge.
Makoto frowned as she heard him talk.
"With how beautiful the two Nijima sisters are, they would fetch a handsome price on the market, especially sold as a set." Kaneshiro speculated aloud, his laughter echoing ominously.
"Taro informed me about your problem, Akira. Girl troubles, was it? As a token of my appreciation for delivering such a valuable asset, I'll grant you the first go at them. What can I say? I pride myself on being a generous leader."
Despite bracing herself for the worst, Makoto found Kaneshiro's knowledge of her sister unsettlingly personal, shaking her resolve more than she had anticipated. She tightened her fists before saying in a defiant tone.
"You-" She barely began, her voice choked by outrage, when Kaneshiro interjected with a venomous command.
"Shut up. Now that you are in my grasp, all you have to do is endure it and do as you're told. You belong to me now." he sneered, his disdain palpable through the screen.
Ren was staring at the screen without revealing any expression, yet his foot was tapping in anticipation as he was beginning to lose his patience with Kaneshiro. Yet, as he turned to look at Makoto, he couldn't help but let out a small smirk.
"Enough!" Makoto's voice erupted with fury. "Shut your damn mouth, you money-grubbing asshole. "I've fucking had it with being pushed around, with being told what to do! And I refuse to let you, of all people, dictate my fate or my sister's!" she erupted, her voice a beacon of defiance.
Her defiance was cut short as a sudden, excruciating pain seized her, causing her to clutch her head.
"Are you ready to embrace the path of rebellion...?" A gentle, yet powerful feminine voice whispered from the depths of her being.
"Yes… Come to me." Makoto declared, her voice shaking with resolve as the pain intensified, signaling the imminent awakening.
"Very well. Let us begin with our contract at once. I am thou, thou art I…" The ethereal voice continued as an iron mask materialized on Makoto's face.
With a surge of instinctual determination, Makoto clawed at the mask, her actions a declaration of her burgeoning power.
Kaneshiro, witnessing her actions, commanded.
"Guards! Subdue her!" Panic tinged his voice, a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance.
At that moment, Ren's eyes flashed a brilliant yellow, and the shadow beneath him stretched across the floor. Silent, inky black hands snaked out, ensnaring the guards' legs, immobilizing them without a sound. His subtle intervention going unnoticed, yet earning just enough time for Makoto to finish awakening.
"You have finally found your own justice. Please… never lose sight of it again. This memorable day marks the graduation from your false self." The voice said in a motherly tone as Makoto let out a scream of pain.
With a final, determined yank, Makoto tore the mask away, unleashing an explosive surge of energy. The room filled with the sound of shattering chains and a revving engine, heralding her awakening.
When the dust settled, Makoto stood transformed. Her new attire, a fusion of dark blue and black, was accented with a scarf, a corset-style breastplate, spiked pads, and metallic boots, each element symbolizing her newfound resolve. White gloves and an iron mask completed her outfit.
However, the most striking thing in the room was not her changed appearance but the striking silver motorcycle she sat on. The front was adorned with the gentle, smiling face of a woman. As it revved, floating spectral chains appeared around it, rattling and bringing forth the sounds of metal clashing.
