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On The Nature Of Fate
A nervous sigh escaped Akira’s lips. Second time today he’d faced this door. Second time in as many days he was psyching himself up to kill a god. It was quite the climb that had brought him to this point. To this tower where time didn’t pass. A never ending christmas day, sans the celebration.
“ Hah… hard to believe this last journey had started with a cup of coffee in the middle of the night on christmas morning… life has a funny way of pulling you along huh…”
“That’s just what it means to be a wild card, right?”
Akira turned to the source of the voice and smiled, “Seems like it.”
(...)
It’s not hard to imagine the headlines now: “Satan Saves Christmas!” The tired boy wondered if Igor would humor him by making a newspaper like that. One to frame up and use to adorn the walls of that dingey, homely, attic. At least, that’s how the victory felt. Reality is rarely so just or kind, however.
“You should turn yourself in.”
“ Bullshit I should. ” Was what Akira had wanted to say, but someone had to do it.
Just cause the hearts of the masses were changed didn’t mean the rules the wicked had left in place would.
“ I guess this is what you meant by ‘The Game Is Truly Unjust.’” Akira sighed to himself, taking a glance at his phone.
1:17 AM 10/25 20XX
No New Notifications.
“ Yeahh I guess everyone but me would be pretty wiped after that… who am I kidding? I’m exhausted too, but in a few hours, I’ll be back behind bars. I can sleep when I’m dead.”
The dark-haired boy set his phone down and eyed the last cup of coffee from the pot he’d made. He poked at the rim musingly.
“Merry Christmas…” Akira greeted his mug. As he brought it up to his lips the heat fogged up his glasses. Taking his sleeve, the boy cleaned the moisture from the lenses.
The world doesn’t just change like that. How could it? Things have been done the same way for too long. And in the unjust world we live, there’s always a fall guy. There has to be a fall guy. Someone to blame for your misfortunes. An outlet to help the people cope with their own raging insecurities. To blame for their mistakes…
“ And who better than the devil himself to scapegoat?” Akira thought as he returned the cleared glasses to his face.
The boy couldn’t help but laugh at himself. He pushed his glasses up, rubbing his eyes. He should have told someone. But he knew he couldn’t. His friends were too good. Too pure. In spite of all the wickedness that life had thrown their way, they were kind people. They’d have offered themselves up. Akira couldn’t have that. This was his weight to shoulder, and he’d see it through. Even as bitter as he was with the injustice he faced at the hands of the justice system, he still believed that if it was only his life at stake, then he’d gladly offer himself up for the world.
" Cause that’s what heroes do, sometimes you even have to play the villain to save the day.”
A thankless fate for the hero.
The boy sighed. He picked up his cup and took it over to the sink. A lifetime ago he’d had to clean dishes in order to prove it was worth keeping him around. Now it was relaxing and a little calming. His eyes felt heavy with the weight of exhaustion.
“ Maybe killing a false god was harder than I was making it out to be…”
He made his way up the staircase; each step on the creaky wooden boards felt nostalgic. Akira was going to miss Le Blanc and he knew it. The… spacious attic stretched out before him. Making his way passed all of the things he’d collected since moving in, he collapsed on the bed. Not bothering to change into his loungewear, he kicked off his shoes and snuggled up in his blanket and comforter. Closing his eyes, Akira surrendered himself to sleep.
Piercing the silence of sleep, a familiar piano tune filled his ears.
“ Here we go again.”
The boy awoke in the velvet room. It still looked as prison-like as ever, but the doors were open. Akira guessed that, in spite of his lament, he still felt free enough to be choosing this fate for himself, at least on some level. The thought comforted him a little, assuaging some of his grievances with the world— but only some. He sat up in his cot to see the primary attendant of the velvet room— the real one this time— sitting at his table, with Lavenza sitting on top, swinging her legs and reading a book that looked too large for her.
“Trickster, I see you’ve awakened .” The man said in a nasally tone.
“ Still can’t get used to that voice…” Akira thought to himself, rubbing his temples, before speaking.
“Seems so. Interrupting my sleep for a reason, Igor?” Akira left his cell and entered the velvet room. He looked down, noticing he was in his school uniform.
“I believe it represents your desire to simply be a normal student at this time.” Igor answered the unasked question, “Now, I have to congratulate you!”
“Do you?” Akira’s voice was bitter, more so than even he thought it’d be, but he didn’t have the energy to show his surprise.
“Yes! Are you unsatisfied with the game, trickster?”
“Well, if you were to ask, I’d have to say ‘play stupid games, win stupid prizes.’ I do have to turn myself in to the police when I wake up tomorrow, after all. Games of gods only seem to punish the mortals.”
“Haha, unsatisfied with our fate, are we? You are not the one with the worst of it however, but that’s an unrelated story… or maybe not. That depends on your next choice.”
“Another choice? And here I thought it was ‘game-over’ once you got the bad end.”
"Endings and beginnings aren’t so different. With the closing of one story, the next begins. Will it be a sequel? An epilogue? An entirely new tale? Even I, the great narrator, cannot truly know the result. That’s what makes storytelling so interesting. But what I do know is one thing. Even death is not enough to end the story of humanity.”
Akira sighed, the conversation was going nowhere. This flippant paracausal being of mischief and storytelling could really be a pain. It almost made the boy miss good old deep voiced Yaldy… nah, scratch that. This chaotic good resident of the velvet room was still better than the overzealous tyrant chalice he’d put a bullet in. He turned his head to the side; he noticed a new door in the velvet room.
“Precisely what I wished to speak to you about!”
"You wanted to talk to me about a door? Didn’t you install it yourself?”
“No, you did.”
“… what do you mean?” As tired as he was, Akira was genuinely curious about why he’d been summoned to this place.
“When you changed the hearts of the people of the world, you not only saved them, but also set in motion a new potentiality. One you can discover for yourself through that door. A new palace was created, one unlike those you’ve ventured into thus far. A tower of complex origins and makeup. Born by product of the crossing of fates. However, I believe the treasure will be worth quite a bit to you. What do you say trickster? How about one… last… go?”
Akira’s villainous grin crept across his face, “Yeah, I guess I could stand to blow off some steam.”
In truth, there could’ve been nothing at the top of the tower. Akira still would’ve agreed. That’s just where the boy was at, in need of an escape. What better place could he escape to than the metaverse?
With that answer, Lavenza smiled and shut her book, hopping off of the table. She stuck out her hand and cast some high level dia spell. The frizzy haired boy couldn’t even comprehend the name as the words left her mouth. It’s effects on the other hand, he felt full force. His exhaustion melted away as if it had been nothing more than a layer of dirt or grime you wash off in the shower. His muscles tightened and relaxed, filled with new vigor that he hadn’t felt in the entire span of time he’d been working out.
“Please, come here now.” Lavenza instructed.
Akira complied, making his way up to the table. With a snap of her fingers and a puff of smoke, equipment appeared on Igors desk. The first thing the boy picked up was the gun. It was sleek and silver, clearly modeled after a high-end piece of work.
“ Iwai would be jealous. ” The boy laughed to himself.
“I have created a replica strong enough that each new cognition you meet should expect the barrel to be full. Don’t hold back when using it, also please wear this.” She handed the boy a shoulder holster. Slipping it on and the gun into its slot, Akira practiced drawing the piece of steel.
“Do you find it to be satisfactory?” Igor asked.
“Fits like a glove.” Akira answered. The next piece of equipment he checked out was a knife. It was an all-purpose sort of military knife, with both serrated and smooth sections. He sheathed and equipped it to the back of his belt at an easy draw angle.
“Next, I’d like to give you this. It’s a modified grappling hook.”
“I see…” Akira affixed it to his arm, “Is it ok to just be giving me all this stuff for free?”
“… consider it compensation. A thank you for my freedom. And for the favor you’re doing me.”
“Hm?” Akira was curious about the last line, but Igor didn’t seem eager to share more than he had.
Once he was fully equipped, he made his way to the door. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He turned around.
“How should I summon a Persona without my mask?”
“You should be able to summon your mask at any time you need it. Simply think of whichever persona you wish for and it shall come. So long as you have created it before or summoned it.”
“Well isn’t that convenient… anyways, I’m off.”
With that, Akira turned and made his way to the large ornate door. A pinkish-red glow emanated from behind it.
“Trickster?”
“Hm?” Akira waited, but he didn’t turn to face the man. He was enthralled by the beauty of the door. It had a certain quality to it that he couldn’t take his eyes off of.
“Do take good care of the residents.” Igor requested after a moment’s hesitation.
The boy nodded in reply, though he was slightly confused at the request. Reaching out to grab hold of the handle, a smile broke out across his face as he was excited by the idea of a victory lap.
“Time for one last heist!”
He pushed the door open, becoming enveloped in a warm light.
(…)
“Doors, doors, and oh would you look at that MORE DOORS…” Akira sighed.
He held up his gun and pulled the trigger as another shadow burst into dust. Unlike the shadows in palaces, the shadows here didn’t take on wearable forms. They were either too weak to take a surprise attack. Or, when he did fight, they simply took on the appearances of objects in the hallways or remained as black masses. The candle sticks were pretty annoying though. Akira held out his hand and flicked through his personas, settling back on Satanael.
“Need more experience with this one, anyway. Gotta stay on top of my game.”
Igor was right, this palace was nothing like the ones he knew. It seemed to go on forever with no real rhyme or reason to its structure. It had multiple floors, making it similar to Mementos, but its makeup was certainly more similar to the distortions of a palace. Akira recounted that he’d gone up seven staircases so far and the end was nowhere in sight. He twirled a gun he’d found around his finger.
“ Engraved… SEES? Those are some dumb initials… what, do you have two middle names? Or maybe it’s an organization? That makes the most sense, but…” The boy looked around, “ Whose is it?”
Akira continued his venture down the hall. The walls were plain and the doors that adorned them looked like the inside of some sort of dormitory, but not one that Akira was familiar with. The whole way up he’d gotten this sort of vibe that he was dealing with the palace of someone who was in high school.
“ The fact that someone could have such a distorted home within the metaverse is pretty amazing… especially if they’re only in high school…”
It was then that Akira began to wonder if they were truly corrupted, or even if this was the meta-verse he knew at all. A black mass rounded the corner. Quickly drawing his gun with his free hand, he summoned Satanael to pump three shots into the apparition.
“ Another blowout huh…”
He holstered his gun and continued onwards. A few minutes later, he found another staircase taking him to the ninth floor. Immediately, the floor felt different than the prior ones. Not only did Joker immediately notice more shadows, but their general strength seemed higher too.
“What’s up with that?”
No sooner had the question left his mouth, that he heard a voice cry out. His eyes flashed down the hallway. Be it by instinct or emergency, his legs moved in the direction of the sound on their own, artfully guiding his form. He flickered through the phantoms in his path, cutting down the ones he needed to as he summoned and donned his mask. Eventually, he found himself in a large entryway. It looked a little like the entryway of Kamoshida’s palace, just without the disgusting paintings… and sculptures… and busts. It maintained the rundown ceiling of the prior floor, but was otherwise completely different in appearance.
Akira’s eyes locked onto a girl surrounded by a cluster of shadows. She was effectively cutting them down with a naginata, but she was clearly outnumbered and being pushed backwards, up the stairs, as another group seemed to be swarming from the top.
“ Shit she’s in trouble!” Akira kicked it into overdrive, doing some quick math, he shot the grapple at one of the exposed rafters in the room.
Connecting, he swung himself up to a large chandelier occupying the center of the room. With a flip he detached the coil retracting it back towards himself as he took aim with his handgun. Firing a couple shots, he destroyed one shadow and caused another to retreat before landing behind the girl.
“Who are—”
“No time! Take this to defend yourself, it should be a little faster than a naginata.”
Akira handed the girl the strange pistol he found before turning back, taking a couple more shots at the shadows that were making their way down the stairs.
“Oh! Thanks!” He heard the girl say with a voice as warm as the sun. Akira turned back to see her moving to point the gun at her head.
“WAIT!! THAT’S NOT HOW YOU USE A GU—"
He didn’t have a chance to finish his warning before the girl pulled the trigger.
“PERSONA!!”
In an instant behind the girl appeared the figure of a Messiah. Akira stepped back out of surprise. Of all the things he was expecting to happen when she pulled that trigger, summoning a legendary persona that he’d only heard Igor mention in passing, was not on the list. In his surprise, he failed to notice a shadow creeping up on him. The girl turned to him with a sunny smile on her face, but her expression quickly changed to panic as she noticed the shadow behind Akira.
“Look out!! MESSIAH!! Megidolaon!!” The girl shouted, lunging towards him as the spell went off in a flash of brilliant light.
Falling on top of him, she pushed Akira down. They narrowly dodged the swipe of the shadow behind him. The light of Megidolaon enveloped them. Blindingly, it forced them both to close their eyes. The dust settled and the light faded. Akira opened his eyes, looking around, the coast seemed to be clear for the time being.
“ Wow… that was effective.”
It was then that Akira noticed a weight on top of him. He looked to see the girl, that he’d just been saved by, open her eyes. She gazed up at him from atop his chest. The girl pushed herself up, hovering over Akira, who was still pinned as she straddled his body. Looking around and assessing the situation for herself, she turned her attention back to Akira and beamed again. Her change in position put her face right over his, as the vintage headphones around her neck dangled hypnotically.
She was beautiful— it was the first time he’d really taken a look at her. She had fluffy brown hair and piercing, yet kind, red eyes that shone like embers from her cute face. Her features were smooth, and she had this sort of playfully angelic charm about her.
“Nice to meet you! My name is Arisato Minako!” The girl’s bubbly aura caught Akira off guard, drawing him from his thoughts.
“Ah… I’m Kurusu Akira…” The boy replied, still a little stunned.
Realizing herself, and their current position, the girl stood and brushed herself off. She straightened her hair pins and fluffed up her ponytail. After ridding her older styled school uniform of remaining debris, she extended her hand to the boy.
“Thanks for the help back there! You really saved my skin, by bringing my Evoker back to me. I got swarmed earlier and dropped it.”
“Ah, no… I should be thanking you, you really helped me out back there too.” Akira took Minako’s hand, standing up before dusting himself off.
“No no, really you’re a total lifesaver…” Minako trailed off as if she wanted to say more.
“Still, can’t you just summon it whenever you need it?”
“Huh?... WAIT IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO??”
“Uh… yeah? I mean, we’re in the metaverse so as long as your cognition of it is strong enough it should work.”
“No way!! Then what about this?”
Minako jumped at him playfully taking the boy’s mask off. The sight revealed to her almost made the girl blush. He had soft, yet pointed, features. There was a dangerous sort of sharpness to his eyes that she couldn’t make out with his mask on. He had this devilishly charming vibe that was as alluring as it was handsome on him.
“ Whoa… he’s cute.” The girl thought to herself. She was jerked from her staring, as Akira snapped his fingers and the mask in her hand vanished in blue flames.
“OH!” Minako exclaimed aloud as the mask reappeared in the boys left hand, before vanishing again and appearing in his right, and then dissipating completely.
Minako tried to mimic him to summon her Evoker, but she couldn’t get a reaction. The girl pouted, a little disappointed that she couldn’t copy the boy’s fancy tricks. Sighing in defeat, she looked around again, reexamining their surroundings.
“Say… Akira-kun?”
“ Already on a first name basis..? Sure, why not?”
“Yeah?”
“Any idea where we are? Up to this point it’s looked like a weird cross between a dormitory and a castle… but now this place is just like some grand entry hall.”
“Hm, well Igor told me this palace was different than any I’d been into before…”
“Igor? The guy with the squeaky voice and long nose? You know him?”
“The one and only, though the voice is a recent development for me…”
Having turned away, absentmindedly checking the perimeter as he spoke, he failed to notice Minako had closed the gap between them again. Her eyes shone like red moons with an excited glow as she moved in. The distance between their faces shrunk to what felt like nothing. Akira would've taken a step back, but he felt frozen in his tracks, trapped by her intense gaze.
“Akira-kun… are you a wild card, too ?”
The boy’s eyes went wide as realization washed over both of them at his response. Their gazes remained locked. Minako was the first to break the lock of their eyes as a separate realization dawned on her. She let out a slight giggle to herself, seeming to have come to some understanding that Akira wasn’t privy to.
Before he could pry, Akira noticed a small group of shadows entering the room. He grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her along.
“Come on, let’s go.” He said, pulling the girl into a run up the staircase.
“Eh, but—”
“We can talk about it later. For now, we need to move.”
Minako complied, keeping pace with the boy, allowing them both to drop the grip and make their dash up the stairs.
“Why are we going UP though? Shouldn’t you be heading back to the exit?”
Akira looked over at the girl, both of them still running, and grinned. A hearty mischievous sort of smile. The kind of smile a child makes when they’re up to no good, but are having fun all the same.
“There’s something at the top of this tower that I’ve come to steal! I am a thief after all.”
With that, he turned to face forward and made a dead sprint to the next landing. Minako followed along behind. Infected by his grin, she smiled along as well, keeping pace.
“ To be able to smile in this kind of absurd situation… he really is a wildcard huh?... ” Minako laughed to herself as they reached the next landing. She watched as Akira poked around the area, ensuring that they were safe for the time being.
“ So he’s the one responsible… huh?”
Leaving her thoughts be, the girl took a deep breath and examined her surroundings. They seemed to be in a gaudy sort of psychedelic museum. Or rather, it would have been— but all the walls were adorned with different paintings of death or tragedies. Some were beautiful. Others, grotesque. Some of the paintings were just plain sad. She couldn’t believe that anyone would paint so much under the same theme.
“If it weren’t for the lack of vanity, this place would feel pretty familiar.” The boy’s smooth relaxed voice noted.
“What? You rob a museum, Mr. Thief?”
“Mm. Once, a few months ago.”
“Eh?”
Minako had been about to laugh at her own joke, but the boy’s quick, serious response caught her a little off guard. Akira jerked his head, signalling that they should continue on, before he started walking down the hallway.
“ He got to rob a museum? Sounds a lot more fun…”
“Hm…? What was being the wild card like for you, Mr. Thief?”
Akira glanced back at the girl. Returning his gaze forward, the boy seemed to think for a minute about how to answer the question.
“A pretty thankless experience.” He answered at last.
“I see…”
“That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it at all. Forging bonds. Living life. Fighting to make a difference. It all had its moments… I didn’t do it for the ‘thank you’s, but it wouldn’t hurt if at least one person was grateful. ”
The brownish haired girl was silent for a moment, Akira was fairly certain he’d killed the conversation with his cold statement. He felt a pressure around his wrist. The boy turned around to see Minako looking up to him, intently and sincerely. She opened her mouth to speak a couple times, but no words seemed to come for a moment. The two had stopped in their tracks, in the middle of that morbid hall. Surrounded by all the deathly images, Akira couldn’t help but get caught on how alive her eyes looked. They shone with conflict and concern. Like guiding red lights in a dark harbor.
“I’m grateful…” she said at last. Her eyes fell downwards, casting about side to side. Looking for something, some way to communicate. The words she couldn’t find. The phrases that wouldn’t come.
Akira smiled. A soft, gentle, smile that felt warm. Minako caught a glimpse of it, but before they could say anymore, the appearance of a dark figure startled the both of them. They both instinctively jumped to attack positions. This one was large; it took up almost the whole hallway. It seemed to be crawling out of one of the paintings as it’s impermanent form flicked about like smoke.
“PERSONA” The two said in unison. Unleashing their inner power, the two set about a barrage of agi based attacks aimed at burning through the smokey figure to find it’s inner core and defeat it. Neither of them accounted for the possibility of another wild card, though. The strength of their attacks set off sparks in the clouded air.
“Look out!” Akira shouted just as the explosion went off. He jumped to block the girl, knowing his persona would protect him from any of the physical debris.
The dust settled. The sound of heavy breathing filled the air. Minako lay beneath Akira. Having been shielded by the boy, she seemed to be unscathed. Akira’s uniform had burn marks, but his physical body seemed fine for the most part. The boy sat back, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Thanks…” Minako said, sitting herself upright to catch her breath. The two sat in silence, collecting themselves after the explosion
“Don’t feel bad… not for me anyway.” Akira said, breaking their shared silence. He coughed up some dust that had gotten in his lungs.
“Huh?” Minako replied in confusion.
“I was given a choice, at the end. To make the world suit me or to make it a better place. I’d make the same choice again any day. So you don’t have to look at me with such pitiful eyes.”
Akira didn’t make eye contact as he spoke. Instead he appeared to be examining the gaping hole in the structure around them. The blast had not only blown the two back some ways in the hall, but had destroyed the shadow and surrounding hallway, creating a pit that descended into the void of the palace. Akira had always wondered what would happen if they had created a real life explosion instead of casting a spell. The answer was interesting, it seemed that the cognitions weren’t strong enough to hold that stress, but they didn’t break either.
“Oh… sure…” Minako watched his face as he contemplated the blast zone.
“ So he chose his fate for himself...”
With that, the two made their way up through floors ten through nineteen. They both mercilessly cut down shadow after shadow. They eyed each other the whole time. It seemed to each as if the other were venting some sort of anger or frustration, but neither worked up the courage to ask.
“ I wouldn’t want to be a bother…” Akira thought to himself on the landing of the thirteenth.
“ He’d probably just think I was nosy…” Minako rationalized going up the stairs to the seventeenth
The two cleared out every single floor of every shadow. They made a good team. Between the two of them, they covered all possible ranges of combat, and both had spent a whole year honing their persona skills. For the shadows, standing in front of them was more like facing a natural disaster than it was approaching a fight.
(...)
By the time they had reached the end of the nineteenth floor, the catharsis seemed to have quelled their rage. They settled into more laid back approaches as they moved onto the twentieth floor.
“ I wonder what it’s like for them… being the wild card…” the pair thought, glancing at each other.
“Do you wanna swap stories?” Akira asked, hoping that the idle chatter on the other floors had built up enough good will.
“Huh?” Minako was shocked. She certainly was intrigued by the proposition, but wasn’t expecting him to be the one to ask.
“Haha, I’m sure you’re just as curious about me as I am about you. So what do you say, Minako? Do we have a deal?”
“A deal? What’s that? Some sort of contract?” The girl laughed, her previous concerns still lingering, but melting away just slightly.
“Well of course, I am a devil after all.” Akira stuck out his tongue. He felt relaxed around this girl. She was straightforward. The type of person to shoulder too much, sure, but self sacrificing to a fault isn’t a sin.
“Hm… deal! I’ll warn you, my story is quite the journey! But I go first! What’s this whole devil thing about?!”
With that the two of them spent quite some time sharing stories of their adventures. They continued their journey up the tower. The scenery changed with every floor and reminded both of them of details from their lives they’d yet to share. They laughed, cried, and related. They shared the struggle of the wild card. Every decision held consequence and weighed on their mind with every moment of free time. Every bond forged required something, but brought its own benefits. The endless give and take of their lives…
(...)
“So you steal people’s hearts?”
“Yup?”
“What’s up with that? You just go and make the person fall in love with you and convince them to change their ways?? That’s kinda weird.”
“Well, no. It’s more like we steal whatever is corrupting their heart and force them to reflect on their actions and face the guilt. Though it turns out that wasn’t the whole story…”
“Then why call it stealing their heart, Mr.Thief?”
“I dunno, it was catchier? Why call it the dark hour? Why not the missing hour? Or Twilight hour?”
“The hour wasn’t missing, silly. It was never supposed to be there in the first place!”
“Uh-huh.”
“Still… I get that whole ‘it turns out it wasn’t the whole story’ piece...”
“...?”
“Ah look! There’s the staircase.”
(...)
The two continued their journey through the halls, having made their way up to the 30th floor. They cut down shadow after shadow, advancing a few more floors. Akira was impressed with the girl’s ability to use a naginata. She was slashing through the shadows figures like they were paper.
“I’ve thought this for a while now, but you sure know your way around that weapon.” The boy commented.
“Yeah? Same you and those fancy knives. If I didn’t have this baby I’d probably prefer just using my fists like one of my friends does.” Minako answered, thinking about her experience with weapons.
“I figured you’d be more interested in learning how to actually use a gun.”
“It’s an EVOKER! Geez, you might be a little bit dumb, Aki-kun.”
“Aki-kun? What’s with that?”
“Dunno~, just felt like it.” the girl giggled, “Though maybe I shouldn’t call you that…”
“Thinking of another guy?” Akira asked absentmindedly as he peaked around another corner.
“Yeah, an old friend. One of a few…”
“There you go trailing off again.” Akira turned to face the girl, “Still, are you the type that likes nicknames?”
“Hm… I’m not too particular about my name. It’s a little harder to pin down for me than it is for most people.”
“Hm, I see.”
“Do you?”
“Of course not, a name is a name. I’ll think of something I can call you by. You seem pretty fond of ‘Mr. Thief’, so it’s only fair.”
“Ok ok, I’ll stop calling you that haha.”
The subject had changed, but Akira was curious about the topic she seemed to be avoiding. He didn’t want to pry, but he was getting worried about the girl. He wondered about what information he could offer up to get her to share. Maybe he could learn something from her ordeal with fate that could help him solve his.
It’s a strange feeling. Like that of the closest stranger. Someone you feel like you know, but you’ve only just met. Simply because you’ve shared a common experience, you may feel a connection with that person, but they’re still objectively a stranger, so you must respect their boundaries. No matter how badly you’d like to know more about them, that’s just how it is. These musings weighed on the mind of Akira.
“ Why… did she thank me? Was it just cause I said I wanted gratitude? Nah… it was more than that… she seems so alone…… I want to help her…”
They’d made it to just before the 40th floor before taking a break. Finding a nice defensible alcove, they sat down to rest and replenish their energy. Conveniently enough, there were vending machines placed throughout the palace, allowing them to refill on energy when they needed to rest. Akira also luckily still had all his items from before he entered for them to snack on. They’d just about covered all of the major events of each of their experiences. A fair bit of time had passed since the boy had entered the strange palace. Akira sure was glad time seemed to work differently in this palace, else Igor probably would’ve summoned him for being a missing person in the real world. If death won’t end the human narrative for him, it was doubtful that Igor would be very helpful with outrunning the law for the sake of a good story.
“So... you called it ‘Apathy Syndrome’?” Akira asked, making conversation, still worried for the girl’s true feelings.
“Yeah, sounds similar to your mental shut downs.”
“Hm, only on the surface. The mechanisms are definitely different though.”
“Mm, I get what you mean…”
Akira looked up at the girl from the drink in his lap. They were sitting on opposite sides of the alcove. It was just large enough for them to stretch out their legs.
“Minako… about the end of your journey…”
“Ahaha… we really don’t need to talk about that…” the girl tried to laugh it off, but Akira pushed again.
“You don’t have to do that… carry all the weight. Not by yourself.”
The girl could only look back at him with a smile cracked by the sadness in her eyes. It pulled at Akira’s heart to see her expression. She stared into his pointed gaze, and felt a certain strength behind his eyes. Something dependable. Her eyes downcast; she spoke.
“I… had this friend… Ryoji. He was really sweet and caring… and was also the personification of death. Talk about a plot twist, huh? He asked me to kill him. That was the choice I had to make. At least on the personal level… at large there was also the whole ‘Nyx’ problem that needed solving, and everyone insisting ‘you can’t kill death’... ha, they were right. Winning wasn’t enough.”
Akira moved over to sit beside the girl. Tears started to roll down her face slowly as she remembered her friend looking her in the eye. Trying to persuade her to kill him, as he desperately wanted her to let the fall take its course. To free herself… at least for a little, from the weight of the world that had rested on her shoulders. The dark haired thief reached out to hold her hand and comfort the girl.
“I sealed him… along with Nyx… at the cost of my life.”
The boy’s eyes widened and his grip loosened slightly. Minako tightened hers in response, not wanting to lose the comfort. Not as she confronted the events that felt so recent yet, at the same time, as if they’d happen ages ago.
“That’s when you came along… see it’s been about 7 years since... I saved the world. All that time, I’ve been in a sort of dream. Watching over humanity, sealing the door. I’ve watched my friends carry on, as best they can. Then suddenly, I found myself here. At least partially… I still feel tied to the seal, like this part of me is being pulled up the tower.”
Akira was silent for a while. Minako talked more about the last month of her life. She recounted all the death she’d seen. A quiet piano tune echoed through the halls. There were no grand choruses playing. No groovy melodies or fun bass lines. Just a quiet, lone piano. He hadn’t noticed it until the silence weighed on him as it did now. Much like the Aria of the soul, as Igor had called it, the melody felt a little lonely and hurt. He looked down at the hand in his. Their fingers were locked. He’d simply wanted to comfort her, but now hearing more about her life, he didn’t feel like he had a right to help.
“ No, that’s not right… that’s not what I want to say or think here at all.” Akira shook the gloom from his head and tightened his grip, reassuringly, on Minako’s.
“Mina…”
The girl looked up at him, eyes still puffy from the tears she had shed so far. Akira reached up and wiped away the droplets that stained her face before he spoke.
“You’ve been through a lot. Thank you, you can relax now.”
She buried her face in his chest and cried. Letting up on all the emotion she’d kept down for so long. The angel’s mask fell away, revealing a lonely girl who missed her friends. The ones she’d lost and the one’s she left behind. Someone who’d faced death and called it a draw.
“ She’s so much more than I am…” Akira reached up, letting go of her hand and embracing her. She wrapped her arms around him as well. Calmed by the comfort of another. They laid there for what felt like forever.
“ I’ll free you, so you can see them again… I promise…”
Eventually, Minako rolled over from being buried in the boy’s chest. Careful not to distress her hair pins, she laid her head in the boy’s lap, looking up at him. Her eyes were still a little puffy, but there was a large smile on her face. She seemed satisfied, or at least more satisfied and comfortable than she had been talking around it for so long. At the very least, she could breathe easier now.
“ Wild cards… always knowing what to say… can’t complain, I’m the same way, I guess…” Minako gazed up at the boy.
He smiled back, as heartily as he could. He looked tired. Locks of his frizzy hair hung down, obscuring his face, but she could see through to the exhausted eyes. Dia could only cure so much. A pout spread across her face. She was certain that the person who she’d been climbing the tower with had his own share of grievances and woes, but had yet to truly share them.
“ Seems he prefers to be the cynical but stoic type… well that’s not gonna fly with me.”
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
“Call me that again.”
“Call you what?”
“What you called me when you were comforting me, stupid…”
The girl’s eyes narrowed to something like a dead pan as she waited for him to figure it out. Akira thought for a second, realizing what he had said.
“Ah! That was just—”
“I don’t care. Call me it.”
“... do I have to?”
“Yup!~”
“... mina…”
“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
“......Mina.”
The girl beamed, causing Akira to blush again in embarrassment. He hadn’t really intended to give her a nickname, but his blunder when searching for words made his bed for him. Now he simply had to lay in it. The girl gazed up at him, still smiling wryly at the red on his face. She’d successfully diffused the tension that hung between them. Now was her chance to push.
“So what god did you kill?”
“Called himself Yaldaboath.”
“That it?”
“Well, it was only a few hours ago for me that I killed him… heck it was only a little while before that when I found out I needed to.”
“I see… well, how did you become the wild card?”
“It’s not important…”
“Why not?” The girl’s brow furrowed as she spoke.
“Cause, it’s nothing like what you went through. It all seems pretty tame after hearing about the world of Personas that you know.” Akira smiled weakly, awkwardly trying to talk his way out of having to share.
“ I mean, how on earth could I follow up ‘I fought death knowing it was meaningless and gave my life to save the world’, you’re really amazing Minako…”
The brown haired girl sighed in exasperation. She could basically read what he was thinking from his expression, and what she was reading ticked her off. She sat up and grabbed the sides of Akira’s face, forcing him to look at her. She could see all sorts of emotion in the boy’s eyes. The highs and lows of his adventure weighed heavily on him, but he was reluctant to share out of some unreasonable sense of pride, warped by his insecurities.
“ Guys can really be so stupid sometimes.”
“Listen here. Just because your problems may not be as severe as mine were, doesn’t make them any less real or painful. That’s not how problems work. Any one person’s problems aren’t any more or less important than another's. In the first place, thinking that your problems are any less terrible than mine is only an excuse to not share them. Keeping all that bottled up inside will only hurt you more than if you’d just come out and told the people you cared about how you felt.”
Akira’s eyes were wide as Mina ranted at him. Any reason he could’ve come up with, she had an answer for. Until there was nothing left to be said but the truth. His truth. The finer points of his story.
“I won’t look down on your problems, so please... depend on me too, Akira.”
The boy closed his eyes, resting his head back against the wall behind him. For a moment, he just rested and took a deep breath. The first one it felt like he’d taken in a while. Who could blame him? When had he had the time? He hadn’t stopped to slow down and consider everything, or even anything for that matter.
“It’s funny… I think I’ve been going as fast as I could, just so I didn’t have to face it. Not really anyway. It’s all absurd… this wild card business…”
Minako slipped to the boy’s side, taking hold of his hand. She interlaced her fingers with his in a reassuring grip, her arms wrapped around his as she rested her head on his left shoulder and listened.
“I’ve been asked a couple times, if I ever regretted my decision. The one that started it all. Arsene asked me when we met. I think part of me might, but that part is overshadowed by the part of me that unwaveringly believes I was right. Being right though… what does it get you? Maybe that’s why I chose to rebel. If I could do the right thing, the wrong way, for the right reasons and to a just end… would it be worth it? So I became a thief and lived on the highs… I didn’t expect the lows, though.”
Akira spoke. He spoke about all the pain he saw in the world. How, no matter what he did, it seemed there was always a bigger fish. There was always someone else hurting. Some people he couldn’t save just by bringing the bad guy to justice. The artists ruined by Madarame were still unrecognized. Okumura would remain dead even though Shido had changed his heart. Akechi… just when it had seemed that Akira had started to get through to him. Then came Morgana… they’d saved the day, but at the same time, lost an important member of their team.
As he recounted the darker sides of his adventure, Minako couldn’t help but feel as if he were removing a different sort of mask. Behind every heist there was a tragedy that wasn’t just mended by the heroes saving the day. No matter how good your intentions, it seemed that the truth about justice was far more complex than anyone could imagine.
Then there was the interrogation. The horrible things he’d allow himself to be subjected to for the sake of their cause. Akira shuddered as he spoke about the drugs and the beatings. The suspicion and abuse he’d faced behind bars. The girl’s grip tightened. She turned her position to look the boy in the eyes. Tears streamed down his face. Pain he couldn’t show his teammates.
“ And they expect him to willingly go back to a place like that?!? How much are the people of this world going to force onto one person's shoulder… Akira...”
Minako’s heart broke at the sight of Akira’s anguish. A fate he had chosen, but that choice didn’t lessen the pain. It couldn’t ease the anxiety.
“You know… when I started… I was told that the game was unjust… I thought I knew what that meant… turns out it runs a lot deeper than I thought it would.”
“Akira… I’m by your side. You don’t have to feel so lonely anymore.”
The thief’s heart pounded in his chest like it was trying to escape. He looked Minako in the eyes and felt her sincerity. Everything about her was beautiful, in a transient sort of way. The sympathetic tears that ran down her face. Her hair’s slight shabbiness from all the fighting they’d done up to this point. Her lips chapped and her breath heavy.
He couldn’t help but laugh. After so much angst and grief. One girl had managed to calm his insecurity and set his .heart afire. Just by being there, just by existing she had made him feel like it was all worth it.
“Hey, I’m being serious. Why are you laughing at me?” Minako pouted, thinking her heartfelt comfort was being taken lightly.
“Cause it’s funny that with those words… from you, I suddenly felt like it would all be alright. All that tension was gone. That was all it took. Isn’t that just a little funny?”
Akira embraced the girl sincerely, calming his laughter and holding her close. She let him, surprised at first, but then leaning into it. Into his warmth. They held each other.
“Thank you, Minako…”
(...)
A nervous sigh escaped Akira’s lips. Second time today he’d faced this door. Second time in as many days he was psyching himself up to kill a god. It was quite the climb that had brought him to this point. To this tower where time didn’t pass. A never ending christmas day, sans the celebration.
“ Hah… hard to believe this last journey had started with a cup of coffee in the middle of the night on christmas morning… life has a funny way of pulling you along huh…”
“That’s just what it means to be a wild card, right?”
Akira turned to the source of the voice and smiled, “Seems like it.”
Minako rubbed her eyes. The past 10 floors had been a breeze. The pair had moved in perfect sync. Relieved of the sole weight of their own burdens, the frustrations that had held them back seemed so small now. Once they’d reached the landing before the fiftieth floor, they decided to sleep. Akira woke up first, deciding to leave the still sleeping Minako to rest as he scouted out the stairs.
“Morning sleepyhead, feel better?” Akira smiled.
“Mm, just a little.”
“That’s good. Even if there’s not a god on the other side of this door, there’s still probably a guardian or something. Need you on your A game.”
“Ah, sure sure.” The girl smiled sleepily before clapping her face to wake herself up.
Akira’s eyes softened as he looked at Minako. He wondered how he had been able to hold on for so long without someone like her in his life.
“Hey, do you regret your decision?” Her voice shook Akira from his thoughts. A broad smile spread across his lips, villainous and kind in equal measure.
“Of course not, every choice I made brought me here! Look out Arisato Minako, I’m going to steal your heart and free you from this prison like fate.”
As the words left his mouth, Joker flung open the doors behind him. Light poured in from behind, back lighting his grand statement as he made the transformation from his school uniform into his full phantom thief outfit, mask and all. Blue flames flickered off of his body as rose petals flew in from the room behind him; Akira extended his hand, and blue flames flew down the length of his arm leaving his costume in their absence. His red gloved hand extended, waiting for hers.
“No matter what may come Christmas morning, I’ll face it happily knowing I had this one last adventure with you tonight. So, won’t you join me?”
Minako smiled, taking his hand and being pulled up to the step the thief stood on.
“You’re such a grandstander, Akira.”
He flashed another charming smile before turning. They stood side by side as they made their way through to the last floor. On the other side of the door, a garden greeted them. Rose bushes and hydrangeas surrounded the square marble complex. Like a greek forum, columns dotted the perimeter and some of the interior. In the center sat a large, floating, golden door. Beneath it’s facade lay a stone figure of Minako, peacefully resting on a bench, as if sculpted to appear asleep. The white of the marble and the green of the garden stood in stark contrast to the starry sky. They seemed to be submerged in an inky black liminal space highlighted by constellations. It was a truly beautiful sight.
Just as the two were about to make a move in the direction of the bench, Minako noticed a figure gliding between the farthest row of pillars. She stopped. Sensing her tension, Akira released her hand. Both of them assumed an offensive stance. Floating out from behind the pillars to in front of the sculpture of Minako, the white figure revealed itself. Draped in ashen robes and hood, the figure loomed over them. Towering at what Akira guessed was around 9 feet, he looked vaguely like the reaper. Red ramients replaced chains as the hooded figure donned a golden mask, eerily reminiscent of a pharaoh's face mask in the style of Nyx’s door.
“You know him?”
“Don’t think so… you?”
“Nope.”
“Well then, what say we get things started?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
Akira and Minako darted in opposite directions. Joker drew his gun and fired a couple shots at the specter. They seemed to vanish, but he successfully got the creature’s attention. Turning in his direction, the white phantom raised its arm and spoke as Akira ducked behind a pillar.
“You… cannot… escape… your… fate.”
An orb of darkness formed at the end of pointed, bone fingers. In a sudden burst of speed, the orb was fired off in the direction of the pillar Akira was hiding behind.
“Akira! Move!!” Minako shouted.
The boy dodged from behind the pillar just in time. Left where he was standing was a crater, as if a sphere of matter had been completely deleted from space. The top of the pillar came crashing down with a thunderous clambering. Akira somersaulted away, dodging debris and finding new cover.
“Now that’s just not fair!” Akira shouted.
Meanwhile, the specter had started to turn its attention in the direction of the first shout. Noticing this, the thief hopped out from behind the new pillar he had found.
“Hey! You overrated cartoon villain! Don’t you know the nightmare is supposed to come BEFORE Christmas!”
The ghost turned back to face him. It didn’t have a face, but Akira couldn’t shake the feeling that it was legitimately irritated with his quip.
“ Eh? That worked?”
He smiled confidently and started ducking in and out from in between the pillars, not standing still long enough for the monster to take aim. Minako watched, while the specter tried to get a read on Akira’s movements, but it seemed to be having no luck pinning the boy down. He gracefully flipped and pulled himself between the pillars using his grapple.
“He’s really reliable in combat, but I’m really gonna need him to work on those insults .” Minako thought to herself. She lay in wait. Joker would find the weakness without fail. She had faith. Even through all this, he was morphing between personas as he dodged. Taking shots with every elemental type he could think of.
“Enough…” The deep, breathy voice sighed with unrivaled menace.
Extending its left arm, it summoned a golden scythe as tall as its own body. The length of the blade was terrifying. Minako bit her lip out of nerves.
“ Will he be ok?”
“Worry about yourself, hero.” The dark voice reached directly into her mind, turning its attention to her.
“MESSIAH!” Minako summoned her ultimate persona, dispelling the intrusion of her psyche.
She then quickly swapped to her support persona, casting defense spells on herself and Akira quickly before swapping back. In that time, the specter had raised it’s arm and begun a swinging motion. It was as if its arm were moving through molasses, but with its slow swing it wrecked even more of the battle field. The scythe passed, leaving ruined pillars crumpled to the ground, and a large gash in the marble floor. Minako jumped back from her hiding place atop the pillars and took up a spot on the outskirts of the battlefield.
“ Through all this it still doesn’t have a scratch on it… seems like the body is no good… wait...the head!”
“Akira! Get the mask!!”
Realizing immediately what she was asking, Akira nodded. Dashing between the ruins, he closed the gap between himself and the specter. Kicking off of the rubble, he flipped on the broad side of the blade.
“SATANAEL” Akira summoned the incarnation of the angel that would fall.
Holding up his gun, he took a direct shot at the mask. With a loud crack, the bullet connected and the form of the specter seemed to waver. It worked! Taking his chance, Akira rushed down the length of scythe. Minako was close behind him.
“Reveal your true form!” The boy did another flip onto the specter’s back, grabbing hold of the mask and tearing it off the phantom’s face.
“Eat this!” Minako shouted as she put all her weight into kicking herself off the ground.
Using her naginata like a spear, she thrust it at full strength into the opening in the cloak from where Akira had removed the mask. Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped the battlefield and she felt blown back.
…
…
…
“Ugh…” Minako slowly came to, sitting up. When she opened her eyes, she was in a pure white space. Nothingness surrounded her as far as the eye could see. A frown crossed her face. She laid back down with a disappointed sigh.
“What do you look so sad for?” came a disembodied voice.
“It seems I can’t outrun this fate.” The girl replied grumpily.
“Was that such a bad thing?”
“Not before, but then…”
“Things changed?”
“Yeah… things changed.”
“Mm, I could tell something happened. You put up quite a fight against Fate, every time.”
With that, appeared an endless number of cracked mirrors all showing her and Akira fighting against the Specter of Fate. They seemed to be losing in a good few of them. In some Akira died, in others her, and in others yet both of them.
“What’s this?”
“A divergence of possibility at this moment in your life.”
“Ah, I see…” … “ Nope, don’t get it. ”
“What will you do? Do you still wish to fight for your freedom knowing these odds?”
Minako’s eyes drifted back to the mirrors. She smiled at how hard the two of them were fighting in every situation. Every scenario they acted in perfect sync. Sometimes bantering. Sometimes teasing. Sometimes stoic. Others, jubilant all the while. They faced their tragedy earnestly. Every time, Akira declared that he’d come to steal her heart.
“Of course, I’ll keep fighting.” Minako stood as she brushed off her legs. Even para-existential spaces created by gods have dust, apparently. She straightened her bow and did a couple stretches.
“So that’s your resolve, then I guess I’ll help. To honor the feelings a part of me had for you.”
Minako turned to see the voice, now having taken form.
“Ryo...ji? No… you’re Nyx. Aren’t you?”
“Indeed. Your sacrifice impressed me, mortal. You gave yourself to save the people from the end they believed they wished for… truly selfish individuals. To push all that onto one so young.”
Minako smiled, “I’ve come to terms with it for the most part. Are you going to set me free?”
“Indeed, not only did that boy’s actions decrease the risk of the true fall that humanity would bring upon itself. At least, for the time being, anyhow, but your actions here… are admirable. I’m not malicious enough to not reward your... resolve.”
Nyx gestured to the endless array of mirrors, still playing out the countless battles taking place across time and reality.
“You are free… Arisato Minako. I shall use the strength of bonds you forged to create a new seal without your soul.”
“Are you sure you’re alright with sealing yourself for eternity?”
“Showing sympathy for me now?”
“Well, I’ve gone and shown sympathy for the devil at this point, so really what’s so bad about showing death a little compassion too.”
At that, Nyx laughed. It sounded like Ryoji’s laugh. Minako smiled softly, recalling her friend and the time they spent together. Then raising their hand, Nyx cast another spell. Minako’s vision went dark.
“You look happy… Minako.” Ryoji’s voice was the last thing the girl heard before she completely lost consciousness.
As she came to, she looked up to see Akira’s face. She quickly realized that she was resting with her head in his lap.
“Morning sleepyhead.” the boy smiled, Minako felt so relieved that she almost started crying. She quickly sat up and wrapped her arms around the boy. She was free from her lonely fate.
“Thank you… Akira.”
Looking over the boy’s shoulder, Minako saw the mirage of Nyx in Ryoji’s body approaching the door. It lifted it’s hand to touch the door, vanishing in a cloud of sparks, a new form appeared chained to the door. It was the smiling form of Ryoji, happily chained protecting the door of death.
“No need to thank me… you worked and fought hard for it too. Besides, your freedom from this tower of grief is enough thanks for me… plus I get this cool mask.”
Sitting back, Minako looked the boy in the eyes. They looked happy and comfortable. Gone was the anguish and remorse, replaced by a new resolve.
“You really did deliver on your promise, Akira.”
“Yeah, you can go home now… try not to mess with the timeline too much.”
His eyes saddened as he spoke with a slight laugh. The door to the velvet room appeared beside them, signalling to both of them it was time to leave this place. Minako caressed the boy’s face to comfort him.
“It’s my turn, ok?”
Akira nodded, not quite understanding what the girl meant. She stood, he followed suit. With one last hug she grabbed his hand and led the boy to the door.
“Try not to miss me too much, it won’t be long for you.” Minako smiled, with a slight hint of mischief to it.
“Try not to forget me, ok? Can’t have you going senile on me.” Akira requested, bringing out his best ageist quip.
Minako reached for the door handle. She hesitated a moment before grabbing it.
“Call me Mina one last time.”
“What… why?”
“Cause I want you to.”
“You’re pretty demanding, you know that?”
“You wouldn’t have me any other way.” The girl smiled, her radiant grin that could thaw even the coldest frost.
“I’ll see you later, Mina.”
“I’ll see you later, Akira.” With that, Minako grabbed the handle.
Akira Kurusu opened his eyes and picked up his phone.
10:12 AM 12/25 20XX
“ Christmas morning, huh? ”
He examined the hand that had just been in Minako’s mere seconds ago, but it was empty, with no trace of the girl whom he’d met in his dreams.
“Yeah… in my dreams.” Akira muttered to himself. He sighed and smiled to himself, “Was a pretty good dream all things considered. Well, I guess it’s time for me to face the music.”
He stood and began changing his clothes, tossing off his old shirt onto his bed, overtop a golden mask. Once he’d changed, he made his way downstairs.
(...)
“Welcome back to the velvet room. It’s been some time.” Igor’s familiar voice greeted the girl as she stepped through the door. It clattered shut behind her. She examined the emptiness in her hand.
“It’s been a while, Igor.”
“I apologize for all that you endured, but I’m sure now that you’ve met Nyx, you understand the gamble I took.”
“Yeah, I do. I don’t regret a single second of my journey.”
“So… are you ready to return… or is there something else that you desire?” Igor was fond of the determined look on the girl’s face. She’d been ready for this question.
“As a matter of fact…” Minako began.
(...)
“That’s some heavy stuff kid.” Sojiro said in a calm tone, though the newspaper was crumpled in his hand.
“Yeah, but someone’s gotta do it.” Akira replied, taking another sip of the coffee the boss had brewed.
“ Never could get it quite as good as him.” Akira mused. He smiled and looked longingly at the brew. Sojiro had gotten special beans out for celebration… funny how they ended up being used.
“Want some curry before you have to go? I have it warmed in the pot…”
“That sounds great.” Akira answered cheerfully.
Sojiro set the rice on to warm it up just a little more. Bringing the curry to a simmer again, the aroma to filled the small cafe. Akira turned around in his bar stool and examined the place he’d been calling home. He didn’t know when he’d be back. He looked at the table where he and the Phantom Thieves had come to plan so many times.
The days they’d passed through together. The time they’d spent. As friends. As comrades. Yeah, he could do this to protect those people, no question. That’s who he was, and he remembered that now. A wild card isn’t just someone who endures hardship. They’re someone who forges bonds that are worth protecting and that protect them in kind… and he’d just added another bond to that list. Even if it were only a dream that had come and gone in the night, it reminded him of the things that mattered to him.
Eventually, his curry was ready. The smell was so nostalgic that it almost brought a tear to his eyes as he dug into the dish.
“Hey now, I know it’s your last meal but at least savor it.”
“Yes, Boss… I’m surprised you’re not trying to stop me.”
“OH, I want to… believe me, but with that look in your eyes… I gotta respect it. Reminds me of how I felt taking Futaba in after Wakaba passed… You’ve grown a lot, but at the same time this is just who you’ve been the whole time, right?”
“Yeah… I think it is.”
They chatted a little longer, but their conversation was cut short by a ringing from the boy’s pocket. He picked out his phone. It was Sae. Setting down his spoon, he answered.
“Hello.”
“What?”
“Who do I know in the Kirijo group??? Nobody...”
“Sae, slow down… what are you talking about?”
“No I don’t have any connections that run that high… YES I KNOW WHAT GROUP YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.”
“What do you mean charges dropped???? You can convict Shido without me?... What are you talking about?”
There was a knock on the door, Sojiro went to open it. Akira was still getting an earful from Sae for some reason or another. She seemed somehow both ecstatic and incredibly stressed at the same time.
“ What could get THE NIJIMIA SAE this worked up?” Akira wondered. He overheard the conversation at the door.
“Sorry we’re not open… eh?... you’re looking for... him?... Akira there’s a girl here looking for you… and she’s cute too! You aren’t in any trouble, are you?”
“ That’s a stupid question. ” Akira thought to himself with a laugh.
“Sorry Sae, I need to call you back.” With that, he hung up on the woman and turned to face the door.
There in front of him stood an amazing sight. A girl who looked about 17 stood there. With fluffy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Barrettes pinned in the roman numeral XXII on the side. She had on an orange winter coat with a red scarf. The jacket covered most of a dark plaid skirt. She was wearing leggings to keep herself warm. As she stepped into the shop, the door shut behind her with its familiar jingle. She didn’t bother to look around, her ruby red eyes, bright as lanterns in the summer sky, were locked onto exactly what she was looking for.
“Mina…?” Akira could hardly speak in complete disbelief.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were returning to your time to be with your friends.”
Mina walked up to the boy her lips spread in a gorgeous smile as her voice soon followed in its soothing tone.
“Kurusu Akira… I’ve come to steal your heart!”
Before the boy could reply he was taken by surprise again, and it wouldn’t be the last. Minako reached up, grabbing him by the collar, and pulled Akira into a deep kiss. Lips locked softly. Her’s were still cold from the chilly morning air. They tasted fruity from the chapstick she was wearing. Akira wrapped his arms around her, happy to have her close again in his embrace.
“Did I do it right?” Minako asked, tilting her head mocking sincerity in the question as she finally released the boy from the kiss.
He smiled, “Close enough, I think it worked.”
“Hooooooooo boy.” Akira could hear Sojiro’s final words before he ducked out, giving the two some space. He’d probably have some excuse like having forgotten something back at the house later. Akira was barely able to shoot a glare in the man’s direction before he had vanished.
“ I think I’ll have some explaining to do later… but first...” The boy turned his attention back to the girl in his arms.
“But really, what are you doing here? I thought you were going back to your friends.”
“An age gap won’t stop us from being friends. One of them already lent me quite the favor. Did you like my Christmas present?”
Minako motioned her head in the direction of the boy’s phone, which now sat on the counter of the cafe. It vibrated furiously with another call from Sae.
“ I’m gonna have so much explaining to do…”
Interrupting the boy’s thoughts, Minako wrapped her arms around his neck, fully embracing him. The two stood there in their own little world. This one was infinitely more comfortable than the last.
“That was your handiwork? You didn’t tell me you had connections to the Kirijo group.”
“And you didn’t tell me you wore glasses... Don’t make a face like that! No need to worry, I dig them~. But yeah, she was the ‘so serious it’s cute’ rich girl I mentioned.”
“Thank you… I didn’t get you anything this year.”
“Hm… that’s true. How about an answer?”
“ Answer…? Oh….!” Akira smiled before pressing her into him, sharing their warmth… and another deep kiss.
“How’s that?”
“Hehe… good enough for me! You taste like curry.” Minako beamed, seeming happy with the answer she’d received. She nestled her head into the crook of the boy’s neck. His phone had gone quiet. The only sounds in the cafe were of the light music playing and the simmering of the still warm pot.
“Merry Christmas, Mina.”
“Merry Christmas, Akira.”
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