#((besides we can do more of it but first we need to convince Mune that he's Akechi))

[iwaigecko-blog]

|| @ask-det-akechi || [x] ||

Reaction was.. suprisingly calm. At least it didn’t end up with a bigger fight. Not exactly that he doubt his skills, he was more worried about fact that he didn’t know anything about person in front of him. Still it wasn’t enough to put gun down

“Just because you’re not here to fight me, doesn’t mean you can’t be danger. Like you could even be responsible for breakdowns, from what I know.” Well, there weren’t many people who could go into Metaverse. At least he believed so.

Seeing foot turn, he hesistantly stepped back a little for him to turn, but gun still was pointing at the head. Turning itself shouldn’t be dangerous since he has a mask, especially if they never met. Though he’s not going to risk letting his guard down, just because he didn’t hold any weapon now.

“I’m gonna repeat one more time - who are you?"

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 22: A Celebration of Those You Can Trust

Ren woke up the next morning with a new sense of understanding, courtesy of her conversation with Sojiro last night. She found herself smiling genuinely about herself. She got dressed and started to head out to sell the treasure.

As she headed downstairs, Sojiiro said “You heading out?”

Ren looked at him. “Yeah. My friends and I are doing something big for the last day of Golden Week, so I need to prepare.”

Sojiro smiled. “Hm. Well, do be careful.” Ren smiled. The bell rang, indicating someone had come in. Ren and Sojiro looked her over. It was a woman in a grey pantsuit. Ren was curious. Sojiro seemed like he knew her. “What’ll it be?”

“Hm” the woman said. “I won’t bother you for coffee right now” she said, matter-of-factly. “Today. I’m here for information.”

Sojiro scowled. “I don’t think I can tell you any more than I have.”

The woman glared. “I don’t need you to tell me anything. I know you have her files.”

Files? Ren thought.

“Psh. Let’s say I did have them. Why would I hand them to you?” Sojiro protested.

“Because I have friends in high places,” the lady answered. “Who knows what would happen with your, let’s say, home situation.”

Sojiro growled. “Did you tell him?”

The woman was confused. “Who?”

“Nevermind,” Sojiro said.

“Sorry” Ren interrupted. “But,um, what’s going on?”

Sojiro calmed down. “It’s...complicated.”

The woman seemed to have taken notice of Ren. “Huh? Oh, yes. I’ve heard about this.” She turned to Sojiro. “You’re taking care of her, right?” Sojiro maintained his facial expression. “I wonder what my friends will think.” She turned back to Ren. “So, tell me, where do you go to school?”

Ren wasn’t sure how to respond. “It’s fine,” Sojiro said. “She’s just after me. She can’t do anything to you.”

Ren was confused, but went ahead. “I go to Shujin.”

“Shujin, huh” the woman said. “Someone I know goes there as well. I’ve been hearing things have been quite intense there recently.”

“Um, yeah” Ren said.

The woman smiled. She looked back at Sojiro. “Well then, I assume you know what to do?”

Sojiro continued to stare. “I need time.”

The woman smiled. “Very well.” She started to leave. “By the way,” she stopped, “I hope this doesn’t mean I can’t come back for a coffee sometime.” She left.

Ren was confused. “So, what was that about?”

Sojiro was still upset. “That woman works for the prosecutor’s office,” he explained. “She’s looking into a case, and thinks that I can help.”

“Well, it sounds like you could,” Ren said.

Sojiro looked at Ren. He sighed. “Look, I know I asked you to trust me. And believe me, I’d like to tell you about what’s going on. But the decision isn’t entirely up to me. So, for now, if you see her again, just be honest with her.”

“Well, how can I lie when I don’t know what I’m lying about?” Ren asked.

“Heh” Sojiro chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.” He smiled. “You go make your preparations. And have a fantastic Golden Week.”

Ren smiled. “Thank you.” She left.

She arrived at Untouchable. The owner looked at her coming through the door. “It’s you again. What do you want.”

Ren looked around cautiously. “Um, I’m looking to sell something.” She placed the medal on the counter.

“Tch” the owner said. “I don’t take obviously fake things.” He looked at it. “Wait a minute…” He picked it up. He looked at Ren. “I don’t know what you’re getting yourself mixed up in, but I’ll play along. I’ll sell this to you but you have to do something for me.”

He took out a bag. “Take this. Don’t look inside. Just take it and go. Return it to me when you get the chance.”

Ren looked at the bag. “Um, OK.”

The owner smiled. “Good. So then, this looks to be about 30,000 yen. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great!” Ren said.

“Hm. Well then, let’s get this settled.” The owner doled out the 30,000. Ren took it, along with the bag. She smiled, nodded, and started to leave.

Suddenly, two detectives came in. A more pushy one said “Alright Mune, where are they?”

“Mune” smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The detective slammed his hands on the counter. “Don’t play dumb with me!”

“Settle down” the other detective said. “Mune, you know we wouldn’t come here without reason, right?”

“Sure” “Mune” replied. “But that doesn’t mean the reason is good.”

“Grrr” said the first detective.

The other detective glared at him. He then spotted Ren. “Hey, what’s that you got there?”

Ren was confused, but she figured something out quick. “Why do you need to know? I bought it. It’s mine.”

The detectives appeared to be confused. “Heh” “Mune” chuckled. “She’s right. She’s a paying customer. She comes here from time to time. You can check the footage if you want.” The first detective was furious.

“Find” the second one said. “But know this, if you are doing anything unscrupulous, we WILL find out. Let’s go.” The two detectives left.

Ren was about to leave when “Mune” called out to her. “Hey. Thanks.”

Ren smiled at him. “No problem.”

As soon as she left the store, Morgana popped out. “Hey. Why don’t you see what’s in the bag?”

Ren looked at him funny. “I promised not to.”

“Yeah, but aren’t you the least bit curious?” Morgana asked. “Besides, he seems willing to help us. I doubt he’s a bad person.”

Ren sighed. “I can’t believe you’ve talked me into this.” The two of them looked in the bag.

“HOLY SMOKES! Is that a real gun?” Morgana asked.

Ren looked closer. “I don’t think so” she surmised. “But it looks real close.”

“I see…” Morgana said, calming down. “So you think we could get stuff like this for us?”

Ren thought about it. “Well, that would mean telling him I looked in the bag. But then again, he did buy the medal off of us with no questions, and I wouldn’t go to those two detectives to rat him out. So, maybe it’s worth a shot.”

“Alright! We just gotta find a time to go talk to him” Morgana said. Ren nodded, and then headed back. Ren spent the rest of the evening helping around Leblanc.

The next day, Ren headed out to meet up with her teammates. Ann guided them to a luxurious hotel buffet. “Holy moly!” Morgana exclaimed.

“What’d I tell you?” Ann said. “Pretty swanky!”

“It sure is!” Ryuji said, excitedly. “Aw man! I can smell the meats!”

“Well, we don’t have to just smell” Ren reminded them. “I have the cash, so let’s dig in!” The group found a seat.

“Oh, um, who’s going up first?” Ann asked.

Ren smiled. “You guys can. Morgana and I will watch your stuff.”

“Sweet!” Ryuji said. “And don’t worry. We’ll get you a plate.”

“Thanks, but I can get my own food,” Ren said.

“Yeah, and I don’t trust you to know what I like,” Morgana said.

“Ummmm, fish?” Ryuji said.

“...Dammit,” Morgana said.

“Well, no time to waste,” Ann said, getting up from her seat.

“Seeya” Ryuji said, also leaving. A few minutes later, they came back, plates covered in food. “Man, this stuff looks great!

“Totally” Ann chimed in. They both began eating.

Ren looked on. “So, um, would you mind watching my stuff then?”

“Huh? Oh yeah. Sure” Ryuji said.

“He didn’t sound convincing at all,” Morgana noted.

“Well, they’re our friends, so we should trust them,” Ren said. “Besides, it’d be a waste if we didn’t get anything to eat.”

“I guess you’re right,” Morgana said. “Let’s go!” Ren got up and started to get food. While getting food, Ren heard bits of conversations by people who seemingly congregate here often.

They were all talking about the Kamoshida incident. Some of them were saying it makes good TV. Some were saying that Kamoshida should have maybe stayed in his lane more. Some were speculating about the supposed Phantom Thieves that called him out. However, Ren noted that none of them seemed to show sympathy to any of the victims.

She sat back down with her food. Ann noticed something about Ren. “Hey what’s up?” she asked.

“Huh?” Ren said, looking up. “Well, I was just overhearing some conversation. They were talking about the Kamoshida incident, and everyone didn’t seem all too invested in the people he preyed upon.”

Ann was disgusted. “How awful.”

“Tch. I’m not surprised” Ryuji said. “Jerks like that are far too common nowadays.” He pulled out his phone. “But, not for nothing, there are people who have already taken a shining to us.”

Ann and Ren looked at Ryji’s phone. “What’s this?” Ann asked. “‘The Phantom Aficionado Website’?”

“Yeah. It popped up last night,” Ryuji said. “And look! People are already thanking us!”

Ann read one of the comments aloud. “‘The Phantom Thieves helped me stand up to my abusers.’ Huh. I didn’t know we’d have this kind of power.” Ann sat back down. “I know we’re supposed to help Ren fight Eris, but it’s just hitting me now how big this is.”

“Are you OK?” Ren said.

Ann smiled. “Yeah. If we can help people, that’s the icing on the cake!”

“And you really like your icing, huh” Ryuji pointed out.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ann jolted back.

“Well, uh, your plate is like 90% cakes,” Ryuji said.

“Coming from someone whose plate is 100% meat!” Ann retorted. Ren chuckled.

Ryuji looked bitter for a second. He smiled back. “But you do have a point. We’re going to stop chaos from reigning, punish bad people, and inspire others. We have no reason not to continue this!”

Morgana grinned. “That sounds like a call to arms.”

“It is,” Ryuji said. “I want to keep doing this.”

“So do I” Ann said.

Ren smiled, well, if we’re all in agreement, let’s make it official” she said.

“Official?” Ryuji said.

“Yeah” Ren replied. “We were all kind of dragged in by the whole Kamoshida situation, but if we’re going to continue, let’s make this official.”

“Uh, do we gotta sign anything?” Ryuji asked.

“No, silly,” Ren said. “I just want to make a toast and stuff.”

“Oh, well, OK” Ryuji said.

Ren nodded. “So, from today onwards, we are officially The Phantom Thieves of Heart!”

“CHEERS!” they said, raising their glass.

“So, uh, what now?” Ryuji said. “I mean, we gotta continue taking on palaces, right?”

“Yeah,” Ann said. “But who? And how do we find one?”

“Well, that second one just relies on some good old fashioned leg work” Morgana pointed out. “Well, mostly. But the first part is a bit trickier.”

“Well, I think it has to be someone we can all agree upon” Ryuji said.”That way, our conviction can’t be shaken.”

“I like that idea,” Ann said. “It’s like a pact.”

“But yeah, figuring out a target might be a little more tricky” Ren noted. “Still, I don’t think it’s anything we can’t handle.”

Ryuji smiled. “You’re right. When the time comes, we’ll be ready!”

“We’re a team now!” Ann exclaimed. “We can do things if we stick together!”

Ren smiled. “A team, huh.” Everyone else was eating, while Ren looked at her plate solemnly. She found some confidence of her own that she felt was missing. She sighed. “I have something I feel like I need to tell you.”

Everyone else was curious. “What is it?” Ann asked.

Ren took a deep breath. “The truth is… I’m… a lesbian.” Ann and Ryuji were shocked. “I hope you don’t hate me…”

Ann and Ryuji looked at each other. “Is...that it?” Ann asked. Ren nodded.

“Heh. Don’t worry” Ryuji said. “We don’t hate you.”

“Yeah,” Ann said. “We’re not like that.”

Ren smiled. “Thanks guys.

“But, and pardon me for asking this, um, do you look at me...you know…?” Ann asked.

Ren grinned. “Well, you ARE cute, but I’m not Kamoshida. I don’t go for ‘anything with a vagina.’” Ann laughed.

Ryuji smiled. “I now understand why you rejected me as well.” Ann was surprised. Ryuji continued. “If you’re not attracted to guys, then I was destined to fail from the beginning.”

“Well that’s true” Ren said. “However, your approach was a little awkward as well.”

“What?!” Ryuji said.

Ren grinned again. “Still, you’re also kind of cute. I bet if you honed it more, that awkward approach might work on someone else.”

Ryuji was confused. “Really?”

“Um, maybe” Ann said, hiding her blushing face.

Ryuji looked at her. “You think so Ann?”

“Uh, yeah” Ann said, regaining her composure. Morgana was quietly seething to himself.

Ren smiled genuinely. “Well I’m glad.” Everyone else looked at her. “I’m glad I have such understanding friends. To be honest, I was worried that being a lesbian with a record would be a surefire recipe for being alone. But ever since I’ve met you guys, I’ve never felt like that. So, thank you.”

They all looked at her. “Are you kidding?” Ryuji said. “You’re one of the kindest, nicest people I know. To Hell with anyone who can’t see that.”

“He’s right,” Ann said. “You’re an amazing person, and I don’t want you to forget that anytime soon.”

“Heh. Well, I’ve always believed in you” Morgana added. “This changes nothing for me.”

Ren giggled. “Thanks everyone.”

Fool-The Phantom Thieves: Rank 2

They finished their food and then left. As they were leaving, Ann realized something. “Aw, shoot. I forgot my bag upstairs.”

“Eh, no biggie,” Ryuji said. “At least we’re still in the building. They turned around to head back.

Once they got to the elevator, some guys guarding someone pushed them away, with Ann taking the brunt of it. Ren caught her as she fell. “Step aside,” one of the guys said.

“Hey, what gives?!” Ryuji said. “We were here first!”

“Hm” said the man in the middle of this parade of guards. “Since when did this place become a daycare?” Ren looked up, feeling something familiar in that condescending tone.

“What was that?!” Ryuji hissed.

“Stand back!” one of the guards said. Their group got into the elevator first. 

“Buncha jerks!” Ryuji scowled. “We should be stealing hearts of people like that.” Ann stood back up. Ryuji turned around. “Oh, uh sorry. I got caught up in my own stuff. Are you doing alright?”

“Um, yeah…” Ann said. She turned to Ren. “Thanks.”

“Oh. Right. Don’t mention it” Ren said, distracted.

Ann saw this. “Are you OK? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine,” Ren said. “I’m just peeved about what just happened.”

“I getcha,” Ryuji said. He sighed. “Well, let’s go get your bag Ann.”

“Right,” Ann said. They called the elevator and went back up. The receptionist handed Ann her bag, and the group headed out.

Later that night, as Ren was sleeping soundly in her bed, she woke up in the Velvet Room. She approached the door to meet Igor and Lavenza. “Well well,” Igor said. “It seems you have toppled the tyrant whose lust knows no bounds. What a marvelous first step.”

“Thank you,” Ren said.

Lavenza spoke up. “It’s only going to get harder from here.”

“I’m aware,” Ren said.

“Still, you’ve been strengthening your bonds,” Igor noted. “It’s good to find people you can trust wholeheartedly. Your strength continues to grow.”

“We continue to root for your success,” Lavenza said. “And we will also continue to help out as well.”

“We just like checking in on your progress,” Igor said. “Saving the world is no easy feat.”

“I understand,” Ren said. “Thank you for your continued support.”

“But of course” Igor said. “It is a luxury we permit to all guests of the Velvet Room. Our time right now is almost up. Before you go, be aware. There are many twists of fate coming your way in the near future. I suggest you prepare adequately.”

“Of course” Ren said.

“Farewell,” Lavenza said. Ren felt herself fade from the Velvet Room.

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 40: Out of the Dark

Friday after her shift at the convenience store, Ren got a call. She answered it. “Hello?”

“Hey kid” Iwai said on the other end. “I’ve got a special job for you tonight. Meet up at the shop, and do as I say, OK?”

Ren was puzzled. “No offence, but an older gentleman calling a young girl, such as myself, and asking her to do as he says isn’t a good thing usually.”

Iwai sighed. Ren giggled. “You know I hate dealing with cops as is. This kind of thing would only attract more unwanted attention.”

“I know I know,” Ren said. “I just like yanking chains.”

“Would that be why you got arrested?” Iwai said, turning it on her.

“Nah” Ren answered. “I only pull chains when I know I can get away with it.”

“Figures” Iwai said. “Just meet up at the shop.”

“I’ll be there in a few,” Ren confirmed. “Later!” She hung up and headed towards Untouchable.

“Good. You’re here” Iwai said. “So you do wanna do as I say?”

Ren smiled. She liked it when people were quick on the uptake. “Well, I could fight you, but I don’t think the police would be on my side.”

“Heh” Iwai laughed. “You could probably murder me and get away with it as far as the police are concerned.” Iwai stood up. “In all seriousness, let’s go.”

“Huh? Where are we going?” Ren asked.

“There’s this diner nearby,” Iwai explained. “I’m meeting someone there. I just need you to hang back and call me when I give the signal. I’ll even pay for your food… Provided you don’t order too much.”

“Question” Ren asked. “What’s ‘the signal’?”

“…That’s fair,” Iwai said. “I’ll just cough. Is that OK?” Ren nodded. “Good. Now let’s head out.” They headed towards the diner. “Alright, I’ll head in first, and then give it a few minutes before I head in. Sit somewhere close by. Oh yeah.” Iwai went through his pockets. “Here’s your spending money.”

Ren nodded. “Thanks.” Iwai nodded back. He walked into the restaurant. Ren let some time pass and followed him in. Ren spotted Iwai and sat at a booth close by. Once seated, she placed her order, and got out a book to make it look like she was studying.

A few minutes later, a man walked in and sat with Iwai. “Hey Mune. What’s the occasion?”

“It’s been a while,” Iwai answered.

“Feeling sentimental, eh?” the other guy asked.

“Well, I also heard some noise about Tsuda when some cops came by,” Iwai said. “I just wanna make sure everything is going OK.”

“Ah, good ol’ classic Mune” the guy sitting across from him said. “Always willing to uphold the oath.”

“...If there’s anything I can do…” Iwai pressed on.

“Heh. You know you’re always welcome to come back” the man said.

“...You know I gave up the life,” Iwai insisted.

“Right…” the other guy said. “Well, if we do need anything, we’ll let you know. After all, you’re our brother, right?”

“Of course,” Iwai said. He coughed. Ren, overhearing all of this, pulled out her phone and called Iwai.

“You feeling alright?” the other guy asked.

Iwai drank some water. “Just a little parched. His phone went off. “He checked it. “I gotta take this. It’s business.”

“I understand.”

“Hello?” Iwai said. “I see.” He placed his hand over the receiver. “Hey, I’m going to need to cut this short. Someone’s trying to mess with me.”

“If you give us a name, we can assist” the other guy said.

Iwai looked at him sternly. “I’m a skilled business professional. I can handle this.” He got back on the phone and started to leave. “OK now, where were we?” Once he was outside, he switched his tone. “OK, stay on the line, but don’t say anything to arouse suspicion. If he leaves, tell me.”

The other guy got out his phone and proceeded to make a call. “Hey Tsuda. It’s me, Masa...Yeah, that meeting Iwai wanted to take. Apparently the police are already looking at us...Right...Of course...No, that's fine...Yeah, it’s probably that deal from the beginning of the year...Huh?...No, you know Mune. He’s just saying this to honor the code. Although he is interested in helping out, provided he doesn’t do anything uncouth...Yeah...No, of course you can handle it…”

Ren got another drink. “Thank you,” she said. The man looked over to see she was also on her phone. Ren panicked slightly, and tried to cover her tracks. “Right, so, your day sounded lovely dear. As for me, I just got off work at the convenience store, and now I’m having dinner while studying...Yeah…”

The man, Masa, turned back to his conversation. “Nah, it was just some girl talking with her significant other...Yeah...Anyways, don’t worry about it...I’ll look into how much the police know, while you think of something for Mune...Yeah...Talk with you soon...Bye.” He hung up, finished his food, and left.

“He just left,” Ren told Iwai, over the phone.

“Alright. Good job” Iwai said. “I’m guessing he gave you a look.”

“Yeah,” Ren said.

“Still, that was some quick thinking,” Iwai said. “I guess it’s a good thing I hired you. If you had ran into Masa on your own, he might have tried to sweep you up into his deal. Although I’d like to think you’re smart enough to avoid that.”

Ren giggled. “Thanks.”

“I’m gonna look into what they’re doing,” Iwai said. He paused. “You know, it’s nice to have someone assisting me like this again. Ever since I’ve been on the straight and narrow, I haven’t had much in the way of assistance. I guess I thought I was used to it. But thank you. I couldn’t have done this alone. I think I’m starting to like you a little more. Enjoy your meal.”

Ren smiled. “Thanks boss.”

Hanged Man-Munehisa Iwai: Rank 2

Ren hung up, finished her meal, and headed home.

On Sunday evening, Ren got a call from Yoshida. “Hello?”

“Hello?” Yoshida said from the other line. “Is this Amamiya-chan from the restaurant?”

Ren giggled. “Yes.”

“I see,” Yoshida said. He sighed. “I’m glad I got the right number. Hey listen, I’m working on a speech tonight, and I was wondering if you could come and assist me.”

“Sure thing” Ren answered.

“Great! I’ll be out by Central street” Yoshida answered. “See you soon.” He hung up.

Ren headed to Central Street to meet up with Yoshida. Once she got there, she tapped his shoulder. “Mr. Yoshida?”

“Ah, splendid!” Yoshida said. “Perfect timing. I still have a few minutes before I go on. So, why don’t we chat for a bit?”

“OK?” Ren said, cautiously optimistic.

“Good,” Yoshida said. He sighed. “While I appreciate the help, I do have to ask: Why are you helping me?” Ren was caught off guard. “It’s just, there are other politicians out there with a more solid foothold in the political world. I’d figure you’d rather place your bets on a winning horse over me.”

Ren looked the man over. He seemed sincere, but a little doubtful of himself. Yet he continued making speech after speech. Ren smiled. “I told you before, I like your message.” Yoshida was stunned. “You stand up for the people. You want to assure people that the government can help them, especially if they can’t help themselves. I can’t help but admire that. Besides, you can’t count out a Dark Horse candidate until the race is over, right?”

“BAHA!” Yoshida said. “You’re quite right. I suppose the impossible COULD happen. Hm. Thank you.” Ren was taken aback. “For assuring me about my message. I wasn’t sure people were listening. So it’s nice to see that people are. Even if they can’t vote yet.” Ren smiled and bowed politely. “And how serendipitous is this: Tonight’s speech is about a couple of Dark Horses in our world today. Are you ready?”

Ren nodded, but then paused. “Um, what exactly am I doing?”

“Oh, right,” Yoshida said. “Well, basically for now you’re going to hold up these cards that advertise what I am speaking about for the evening. I might ask you to assist me in other ways in the future.”

Ren nodded. “Got it.”

“OK!” Yoshida said. “I’m just about on. Grab that sign and let’s go!”

Ren nodded. She went over to grab the sign Yoshida asked her to. When she read it, she was jolted a bit. “Tonight’s Topic: The Rumored Phantom Thieves.” Well, at least we have some attention. She grabbed the sign and headed to position.

Once they were in place, Yoshida began speaking. “People of Tokyo!” A small crowd began to circle around him. Although Ren noted that they mostly seemed apathetic and just wanted a way to kill time. “Tonight I wish to talk to you about the Phantom Thieves! Those rumored vigilantes that have recently sprung up in the city.”

The crowd’s attention was piqued. “While their existence may be unknown, we have to ask: If they are real, why did they show up in the first place? Shujin Academy, the place they made their mark, was home to one of the most heinous scandals I’ve even seen. Students felt unsafe in the very place they should be welcomed.

Furthermore, the person making them feel unsafe was a highly respected member of society; which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to tell someone. They had no other option BUT these rumored Thieves. They uncovered a dark truth surrounding the school, and managed to put a stop to it, which is why people are taking note of them, and some are even showing their support.

However, as a politician, I know that for every one cruel deed you find, there are ten more still lurking in the shadows. The Phantom Thieves arrived because no one else was willing to help! But we can’t continue to rely on the Phantom Thieves forever! The government’s job should be to unearth these dark truths and stop them. Yet the powers that be are doing nothing.

That is my pledge to you! If you elect me, I promise to shed light on the darkness. And I will continue to fight for you all! Thank you.”

The crowd was murmuring. Ren noticed that they started to take interest. However, one man walked up and said “Psh. Chasing headlines to garner support? Don’t pretend like you’re nothing but the No-Good-Tora! I bet those thieves would come after you next!”

“WHA!” Yoshida said, in shock.

Ren was incensed. “HEY! That’s Mr. Yoshida to you!”

“Oh wow!” the man said. “You managed to convince someone to work for you. I wonder how you managed to swing that.”

Ren was seething. Yoshida took a deep breath and motioned Ren to stop. Ren was confused and looked at him. “It’s alright,” he said, nodding at her. He turned to the heckler. “My apologies. As you noted, she IS new. I’ll talk to her about all of this.”

“Hmph” the heckler said. “Whatever.” He walked off.

Yoshida sighed. He addressed the crowd. “Thank you everyone. And I’m sorry about the slight interruption. But please, do take my message to heart.” The crowd once again murmured, and then dispersed.

After they left, Ren and Yoshida met behind the wall. “Well, tonight could have gone a bit better…” Yoshida remarked. “...But it could have gone worse as well. Thank you.”

Ren as a tad confused. “That guy though…”

“Bahaha!” Yoshida laughed. “I’ve been a politician for quite some time now. I’m accustomed to the occasional heckler. But it’s important to remember to let cooler heads prevail.”

Ren sighed. “You’re right.”

Yoshida smiled. “Although I would have been lost had you not stood up for me in the first place.”

Ren was delightfully surprised. “Oh, thanks.”

“Truth is, I have a bit of a troubled past,” Yoshida explained. “And whenever someone brings that up, I feel weakened. But I’ve learned my lessons, and I’m trying to do what’s best for the country now. And that has to involve not letting naysayers get the better of you. Although, I have a bit of trouble in that area. Still, you being here tonight helped me focus quicker. Because I know someone was listening, and if I gave into my worst instincts, they might learn to do the same.”

Ren smiled. She then shifted around. “So, um, your speech… Do you support the Phantom Thieves?”

“Hmmmm” Yoshida pondered. “Well, as I said, I like what they did, but surely there has to be more we can do. The Phantom Thieves can only do so much for us. And their appearance in general is a bit worrying. If they’re our only hope, then the country is heading in a dark direction.”

“I see…” Ren said, taking note of this.

“What do you think of them, Amamiya-chan?” Yoshida asked.

Ren was a little caught off guard, but gave an answer. “Well, I can’t help but be biased,” she said. “I mean, I do attend Shujin, and I have been the target of that man’s actions, as well as several of my friends.”

“Oh my!” Yoshida said, shocked.

Ren smiled. “But it’s because of that that I believe you.” Yoshida was confused. “It’s hard to trust anyone after going through something like that. There are people with a vested self-interest that only look out for themselves, even if they tell you otherwise. But you’re different. When you say you wish to help people, I can tell you mean it. And I want to be there with you to make sure your message gets heard.”

Yoshida smiled. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Amamiya-chan. I’m looking forward to continuing working with you.

I am thou... Thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow...

It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Sun Persona I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.

Sun-Toranosuke Yoshida: Rank 1

After that, Ren and Yoshida headed home for the evening.