Chapter 41 : Reunion

#

The fight finished anticlimactically, as epic as it sounds a cuddly kaiju is just not a match for a mobile suit. After having fun with my new shiny mobile suit's equipment. I proceed to pummel it with fists. Every hit from [Sazabi] produces a *poing* noise.

I swear I can hear [Sazabi] shouting out "ROMA ROMA ROMA ROMA ROMA!" each time he sends out a punch. Even I started to feel bad for the poor bastard on the receiving end of [Sazabi]'s fist.

"Ummm. Akira"

"Yes, Yu?"

"I think it had enough."

"Oh?"

I stopped [Sazabi]'s onslaught of fist. And so it ended it's [ROMA ROMA ROMA] with [ROMANCE!]. Nice, you're getting infected with Roma just like me. And so with a final uppercut, [Sazabi] sent the Cuddly Kaiju flying. And so begins the emotional confrontation of Teddie with his shadow.

As teddie is having his emotional moment. I figured something out. The TV World is a big Talk-no-jutsu huh, I mean Fist-no-jutsu. You hit the shadow hard enough until the real person got an enlightenment.

Teddie's problem was his emptiness, and he felt as if he didn't belong anywhere even in the investigation team, hence his shadow being an empty shell that took his shape.

"Teddie, we're always here for you."

"Do you mean it sensei?"

"Of course. We'll reach out for the truth together. You're not a nobody, you're our friend."(WN: There's a theory that teddie is yu's nobody. Get it? No-Body? Sorry. I'll continue now. )

"Yeah he's right you know. As much as I hate to admit it, you're an integral part of the team. I mean without you we won't be able to save as many people we had!"- Chimed in Yosuke

Teddie became teary eyed

"Ah! Yosuke… So you do care!" as it proceeded to hug Yosuke.

"Of course… even though you're not human, that doesn't mean that you don't have friends nor a purpose. We're here for you every step of the way."

At this point Teddie is brawling his eyes out.

"HEY! DON'T WIPE YOUR SNOT ON MY CLOTHES!"

--

And so, we returned from the TV world, it's still 5 P.M. so Junes is still crowded, but it doesn't seem like the TV. section is popular this time around. It's good that nobody saw us.

"I'll head back to the old-man with Rise." said Sakamoto,"I'll tell him we found her in that shrine."

I nodded my head. "Yu, you should go with him. And it'll be faster if someone can carry Rise."

"Wait what is this about me being carri--"

Yu just carried Rise in a princess carry and ran alongside Sakamoto. They sure work fast.

"You guys should go back and rest."

"HEY ANIKI WHAT WAS WITH THAT FREAKIN MECH?" Kanji asks.

"Oh that's my persona."

"Cool. I like the color *giggles*" Oh Yukiko, you sure can giggle even in the strangest of times.

"I mean since when do you have a persona, you could've told us!" Chie gives me an accusing look.

"Well you guys never ask."

*hungry stomach noises*

I just looked towards Kanji whose stomach is demanding food.

"HAHAHA! Maybe we should go eat."

"It's not me! Ya hear!" Kanji still tries to deny his stomach. I sweat dropped at that statement.

"It's just that, I haven't had lunch and you guys dragged me in." he continued. Well you even admitted it yourself now, make up your mind Kanji.

"Hey Akira-kun, you're treating us right?" Chie asks demandingly. Well it's fine she's kinda cute this way. Just like a pouting little sister that I never had. But what does this have to do with me treating them.

"Yeah, he should have treated us to that hotpot yesterday."

"Yeah!" 4x

*sigh* At this point I'm fine financially as I've been backed by OA. Knowing that a hotpot is a small hush money, I gave in as I called Izanami letting her know we're eating out, then called Uncle Ryo and asked him if he wanted to join us.

--

Uncle Ryo rejected my offer saying that us kids can have a good time ourselves since he still has work to do. And so we arrived at the hotpot restaurant.

"Do you have a reservation?"

Asks the staff who is managing the line. It seems to have stretched out to the end of this neighbourhood. Now, that's quite a line.

"Ah, sorry I don't have any."

"Then you'll have to queue, we open for 24 hours so there's no worry about not getting a place before we close. And also would you like some refreshments?"

"Wait! Hold up!" Chie chimed in,"Do you know who he is?"

"Hmmm? Sorry but I couldn't seem to recall meeting this fine gentleman." answered the staff professionally.

"He's your Maou-sama!" Chie said with a matter of tone fact.

What does my title have to do with this?

A shock painted the staff's face as she used her walkie-talkie to ask for higher management. Wait! Don't tell me.

Out of nowhere a man wearing a suit appears in front of me.

"Maou-sama! I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'll clear out the store at once."

Talk about over reaction.

"There's no need for that."

"Are you sure? Then how many people are you dining with?"

I counted there's me, Izanami, Yu, Nanako, Haruka, Sakamoto, Saki, Yosuke, Kanji, Yukiko, Chie, and is Rise coming as well? I figure she'll need rest but just in case.

"13 people including me."

Just as abruptly as he appeared, he disappeared just as fast. Are you pulling a batman on me?

---

Sakamoto POV:

Man today's a drag. I was just flirting around with Emma-san until suddenly the old man came and asked me if I had seen Rise-san. Things spiral downward from there and fast. Where I went inside the TV world yada yada yada and finally finding Rise-san and bringing her back.

[Only you would call a pathetic excuse of a conversation like that flirting. Even kids do it better than you!] a childish voice rang in my head.

[HEY SHUT UP I'M NARATING HERE!]

Seriously tsukuyomi is really annoying sometimes.

[HEY!]

But then again, seeing that world again, I somehow got the motivation to get stronger. Why? You think I can withstand Aniki's wrath with a body like this? I somehow came to a realization that he's a sadist.

[That's true]

There at least we agreed on something.

Anyway, once we went inside the TV world, I'm surprised to see that the place Rise-san is held in is a strip club of all things. I mean yeah sure she looked good, but there's nothing there to show off like a certain --

*Bonk* I felt something hit my head, to turn around and see it's Tsukuyomi in her Persona form. Can you please not materialize in the real world!

[Your fault! Hmph!]

Is my persona a tsundere?

*BONK* an even harder hit lands on my head.

And what's more surprising is that Yu can use multiple personas, unlike me whose stuck with her. And more surprisingly, Aniki's persona, if I recall correctly it should have a gold accent instead of red. But just now a red mech came in place of his golden cuirass I saw before.

[Now that you mention it. I didn't sense any divinity from it, unlike that time. Maybe he's also like Yu who can switch personas]

Hmmm. well it's not something worth pondering about, I'm just glad he's an ally. But still it's a cool persona, what is it again [Sazabi] was it?

[You can say that again.]

I see you're a loli of culture as well.

*Bonk*

---

And so Rise-san's check up is over. Once I said that I found Rise-san, the old man basically scrambled the whole force to find a doctor to check up on Rise-san. They even brought her to the local hospital just to get checked.

The result? Nothing out of the ordinary except that her serotonin level is high, so they just chucked up her disappearance as a teenage fit, although Grandma Fubuki is still suspicious of it. Well nothing I can do.

*ring ring*

"Sakamoto here"

"You want some hotpot?"

"Yeah. Sure as long as you're paying." Even though I'm a Yakuza Family's heir, I didn't get a lot of allowance, and most of the time I was stuck working part times to get by.

[Hotpot! I want some!] a certain loli screams inside my head.

"Ask Yu and Rise if they would like to eat too." and with that he ended the call.

"Yu, Aniki's treating us to a hotpot restaurant, are you coming?"

"Yeah." Why does it looks like he had his life sucked out all of a sudden

"Hey! what about me?" Rise-san asks me, unlike his usual self at home she somehow turned more energetic.

"He also asks if you would like some?"

"Of course! Who would turn down a free meal."

--

And so, I arrived in front of the said hotpot. The name [Ibaraki Dining], is placed in a rather imposing sign. Hey hey hey isn't this the super famous, super exclusive Hotpot. God damn it, I had to reserve a month prior just for me to eat with Emma-san using the old-man's name, and he's treating us all here without prior reservation. What's this I'm feeling, Bitterness? Unfairness? Dread? God damn demon king.

The price is also nothing to scoff at, it cost me an entire month's saving to pay for both me and Emma.

"Hey, Sakamoto-kun isn't this the new [Ibaraki Dining] branch that just opened?"

"Yes It appears to be so."

"Even if I wanted to eat here I have to reserve a month prior, you know?"

"I know how it feels."

"Ah life is unfair huh?"

Wise words white wolf, wise words.

Looking at the lined up guests, they must also have it rough huh, seeing somebody cut their line, who in essence had already waited for more than a month. They must have felt bitter.

"Ah, white wolf san, here with your friends again?"

The onee-san in charge of the line greeted us. What's this has Yu came here before?

"Yes, I believe we had someone already inside."

"Oh is it a reservation maou-sama?"

"Yes."

"Ah ok then, he said there's 3 more to come but it appears to be 4, I'm glad we had given him a bigger room."

4? I looked around to see Tsukuyomi in her loli form hugging my legs.

"Sakamoto, you're the worst, where did you kidnap this kid from?" Rise-san immediately accuses me of kidnapping.

"No, no, you had it all wrong Rise, it's my persona! My persona!"

"*stare*" two judgemental stares. Hey what's with this situation. Tsukuyomi help me out, please.

"Onii-chan said he'll take care of me."

Said the loli with tears in the corner of her eyes. Wait, that's crocodile tears, I tell you. And stop with those judgemental eyes please.

*murmur murmur*

"Tch what a scum"

"Wait did he say Rise?"

"And didn't the reception lady say something about a Demon?"

"Do you think the Demon Producer is here?"

"No wonder they can cut the line."

--

And so we are guided to a huge room on the top floor of the restaurant. Man I've never even been to the VIP section much less this. The room itself seems to be prepared in a hurry as the whole top floor area was cleared except for a huge round table in the middle.

"Yu! Sakamoto! Sit down, the meal has already been ordered, we just need to wait, isn't that great? and who is this Sakamoto? Your little sister?" A barrage of questions came from Yukiko.

"Yeah, no, she's my persona."

"HUH!?" 10x

"Akira-nii what's a persona?"

"Oh! he means sister, it's Sakamoto's made up language. Don't speak like Sakamoto OK? It'll make you sound funny in front of your friends." - What are you saying Aniki? Are you going to pummel my non-existent pride to the ground.

"Rise-nee-chan, sit here!" - ah it seems Haruka-chan is happy meeting Rise-san. From what I heard she's the daughter of Kiryu Kazuma. The dragon of the Dojima family. Better sit further away from trouble. The food is good but not that good for me to jump inside a dragon's jaw.

"Sakamoto." Another woman called me, ah this is Aniki's fiance, the daughter of the chairman of OA. She herself is harmless from what I heard, but with Aniki beside her. Well lets just say her wrath is the least of your worries if you're maimed to pieces by the demon king himself.

"Yes, ane-sama?"

"Can I hold your little sister?"

"She's all yours."

As I politely handed my 'sister' to ane-sama I can feel Tsukuyomi panicking. I felt like tossing a kid to a den of wolves. Ah who am I kidding, it's Tsukuyomi she deserves it. She's been acting like a brat from all those days before.

"Sit beside me Sakamoto, there's something to tell you."

"Ah okay." so much for my plan of not getting involved.

"So Sakamoto, how's Tokyo lately?"

"Same as always. There's nothing different or anything worth mentioning, all of the Yakuza's have been behaving a lot after your takeover of OA. even doing charity work like you instructed."

We are seated towards the edge, where people have a connection to Yakuza all grouped up, so we talking like this will not be heard by the others, especially with Yosuke being as loud as he is right now.

"That's good to hear. But my concern is not the Yakuza. It's more of our persona issues."

"Persona you say? Well I had to admit it's strange that Tsukuyomi can materialize, eat and even sleep."

"Have you noticed anything strange lately?"

"Hmm anything strange huh? Well there's that one moment where the sky turns red."

Suddenly Aniki's eyes turn sharp.

"When is this?"

"Hmmm it would be around Friday last week."

"It's bigger than expected huh."

"Is that something to worry about?"

"Tell me Sakamoto, has your persona been able to manifest herself before that?"

"Hmmm, a few days before it if I remembered correctly."

With a low voice I can hear Aniki say "Romulus."

"Can you see him?"

He pointed towards his back. I can see a faint silhouette of a person. It's obviously a male, with that body, he has long hair, and wore something like a robe. That's all I can make out from the silhouette.

"Somewhat."

"Interesting. Sakamoto, what do you think about researching psychology?"

Hmmm I have to admit, human psychology did Intrigue me, but that's just that interesting, I wouldn't even pursue it if my old man told me to.

"No thanks. Why do you ask?"

"Something's brewing in Osaka and Tokyo. The red sky, I saw that too in my short trip to Osaka."

Hmm that is worrisome, if the sky turns red and only us persona users are alerted.

"Sakamoto, what do you think about joining the Public Security Office?"

Hmm public security? That I can get behind. I mean beating around street thugs, undercover missions, and lastly solving mysteries. That's a man romance right there. But beating my own kind is a little bit unnerving. As I'm having a pleasant chat with Aniki. The food arrived.

"Let's eat first, and later we'll talk about it with Isshin too."

"Ok. oh yeah aniki.."

"Yes?"

"Have you got your back's irezumi inked?"

If I remembered correctly Aniki's back have a Demonic Skull as an irezumi.

"Just the base, I'm going to finish the inking later this month. What about yours?"

"Still clean. I haven't decide what I wanted yet."

"Keep it that way for a while. I'll talk to Isshin about it."

--

# This is another reminder to do something productive, keep yourself hydrated, and lastly stay happy.

Personal note I just got my ass handed to me in Tekken courtesy of a friend. This same bastard also draw a lot of good things from gachas. Why am I writing it here? I just felt bitter and wanted to share. For those who knew: he drawed Amakusa Shirō in 1 tix. And then another in 4 tix. So in 5 tix he got np2.