49 The Aeon.

After ensuring the poppy flowers had a new home in the attic of Leblanc, Ren, accompanied by Morgana, ventured into Mementos. They wanted to do some scouting to see where the shadow of Sugimura was located, and if it were located too far in the depths, they would turn back and gather the rest of the group.

The familiar environment of the collective unconscious greeted them, along with the unmistakable sound of Jose's car horn heralding his approach. Parking beside them, Jose hopped out, his youthful energy palpable. 

"Hey there, I was just passing by here when I sensed you guys had entered, so I thought I might as well check up!" he said, his enthusiasm unmistakable as he drew near.

Since Ren remembered Jose's quest for flowers, he brought a bundle of extra poppies down to Mementos. They were different from the strange flowers that were scattered around the depths, but Ren hoped they might still be of interest to him.

Jose's reaction to the poppies was instantaneous and filled with wonder. 

"Woah! I have never seen any flowers like this!" he exclaimed, his curiosity piqued as he examined the unexpected gift. "They give off an entirely different vibe than the ones from here. Is this from outside?" he inquired.

"Yes, they are," Ren confirmed, amused by Jose's fascination with the poppies. 

Jose then performed a curious ritual with the flowers, throwing them into the air and then transforming them into a glass of crimson juice, which he savored with visible delight.

"Wow! They taste amazing! I guess the flowers from the outside world have a different form of humanity in them. Do you think you could bring me a few more next time you go out? I can feel like I am learning a lot from them," Jose said, his request underscored by a genuine smile.

Ren exchanged a glance with Morgana before agreeing, intrigued by Jose's abilities and his mysterious mission.

Morgana, equally curious, couldn't help but ask.

"How do you do that?"

Jose, however, just shrugged.

"I just do. It's one of the powers my master gave me for my super secret mission," he explained, his tone playful yet evasive.

"You know, you said you had to learn about humanity. But why is that? I know it's supposed to be a secret, but there must be something you can tell us, right?" Morgana pressed, hoping to uncover more about the enigmatic boy.

The question caused Jose to hesitate, yet after looking at Ren up and down, he nodded his head.

 "I guess since you have some traces of him, it should be ok to tell you a bit… I'm on a super secret mission to learn about humanity to replace one of my siblings. He's ready to retire, especially after what happened, so I am next in line to take his position. I think that's about as much as I can say for now, at least until you gain my master's approval," Jose divulged, casting a look of recognition towards Ren that raised more questions than it answered.

Morgana, ever curious, seized the opportunity to probe further. 

"Who is your master?" he asked, his ears perked up in anticipation.

Jose's response was a playful giggle. 

"I can't tell you that, Mr. Tanuki. It's a secret," he teased, drawing a frustrated correction from Morgana. 

"Tanuki? I'm not a Tanuki, I am a cat- I mean human!" Mona said with some annoyance, causing Jose to laugh.

Switching topics, Jose asked.

"Well, either way, I can't tell you guys anything more. That reminds me, what brings you guys here? Are you helping out your friend again?"

"Actually, we are here to help another friend of ours. She's dealing with a bad man, so we are here to help the bad man see that he is- erm- being bad," Ren explained. He wasn't too used to speaking with kids, so he was trying his best to communicate as simply as possible.

"Oh, I see! I can help you find him! What's his name?" Jose offered enthusiastically, his connection to Mementos evident as he reached down to touch its floor.

"Yoshihiro Sugimura." Ren said.

After a moment of concentration, Jose's eyes snapped open with a bright smile. 

"Oh, he's actually not too far. Do you want me to guide you there? I would like to see a human in action." he said excitedly.

Ren, gauging the potential risk, asked Mona.

"Uh… sure, since he is so close to the surface, that must mean he shouldn't be that strong, right?"

Morgana reassured him. 

"He should be around the same strength level as the shadows on the top floor, which isn't too bad."

Guided by Jose through the labyrinthine corridors of Mementos, Ren and Morgana, now transformed back into the Mona bus, weaved their way through the shadows with precision, finally reaching a secluded area identified by their young guide.

"Right through here!" Jose called out enthusiastically, leading them directly to a shadow that unmistakably resembled Sugimura.

Mona, resuming his feline form upon arrival, assessed the shadow with a critical eye.

"So this is the guy, huh?" he remarked, a hint of determination in his voice.

"That's the guy alright, come on." Ren said as he began walking closer to the shadow of Sugimura.

As the shadow noticed them, he shouted with some annoyance.

The shadow's reaction was immediate and marked by annoyance. "Who are you guys? You shouldn't walk any closer," he warned, turning to face them with evident irritation.

"Long time no see." Ren replied as he approached, his eyes glowing bright yellow as he prepared to summon one of his personas at a moment's notice. 

"That voice, those eyes... It's you, the bastard who was messing around with my fiancée," Sugimura recognized Ren, his anger flaring. "Did you come here to beg for my forgiveness? You must've been scared off after looking up my father," he sneered, confident in his perceived upper hand.

Ren's response was laced with irony.

"Scared shitless," which unexpectedly drew laughter from Sugimura, believing he had Ren cornered.

"I knew it. I couldn't get my father to send the black mask to you because it 'wasn't worth it,' but this is even better. I can't believe I was scared off by you."

Ren's steps halted as he heard the phrase 'black mask.' The very next moment, he continued approaching Haru's fiance until he stood right in front of him.

"Black mask, eh?" He asked with some curiosity.

Almost as if noticing his mistake, Sugimura's expression became stiff as he said.

"Shit- never mind. Now that you are here, I will deal with you myself." Sugimura said in a panic before exploding and turning into a small imp with a large horn sticking out of his 'lower region.' One of the many forms they had seen back in Kamoshida's castle, Incubus.

Before Sugimura could mount any defense, he found himself on the receiving end of a powerful strike from Eligor's halberd, the force of the blow knocking him backward. Almost simultaneously, Mona summoned Zorro, joining the fray. 

The shadow found itself overwhelmed by their relentless assault, unable to counter or escape. This encounter confirmed their hypothesis: shadows dwelling closer to Mementos' surface exhibited less strength, making Sugimura's defeat inevitable under their coordinated attack.

Eventually, he was left on the ground, gasping for air and collapsing back into his normal appearance.

Pinning Sugimura down with one foot, Ren demanded. 

"What do you know of the black mask?" His tone was firm, the pressure on Sugimura's chest making his intent unmistakably clear.

Fear took hold of Sugimura as the realization of his vulnerability set in. 

"I—I don't know. He is someone who my dad contacts from time to time. He says that he is an expert at getting rid of people," he confessed, his voice trembling with panic. But Ren's increasing pressure spurred him to reveal more.

"Okumura—the reason Okumura is making Haru my wife is because he needs the Black Mask. That's all I know! Okumura calls my dad, who calls the Black Mask! I don't know anything else; my dad won't tell me anything," Sugimura admitted, the fear palpable in his hurried explanation.

With the crucial information extracted, Ren eased his stance. 

"Alright," Ren acknowledged, carefully removing the silver locket necklace from Sugimura. Through his third eye, Ren discerned that this piece of jewelry was, in fact, Sugimura's treasure. 

"You know what to do now, don't you?" he pressed, his gaze fixed on Sugimura.

Frightened, Sugimura nodded. 

"Yes! I'll cancel the marriage…. You know…. The main reason I became like this was because my mother…" he started, attempting to explain his actions, but Ren interrupted just as he was starting to go off in his monologue.

"Don't care. Do the right thing, or I'll be back," Ren interjected firmly, watching as Sugimura dissolved into golden particles and disappeared, his threat made abundantly clear.

Jose, witnessing the event, was filled with wonder.

"Woah! I have never seen anyone steal someone's distortions before. I knew it was possible in theory, but to see it first hand…" he remarked with stars in his eyes.

Amused by Jose's reaction, Ren offered the locket to the boy. 

"Keep it. I'm sure you could find a better use for it than I can." he suggested, finding the boy's amusement endearing.

Jose marveled at the locket and accepted the gift with a sense of purpose. After thinking for a moment, he nodded his head with determination before asking.

"Ren, do you remember the wishing star I gave you? Could you show it to me?" 

Handing over the star, Ren watched as Jose tenderly touched it, leaving a golden mark on its greenish-blue surface.

"I'm sure this will help me understand humanity better, so I wanted to give you something in return. If you are ever in big danger, just reach out to the star." Jose imparted his wish in a hushed tone, almost as if afraid someone else would hear him.

Nodding his head, Ren asked him about Sugmiura's father, only to learn from Jose that his shadow resided near Mementos' deepest levels, even deeper that the principal. Judging by what they had just discovered, that meant that his shadow was probably too strong for them to battle right now.

There was also the issue of the pressure Mementos had on them, but Ren hoped that if they left a mark in the public consciousness by stealing Kaneshiro's treasure, then the pressure Mementos had on them would lower. 

His current theory was that if the public saw them as a strong organization, then either their strength would increase in Mementos, or Mementos itself would see them as worthy of being closer to the depths.

Almost as if realizing something he had almost forgotten, Ren asked.

"Hey, Jose, I was wondering. What do you see when you look at Mona? Does he give off a feeling similar to that of a human?" 

Mona was caught off guard by the question, but he smiled at Ren as he realized he was trying to help him.

Jose pondered, his gaze intently focused on Mona. 

"Hmm… He does have a feeling similar to that of humans… but it's weird. I wouldn't call him a human; he doesn't feel like one, but he also does at the same time…" Jose remarked, evidently puzzled by his own observation.

Mona looked as if he was lost in thought after hearing Jose's words before shaking his head and turning back into a bus. Since their current mission was done, they returned to the entrance of Mementos before saying goodbye to Jose.

With the almost fully illuminated moon lighting their path, they made their way to Leblanc, with Morgana not speaking much as he followed Ren. But once they arrived at the bedroom, Mona said.

"You know… after hearing Jose, I was thinking... If I am not a human, what am I?" Mona said in a heavy tone as he questioned his own existence.

Ren responded with a light-hearted chuckle, aiming to ease his worries.

"Well, I don't know the answer, but I do know one thing. You are Morgana."

"Huh?" Mona's confusion was evident.

"Cat, bus, human, craftsman, spy, and Phantom Thief. That's Morgana." Ren reminded him.

Hearing his answer, Mona let out a chuckle. Lifting his chest with pride.

"Well, I agree with all but one. I am not a cat." The gentle wag of his tail punctuated his response.

~Confidants~

Morgana (The Magician) Rank 3

Jose (The Aeon) Rank 1