Chương 29: The Principal.
Ren had to take a minute or two to compose himself before he could stand up. Looking at the mask in Tartuffe's hands, he couldn't help but remember the words that Igor had told him. It was through masks that control could be exerted. From those words and the appearance of the mask, he could venture a pretty easy guess as to what it might do. But even then, Ren promised himself never to use it again unless it was completely necessary.
As he walked, he couldn't help but wonder what other capabilities the scalpel could have. However, from now on, he would be extremely careful whenever he used it. He didn't feel right at the moment, but if he stayed here too long, he was sure the rest of the group would worry and probably come looking for him. So he decided to shake off the discomfort for now and stand up before continuing his careful search.
After walking for a few more moments he spotted the figure of Kobayakawa. The shadow was pacing back and forth, ensnared in his own anxious mutterings, until he suddenly stopped. Sensing something amiss, he spun around, peering into the darkness in which Ren hid.
"Damn it! I knew it!" Kobayakawa muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with desperation. After dropping to his knees, he launched into a frenzied plea.
"I swear I told that idiot to stay put! I didn't expect that idiot to rush to the police right after I told him to go home." His words spilled out in a mix of fear and confusion, a stark contrast to the authoritative figure he presented in the real world.
Hidden in the shadows, Ren absorbed every word. And after thinking for a moment, he decided to remain hidden. Hearing no response, Kobayakawa's anxiety escalated. His words now shifting the blame.
"The moment Kamoshida showed up at the school, I called the director! If anything, it's your fault for not dealing with him sooner!" His outburst, fueled by anger, quickly dissolved into fear-laden apologies as he crumbled in fear.
Ren's eyes widened as he heard the words that confirmed his previous suspicion. Someone else had been behind Kamoshida's mental shutdown. Not only that but that person was related to Kobayawa in some way. Seizing the moment, Ren decided to probe deeper. His voice tinged with feigned anger to elicit more from the principal.
"My fault?" he called out from the darkness, the simplicity of the question striking a nerve.
Kobayakawa's reaction was immediate and intense, his fear palpable as he blurted out a frantic apology.
"No, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. But I saw the news. I couldn't complete my part, but at least we managed to shift the blame to the Ministry of Education! As long as the others do their part, my mistake won't matter." ." Kobyakawa shouted with panic.
Sensing that he was on the verge of a breakdown, which might make him attack in desperation, Ren stepped into the light. His appearance seemed to snap Kobayakawa back from his spiral, calming him slightly.
"I see… Maybe you're right," Ren said, approaching him with calculated steps. "I suppose the boss would think it's a waste to get rid of you now." he added.
Kobayakawa's response was one of palpable relief, the tension visibly draining from him as he clung to Ren's words as a lifeline.
"Thank you. I swear, from now on, I won't fail any mission." Kobayakawa said with relief as Ren finally stood in front of him.
"No, you won't." Ren said with a gentle smile.
The moment the words left his mouth, Tartuffe's hand shot out from the shadows with the mask in his hands. Before the principal even had a chance to react, the mask latched onto his face. The teeth-like tentacles of the mask secured themselves firmly, ensuring no chance of removal.
Kobayakawa fell to the ground as he struggled to remove the mask, yet after a few moments, he stopped moving. The mask merged seamlessly into his skin until it vanished entirely. Rising, the principal's demeanor had changed entirely, now looking to Ren with a readiness to follow his lead.
"Who is the director?" Ren asked with curiosity as he analyzed the expression of the shadow.
"The Director of the Special Investigations Unit." Kobayakawa replied, his tone devoid of the fear that had consumed him moments before.
"What was your mission?" Ren pressed further
"To create a scandal in the school to discredit the Ministry of Education right before the election season." He revealed, confirming Ren's suspicions of a plot that went beyond the school's walls.
Ren continued to ask questions for a few more moments, but the answers he got became increasingly disappointing. Maybe it was to be expected, but the principal seemed relatively clueless about the more important parts of the conspiracy.
He didn't know who the leader was. He didn't know who else was involved other than his main contact. He didn't know who was behind the mental shutdowns other than they were being ordered by the director. All he knew was the things that related to his mission.
By the time Ren finished questioning him, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration as he muttered to himself.
"I could have used that mask with someone more useful." He said in annoyance, but even after he tried to remove it, the mask had irreversibly bonded with Kobayakawa.
With a sense of resignation, Ren issued his final instructions.
"Continue acting as normal for now. Forget anything that happened in here today. If you ever find anything useful or receive any more orders from them, make an announcement in your school and ask for assistance rearranging the books in your library." he directed, receiving a nod of acknowledgment from the principal before turning to leave.
As he left Kobayakawa behind, he could hear him begin muttering to himself in worry as he began pacing around the room once again, just like he had done before he arrived.
After the group saw him exit the passageway calmly, they jumped out of the bus before rushing to surround him.
"Did you find out anything?!" Ryuji blurted out, barely containing his curiosity. Ann, however, moved closer, her hands cupping Ren's face with a gentleness that hid her urgency.
"Uh... Ann?" Shiho's voice trailed off in confusion, but Ann's focus remained unbroken. As she scrutinized Ren's face, her expression shifted through a whirlwind of emotions, finally settling on concern.
"Did something happen? You look... different?" she inquired, her fingers tracing the contours of his face as if trying to decipher a hidden message before reluctantly letting go.
"You think?" Ryuji asked as he got a closer look at Ren before shrugging. "He looks the same to me."
Ren, caught off guard by her intensity, was momentarily transported back to the unsettling sensation that had washed over him during the creation of the mask. Shaking off the memory, he offered a reassurance that failed to mask his own confusion.
"It's probably nothing." He said reassuringly before giving her a warm yet tired smile. "Come on, we should probably head back. I'll fill you guys in on the way back."
— — —
Jose had guided them all the way up back to the entrance before driving away after saying his goodbyes. Hopping back into his car and driving into the depths once again. Leaving the Phantom Thieves to discuss what had happened below in the now less strenuous environment.
"For real?" Ryuji's voice was filled with disbelief as Ren recounted the interactions with Kobayakawa.
Rather than speaking of the mask he had created, Ren simply told them the story as if he had just remained in the shadows the whole time. So the Phantom Thieves now knew that there was someone else using the Metaverse as a weapon.
Morgana, ever the thinker, pieced the information together.
"It does make sense," he mused before a realization struck him. "If he's been behind the mental shutdowns, then he must also have access to Mementos. We need to be careful about revealing our identities, even here. You never know who's listening."
The idea of nicknames seemed to pique Ryuji's interest.
"So we're getting code names?" he asked, receiving an affirmative nod from Morgana.
"I've actually been thinking about this." Morgana began, turning his attention to Ren. "For our leader, 'Joker' seems fitting, given his unique ability with Personas. As for me, 'Mona' will do, considering I'm not exactly chatty with the public."
The group seemed on board with the suggestions, prompting Morgana to proceed with his role assignments.
"Ryuji, how about 'Skull' for you? Nice and simple, and it matches your mask," Mona proposed, to which Ryuji shrugged and agreed.
When it came to Ann, Morgana ventured.
"For our lovely lady, Ann, how about Cougar—"
"Hell no!" Ann was quick to cut him off, her objection resounding clear. "I'm more of a 'Panther,' don't you think?" she countered, her objection sparking laughter among the group.
A bit flustered but moving on, Morgana addressed Shiho.
"And for Shiho, 'Siren' seems appropriate. Your persona tends to disorient our enemies. Your mask doesn't have anything too distinct, so 'Siren' is the best fit I could think of."
Shiho's response was immediate, her smile brightening the room.
"I love it!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm palpable.
After the group had finally settled on their new code names, Ren spoke up.
"Now that we have our code names, the next step is to think about what's next. Even with the new information, I think we should still focus on the mission we have in Shibuya."
He said, earning the attention of the group before continuing.
"Meeting the Director of SIU directly is off the table for now, but I think I might have a way in. Makoto's sister works under him, so I might be able to get closer to her to learn more about him."
As he said that, Ren remembered.
"And speaking of Makoto's sister, she's got a Palace." Ren mentioned, causing a stir of surprise among his teammates.
"For real? She seemed pretty normal during my interview. I guess that should be another person on our list, no?" Ryuji said before Ren shook his head.
"I am still working on learning the distortion. But you're right; we should keep an eye on her. I'm not sure whether she is also working with the director, but if she isn't, she might be a great ally to have." Ren said.
Turning serious, Ren continued.
"If there is one thing we should learn from our trip to Mementos today, it is that we are still quite weak. We need to make sure to continue practicing so that we will be able to withstand the pressure at the lower levels. We never know when we will have to go down into the depths to deal with a target.
For now, we should head back and get some rest. Mona, I'm counting on you to get more information.." Ren said, earning a nod from the group.
Yet, as they all began departing, Ren stopped before turning to the glowing blue door.
"You guys can go ahead for now. There's one last thing I need to do."
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