Part 128: 10/6-10/8: The Hero Yuuki Mishima
Part 120: 10/6-10/8: The Hero Yuuki Mishima
Anon: hurry up n apologize, damn!
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
I actually fucked up here by not immediately purchasing the next book from Jinbocho, so we go for Cry of Cthulhu to compensate.
Music: Everyday Days
This is very detailed for a story about a fantasy world… 
Music: So Boring
Having executed the royalty, the revolutionaries proceeded to take the courts under their control… All who opposed the revolution were executed. However, the revolutionaries, too, were then reviled as depots and executed by the public. All in all, more than two thousand nine hundred people were executed over the course of the revolution. The fac that this many executions were possible was actually due to one specific invention. Hamiru-kun. Take a look at this. 
This might be my pick for easiest question in the game. You don’t have to know any metaphors or anything, just what that thing Caroline and Justine use to fuse Personas is.
That’s correct. By the way, the name “guillotine” comes from Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, the doctor who proposed the idea. 
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it embodied the French spirit of equality. Maaku gains Knowledge +!.
Revolution is sometimes a bloody thing… The revolutionaries that rose up for freedom became despots themselves… It’s a common tale. Our social reform doesn’t hurt anybody in the real world… It’s a bloodless revolution! And it will all go perfectly as a result!
Music: Tokyo Daylight
We already have max Charm, so this book won’t really help us. We still buy it, though. We want the one available after it.
Iwai’s ready now.
After our training, I want to talk about the rumors surrounding Takekuma. Music: Alright (Elp Version)
I mean, I couldn’t do anything to him… There’s just no way. 
It is pretty weird that this kid couldn’t even seem to hit Takekuma, but there’s plenty of reasonable explanations for that. Still, let’s play along.
I’ve been practicing a lot, after all. I’ve heard rumors about Takekuma! People say he uses cheat armor! You know what that is, right? He totally broke the rules by equipping it… I bet that’s why my usual shots didn’t work against him! That has to be the reason! But the next time we play… I’m definitely… 
I’m gonna win next time! Just watch! The thing is… I told my mom about what happened with Takekuma… But… 
She didn’t… really care. All she said was, “OK.”Well, to be fair to her, most parents don’t really give two shits about the video games their children play.
It’s probably because I lost… She doesn’t like kids who lose. 
My mom once told me that… We need to be strong, because it’s just the two of us. She said no one helps the weak. They just get preyed on… That’s why I wanna get stronger. Strong enough that we won’t get preyed on… Strong enough that WE’D be the predators…This is getting uncomfortable!
That’s exactly who the Phantom Thieves are… the strongest… who can prey on anyone. Once I become the strongest, my mom will be able to count on me… The only way I can win is through games… That’s why I can’t lose. …… What should I do about Takekuma’s armor…? The strategy I used last time didn’t work… 
...Thanks. ...You’re kinda like a big brother to me. I can talk to you about anything… I heard that that’s what it’s like to have a sibling… 
I feel Shinya’s brotherly affection... 
This one is straight-up incredible. It increases everyone’s number of bullets by a hell of a lot:
- Maaku goes from 16 bullets to 32.
- Ryuji goes from 8 to 16.
- Morgana goes from 15 to 25.
- Ann goes from 36 to 60.
- Yusuke goes from 24 to 48.
- Makoto goes from 12 to 24.
- Haru goes from 6 to 12.
Takekuma better watch out… 
Interacting with Shinya has made my heart grow… I feel like my Kindness has increased… Maaku gains Kindness +3.
See you later!Music: Beneath the Mask
Today, we take an in-depth look into Kunikazu Okumura, the man who made the chain what it is today. Mr. Okumura is well-connected in various industries, and it’s even rumored he may enter politics. The news is talking about Haru’s dad. It seems he’s got influence in all sorts of different areas… 
Ugh, my head hurts… Sojiro seems concerned about Futaba’s uncle… Is it OK for me to stick my nose into Sojiro’s and Futaba’s problem…?It’s never stopped you before, man.
...Hm? You look like you have something to say. 
Well, I guess there’s no point in worrying. Help me clean up. 
Whoa, what in the hell are you wearing, young lady!? Cover yourself up, good heavens!
Music: Alleycat
...How’d you get your hands on this stuff?
Hacking, of course! Uncle’s in loads of debt! He’ll never win in a suit against us now that we have all this data! 
But…! I’ve known all along how badly in debt he is. He’s not gonna try and take custody back, so don’t go doing stupid crap like this, OK? But Sojiro…! I-I only did it ‘cause of all that stuff he said to you! About that… I’ve been thinking. When push came to shove, I wasn’t there to help you… So, you know… maybe there’s somewhere better for you out there… S-Somewhere better…? Am I not supposed to be here…? Am I just in the way…?Smooth, Sojiro. Real nice.
You don’t want me either, Sojiro…!? That’s not what I meant! I just think it might be better, for your own sake… 
You can just stay here and play with your stupid coffee beans! 
Hey! You get back here and apologize to the coffee beans right now! They are not stupid, and they’ve done nothing to deserve lip from you!
Makes sense though… You’re the ones who saved her, after all. ...Where did I go wrong? 
I really did try to care for Futaba. ...Look where that got me though. I told myself she was the reason I kept making Wakaba’s curry here… but deep down, I think that was just an excuse to stay distant… At the end of the day, the coffee and the curry people love so much are both just… excuses. 
I’m gonna go out for a smoke, try to cool off a bit. Sorry to lay this on you… but can you go after Futaba for me? 
Yeah… Thanks… Y’know, Mom used to talk about Sojiro tons when I was little. How good he was at making curry, how interesting he was to talk to… I remember everything. I even remember how she smiled when she talked about him… Mom really liked Sojiro… …… I said some real mean stuff tonight. It’s not his fault Mom’s incident happened… It’s not his fault I shut myself away from the world… And because of me… Sojiro lost a crapton of money… I just thought I’d be able to stay here with him if my hacking worked… 
Yeah… Yeah, you’re right. 
Mm-hm… 
Look, I’m sorry about what I said just now. And well… if it’s OK with you… I want you to stay here, forever. Forever… …… I know it might be more fun living with people your age like Maaku… But I’ll do my damnedest to see things from your perspective. So… will you stay with me? 
H-Hey… Quit your laughing! *sigh* You’re as exhausting as ever. 
Music: Sunset Bridge
I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble… but I really do wanna be here. So, let’s keep living together. Futaba… Sorry for not saying that sooner. Oh, and… thanks for taking in someone as horrible as me. ...Are you sure I’m good enough? I wouldn’t want anyone else. Heh, no hesitation… Don’t come complaining to me if you regret it. …… Actually, I’m not gonna let you regret it. If you ever need help, just tell me. I might not be graceful… but I’ll be there to protect you. And you can stay with me for as long as you’d like. Forever, if you want. Mm-hm, I will. ...Forever. I can’t wait to keep sorta living with you too, Maaku! One big weird fake family we’ve got going on here. It’s fucking great.
I’m outta here! Byeee! 
I didn’t stand up for Wakaba when I knew something was off… and I didn’t stand up for you either. 
Instead, I went on and on about how you can’t fight back against the laws of our society… How you should just accept the hand you’re dealt in life… But those were mere excuses I made to keep myself in line. They gave me the easy way out I wanted so badly… ...Maybe instead of all that coffee crap, I should’ve been teaching you not to make the same mistakes I did. There I go, ranting again. But… I feel like I managed to put a lot behind me today. ...Thanks, for making me realize what’s really important in life. I feel like my bond with Sojiro is growing deeper...
All right, I better head home too. Don’t stay up too late, OK? I don’t want you oversleeping. And that’s one of my favorite Confidant events in the entire game. Except for this part:
I can see the compassion hidden beneath Sojiro’s actions… I feel my Kindness growing…Motherfucker, I needed max Kindness just to get here. Maaku gains Kindness +3.
Anon: Took you long enough!
Anon: Our savior’s made a move!
What about the cops?
Anon: cmon, beg for forgiveness!
Anon: Here comes the apology rofl
Anon: stop fuckin around
Anon: an apology isn’t enough.
Really though, who are they? 
If I met them, it would be love at first sight! 
What are they waiting for? Hurry up and do it already! Heroes have an obligation to rescue the weak. Music: Tokyo Daylight
Hifumi’s a no-go.
Music: Butterfly Kiss
It’s easy to get sick in that in-between period as the seasons change, so be careful. You came because you saw my messages, right?
I’ve made progress with the medicine. Could you tag along for a bit? 
I’m going to meet someone at Inokashira Park. It’s close, right? Let’s go. Music: Sunset Bridge
Let me know if you need anything else. 
Based on what I read in the findings summary you sent me, the results are truly amazing. We’ll perform one final exam with our equipment and we’ll be ready to treat Miwa-chan with it. ...Excellent. Then the rest is up to you. So, this is the kid from your study, hm? Yes, he’s my little guinea pig. Still sends a chill down my spine even after all this time.
You certainly walked a dangerous line, but I’m sure you implemented the strictest of safety protocols.I passed out several times, dog!
Please put some thought into the offer we discussed, will you…? All right, I’ll call you later. 
He just so happened to be a year ahead of me in college. I told him everything since I was so close to perfecting the medicine. I have to thank you again. All this is thanks to you helping me with the clinical trials. 
Although it was really fun for me. From my tour of their medical facility and discussions I had with their development team… I’m confident this will be a success, and they’ll complete development on schedule. The final result will be out of my hands though… if I don’t accept their offer, that is. 
I was… recruited. He offered me the position of head of research and development at his hospital. ...Which means I’ll have to close my practice. 
I start first thing next month. Unfortunately, Takemi Clinic of Internal Medicine will be gone.What!? Where the hell am I gonna get drugs under-the-counter now?
I’ll urge my patients to transfer to that hospital, and I’ll be sure to give them priority there. 
...Just kidding. 
Music: Alright (Elp Version)
The part about being recruited is true, but I don’t intend to close my practice. I kind of like being a general practitioner. I’ll still work with them to develop new medicine though. Once the medicine’s perfected, I’ll be able to see Miwa-chan… and receive my reward: her smile. Oh, I need to give you your reward too. I’ll think of something to give my little guinea pig for holding up his end of the deal. It feels like my bond with Takemi is growing even deeper... 
You were really concerned when you thought I was going to close this office. I know you said it was for your entrance exams, but come on, really? I think it’s about time you started being honest with me. It’s OK. You can tell me. Why did you keep coming to me? 
Here we go…
Why don’t you tell me the truth about why you kept coming to me? 
IT WAS FOR MY EXAMS.
Is that so? Well, I can take a hint. It’s getting late… You should get going. Come visit anytime. I’ll see you later. Music: Beneath the Mask
It’s all about looking fabulous and mysterious at the same time! Girls really like this look, huh? Oh, sure. If I were twenty years younger, I wouldn’t mind a phantom thief stealing my heart… Hahaha. 
The Phan-Site’s blowing up! Hey, I’d like to talk to you today about how I’m helping you guys. Do you have time? 
Yeah, sure. Part of Mishima’s second chance has gotta be actually making time for him, after all.
Let’s go somewhere close then! 
He said he wants me to stop by. Apparently he’s pretty close. It sounded serious… I don’t think we should ignore him. Can you come with me? 
Music: Tension
...Mishima. 
Look, Akiyama-kun says he’s not gonna be able to pay up this month. How ‘bout you spot him? That’s what friends’re for, right? F-Friends? Huh…? You guys ain’t friends? 
Don’t try n’ mess with us, Akiyama… Is this loser s’posed to be the “friend” who was gonna help you!? …… If you don’t got anything to do with this little bitch Akiyama, I suggest you get outta here. ...C’mon, Tohru. Looks like we’re just gonna have to go have a nice chat with that girlfriend of his. P-Please, no! I’m begging you…! Sorry, but you broke our promise. Now she’s gonna be the one to pay us back… if you catch my drift.Ugh.
This is just what you get for tryin’ to screw us over. Ahahaha! You’re so cruel, Yuuta-kun! A-Akiyama-kun… 
I don’t like where this is going...
Hahaha… I’m not sure. I can’t just abandon Akiyama-kun though. ...I think I have an idea. It’s risky… but it might just work. If anything happens to me, take care of Akiyama-kun, Hamiru. 
Oh, for fuck’s sake! Really, dude!? ...Sorry. I know you’re trying.
Huh? You’re still here…? Run away, you idiot… 
I’ve been taking a video of this whole conversation! ...Huh? If you do anything to Akiyama-kun or his girlfriend, I’ll bring it straight to the police! Oh, and don’t get any ideas about breaking my phone. It backs up to the cloud automatically. H-Hey, what should we do? I like that the sidekick here is a total wuss.
We’ll be fine. The police ain’t gonna do shit ‘cause of a stupid little video. ...Why don’t you run along home to your anime girls? We don’t got time to deal with losers like you.He besmirched the honor of the anime girls! He must be stopped!
Urgh… 
Believe in yourself, Mishima!
Eh…? Look, I know you guys are supposed to be tough and all… But are you sure it’s really worth getting arrested again over something like this? I mean, this video is definitely enough to get you guys busted given your previous criminal records. How’d you know about that…!? It doesn’t matter how. Just leave Akiyama-kun alone and we’ll be even! Then if you keep your word, I’ll delete the video. The backup too. You’ll delete them now. N-No! …… U-Uh, Yuuta-kun… ...Tch, I’ve had enough of this shit. 
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
My whole act would’ve broken down if they didn’t back off when they did. Hahaha… I really suck, huh?Nah, you did good.
Dammit, man, why you gotta ruin it?
The truth is, I’ve dealt with enough bullying to know guys like that have probably been arrested at least once. Oh, and… thanks for sticking by me, Hamiru. We can’t let injustice like that go unchecked. I think I get it now… This feeling is what made me want to help you guys to begin with. That’s why I started the Phan-Site… To make sure that nobody has to go through stuff like this again! Mishima seems extra motivated... 
Akiyama-kun, are you OK? It looks like they really laid it on you… Mishima… Why’d you help me? Huh? You didn’t need to get involved… S-Sorry. It looked like you were really in trouble though… so I stepped up. 
Sure, why not? They’re comparable levels of nerd.
…… ...Is that so? Anyway, can you walk? Do you need us to call an ambulance? ...I’m fine. Just go. ...All right. Come on, Hamiru… See you later… 
Anon: let’s hear from the workers!
Music: Tokyo Daylight
Mishima has new information for us. This will be the last request we receive from progressing his Confidant. Contrary to what I previously believed, you do not need to complete the requests as you receive them to progress the Confidant. Instead, you need to complete a certain number of the requests he’ll send you (so not ones for other Confidants) to unlock his final rank event. For context, we’ve done eleven such requests, which is already enough, but we’ll be doing the rest too.
Apparently this post was made by someone with ties to the banks and the finance sector. 
Yeah, apparently even the police are having trouble catching him. He keeps changing his name and appearance to elude them. I guess he’s basically the man of a hundred faces. Not bad, huh? According to one particular post, he’s currently going by the name Fumio Akitsu. I went ahead and made a warning post about it… Is that OK? Either way, I’m sure it’ll be easy for #Millennials! Wow, this is some good info, even for Mishima! Let’s discuss whether or not we go after this guy over at the hideout! 
And Hifumi’s finally ready.
Music: Tokyo Emergency
Over by the batting cages, this guy informs us that the expert machine is now available.
I dug up all sorts of dirt… About Kana-chan, that is. Are you free? I wanna talk to you about. 
...Thanks. Come on over to my room then. I’ll tell you there. 
But… she never continued on to high school. I decided to do some digging into why that might be, and… well… The more I dug, the worse it got… 
Music: Suspicion
Her parents are in heavy debt due to a gambling addiction. So… instead of sending her to school, they make her work to help try and pay it off. ...Apparently, they’re still having her model in strange clothes. They’re even selling the pictures now…Man, this is… fucked.
She did!? Well, that settles it.
Based on the IP and other tracking data, I’m 99.9% sure it’s her. The post was basically just her asking us to make her parents have a change of heart… But she didn’t put their names. She might be a little hesitant. Or… she doesn’t totally believe in the Phantom Thieves yet. Either way, I have a solution. 
Kouta Magario and Asami Magario. I got a hit for them from the Meta-Nav too… We can fix them. I’ve decided, Maaku… I wanna go to Mementos and change their hearts. We could do that… or maybe we could just, like, kill them. I think it would work out great for everyone.
We can’t let them keep treating Kana-chan so horribly, right? 
Oh, and since you’re gonna help me with this, I’ll have to return the favor. Hmhmhm… I’ll look extra hard for valuable stuff when we’re in the Metaverse! Well? Pretty good, huh!? I can feel a strong bond of trust from Futaba… 
This is honestly a pretty annoying ability. “Search objects” are objects in the field that spawn sellable loot (or occasionally a consumable item) that can be stolen. With this ability, they have a chance to respawn after every single battle. All of them. We’re going to see this a lot, is what I’m saying. The animation takes a few seconds, too. However, the real issue is that in Palaces we’re not actually backtracking all that often, meaning we’re not really going to have many opportunities to take advantage of this.
Welp, I’ll be counting on you! Let’s save Kana-chan! I need to help Futaba put an end to this horrible parenting… ...Oh shoot, it’s getting late. Let us adjourn for today! 
G-Goodnight.Music: Beneath the Mask
Oh goddammit
You don’t even have anything new to say, piss off!
What could be in the food tray he had delivered to them!? Revive and fight, Phoenix Rangers! Next episode… “Grilled Gizzard is My Favorite—But it’s a Trap!”Music: Layer Cake
...There’s somethin’ I need to talk to you about. 
All right, come to the back. Music: Suspicion
While you and Kaoru were over at that diner, I was out gettin’ info from a reliable source of mine. Turns out I guessed right. Tsuda was the one on the other end of that Hong Kong mafia deal. Apparently he paid them off for a huge arsenal of guns. 
If he was smugglin’ all that shit in, why would he come to me askin’ for modified guns? I mean, don’t somethin’ about that seem off to you? 
That piece of shit’s tryin’ to lord his position over me… but he ain’t got shit now! What I’m really sayin’ here is… I don’t think those Hong Kong guys ever delivered on their end of the deal. They prolly just took his money and flat out stiffed him on the guns. Masa told me somethin’ real weird back when you and Kaoru were over at the diner though. Apparently, the clan’s been treatin’ that Hong Kong transaction like some kinda massive business success. That means Tsuda’s been lyin’ to ’em this whole time… And now he’s tryin’ to use me to cover up his mistake. Uhh, I thought you didn’t sell real guns? Y’know, they only look real? What is the yakuza gonna do with a bunch of airsoft weapons?
Even if I’m totally misunderstanding this dude’s plan, which seems likely, it doesn’t actually seem that smart to me. Even assuming Iwai is getting them real guns somehow, for the deal Tsuda likely had with the Hong Kong mafia you’d think there’d probably be a sizeable quantity of hardware. How would Iwai manage to replicate all that, on short notice, for free?
...Don’t matter now though. Everything’s gonna change once I tell the clan what’s up. Tsuda’s not gonna be able to keep intimidatin’ me anymore. And I’ll make sure Kaoru won’t get labeled, like I was… He’ll be a regular, respectable adult. Somethin’ I coulda never even dreamed of… I’m gonna have to talk to Tsuda himself first though. Gotta follow the yakuza code.What!? No, this sounds like a great plan as long as your end goal is to be somewhere deep in the ocean. The fucking “yakuza code,” are you kidding me!? You’re not even yakuza anymore!
…… Hey, I got a favor to ask of you. If anythin’ happens to me, take care of Kaoru, OK?I’m seventeen, my dude. I’m not sure what you want me to do here.
…OK?
Yeah. I’d like to think he’s above thug shit like that… But if he wanted, he could get rid of me no problem. Unless I had some kinda witness with me, that is…Oh fuck no.
Wait a sec. I’ve got you.SHIT
I want you to come talk to Tsuda with me. He’s not gonna dare lay a finger on a civilian kid. It’d cause way too many complications for him.Are you sure about that? Because I’m not. I’ve got a record, you know. The authorities ain’t gonna give two shits about me.
If you come as my witness, things’ll be miles safer. ...All right then. It’s settled. I didn’t say shit, asshole!
Oh, and lemme think of a reward. Gotta thank you for the info, and for bein’ my witness. How ‘bout I work even harder on that special menu? That should be good for you, yeah? *nods**sigh* Goddammit...
It feels like my bond with Iwai is growing even deeper...
We really gotta customize some guns at some point.
Well, I’ll hit you up when it’s time. Let’s do this, kid. Thanks for today. 
Huh…? Who could that be at this hour…? Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
Okay, I know I decided to lighten up on you, Mishima, but I’m not sure I want to go to “Dome Town” with you.
Earlier I got some info that I can’t turn a blind eye to. I got us two passes. Wanna go and check it out tomorrow?
Actually, let’s do it. Mishima deserves something nice after playing hero and I deserve something nice before my imminent fitting for concrete shoes. Also I feel bad that he already bought the passes like the poor, lonely fool he is.
Dome Town is an amusement park, right? Tomorrow should be fun.