Persona 5 Part #149 - 11/12-11/13: You Come At The King

Part 149: 11/12-11/13: You Come At The King

Part 141: 11/12-11/13: You Come At The King

Anon: 30 million yen OMG XD
Anon: this site pisses me off
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Music: Suspicion

It’s already the 12th. We have about a week until the investigation. Can we make it so we can send the calling card? Let’s go to the Palace today!

We’ll go when I feel like it! Get off my case, mom!

I’m sure you have a plan. You’re you, after all. I don’t want to be arrested for a false accusation. I want to find the real culprit after all. Let me know when you decide to go. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.

Music: So Boring

No.

Have you ever heard a recording of your own voice? Were you surprised? That’s because when you hear your voice normally, you hear it through your bones. The voice you hear in a recording that makes you feel uncomfortable is unmistakably your own voice. Now then, Hamiru-kun. Has hearing someone’s voice over the phone ever felt strange to you? Do you know why hearing someone’s voice over the phone sounds different than their real voice?

I’m impressed. That’s correct. It’s practically not even their voice anymore. To transmit data, cell phones use a certain way of encoding your voice into digital information. And when your phone has to use that data to reassemble a voice, it can only do so much.

Maaku gains Knowledge +1.

Oh? You think you’d be able to tell if you were hearing a computer talking? As long as the tone and intonation match, the listener’s brain fills in any other differences. Most of our communication is based on assumptions.

Yeah, my voice just sounds like meows to people who don’t know me. Geez… Assumptions are dangerous.

That’s not quite the same thing, Morgana.

Music: Tokyo Daylight

The ruling party disbanded, so our country and economy’s doomed! But I can stop all that. I hope.

Come on, buddy! Don’t be like that. I’m just looking out for your future… ...Psh. Kid’s not buying it. I guess you’d have to be a real idiot to fall for that line.

Nooo! I don’t want my brains scrambled! Daddy! Daddy, help meeeeeee! Heh, playing Phantom Thieves at a time like this? They’re cowards who ran from the police. All I do is save money from idiots who’d waste it. Society ought to be grateful to me!

Ohya’s ready after only one try, awesome.

There’s something I wanna talk to you about while we’re at it.

Hamiru-san, you’ve improved so much compared to when you first started. OK, let’s play.

Shinya Rank 10

Music: What’s Going On?

Actually, yeah I did! *chuckle* Have you noticed that my playing style has changed? I feel calmer when I’m under pressure now. I wonder if it’s because I’m not so obsessed with winning anymore…

Good for you, man.

Hey… I invited some people here today. They should be arriving any minute now…

Oh hey, those kids you terrorized. Good times.

Music: Sunset Bridge

I finally realized that I was being selfish… Please forgive me. I’ll understand if you guys don’t, but… ...I promise I’ll pay back the money as soon as I save up enough.

(to Quiet-looking Boy) ...Well, what do you wanna do?

……

That’s all I wanted to say… Thanks for coming.

Wait! I’m not very good at Gun About… Will you teach me how to get better?

Huh? Then…

Hey, it’s the pro gamer…!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it, kid? You want to play a game? I haven’t faced any worthy opponents lately.

Shinya looks over to Quiet-looking Boy, who nods.

...I’ve gotten better since we last played, you know. Now I can stay calm during a battle. I’m gonna blast right through that pitch black armor of yours.

...So then, you believe the rumor that’s being told about me, eh? Well, a full display of my skills should put an end to that lie.

...Take that. Don’t aim for the body… ...And that!

...Tch! This is BS!

Whoa, the champ can’t even get off a shot!

Takekuma’s about to lose! The king’s going to win!

Stop using that armor and start playing fair and square. It’s unacceptable to break the rules just to win, whether you’re an adult or a child. And if you don’t stop, I’ll tell everyone.

...No, I won’t admit defeat! I just can’t! It’ll be the end of everything!

The video’s worth it just for this one line, because Takekuma sounds exceptionally whiny here.

No it won’t. Your life will go on, even after you lose. But if you don’t change now, then it might really be the end for you. And then no one will be able to help you. I don’t want you to go through that.

...Is that a threat?

…… Well said… for a kid… I’m not going to enter the tournament. See ya.

The King’s the new champ!

No… I’m not. I haven’t won the tournament yet. Besides, it’s thanks to you guys… that I was able to get stronger.

...I’m so happy right now.

I’ve always thought that winning was the coolest thing. But being nice is pretty cool too… Losing wasn’t the end. It was just a new beginning. Through all the pain, and with your help… I was able to change.

*nods*

Now it’s my turn to help others. My mom, my friends… even people I don’t know. I wonder… Will that help me become a member of the Phantom Thieves?

D’oh, guess there was no point in trying to keep up the charade.

Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. …… Well, this is the last time we’ll play together. There’s nothing left to teach you, and the Phantom Thieves seem to be having a rough time… Thank you… for hanging out with a lonely kid like myself. I’ll continue to do my best. OK, put out your hand.

Music: The Spirit

Despite the plain description here, from cursory forum searching I have discovered Oda Special actually seems to do three things. The first is exactly what this text implies, that all of your handgun bullets (so no Gun Skills, sadly) now have the classic SMT skill Pierce applied to them, so they’re no longer subject to enemy resistances and will deal full damage no matter what. Drain/Repel/Null/Resist Gun are no longer a problem. This is only mildly useful, but apparently this skill also prevents Joker’s gun attacks from missing, too. Still, not worth all that much. Warning Shot is still Shinya’s best skill by a mile. However, when I did research on this skill for this update, I found multiple sources online stating that Oda Special also ridiculously ups Joker’s critical chance with guns, to something like eighty percent. What the fuck. So I checked up and sure enough, I’m getting lotsocrits, but in practice the rate is more like fifty percent or so. Still, abso-fucking-lutely incredible.

Anyway, Shinya’s a decent kid. I’m used to Barbara Goodson’s voice for him, but it’s still a little weird.

Music: Sunset Bridge

...You’ve gotten really good! But you’ll still never be able to beat me!

Didn’t you just learn the Important Life Lesson that it doesn’t actually matter?

You won’t lose to anyone else though! *chuckle* I’ll be supporting you, no matter what…!

Interacting with Shinya has made my heart grow… I feel like my Kindness has increased…

Maaku gains Kindness +3.

Later!

Bye, Shinya. Truly it was we who... got smoked.

Music: Beneath the Mask

How will the Feathermen, who are slowly succumbing to avian influenza, get out of this one!? Next episode… “Broken Wings.”

Music: Layer Cake

Well, it’ll make my job easier if the cops have their attention elsewhere, y’know? So, you’re here ‘cause you saw my message, right?

I’m gonna give you hard time [sic] like I promised, OK?

Time for you to do some work around the shop, Mr. Gun Enthusiast.

This thing’s an antique. I’m not gonna sell it to anyone less than a real gun expert.

I heard he got excommunicated from the clan. Apparently his boss found out what happened. Serves him right, huh?

I mean sure, that bastard pissed me off, but I never once wished he’d up and die on me.

Not even when he was going to murder you and your son? And also me?

This whole thing’s been real crazy though. I mean, Tsuda used to be the role model for upholdin’ the code… I guess this is what he meant when he said times’re changin…

Music: Tension

The hell’re you doin…!? You motherfucker! Hey, hold on!

That bastard Masa’s abducted Kaoru!

Masa? Oh right, him. That dude what from the diner.

He damn well better be, or else Masa’s a dead man! God, that piece of shit…! He knew about Tsuda’s failure the whole time… I bet he was just waitin’ for a chance like this.

Right. They’re over at Seaside Park. I’ll grab the keys n’ lock up! C’mon, let’s go!

Wait, why am I coming?

Music: Desire

Ahahahahaha, what is Masa doing? “Hey man, I got this knife! I wanna show it to you! Just gonna hold it vaguely in the direction of your son and hopefully that works as a threat! There totally aren’t like eight different ways for him to easily escape this situation! The devs just didn’t want to go to the trouble of doing a more sensible pose? What are you talking about? It’s probably way more complicated than you’re suggesting, shut up!”

Take it easy, Mune-san. All I did was give him a friendly ride home from cram school. Ain’t that right, Kaoru-kun?

Dad… I’m sorry. He said he had some stuff to tell me about you… Then, he…

Kaoru…

Man, ain’t he just a great kid?

And what’re you, Mune-san’s little errand boy? Wait… I remember you. You’re that weirdo from the diner.

Fuck off. I heard you the first time.

...So, what’re you gonna make me do?

Great question. Y’know those modded guns you were gonna give Tsuda? It’d be real nice to get my hands on ‘em. There’s a lieutenant spot open now that Tsuda’s gone, but I still need to prove my worth before I can get it. And you’re gonna help me do just that.

Sorry Masa, but you got some real shitty timin’. We just broke ‘em all down. There’s nothin’ left.

You think that’s gonna dissuade me? ...Y’know, I know everythin’ about Kaoru-kun’s situation.

What…!?

Dad? What does he mean!?

Don’t you remember what I told you in the car, Kaoru-kun? About your dad? About what he thinks of you?

R-Right… I’m just… a burden, aren’t I? That’s it, isn’t it? Tell me, Dad. I can handle the truth!

You’re at (very loose) knifepoint, kid. Can’t we have this conversation some other time? Man, this is some hot fresh melodrama if I’ve ever seen it.

That ain’t true! I’m tryin’ to protect you, Kaoru!

Hey, this family bullshit is real touching n’ all, but we’re s’posed to be negotiatin’ here, remember? Why don’t we start with a delivery date? The sooner the better, in my book.

You bastard…!

Oh, don’t gimme that shit. None of this would be happenin’ if you didn’t go n’ take that brat in.

I knew it… Everything really is my fault…

Kaoru…

Hey, what’re you two chattin’ about over there?

Kaoru, listen… There’s somethin’ I [sic] been keepin’ from you for a while now… and you’re prolly not gonna like it. Truth is, your real parents didn’t die in a car crash. You were abandoned by your mother when you were still a baby. That’s why I took you in. Believe it or not… I was actually part of the yakuza back then.

Oh man! I can’t believe you really freakin’ told him, Mune! He’s not lyin’, Kaoru. From what I heard, your mom tried to sell you to us just so she could get her hands on some easy drug money!

Sell me…?

Yup! Then when Mune here wasn’t buyin’, she just dumped you and ran! And that’s how you ended up with a yakuza dad. Pretty crazy, huh!? Ahhh, that’s a relief! I’ve been tryin’ to hold that in all day long. I couldn’t wait to see the look on your face when you found out!

……

Man, this is hilarious. Boo freakin’ hoo, how sad… Ahahaha!

Enough. All of that might be true… but it’s in the past now! I’m not a child anymore, and I’d never let a stupid secret like that get to me!

So what if my mom dumped me!? Or if my dad was part of the yakuza!? We might not be related by blood, but we’re connected by the gecko…! So you know what? I don’t care what you have to say about us! I’m me, and Munehisa Iwai… is my dad!

Aww…

Heh… *chuckle* Attaboy, Kaoru. Listen, Masa… Let’s put an end to this, right here, right now. We can start fresh.

You seriously still don’t get it, do you? Kaoru-kun’s--

Music: Tension

Oh shit, Tsuda! Also, he’s not even holding the knife on the same side of his body as you anymore, Kaoru. Just fucking run away.

T-Tsuda… I mean, sir!?

Don’t give me that. I know you ratted me out to the boss. You never have been good at keeping your mouth shut.

N-No, it wasn’t me!

Uh-huh. And what do you think you’re doing waving that knife around? Huh!?

Your kid’s got guts, Mune. Like father like son, huh?

Looks like it. So, what now?

Well, I’ll start by making this idiot repay his debts. I haven’t thought much about what comes after. All I really know is… this is where we say goodbye, Mune.

...Take care, brother.

Let’s go.

Music: Sunset Bridge

And now that Masa’s busy digging his own shallow grave, time for a family chat.

Yeah. I was a little afraid… but it’s all better now.

Heh. Honestly, I’m surprised you stayed calm through all that. Guess you’re maturin’ quicker than I even realized…

Y’know, I’ve been so busy makin’ sure he doesn’t end up like me that I forgot to see who he’s actually becomin’. Heh… I can’t believe I’m only just realizin’ this now. Hehe… And it’s all thanks to you, kid. I appreciate it… for real.

It feels like my bond with Iwai is growing even deeper...

Hey, all that excitement made me super hungry… Why don’t we go back to that diner?

*sigh* You seriously eat on a whole ‘nother level… You might even end up taller than me someday. C’mon, let’s head over there.

Let’s go!

The three of us enjoyed a peaceful dinner together...

Huh…? Who could that be at this hour…?

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)

We have about a week left, so why don’t we take a break?

Because we haven’t done anything yet, Haru.

There’s a thriller that’s out called “Pach-Saw.” What do you think? If you can handle that kind of stuff, that is.

You guys are gonna fuckin’ hate me for this, but uh… tomorrow was actually the date I had decided we would go into the Palace about an in-game week in advance. And even if it wasn’t, we don’t need points with Haru, we’re full up on social stats, and there’s just no good reason to waste a day hanging out when we could be ranking someone up. I’m sorry. But, then, why choose “Decide later”? Well… you’ll see.

Anon: Oh how far they’ve fallen
Anon: lol this place went to shit
Anon: Is the admin an accomplice?
Anon: if its not them ill eat poo

I love these messages so much.

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)

Yeah, that’s how much time we got to nab that Treasure.

There’s that, but it’s also how much longer we’ll ge to stay as the Phantom Thieves.

Yeah.

Now that you mention that, it is quite an odd feeling.

That’s not really an answer to my question, but it’s good motivation!

Well I guess all we can do now is do this shit like we always do.

Yeah. For Makoto’s sister.

Thank you, everyone.

Music: Tokyo Emergency

Now, I said we wouldn’t be able to do Haru’s movie event. But I never said we wouldn’t see it. I felt bad about it, so I saved my game in the attic when I regained control and decided to accept Haru’s invite.

(Also, Haru’s “Maaku-kun? I guess you didn’t want to go?” there is heartbreaking.)

All right, let’s meet in front of the movie theater in Shinjuku!

All right, let’s go see the movie today.

Pach-Saw

Music: Break it Down

Let’s go inside. I’m so excited…

Haru likes scary movies, good to know.

Music: Some weird low humming

Coward voice: Please! No! The elephant! It’s coming this way! AAAAAAAAAAGH
*Elephant noises*
Deep voice: GAME OVER.

I-I-I-I can t-t-totally handle th-this sorta s-s-stuff…!

After watching this scary movie, I feel like I’ve got more Guts than I did before...

Maaku gains Guts +3.

Music: Break it Down

How was it for you? Do you like scary movies?

There’s a brief pause in the video at this point, because I had to put down the controller I was laughing so hard. Haru’s great.

Thanks for hanging out with me today. I had a lot of fun! It’s too scary to watch these alone. And I didn’t have any friends I could ask before, so… I’m really happy that we could watch it together! Ah, it’s time we headed back home.

Now we reload back to the earlier attic save we made in the daytime.

Music: Tokyo Emergency

Here’s what we’ve got for you today! 20 cans of Mystery Stew! Customers keep coming back for its, well, mysterious flavor!

It’s perfect for using it as a punishment on someone! Ugh, the smell’s leaking out…!

Despite the weird way it’s being sold, we absolutely fucking want this. It’s absurdly cheap for what it does and it’s enough to last the entire rest of the game. Buy it.

But I’m sure we can expect great things from Mr. Shido! Election day can’t come soon enough.

I don’t mind who wins, as long as I can live out the rest of my days in peace and quiet...

Autumn is here, and the leaves have changed color. This season, the cool air feels a bit lonely…

Stuff like feeling lonely doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m single and happy with what I’ve got.

I hate Mommy and Daddy! I wanna be with Kotaro…

Will you stop!? Kotaro is an old dog! You can’t push him like that!

*whine*...

I hope the Phantom Thieves come! I hope they steal Mommy and Daddy’s heart!

This dog girl subplot is really sad.

Music: Tokyo Daylight

It’s been pretty crazy out here. You’ve seen all the stuff about the Phantom Thieves on TV, right? I was thinkin’ I might come home. Nobody takes me seriously. Dunno if I have what it takes to be a star… Huh? What d’ya mean that ain’t rock n’ roll? Why you gettin’ mad about this? I thought long and hard, and…