Chapter 16
“What is that?” Sumire stared at the massive monster that her other self had become.
The laughing monster aimed its sharp shards at Sumire.
“Now that I am me, there’s no need for you to exist.”
The shards shot towards Sumire, who instinctively tried to dodge, but her legs were weak, her entire body trembling with exhaustion. She had never felt this weak, even after her rigorous training. In her weakened state, she couldn’t possibly avoid the attack.
Sumire closed her eyes, bracing for the impact, but she felt no pain.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw a familiar figure standing before her.
Yu Narukami’s imposing height seemed like a protective shield, a sense of security washing over her.
“Senpai?”
“Yes,” Yu glanced back at her. “Are you alright?”
Sumire hesitantly shook her head. Yu smiled gently at her, then issued his commands naturally. “Ren, help me. Mona and Teddie, protect Yoshizawa-san.”
Mona meowed in protest. “I’m not listening to you! I only take orders from my leader!” Yet he obediently stood in front of Sumire.
Ren quietly approached, looking at the Shadow being held back by Izanagi. “You don’t need my help at all.”
“I can’t just let you stand there doing nothing,” Yu patted Ren’s shoulder. “You should be the main force. I’m just here to help.”
Ren: …
He stopped arguing, attempting to summon his Persona. His school uniform instantly transformed into his Phantom Thief outfit, the quiet, innocent underclassman becoming the flamboyant Trickster. Both Ren and Yu were startled.
Weren’t they supposed to be exempt from the thief transformation in Inaba’s other world?! Why was he wearing his Phantom Thief outfit again?
Not only Ren, but even Mona, tasked with protecting Sumire, suddenly transformed from a quadrupedal black cat into a bipedal… cat monster.
“Never mind.” Unable to comprehend the reason, Ren dismissed it, pointing at the screaming Shadow. “Persona! Arsène!”
In his past life, he had fused Arsène away early on for stronger Personas. In this life, he would max out Arsène’s level. Not even Satanael could make him part with his initial Persona!
…Anyway, he was keeping Arsène.
Arsène and Izanagi repelled the Shadow’s attack.
As the Shadow crashed onto the stage, its fragmented glass body shattered, scattering shards everywhere. But a Shadow born from the self wasn’t so easily defeated. The shards began to coalesce, forming two glass-like hearts.
They were beautiful, like crystals, but they possessed the Light attribute, Arsène’s weakness.
Sumire struggled to her feet, watching the sci-fi-like battle in a daze.
What was happening today? Why was she here? Why was she facing a monster?
She didn’t know. She didn’t understand.
Just as she was about to break down, the giant Shadow spoke again, its words piercing through the chaos of battle, directly targeting Sumire’s insecurities.
“I can’t do it. I can’t do anything,” the Shadow said sadly.
“My sister was so amazing, so kind. Everyone loved her. I tried my best, but I could never catch up to her. I couldn’t become someone people liked, someone special. I could never become like her on my own.”
“So I had to ask for help, from anyone who could turn me into my sister.”
“That therapist understood my desire. He knew how weak and pathetic I was, how I envied my sister and wanted to be her. So he helped me.”
“But it wasn’t enough. I needed more.”
“If I kept pretending to be my sister, maybe I could become as amazing as her, and then completely replace her!”
“No, that’s not what I want.”
Sumire covered her ears tightly. “Stop talking!”
“You’re not me!”
Seeing Sumire’s denial further empower the Shadow, Yu frowned, turning to Ren, silently urging him to do something. This couldn’t continue.
If Sumire kept denying herself, her Shadow would disappear, and she would lose the chance to awaken her Persona.
Ren: …
Recalling Arsène, who had been stunned after being hit by a weakness attack, Ren walked towards Sumire.
“So, the less talented Sumire Yoshizawa deserves to die?”
Sumire froze, looking up at Ren sharply.
Ren stood before her calmly. “Denying your own existence, wanting to become your sister so badly… Does that mean the Sumire Yoshizawa who worked so hard all this time shouldn’t have existed?”
Sumire wanted to argue, but she didn’t know how.
She wanted to say: Talent is innate. Hard work can’t overcome the limitations of natural ability.
She wanted to say: You don’t understand how painful it is to be less talented than my genius sister, to endure the constant whispers and comparisons.
But how could she say that to Ren? At this moment, out of the three of them, Ren faced far more criticism and rumors than she did.
A former delinquent with a criminal record, exiled to Tokyo, falsely accused of theft, robbery, and murder, ostracized and bullied by the entire school, with no one willing to approach him except for a select few.
She couldn’t complain about her hardships to Ren, because his were far greater.
“The person I know is you,” Ren finally said.
“The talented, kind, and remarkable Yoshizawa-san.”
He glanced back at Yu, who was mercilessly pummeling the Shadow with Izanagi-no-Okami. “Isn’t that right, Narukami-senpai?”
Yu hadn’t expected to be included in the conversation.
He blinked, meeting Sumire’s gaze.
After a few seconds of thought, he said, “I’ll treat you to a beef bowl after this.”
Sumire stared at Yu blankly.
“You can get the extra-large size, with extra beef,” Yu added. “At the place where Ren works.”
Ren: …
At this rate, the Phantom Thieves would be having regular team dinners at the beef bowl shop.
Sumire smiled, then started crying again, tears streaming down her face as she sat on the ground.
Compared to platitudes like “accept yourself,” “believe in yourself,” or “live for your sister,” Yu’s nonsensical comfort had struck a chord.
Because Sumire didn’t need a lecture or complicated explanations. She just needed comfort.
Comfort specifically for Sumire Yoshizawa, without mentioning her sister, without demanding self-improvement.
She could eat a beef bowl, an extra-large one, with extra beef.
She could make new friends, friends who cared about her and worried about her going astray.
Just Sumire. Only Sumire.
Watching Sumire’s tears, Ren sighed softly in relief, then glanced at Yu.
This person truly had a way with people. His gentleness seemed ingrained in his very being, intertwined with his soul, making him a refreshing presence.
Trust, attentiveness, consideration, and a sense of security emanated from him, allowing him to instantly identify the knots in people’s hearts.
It was easy for people to feel close to him.
He wondered how much chocolate Yu would receive on Valentine’s Day…
Yu, unaware of Ren’s thoughts, noticed his gaze, a complex and subtle look, as if he was looking at some kind of heartbreaker.
Hmm?
Ren quickly averted his gaze, looking at the battered Shadow. “Let’s finish this.”
“Alright.” Yu, ignoring the previous oddity, finally unleashed Izanagi-no-Okami’s ultimate attack.
In the other world, defeating a Shadow without self-acceptance was meaningless. As long as the denial persisted, the self would vanish like a bubble.
That’s why Yu had held back, waiting for Sumire to understand.
Now she clearly did.
Myriad Truths unleashed, the Shadow and the two glass hearts shattered simultaneously, the Shadow screaming as it fell from the stage, reverting to its original form: Sumire Yoshizawa in her gymnastics leotard.
“I want to be my sister,” she still murmured. “I have to be my sister!”
Sumire, tears still streaming down her face, stood up and walked towards her Shadow.
“I’m sorry,” she embraced her Shadow. “I just couldn’t accept that my sister died saving me. I couldn’t bear the accusations that I killed her. I was too heartbroken, too fragile.”
“But I didn’t want to abandon you. How could I abandon myself?”
“I know… you are me.”
The Shadow was silent for a moment, then smiled at Sumire, nodding slightly before transforming into a beautiful, blue Persona.
Its name: Cendrillon.
After leaving the other world, it wasn’t too late. Yu and Ren walked Sumire home. She was exhausted after just awakening her Persona.
On their way back, Yu suddenly turned to Ren.
“Do you know who that quack therapist is?”
Ren, of course, knew. The quack was Takuto Maruki.
So he asked, “What are you planning?”
“Let’s report him,” Yu said seriously, his light gray eyes filled with righteous indignation. “Tampering with a patient’s memories as a therapist, nearly causing a disaster. We should report him and get his license revoked.”
Ren: …
Ren: ???
“Well,” Ren tugged at his hair, coughing, unsure whether to be speechless or amused by the prospect of Maruki’s downfall.
“We don’t have any evidence. Yoshizawa is a minor. Her parents probably consented to the therapist’s treatment plan.”
“Maybe Yoshizawa agreed to it too.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Yu dismissed his concerns. “Whether we have evidence or whether Yoshizawa consented, reporting him will at least cause him some trouble. I can’t stand the thought of that quack still treating other people.”
Ren thought for a moment. “But reporting him will leave a record, right? What if they trace it back to us?”
“Don’t worry. I have connections.”
Yu called Naoto Shirogane. “I have an incredibly capable detective friend.”
Naoto Shirogane, all the way in Inaba: …
