April 19
Tuesday
Early Morning
Sunny
Akira leisurely flipped through 'Yoncha Walker' on his way to school, but his mind was elsewhere. Whether it was Ryuji, Ann, or Morgana, they all admitted to feeling exhausted after exploring the Palace. Contrarily, Akira felt slightly fatigued and was back in peak condition after a good night's rest. He even had the energy to go through a workout before going to school.
{Are you certain it's not Pneuma?}
{…At the very least, it's not primarily due to Pneuma. Pneuma is a manifestation of willpower. You're more likely to use it to combat the negative effects of fatigue than prevent it altogether…The most likely answer is that your physical body is special.}
{Another mystery…I don't even have the answers to the first page of the test, but the second page is even more challenging…What sort of mess have I landed myself in?}
{…I…I wish I could tell you, Akira…I wish I could.}
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Morning
Sunny
"Kurusu-san! Take a look. Between A and B…which line seems longer?"
"They're the same."
"Heh, that's correct. It seems your eyes see the truth. This is…"
After answering Mr. Hiruta's question, Akira went back to what he was doing before, practicing with his Pneuma. As an ability it had a steep learning curve, but once a certain level of control was achieved, according to Kippōshi, it became significantly easier to manipulate. Even if one's Pneuma dramatically increased the diligently trained control would still be effective.
Knowing that the hard work he put in now would pay dividends later not to mention the continuous increase in Pneuma from growing stronger in the Metaverse, excited Akira.
{An unforeseen but welcomed outcome.}
{It makes me more curious as to how the Metaverse came to be.}
{…I can guess two people who may have an answer.}
{…Morgana…and Igor.}
{Yes, your observer.}
{He's so suspicious that I doubt myself.}
{…Trust your instincts…Knowing what we know about this world, they may be much more accurate than we believe.}
{Yeah…So, that leaves…}
{The cat.}
Akira turned his gaze downwards and saw the sleeping form of Morgana, curled up inside his desk.
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After School
Sunny
"'Wassup dude. You free?"
"Hey. Yeah, I got time, you need something?"
"Cool! How 'bout we do some trainin'? I know we already have a plan for Kamoshida, but I can't stay still."
Akira readily agreed.
"Great! Let's do some quick warm-ups behind the gym then. Go get changed."
- - -
Now in the iconic red and white Shujin athleticwear, Akira followed Ryuji to the courtyard.
"This is my secret trainin' spot. Er…was. Back when I was on the track team. I've been thinkin' about tryin' to run again."
"Oh?"
"Fightin' in the Metaverse is a total shock. Even after going through the entire castle, I couldn't move like I used to. It just felt…lame. So, I started thinkin', maybe I need to build up my muscles again. Anything's gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Plus, maybe I'll be able to help out a little more."
"You're more than helpful but if you're so determined then I'll raise my expectations, Ryuji."
"Hehehe, set 'em high, because I plan on surpassing 'em! Anyways, we might as well do it together."
"…"
"That was the point of asking you to change."
"I get what you're saying, it's just…I already train."
"Wait you do!? Oh right…you're a baseball player. I kinda forgot…"
"No worries. I have a few exercises I perform to train my explosiveness and flexibility. They should help out, and as for the endurance aspect. You and I both know that only continuous practice will help you return to your peak form."
"Thanks, man, I-I really appreciate it…but damn. I remember how quick you were. Tons of people thought you might have been a track star who converted to baseball."
"It's hard to take a compliment about something I can do naturally…"
"…"
Soon, Akira was guiding Ryuji through a series of dynamic exercises and stretches. It took less than an hour, but Ryuji was drenched in sweat, tired but motivated. While Ryuji recovered, Akira purchased two sports drinks from the vending machine.
"Holy crap…You don't play it all…Oh? Thanks."
The blonde took big gulps, quickly finishing the bottle.
"Ha…I needed that."
Akira, from the corner of his eye, observed how Ryuji massaged his right leg. From Ryuji's expression, Akira recalled a senior from Yokohama Kouhoku. He wondered if his senior was doing well…
"Y'know…Before Kamoshida came along, the track team was the biggest thing this school had goin' for it. But it all changed after he got our coach fired and took over as the sub…Dammit…That bastard…Right from the very start, he was tryin' to get rid of us. He'd give us hell-level workouts, and when we couldn't do 'em, he'd add even more on top of that…Day after day was nothing but that bullshit…"
Ryuji stood up and took a deep shuddering breath.
"He was goin' after me especially. He knew…He knew I was the kind of guy who'd fight back. If my time dropped even a little, he'd cuss me out. Then on top of that, he brought up my parents…"
"…What exactly…"
"…Truth is…my mom's the only one I got. All my dad did when he was still around was drink or if he got bored beat on me or my mom…I dunno how that bastard Kamoshida found out, but he told the whole goddamn team…And as you can guess, I lost it and hit him. It was like he wanted me to do it though. He called it an 'act of violence' and shit the team down…Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like some kinda traitor…And they ain't wrong, 'Cause of me, they lost their shot at the championship…."
Akira carefully listened and watched Ryuji's expression. Stubborn, hot-headed, drawn to fame…but loyal, straightforward, and protective. The bespectacled teen had a slight epiphany as to how Personas were manifested, as well as a deeper understanding of the former track star.
"What part do you regret?"
"What do you mean?"
"Was it punching Kamoshida, him breaking your leg, or the track team getting shutdown?"
"…I'd punch that bastard again even if it meant breaking my other leg."
"…Good."
"Anyway, that stuff doesn't matter now. That's all in the past. I'm focused on the future now! That's what we're gonna do—build the future! …I trust you, bro."
When two bumped fists, Akira felt a deeper connection form between Ryuji and himself.
"Alright! Let's do a few more laps!"
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Evening
Sunny
[…Thanks, man! I'll catch you later. See ya!]
[Later.]
Ending the call with Ryuji, Akira entered LeBlanc and was warmly greeted by the familiar smell of coffee and curry.
"You're back…I was thinking of reminding you to take studying seriously, but considering your grades in your first year, I figured you should be fine. Still, make sure to do well on your exams, they may seem pointless now, but it's better to accomplish a useless task than fail an important one…I peeked into your room and saw how clean it is, but it also made me think that you might need some privacy. Feel free to install curtains or whatever."
- - -
Akira made sure to feed the houseplant with high-quality nutrients and then proceeded to finish his homework.
Much of the evening was spent talking with Morgana about various infiltration methods while Akira himself crafted lockpicks, smokescreens, and the like.