Persona: Devil Summoner

For example, now, Baek Jong Naoto showed a confident smile.

If my reasoning is correct and Mitsuyo Togo is really the "creator of fairy tales", I'm afraid it's impossible to defeat her by conventional means.

It takes a little... "special" skill.

Just like what I said before, what should you do if a ghost suddenly appears in the escape room? ! Then beat him, beat him, and keep beating him until he kneels down and begs for mercy!

Now that we know that this is the fantasy world that Togo Mitsuyo created specifically for Togo Ichiro...then, all we have to do is find a way to destroy this premise.

In this world, what is the thing that is incompatible with fairy tales... or even completely contrary to fairy tales?

The answer is...reality.

The reason why fairy tales are beautiful is that they eliminate those cold, bloody and extremely painful elements of reality.

Fairy tales tell you that the prince and princess live happily together.

But the reality tells you that the prince and princess may not only have emotional disputes, but may also intrigue because of the different national interests they represent.

Fairy tales tell you that when you are desperate, as long as you keep good intentions in your heart, there will always be fairies, elves, wizards, gods and other supernatural beings to save you.

But reality tells you that no matter how kind or painful you are, these fantasy elements do not exist.

So... why can't everyone save Sumire Yoshizawa now? It's because everyone can't let this fairy tale go on smoothly.

Well then - just introduce realistic elements directly to destroy the "fairy tale feeling" of this fairy tale.

As for the trump card... Bai Zhongzhidou certainly has it. Moreover, it is an absolutely fatal "Supreme Magic Bullet".

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 401: Quack! Don’t bring reality into the second dimension!

In modern society, in fantasy works, we can always see this kind of evaluation: This is totally inconsistent with common sense and reality!

Let’s not talk about reality, common sense, common sense, and other subjective things, which will change with the times. For example, Guan Yu is a martial saint. Why doesn’t he drive a tank? Why doesn’t he use a machine gun? Why doesn’t he use nuclear weapons? Is it because he doesn’t like it? Is it pacifism? Or is it that the three weapons mentioned above cannot beat the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the Red Hare?

No, it's just that in his era, weapons were cold weapons. This is [reality]. The reality that Guan Yu lived in is different from the reality that netizens live in now. So, which of these two realities is false?

Similarly, in the pre-Qin period, everyone believed that the sky was round and the earth was flat. If you dared to say that the earth was round, you would definitely be laughed at: Why didn’t you fall off the edge? This is the [common sense] that keeps changing with the accumulation of knowledge and the changes of the times. Maybe, a thousand years from now, when people look back at us, they will only laugh at us: “Oh, the ancients a thousand years ago were so ignorant that they still believed this?!”

These examples all prove a crucial core logic: in fantasy works, don’t think about reality every day. Instead, follow the setting of the work. This is what we often say “believe in the prescribed situation”.

On the other hand, if there is a novel that is exactly the same as reality, then why don't I live my real life? I work hard in real life and I also work hard in the game, so isn't this fantasy just a waste of time?

Yes, as a fantasy work, the most direct antonym of fairy tale is "reality".

So, how do we bring reality into Mitsuyo Togo's palace?

The answer is simple...

Dada. Dada. Dadada…

Dongxiang Yiersan was lying on the table playing chess with himself when he suddenly noticed a rhythmic sound coming from the window. The sound of a hard object hitting the glass was so recognizable that Dongxiang Yiersan turned around in surprise and asked, "Is it Mr. Crow?"

Just as she thought, the crow with bright feathers was also standing by the bed today, holding a letter in its mouth. Dongxiang Yiersan opened the window curiously, and the crow cleverly flew up, opened its mouth, and the envelope fell into it.

Inside is...

A weird-looking emblem.

If anyone is a fan of Detective Conan, they will probably recognize it at a glance. This is the real-life replica of the powerful detective badge in the animation.

Of course, the functions are not as amazing as in the animation, but the basic calling functions are there.

Dongxiang Yiersan was playing with this thing curiously, not understanding why Mr. Crow would send it to him. But considering the previous letter, I'm afraid this is also some important information.

Just as she was studying what the badge was for, suddenly, a man's voice came from the badge!

"Hello, is this Miss Togo Ichi-San?"

This is Jiang Tianwei's voice.

However, after the tone change of the communicator, it seemed particularly... weird. As we all know, the voice on the phone is different from the direct conversation. This is the case with the phone, not to mention such a small detective badge. Moreover, Bai Zhongzhidou is not specialized in communication.

Dongxiang Yiersan only felt that the voice sounded a little familiar, but after it was tampered with by electric current, he could no longer tell who it was.

"Well, who are you?"

"Me? You don't have to worry about me. Or, you can call me... the Mind Thief."

"..."

Togo Ichiraku thought to himself, this guy speaks so strangely, maybe he is an avid fan of video games and cartoons?

(Come to think of it, I thought this crow was raised by the Chinese chess friend I met in church. Could it be that it was actually raised by the thief? The thief and the crow are indeed a perfect match... But, there is also a possibility that he is the thief? No, maybe the thief raised the same crow?)

Dongxiang Yiersan thought of several possibilities in his mind. This is a common problem for chess players. If you only look at and think about what is happening in front of you, you will lose nine times out of ten. You need to plan many steps in advance.

Thanks to this, Togo Ichi-san's thinking ability is not weak.

"Are you the Chinese friend who played chess with me in church?"

"…What are you talking about, Miss Togo? Let's get down to business. Now that we know your predicament, I want to ask you - are you willing to muster up the courage to get out of this predicament?"

Dongxiang Yiersan's heart trembled when she heard this topic. After all, whether as a girl who loves fantasy or as a serious chess player, the thinking mode of paying a price to gain benefits has long been rooted in her thinking.

Whether it is Go, chess, shogi or chess, there is a way of thinking such as "sacrificing pieces to gain the upper hand". If necessary, you can sacrifice specific pieces to gain the right to take the initiative.

This feeling is just like getting the first move in a turn-based combat game. It can be said to be very important, even crucial.

So, today, when he heard the other party say that he would help him out of the predicament, Dongxiang Yiersan's first reaction was not joy or doubt about the authenticity, but...

"Well, what is the price?"

Her first reaction was to focus on the cost.

Obviously, this reply was not within the scope of the other party's main speculation, so the other party paused. After thinking for a moment, the other party responded: "The price is that you have to make this decision yourself."

Although in many works, there are often people who are desperate to seek the truth. But in reality, the truth is often not so beautiful. This is why there is a discussion called "white lies" in everyone's ideological and moral textbooks.

Now, although Togo Ichiro seems to be in a state of imprisonment, for children of this age, they often accept their parents' various behaviors. Although there are complaints, it is far from the point of "rebellion against mother" - otherwise, with her star effect, she can solve the problem by just leaning her head out of the window and shouting for help.

However, deep down, she was afraid to make such a choice.

High school students are at a very delicate age, between children and adults, and their values ​​are gradually maturing and improving, but they are not yet in a complete transition period. Although children at this age always feel that they are mature and can be responsible for their own behavior, if they really have to take responsibility, most high school students with a little bit of rationality will weigh and judge, except for the situation where they are too hot-blooded.

This is why you always hear about students skipping classes, but rarely hear about students dropping out of class.

On the one hand, I don't want to be bound, but on the other hand, I am worried about practical problems and dare not break free.

Therefore, the person on the other end of the phone will regard "making a decision" as a price.

Togo Ichiro was silent for a while. Even if she was very out of touch with information, the overwhelming popularity of Phantom Thieves made her understand what Phantom Thieves were like and that they could change the hearts of evil people and make them admit their mistakes.

However, as a chess player, or as a public figure, if my mother admits her mistake in public, it will definitely cause a series of reputation issues... Is this a good thing?

It only took Togo Ichiraku a dozen seconds to make the decision.

"I understand……"

"Very good. As long as you have the courage to fight, we, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, will definitely help you. But the first step now is to find something to break the window."

"!"

Dongxiang Yiersan's heart skipped a beat and he felt his heart skip a beat!

(Break the window... If my mother comes home and sees it, she will definitely scold me... Also, if I break the window, what will the neighbors outside think?)

She began to feel a little scared.

For a long time, her overly strong mother had left a huge psychological shadow in her heart, making her dare not resist her mother.

"If you don't have the courage, then nothing else matters."

“…I, I understand.”

Dongxiang Yiersan said this, walked to the door, turned the door handle, and as expected, the door lock that could not be opened made a clicking sound. The room he was used to living in now felt like a lifeless prison.

Although Togo Ichiraku liked to stay in her room alone and play chess, the pressure from her mother now felt like the low pressure before a storm, making it hard for her to breathe.

If it were normal, Dongxiang Yiersan would definitely not have the courage to fight against her mother. However, not long ago, her mother told her about her plan, and this plan further intensified Dongxiang Yiersan's desire to fight.

"I know."

If the first sentence "I understand" is said to the thief on the opposite side, then the second sentence is said to yourself.

Dongxiang Yiersan grabbed his chair with both hands and smashed it hard against the transparent glass on the window...

Bang! Snap! Crash!

Three consecutive crisp sounds, accompanied by a strong gust of wind and a red and black flickering light, made Dongxiang Yiersan feel very uncomfortable. The next moment, she felt dizzy and lost her will.

Before she fell, an arm supported her vaguely and said to her softly: "You did a good job. Good girl. Next, leave it to us."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 402 So, what is the price?

For at least half of the past decade or so of Togo Kazumi's life, he has been living under the control of his mother.

This is what it’s like to have a strong and controlling mother.

Even though he started playing shogi with his father just for fun, his mother used his talent as a means of publicity.

She knew that her mother had a dream of becoming a star, but she did not have the material conditions to support this dream in her time, so she could understand her mother. Anyway, she really liked shogi, so it was not bad to satisfy her mother's idea while playing shogi.

Dongxiang Yiersan has always lived this way, and she feels that this is probably how she will live in the future as well.

Yes, if there was no Phantom Thief of the Mind, if there was no "that plan", Togo Ichimi would definitely follow the route planned by her mother. Even if she was imprisoned, she would only sigh "this is too much" and accept it, comforting herself that there was nothing she could do and that there was no savior in reality, and then she would spend her life under her mother's control.

The plan refers to Togo Ichiro's mother's decision to make Togo Ichiro lose on purpose in the next game.

Just like there are match-fixing in football, there are also match-fixing in chess.

The reason my mother gave was that people always sympathize with the weak, especially women. A woman who wins every battle is certainly a hot topic, but a woman who has failed before and still works hard to challenge is more likely to resonate with women.

This can be seen from the number of similar plots in Japanese morning dramas.

First of all, Togo Kazumi couldn't accept that her favorite shogi was being used in such a place. Secondly, her honor as a shogi player didn't allow her to surrender without a fight.

But, at this time, the mother's words came again: "Do you really think that you have won so far by your own ability?"

Then, Togo Ichiraku realized a terrible and sad fact.

So far, all the opponents she defeated in chess were bribed by her mother in advance, who gave her enough benefits and deliberately fixed the game.

Knowing this fact, Togo Ichiraku felt particularly uncomfortable.

This is also why I finally decided to listen to the thief and break the glass.

"!"

The thought of breaking the window, the sharp sound, the fresh wind that suddenly blew in front of him, and the indescribable feeling of pleasure in his heart all surged into his mind and woke Tougo Ichirsan up.

The place where I am is a place that is almost no different from my home.

But the atmosphere is completely different.

Firstly, the view outside the window was black and red. Secondly, although there was light in the room, the bulb was red. This color, which is always associated with a sense of crisis, made her feel very uneasy.

Around her were a group of people dressed in black. One could guess that these people were probably the Mind Thief.

A man wearing a fox mask, a woman with red ponytails, a woman who looked like she came out of a fighting comic, and a man who was obviously the boss.

Why is he the boss?

Because his style was particularly out of place, everyone else was wearing black clothes, which looked like leather, but he was wearing a black robe with four pairs of flags on his back, a decorative sword on his waist, and a strange crown on his head.

These people were all wearing masks, so only half of their faces could be seen. Judging from their chins, they should be young.

"You, are the Phantom Thief of Hearts?"

Togo Ichi-San asked.

The man she identified as the boss turned his head, and only a pair of black eyes could be seen under the completely covered white mask.

"Yes."

"Will you help me change my mother's heart?"

"Yes. Because—that's what you called us, right?"

This man who looks like the boss said so.