"Alright, let's call it a day. See you tomorrow, Mei-senpai."
After some more time passed, Ren put down the practice bamboo sword. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel, he bid farewell to Hokushin Mei beside him.
Ever since their last brief Q&A session, Hokushin Mei's inner Shadow seemed to have completely disconnected, never appearing before Ren again. While this spared him Mei's strange glances, the inability to raise Shadow Mei's Confidant rank left Ren, who was keen on securing a safe zone within her Palace, feeling a pang of regret.
"See you later, Mei-senpai."
Ren walked to the kendo club entrance under Mei's watchful gaze, then turned back. Once again, he raised his hand, waving goodbye to Hokushin Mei standing inside the dojo.
"Mm, see you tomorrow, Amamiya-kun!... But, why say goodbye twice..."
A slight blush touched Hokushin Mei's cheeks. A gentle smile graced her features as she also waved her small hand lightly towards Ren at the entrance. Mei assumed Ren repeated the "see you tomorrow" because he was eager to practice kendo with her again the next day.
But in reality... although Mei was only one person, Ren's farewell was indeed directed at two separate entities.
The familiar dimness and blurring sensation returned. Shadow Mei, as coolly arrogant as before, reappeared before Ren's eyes. However, Ren sensed her exquisite face seemed somewhat tense, her posture slightly stiff, giving off a slightly unnatural vibe.
Shadow Mei's wrist trembled slightly, as if she wanted to raise her hand but forced herself to stop. After standing silently for a long moment, she exuded an even more imposing aura. Lightning seemed to flicker within her deep purple eyes as she, like a lofty queen acknowledging a subject, gave an almost imperceptibly small nod with her fair chin.
In the next instant, Shadow Mei's figure vanished again, replaced by the sight of Mei herself, smiling gently and waving back at Ren.
The farewell got a reaction out of Shadow Mei! Although it was just the tiniest nod imaginable, it was still a breakthrough from zero to one! Everything was progressing steadily. The goal of turning the Palace into a safe zone was within reach!
At this thought, the smile on Ren's face couldn't help but widen.
Seeing Ren's happy smile directed at her, Mei's already slightly flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red, coloring even her delicate, small earlobes. She quickly turned away, avoiding Ren's deep black eyes and undisguised cheerful grin, her body stiffening almost comically as she walked back into the dojo, nearly tripping over her own feet.
"Alright, Mei-senpai's Confidant Rank... should be around Rank 2 now, right? I've basically mastered the Hokushin Itto-ryu techniques, and Shadow Mei is starting to respond to my words."
"Next up, I need to deal with the current pressing issue."
Slinging the bulging black backpack he'd brought to the dojo over his right shoulder, Ren stuck his right hand in his jacket pocket, took out his phone with his left to check messages, and strolled casually out of Chiba Academy grounds.
After leaving the academy, Ren didn't board the usual train home. Instead, he opened a navigation app and walked towards an unfamiliar location.
"Is this the place? The spot Hare told me about in the message, where I'm supposed to meet that weapons dealer."
Following the navigation app's guidance, Ren stopped in front of a plainly decorated, quiet bar. He looked up at the sign above, confirmed the location, and then pushed open the bar door.
He'd bought Hare expensive perfume scented with Cecilia flowers as a gift, which had indirectly led to Hare owing the weapons dealer a favor for arranging weapons for him. Ren's current pressing issue, naturally, was the urgent need to acquire sufficient funds. Otherwise, forget conquering Mementos; even his daily life would become difficult as his living expenses dwindled.
During his conversations with Hare, Ren realized she seemed somewhat hesitant to meet humans other than himself in the real world. Coupled with the fact that Hare had unknowingly been tricked into owing that cunning weapons dealer a favor, Ren ultimately decided that Hare would make the introduction, but he would meet and transact with the dealer himself.
The weapons dealer wasn't just an ordinary arms merchant; she was also a high-ranking member of a cult that worshipped the Serpent [World Serpent]. If it were the Ren from yesterday, he would never have chosen to personally confront this dangerous Serpent operative.
But times had changed. The Treasure he obtained from Yae Sakura's Palace today, the Jizo Mitama katana, possessed the absurd ability to project Personas into the real world. Since Ren could still utilize his power as a Persona user even in reality, he had nothing to fear.
The bar was located in a rather remote area, and there weren't many customers inside. But when Ren, looking undeniably young and still wearing the uniform of a prestigious school like Chiba Academy, brazenly walked in, the patrons inside still cast curious glances his way.
"One glass of milk with ice, please."
Ren ignored the stares from the bar patrons. He walked straight to the counter and spoke the code phrase to the bartender standing behind it, polishing a glass.
By regulation, bars weren't allowed to sell alcohol to minors, only non-alcoholic beverages. While ordering iced milk in a bar was strange, it wasn't so strange as to attract undue attention.
"So, you're the high school kid who wants to trade with me? I knew you were a student, but I didn't expect you to show up without even bothering to change out of your school uniform."
The bartender, standing in the shadows behind the counter, slid a glass of iced milk forward. Then, she slowly lifted her face, calmly speaking in a low voice to Ren, who had taken a seat in front of her.
"Let's get this straight first. Even though you were referred, if you're planning on selling me junk, I don't just buy anything, you know."