A Soulmate's Challenge

"Urrrrrrrg! One more time and I'll get you! This one's for real!" A rematch declared.

"That's what you said the last twenty times." A point made in the Joker's favor.

"I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you! Multiverse theory dictates that I've already beaten you twenty times! Maybe more!" A… rather quirky view of the situation.

"Right… Just not in this universe, Futaba." ...Burn.

"That's it! NOW YOU FACE MY FINAL FORM!" Another reference, this one connected to a number of mediums.

"Meaning this is where I make a speech of our love being too powerful to overcome." A sly counter.

"A-Akira-kun! S-Stop trying to fluster me! You're breaking my concentration!" A second point in the Joker's favor.

"Man... those two," Sojiro Sakura sighed from the floor below, listening as his 'adoptive' daughter and her boyfriend continued to vigorously challenge each other up above.

"How long have they been doing this?" asked Ann, one of his three present customers.

"Honestly? Past three days at least," Ryuji decided to input. "I came over to try and hit the movies with the guy, but I ended up having to wait a half hour since Futaba kept demanding rematches. If it wasn't for our runs, Akira and I have been going on we would've missed the show."

"Meaning he's likely been spending most of his time only playing video games," Student President Makoto noted with a disappointed sigh. "And here I thought I'd have to worry about him the least out of the three of you."

"Huh? But he's been missing from class for almost a month now," Ryuji reminded.

"Knowing your study habits, his placement remains," Makoto told both blondes with a glare. Both guiltily turned their heads away, unable to face Makoto directly.

"He's actually been studying," Sojiro told them as he took out a cig to light, before reconsidering and put it back in its box. Even if his cafe was smoker friendly, he'd feel like an ass if he gave a couple of students his second hand. "Might not always look like it, but he's been hitting those books his teacher's been sending to him pretty hard."

"Ugh… that's all the more reason we need him down here," Ann sighed. "We all study better when he's here."

"Tell me about it; I don't even have the same classes as you two, but I feel better about myself studying with him," Ryuji muttered. "What about you, Makoto-senpai?"

"I certainly see your point, but don't blame your scores on Akira-san; you're both more to at fault than he is if you don't pass the exams." Lucky for Ann and Ryui, Makoto's second scathing glare was interrupted by a scream of anguish from Futaba from upstairs. "She… seems rather invested in whatever she's doing."

"As far as I can tell, she's gotten a new game and has been challenging Joker to it ever since it arrived," Sojiro decided to inform. "Started off that things were in Futaba's favor, but suddenly things went the other way and she hasn't managed to win a single match since. And knowing Futaba's pride she won't rest until she's discovered his winning strategy."

"And it's taking her this long?" Ann asked before giggling. "Funny, I thought Futaba had Joker wrapped around her little finger."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," the coffee maker said, trying to think back to a time that Futaba has noticeable control over Joker. She didn't; most of the time it seemed like he always just went with whatever she thought of. "Well even if she does, I guess her pride's not going to let her just get the answer out of him. She's got to win it her way; just like her mother."

"Huh, that so?" Ryuji questioned, right before Futaba and Joker descended the cafe steps, the later of whom was carrying textbooks. "Throwing in the towel?"

"Not even close; I'm pulling a strategic retreat for research," Futaba declared before poking Joker. "See you at eight then?"

"Sure, but…" Joker gave a sigh. "Mind if we just do movie night tonight? I'll let you pick what we watch."

"Alright, I guess you've earned it as your prize," Futaba said with a smile before reaching up and grabbing her boyfriends collar to force him down and deliver a peck to his cheek. Ann giggled at the display while Makoto and Ryuji gave a small smirk to the slightly embarrassed Joker… Sojiro had to quell his inner-father and convince himself that he was still okay with this. "Laters."

"Later," Akira said in kind as his girlfriend headed back to the Sakura residence. Placing his books on the table, he took a seat in the booth next to Ryuji. "So what are we working on first?"

"Dunno about those two, but I'm working on my Chemistry," the other male at the table informed.

"Ryuji…" both Ann and Makoto groaned in unison at the lameness of his "joke."

"WHAT!? I DIDN'T CHOOSE THE SUBJECT NAME!"

The four of them ended up spending a good hour studying after that point, making good strides in their work thanks to Joker's input and Makoto's ability to keep the group on track. It wasn't long later that they'd finished their reviews of the needed subjects.

"Ugh… So... much... studying…" Ryuji sighed. "I'd almost rather take another trip back to Shido's insane palace."

"I'd hate to say it, but it'd almost be a mercy right now," Ann said in agreement with a sigh. "Talk about mind numbing. The worst part is the waiting game that we need to keep playing every time we steal a heart."

"And since Joker clears every palace within one or two days that leaves us all the longer to wait," Makoto sighed as Joker scratched his head with slight guilt. "N-Not that there's anything wrong with that, better too early than too late."

"Right, and we usually end up worrying either way," Joker agreed, thinking back to Sae Niijima's palace and the worry they had as that one had to be completed on the final day. Getting up from his seat, he looked at the time on his phone. "It's already six."

"In that case I'm stopping here for today," Ann told him before smiling. "Thanks Joker, I made a ton of progress today! …I think."

"I guess we'll know the moment of truth in a week," Ryuji said as he exited the booth after Joker and stretched his muscles. "Damn… studying always makes me so sore… Hey Akira, want to hit the bath house?"

"Long as I'm back by eight," the Phantom Thieves' leader agreed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get you back to your lady by then," Ryuji told him with a smirk, earning a well meaning light punch to his arm.

"We'll see you another time Sojiro, thanks for the coffee," Makoto told the shopkeeper pleasantly.

"My pleasure; not like I had any other customers today," he said as the group exited his cafe. "Hmph… election's still a ways away," he thought as he checked the news which was reporting on Shido's disappearance from the public.

Bathhouse

"Thank god we've got the place to ourselves," Ryuji sighed as the two sat the the hot herbal waters.

"Right, the last time I was here with you that old man was about to boil alive," Akira said as he thought back.

"Man, you still remember that? You must have some memory, must be why studying comes so easy to you," Ryuji sighed.

"It certainly helps," Akira agreed. "But it always helps when I've got you studying with me."

"Aw stop," Ryuji said with a friend with a familiar smile. "By the way… what's your secret?"

"My… my secret?" That could mean a number of things for Joker.

"With Futaba; how you've been beating her at video games so much when I can't last two seconds against her," Ryuji said. "Come on, she hasn't planted any cameras here so what's your secret?"

"...You won't tell her?" Akira demanded.

"Nah, you got my word," Ryuji promised. "Plus I… probably won't have any idea what you're talking about."

"...It's actually less of the game and more of me," Joker admitted with a sigh. Since it was just him and Ryuji, they could talk about this. "I've discovered a problem in the Metaverse's design, call it a glitch."

"A glitch?" Ryuji asked. "What do you mean?"

"You know that while we let our Persona's do most of the fighting that they boost our natural bodies in the Metaverse to survive against the shadows, right?" Akira asked.

"Duh, everyone knows that," the blonde told him. "So?"

"So I've found a way to carry it over to our world… at least partially," Akira admitted.

"Whoa! Seriously!? That's possible!?" an astounded Ryuji asked him.

"It's far from easy; I have to summon my persona the exact instant that we exit the Metaverse for the day. Depending on the strengths of the last persona I summoned, my natural abilities will receive a boost until my next visit. It's not nearly as strong as our metaverse ability, but it's a noticeable difference."

"So that's why I sometimes see you glowing right before you leave," Ryuji realized. "But if it's based on stuff like that, then what does their magic ability add?"

"I'm not completely sure on that one, but I think that my level or perception and attention to detail gets amped, almost to where I don't even need my glasses."

"Hacks dude, total hacks," Ryuji sighed with jealousy.

"Maybe, but if Futaba knew she'd think it was closer to a speedrunning strat."

"What the heck are you even speedrunning!?" Joker didn't have an answer to that one. "Seriously… so you what? Get a Persona that boosts your speed and perception and fight Futaba that way?" Ryuji chuckled. "Poor kid, even if she does the same thing as you, she's only got her one Persona that's only good for observing and boosting its allies."

"She might not even need it…" Joker said seriously, a darker tone starting to form.

"Eh?"

"She's been coming close on some of her matches… dangerously close," Joker said while sweating. "Also… the Persona I've been using is already perfected in speed and magic."

"Shut up! For real!" Ryuji shouted. "Daaaaaaamn."

"Daaaaaaamn indeed," Joker agreed.

"...Heheh, she's something else isn't she?" the blond couldn't help but admit.

"That she is," Joker had to agree. "I'll tell her the truth if… when she beats me."

"That's probably for the best," Ryuji agreed as he looked at the clock on the wall. "We should head out soon, don't want to keep her majesty waiting do we?"

"...But Haru has the Empress card; Futaba's card is the Hermit."

"...This is why she's perfect for you buddy; sometimes I have no damn idea what either of you are talking about…"