Returning from the Safe Room to the entrance of the Palace was far from peaceful. Unlike the regular Shadows who patrolled a pre-set route, the special-looking Shadows—the Yukinoshita sisters—had a level of judgment that set them apart. It wasn't long after Taichi and the others left the Safe Room that they ran head-first into the sisters, who were searching for them by process of elimination.
"We have to force our way through!" Taichi shouted, raising the greatsword in his hand. "I'll create a path!"
Mordred had already cursed him out and taught him how to fight using Mana Burst. Although for Taichi, a single Mana Burst would almost completely drain his current stamina, it had to be done. A beam of red and black lightning shot out at a speed of fifteen meters per second as Taichi swung his greatsword.
Shadow Shizuka, sensing the danger, immediately pushed the Yukinoshita sisters to safety. But the weaker Shadows behind them had no time to react and were instantly disintegrated by the ominous beam.
"No time to fight them! Let's go!" Taichi said, stumbling and barely staying on his feet, his voice weak.
Ryuji, who had been about to chase the three Shadows, snapped back to reality and, without a word, started running again.
"Are you okay?" Ann, who was at the back, saw Taichi's pale face and asked worriedly.
"Just a bit low on stamina," Taichi said, forcing himself to respond. "I can't fight anymore, but I still have enough energy to run."
"Leave the fighting to me and Skull," Ren said with a nod.
"I'll lead the way!" Morgana urged, looking anxious.
Probably because they were terrified by Taichi's Mana Burst, the Shadow Yukinoshita sisters and Shadow Shizuka didn't pursue them. The two or three other Shadows they encountered on the way couldn't stop Ren and Ryuji, so their chances of escape grew.
Right until they left the Palace, the 'King' Kamoshida never appeared again. With the space twisting, Taichi and the others successfully left the Palace and returned to reality. Their Phantom Thief outfits reverted to their regular clothes, but the clamor in Taichi's mind from Mordred never stopped.
"What the hell!" Taichi blurted out, unable to hold it in. "What's wrong? I feel like my body has been completely drained." Taichi stumbled a couple of steps, then fell to his knees, looking at his trembling limbs.
"Oh, I forgot to mention it," Ryuji said, patting Taichi's shoulder sympathetically. "The stamina you use in the Palace is temporarily supplemented by your Persona's power. Once you get back to the real world, the effects of that excessive exertion all hit you at once."
"Ren and I are fine because we've gotten used to it, but you..."
"Taichi-kun! Are you okay?!" Before Ryuji could finish, Ann panicked and grabbed one of Taichi's arms, trying to help him up.
Instantly, Ryuji's face soured. The first time he got his Persona and returned from the Palace, he didn't have a pretty female classmate to support him. He only had his good friend Ren.
"I'm just too tired to move, it's nothing serious," Taichi explained, leaning against the wall with Ann's help. At the same time, X was using his own power to help Taichi recover. So Taichi no longer felt like he was going to die from exhaustion.
"Looking at you, you should probably rest for a couple of days," Ren said, sounding a bit disappointed. "We'll have to postpone the ambush for now." It seemed Ren was very enthusiastic about ambushing Kamoshida.
"Where do you live? I'll take you home," Ann said, looking Taichi up and down. She figured he wouldn't be able to get home on his own and volunteered to take him back.
Taichi gave her the address of Takemi's Clinic.
"Huh? That's near the coffee shop where I'm staying," Ren said, surprised. "How about I take him back instead?"
"...Let's go together," Ann said after a moment of hesitation. "You and Ryuji used up a lot of stamina too. It'll be better if we both go."
And just like that, Ryuji was kicked off the team since he lived in a different direction. As for Morgana, he insisted on following his 'ace'. He was completely dependent on Ren for food and lodging.
Yongen-Jaya wasn't close to the school, and they even had to transfer trains. By the time Ren and Ann brought Taichi back, it was almost dusk.
"Huh? You live here?" Ann squinted at the cafe at the end of the small alley. "It has a quiet feel, separate from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo... It would be a great secret hideout."
"I live on the second floor," Ren said to Taichi, pointing to the second story of the cafe. "You can come find me anytime... if you don't mind getting stared at." He was still under probation, after all.
The Takemi's Clinic was just around the corner and diagonally across the street. The location was so discreet it was like a hidden gem.
"...Opening a clinic in such a hidden place, are you serious about this?" Ann muttered, a little critical.
Pushing the door open, they were greeted by the reception desk of Takemi's Clinic. Tae Takemi was, as usual, sitting behind the window, playing on her computer. She only looked up when the door opened. Her eyes immediately landed on Taichi, who was leaning on Ann with an arm over her shoulder, his face so pale it made her eyebrows twitch.
"I can understand how you feel, having a girlfriend with a model's body and looks, but overexerting yourself isn't a good thing. You don't want to suddenly become impotent or even die on a woman, do you?" Tae started a little mind game.
"Huh? Ah, ahh, ahhh—it's not what you think!" Ann didn't get it at first, but when she did, her face turned as red as a baboon's behind.
"Ann, do you really think a doctor can't tell what's going on with us?" Taichi said, his mouth twitching as he reminded her. "She's just joking."
"...No, I really thought you two had overdone it," Tae said, walking out from behind the desk. She stood in front of Taichi and shook her head. "But there's no lingering scent, which means I misunderstood. My apologies, young man and young lady."