"Sorry I'm late." – Ryuji ran as full speed to his friends, who were waiting for them at the center of Shinjuku, at night. The place had full of people, as usual since it was a pace for nighttime visitors. On the streets, some business men were shouting at the people crossing and trying to get their attentions as well as offering their services. One other thing, not only every men wore business suits but also some men wore colorful suits, had their face made up and their eyes were looking at women. Especially, this place was never quiet at night. But also, it was not for kids. However, the Phantom Thieves had something they needed to do here.
"Hurry up." – Seeing the blond boy ran to them, Ann spoke on annoyingly.
"Where's Haru?" – Seeing the friends who had not shown up, Yusuke asked.
"I tried to contact to her, but all she could say that she apologized and could not go with us." – Makoto responded and she seemed worry. – "I hope she will be okay. Lately, I haven't heard anything about the company yet. It maybe my overthought but I feel very unsecure. Something is happening and we can't do anything to help her."
"You're right." – Ann followed Makoto. – "She have been absent at school for a while. I heard rumor that she would be going to get marry soon."
"You mean the guy that beat Mona before?" – Reminding it, Futaba spoke on angrily.
"That ass-hat… He is nothing than another asshole we need to take down." – Ryuji followed Futaba.
"I agree. If only we had done it before we lost our power." – Yusuke agreed. – "Hopefully, Okumura-san will be okay."
After that, the team decided to head to the Crossroad Bar, where they wanted to meet a reporter, as Makoto mentioned and if she was still the regular customer. However, things did not go well. Makoto and Ann got a lot of "unusual" offer from the men in colorful suits, as well as some dirty old man wanted to "hang out" with them. Futaba was not the exception. However, due to the appearance of Ryuji and Yusuke, as well as Makoto and Ann's strong rejections, they were still doing well.
"You all. Please, stop." – Suddenly, while they were near the Crossroad Bar, a voice of a women shouted and the team stopped for a while, just to see a woman who sat on a side of the street, and she had a table which had some tarot card on it. The woman seemed to be cheerful, as she smiled friendly to the team after calling them. She had purple eyes, long blond hair, and wore a big navy blue headband. There was a necklace with a small red jewel, which looked like a teardrop, around her neck. She wore a navy blue long sleeved shirt, over it was a light purple dress with clock-like black design and two black laces. On her lower body were navy blue tights and dark sleeved slippers.
"You seem familiar…" – Seeing her, Ryuji struggled for a while.
"I spot a heavy dark air above your heads. But it seems there are some lights piecing through it." – The woman spoke on, before she turned up the card in the center of the table. It was "The Fool". – "I see. So you are friends of Kurusu-san, also known, The Trickster."
"You mean Kurusu Akira?" – Ann asked doubtfully.
"You are The Lovers. Next to you is The Chariot." – The woman looked at Ann, then turned to Ryuji and turned two cards as she spoke. After that, she turned on other two when she looked at Yusuke and Futaba. – "The Emperor and the Hermit." – At the last one, she looked at Makoto for a while, before she spoke. At a quick glance, she seemed sad but also jealous. – "And… The Priestess."
"She just spoke all our arcana." – Yusuke commented in surprise.
"You must be the fortune teller, Mifune Chihaya." – Makoto spoke and acted as she was testing Chihaya. – "And if you are what you were told, I suppose you already know who we are."
"The Trickster's teammates, who changed people's hearts and saved the world." – Chihaya kept her smile.
"Okay, this is seriously effing weird." – Ryuji commented with his eyes opened.
"It's good to know that you're not under controlled by anyone." – Makoto smiled friendly.
"It's all thanks to the Phantom Thieves." – Chihaya smiled back. Seeing things were safe, the team decided to stay with Chihaya for a while. Meanwhile, Chihaya decided to tell them what she saw as a fortune teller. – "Recently, I saw Kurusu-san would be in a great trouble and he could not get out of it by himself. The Fool will be prisoned in a room, surrounded by evils. However, I also saw a lot of good things aside it. He is surrounded and protected by all the arcana. The latest one was the Tower. In the next few days, the Star will shine on the sky. But, no longer than that, the Devil will appear from the dark and help him. But it needs to be careful by the small devils. In order to avoid it, it needs to stay in the shadow and ask a woman to show the way."
"Uhm… anyone understands what she's saying?" – Ryuji seemed lost.
"Not me." – Ann sighed, and she was not the only one.
"Pardon us, but… your words are kind of out of our league." – Makoto gave up. – "I can only understand that Akira is in a cell, and surrounding him are other inmates."
"Don't worry, everything will be clear as day." – Chihaya smiled. Suddenly, she turned down and sad while mumbling. – "After all, you two will be together again, until the end of the world."
"Excuse me?" – Makoto asked.
"N-No, nothing. Forget what I've just said." – Chihaya tried to drive away her mind. – "It's just that it is the third time I saw this phenomenon."
"Can I ask what do you mean?" – Yusuke asked politely.
"The first time was many years. I saw a young man was protected by the will of the people he made friends. The sky were green, and the moon was cracked it. Time was like it stopped and when that young man disappeared in the sky, things returned normal. But after that, I felt his life was going to fade away. Fate chose him to be the guard of this world." – Chihaya retold her story and everyone did not mind to listen to her. – "The second time was the time I was practicing to use the tarot cards, which I felt it would help me predict more precise. I saw The Fool was surrounded by a thick fog. He was unmovable due to the black arms holding him. But one by one, the voices of the other arcana freed him, helped him to keep going on the way he was destined to walk. It was also the first time I saw the Aeon arcana, which is very pretty rare no matter the situation."
"So it could be there are people like Akira?" – Makoto asked.
"You can say that. In this world, the people who are destined to be the Fool are very rare, among all of the other arcana. From the day they are born, everyone has their own arcana, however, some special people doesn't have their own. And they are chosen to be the Fool. The reason why they are very rare because they can become much further than that, the World, or even the Universe. After your battle with god, Kurusu-san finally became the World. Just like the man who were surrounded by the fog."
"What about the first guy?" – Yusuke doubted.
"He became the Universe but… I can't sense his existence in this world." – Chihaya responded.
"So… he died?" – Ann asked.
"I can't say for sure." – Chihaya showed that she doubted herself. After a short silence, she smiled and said. – "That's all for today. I should not keep you too long. You should go and find the Devil. And you, the Chariot…" – Suddenly, she looked at Ryuji.
"You should be careful. I can see a big bad star is coming for you. But as long as you stick with the Lovers, you'll be fine." – Chihaya warmed him seriously.
"What does that mean?" – Ryuji asked.
"And you, The Priestess, you seem to have a special relationship with The Judgment, if you don't mind, I want to warn that person through you that that person should stay out of the dark, but if the situation is unavoidable, remember to stick with the sticks of lights." – Chihaya looked at Makoto and asked.
"I'll remember it." – Although she did not get the idea yet, Makoto still took those words with heart.
"And about the Empress, with the help of The Hierophant, The Hermit and a little help from the Judgment, that person will be able to come over the apocalypse. Also, another Empress will step in and help her." – Chihaya said. – "Meanwhile, I will try my best to gather more support to help Kurusu-san."
"Thank you very much." – Makoto showed her grateful. – "But please, don't work so hard."
"So do you all." – Chihaya smiled cheerfully. – "It's nice to meet you."
"Finally, it's done." – After saying goodbye to the fortune teller, Ryuji sighed boringly. – "Really, I can't get any ideas from what she said."
"We're in the same boat." – So did Futaba.
"Mostly, fortune tellers just tried to trick people, but that woman was totally different. I would like to draw her." – Yusuke showed his wish. – "A woman surrounded by hidden myths."
"Not again." – Ann sighed. – "Why only me you asked for nude painting?"
"Because your body is the true symbol of how beautiful the women's body is." – Yusuke answered without hesitation. – "Your face shows bright beauty, and your body, your curves show the strong and perfection of a woman. Also, your breast is a perfect creation of the creator"
"Dude, just stop. You sounded like a pervert than an artist." – Ryuji stopped Yusuke before he kept going on and on, which gained Ann's appreciation.
"Should I take that as a compliment?" – But, Ann sighed again.
"Come on. Your body is truly beautiful." – Makoto smiled when she looked at Ann.
"Reminding me, isn't Akira said you are like a symbol of Japanese traditional woman?" – Ann spoke in excited.
"Eh? Uhm… Did he say that?" – Makoto's face turned red afterwards.
"I think she is like a mother figure." – Futaba commented. – "Hm, meanwhile, Akira is like a father figure, just like Sojiro."
"S-Stop that, Futaba-chan." – Makoto's face were more red than before.
"Ho, looks who is here again?"
"Aww, fate helped us again."
"What is… Holy shit." – Hearing two weird voices behind, Ryuji turned back just to startle. In front of him was two guy dressing ridiculously and swinging their bodies. Not letting him say anything, they kept getting closing to him.
"Might if we hang out for a while."
"Don't worry, we'll will be nice of you." – Suddenly, one of them grabbed his arms.
"Hey, let's go of me." – Due to the strong grabbing, Ryuji tried to shake off. But the more he tried, the stronger the squeezing was.
"Hello, would you mind to let go of my boyfriends?" – Suddenly, Ann stepped in and spoke on with her bright smile.
"Who are you?" – One guy asked annoyingly.
"I'm his girlfriend. Today, we are having a good trip with our friends. We also don't like to be bother by anyone and just want to enjoy our moment, right, Ryuji?" – Ann then looked at Ryuji.
"Huh? Uh… Oh…" – Ryuji lost his words.
"Or you'd rather hang out with them?" – Ann turned her face to anger.
"N-No, Hell no I do." – Ryuji smiled unwittingly. – "See, we… we're having a date… so let's the fucking go of me." – At the final blow, Ryuji shook off his hand strongly. After that, Ann grabbed his arms and it was the first time Ryuji felt the warm from her.
"Hey, don't be that rude to the beauties. Well then…" – After giving up on Ryuji, they turned to Yusuke. – "What about…"
"Shut up and get lost already. You're hurting my eyes." – Not letting they finished their line, Yusuke showed his anger expression and spoke on cruelly. – "Your existence is really an offensive to art. The color on your body is nothing than a mess, not even give a single sense of art. The way you're swinging your body is nothing than abusing woman's beautiful motions. It is nothing to call "art" on you, but "rubbish". Like I said, get lost already."
"You… I'll remember it." – After that, the two of them left.
"Man, now I understand why words are strong." – Ryuji finally got something to learn. But when he looked at Ann, he scratched his head and spoke slowly. – "Ah well… thank you."
"You're welcome." – Ann smiled cheerfully and let go of Ryuji. Somehow, she seemed happy.
