As Tohru Adachi finds out, the phrase "Tell me about Masayoshi Shido" garners many, many sorts of negative reactions amongst the Phantom Thieves.

It's almost a forgone conclusion that the Prime Minister candidate - and current darling of the media - is going to be the next target of the Phantom Thieves, but Akira decides to hold a meeting on it anyway.

"... I've heard things on Masayoshi Shido," Dojima sighs, "even from my meager position. None of them have been good."

Ryuji slams his fist into the table. "Ugh! This guy is the poster boy for shitty adults. We've got to go after him, especially with all he's done to us."

"There is also the matter of how the media paints him," Yusuke adds from his seated position. He begins drawing idly as he speaks. "It may even be seen as idle slander if we go after him without providing evidence, like we did with Okumura."

Akira nods towards Tohru, who snickers.

He wordlessly pulls out a thick file folder, practically bursting with all sorts of papers and photographs. Then he drops it onto the table with a table-shaking thud that rouses the cat Morgana from his nap.

Akira blinks.

"Adachi-san.. pardon me, but what the fuck is this?"

Tohru chuckles even more, shaking his head. "What? I knew we were gonna go after him eventually. So I took a few.. precautions, maybe pulled together a few things here and there with the help of Dojima's brat nephew."

"Yu helped you with this?" Dojima sputters, amazed.

Tohru nods. "Yep! He gave it to me a few days ago, actually."

Tohru thinks back on it briefly -

He'd gotten a message out of the blue from Narukami.

Call me, I've finally got the information you requested.

Tohru smirked and dialed the number up.

"Hey, kid. Finally came through?"

Narukami chuckled. "How the hell do you even know people in the Yakuza?"

Tohru couldn't stifle a grin. That ability Iwai's bond had given him - I Know A Guy - combined with the one he'd gotten from Kunikazu's - Jester's High Mockery - was already proving to be a deeply effective combination.

"I took a page out of your book and started trying to form those strange, confusing things you call bonds - and I'm getting a Fool's reward from it, all the way from the Velvet Room."

Narukami froze. His thoughts were colored in a deep, horrified shock: Adachi's.. Adachi's become a Wild Card?

Now it was Tohru's turn to chuckle. "So. Send me the files via Dischat and tell me what you found."

"Shido's buried so many cases that when we unearthed one, we unearthed a whole rat's nest full of corruption, hedonism, and injustice." Narukami's tone was bitter beyond words.

"If this were to ever get out, would it sink his campaign?"

"He'd be looking at the death penalty, at the very least."

Tohru paused at this. Then he said "It has all you could find, right?"

"Yes."

"Tell me if this one is in there."

Tohru reaches into the folder and pulls out a specific file.

"Masayoshi Shido v. 'Akira Kurusu.' That ring a bell?"

Akira's jaw drops. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yep," Tohru chirps, "and enclosed is the investigation Narukami and his plucky little friends undertook that proves your innocence. You even had the First Detective Prince stand in your defense here. If this doesn't exonerate you in the eyes of the courts of judicial and public opinion, I'll eat my hat."

"I already know just how to spread it," Futaba said with a smile, "so far and wide that Shido can't take it down even if he tried!"

Tohru nods, patting Futaba's head. "That 'a girl. Look through it all, because this is going to be the calling packet to end all calling packets."

Though he's outwardly smug, he's still thinking of the last thing Yu Narukami had said to him on the call.

Tohru was about to hang up. They'd discussed how things were going in Inaba, how happier Dojima was, and more forms of small talk.

Narukami's tone was beyond calm and light when he said something that made Tohru feel like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Well, Devil, I'll be seeing you around. Have fun on your missions in that other world, and tell my Uncle - Baron - hello. Goodbye."

Narukami hung up before Tohru could question him on how he knew about the Thieves, about the Metaverse, about all of it.

Finding Shido's Palace and finding a way into it is scarily easy. The process of breaking into it blurs together in Yukitaro's head.

It's when they take their first steps into the Palace that Yukitaro's head clicks into hyper-observation, the same way it's done for all of the Palaces he's been in.

The Palace itself is a cruise ship. It's an enormous exercise in extravagance, with red carpet floors and gilded walls. If Sae's Palace practically smells like money, then Shido's Palace feels to Yukitaro like he's being drowned in liquid gold.

The wealth and gilded.. well, everything, is suffocating, from the whispers of the masked cruise-goers to the shining badges of the security guards. Everything is placed so perfect that it delves right into the Uncanny Valley

And the security guards are ever-present, patrolling at odd angles and confusing patterns.

Nothing seems to fit right.

From the moment they take their first steps into the Palace, Yukitaro notices a shared arrogance amongst the Phantom Thieves of Heart that wasn't there before.

With Tohru and Yukitaro Adachi by their side, they've grown into infamous anti-heroes. They've managed to accomplish the impossible, bring down Palaces in half the time it normally takes, redefine Japan's culture in a way that some people would almost say is "too much, too fast."

They're beyond certain that they can take this Palace and all the challenges it offers.

But something grips Yukitaro's heart and mind as they run through Shido's Palace, trying to gather the letters that will act as their keys to where the Treasure is located.

things have been going too well, Yukitaro's anxieties and fears mock, things will go to shit far too soon.

In every fight they get into with the security guards, this fear makes his hands shake, makes his heart beat far too fast.

things will go to shit

Yukitaro swings at the miniboss they're facing, one of Shido's trusted and most powerful subordinates.

things will go to shit

Yukitaro pulls back, blood coating his chainsword - his heart beats beyond fast, and his breathing is beyond frantic.

things will go to shit —

There's a lethal attack heading his way from the miniboss that Yukitaro fails to notice, his heart too seized by the dread something will go wrong and his mind too seized by observing everything to make sure that dread won't happen.

Adachi screams "YUKITARO!" and pushes Yukitaro to the side.

The sound of a crack that could fell trees.

The smell of burnt flesh and blood.

The flash of a lightning bolt piercing through.

Tohru Adachi puts his hand to his mouth, and tastes blood.

His hand goes to the hole in his torso.

He falls to the floor.

In a heartbeat's moment, Yukitaro and Dojima run to the man, holding him close.

"Dad, D-Dad, you can do this, you're not allowed to die, I will not allow you to die.."

"Damnit, Adachi, keep breathing, I can't lose you, not like I almost lost Nanako, not like Chisato.."

The two have tears bubbling up in their eyes, similar to how Tohru has blood bubbling up from his chest.

Tohru Adachi laughs, his voice raspy.

Then he coughs up blood.

"It's not like.. you should mourn.. for an entitled little brat like me.. that wasted his life on hating all he never got."

"Adachi - Tohru," Dojima says, "you're not going to die."

Tohru Adachi weakly smiles as his fingers interlace with Dojima's and Yukitaro's.

"The world is shit.. but with you two, it never felt that way."

The emptiness grabs Tohru Adachi and his eyes go muted. His hands slip, and fall to the floor with a quiet thud.

Tohru Adachi is still smiling, the one truly genuine, loving smile he ever gave.

Yukitaro grips his father's chest, his voice and his tears pouring out in a litany to "come back, Dad, please come back.."

Dojima's fists ball up as he stands. "Yuki- Marquis, call Joker, ask if he can get us a revival item. I know he has them."

He turns towards the boss, letting something snap inside him.

"How dare you still draw breath while the man I.. the man I love.. is lying dead on the ground.."

The claws on his gloves unsheath, blood dripping down his palms as his breathing becomes more frenzied and his voice becomes more of an animal's snarl.

"I WON'T LET YOU LIVE!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Like I'd really kill Tohru Adachi off when the dude's a main character and my favorite character to write here. From here on out, this is where this fic is gonna hit the parts I've really been looking forward to and foreshadowing.

So, uh, look out for that one! Welcome, new readers, and hello to old ones! I look forward to seeing your comments, one and all.

We also now have actual art of Phantom Thief Adachi and Dojima/Devil and Baron.

Said art is by philipposole on Twitter and is awesome as fuck.

Have fun, stay safe, and thank you all for sticking with this fic even through my two-week hiatus/breakdown/whatever you wanna call it.