The final day of the palace was nerve-wracking for everyone. The Phantom Thieves sent the calling card to Sae, beat her shadow, and managed to steal her Treasure…. Now they just had to escape. Their leader acted as a decoy so they could escape, but they ended up encountering more trouble than they had hoped for. While the rest of the team was trying to escape, they were suddenly ambushed by enemies.
"What?! The enemies were supposed to be focusing on Joker, but they found us too?!" Ryuji yells in frustration, his hand tightening into a fist as he prepared himself to fight.
"No, we don't have time to fight them. Joker's distracting the main enemies, but it looks like some shadows are still following us…" Makoto's explanation does little to quell the team's frustration.
Futaba, who was already studying the enemies, looks around warily. "There's something weird about these Shadows, but I don't know what…"
"We should split up. It'll be easier to escape that way." Yusuke suggests to the rest of them, summoning his Persona just in time to avoid an enemy attack. "Either way, decide quickly!"
"If only Joker was here…" Haru mumbles, swinging her axe down on an enemy that gets too close to the group.
"Looking for an escape route…" Using her Persona and technological skills, Futaba's able to discern a gap in the enemies ambush. "There!"
Makoto steps up to take charge, handing the Treasure to Futaba. "Noir, Fox, Mona, and I will hold these enemies off. Skull, Panther, Crow, and Oracle should take the Treasure and escape."
They're left with no time to argue, so the four hurry off, leaving the fighting of the larger group of Shadows to the others. However, as they start to get closer to the exit, they come across another group of enemies.
"Dammit, there's so many of them! How?!" Skull's cry of frustration only brings the enemies wrath, who waste no time on attacking them too.
The blonde haired girl looks around rapidly. "We can't fight them! We have to-" But a group of Shadows suddenly appear within the group's formation, splitting them in half. "Ah!" Now, Ryuji and Ann were on one side of the hall while Akechi and Futaba were on the other.
"Shit, shit, shit! RUN!" As more shadows approach, Ryuji takes off running in the other direction.
"H-Hey, wait up!" Ann takes off running after him, knowing she couldn't take down the enemies by herself.
Some Shadows take chase after them, but a few remain with the last two members. "Oh no…! We have to run too!" Futaba knew she couldn't fight, and although being stuck alone with Akechi was less than ideal, they didn't have much of a choice. However, contrary to the situation, Akechi didn't seem all that bothered.
"Run? From weak shadows like these? There's no need…" Oddly enough, the enemies make no moves to attack them either.
Futaba looks over the enemies and then at Akechi. "Wait a minute, these readings… And these shadows… Are you… Controlling them?!"
Akechi merely casts her a cold glance. "Just realized, hm?"
The girl warily takes a step back. "No way I knew these enemies seemed strange, but… How…?"
"Long story. Don't care to explain." His voice was devoid of any of its usual charisma, seeming deadly seriously. "You're a smart girl, you should have an idea of sorts already." She takes another step back, but a shadow comes up from behind, slamming her in the back.
"Guh!" The impact knocks her on the ground, and Akechi merely walks over to her. "N-No way… Your power levels have… Increased…?"
"You already know the truth about me. After all, you bugged my phone, isn't that right?" A warped grin twists over his face. "I know you found out about my plan, so I had to come up with a new one. One that doesn't involve kidnapping Akira… But instead, you."
Futaba gasps, not only because he knew of their plan, but because he seemed to believe she held value. "M-Me? Why do you…"
"The Phantom Thieves value their navigator. It'll be much harder for them to do anything without you. I could always come back and kill Joker later, but you…" His earlier coldness melts away, and his princely warmth from earlier floods back over his features and tone. "You're special." He extends a gloved hand towards her, offering to help her off the floor. "Join me."
However, the orange haired girl merely swats his hand away defiantly. "I… I don't know what you're plotting, but I'm not going to be a part of it!" She gives her head a rapid shake. "You've killed so many people, haven't you? Even if you were manipulated… I'd never help you!"
An ugly frown forms on his face. "Very well. Then I suppose I don't have a choice." With a snap of his fingers, one of the Shadows from earlier gives her a whack on the head, knocking the girl unconscious in an instant. He bends over to pick up the girl, throwing her over his shoulder. Without another word, he continues onwards to the exit of the palace, being followed by an entourage of Shadows.