10/27 Thursday
The following day, the gang met to discuss what to do
-¨We´re wanted now¨ Ryuji said ¨And the reward´s thirty million yen? What is this, a comic book? Hahaha, it feels so unrealistic, I can´t help but laugh¨
-¨We´re finally being treated as actual criminals¨ Ann said
-¨I´m positive now¨ Makoto said ¨Remember all of those what-ifs I mentioned before? All if this was truly a set up. How President Okumura ranked first, the fab before that, even Medjed. It was all to make the Phantom Thieves famous. On top of that, we were lured to target Okumura¨
-¨Yeah¨ Morgana sadly agreed ¨The enemy likely planned to lay the blame on us from the start, after we gained popularity¨
-¨Then¨ Ann said ¨What about everything we´ve done until now? Are the people whose hearts we changed and thought were corrupt actually not?¨
-¨No¨ Makoto said ¨Because of Yusuke and I, the Madarame and Kaneshiro cases were coincidental. Wasn´t that the case with Kamoshida as well? Considering what happened with the rankings, only the previous target would have been used to lure us¨
-¨What a cheap trick to use¨ Ryuji complained
-¨Cheap? It´s nothing of the sort… There´s the fake Medjed and the site´s altercation. They might have even engineered the fad around us. So much time and effort has been put into this… President Okumura probably wasn´t their only target. Perhaps they intend to place the blame of past and future psychotic breakdowns on our group¨
Everybody was alarmed
-¨That´s why I said we shouldn´t jump into things so carelessly!¨ Yusuke said
-¨What!?¨ Ryuji asked outraged ¨So this is my fault!? Even you agreed to it in the end! And there was that thing with Haru at the time. How´re we supposed to ignore that, huh!?¨
-¨I´m sorry¨ Haru said ¨This was all because I one-sidedly decided that my father was a criminal. All I could think about was my fiancé. If I had only been able to cope with it more calmly¨
-¨Haru¨ Makoto said with regret
-¨It´s not Haru´s fault¨ Ann said ¨I should´ve spoken up too when Principal Kobayakawa died!¨
-¨Dammit!¨ Ryuji yelled ¨This is bullshit! God! Rgh, fuck!¨
-¨Taking out your frustration on things doesn´t help anyone!¨ Ann said
-¨Hey¨ he looked at Ren ¨What do you think?¨
-¨We were baited, that much is clear¨
-¨It´s probably because…¨ Morgana said ¨We weren´t acting like ourselves¨
-¨Agreed¨ Yusuke said ¨At the time, we only cared about the opinion of the general public¨
-¨Yeah¨ Ann agreed ¨I was so caught up on making a name for ourselves. I´m such an idiot! I became a Phantom Thief because I hated those same kinds of adults!¨
-¨To think we had begun clinging onto fame and a place to belong that our eyes had become cloud¨
-¨We were meant to be the righteous Phantom Thieves, but we lost sight of our original cause¨
-¨I´m so irritated with myself!¨ Makoto said
-¨Makoto¨ Futaba said
-¨Dammit!¨ Ryuji yelled ¨I know that we´ve been set up, and that I was a complete idiot. But still… It´s so damn frustrating! Of course, I wanna do something about this¨
-¨Yeah¨ Morgana agreed ¨We´ll be in deep water at this rate. However, we have no idea who´re up against… and whether they´re an individual or an organization¨
-¨Furthermore¨ Yusuke added ¨They must be in a position of power, or have powerful backers, if they can go so far¨
-¨Are we really a match for this?¨ Ann said
-¨Should we¨ Futaba said ¨End this now?¨
Everybody looked at her
-¨I mean, things might get worse for everyone¨
-¨No¨ Ren said with determination ¨Let´s turn the tables¨
-¨Yeah¨ Ryuji agreed ¨Running away with our tails between our legs is exactly what they want. That´s the same as dumping our aesthetics again cause we only care about our hides!¨
-¨I see¨ Futaba said ¨I take back what I just said! I can´t let it end like this! Absolutely not like this!¨
-¨I promise you guys!¨ Ren said ¨We will overcome this!¨
-¨Looks like we´re settle on what we want to do¨ Morgana said ¨All that´s left is how we go about it¨
-¨Yeah¨ Makoto agreed
With new determination, they left, except
-¨Hey Ren¨ Haru said ¨Can I ask you something?¨
-¨What is it?¨
-¨I brought some vegetables today; I was hoping that Sakura-san could taste them¨
-¨I was wondering what was in that bag¨ Makoto said
-¨I think he is free. I can ask him¨ Ren said
-¨Really? Thank you¨
After a few minutes, the duo was downstairs with the boss
-¨Hello, Sakura-san. I´m sorry for asking this of you¨
-¨It´s all good. Not like I have customers to deal with¨ he looked at her bag ¨So… this is what you grew?¨
-¨Yes. I´d like an honest opinion from a culinary professional¨
-¨Let me see¨
After a while
-¨To be honest, both the taste and appearance are the opposite of what I´d call market-grade¨
-¨I see¨
-¨But, it´s impressive you managed to grow anything at all up on a rooftop of all places¨
-¨I´m honored to hear you say that¨
-¨Y´know… I can´t say it tasted good, but it was actually somewhat refreshing. Kinda like how you feel good after taking bitter medicine¨
-¨Hmmm. I first came across the plant in my house. It´s possible that it´s an experimental breed created for use at Okumura Foods. But regardless, thank you very much for the input, Sakura-san. I´ll take note of that¨
The boss left
-¨I have to agree with him¨ Ren said ¨Your vegetables do have a bitterness to them, but also exude a strong energy¨
-¨Hm, I think I understand what Sakura-san meant when he said they were refreshing¨
-¨They certainly gave me energy¨
-¨I agree¨ she said with a smile ¨I´m so happy. I didn´t expect this hobby of mine to provide value to the Phantom Thieves. This is actually the only thing I can honestly say I´m good at. It is what I want to do¨
-¨That´s good¨
-¨Then… do you think you could help me out again sometime? Like you did today¨
-¨Sure¨
She giggled ¨It´s a deal!¨
After that, she went back home
10/28 Friday
The following day, at Akechi´s request, the gang was going to meet up
So far, the only ones at Leblanc were him and Futaba, the others said they have some business to attend to, but that they will show up regardless
-¨Hate to be running at that guy´s orders¨ Futaba complained
-¨Anyway¨ Sojiro said ¨I´m off home, take all the time you want with your meeting¨
-¨Thanks for letting us use the place¨ Ren said
-¨By the way¨ his tone got serious ¨Kid, it has been a bit more than a month¨
-¨Since what?¨
-¨Your dad´s escape, what else?¨
Ren let out a sigh
-¨You still haven´t told Makoto about it?¨
-¨No, and I´m not planning to¨
-¨Ren¨ Futaba said
-¨Kid, you can´t keep hiding the truth, this is her father!¨
-¨I know, but I won´t tell her, not now, not ever!¨
Sojiro let out a sigh ¨Worth a shot¨
Unbeknown to them, somebody hear that conversation
Makoto was walking down the street
-¨That meeting took longer than expected¨ she said somewhat tired ¨I wanted to ask Ren about my father yesterday, but there was no chance…. Pull yourself together Makoto, this is Asumi, the one who used Ren, she is just trying to get me mad¨
She arrived at the entrance of Leblanc, the door was slightly opened, but before she entered
-¨You still haven´t told Makoto about it?¨
She knew that voice
-¨Boss?¨ she thought
-¨No, and I´m not planning to¨
-¨Ren?¨ she said somewhat surprised
-¨Ren¨ Futaba said
-¨Kid, you can´t keep hiding the truth, this is her father!¨ Sojiro voice was heard
That part got Makoto´s attention
-¨My father… So Asumi was right…. No¨ she shook her head ¨Ren wouldn´t¨
-¨I know, but I won´t tell her, not now, not ever!¨ Ren yelled
That was the confirmation that she needed
-¨Ren¨ she took a few steps, scared of the conclusion ¨Ren is really hiding something from me, and it involves my father?!¨
Makoto was at a loss for words, Asumi was right, but why would Ren do this? They promised each other to be honest
-¨Ren knows how much important to me my father is, why would he do this?¨ she whispered, somewhat worried, who could she trust?
-¨Niijima-san?¨ someone said
Makoto turned around and saw Akechi
-¨Oh, Akechi-kun, you arrived¨
-¨Yes, I managed to get free earlier than expected¨
-¨Good¨
-¨Is something the matter?¨
-¨Huh? N-No, nothing at all¨
Akechi looked at her, not entirely convinced
-¨Anyway, shall we head inside?¨
-¨After you¨
The duo entered
-¨Hi there¨ Ren greeted them
-¨H-Hi¨ Makoto said slightly nervous
-¨Good afternoon¨ Akechi said, and look at his surroundings ¨Where are the others?¨
-¨They will show up a bit late, hope you don´t mind¨
-¨Not at all, since we have some time to kill, why don´t we play some chess¨
-¨Sure¨
The boys began their match, but Makoto´s mind was not focus on the game, but rather upon what she learnt
-¨Ren¨ she thought to herself
After a while, the others showed up
-¨When you say that you want us to cooperate with you¨ Makoto said ¨What exactly do you intend us to do?¨
-¨There´s a bounty for information in addition to the arrest warrant… Those are quite desperate measures, and by that, I´m referring to Sae-san´s actions. I assume all of you are at your wit´s end as well. She must be considerably vexed if she´s gone that far. Make headlines with the arrest warrant, then use incentives to get testimonies. It´s not a bad method¨
-¨The police have nothing on us¨ Futaba said ¨There´s no way they can make an arrest¨
-¨True. I´m the only one who´s ascertained your true identities. However, the groundwork for fabricating testimonies and concocting a culprit are underway. I´ll be blunt. I´m thinking of triggering a change of heart in Sae-san. I´ve already discovered that she has a Palace¨
Makoto had a sad expression on her face
-¨Really?¨ Haru asked surprised
-¨Is this to prevent the investigation agency´s recklessness?¨ Yusuke asked
-¨Precisely¨
-¨Still¨ Ann said ¨There´s no need to change her heart just for that¨
-¨Indeed¨ Yusuke agreed ¨It´s hard to believe that a single person can fabricate all that¨
-¨Unfortunately, that´s not the case. What if I told you that those around her would turn an eye to false evidence?¨
-¨You saying the police would do such a thing!?¨ Ryuji asked in disbelief
-¨It seems they´re more trusted than I thought. Their priority is settling the situation. They don't care who the supposed culprit is¨
-¨No¨ Haru said worried
-¨They´re completely rotten!¨ Ryuji yelled
-¨My objective is to find the true culprit¨ Akechi said ¨That must be the case for all of you too. However, the current situation is extremely bad¨
-¨If worst comes to worst¨ Yusuke said ¨Someone unrelated will be set up as the culprit, huh?¨
-¨Our only solution to this is to make Sae-san come to her senses. If she is in her right mind, she can stop this situation. Her sense of justice wouldn´t allow it¨
-¨So that´s why¨ Haru said
-¨The truth will be covered up, and an innocent civilian´s life will be destroyed. I can´t allow such a thing to happen. My own ethics won´t stand for it¨
-¨I mean¨ Ryuji said ¨I guess I an understand how you feel¨
-¨And changing Sae-san´s heart will be to protect her as well¨
-¨How do you mean?¨ Makoto asked
-¨If the true culprit were to learn that she´s responsible for the investigation… what would happen? I´m certain they´ll aim for her life. She´s the perfect target to place blame on the Phantom Thieves¨
Makoto looked alarmed
-¨So how about it? Will you agree to my plan?¨
-¨Even though you´re particular about being just, you´re willing to get your hands dirty?¨ Yusuke asked
-¨It can´t be helped in order to ascertain the truth. There is also one more merit in changing Sae-san´s heart¨
-¨Which is?¨ Ryuji asked
-¨It will become a warning to not mess with us. They can´t go public if someone in the investigation has a change of heart. It´d show their corruption. All that´s left from there is for me to discover the identity of the true culprit¨
Makoto was enraged
-¨What do you mean?¨ Ann asked
-¨You´re gonna tell us to announce our disbandment once the real culprit is arrested¨ Makoto said ¨Aren´t you?¨
-¨As expected from a Niijima¨ Akechi said ¨So, what do you say? I don´t think it´s a bad deal for either of us¨
-¨Makoto¨ Ryuji said ¨What´s your take on all of this?¨
-¨It´s a well-made plan. It even takes putting an end to our team into consideration¨
-¨I´m flattered to hear that¨ Akechi smiled proudly
-¨Why are you willing to do all of this, Akechi-kun?¨ Haru asked ¨Why do you seek justice?¨
-¨….Because of sickening human beings. Yes. My contempt for such people drives my sense of justice. It isn´t some grand reason like society´s sake or some lofty ideal. It´s simply an absurd grudge… and extremely personal¨
-¨Dude¨ Ryuji said, somewhat sad
-¨You know¨ Ann said ¨Doesn´t he remind you of us?¨
-¨True¨ Ren admitted
-¨We´re similar, hm?¨ Akechi pondered ¨Maybe that´s why I thought I could ask this of you all¨ he looked at Ren ¨Won´t you cooperate with me on the mission to change Sae-san´s heart?¨
-¨We will¨ Ren offered him a handshake
-¨Thanks¨ the detective accepted his handshake ¨I was actually rather worried there. This mission can´t success without your cooperation after all¨
-¨The Phantom Thieves will be disbanded, and everything will work out…¨ Yusuke said ¨I pray it does¨
-¨Mako-chan¨ Haru noticed her friend´s sadness
-¨I´m OK… I never brought it up until now… but the reason I joined the Phantom Thieves is… Because I wanted to change my sister´s heart. I was hoping it´d never come to pass though. I´ve also known for quite some time that she has a Palace¨
-¨What?!¨ Ren was shocked
-¨Why didn´t you tell us?¨ Ann asked
-¨It was too selfish of a reason. Though I was scared to look any further into it on my own¨
-¨Why don´t we try going there now to scope the place out?¨ Akechi suggested ¨A lot of this will be new to me, so I´d like to get myself accustomed to it too¨
-¨I´m sorry¨ Makoto said ¨I actually have plans today¨
Everybody was confused
-¨I see¨ Akechi said ¨That´s unfortunate¨
-¨Will you tell your sister about this?¨ Haru asked
-¨Of course not. It´s just¨
-¨You seem awfully evasive today¨ Yusuke said ¨Is something the matter?¨
-¨I just can´t make time today¨
-¨Let her be, you guys¨ Ren said ¨We can go other day¨
-¨Ok¨ Akechi said ¨Let´s call it a day then and resume this tomorrow¨
And with that, they were all gone
-¨Wasn´t Makoto acting a bit weird?¨ Morgana asked Ren
-¨This IS about her sister¨ Ren said, concerned for her girlfriend
-¨Well, I guess that can´t be helped¨
Back at home, Makoto was on her couch, looking at a photo of her with her sister and dad
-¨Dad… Sis¨
Her entire reason to leave wasn´t only her sister, but what she discovered
-¨Ren is truly hiding something from me¨ she looked on her phone for the message from Asumi
-¨I… my hunch is telling be to find the truth…. And my father always stressed to trust hunches…But¨ After some thinking, she knew what to do ¨I`ll wait until we secure find the treasure to hear Ren`s explanation, if he hasn`t by that time, then¨
She knew this was wrong, but she hoped Ren will not break their promise
Meanwhile, Morgana and Ren were asking Futaba for a favor
10/29 Saturday
The following day, the group met at the courthouse
-¨So this is the courthouse¨ Morgana said ¨You can tell it`s a revolting building just by looking at it. Let`s hurry up and get started¨ He looked at the detective ¨Akechi, what did you find out?¨
-¨I rarely get to see Sae-san directly, but I`ve figured out her course of action. On the 20th, an investigation will be likely done at Shujin Academy… as well as the Sakura residence¨
-¨For…real?¨ Futaba asked
-¨Then that means, our time limit is November 20th¨ Yusuke said
-¨But this should be a substantially forced operation, I doubt it will take place before the 20th¨
-¨We´ll take your word¨ Makoto said ¨For now, we need to focus on infiltrating her Palace¨
-¨I concur. And we should probably get going soon. After all, people like us standing here is quite unnatural¨
He took out his phone, but
-¨That`s¨ Futaba said surprised
-¨Huh? What about my smartphone?¨
And on the blink of an eye, she snatched it
-¨Ah!¨
-¨This is the model I wanted, you`re so lucky¨
The thieves let out a collective sigh
-¨I`m so sorry¨ Ann said ¨Until recently, Futaba was actually a… well…¨
-¨It`s OK. Sae-san told me the gist¨
-¨Oh, right¨ Makoto said ¨Akechi-kun, it may be best if you exchange contact info with everyone too, not just me¨
-¨That`s true¨
-¨Ooh!¨ Futaba said amazed as she explored the phone
-¨I`ll send everyone´s contacts to you later¨
-¨Thanks¨ he then looked at his new teammates and smiled ¨Well then, I hope we get along. I`ll do my best¨
After finishing, Futaba returned the phone ¨You`ve got a good personality and good looks? Talk about cheating¨
The detective raised an eyebrow
-¨She`s praising you¨ Yusuke said ¨I believe¨
He let out a nervous laugh ¨Then, shall we get started¨
-¨We need to figure out what Makoto`s sis thinks this courthouse is, right?¨ Ryuji asked
-¨I often hear her call it a place of competition in which she must always win¨ Makoto said
-¨A competition means it`s a match of some sort¨ Yusuke said ¨Might it be a martial-arts ring?¨
No
-¨Then¨ Haru said ¨Perhaps an stadium? Or maybe an arena?¨
No
-¨There are other competitions besides fighting and sports¨ Akechi said
-¨Gambling, then!¨ Futaba said
-¨How about a racetrack for horses? Ann suggested ¨Other than that, there`s pachinko, but does that count as gambling?¨
-¨It must be a casino¨ Makoto said
Bing, correct
-¨She sounded awfully confident¨ Ren thought ¨I hope she didn`t entered here before, that would have been too dangerous¨
-¨Welp, it´s time to head in then¨ Ryuji said
They entered the Metaverse, and what they saw stunned them
-¨We Are looking at the courthouse, aren`t we?¨ Futaba asked
-¨Seems like it¨
-¨Let`s go¨ Akechi said
-¨Right¨ Ren said
And they began to head towards their destination
In the horizon, there was a tall luminous building, with a neon sign of a cowgirl like lady holding the balance of justice in one hand, and a sword on the other, the word ¨WIN¨. There was no doubt, it was a casino
-¨The courthouse is a casino¨ Ann said amazed
-¨Everywhere else seems to be a normal cityscape¨ Akechi pointed out
Something caught Yusuke´s attention ¨Isn`t that¨
They all looked to a nearby building
-¨The police station, yes¨ Makoto said
-¨Our attire hasn`t changed¨ Akechi said ¨That must mean we aren`t considered threats or hostiles yet¨
-¨Right¨ Morgana agreed ¨Areas outside her courthouse Palace must not be worthy of her attention¨
-¨The police station`s also part of her work area though, whenever arrests are made for her cases¨ Makoto said ¨I`ve brought her food and belongings when she was sent on loan to the police¨
-¨We got no business with the cops, right?¨ Ryuji asked worried ¨This might be the Metaverse, but I don´t wanna go in a station¨
Than something hit Makoto ¨That reminds me, he´ll need a codename too¨
-¨Code name?¨ Akechi asked
-¨Phantom Thieves can´t go around using their real names, right?¨ Ryuji said ¨It ain´t cool either¨
-¨Just for reference, what is everyone else´s?¨
-¨Skull¨
-¨Mine´s Fox¨ Yusuke said
-¨We pretty much decided on them with how we look, didn`t we?¨ Ann said
-¨What is it, Haru?¨ Makoto asked, noticing her friend looked somewhat nervous
-¨O-Oh, it´s nothing¨
-¨Then¨ Akechi said ¨Perhaps ¨Karasu¨ will be the best for me. You know, like a raven¨
-¨Are your clothes all black or something?¨ Ryuji asked
-¨The reverse actually. If our code names are to hide our identities, wouldn`t that be better?¨
-¨Karasu¨ Futaba said ¨He`d be the only Japanese-sounding one¨
-¨Why not go with ¨Crow¨ instead?¨ Ann suggested
-¨All right¨ Morgana agreed ¨From here on out, you´re Crow¨
-¨Got it¨
-¨Now then, let´s head into the courthouse!¨
-¨There is an emergency exit door on the upper floor¨ Makoto said ¨Let`s try there¨
Everyone agreed, though that bothered Ren
-¨How does she know that?... I hope she really hasn`t come here on her own?¨
The thieves entered the casino, they were above the main door, though their attires already changed
-¨So¨ Akechi said ¨This means we´re acknowledged as a threat, correct?¨
-¨Dude, you planning on stealing stuff on that getup?¨ Ryuji asked
Akechi`s outfit was a princely pure-white regalia with red accents and a red, long-nosed mask.
-¨I did say reverse¨
-¨It just means that`s what he thinks a rebel looks like¨ Morgana said
-¨No, this is my mental image of a person who sticks to their justice¨
-¨Well, I think your mask is more apt for piercing rather than sticking¨ Haru said, then she looked at her surroundings ¨That aside, the people in here look completely normal¨
-¨Oh right¨ Ann said ¨Crow doesn`t know too much about cognitive beings, does he?¨
-¨Ah, yes¨ Yusuke said ¨In addition to similar topography, cognitive people exist based on the ruler´s perceptions¨
-¨That prolly didn´t make much sense cause of all the fancy terms he was using, huh?¨ Ryuji said
-¨In essence¨ Akechi said ¨Since these ones look like real people, Sae-san´s view of others is surprisingly undistorted¨
-¨Not all cognitions are normal though¨ Yusuke said ¨in Futaba and Okumura´s Palaces, we had to battle them¨
The detective looked at Ren ¨Is this what you have to go through every time?¨
-¨That´s right¨
-¨Hm, this is a first for me… I`m somewhat nervous¨
-¨Just don´t slow us down, Crow¨ Morgana said
-¨I will not allow that to happen¨
-¨We need to secure an infiltration route before we send out the calling card. As always¨
Akechi jumped a bit on excitement ¨So the calling wasn`t merely for show? It`s a necessary step!? And Sae-san told me that I watched too much movies¨
-¨Will you please stop interrupting?¨ Makoto glared at him
-¨M-My apologies¨
They found a nearby vent, upon coming out on the other side
-¨Welcome¨ a female voice said ¨Come on out, you petty thieves¨
There she was, Shadow Sae, wearing a extremely thick black eyeliner and black lipstick. She still wears her earrings, but she now has a black choker with spikes, and a hat that resembles an American flapper from the 1920s, with playing cards stashed behind a golden rose. She wears a revealing black dress with purple laces which exposes the center of her torso and her right leg. Her right leg is decorated with fishnet stockings and a derringer pistol and she wears purple high heels. She wears long black gloves. In addition, she also has tattoos on her shoulders and back which is a black dog's head wearing a choker surrounded by yellow roses.
-¨You`re after the Treasure, are you not? Come on down and I will tell you where it is. I only wish to do this fair and square¨
-¨We should do as she says¨` Akechi suggested ¨There is no point in hiding any longer¨
So, they climbed down
-¨The Treasure is located on the Manager´s Floor, at the highest point of this building¨
-¨Why are you telling us this?¨ Makoto asked
-¨It´s as I said before… I wish to go about this in the fairest manner possible. Come to my location, we will continue things there¨
With a snap of her fingers, she was on the elevator, going up
-¨It seems we´ll be able to use that elevator to reach higher floors¨ Akechi said ¨let us pursue her¨
They reached the elevator, but
-¨Authentication required¨ a mechanical voice said ¨Please insert your member´s card¨
-¨Member´s card?¨ Haru asked confused
-¨Perhaps it bears relation to a player´s club of sorts¨ Akechi said ¨Casinos typically have a membership system called a player´s club. Some locations even have areas cordoned off for particular ranks of player¨
-¨Then let`s just join this player thingy¨ Ryuji said
-¨I would agree with you, but¨
Suddenly, a shadow showed up, it was a humanoid tiger with two swords
-¨As I expected. Registration will not be such a simple matter¨
-¨She must be daring us to challenge the security of this place to make it to her¨ Yusuke said
-¨Here it comes!¨ Ryuji said
Akechi took a step forward ¨No need to worry. I`ll handle this. I need to prove my worth to you, after all¨
-¨Will you be allright?¨ Ren asked
-¨Who knows, I estimate that you won`t have to jump in to help though¨
The detective prince put his hand on his mask ¨Manifest!¨ he removed it ¨Robin Hood!¨
There it was, a big, muscular white archer, it had a logo with the letters RH on its chest, and its golden arc had the words ¨Robin Hood¨ written on it
The Persona collided with the Shadow
-¨Take them down, Robin Hood!¨
The archer fired a set of bless arrow to the Shadow, who screamed in pain
-¨So, this is Crow´s power¨ Morgana said
After a bit, the Shadow was death
-¨You`re not so bad¨ Morgana said
Akechi smiled proudly ¨And I am capable of much more. Now then, let us deal with the Shadows quickly¨
-¨Wait¨ Ann said ¨Doesn`t it sound like we´re gonna get ambushed based on what we heard earlier?¨
-¨I agree¨ Makoto said ¨Now that we have an infiltration route, I`d suggest we return for now and prepare¨
-¨Very well, I trust your judgment and experience. Let us do that¨
And so, they returned home
1/11 Tuesday
After some preparation, the thieves returned to the Palace, after securing their membership card, they headed to the members floor
Upon entering, they were greeted by Shadow Sae
-¨Sis!¨ Makoto said surprised
-¨You wanna just get this over right now, huh?¨ Ryuji asked ¨That makes it easy. Bring it on¨
The shadow shook his head with anger ¨Do not speak to me as though you are my equal. I am the manager of this casino, as well as its number-one player. At the moment you lack the qualifications to fight me¨
-¨It would seem she looks down on us¨ Yusuke said
-¨And what if we would like to battle you, no matter what?¨ Akechi asked
-¨I had to win time and time in order to reach my number-one rank¨ Sae said ¨If you want to face me, you must continue to win as well¨
They were confused
-¨Continue to win?¨ Haru asked
-¨It must have to do with the fact that this is a casino¨ Akechi deduced
-¨Correct¨ the shadow said ¨Do you have the confidence to win?¨
-¨We might just pull the rug out from underneath you if you aren´t careful¨ Makoto said
The Shadow just laughed ¨I don´t expect much from you… but I´ll be waiting¨
And with a snap of her fingers, she left
-¨This is different from our prior opponents¨ Morgana said ¨She´d rather scheme than defeat us with brute force¨
-¨I wasn´t expecting to come all the way to a Palace only to end up gambling¨
Ann went to inspect one of the nearby slot machines
-¨I´ve never done anything like this. What about you guys?¨
The thieves exchanged looks of concern
-¨Looks like this is going to take longer than expected¨ Morgana complained
-¨We don´t got time to waste!¨ Ryuji said
-¨No need to worry¨ Akechi said ¨Leave this to me¨
-¨You know how to do this?¨ Makoto asked
-¨I´m well-informed in what it takes to win. In any case, we need to hurry and change her heart. If she acts recklessly, both her chances of promotion and reputation as a prosecutor will drop greatly. Sae-san didn´t use to be like this, did she?¨
Makoto´s expression turned into a sad one ¨My sister must have lost her sense of justice because her desires became distorted¨
-¨Do you think there was a particular event that triggered her Palace´s creation?¨
-¨I believe all of it's related to my father's death¨
The mention of her father made Ren and Futaba exchanged looks of guilt
-¨My sister took on all the responsibilities of dealing with it herself. Trying to earn a living wage, gain a promotion in a male society, and uphold justice at the same time. Those things may have weighed her down and led to the distortion within her heart¨
-¨My apologies, but we don´t have time to be sentimental¨
-¨Jerk¨ Futaba said angry
-¨Huh? Excuse me?¨
-¨You were the one that asked on the first place Crow¨ Ren said, angry as well ¨And now you blame her for being sentimental? Don´t ask something if you can´t take people giving you an answer¨
-¨Joker¨ Makoto said
The atmosphere was slightly awkward
-¨Well, you have a point¨ the detective said ¨My apologies Queen¨
-¨It´s fine¨
-¨Although¨ he looked at Joker ¨You seem to have taken that far more personal than expected, why?¨
-¨…She is a teammate and friend, I would have done the same for anyone else¨
It seems that Ren can lie as naturally as he breathe, if he were to tell the real reason, it was guilt
Seeing Ren defending her made Makoto sad, because deep down, she knew he was hiding something important
-¨Anyway¨ Morgana said ¨She did challenge us to reach her, after all. Niijima´s treasure must be at her managerial base of operations. We have to get there!¨
After learning that they needed 50.000 coins to move onto the next level, they decided to try the dice game, unfortunately, it seemed that game was rigged, so their first order of business was to get rid of that
So they headed to a nearby security room
-¨It´s just like we thought¨ Futaba said ¨The calculations for their rigging are up in the monitor now. If we take that shadow down, we can work on stopping it¨
-¨Then let´s get to it¨ Ren said
He jumped over the Shadow´s head, and rip of its mask, revealing a skeleton wearing a red cloak
-¨Valkyrie!¨ he called forward the doubled-sword, horse-riding maiden, and send it to attack
-¨Taste my wrath!¨ Akechi called Robin Hood, and fire light arrows to it, knocking the shadow down
-¨It´ll be a massacre¨
After performing an All-out Attack, the shadow was killed
-¨My sole interest is uncovering the truth¨
-¨Good¨ Futaba said ¨Now, let´s stop the rigging¨
But
-¨Hold on a moment¨ Akechi said ¨I have an idea I´d like to discuss¨
-¨Whaddya wanna talk about?¨ Ryuji asked
-¨I´ve devised an easier way of doing this… A way to get all the coins we need¨
-¨All of them in here?¨ Yusuke asked
-¨I´ve deduced how to win the games. We will use the equipment here to our advantage to rig the game in our favor¨
-¨You can do that?!¨ Ryuji asked shocked
-¨Wait!¨ Futaba said ¨This is a job for me! It´ll be a breeze!¨
-¨Cheating seems somehow wrong though¨ Haru said
-¨The odds here are stacked against us. We would never win if we stuck to normal methods¨
-¨You´re right¨ Makoto agreed ¨Changing my sister´s heart is the ultimate goal here¨
-¨I feel bad asking this, but may we borrow your expertise yet another time, Oracle?¨
-¨I´m game! But man, you sure give a lot of orders for a noob!¨
-¨I´ll take that as a compliment¨
After a while
-¨OK, I rigged one of the rooms in our favor, just like Crow said. The other rooms should at least be back to normal gambling now too¨
-¨Good work¨ Ren said with a smile
They headed towards their special room, where they managed to win a good amount of coins, after playing a while, they left the room
-¨That was fun!¨ Ann said
-¨Have we reached our goal!?¨ Yusuke said
-¨It still may not be enough¨ Akechi said worried
-¨Are you seriously planning on taking every last coin in here?¨ Morgana asked
-¨Hahaha, it was a joke¨
-¨Crow, don´t go developing a gambling addiction, would you?¨ Ren asked
-¨Don´t you worry, I know how to keep myself controlled, but it would be nice to have a little more coinage on hand, would it not?¨ he looked at Ryuji ¨Skull, I would like to come with me. The rest of you wait here¨
-¨Why me?¨ the blondie asked
-¨Because I am the ¨brains¨ here, am I not?¨
-¨Huh? Oh, sure¨
After a while, they returned, with Ryuji pushing a cart with a bag filled with coins
-¨So… heavy¨ he was out of breath ¨Next time, you be the ¨muscle¨
After finishing the dice room, they headed towards the slots room, with a bit of work, they managed to get the 50000 coins required, so they headed back to the members floor and got their next card, but before they could leave, a shadow wa blocking their way
-¨What a clever trick¨ Shadow Sae said through the speakers
-¨We merely followed your rules¨ Akechi said innocently
-¨Hmph! I am the manager of this casino, and the rules deem that I am the victor!¨
-¨It appears both the Sae-san of the real world and that of this world are at their wit´s end¨
-¨I think our guests will be leaving now¨
And the shadow turned itself into a pickl, I mean, into a giant golden clock, but the thieves dispose of it
-¨What losers¨ Shadow Sae said ¨Criminal trials are but a gamble to be won, and us prosecutors arrange the gambling table. Hence, losses are unacceptable! We must win, even if it has to be on false charges!¨
-¨Are you serious, sis!?¨ Makoto asked in disbelief
Silence
-¨Why won´t you answer me!?¨
-¨Don´t think such a petty trick could defeat me. I may have to acknowledge your skills- if you can make it up to the manager´s floor, that is¨
And she was gone
-¨She thinks that trials which shape the outcomes of people´s lives are nothing more than gambles?¨ Akechi asked in disbelief ¨I wish I didn´t have to hear that from Sae-san herself¨
-¨Sis is completely distorted!¨ Makoto said ¨We have to stop her, quickly!¨
-¨Let´s save her together¨ Ren said
There it was, the reassurance, and there it was again, that feeling of uncertainty
-¨We all feel the same way¨ Haru said
Their next stop, the high-limit floor, but upon entering, they noticed that the whole place was surrounded by a wooden fence
-¨Outta the way¨ Ryuji said to the shadow
-¨Beyond this point is the high limit floor¨ the shadow said, ignoring Ryuji´s threat ¨Do you have a reservation?¨
-¨I said, outta the way!¨
-¨We shouldn´t cause a scene¨ Haru said
-¨It seems there is some kind of requirement we must meet before we can access this high limit floor¨ Yusuke deduced
-¨Even though we got the coins?¨ Ryuji asked
-¨It must be related to my sister´s cognition in some way¨ Makoto said
-¨Her cognition?¨ Akechi asked ¨Esentially, Sae-san needs to think of us as being allowed to enter, correct? Hm. This casino is the courthouse in reality. So that floor must be a place only authorized personnel are given access to. I would say it has to be the courtroom¨
-¨You really are an ace detective¨ Ann said
-¨How are we going to get into the courtroom?¨ Haru asked
-¨Ryuji! Go piss off the police!¨ Futaba said with a grin
-¨Hell no! You´re the hacker here, you should!¨
-¨We just need to attend a trial¨
-¨I have some connections that come to mind, I can find out which trial Sae-san will be attending. I will contact you once I manage to arrange a time¨ Akechi said
-¨That will be great¨ Ren said
Since they couldn´t do anything else, they decided to head to the real world, where they all took their separate ways
Seeing that it has been a while since they went out, Ren and Makoto decided to go to Ogikubo to have some ramen
-¨I´ve never had ramen this delicious before¨ she said pleased ¨I might even drink the broth as well¨
-¨I am glad you like it, I came here with Ryuji from time to time¨
-¨I see…¨
-¨What is it?¨
-¨To be honest… the last time I was in one of these shops was back with my father¨
-¨Oh¨
-¨It´s… a little difficult going to one of these places alone, don´t you think?¨
He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her ¨You´re not alone now¨
-¨I… thanks¨
There it was again, she should be happy that Ren, as always, is reassuring her that everything is fine, but, the fact that he is hiding something so important form her is starting to eat her
-¨Makoto?¨
And suddenly, she spilled Ren´s bowl contents on his lap
-¨Gah!¨ Ren yelled as the hot liquid and noodles burned his skin
-¨Ren!¨ Makoto yelled, realizing of what she just did ¨I am so so sorry, I don´t know what got into me!
-¨It´s…. it´s fine¨ he began to dry his pants ¨I am glad I let it get a bit cold though¨
-¨What´s wrong with me?¨ she thought worried ¨I am so sorry Ren, I feel foolish¨
-¨Don´t worry, who doesn´t spill food every once in a while?¨
The atmosphere was weird
-¨Anyway, there still a line outside¨ she said ¨We should go home¨
-¨Yeah¨
They both walked towards the train station, not saying a word, except for a mere goodbye
Ren got home
-¨Oh, you´re back¨ Sojiro said, he then looked at the stain in Ren´s pants ¨Couldn´t hold it?¨
-¨No, I was eating ramen with Makoto, and for some reason, she spilled my bowl on my lap¨
-¨What?¨ Sojiro was confused ¨What did you do?¨
-¨Nothing, I mean… her sister is having some problems so to speak, maybe Makoto is not feeling very romantic, perhaps I pressured her too much¨
-¨That, or…¨
-¨ Or?¨
-¨It could be she found out the truth¨
Ren´s face went a bit pale ¨That´s impossible, you all promised to not say anything, to let me handle it¨
-¨And we are keeping that promise, the question is, when are you going to handle it?¨
Ren looked down and whispered ¨Never¨
Sojiro let out a sigh, Ren headed to his room
Back with Makoto, she was grabbing her head
-¨I can´t believe I did something like that¨
Her phone rang, it was Ren
Ren: hi, are you ok?
She let out a sigh, of course Ren would check on her
Makoto: yeah, I am, again, sorry for what happened
Ren: don´t worry about it, and… you know you can tell me anything, right?
-¨Oh, I know I can, but apparently you can´t¨ Makoto said to herself
Makoto: I know Ren, and I appreaciate it, I just want to save my sister
Ren: And we will
She had a sad smile ¨Ren… prove me wrong, please¨
Ren let out a sigh, truth to be told, he was beginning to feel bad, but he knew why he couldn´t tell her the truth, it was dangerous… but was that the best course of action?
2/11 Wednesday
The following day, after finishing their business at the courtroom, the gang came back to the Palace
They learned that they will need 100000 coins in order to lower the bridge. Luckily, there was the right game for that
-¨Ah, welcome¨ the shadow said ¨Will you be participating in our stunning Battle Arena?¨
-¨Of course!¨ Ann exclaimed confidently ¨Our teamwork´s gonna take down this arena of yours!¨
-¨Ah, now that won´t do. This is a series of honest one-on-one battles. In other words, only one can participate. You´ll need someone to act as your representative. If you managed to succeed, you will be granted 100000 coins¨
-¨That´s enough to get us across that bridge!¨ Ann said ¨Come on, we need to do this!¨
-¨Hm… This feels like a trap to me¨ Akechi said ¨An amount that high would certainly ensure great danger¨
-¨But failure to infiltrate this Palace will be the end of us¨ Makoto said
-¨Very well. In that case, Joker should be the one to participate. We don´t know what kind of enemies may appear, so his high level of adaptability will be vital here¨
-¨Leave it to me then¨ the probationer replied confidently
-¨Just be careful, Ok?¨ Ann said ¨And don´t do anything reckless in there¨
-¨Come on, do I really look like that type of person?¨
-¨Yes¨ Makoto said bluntly ¨Don´t worry us, or you´ll see what happens¨
-¨I know, I´ll be careful¨
After preparing himself, the trickster entered the arena
-¨Now then¨ the announcer said ¨Our gripping battle is finally here! The idiot leader of the adult-defying thieves has come!¨
-¨You know, announcer are meant to be impartial¨ Ren said with sarcasm
-¨Odds are 1.1 to the house, 23.0 to the Phantom Thieves! Now, let us begin! Bring out the first contestant!¨
Two giant elephant creatures showed up
-¨What the hell?!¨ Ryuji yelled ¨This ain´t fair at all!¨ he jumped towards the fence ¨Hang on Joker, I ARGGGHGHHHHGHHH!¨
He got electrocuted
-¨Skull!¨ Ann yelled worried
The crispy body of the blondy landed on Akechi´s hands
-¨Clearly, they don´t want us to interfere¨ the detective said
-¨Ren¨ Makoto said worried
-¨Queen Mab!¨ Ren summoned his Persona, and delivered two powerful psychokenesis attacks, followed by a thunder barrage, eliminating the shadows ¨Come on, if you are gonna cheat, at least do it properly¨
-¨Wow, the stupid, or should I say, Phantom Dweeb, can´t take a hint. Anyway, bring out the second contestant!¨
3 masked long claws creatures show up
Luckily for him, all he needed to do was electrocute them
-¨Grr, there is no way in hell you are getting away with this!¨ the announcer said pissed
-¨You seemed shock!¨ Ren replied cockily
The final contestant showed up, up side, it was only one, down side, it was a gigantic armored creature with a hammer
-¨Rangda!¨ he changed his Persona
The shadow delivered a powerful physical attack, but thanks to Ren´s Persona, he reflected the damage back to the shadow, destroying it
-¨The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?¨
That was the last one, he won
-¨Once again, justice prevails!¨ Akechi exclaimed happy
-¨Th-The payout will be handed over after this¨ the shadow said disappointed ¨Please wait¨
Once outside, he was greeted by his teammates
-¨You were incredible!¨ Ann said
-¨I must agree¨ Akechi ¨That multi-persona skill of yours is quite useful, I wish I have it. Anyway, let´s move out before anything else happens¨
Thanks to a little trick, they managed to get to the manager´s floor
And there it was, the orb that will soon turned into the Treasure
-¨It looks like this is her base of operations¨ Morgana said ¨Perhaps her Treasure will appear on that pedestal¨
-¨How uncouth of you to simply barge in here¨ Shadow Sae voice was heard ¨Elegance is necessary for victory as well, you know¨. I entertained you with all of my games, but it appears you are still far from satisfied. Very well, I´ve made preparations for that possibility. This will be a game of life and death from now on. No matter who I face, I shall not lose!¨
-¨Sis¨ Makoto said, shaken, not only because of what her sister said, but because ¨Our infiltration route is secure¨ she knew time was up ¨We need to head back out and send the calling card¨
-¨And once the calling card is sent, Sae-san´s Treasure will appear, correct?¨ Akechi asked
-¨Yeah¨ Morgana said ¨Once the target is cognizant of the danger, that cloudy thing will take shape¨
-¨I wonder… What will the Treasure look like?¨
-¨That depends on the person¨ Ann said ¨For Kamoshida was a medal, Madarame´s was a painting, and Kaneshiro´s was fake money…¨
-¨Father´s was a plastic model¨ Haru said said
-¨In other words… the Treasure is what marked the beginning of the Palace ruler´s aspirations¨
-¨It could also be what caused their desires to swell¨ Yusuke said
-¨Thinking about it won´t get us anywhere though¨ Morgana said ¨Let´s head back and prepare the calling card¨
And they all began to left, but Makoto kept looking at the Treasure
-¨Hm?¨ Futaba said ¨What´s up? You curious about the Treasure?¨
-¨Speaking of that¨ Haru said ¨It actually looks like there´s a shape formed in the haziness¨
-¨If I had to guess… I´d say Sis´s Treasure is a police notebook¨
-¨Right¨ Akechi said ¨Your father was¨
-¨She probably thinks Dad died because the police were using him. That´s why she believes justice is meaningless, and that there´s no point in living a subservient life. Dad´s death is even the reason she aspired to become a prosecutor and grew so obsessed with winning¨ tears began to form ¨She really loved him¨
-¨Sae-san´s heart must be exhausted from living in such a fiercely competitive world. Honest beliefs alone are not enough to get you through. Even I understand that pain. But that is exactly why we need to change her heart¨
-¨Yes, you´re right. Let´s head back¨
And they went back to the real world
Once home, Makoto was sitting on her couch, with her phone, looking at all the pictures she has with her boyfriend
-¨Ren…¨ she looked for a contact on her phone, Asumi ¨I…¨ she needed to know the truth, no matter what, so she typed
Makoto: I am ready
And she left her phone there, waiting for an answer, and hoping this was nothing but a bad dream
3/11 Thursday
The following day, Ren sent a message, he wanted to meet up in order to decide the sending of the calling card
He was on his room waiting alongside Futaba
-¨Futaba¨
-¨Hm¨
-¨… I am going to tell Makoto the truth¨
Futaba´s eyes went wide in surprise ¨Really?¨
-¨Yeah, after we finish this Palace, I will, I can´t keep it hidden forever, no matter the consequences¨
-¨About time, if you want, I¨
-¨I know what you are going to say, but no, I won´t let you do it, it has to be me¨
-¨Actually, I was going to say that I can call an ambulance in case she beats the crap out of you¨
Ren just gulped, this was not going to be pretty
After a while, the gang arrived
-¨Aw yeah!¨ Ryuji exclaimed ¨All we gotta do is send the calling card! The earlier the better, right?¨
-¨No¨ Akechi said ¨In my opinion, we should wait until right before the time limit¨
-¨May I ask your reasoning behind that idea?¨ Makoto asked
-¨Sae-san is a realist. Even if she believes the Phantom Thieves, exist, do you think she knows how they steal hearts? Furthermore, there is a chance she expects that she herself will be targeted¨
-¨So because her heart is ready for any possibility, the calling card might not have enough effect?¨ Haru asked
-¨I only say that theoretically, but I believe so. Hence, it would be prudent four us to wait until we are driven into a corner to act. If we do so with no time to spare, I assume even Sae-san would have to be somewhat agitated¨
-¨Ensuring the Treasure actually appears… That sounds quite logical¨ Makoto said ¨Impressive, Akechi-kun… Though it is a bit vexing that you know more about my sister than I do¨
-¨Haha, that´s only because of my work as a detective¨
Makoto´s phone rang, she took it out. It was Asumi
-¨Oh¨ she said surprised
-¨What´s up?¨ Ryuji asked
-¨Oh, just one of the student council members, she is asking me to check these documents to see if there any mistakes, is it okay if I step away a few minutes?¨
-¨Go ahead¨ Ren said
And she walked a few meter away
Asumi had sent them some file
With a big breath, she opened the first one
And just the tittle enough was enough to break her
-¨It is almost certain we will have to face Nijima-san´s Shadow in order to actually grab the Treasure¨
-¨I wonder what the fight will be¨ Haru said
-¨Given the casino theme, we should expect something related to it, and obviously, that includes cheating¨
-¨We should train then¨ Ryuji said
-¨To Mementos we go¨
-¨Mementos?¨ Akechi asked
-¨Consider it the Palace of the masses¨
-¨I see, well, this will be my first time going against a Palace ruler, so I could use some extra training¨
-¨Sounds like a plan¨ Ren said, he then looked at Makoto ¨What do you think Makoto?¨
There was no answer, she didn´t even bother to look to ask what was wrong
Her eyes were on the documents she was reading
The first one was a news article from three years ago from a newspaper from Yokohama
April 2nd
The police force of Yokohama have successfully arrested Daizo Amamiya, known dealer in the human trafficking market across Japan, as well as the one behind the death of one of Tokyo´s finest policeman, Hiroshi Niijima, on March 30th, by having a drug embedded truck driver impact on him. Mister Hiroshi Niijima died while investigating one of Daizo´s main brothels located Tokyo.
Makoto´s eyes were focused on the date, April 2nd, that´s when both she and her sister where informed about the arrest of the leader of that human trafficking group, but it was someone entirely else, does that mean she was told a lie?
The next document was a copy of Daizo´s profile, it included who he was, as well as evidence of his crimes, there was also a copy of his confession, and some pictures of his trial, including a written dialogue that was taken out of a recording the local prosecutors managed to get
Daizo: You know what to do, that Niijima cop is getting closer to us, so we have to act now. Make it look like an accident. Thanks to our Intel guy, we know how he acts. All we need to do is to have one of ours pretend that he is surrendering, you know, giving info in exchange of a better sentence. The guy is smart, but he has a problem, he gets controlled by his rage quite easily, as soon as he hears my name, he will go alone, and that is when we strike.
This… this was how they planned to get rid of her dad. And it was how it happened. Dad went to meet up with a potential witness, and that is when he
But the worst was a more recent news article, from almost 2 months ago, Makoto didn't read it completely, because all she needed to read was
Daizo Amamiya has escaped
Makoto eyes were deprived of any sing of life, as if the whole world when numb, except, that one word repeated on her mind
-¨Amamiya…Is he?¨
-Makoto?¨ Ren placed a hand on her shoulder, but she move it away
-¨Is… Is this a joke?¨ she asked quietly, tears falling from her eyes, and the rage on her voice increasing
-¨Huh?¨ Ren was confused
She turned around and looked him dead in the eyes ¨IS THIS A JOKE, REN?!¨
Everybody were taken back by her sudden outburst
-¨LOOK AT THIS!¨
She showed him one by one the files that she was looking, and Ren´s face went pale, he recognized those files, he had see them before
-¨Where did you¨
-¨THAT DOESN´T MATTER NOW! ANSWER MY QUESTION, ARE THESE FILES CORRECT?! IS YOUR FATHER REALLY!?¨
If there was one thing Ren wished more than anything was to tell her no, that it was all a lie, that his father didn´t took Makoto´s dad life, he wanted to hold her, tell her that everything was ok, he desperately wanted to comfort her
But
He knew it was useless to wish for that now
He looked away, not being able to looked at her, he was more than ashamed
-¨Is… is he your dad?¨ Makoto voice was cracking
Ren only nod
-¨And… Did… Did he really?¨
Another simply nod
Makoto began to shake, despite everything, there was one more question that needed to be done
-¨Did… Did you knew it?¨
-¨… For almost two months¨
And that was the last nail to the coffin, the truth was out
Daizo Amamiya, Ren´s dad, killed Hiroshi Niijima, Makoto and Sae´s dad
Makoto was lost, she was lost, desperate, but most of all, she felt hurt, because the one person she trusted the most, her boyfriend, the one that helped her, have fun with, the one she… just broke their promise
-¨Makoto, I can¨ Ren tried to explained, but
There was a loud sound, as it something hit the floor, the other thieves were shocked because of what happened
Ren was on the floor, grabbing his jaw in pain, there was a bit of blood coming out of his mouth, and a bruise on his cheek
He looked up, and saw Makoto with a raised fist
Makoto punched him, and damn it was with lots of strength
-¨I…¨ she need to get out of there, she went for her bag, and ran way, not looking back, tears still falling
The room went quiet, except for Ren´s whispers
-¨Damn it¨ he said, a pained expression on his face
-¨Hey!¨ Sojiro said as he entered the room ¨What the hell happened?! Makoto ran out of the store, she was crying, what it is¨
-¨She found out¨ that is all what Ren said
It took Sojiro a few seconds to realize what he meant, he let out a sigh, grabbing his head ¨Damn it kid, I… I am sorry¨
Ren looked at the floor, not bothering on saying something, there was no need to say anything, because he knew that this will be, for the rest of his life
His worst mistake
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND I AM BACK, and hoo boy, it finally happened
So sorry for dissaprearing again, but i have been really busy these past few months, hell, we are in a global pandemic, but interesting how some things don´t change, which is good, but my god, being responsible sucks
Anyway, moving onto the chapter, the truth was out, poor Makoto, gotta hand it it, she believed in Ren till there was no other choice, and Ren, if only you realzied sooner, but how did Asumi got all that info? You ll find out next chapter
Now Ren has to come clean with the other thieves, how will they take it? Will they take sides? Will this be the end for the fonds he formed? Let me give you a hint: Empress gardener
Makoto left after punching Ren, that must have hurt, what she will do now? can she trust anybody? Let me give you a hint: Blondie runner
Next chapter, we will see Ren handling the consequences of his actions as they wait for the sending of the calling card, and if you thought things were bad for Ren and Makoto relationship, it will only get worse in the next chapter
As usual, thank you for reading, leave reviews or PM and i will gladly answer them
See you next time
Peace