June 21st.
Summer vacation was just around the corner. It was near impossible to focus on class with freedom so close. But it was also difficult for Ren and Ann to focus in class since the threat of Medjed and the mysterious Alibaba. Afternoon classes were nearly over and Ren was pretty much zoning out until his phone buzzed. "Huh?"
"Is it Ryuji again? He just doesn't shut up…" Morgama mumbled within Ren's desk.
Ren went to check his phone; eyes a bit wide to see who it was that messaged him. "Alibaba…" He whispered, but was also just loud enough for Ann to hear.
"Huh?" Ann leaned back, unsure if she heard Ren correctly. Alibaba was texting now?
Alibaba: Good day.
Ren: Good day to you too.
Alibaba: Oh, you actually responded today. And you have manners, how nice. Once again, I am Alibaba. You are the leader of the Phantom Thieves, yes?
Ren hesitated on responding for a moment. But there was no point denying such a thing when Alibaba already knew so much.
Ren: What about it?
Alibaba: I take it you received the calling card? Are you at school right now?
Morgana's ears perked up. "So it really was from them…"
Ren: I'm busy, in class.
Alibaba: I thought so. Now then, I have prepared the calling card for you. When are you going to steal it?
Ren: What are you talking about?
Alibaba: Stealing a heart, of course. Aren't you able to steal hearts so long as you have a calling card?
Morgana was beginning to realize that Alibaba may have had their methods mixed up a little bit. "Tell them. We need a name before we can go after a target."
Ren: We need a name.
Alibaba: Hm? Is your thievery truly impossible without a name?
Ren: Just tell me.
Alibaba: I see. Hold on a moment. Yes…I believe their name was Futaba Sakura. If you fail the mission, I will expose your identity to the world and the police. Well then, I'll be counting on you. We shall speak again after the change of heart.
"What..?" Ren couldn't help but whisper. He tried to reply again, but he was getting an error message.
"So they threatened you and just took off!?" Morgana couldn't believe it. "And Sakura…I feel like I've heard that name before. We should probably let everyone know about this…"
Ann could hear Morgana behind her. Clearly something went down with whoever Ren was texting and it sounded serious. "What the heck happened…" She whispered.
.
.
Afterschool, everyone gathered in the Accessway after Ren texted the group. He showed everyone the messages from Alibaba. "So we're gonna get reported if we don't do this? What the hell!" Ryuji grunted, before glancing Hifumi's way. She seemed to be thinking about something. "Hey, you're a lie detector, right? Can't you tell if this person is pullin' our leg or somethin'?"
"Er…" Hifumi played with the red string in her hair, looking over the text messages carefully before shaking her head. "I'm afraid I cannot."
"Aw, whaddya mean?" Ryuji asked.
"While I can tell when a person is lying, I was never really sure of the extent of this ability." Hifumi explained. "If a person lies and I'm in their presence or can hear them, I can tell immediately. But it doesn't seem as though I can discern truth from lie from something such as messages…I believe it has to be directly from the person in question themselves." She was still learning about this power herself. This just cemented what she was assuming.
"Damn. It was worth a shot…" Ryuji muttered.
While Hifumi was explaining how her lie sensing powers worked, Ann was trying to figure out where she heard the name Sakura before. She heard it so recently…just yesterday, actually. "Wasn't Sakura…Boss's last name!?" Everyone immediately snapped to attention.
"Does he have any family?" Yusuke turned to Ren.
"Does he?" Morgana was asking as well, because he just didn't know.
"…Um…" Ren was trying to think about this, but he didn't have an answer. "I…I don't know."
"How do you not know!?" Ryuji asked, baffled by how Ren could miss something as huge as this. "Don't you live at his place; you should've at least been introduced right? How laid back are you!?"
"Well, technically, he's not living at his house…but his café." Hifumi corrected. "There is a big difference."
"That's true…" Yusuke ended up sighing. "Ren's situation does make things a bit difficult…"
"The calling card was delivered to Boss's house; it'd be difficult to assume this isn't related. Part of the reason is because Alibaba never mentioned which Futaba Sakurai. Perhaps they think the name alone is enough." Makoto surmised. It was the best guess she could come up with considering the circumstances. "So I think this has to be the doing of someone close by."
"That makes sense." Morgana said.
"I wonder where they are…" Hifumi mumbled.
"I don't know how Alibaba got a hold of Ren's smartphone information, but since they're ordering us through chat, I can't help but feel as though they're taunting us…" Makoto said.
"Is this some kinda prank?" Ryuji would've liked if that was the case.
"I doubt it." Hifumi shook her head. "I don't quite understand why they're making certain demands if so. They're asking us to steal a heart without giving us a clear reason…"
"So we're being tested…?" Yusuke suggested.
"One annoying test…" Ryuji grumbled.
"Regardless, I think we should ask Boss about Futaba Sakura at least once." Makoto said.
"I think that's a good idea." Morgana nodded. "We can't really do a lot at the moment and Boss might know something about it."
"We must go about this cautiously. We do not want Boss to figure out who we are." Yusuke said.
"Don't worry. I got this. Give me one hour." Ren said while picking up his bag with Morgana, and walking off. There was a glint along his glasses suggesting he had an idea.
"…He's going to crash and burn, isn't it?" Hifumi asked.
"Oh, totally." Ann sighed.
.
.
Ren returned to Leblanc with a determined expression. Sojiro didn't have any customers at the moment so this was the perfect time to start asking questions. "Hm? What's up?" Sojiro asked, setting the newspaper aside since it looked as though Ren wanted to ask him something.
"So…who's Futaba Sakura?" Ren asked casually. Being direct about it was probably the best thing he could do in this scenario.
Sojiro's expression shifted immediately. "How do you know about that? ….It's got nothing to do with you. I'm going home, make sure to close up." And with that…Sojiro just left.
"Ah…" That was not the reaction Ren was expecting.
"So it's a hit…" Morgana muttered. There was no other explanation for Sojiro to have such a reaction.
Ren now had to text the others the news.
Ren: So, I have news.
Ryuji: Did he talk?
Ren: …Nope.
Clearly, they needed another plan.
.
.
June 22nd.
Summer vacation began the day after tomorrow. Ren informed the group that he was going to ask around Yongen to see if anyone knew anything about Futaba, if she was living with Sojiro anyway. The brilliant idea actually came from Ryuji and it was an idea worth pursuing. So while Ren was taking care of that, Makoto had some business she wanted to take care of afterschool. That involved her going to the rooftop in search of a certain someone. Just as she thought, Haru was on the rooftop, tending to some plants. "Haru?"
Haru was in her own world for a moment. So it took her a few seconds to recognize that someone called out to her. "Hm?" Haru stood up, dusting the dirt off on her gym clothes before turning around. "Oh, hello!" She managed a smile; she remembered Makoto from the other day. "What brings you up here?"
"I was looking for you." Makoto said. "After what happened the other day, my friends and I were a bit worried about you."
"Oh…" Haru should've expected that. But it was…nice to have someone come check up on her. Hardly anyone did that. They just stood by and let it happen, even at home. "That means a lot to me, Mako-chan."
Makoto blinked, red eyes a bit wide as she wore a confused expression. That came so suddenly she needed a moment to take it in. "W-Was that for me…?" She was the only other person around, but she wasn't expecting it.
Haru, realizing what she said, blushed a little bit. "I-I'm sorry…I think I just said that subconsciously. I don't really get to speak to many people my own age…and people don't show much concern for my wellbeing."
"If I may ask…who was that man?" Makoto didn't want to pry too much if Haru didn't want to talk about it. But she didn't feel right leaving Haru alone.
Haru bit her lip, looking down at the ground. Did she really want to talk about it right now? She wasn't sure…but it wasn't something she could keep in her chest. A hand was being extended to help… "He's someone I can't quite…distance myself from." She wasn't ready to spill the whole truth yet, but she was going to talk about it a little bit to get it off her chest. "It's complicated."
Makoto could sense that Haru wasn't totally willing to talk. But that was okay. "You don't have to explain anything if you don't feel up to it. But if you want some pleasant company, I don't mind."
That made Haru smile once more. Was she getting a friend? She could desperately use one. "Thank you, Mako-chan." And she was already completely giving up on not using that. "I like to plant to pass the time."
"I've noticed this garden when I come up here from time to time." Makoto's eyes wandered to the plants Haru was growing. "I didn't know it was your doing."
"Mhm. I got permission from a teacher to use the roof at the beginning of the first semester." Haru said, crouching back down to apply some soil. "I've been mostly keeping to myself, though I've heard about all the things happening in school. From Mr. Kamoshida, to the Phantom Thieves, and the students who were caught in that mafia operation…"
So even Haru was keeping track of the events in school. Makoto was a bit curious so she had to ask… "I didn't think the Phantom Thieves existed at first."
"Neither did I." Haru admitted. "But it's hard to ignore that they exist now. I was hoping they'd come to solve my problem next…but then this thing when Medjed happened? I'm not really well versed in the internet, but I know this is more important than what I'm going through. I don't know how they'll fight someone on the internet, but I hope the Phantom Thieves win."
"I'm sure they're trying their hardest right now." Makoto nodded. "…Would you like some help?"
"If you're willing, I don't mind." Haru nodded. It was nice to have a chat with someone like this while tending to her garden. She wouldn't pass up this chance for anything.
.
.
Ren spent all day asking around Yongen about Futaba Sakura. He didn't get much information to work with; even Takemi didn't know and he tried. All Ren got was that sometimes Sojiro got some packages delivered and that he bought enough food for two people, despite supposedly living alone. It was hardly anything to work with…so he was going to have to try and ask Sojiro again directly. When he walked back into Leblanc, Sojiro was in another conversation with Sae. "…?"
"You read the letter, didn't you?" Sae asked.
Sojiro acknowledged that Ren just walked in, glancing his way very briefly before replying to Sae. "So you're the one who tipped him off about Futaba. You really shouldn't have done that. I have no intention of talking about Wakaba."
"…?" Ren had noooo idea what was going on here, but clearly this was related to he was just going to stay quiet and let this play out. It was probably for the best Sojiro assumed this was how he learned about Futaba anyway.
"Tipped off…? What are you talking about?" Sae didn't understand, but that wasn't important. "Back to the matter at hand. Your parental authority will have to be suspended. I take it you're okay with that outcome?"
"WHAT!?" Sojiro couldn't believe this.
"Considering the state of your daughter and family overall, there are no points in your favor. Would you like to take this to domestic court? We have a 99% chance of winning after all. With these suspicions of abuse, there's no way you could avoid having your custody revoked."
"You're going THAT far?! I told you, I don't know a damn thing about it!" Sojiro exclaimed.
"We're extremely serious about this." Sae said calmly. "As long as there's a possibility that cognitive psicence can be linked to psychotic breakdowns…"
Sojiro sighed, relenting. "Fine. You win…but I can't promise that you'll get anything useful out of it."
Sae's serious expression turned into a smile. She placed her card on the table. "It's up to use to decide whether the information is useful or not. We'll contact you at a later date. Next time I come in here, it will be for a nice cup of coffee." With that, Sae left, walking past Ren just like before.
And just as she exited the building…. "AND STAY OUT!" Sojiro shouted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That woman is real good at pissing people off!" He then turned to Ren. "You look like you got something to say."
"…Court? Custody…? What was all that about?" Ren asked.
"It doesn't involve you." Sojiro immediately replied.
"…And what's this about Futaba? …Is there no way I can meet her?" Ren pressed a bit more. He was definitely pushing his luck but he didn't have any other options.
"That's enough! Just keep going to school if you don't want me to throw you out, you got that? Close up the place." With that, Sojiro left.
Ren let out a big sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "That was ugly."
"No kidding." Morgana said. "At least that confirms Futaba exists, but it sounds like she has her own problems. We can't really press the issue without Boss threatening to throw you out. They also mentioned cognitive…something…?"
"We'll just have to tell the others tomorrow." Ren said. Once again, they didn't have a choice.
.
.
Hifumi just finished winning yet another match. With Kaneshiro defeated, she was hoping this could clear the air with her and her fellow peers. They were no longer being threatened or blackmailed into losing against her…and she continued to win regardless. "That was a good bout, but I emerge the victor this time." Hifumi said while giving her opponent a respectful bow.
"…" Hifumi's foe frowned a bit. Sure it was from the natural, bitter taste of defeat, but there was something else too…
"..?" Hifumi tilted her head. "Is something the matter?"
"You. Either you don't realize how good you have it, or you're just talking advantage of it." She said, shaking her head. But she wasn't going to elaborate on it any further, just letting her bitter words linger in the air.
"…?" Hifumi didn't understand. She assumed that this was just the bitter loss talking but…for some reason it felt deeper than that. It still felt like she was getting the same treatment as before. "I don't understand. I don't like losing either…and Kaneshiro's in jail…? So why does it feel like nothing's changed? I'm not doing anything wrong…I'm just winning." And that victory streak alienated her from the rest of her peers in the shogi community and at school. If it weren't for Ann and the others, she'd still be spending her time alone in Kanda, just practicing Shogi by herself. It didn't make sense to her.
In the background, Mitsuyo sat with a pleased smile on her face. Even though Kaneshiro's change of heart did throw a heavy wrench in her plans, she was at least free from any consequences. As such she could fall back on her plan of setting Hifumi up to be the winner and star she needed her to be. "That's right, Hifumi. Just keep playing your best. You'll rise and fall how I want, and at the end of it all, you'll be at the very top, shining like the star you are…I need you to win…" Though a star that shone with false light was always dim and gloomy…
.
.
June 23rd.
The day summer vacation began. Though the group couldn't relax yet. Ren had to inform them about what happened yesterday. "So a woman was threatening Boss?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah." Morgana confirmed. "She was saying all sorts of stuff about custody, abuse, and taking it all to court."
"….." Makoto glanced away briefly. It couldn't have been her sister, could it…? There was a very strong chance it was…
"What's up?" Ryuji asked.
"It's…nothing…" Makoto ultimately said.
"Ahem." Hifumi cleared her throat to get Makoto's attention. Needless to say she picked up that she was just lied to. "If you know something, you should share it with us."
Right. Makoto totally forgot she couldn't lie in front of Hifumi. "Well, I could be wrong about this, but I think the person that was talking to Boss was my sister. That…sounds like the kind of thing she'd do…"
"What, really!?" Ann's eyes went wide. "Your sister knows about Futaba?"
"I'm not really sure." Makoto admitted. "She doesn't talk to me about work very often. And if I ask she tells me to focus on other things."
"I see…" Hifumi frowned a bit. "My apologies…"
"It's alright. It's something worth keeping in mind." Makoto gave Hifumi a slight smile. "But…back to the issue about Boss. I don't know him very well, but is he really the kind of person who would do such a thing?"
"I don't think so…he's strict but he's nice enough." Ren said. He had to at least stand in Sojiro's corner for taking him in.
"I'd like to think so as well, but we don't have enough evidence." Makoto sighed.
Ren's phone then buzzed. "Is it Alibaba?!" Morgana asked.
Ren pulled out his phone and it was indeed the mysterious Alibaba. They didn't seem too happy either.
Alibaba: I've given you a calling card and told you the target's name. You should be ready for this. Why aren't you doing it? I told you I'd help you if you stole her heart, what seems to be the hold up? I also said I'd report your identity to the police. Are you okay with this? I'm serious.
"What a selfish person…" Yusuke scoffed.
"This Futaba have a Palace? We need keywords to get in." Ryuji said. They couldn't do anything like this. "Try messagin' them about it.
Ren: What are her keywords?
Alibaba: Keywords? Are you just saying random stuff to dodge the issue?
"…I don't think they're understanding the issue…." Ann said. "What are we supposed to do about this?"
"Try asking if there's a way we can meet." Hifumi suggested.
Ren: I want to meet you.
Alibaba: You want to meet me? That will prove…difficult. I have reasons for not going out. That's why I'm contacting you like this. …Wait a moment. You steal people's hearts directly? Hm…that may be a problem. I'm thinking…
"They can't go out?" Morgana said.
"I think they're misreading the situation…" Hifumi said.
Alibaba: Okay. It's a shame, but I'm calling this deal off. Stop looking into Futaba Sakura. Forget this ever happened. I won't report you to the police either, don't worry.
Ren: Wait a moment.
Alibaba: I said the deal's off! We're never going to speak again. Goodbye.
Ren tried to reply, but he only got an error message. So the conversation was forcibly ended right then and there. "So they just…called the deal off?" Ann didn't get it.
"It doesn't make any sense! First they can't go out and then they won't let us meet Futaba!?" Morgana was confused as well.
"…." Hifumi furrowed her brows. "Won't meet us…won't let us meet Futaba…" The gears in her head were turning.
"Well, I guess that means the case is closed." Ryuji was rotating his arm.
"What do you mean? There's still Medjed." Yusuke pointed out.
"They haven't done anything since that announcement." Ryuji said confidently. "I bet they backed off. If they came out and apologized now, they'd just look lame. Simple as that." It's not like Ryuji could be totally wrong either, it had been silent on Medjed's end.
That felt far too simple. "But…" Makoto began.
"So, with Alibaba and Medjed out of the picture, this is a closed case!" Ryuji grinned. "Oh yeah, and speaking of cases…remember Kaneshiro's Treasure? We got one hundred and fifty thousand yen out of it!" He grinned at the news, while everyone's eyes widened.
"The things we could do with that money…" Hifumi said, awestruck.
"We can really go all out! What should we do…" Ann was thinking hard.
"What about Sushi?" Ryuji suggested. "We gotta make up for the fireworks festival! And make it fitting for the Phantom Thieves' world debut!"
"My master technique is to fill yourself on ginger before dining on the sushi." Yusuke said proudly. Everyone just turned to look at him.
"You don't have to do that this time." Makoto said. "Actually, definitely don't do it, okay?"
"Please." Hifumi added.
"I'm all for sushi! What about, you Ren?" Morgana asked.
"Sure, let's go for it." Ren nodded.
Ryuji was grinning widely. "Perfect! Let's go tomorrow night! Er…will you be able to make it, Hifumi?" He did have to ask, knowing how Hifumi's mom was and all.
"I think I can talk my way into having sushi." Hifumi replied with a curt nod. "I will see all of you tomorrow."
.
.
June 24th.
With summer vacation kicking off, the group went to Ginza for sushi. They were all dining down on such delicious fish. "Man…the flounder is out of this world…" Ryuji spoke with his mouth full. "The texture…"
"I-I don't see any prices here…" Yusuke panicked a bit.
"It's market price…don't worry, we got the cash…" Ryuji said.
"This fish really is good…" Hifumi never had such good fish before. Her expression was soft and her eyes closed in delight.
"Soooooooo gooood…." Ryuji grinned.
"Er, by the way…" Makoto didn't want to bring this up, but she couldn't stop thinking about it… "Ren, do you really think Boss is the type of person to abuse someone? I mean, he could get taken to court…"
"I really don't know…" Ren said, placing some fish in his mouth.
"If that turned out to be true, he'd be a no good guardian…" Ryuji said.
"Maybe the Chief is the one who needs a change of heart." Morgana suggested.
"I actually got curious about that and looked his name in the Nav. There wasn't a hit." Ann said. "Anything more is his family's problem. We probably shouldn't be involved any more than we are…"
"I'm sorry to bring this up during our meal…" Makoto sighed. "But this fish really is delicious…"
Ryuji was about to speak. "And it's all thanks to us being the Phant-" Everyone knew it was coming. But before Ryuji could finish his sentence, Hifumi's hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him before he blurted it out again. Since she was sitting between him and Ann, it was very easy for her to do this. "…!"
Hifumi's green eyes narrowed, burning a hole directly into Ryuji's soul. "I tire of having to repeat myself, Sakamoto-kun." Hifumi said in her shogi tone, sending a chill down Ryuji's spine. This was probably the tenth time she had to remind him to stay quiet in public and it was becoming a tiresome chore. When she believed Ryuji was ready to talk again, she pulled her hand back.
"S-Sorry…it just kinda slipped…" Ryuji said meekly. That was scarier than he was expecting it to be. The intensity Hifumi had in her eyes set him straight.
"Wow…she got him to be quiet for once…" Ann was pretty impressed. "Hey, Hifumi…how did you convince your mom to let you hang out with us this time?"
"I had to promise to bring her some home." Hifumi said with a slight nod. "It was…actually a much less demanding order than I was expecting. I won my last match so I think she's loosened up a bit, but she's also prepared to break that thin ice if I get sick again…" Sweat drop.
Ann let out a bit of a nervous laugh. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind…"
.
.
They were all on their way back from Ginza in Shibuya when Akechi suddenly noticed and approached them. He was shocked to see Makoto hanging with…well, everyone. "Niijima-san, what are you doing here?"
"Akechi-kun?" Makoto blinked.
"Akechi…?" Ryuji couldn't help but narrow his eyes. He couldn't stand this guy.
Akechi was already surprised to learn that Ren and Hifumi knew each other, even more so to add Makoto to that. He recognized Ann from hanging out with Hifumi and Ryuji from the TV station. "Could it be that you're all friends?"
"Huh?" Yusuke was the odd one out. "Do you know this guy?"
"My name is Goro Akechi." He said, introducing himself to Yusuke. "It's nice to meet you, Yusuke Kitagawa."
Yusuke was surprised that Akechi knew him. "How do you know my name…?"
"Because I'm psychic." Akechi jokingly replied. Hifumi ended up rolling her eyes at that. "I'm just kidding. I'm a junior detective, recently put on the case with the Phantom Thieves. Did you see that Medjed declared war on them?"
"War…?" Ryuji asked.
"Their website was just updated a moment ago…" Akechi pinched the bridge of his nose. Just when everyone thought Medjed had gone quiet, they came out of the woodwork.
"Agh, English…!" Ryuji groaned while checking Medjed's site.
Ann, on the other hand, could read what was said. "WHAT!?"
"What's it say?" Hifumi leaned closer to Ann to read…despite being told it was in English, her curiosity was too high. She could not make out a word on the screen.
"Hm? Why do you seem so agitated?" Akechi asked Ann directly, causing her to freeze.
"Um…!" Ann was caught off guard and didn't have an immediate response.
"Oh, she's just…a very big fan of the Phantom Thieves, you know?" Hifumi replied quickly, covering for Ann. At the same time, she couldn't help but stare at Akechi curiously. Something about him just felt…so wrong. She couldn't place her finger on it, but it was bugging her.
"Hm, I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of groups like them." Akechi said with a smile.
Makoto spoke up. "What is with these comments?"
"My apologies. I didn't mean to butt into your conversation, but your group is just very interesting." Akechi said. "Sae-san's sister, an Ex-pupil of Madarame, a couple of shujin students, and the rising star of the shogi community, which was recently freed from Junya Kaneshiro's grasp from what I know. It seems you're all connected to the Phantom Thieves. Perhaps you have more intel than I do."
"…." Hifumi didn't say a word.
Akechi turned to Ren. "Oh yes, I wanted to ask you. Regarding this whole Medjed situation, if you were a Phantom Thief, what would you do?"
"If I was a Phantom Thief, I'd fight back." Ren replied.
Akechi chuckled in response. "There are many people who think that to be the best option. I'm not so surprised you'd find yourself in that corner as well."
"Sorry to disappoint, but we're just normal highschool kids." Ryuji kicked at the ground near his feet lazily. "If anything, we wanna hear what you gotta say, Mr. Detective."
Oh? If they were curious, he'd let them hear his deduction. After all, it was nothing more than just that. "My profiling of the Phantom Thieves leads me to believe they are a group of juveniles. They have a relative amount of free time after school and a hideout to slip away to. Considering Kamoshida was their first target, that means their activity began around April. In short, all of what I've said coincides with the group you have here."
"….." Hifumi said nothing.
"What, you gonna report us?" Ryuji said, a bit aggressively, But he was halted when Hifumi nudged his side with her elbow.
"I didn't say I was being suspicious of you." Akechi said with a plain smile.
"…" Hifumi was having a hard time keeping quiet. Akechi was beating around the bush…was he lying? It felt like both yes and no.
"This has been a valuable point of reference for me. I bet you and I would make a good team if we worked together." Akechi said towards Ren with a playful grin. "I look forward to seeing you all again soon. Especially you, Togo-san." With that, Akechi walked off.
"…..What was that about?" Ann asked.
"Do you think he's ascertained our identities?" Yusuke said.
"It didn't sound like he knew." Hifumi rubbed her arm. "But it's hard to ignore that his gaze did seem a little focused on us when he was explaining his deduction. I think we should be more careful from now on."
"I'd like to say we were overthinking it, but I agree with Hifumi. We should act more cautious. Alibaba was able to discover our true identities after all." Makoto pointed out.
"True…but it's not as though he has any evidence." That was the one point for them that Yusuke pointed out.
"More importantly, things are getting super serious with Medjed!" Ann said. Since she was the only one who could read English, she read out Medjed's declaration of war to the others. What did Medjed plan to do because of the Phantom Thieves' lack of response? Threaten the entirety of Japan. If the Phantom Thieves did not unmask themselves publicly, Medjed would enact what they called 'The Cleanse'. On August 21st, they would ensure the Japanese economy suffered extreme damages.
Ryuji gulped loudly. "Sounds bad…"
"They're willing to go that far just to get us to reveal ourselves? That sounds extremely desperate…" Hifumi said.
"That does sound really bad though." Ren rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He was currently busy carrying Morgana's fatty tuna from the sushi place. "We need to think of a plan."
"Our only clues are Boss and Futaba." Yusuke said. "Alibaba as well, but I do not know how we are going to contact them when it was always one sided…"
"Agh…either way it's way too damn hot out to think." Ryuji groaned. "Let's head back to Leblanc and come up with a plan." That was their only option at the moment. They could no longer ignore Medjed if they truly planned on following through with their threat. The Phantom Thieves had to do something and fast. They weren't going to have any fun on their summer vacation anytime soon…