October 27th
Are the Phantom Thieves Just? 22% to 21%
"And that concludes the speech given by Masayoshi Shido, who may be forming a new party."
"…" Sojiro was sitting in the shop, letting out a quiet hum. Yesterday was a big day with what he learned.
"We now resume our coverage of the Phantom Thieves, the suspects for Mr. Okumura's death and others. The police have designated the Phantom Thieves as the country's most wanted fugitives…and have decided to reward anyone with information leading to the capture of the Phantom Thieves."
Ren was walking down the stairs, and Sojiro gestured to the TV. "Look."
"Those who provide information will be offered a reward of thirty million yen…and considering the high amount, it shows how extraordinary the situation has become. Reward money will be supplied by the police, and the families of the victim, further-"
"If I report you to the police and they arrest you, I supposedly get thirty million yen for it." Sojiro said.
"That's insane…" Ren was staggered by that amount. "But that's only if we get caught."
"I hope you understand the situation you're in." Sojiro's tone was serious, along with his expression. "Even people who didn't have an interest in the Phantom Thieves will start looking now. This will happen everywhere, even at school. …Why did this happen…?" Sojiro was truly looking out for Ren with this type of warning, but he was still taken aback by how serious the situation became.
"…I'm sorry. I didn't know it would." Ren replied. "But we had no choice. We don't have a choice right now. We need to see this through to the end."
"I see…" Sojiro rolled his neck. "Well…how do I put this…? I'm sorry I didn't realize it. It's also my responsibility that this happened. All I can do now is give you shelter. Don't become reckless and do something reckless."
"I know." Ren nodded.
"I won't sell you out. You have nothing to worry about while you're here." Sojiro said, before turning his attention back to the TV.
"…I feel bad for what we've done to the Chief. I'm responsible too," Morgana mumbled. It was unfair to Sojiro to learn about this so late into the game, but…he was glad they had someone on their side, despite everything that was happening right now.
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Hifumi was on her way out of the house when she saw her mother watching the news. The report of a thirty million yen reward had Hifumi stop in her tracks. "H-How much…!?"
"Thirty Million." Mitsuyo stroked her chin, clearly taking an interest in the money. "With that kind of money…"
"Mother…" Hifumi bit her lower lip. How in the world was she going to try and convince her mother to drop that idea when she knew where her mind was. "You don't have to hunt the Phantom Thieves down for the money…I know you want to help Father, but…"
"He doesn't have a lot of time left, Hifumi." Mitsuyo could barely bite back that remark. "A month or two at the very most. The treatment at the hospital isn't enough for him at this rate and we both know he's counting down the days."
"But…the doctor I mentioned…" Hifumi spoke up.
"I'm supposed to trust some local doctor over the professionals at the hospital?" Mitsuyo scoffed.
"She is a professional…!" Hifumi replied. "I'd rather put my trust in her, then wait idly as Father loses more and more days! Do you want to waste time hunting the Phantom Thieves when you have no way of catching them, just like the police?"
Mitsuyo furrowed her brows. The tone Hifumi was taking with her, she didn't like it at all. "Hifumi, watch your tone. I don't like how you're speaking to me."
"…Please, just consider the options, mother." Hifumi said before leaving for school. Having a thirty million yen bounty on the Phantom Thieves hanging over her head…it was a heavy feeling.
"I already know what I should do, for the sake of this family." Mitsuyo muttered as Hifumi left.
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The SIU Director was thoroughly enjoying the way things were panning out. "Did you see that reward? Perhaps we put too much pressure on them. With this, the Phantom Thieves have become public enemy number one!" He paused, chuckling as the other person on the line made a remark. "Exactly. That will be when their curtain falls."
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A meeting at the hideout was mandatory. All day, everyone heard whispers about how people wanted to capture the Phantom Thieves for the thirty million yen reward. It was so absurd that it felt unreal. "We're 'wanted' now…" Ryuji's tone held complete disbelief. The amount was so high, so unrealistic… "And the reward's thirty million yen? What is this shit, a comic book? Hahah…it feels so unrealistic, I can't help but laugh."
"We're finally being treated as actual criminals now…" Ann's gaze was on the floor.
Makoto stood up from her seat. "We truly were set up…everything that's happened has been a part of someone's game. We were set up to take the fall all that time ago, and we noticed it too late."
"We fell into their trap…" Morgana sighed. "They likely planned to lay the blame on us from the start, after we gained popularity."
"Then what about everything we've done up until now!?" Ann asked. "Are the people whose hearts we changed and thought were corrupt actually not!?"
"That's not true at all." Hifumi shook her head. "Because of Makoto, myself, and Yusuke, those cases were coincidental. Considering we fought Black Mask in Okumura's Palace, it makes sense that he was used to lure is to begin with."
"What a cheap trick to use…" Ryuji grumbled angrily.
"Cheap?" Makoto shook her head. "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 wasn't their only target. Perhaps they intend to place all blame of the past and current psychotic breakdowns on our group."
Yusuke was facing the wall the whole time, but he turned around immediately after hearing that. "That's why I said we shouldn't jump into things so carelessly!"
"And we didn't…!" Hifumi stopped Ryuji from shouting back at Yusuke. "I said before that following the trend of fame was a bad idea. While I had no idea things would escalate this far…I think we tempered the fame chasing to some degree."
"Kch…" Ryuji sucked his teeth. Chasing that fame was part of the reason he and Morgana had that argument. But Hifumi was right, she did warn them early on not to get so absorbed in it all. "Plus, there was that thing with Haru at the time! We couldn't ignore that!"
Haru sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry. 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 frowned.
"That's not your fault either…" Hifumi shook her head. "You shouldn't have been forced to deal with that…"
"It's not Haru's fault! I should've spoken up too when Principal Kobayakawa died!" Ann added.
"DAMMIT!" Ryuji slammed the couch with his fist, hitting it repeatedly. Even knowing this was all a setup, he was so damn frustrated that despite their efforts to stop it, they still played right into the enemy's hands. "This is bullshit! God…rgh…FU…!" His sudden outburst startled Kasumi and Futaba.
"Ryuji! Taking out your frustrations out on everything won't help!" Ann exclaimed.
"…" Kasumi wasn't sure what to say in the moment. Everything was so tense and heavy…a bit out of her league. But she did promise to stick with everyone for the long haul, even when she was given the choice to opt out.
"Hey…what do you think, Ren?" Ryuji's weak gaze drifted over to Ren. "Why did we lose…? What did we do wrong?"
"….As the leader of the Phantom Thieves, I have to accept responsibility for what's happened." Ren said, causing everyone to turn his way. "I was the one who made the promise that we wouldn't let anything bad happen to Haru's father. Even though we never truly acted on that growing fame once, everyone left the final decisions to me, and you followed me. So don't go blaming yourselves for trusting in my judgement, because I was the one who made the decisions in the end. I guess at some point…I was short sighted and didn't think about the long term. And because of that, you all might have done the same thing."
"Senpai…" Kasumi frowned at Ren's words. The recent events really were weighing down on him.
"Did we lose sight of our original cause…?" Haru mumbled.
"You and Kasumi didn't do anything wrong." Ren shook his head. "You just joined us, after all. Like I said…it all falls to me."
"Did our eyes get so clouded that we failed to notice everything happening around us…?" Yusuke mumbled.
"I'm so irritated with myself!" Makoto said.
"Makoto…" Futaba had a growing thought in her head…one she found hard to ignore.
"Damn it! I know we've been set up, and that I've been a complete idiot too. But still…it's so damn frustrating! We could've ended it if we caught Black Mask, but we got our asses kicked instead! Like we were just some joke to them!"
"And it is as Hifumi said…" Yusuke frowned. "With everything escalating as quickly as it has, I have no doubt we are up against an organization with far too much power.
"Are we really a match for this?" Ann mumbled.
As confident as Futaba was the night before, the weight of a thirty million yen bounty struck. It made her hesitate. The absurdity of their situation and the severity of their 'crimes' against Japan was a heavy burden to bare. "Should we…end this now? I mean, things might get worse for everyone…?"
"Please stop talking like that!" Hifumi suddenly exclaimed. It was rare for her voice in reality to get so loud. This whole time, she was trying to keep everyone's spirits up. She could stand watching them fall into doubt and despair. "I know things are bad right now, but please, don't forget about everything we've done up until this point."
"Fumi…?" Ann blinked slowly.
"When you all talk like this, it feels like you are forgetting what we've accomplished together." Hifumi held her hand to her chest. "The world may be against us at this point in time, but I refuse to believe that every single person thinks we are bad people. What about the people we've helped? The people who had no options…? There are still people that believe in us, do you not agree…!?"
"I…" Ren paused for a moment. There were people on their side…Kawakami, Tae, Shinya, Sojiro, Mishima…and a bunch of others that expressed their gratitude on the Phan-Site for all the missions they've completed in Mementos.
"Don't we all have our reasons for standing here to begin with?" Hifumi kept going. She turned to Ann, biting her lip. "You saved me, Ann…! I was lonely before you came along, and your single act of compassion is the reason I'm standing here right now. Didn't you start acting on that compassion because of Shiho…?"
"…!" Ann's eyes went wide. It wasn't that she had forgotten, but Hifumi was right. Ann swore to never turn a blind eye to someone in trouble again, if she could help it. When she was lonely, Shiho extended a hand to her…and when Hifumi was lonely, that compassion trickled down to Ann, and she took Hifumi's lonely hand. Shiho supported and thanked the Phantom Thieves for everything… "Shiho…"
"Compassion is infectious." Hifumi said. "It was because of what you did, that I was able to reach out to Haru that time as well. That was the kind of courage the Phantom Thieves gave me, and I'd felt that way even before becoming a part of them…! That's what the Phantom Thieves have done for me any many others, that's what we set out to do, isn't it? Help people who need it…" That's why she was so adamant in helping Mika and try to stay her friend as well. It all started with one small action nearly half a year ago.
"Ah…" Haru's eyes also went wide. That single act of Hifumi's did change her life as well.
Yusuke stared at his hand. "But even now, the people we've tried to help turn their backs on us for their own reasons…"
"Even so, I refuse to accept that everything we've done is pointless. I know we've changed some lives for the better." Hifumi shook her head. "I…I don't care what kind of foe we're up against, I refuse to concede to them. Even if I must come up with some sort of plan myself, I refuse to lose what we have. You're all my friends, and that alone is worth trying to fight back."
Kasumi clenched a hand into a fist before standing up. "I agree with Hifumi-senpai! It's far too early to give up." She turned to Ren, her eyes narrowing. "Senpai! You've always been there to pick me up when I was feeling down, so now it's my turn! I'll do that for everyone else too!" Her initial thoughts about the Phantom Thieves were all in the past now; she knew the kind of people they were. "I know I said before that I thought the public would become too reliant on the Phantom Thieves…but it's wrong of them to try and push us aside and get rid of us now. Haru-senpai and I are just as responsible for all of this as everyone else. You take a lot on your shoulders, Ren-senpai…but you aren't alone! Look how many people are here!"
"Do you all truly want to stop now? It's far too soon to give up…that's what Black Mask wants us to do." Hifumi was wiping her eyes. At some point, her burst of emotion nearly led to her crying. That fear of losing everything she had was still present, but she had the resolve to fight for it no matter what. "He is the key to all of this…I don't want to lose to him again, either."
"I don't want to stop…" Haru shook her head. "To be honest, that bounty scared me. The thought of being arrested as my father's killer is so terrifying, when all I wanted to do was help him see the error of his ways. But I remember why I can't stop. My father's killer is roaming free, trying to take us out of the picture as well. I will not give them the satisfaction!"
"…I had almost forgotten why I joined in the first place." Yusuke closed his eyes. "To prevent situations like my own from ever happening again…to expand my horizons in the process."
"Right…!" Futaba nodded. "I take back what I just said! I absolutely cannot let it end now! Not like this! I have to get revenge for my mom!"
"Even if this means going against my own sister somehow…" Makoto looked up. "I don't want to stop either."
"Yeah…runnin' with our tails between our legs is exactly what they want right now." Ryuji stood up. "I ain't showing my back to those bastards…I don't want to run away from this."
"Neither do I." Ann gave a nod. "I want to believe there are people who still trust us…I know there are people that are on our side. Giving up now would be a disservice to both them and us!"
Morgana slowly turned to Ren, who was contemplating the situation. "…What about you, Ren? Everyone else seems to have made their decision clear."
Ren was quiet for a moment. Everyone else was fired up and raring to go. Even though he felt the burden of the responsibility on his shoulders… "Let's turn the tables." He finally spoke, causing everyone to smile. "We haven't lost yet. We'll overcome this."
"Looks like we're settled on what we want to do. All that's left is how to go about it." Morgana said. They were resolved to fight.
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Everyone broke off for the day after the meeting. Any doubts were dispelled and they had to focus on what came next. Ryuji called Ren over the phone, just to vent a little and apologize about his behavior. After that, Makoto sent a text to the group chat.
Makoto: I got a message from Akechi-kun. He wants to us to gather at Leblanc tomorrow after school.
Futaba: Who does he think he is, trying to boss us around like that?!
Kasumi: After school?
Yusuke: This is directly after the reward announcement. There must be a calculated reason for this as well.
Hifumi: I don't like it. But I think this can work well for us. Remember what we discussed, Kasumi?
Kasumi: Yes. I'm a little sad I won't be able to join you all, but…
Ann: We'll keep you updated on what happens, don't worry.
Ren: We'll be OK. We can manage this.
Haru: Yeah. We're going to overcome this, together.
Makoto: Regardless, I don't want anyone disturbing our pace anymore. Let's go about this calmly. I'll see you tomorrow.
"We've reached a crucial moment." Morgana said. "No point in fretting on it now, though. We just have to stay calm and get ready for tomorrow."
Ren received another text from his phone. When he checked it…
Chihaya: So, um. I decided to check your fortune. I just wanted to let you know that the Arcana of Death is really strong in your future. I don't know what events will lead to this but please…be careful.
Of death? That was a pretty ominous warning…
Ren: I will be.
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October 28th.
Are the Phantom Thieves Just? 21% to 20%.
Masayoshi Shido was standing in the middle of Shibuya for a speech, early in the morning. "An issue in which criminals do whatever they want under the name of justice cannot be left alone. Only now does the government speak of taking countermeasures…but their actions are too little, too late! The government as it stands has been left behind the times! It is obsolete! We don't have to go down with a sinking ship. WE have the power to change this! Let us end this chaos, through my hand and yours!" Shido had charisma alright. His voice and his words carried, appealing to the people in these troubling times.
"This guy's from the ruling party, right?" Someone asked.
"I heard they're splitting up to form a new party, so an election might come before the year's end." A man replied.
"I'm gonna vote this time for sure! This man has my full support!"
"You haven't been voting until now? That's problematic as a member of society."
"Politics just never interested me before. But this politician seems pretty interesting. He's passionate and thinks of the future. I mean, someone like that should be prime minister. I'm definitely voting for him!"
"Well, I suppose that makes sense, since the other politicians are so unreliable."
"…" Yoshida stood off to the side, listening to Shido speak. He blended in with the crowd, but his eyes did narrow ever so slightly when he stared at Shido.
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Akechi met with the Phantom Thieves (barring Kasumi) within Leblanc. Ren told Sojiro about this meeting, so the store was temporarily closed up until they were finished. "When you say you want us to 'cooperate' with you, what exactly do you intend us to do?" Makoto was cutting right to the chase.
"That's a good question." Akechi flashed a smile. "But might I have a cup of coffee first?"
"Quit effin' around!" Ryuji shouted. Nobody was in the mood for the pleasantries Akechi was attempting.
"Please keep this short." Makoto said.
"There's a bounty for information in addition to the arrest warrant." Akechi said, sliding his need for coffee aside for the time being. "Those are quite some desperate measures." There was some silence. "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. There's no way they can make an arrest." Futaba surmised.
"True." Akechi nodded. "I'm the only one who's ascertained your true identities. However, the groundwork for fabricating evidence and concocting a culprit are underway."
"We don't care about that self-gratification! Get on with it!" Futaba demanded.
"I'll be blunt." Akechi began. "I'm thinking of triggering a change of heart in Sae-san. I've already discovered she has a Palace."
Makoto's gaze immediately went down. She didn't say anything, but Hifumi noticed this…and knew what it meant. Makoto was well aware of this. "…"
"Huh? Really?" Haru asked.
"Is this to prevent the investigation agency's recklessness?" Yusuke asked.
"Precisely." Akechi nodded.
"Do we have to change her heart just for that?" Ann muttered.
"It does seem a bit much…" Hifumi agreed. "A single person is incapable fabricating that much evidence."
Akechi shook his head. "Unfortunately, that's not the case. What if I told you that those around her would turn a blind eye to false evidence?"
"You sayin' the police would do such a thing!?" Ryuji was shocked.
"It seems they're more trusted than I thought." Akechi replied. "The higher ups are only concerned with resolving the case. My objective is to find the true culprit and unmask him. That must be the case for all of you, too. However, the current situation is extremely bad."
"If we don't do something, someone innocent could be in trouble." Hifumi shook her head. "I don't want that."
"Our only solution to this is to make Sae-san come to her senses before it's too late. It is the only way to protect her as well." Akechi said.
Makoto snapped to attention. "How do you mean?"
"If the true culprit were learn that she's responsible for the investigation, what would happen? I'm certain they'll aim for her life. She is the perfect victim to place blame on the Phantom Thieves." Akechi said. "So how about it? Will you agree to my plan?"
"…" Hifumi didn't say anything. She was too busy paying attention to what Akechi was saying.
"Even though you're particular about being just, you're willing to get your hands dirty?" Akechi's plan of actions did surprise Yusuke. He didn't take him for that kind of person.
"It can't be helped in order to ascertain the truth." Akechi replied. "There's also one more merit in changing Sae-san's heart. It would be a warning to others not to meddle with you any further."
The others seemed confused. But Hifumi could wager a guess. "They'd be unable to go public. Their corruption would be shown."
"Very nice, Togo-san. That's exactly it." Akechi held a smile. "All that's left from there is for me to discover the identity of Black Mask."
"…And once you capture him, you're going to tell us to announce our disbandment." Makoto surmised.
"As expected from a Niijima." Akechi's response confirmed it. "So, what do you say? I don't think it's a bad deal for either of us."
"It's a pretty interesting plan…" Ren commented. "Covering all of the bases. It's well made."
"That means a lot coming from you." Akechi responded.
"But…why are you doing all of this, Akechi-kun?" Haru asked. They didn't understand Akechi's motivations for going this far. "Why do you seek justice?"
Akechi took a moment to respond to that. "Because of sickening human beings. Yes, my drive for such people drives my sense of justice. It isn't for some grand reason like society's sake or some lofty ideal. It's simply an absurd grudge…and extremely personal."
"Ah…." Hifumi was a little surprised. That was the most truthful thing she's ever heard come from Akechi's mouth.
"You know…doesn't he remind you of us?" Ann spoke out. She could sense a similarity between them and Akechi. "Like how some disgusting adult pissed him off…?"
"…" Ren looked towards Akechi. He remembered the conversation they had in the hotsprings just down the block. Ren could wager a small guess as to who that grudge was towards, even if he didn't know the identity of the person in question. "Yeah…I see it."
"We're similar, hm?" Akechi thought it over. "Perhaps that's why I thought I could ask this of you all." He turned to Ren. "Won't you cooperate with me on the mission to change Sae-san's heart?"
"Well, you didn't exactly give us a choice." Ren was going to point that out. "But we're going to help you."
"Thanks, I was actually worried there." Akechi laughed a bit. "This mission can't succeed without your cooperation after all."
"The Phantom Thieves will be disbanded, and everything will work out…I pray that it does." Yusuke muttered.
"Mako-chan?" Haru glanced at Makoto's worried expression.
"I'm okay." Makoto brushed some hair behind her back. "I've never brought it up until now, but the reason I joined the Phantom Thieves was to change my sister's heart. I've also known for quite some time that she has a Palace."
"So that's why…" Hifumi said.
"It was too selfish of a reason to say anything, though I was too scared to look any further on my own." Makoto admitted.
"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 want to get as much experience as I can."
"…" Hifumi didn't say anything.
"I…I'm sorry, I can't." Makoto said. "I actually have plans today…"
"I see…" Akechi frowned.
"Is something the matter?" Haru asked.
"I just can't make time today. I'm sorry." Makoto shook her head.
"Let's call it a day then, and resume this tomorrow." Akechi nodded. There was no point in pressing the issue if there was nothing that could be done.
"I'm sorry, everyone…" Makoto sighed. "I hope this buys enough time…" With no choice, everyone had to break for the day.
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Date: ?
"A Palace, in me!?" Considering the story so far, Sae was smacked by the revelation that she had a Palace as well. "And the Phantom Thieves targeted me as per Akechi's advice? And he already experienced the Metaverse by the time of the Okumura case? That can't be…he hasn't said a word! Although…his attitude did change around that time. My own sister may be a Phantom Thief, and Goro Akechi kept quiet about important details. If this is all true, I was out of the loop the entire time I led the investigation. What a joke." Sighing, Sae continued on. "Your goal was to capture Black Mask, so trigging a change of heart within me wouldn't be enough…"
"That's not all." Ren said.
"I see…if you wanted to evade capture, triggering my change of heart wouldn't guarantee anything. Your actions as Phantom Thieves would still be met with hostility…." Sae paused. She had a terrifying realization. "No…! If this is all true, this means that I would be targeted next! Did Makoto come up with that speculation?"
"…I don't remember." Ren shook his head. Everything from this point on was getting a little hazy.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking things…" Sae shook her head.
"Ngh…" Ren held his head. It wasn't that long ago since he was arrested.
"Hey! Amamiya-kun!" Sae called out to him. "You need to keep focus!" That was enough to keep Ren focused. "You look completely worn out…but the look on your face isn't one of defeat. Why is that?"
Ren thought back to the words he said on that day, the ones he told everyone else. If there was a time to act on those words, it was now. "I haven't lost yet."
"I'm amazed you can still talk." Sae admitted. "When you arrested, a man at the scene told you that you were 'sold out', correct? Those words usually allude to the existence of a traitor. However, if your story until now is true, only one reason can be concluded. It's frustrating to admit, but at a certain point – no, most likely at the start, I was a mere puppet. Someone setup to bear responsibility later. Someone intended your arrest, and the minimal staff directly involved were in their pocket. And if that's the case, true integrity would side with you…"
"I think I'm starting to win her over…" Ren thought to himself. He could feel Sae slowly accepting the truth.
"No, I'm jumping to conclusions." Sae shook her head. "There's still something I need to confirm with you. Was a change of heart triggered within me? What happened during the time in my Palace and your arrest?"
"Right…" Ren said. "This is the last part of my story…"
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Ren, Morgana, Hifumi, and Futaba were in Ren's room after the meeting. Hifumi doubled back after she was certain Akechi was gone for the day. "I've just texted Kasumi about what happened so she's in the loop. She came up with a rather nice idea."
"What did she suggest?" Futaba asked.
"Since we'll be going into a Palace, she asked if she could shadow us." Hifumi told them. "Akechi-san knows far more than he's letting on."
"The basis for this is your power, right?" Morgana asked for clarification.
"Yes." Hifumi nodded. "He is hiding the truth…so if I can piece together the hidden meanings within his lies, I may be able to discern what his true goal is. I just need a little time…and his performance in the Metaverse may be exactly what I need."
"That's a good point…." Morgana nodded in agreement. "Also, since we're going into Niijima's Palace, I want to look into her." He looked directly at Futaba. "Things like work ethic and relationships. It doesn't matter whether it's public or private. Those would help us come up with countermeasures in case we hit a roadblock in her Palace."
"I can look up more, you know." Futaba said with a mischievous smile. "Stuff like her repertoire of underwear.
Hifumi blushed and started to wave her hands. "I-I don't think there's a need to…!"
"N-Now hold on…let her finish." Ren coughed. This was a chance he didn't want to entirely pass them by.
"Don't encourage her!" Morgana shouted at Ren. "A girl shouldn't say things like that!"
"…What else can you dig up?" Ren asked.
"Okay, we're ending this here." Hifumi placed her arms in an X formation. "M-Moving on, if we put everything together so far…there's one more thing that concerns me."
"Can you plant a bug on Akechi's phone?" Morgana asked. "If possible…." In present Ren's hazy mind, everything from this point was once again becoming hazy. His memory of these events were foggy, but he had to force himself to vaguely recall some aspects of the conversation.
Futaba had to think about that one. "If I got my hands directly on it…it's possible, but…" She wasn't sure. It sounded like one hell of a task.
"Please? We really need this." Ren said. "We're close to dismantling his entire plan against us."
"It's too convenient for him to want us to leave Black Mask to him." Hifumi said. "I can see through his lies, and if you can track conversation where I can now…we can put him in a reverse pin and fight our way out of this…!"
Futaba sighed. So much for no pressure. But she understood the situation. They had to make big plays if they wanted to come out on top. "Okay, okay. I'll try my best. It's not gonna be easy…"
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October 28th
Are the Phantom Thieves Just? 19% to 18%.
The group met at the government district in front of the courthouse in Kasumigaseki. Considering everything concerning the police was in this district, they were effectively heading deep into enemy territory. "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. Akechi, what did you figure out?"
"I rarely get to see Sae-san directly, but I've figured out her course of action. On the 20th of November, an investigation will be done at Shujin Academy…and the Sakura residence" Akechi said.
Futaba's eyes were wide. "For…real…!?" Her home was going to be placed under investigation.
"Still, there'll be quite a lot of red tape involved. I doubt it'll take place before the 20th." Akechi surmised.
"We'll take your word for it." Makoto said.
"I think we should hurry up…" Hifumi was glancing around. Nobody was present, but sooner or later someone was going to notice a group of highschool students lingering near the courthouse.
"Indeed. A group like us standing around isn't a common sight." Akechi pulled out his phone. "Well then…"
"That's…!" Futaba's eyes widened when spotting Akechi's phone. Without wasting a single second, she lunged forward with great speed, snatching it from his hands. "This is the model I wanted! You're so lucky…!"
"Er…" Hifumi began to sweat.
"I'm so sorry…." Ann rubbed the back of her neck, watching Futaba browse through Akechi's phone. "Until recently Futaba was a shut in…"
Akechi could laugh this off. "It's okay. Sae-san told me the gist." He wanted to reach for his phone, but Futaba was so engrossed with it, that seemed like an impossible task at the moment. "Er…"
"I'll, uh…send you everyone's contact information later." Makoto said.
"That sounds like it's for the best. I hope we get alone." Akechi smiled.
"You've got a good personality and good looks? Talk about cheating…" Futaba was done now, handing the phone back to Akechi. Her words just left him confused.
"She's praising you, I believe…?" Yusuke surmised. His guess was as good as anything.
"Okay, so…" Ryuji started. "We need to figure out what Makoto's sis thinks this courthouse is, right?"
"I often hear her call it a 'place of competition' in which she must always win." Makoto said.
"Competition…?" Hifumi stroked her chin.
"Is a stadium? An arena?" Haru suggested. But the Nav was unable to find anything.
"There are other sports besides fighting." Akechi said.
"Gambling then!" Futaba suggested.
"Gambling…and the stakes are high…" Hifumi had an idea. It was on the tip of her tongue…
"It must be a casino." Makoto said.
"Candidate found." The Nav spoke. It was a hit.
"I definitely see Sae-san in you." Akechi's words were meant to be a compliment, but Makoto didn't take it that way. Makoto shot one quick text to Kasumi, likely informing her of the Palace information, before selecting the Nav once more to head inside with everyone. It was time to scope out the area…
.
.
Surprisingly, upon entering the Metaverse, the world around them did not change. The city was the same and only Morgana was the one who transformed into his usual Metaverse appearance. Everyone took cover, moving on his orders. "Head right past there and keep a low profile."
Everyone followed behind Morgana, rounding the corner. "I'm surprised we haven't changed yet…" Hifumi mumbled.
Soon enough, they saw the courthouse. They had to look up at it, it's blinding neon lights visible from the distance. "What's going on here…?" Ann asked while looking at the courthouse.
"We are looking at the courthouse, right…?" Futaba asked.
"Seems like it…" Makoto confirmed.
Akechi turned to the others. They couldn't afford to stand around for very long. "Let's go."
"Right." Nodding, Ren led the way towards the Palace. The courthouse, in Sae Niijima's mind, was a gigantic casino. Her Palace was the embodiment of putting everything on the line for massive winnings. A place where losing was simply not an option; a place where she would win no matter what.
The Casino of Envy stood as the tipping point for the Phantom Thieves' greatest gambit yet.