**August 18th, 2018 — Kurusu House**
Sumire didn't even wait for her alarm to go off on her phone. She noticed it was six-fifty in the morning, and her alarm was set to go off at seven. She had tossed and turned for pretty much the entire night, disturbing Morgana in the process, who eventually decided to sleep on the floor. All together now: thank God for carpeted floors. Not that it mattered much in the end. Morgana didn't sleep a whole lot either. Sumire threw the covers off and sat on the edge of the bed before grabbing her glasses off the bedside table.
"Morning, Sumire…" she heard Morgana languidly say. She looked and saw him stretching on the floor.
"Good morning, Morgana-senpai. Did you sleep well?"
"Meh, not really. You?"
"Honestly, no."
"I'll bet none of us did," Morgana yawned. Sumire nodded before standing up. She walked over to the desk where she had written the note that would serve as a calling card. "What's that?" the feline asked.
"I-uh…wrote the calling card, last night, since I had trouble sleeping." Sumire re-read it and showed it to Morgana. "What do you think?"
"I think it's great," Morgana nodded in approval. "It's just too bad that we don't have time to make a real one, but this'll have to do."
"Right…well, we better get going. We might have a long day ahead of us," Sumire somberly said. Morgana nodded and the two of them went downstairs. Kairi, still in her summer nightgown, was at the dining room table, reading a book, with coffee and breakfast already prepared.
"Oh!" Kairi looked up from her book and saw Sumire and Morgana. "Hey, guys. You're up early."
"Look who's talking," Morgana replied as he hopped up on the table, and Sumire took a seat across from Kairi. "I take it you didn't sleep a whole lot either."
"More or less…" Kairi shrugged. "And by that, I mean more of less." Kairi nodded and noticed Sumire had a piece of paper in her hand. "What do you have there, Sumi?"
"O-Oh…" Sumire glanced at the calling card in her hand, not realizing she had brought it down with her. She supposed she wasn't fully awake, after all. "I-It's a note…for Akira."
"Like…a love note?" Kairi raised an eyebrow.
"Not exactly."
"It's a calling card," Morgana explained. "Once we secure our route to the treasure, we'll have to get the calling card to Akira in order to get his treasure to physically appear."
"And when we steal it, we'll change his heart and save him," Sumire added.
"I see," Kairi said before taking a sip of her coffee. "One question, though: how are we going to give Akira the calling card if we don't even know where he is?"
"Oh…right. That's going to be tricky," Morgana said. Sumire and Morgana looked at each other like they forgot about the fact that their target was currently missing. Suddenly, a phone rang, but it wasn't the home phone. It was a cellphone at the end of the table.
"That's…not mine…" Kairi said to Sumire, confused. "I didn't even realize it was there."
"It's not mine, either," Sumire added. Both were befuddled.
"Wait…that's Akira's phone!" Morgana realized.
"What? I thought Yu-san had it?" Kairi raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Sumire, go check to see who it is," Morgana said. Sumire went and grabbed the phone, thinking it was maybe Sojiro or somebody back in Tokyo.
"It's an unknown number."
"Telemarketer, maybe?" Kairi pondered.
"I don't think so," Morgana pondered, remembering the note that came with the chest of weapons. "Answer it. I have a feeling I know who it is." Sumire, still confused, reluctantly answered the phone.
"H-Hello?"
"Hello…Violet." A soft female voice was on the other end; Sumire's eyes went wide. "Do you remember me?"
"…L-Lavenza?" Sumire choked out; Morgana smirked.
"It has been quite a while, has it not?"
Kairi looked confused. "Um…who's Lavenza?" she asked Morgana.
"A friend of the Phantom Thieves. A friend of Akira's." Lavenza continued as Sumire put the phone on speaker so that Kairi and Morgana could listen.
"You have done a lot to help the Trickster and have made significant progress in freeing him. But if I understand correctly, you seem like you are finding yourselves at an impasse, are you not?"
"Yes, the calling card…" Sumire quietly said. "It's ready, but we have no way of getting it to him. We don't know where he is."
"I have been trying my best to watch over the Trickster for a while, but my chances to assist became less prevalent as time went on. However, your group has made great strides in ridding the Trickster of the distortions plaguing his heart. You are close to saving him; I can feel it. I would like to aid you in your journey. Bring the calling card and this device to the place of rest. I will meet you all there." The receiver clicked off.
"The place of rest? Does she mean the cemetery?" Kairi asked.
"Most likely. We should let the others know," Morgana suggested; Kairi and Sumire nodded.
"I'll message the group chat."
"I'll call Rise," Kairi added. "I could've sworn Yu-san had Akira's phone, though…" she muttered to herself.
Sumire and Kairi's messages and calls made the Phantom Thieves meet up earlier than they had agreed upon. Thankfully, or not, depending on how you look at it, none of the other members had gotten much rest either, so they were all awake and ready to meet up at a moment's notice. They arrived at the cemetery, this time in summer-casual clothes, looking tired. Yu and Rise were still not there. They patiently waited for them underneath a gray sky. It wasn't raining currently, but the asphalt they stood upon was wet, puddles the size of lakes were all around them, and the earthly scent of petrichor was in the air. The clouds above covered the sun and blue sky. In a way, it was no different from the Metaverse. It would likely start raining again as soon as they entered the Palace. The Phantom Thieves hoped Yu and Rise would arrive before they faced the last theater while soaking wet.
"How are you all doing?" Sumire asked. The response was mixed from everyone.
"Man, I'm so exhausted…" Ryuji sleepily said before yawning. "I couldn't sleep last night." The others agreed.
"Tell me about it," Futaba began before glaring at Ryuji and Ann, then at Makoto and Haru. "The first night Yusuke and I aren't listening to the four of you getting it on, and we can't even get a wink of shut-eye."
"What's stoppin' the two of you from doin' it? OW!" Ryuji retorted before receiving a smack on the arm from Ann.
"Ryuji! Not the time!" she reprimanded.
"And not our business!" Makoto added.
"Futaba and I prefer to wait until we both feel comfortable enough," Yusuke said.
"And that's fine," Haru said. "There is no reason for you two to rush into things."
"Right, but just remember to use protection if you do. Take it from me," Kairi warned them like the mom she was.
"Can we please talk about something else?" Makoto facepalmed. Not long after that, Yu and Rise finally pulled up. Yu was carrying a bag over his shoulder, while Rise was noticeably shaking.
"You guys okay?" Kairi asked, concerned. "You look tired."
"We didn't have the best of nights." Yu scanned the others. "Looks like you didn't either."
"Rise-san, are you all right?" Sumire worriedly asked.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine," Rise nodded before exhaling.
"She didn't sleep very well last night," Yu said, rubbing Rise's back.
"You too, huh?" Ann rubbed one of her eyes.
"Plus, she heard a strange noise early this morning and thought someone was breaking in."
"Oh, my God! Are you all right!?" Haru gasped.
"We're fine. Yu said it was a false alarm," Rise answered.
"I think we're just a bit on edge," Yu added. "But we'll be fine once we complete our mission today."
"It's weird," Futaba began. "Even after all the crap we went through in Tokyo, two years ago, we didn't lose sleep over any of that stuff."
"I suppose things are different when it's happening to your friend, your family, to someone you've formed a solid bond with," Yusuke said as the others looked down.
"Hey, come on, guys," Morgana said. "This isn't the time to mope."
"Morgana-senpai is right. We still have a treasure to steal," Sumire said as she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "And I've already prepared the calling card." She handed it and showed it to the Thieves.
"So, what's it for?" Yu asked.
"Once we find our target's treasure inside their Palace and establish an escape route, we send them a calling card," Morgana began. "Once this occurs, the target's shadow-self reacts due to internal knowledge of the wrongness of their actions, provoking them to defend their treasure at all costs. Knowing their treasure is in danger causes it to physically manifest. When it does, that's when we steal it."
"And, what happens when we steal it?"
"The target has their change of heart."
"Then, Akira will be okay?" Rise asked.
"Yes."
"Damn, I gotta admit, this is pretty great," Ryuji complimented as he looked over the calling card.
"Yeah, it's really good. When did you write it?" Futaba asked.
"Last night," Sumire responded. "I couldn't sleep."
"I hope our lack of a good night's rest won't hinder us," Kairi said, stretching.
"You don't have to worry," Sumire smiled. "I'm more determined than ever!"
"So am I. I refuse to rest until we've saved Akira!" Makoto stood firm.
"I'll sleep when he's back home safe!" Ann added.
"Same!" Ryuji pumped his fist. "I'm ready for anything!"
"I miss him…" Haru looked down. "But I refuse to stop fighting for him!" she firmly stated.
"We haven't failed before, and I am confident we won't fail this time!" Yusuke declared.
"I miss my big brother," Futaba somberly said as the others looked at her. "Yeah, I said what I said. So, what?" Kairi looked away and started chuckling to herself.
"What is it, Kairi-san?" Yusuke asked; She looked back.
"Oh, nothing. I just can't believe you all thought you were bad friends yesterday," Kairi chuckled. "I'm his mother, sure, but if you all are willing to risk your necks and go through all of that back there for him, then he's lucky to have you all as friends."
"I told them the same thing, yesterday," Rise added with a smile. "They're great kids, aren't they?" The Phantom Thieves took comfort in that and smiled. Makoto brought them back to reality.
"Okay, but we haven't secured our infiltration route yet, and besides, how are we going to deliver the calling card if we don't know where Akira is?" she asked.
"Considering the circumstances, we're going to have to jump the gun slightly. But luckily, we've got help on the way…in fact, there she is…" Morgana smirked.
"What do you mean, Mona-chan?" Haru asked. Morgana answered by gesturing his head up towards the oak tree. Sure enough, there was a blue glow coming from it.
"What the hell is that?" Rise asked.
"Wait…is that who I think it is?" Ann asked, pointing at the tree.
"It is," Sumire nodded. "Come on, everyone; she's waiting for us." They walked through the cemetery and up to the Kurusu plot under the oak tree to find a short woman with platinum gold hair. She was in a blue dress with a matching headband decorated with white butterflies and golden roses. She had her back turned to them as she stared at the Kurusu gravestone.
"Lady Lavenza?" Morgana asked, but there was no immediate response.
"So, this is it…" she exhaled. "The feelings of isolation, the mental and physical trauma; all stemming from an unfair amount of loss within such a short period of time…" she paused before continuing. "Quite frankly, it breaks my heart…" The others felt sad as well.
"We feel the same way…" Yusuke murmured.
"He didn't deserve this…" Makoto pondered.
"We didn't know…and I feel like that's on us," Ann somberly added.
"The past can be dangerous. A monster, constantly growing more profound and terrible the more one tries to run from it." Lavenza said, still with her back turned, eyes fixated on the gravestone. "Some believe there is no way out, even the Trickster has lost his faith." She turned around and faced the group. "But, because of all your efforts, I have not," she smiled. Lavenza stood before them with her golden eyes, smiling as she bowed to greet them. Yu noticed the book she was holding: Le Grimoire, and that it had the Velvet Room symbol on it. "Phantom Thieves, it is great to see you all once more. Though I only wish the circumstances of this reunion were more pleasing. For those who do not know me, my name is Lavenza. I served as the Velvet Room attendant during the Trickster's rehabilitation." Her words went over the heads of Kairi, Yu, and Rise.
"W-W-Wait, hold on, 'Velvet Room?' 'Trickster?' 'Rehabilitation?' I'm so lost," Kairi scratched her head.
"Same. I only understood 'Velvet Room,' and that's only because Yu's talked about it. What do you mean by 'Trickster'?" Rise asked.
"I believe you all call him, 'Akira' or, on certain occasions, 'Joker,'" Lavenza responded.
"Joker?" Kairi asked.
"Akira's code name," Sumire said.
"And, what's this about 'rehabilitation'?" Yu asked.
"The Trickster's journey to rid the world of a malevolent being and prevent its ruin."
"I'm sorry, but I'm still lost," Kairi rubbed her head.
"'member when we told you about Akira shootin' a god in the face?" Ryuji began. "Well, that's it."
"There's a lot more to it than that, but basically, yeah," Futaba added while doing finger guns to her forehead. *Click* *Pew* she grinned.
"The Trickster freed my master, myself, and the world from said malevolent being. I do not believe he was justly rewarded for his efforts. Now, in his time of great trouble, I intend to assist him and you," Lavenza said before having a sudden realization. "Oh, I do hope my gift was useful to all of you."
"Oh, definitely!" Ann exclaimed.
"It's a shame about the medicine, however," Yusuke lamented.
"Hey, d'ya think you could hook us up with more?" Ryuji asked Lavenza.
"Ryuji, she's not a drug dealer," Futaba pointed out.
"Wh—I know that!"
"Unfortunately, the remedies I sent you were everything remaining from the Trickster's inventory. My apologies," Lavenza looked down.
"Well, then it's a good thing Rise and I made a quick stop on the way here," Yu smirked as he opened his bag and showed the group.
"WOAH! Is that medicine?" Ann exclaimed.
"It's not much, but yeah," Yu answered. "Between this and Kairi-san being able to heal us, we hopefully shouldn't have too much trouble."
"Where did you find a pharmacy open this early?" Makoto asked.
"I didn't, but I called in a favor from Sayoko. Remember the nurse from the reception?" The Thieves nodded.
"Amazing! So, your group also had a doctor sell you medicine too?" Haru asked.
"Ah, not exactly. She never sold me anything," Yu clarified. "I always bought medicine at the Shiroku store."
"While I may not be able to provide you with any more items. I can be of help in a more significant manner," Lavenza said.
"How so?" Yusuke asked; Lavenza looked at Sumire.
"Violet, did you bring me what I asked you for?" Sumire nodded as she pulled out the makeshift calling card and handed it to Lavenza. There was no time to give it a proper logo or print out multiple copies and spread them around Inaba. Not that it mattered, it would've been fruitless. They didn't know where Akira was; he could've been back in Tokyo for all they knew.
"W-Wait, aren't we gonna need that?" Ryuji asked.
"I will deliver it to him myself," Lavenza said.
"Wait! Does that mean you know where he is?" Kairi asked.
"In this reality, I'm afraid I do not, but I will be able to deliver the calling card via the Velvet Room."
"How?"
"The same way I delivered the communication device to you, Kairi Kurusu," Lavenza smiled.
"Communication device?"
"I believe you call it a 'cellular telephone?' Did you bring that as well, Violet?" Lavenza asked Sumire.
"Oh! Right, sorry." Sumire pulled out Akira's phone and handed it to Lavenza.
"Wait, how do you have that?" Yu asked, confused. "I know I didn't leave it at the Kurusu house."
"We don't know. It was just sitting on the dining room table. It was like it appeared by magic," Kairi shrugged. "So, that was you, Lavenza-san?"
"The Trickster's cellular device was the only way I could contact you directly in this world," she said before turning to Yu and Rise. "My sincerest apologies, Yu Narukami. I may have committed the crime of breaking and entering into your home in order to retrieve it."
"That was you!? You broke into my house!?" Yu raised his voice.
"See? I told you I wasn't crazy!" Rise said, smacking Yu on the arm; Lavenza turned to Sumire.
"You did an excellent job in deciding to prepare the calling card ahead of time, Violet. You truly are worthy of the Trickster's heart," Lavenza smiled, as did Sumire who also blushed.
"So, what now?" Kairi asked.
"I will deliver the calling card to the Trickster once the treasure is within your grasp. The rest is up to you. However, I have faith in you all that you will succeed."
"Count on it!" Morgana confidentially smirked, as did everyone else.
"Perhaps, it was a mistake assuming the bonds were severed," Lavenza chuckled.
"W-Wait, what?" Ann asked. Everyone looked at Lavenza, confused.
"Do not concern yourselves with this. You have other things to focus on, do you not?" Lavenza asked; they all nodded. "Excellent. I wish you all good luck." Lavenza walked past everyone before stopping to turn back. "Oh, Yu Narukami," she grabbed Yu's attention. "Margaret sends her felicitations to both you and Rise Kujikawa on your recent nuptials."
"You know, Margaret?" Yu asked.
"Of course, she is my sister," she smiled before turning back into a butterfly and disappearing. Rise and Yu looked at each other, stunned.
"Jeez, good thing no one was on the graveyard shift, or that would've been weird to see," Futaba said. "By the way, who's Margaret?"
"My Velvet Room attendant, but that doesn't matter right now," Yu replied.
"Should've sent her an invitation, sweetie," Rise nudged her husband, who shot her a look.
"One: How? Two: No…just no," he responded, not wanting to mention the fact that Yu had kind of/sort of cheated on Rise with Margaret. She gave Yu just one little kiss before he went back to the city in March of 2012. It was innocent, but knowing Rise, she would probably flip out if she knew.
"All right, all right, let's get busy," Kairi said. Everyone nodded as she pulled out her phone and activated the MetaNav.
*Beginning Navigation…*
The Phantom Thieves entered the Metaverse. It was just as dark and foreboding as last time. The group wasted no time walking up the entrance of the Palace.
*He-Hey, look it is. The Phantom Freaks! Back for more, huh?*
"Aw, great…" Ryuji muttered as the usher reappeared in the ticket booth. "This fucking-" But his expression changed to more stunned than annoyed, as did everyone else's.
"Woah…" Morgana was confused.
"What in heaven…?" Yusuke's eyes widened.
*Are you all going to be good and not disobey the rules today?* The usher looked different. He now had hair and a face, and the Phantom Thieves recognized him. Messy black hair and silver eyes? There was only one person they all knew who matched that description. All that was missing was a pair of fake glasses.
"No way…" Makoto gasped.
"I-It can't be…" Haru added, covering her mouth in shock.
*What? Why are you all staring at me like that?* the usher asked, confused.
"…A-Akira?" Sumire walked up to the booth. She tried putting her hand to the usher's face but was stopped by the window separating the two of them.
*Hey! No touching the glass, tiny dancer!* the usher snapped as Sumire quickly removed her hand. *Look, I told you all yesterday, I don't know who Akira is.*
"But...y-you have his face!" Ann exclaimed.
"You look exactly like him!" Futaba yelled.
*I do?* the usher raised an eyebrow for the first time. *Am I handsome?* he cockily grinned.
"Wha—What the hell kinda question is that? Can't you tell?" Ryuji asked; the usher shook his head.
*No mirrors or reflective surfaces in this place. Not even this glass.* He tapped on the glass. Hypocrite. *If you told me I had big red hair and a long-ass nose, I'd believe you.* Everyone gave up on pressing further but were nevertheless confused. The group wondered how they didn't realize this yesterday, how they didn't even pick up on the voice. *Look, I'd love to stick around and chat, but I-*
"Let me guess, you can't hang around here all day? You've got a theater to run?" Yu crossed his arms.
*Oh, good, you get it,* the usher sarcastically said. *One group ticket coming right up.*
"Wait, we already have a ticket," Morgana raised an eyebrow.
*That ticket's expired. You need a new one if you want to go in again. Do you seriously not understand how movie theaters work?* the usher said condescendingly before pulling the lever, and a ticket slid out of the slot. Yu picked it up.
"Let's go, everyone," he said, and they began heading inside.
*Enjoy the show!* the usher smiled devilishly. *Oh! Quick question.* Everyone stopped and turned to the ticket booth. *You're not sneaking in any snacks, are you?* he asked before leaning in and whispering. *'Cause if you are, be careful. I can't cover for you like last time.*
"You didn't cover for us! We got caught and had our healing powers taken away!" Ann yelled.
*Hey, I at least warned you about the rug, didn't I?*
"Yeah, AFTER we got caught!" Ryuji yelled.
*Calm down, blondie…* he sighed. *Just don't get yourselves in trouble, all right? I won't be able to help you if you do.*
"Why are you so worried about us yet so mean to us?" Sumire asked.
*Look, I don't particularly like you guys…* the usher paused. *Well, that's not true. The cowgirl and schoolgirl aren't too bad.* He pointed to Kairi and Rise before continuing. *The rest of you, meh. With that said, however, I hate the Boss of this place more. The son of a bitch doesn't acknowledge me and pretends I don't exist at all.*
"So?" Morgana asked.
*So, if you're doing what I think you're doing here, then…good luck. You might need it, a lot of it, if you end up confronting him.* The usher disappeared.
"Well, that was eerie…" Futaba commented.
"We'll show 'im. Let's go," Ryuji said, and they continued inside.
"Viper, Venus, are you coming?" Makoto asked, noticing they looked concentrated.
"Yeah, can you just give us one second?" Kairi asked.
"We'll be there in just a sec," Rise added.
"O-Okay. Don't take too long," Makoto said before disappearing inside the theater. Kairi and Rise found themselves alone outside the theater. They looked at each other.
"You recognized him too, didn't you? Yesterday, I mean," Kairi asked; Rise nodded.
"It wasn't Akira…"
Unlike their first trip through the Palace the previous night, the Phantom Thieves didn't stumble around the lobby, confused about what to do. They knew what they had to do. Three theaters were shut down, and only one remained open. They avoided the rug trap and headed straight inside the last available theater. The poster was of a small child, Akira, being made fun of by three other children and making him cry.
"Oh, fuck me…" Kairi angrily huffed. Everyone turned to her, surprised at her sudden reaction.
"Do you know them, Viper?" Sumire asked.
"Oh, we sure do," Rise added, crossing her arms. "They're a group of assholes who have bullied Akira since in elementary school."
"Oh, that's right. You mentioned something of the sort yesterday," Makoto recalled.
"No way! That's them?" Futaba asked.
"I can't remember the names of the two on the sides, but the one at the center is Raden," Kairi pointed out on the poster.
"Raden Takagi, son of Masato Takagi," Yu interjected. "A local big wig of the area, not just in Inaba, but all around the countryside and most of the country. Masato Takagi's basically the biggest fish in our pond. Oh, and a little fun fact for you city kids, he built the theater that supposedly inspired the one we're standing in right now."
"Wait, he's the one who built—ugh, what was it called?" Ann scratched her head.
"Cinema City…" Rise huffed with disgust in her voice. "Yeah, that was him."
"Cinema City came before my time here," Yu began, "but I've read Takagi's file since then due to him having alleged ties to the Yakuza. He's built tons of buildings all over the country, always hiring the cheapest construction crew possible in order to cut costs, which has resulted in several construction accidents and a few deaths."
"Including Minoru…" Kairi huffed as she clenched her fists.
"Why didn't you sue him?" Haru asked.
"I tried. It was settled out of court, and all I got was a lousy check for eight-hundred thousand yen that I tore to shreds. My husband's life was priceless, and no amount of money could bring him back."
"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji stomped his foot.
"He likely would've been a perfect target for the Phantom Thieves," Morgana said.
"So, Akira's childhood bully is the son of the man who built the theater whose construction led to the loss of his father. Between Shido and now this, it almost seems like Akira's world is growing too small for coincidences," Yusuke pondered. "Fate really has been cruel to him."
"But he doesn't matter right now. What matters is Raden. He's been a thorn in Akira's side for as far back as I can remember," Kairi recalled. She grew angrier at the thought of them bullying her son. She couldn't remember how many times Akira came home crying because of them, or how many times she or Minoru got called to the school because Akira was fighting with them. Of course, that was all before Tetsuya passed away. Afterward, she doesn't recall Akira coming home in tears once, not even after she got clean and sober. At first, she thought it was just because he had grown up, but thinking back to him being borderline catatonic and what he said before he left… "I haven't cried once since Tetsuya died." …she wasn't so sure.
"Does anyone know what that says?" Ann asked, pointing at the title. The name of the film was "Canis Canem Edit."
"I do not, unfortunately," Haru admitted.
"Me neither," Kairi added.
"It's Latin," Ryuji said; everyone turned to him, surprised. "It says 'dog-eat-dog.' It basically means every man for himself," he answered before noticing all eyes were on him. "What? Why y'all lookin' at me like that?"
"You know Latin?" Morgana asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My mom knows Latin, an' I picked up a few things from her. So, what? It ain't that big a deal." He began to walk inside the auditorium. He turned back. "Well? Let's go!" he demanded; the Phantom Thieves couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Okay, Skull knowing Latin might be the biggest surprise we've had all year," Futaba said.
"What about Akira having a brother?" Sumire pointed out.
"Uh-"
"Or a Palace?" Makoto added.
"Well-"
"For me, nothing will beat the fact that a talking cat is living in my house—Yes, I know, Mona, you're not a cat. I'm just trying to make a point," Kairi quickly said before Morgana could get a word out.
"Okay, okay, fine, but it's in the top five," Futaba shrugged as they entered the auditorium.
The theater was precisely the same as the first three. Chain designs on the carpet and wallpaper, candle-light fixtures, no incline for the uncomfortable wooden seats, and of course, the cognitive audience was sitting in their usual places. The only difference was the number of empty seats in the front row. With the inclusion of Kairi on the team, there were now eleven seats rather than ten. The Phantom Thieves took a deep breath and readied themselves.
"There is no way this one can be worse than the others, right?" Ann looked around.
"Let's just get this over with…" Kairi exhaled. They all nodded and took their seats—lights down, curtains aside, countdown, showtime.
The film began with eleven-year-old Akira on a playground, or more accurately, away from the playground. He was sitting on the ground, away from the other kids, like the loner that he was. He didn't need to play with the other kids since he was completely immersed in a book he was reading. It was one of the books in the Arsène Lupin series. Tetsuya had read his father's collection after Minoru had passed away, and he persuaded Akira to try them out. Their father had nearly the entire series, and Akira was determined to read them all. The only book in the series that Minoru didn't have was, "The Great Thief," but Akira would eventually find it at the Shujin Academy library during his probation year. Akira wasn't much of a reader as a kid, but nevertheless found himself getting engrossed in the story of Arsène Lupin. The gentlemen thief rebelling against society by pulling off daring heists and evading the law with ease, like Frank Abagnale skipping town. To Akira, he was the coolest.
"Hey, Kurusu!" a voice called out. Akira huffed as he turned to see the trio, led by Raden, approaching him. "Whatcha readin'?" Akira didn't respond; he kept reading, hoping they'd get bored and go bother someone else. Sadly, that wasn't the case as Raden slapped the book out of his hand. "Hey! I asked you a question!"
"Leave me alone, Raden," Akira finally responded.
"Or what?" Raden said as he picked up the book off the ground. "Ass—ass Loopin'? What the hell is this?"
"It's Arsène Lupin. He's French."
"Oh, so he's a frog? Is that who you like, Kurusu? Frogs?"
"What do you have against frogs?"
"They're freakin' gross."
"Well, maybe they learned from you," Akira retorted. The Phantom Thieves cracked a smile, and some even snickered, but the laughter quickly stopped.
"What did you just say!?" Raden asked before chucking the book at Akira's face. "What the fuck did you just say to me?" Akira clutched his forehead in pain before charging at Raden and knocking him to the ground. A brawl began between Akira and the trio but was quickly stopped by a teacher approaching and breaking it up. "You're in trouble, Kurusu! You hear me?" Raden shouted.
"Bring it on, Raden!" Akira shouted back before picking his book up as the bell rang.
"That's enough! All of you! Now get back to class before I send you to the principal's office!" the teacher threatened. Despite being a great student inside the classroom, Akira didn't have a perfect record, thanks to the trio's antics. Akira never initiated any fights. Why would he? He just wanted to be left alone. It was Raden who always provoked him. Akira rarely threw the first punch, but he was no stranger to brawling with Raden and the stooges.
The film then jumped to later in the day. Akira was walking home. He took a shortcut through the woods, where he was ambushed by the trio once again. This time, Akira didn't fight as hard as the numbers game overwhelmed him. The Phantom Thieves watched him get beaten up by three other kids. They were disgusted, but they didn't let it get to them either; they were just letting it play out as they let the rage inside them build.
"Get that book he had," Raden ordered his stooges.
"No! Gimme that back!" Akira shouted as he lay on the ground in pain. They tossed Raden the book, and he proceeded to tear out the pages. "NO! STOP IT! THAT'S MY DAD'S!" Akira yelled in tears. Raden stopped and looked at him.
"Fuck your dad," Raden said as he tossed what was left of the book next to Akira. "You're so weak, Kurusu, it's unbelievable. Right boys?" Raden asked the trio, who nodded. "Just like your dad and your stupid, gay-ass brother. Your whole family is weak, Kurusu." Akira didn't say anything back. He just cried. Kairi slammed her fist on the arm of her seat when she heard Raden discriminating against her late son. "See? Still just a weak little crybaby," Raden said before spitting on Akira's face. Everyone saw Raden's eyes turn yellow and knew what was coming next. "Come on, boys. Screw this little bitch." The trio walked away. Akira slowly got up and picked up the torn-up remains of his late father's book before silently sobbing some more. The film ended there, and the lights came back up.
"Those bastards!" Ann furiously shouted. "They destroyed something that personal to Akira?"
"What the fuck is their goddamn problem?" Ryuji asked.
"I don't know, but they're assholes for doing what they did to him!" Rise added before looking to Kairi who looked pensive. "Viper? Are you all right?"
"I… I remember that day," Kairi quietly said; everyone looked at her. "That was three days before Tetsuya died…" They all went wide-eyed.
"What!?" Sumire exclaimed. Before Kairi could explain, however, the screen went up and revealed Raden's shadow.
*Who the fuck are you guys?* he asked.
"We're the Phantom Thieves, and you made a big mistake attacking my cousin," Rise snarled.
*What? That weak-ass bitch, Kurusu?* Raden scoffed. *He's nothing. He's pathetic.*
"Let's not talk," Sumire said as she and the others got their weapons out. "Let's just fight."
*Hmph, fine.* Raden transformed into Oberon and immediately summoned two Titania shadows at his side.
"Heh, he sees his stooges as nothing but fairies? That's so pathetic it's kind of funny," Morgana chuckled.
"I've been waiting for this opportunity for twelve years," Kairi angrily said, getting her bladed staff out. "Nobody fucks with my son!"
"Watch out, guys!" Futaba warned. "He's tough."
"He doesn't have shit on us," Ryuji grinned as he threw off his mask. "CAPTAIN KIDD!" He launched a Ziodyne electric attack at Oberon. He took a bit of damage, but not a lot.
"Skull!" Rise began. "He resists electric. We're doing our best to find his weakness, but for now-"
"Here come the buffs!" Futaba exclaimed as she and Rise buffed up the team's defense, attack, and evasion.
"Thanks, guys!" Ann winked before summoning her own Persona. "CARMEN!" She burned the trio of shadows.
"ZORRO!" Morgana did technical damage with Garudyne. Unfortunately, one of the Titanias fully healed Oberon.
"You sneaky bitches," Kairi muttered before pulling off her mask. "MARTHA! RIOT GUN!" Her Persona unleashed a hail of bullets onto them. Sumire gracefully dodged Myriad Slashes from Oberon.
"Nice try!" she grinned. "CENDRILLON! LET'S DANCE!" She attempted to knock him down with Sword Dance, but missed.
*You ain't got shit on me!* Oberon laughed before launching a Heat Wave physical attack, which hit everyone.
"Ugh, you bastard!" Makoto grunted as she summoned her Persona. "RIDE, JOHANNA!" She launched a Freidyne nuclear attack at Oberon, which he avoided. "Damn it!"
"Don't get discouraged, Queen!" Rise yelled. "Nuclear is his weakness! Keep trying!" Makoto tried again, but the Titanias took the hit for him.
"Guys! The fairies are weak to psychic! Noir, it's your time to shine!" Futaba announced.
"Noir!" Yu called out. "I'll take the one on the left!" Haru nodded.
"MILADY!"
"KOHRYU!"
Haru and Yu fired Psydyne and Psycho Force, respectively, knocking down both fairies in the process.
"All right! Nice going!" Rise yelled.
"Queen—now! Before they get up!" Yu ordered.
"JOHANNA! ATOMIC FLARE!" She launched her most vigorous nuclear attack at Oberon, knocking him down to the ground with the Titanias.
"Viper! Noir! Queen! All-Out Attack!" Yu called out; the four jumped in and beat the holy hell out of the three shadows. The fairies were gone, but Oberon was still alive.
*ARGH! Is that all you've got!?* Oberon shouted before summoning another Titania. *Heal me, you dumb bitch!*
"I'm afraid not," Yusuke smirked. "GOEMON!" Before the Titania could heal Oberon, Yusuke froze it in place.
*What the-? NO! That's not fair!*
"Neither is three against one," Kairi snarled as she whipped out her revolvers and went to town on the two shadows, knocking them both down in the process.
"Again! GO!" Yu called for another All-Out Attack, this one put Oberon down for the count. He exploded and disappeared into black smoke, leaving nothing behind.
"Yeah! All right! That'll teach 'em!" Ryuji celebrated.
"It sure felt good to kick his ass!" Ann said, smiling.
"It felt good just to watch, heehee," Rise giggled.
"Um, are we perhaps not enjoying this a little too much?" Makoto wondered.
"Who cares? It ain't like it was the real guy," Ryuji said.
"No, Queen is right," Kairi began. "As good as I admit that felt, taking too much pleasure out of it isn't right."
"Those bastards hurt Akira, though!" Ryuji protested.
"You're right, but A: you said it yourself, they're not the real people. B: they took pleasure in doing it. For them, that's all it was, fun. We have to remember why we're doing this. To save Akira; we're not here to have fun. If we take too much pleasure, we're no better than them."
"Viper is right. It could cause us to lose focus," Morgana said.
"Um, speaking off losing focus, is it normal that the screen came back down?" Haru pointed out. The others turned to the screen and were confused.
"What the hell?" Yu scratched his head.
"I don't understand. Where is the will seed?" Yusuke asked as the cognitive audience began shouting at them.
"D-Did we do something wrong?" Sumire asked.
"SIT DOWN!"
"YOU'RE BLOCKING THE SCREEN!"
"The show's over, assholes!" Ryuji yelled back. The usher's voice came on over the speakers.
*Ah, actually, no, it's not. This was just an intermission.*
"What? An intermission?" Sumire asked.
*Yeah, you know, an interval between parts of a play, film, or concert?*
"Yeah, we know what an intermission is! What is this, 'Avatar?'" Futaba asked.
*Look…will you just take your seats?* the usher sighed before the speakers turned off. The Thieves all looked at each other.
"Oh well, no point in arguing. Let's just do what he says," Yu said as everyone took their seats once again. "Venus, Oracle, how's everyone doing?"
"A few hits, but nothing major," Futaba answered.
"You guys feeling okay?" Rise asked. They all responded yes as the lights went back down again. "What the hell is this going to be?"
This time, the film showed Akira as a young adult, visiting the family plot, and saying his goodbyes, possibly for good.
" know this isn't when I usually visit, but I'm leaving for Tokyo tomorrow, starting college and all that, hehe…" Akira paused. "Although, if I'm honest, I do regret not coming here more often…" he sighed. "…but I don't know when I'll be back. I got my invitation to Rise's wedding this summer, so… maybe I'll come by? But to be honest, I don't want to come back at all, and I don't mean to the cemetery. I'm not happy here anymore. Inaba doesn't feel like home for me anymore. I'm sorry…" He knelt and put his hand on the gravestone.
"Akira…" Sumire somberly said. She and the others thought back to the note Sumire had found, the previous day.
"He…really felt like he didn't have a home…" Haru quietly added.
"He does," Ann adamantly began. "It's with us."
"Damn straight!" Ryuji yelled, earning another hush from the cognitive audience. "Oh, fuck off!" he yelled back.
"…I love you, Tetsuya." Akira got up and took one more look at his father and brother. "I'll miss you, guys…" He then began to walk away, but not before turning back one more time. "…goodbye." The Thieves were once again heartbroken as they watched Akira walk away. They thought about how he walked away from them not twenty-four hours ago. He was clearly hurting here and as well as then. They just hoped they could help him heal before it was too late. Akira was walking through the woods when…
*WHACK*
Everyone gasped as Akira was knocked to the ground by a tree branch to the back of the skull. The trio was back, and they were once again beating Akira while he was down, this time with sticks. The first fight on the playground mainly was a brawl with Akira getting a few hits in, but this one was more like the ambush afterward. Akira didn't get anything in. He just writhed in pain on the ground as the trio kicked him between the eyes. Then Raden took something from him.
"The ring…" Sumire gasped.
"Akira. My one, my only, my… joker? The fuck is that 'sposed to mean?" Raden laughed.
"Give me that back!" Akira yelled.
"Sorry, uh, joker, but what's yours is now mine. I think I'll keep it as a souvenir, maybe wear it around my neck in a necklace." Sumire clenched her fists in rage. She felt a murderous intent. They all did. Raden stomped on Akira's thigh, similar to how the detective stamped on Akira's lower leg in the interrogation room, and just like then, Akira wailed in pain, gritting his teeth as he gripped his thigh. Akira looked up just as Raden's eyes turned yellow, signaling the imminent approach of the upcoming battle. "Pathetic, just like his brother. Come on, boys, let's get outta here. Enjoy college, Kurusu!" The trio walked away, and the film ended. The screen went up to reveal young-adult Raden's shadow. The Thieves silently got up out of their seats and readied themselves for combat.
*What the fuck are you lookin' at?* Raden asked. The Thieves didn't say anything. *What? Nothing to say? Pfft, pathetic.* Raden transformed into one of the archangels of heaven, Michael. *Y'all are weak anyway, just like Kurusu. This should be easy.* The Thieves all looked at each other and smirked.
"Scratch what I said," Kairi began. "Feel free to have a bit of fun…"
"Oh, we will," Ryuji pulled out his lead pipe and smirked.
Michael was a tough bastard, but the Phantom Thieves had faced him before. He immediately summoned two Angels to heal him. Seeing as Kairi and Sumire couldn't do much damage against Michael since their attacks were mainly guns or bless, both ineffective against Michael, they instead made short work of the Angels with their guns without flinching. Rather than going straight for the attack, the Thieves were more strategic this time around. They remembered how tanky Michael was when they fought him last, which was before taking on the God of Control back in 2016. They didn't have Akira with them, this time, but they were positive they could beat him without the help of their strongest fighter. They focused on debuffing him as much as possible, all the while avoiding his attacks.
"Panther! Heads up!" Yu shouted as he summoned Kohryu and used Concentrate on Ann, charging up her fire attacks.
"CARMEN! INFERNO!" Ann managed to burn Michael severely.
*YOU BITCH!* Michael yelled before laughing. *You can't defeat me!*
"Try us!" Futaba grinned before using Heat Riser on the entire party, boosting their attack power, defensive capabilities, and evasion tactics.
"GOEMON!"
"CAPTAIN KIDD!"
"ZORRO!"
Yusuke froze Michael, Ryuji hit him with God's Hand and Ziodyne back-to-back, shocking him in the process. Morgana dealt severe damage with Panta Rhei, knocking Michael down. Ryuji and Morgana couldn't help but high-five each other after such a perfect sequence.
"You two can celebrate later," Yu grinned. "Fox! Join us for an All-Out Attack!" Yu, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana laid a beat down on Michael, beating the holy hell (ironically) out of him in the name of payback.
"Take this! You son of a bitch!" Ryuji shouted as he wailed on Michael with his lead pipe. "You don't fucking mess with my best friend!" But it wasn't enough. Michael got back up, swatted Yu, Morgana, and Yusuke away before hitting Divine Judgement on Ryuji. He fell down in pain.
"SKULL!" Ann worriedly yelled. Michael then immediately used Megidolaon, knocking nearly everyone out. In a show of over self-confidence, Michael went up to Ryuji and stared at him.
*Your friend is weak, and so are you… MAHAMAON!* He was about to use an insta-kill attack on Ryuji when Kairi, one of four people who managed to dodge the Megidolaon, stepped in front of Ryuji and took the hit instead, absorbing the bless attack and healing her in the process.
"Eye for an eye, asshole," Kairi snarled before yelling at Makoto and Haru. "NOW!"
"JOHANNA!"
"MILADY!"
Makoto and Noir teamed up and used Atomic Flare and Psychokinesis to stagger Michael.
"Violet!" Kairi yelled.
"Got it! CENDRILLON!" Sumire hit Sword Dance to knock Michael back down.
"Queen! Noir! NOW!" Kairi yelled.
Makoto and Haru looked at each other, smiled, and nodded before shouting: "IT'S SHOWTIME!" They ran forward and hit Michael with a clothesline, a dropkick, and a…steel chair? Then, with a boost from Kairi and Sumire, the two (apparently) wrestling fans flipped through the air and landed an explosive double elbow drop on Michael that would've made Macho Man Randy Savage proud. "DOUBLE DEATH BLOW!" They both yelled as they came crashing down on Michael, causing him to explode into dust. They immediately got back up and kissed in front of everyone.
"Well done, mon amour," Makoto smiled; Haru giggled. "What? Did I say it wrong again?"
"Not at all!" Haru grinned. "You said it perfectly, mon amour," she said before kissing Makoto again. They were interrupted by a cough. They stopped kissing and turned to see the rest of the group staring and smirking at them. "O-Oh, um, our apologies," Haru blushed. "Heat of the moment."
"Heehee, no worries. We get it," Rise smirked.
"Good job out there, you two. Hell, good job, everyone!" Kairi added, also smirking.
"Can't believe we had to fight that bastard again," Ryuji groaned in pain. "He wasn't as tough as last time, but still…"
"Tell me about it," Morgana mewled. "Mrrr-meeoowww…"
"Argh, yeah, that Megidolaon was rough…" Yu said, clutching his side.
"Viper, do you think you-?" Ann began.
"Say no more, I'm on it," Kairi answered before Ann finished asking. "MARTHA! MEDIAHARAN!" She healed the entire team fully. Some needed more than others, but it helped to conserve the limited amount of medicine they had.
"Much appreciated, Viper," Yusuke nodded in appreciation as the screen went back up and the light flashed toward the will seed door. Yu ordered Morgana and Ryuji to retrieve it as the cognitive audience disappeared.
"Good, no barrage of shadows this time," Yu said. He then noticed Sumire looking down. "Violet, are you all right?" Everyone turned to her.
"I-I-uh…didn't even notice Akira didn't have the ring on when he first came back," she somberly began. "To be honest, I had entirely forgotten about it until I saw that film. Watching it, I was so angry that they took it from him, but I was angrier at myself for forgetting about it. It clearly meant more to him than me…" Kairi walked over and put an arm on her shoulder to comfort her.
"You love him. We all know you love him, and that's what matters most. You being here right now, fighting demons to save him, is worth more than any material item, do you understand?" Kairi softly smiled. Sumire silently nodded, stifling tears, as Ryuji and Morgana came back with the will seed.
"All right, that's four for four! Shall we head to the door?" Ryuji asked before the will seed in his hand began shaking. "W-Woah, what the…?" Rise and Futaba, who were holding on to the other three, got them as well as they felt them shaking in their pockets. Once they were out, the will seeds shot up and hovered in the air above them, spinning around before they all morphed into one. The newly formed key item floated back down, and Yu picked it up.
"Well, we had four. Now we just have one…" Kairi sighed.
"Wait, maybe that's all we'll need," Futaba began. "If we use that on the golden double doors, the rest of the locks will probably disappear."
"Are you sure?" Rise asked.
"It's worth a shot, right?" Futaba shrugged.
"I hope it'll work," Haru said anxiously.
"It has to. We're so close to accomplishing our mission. We can't let him down now," Makoto said.
"All right then. Let's go try it," Yu said. The Phantom Thieves began exiting the theater when suddenly, the screen came back down once again. They turned around and were confused.
"Oh, come on! You gotta be shittin' me!" Ryuji shouted.
"There isn't even an audience anymore," Yusuke pointed out. Without even a word from the usher, a third film began playing.
"You've got something of mine!" Akira was on-screen in the tuxedo he wore to the wedding, sitting on the ground, clearly drunk and fuming with rage.
"What the fuck did you just say?" they heard Raden's voice say. Akira then got up, clenching his fists.
"I said, you've got something of mine…and I want it back." Raden turned to face Akira. This time, he was alone. Unlike real life, the stooges weren't by Raden's side. He pulled the ring necklace out of his shirt and held it in front of Akira, smugly smiling at him.
"You want it? Come and get it," Akira grinned and marched forward. The Thieves weren't sure what they were seeing; they thought Akira would get beaten up again. Instead, Akira decked Raden to the ground in one punch. It wasn't a brawl; it was a squash. Akira went to town on Raden, repeatedly punching him in the face. Frankly, it was gross. On the one hand, it was a relief not to see Akira getting hurt as they had seen across four other films, but on the other hand, they were afraid. They didn't recognize this Akira. They didn't see Akira; they saw a monster. "Stop! Stop it! Please!" Raden cried out.
"I never thought I'd see you beg, Raden," Akira hissed before grabbing him by the collar and headbutting him in the face. The group couldn't see his eyes, as his hair obscured it, but judging from his sadistic smile, he was clearly taking a lot of pleasure in this. He then took the ring back and pocketed it before getting up and standing over Raden. "Mark my words, Raden," Akira began. "If I ever see you again, I will. Take. Your. Heart."
Akira got back up, stood over his bully before kicking Raden in the face. The Thieves were speechless. This couldn't be the Akira they knew and loved. They were right. Akira turned around to face the screen. The group finally saw his eyes; they were bright yellow, just like all the others, and covered in blood. He looked directly at them through the screen and grinned sadistically. The frames began rolling like a filmstrip and then burned. The speakers switched back on, but it wasn't the usher. A low, menacing voice came on and announced:
*I'll see you soon.*