An unconscious Ren was tied to a chair in the police station. After he was caught, they took his mugshot, and then took him in for…interrogation. Ren was beaten and bruised. There was an empty syringe on the floor near Ren's feet. "Guess the drug was too strong." The interrogator shrugged casually. "Wake up him."
Someone splashed Ren with cold water and that jolted him awake. Everything was blurry and it took a few seconds for him to understand where he was. He saw a camera, and two men standing around him…and then it hit him that he was handcuffed. So, naturally, he started to struggle within his seat. "…!?"
"No dozing off. The interrogator stated, watching Ren struggle. "You still don't get it, do you? Give it up!" He raised his leg, kicking Ren in the stomach with such force the chair shattered.
"Gah…!" Ren grunted, falling to the ground while coughing and spluttering.
"Come on, cooperate." The interrogator said, his foot pressing against Ren's head, pushing the teenager into the cold floor as he ground his heel against his temple. "Or what, you want another shot?"
"…." Ren grit his teeth, his eyes moving past the man stepping on him, and to the camera on the far wall.
The interrogator followed Ren's gaze to the camera. "Huh? What about the camera?" He removed his foot from Ren's head, only to crouch down and grab him by the hair, lifting him up only slightly. "Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?"
Honestly, Ren couldn't really think at all right now. Everything was happening so quickly and his mind was in a haze. But he knew that there was no way the camera footage would be used in his favor. It wouldn't be used at all, actually. "Of course not…."
"Good." The interrogator dropped Ren's head onto the floor. "That just means we can take all the time we NEED!" And when he said that last work, he kicked Ren in the stomach again, as hard as he could.
"GAAAH!" Ren coughed violently from that one. He was wheezing, desperately trying to catch his breath. He didn't even have any idea of how long he had been in here…but this was how the majority of his time was spent.
The interrogator walked to the other man in the room, who handed him a clip board. This man walked around the room while reading aloud all of the crimes that Ren was guilty of. "Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons….and manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works. To think that all those crimes were led by a punk like this. And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it, huh…?"
"I can't…really remember what happened after I got caught…" Ren thought to himself. If he talked, he was gonna get hit. If he remained silent, he was gonna get hit. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.
"You should know your place." The man motioned for his silent partner to release Ren's cuffs, which he did. And they forced him to sit up rather roughly, before presenting him with the clipboard. "Sign this. It's a confession under your name."
"…" Ren didn't answer, but he swatted the man's arm away in an act of defiance.
"I see." The man stood up calmly. "I need your hand to sign this, but…" His foot then crashed on Ren's leg, causing him to cry out. He applied a ton of pressure, threatening to break it. "I don't care if you end up losing a leg!" Having made his point, he relented, knelt down, and presented Ren with a pen. "Don't expect to make it out of here in one piece. We're going to make you understand that one must take full responsibility for their actions…"
Silently, Ren took the pen and signed his name. There was nothing more he could do…
.
.
November 20th.
It was early in the morning on Sunday. The group gathered in Makoto's house after she told them Sae left. Everything was left in Ren's hands now. Akechi said he was going to see if he could find some way to rescue Ren, but…..the Phantom Thieves knew that was all a lie. They knew from the very beginning. This was all a part of their plan, but the frightening part was that it wasn't full proof. Far from it. Ren had his part, but in the end… "It all depends on Sis…" Makoto mumbled to the others.
"I'm so nervous…" Kasumi rubbed her arm.
"Yeah, I know how ya feel…" Ryuji could relate. Just like everyone else, he was anxious.
"We've done all we can." Yusuke said. "We scouted out the Metaverse, prepared the room…"
"It's just up to Ren." Futaba had faith in Ren, but their plan wasn't concrete. Anything could go wrong and they wouldn't be able to help him. That was, perhaps, the worst part about it all.
"Diving so deep into enemy territory…" Hifumi shook her head. "The risk-reward is far too great. But I know we didn't have much of a choice."
"We just have to hold out…" Morgana told them.
"It'll be fine." That's what Ann wanted to believe.
"…I hope so." Haru said quietly. Ren was taking a lot of responsibility on his own. She knew how he felt about the death of her father…and hopefully he wouldn't be next.
"We'll have to wait it out. For now, I think it's best we go our separate ways until it settles down." Makoto said. She just wanted everyone to gather here, just in case… "We don't know what Akechi-kun will…" Wait…Akechi…Makoto's eyes widened and she forgot a crucial detail of their plan. "We have to go…!"
"H-Huh…? Go where…?" Ann was a little freaked out at Makoto's panic.
"We forgot something important…! If we don't go now, it'll interfere with the entire plan…!" Makoto hastily stood up from her seat. "I'll explain on the way…!"
.
.
"I see…so those are the events that led to your being here." Sae nodded. Ren was finally done with his story. "What a disappointing end to the hero of justice. I still can't believe, but now I have a firm understanding of your methods. There's much I want to ask, but I'm afraid my allotted time is almost over." She leaned forward. "I do have a suggestion. Care to strike a deal with me? I'll consider lightening your sentence if you cooperate with me."
"…What do you want?" Ren asked.
"I have a responsibility to solve this case. I will win, even if it means brokering a deal with you." Sae said. Still, she thought only about winning, no matter what. "Your operation was leaked, and you failed to change my heart. There's no point being obstinate now. You've corrupted the order of this country and caused an uprising against its very existence. You'll likely be imprisoned for life or receive the death penalty…unless you accept my proposal."
"…" Ren didn't say anything.
"Going forward, I will read a list of people who are closest to you and this case." Sae said. "Tell me honestly whether or not the following are involved with the Phantom Thieves. First, the friend who you've been with since the day you transferred to Shujin – Ryuji Sakamoto; one of the victims of the Kamoshida case – Ann Takamaki; Ichiryusai Madarame's pupil, Yusuke Kitagawa; The shogi player and daughter of Mitsuyo Togo – Hifumi Togo; the daughter of Wakaba Isshiki – Futaba Sakura; The heiress to the Okumura Foods legacy and daughter of its CEO – Haru Okumua; the first year gymnast in Shujin – Kasumi Yoshizawa; and finally…" Sae had to pause for this one, because it was the one she didn't want to believe… "Frequently probing student council president of Shujin – Makoto Niijima. Those are your accomplices in the Phantom Thieves case, are they not?"
During Ren's story, he never once referred to anyone by name. No one except Akechi. Sae was sharp, and it was easy for her to deduce the identities of these people based on his story and the matching evidence from prior cases. But officially, they could not be named as accomplices unless Ren named them, which he would not. So he only had one response. "Never heard of them."
Sae rolled her eyes. It was obvious he was lying, but there wasn't anything she could do if he wouldn't answer. "So you won't sell out your friends. Then let me change the question. I find it hard to believe that high schoolers could pull off these crimes by themselves. Were there not others outside of your direct group who encouraged your crimes, or lent their aid? Not to repeat myself, but remember that your life will be forfeit if your sentence is not lightened. You had the cooperation of people outside your group, did you not? Will you tell me about them."
Of course he had help. Sae was right. It was a much larger operation than anyone realized. Takemi, Kawakami, Ohya, Chihaya, Shinya, Iwai, Yoshida, Mishima, and even Sojiro. Even if some of them had not yet realized the help they gave Ren, that did not mean he would sell them out either. Not at all. "No such people existed."
How disappointing and frustrating. Sae was trying to help Ren, but he was being stubborn about all of this. She knew he had help from people. Be it one or a group. Yet he refused to speak. "So you won't speak a word about either your teammates or your collaborators. Do you even understand the position you're in!?" Why couldn't he understand that he was throwing his life away?
"...I do." Ren replied.
"…" Sae didn't understand Ren at all. "Let's talk about one other person: Goro Akechi." Maybe she could get some information this way… "There are reports that he was acting alongside the Phantom Thieves as well. Might he be a part of your team, too?"
This was the moment Ren was waiting for. His body may have been beaten down, but this was the moment everything hinged on. This was his chance…to turn the tables. Oddly enough…he couldn't remember why. But the whole time he was in the police station, there was a single thought on his mind that stuck out. Goro Akechi was not one of them. He knew that from the very beginning…his story was told in a way to make this clear. Why? Why…it was because… "Goro Akechi….is not one of us."
.
.
Akechi was on the phone, just outside of the police station. "That's right. I'm about to head in right now. You can leave the questioning of the suspect to me. I'll be sure to bring this to an end once and for all." And so he hung the phone up and strolled inside, where he was greeted by the man that interrogated Ren yesterday. "Is something amiss?"
"Not at all." The man replied while shaking his head. "A prosecutor came in and demanded to talk to him, but that time is just about up."
"Is that so?" Akechi stroked his chin. "I suppose Sae-san would pull every string she could manage to ensure she got this moment. She was looking forward to it so much, I'm glad she at least got this. But it's too late now. I'll take care of this." Nodding, Akechi began to make his way to the special interrogation room. He knew exactly where to go.
"And once I'm done here, all that's left is to tie up those loose ends…especially that one with the black mask…" The hardest part about working with the Phantom Thieves, was knowing there was one unaccounted for the whole time. But it wasn't something he could just bring up casually…after all, that would have destroyed his cover. Now, though? He would get that information one way or another.
As Akechi left, two police officers that took part in the ambush noticed him. "Hey…it's Akechi. Man…when I see him, I still can't believe what he told us…that casino…the way his outfit changed…"
"Ssssh…!" The other police officer immediately silenced his co-worker. "Don't you remember what they told us…! That stuff is to remain completely confidential! We can't go talking about it." Naturally, the average person would not know about the specifics of the Metaverse. In order for the police operation against the Phantom Thieves to succeed, they were exposed to the tip of the iceberg. But that was as far as it would get. Every detail about that ambush would never be spoken within or outside the precinct.
.
.
"It looks like our time's up…" Sae let out an exhausted sigh. Ren's questions had her in a loop. What was the truth? What was justice? She couldn't tell which was which thanks to his strange story. And unfortunately, the time she was allotted was finally over. She got nothing out of this. She tried so hard to pursue this case for so long, and she was stopped short by everyone imaginable.
Ren was shaking his head. The drugs he was injected with were wearing off and his memories were starting to come back. The blank spots were filling in. "….Do you know this place…?"
"Huh?" Sae looked at Ren, confused. What was with that question? "It's a special interrogation room under the station…?" She chalked this up to him being dazed. "There is one more question I want to ask you. Recently I was removed from my post as head of this investigation and was told to remain on standby. A short while later, I received word you were caught in the act….within some bizarre phenomenon. At least, that's what I was told. You said you were sold out…do you have any idea who could've done that?"
"Sold out…that's right. There was something I needed to do…" Ren thought to himself.
"Looks like we were right, Hifumi." Morgana's voice echoed in Ren's mind as he recalled the conversation. "To think his true intentions were to sell us out…"
"I knew from the very start that he wasn't to be trusted." Hifumi replied. "But now that we know this…the final step is figuring out a way to hand it over. I know you can pull it off, Ren…"
"Don't worry…I'll pull it off." Ren firmly remembered saying that. And…he remembered staring at his phone in the process.
The phone…?
"What's wrong?" Sae stared at Ren. He spaced out. "Do you have any idea as to who sold you out?"
"…I'm…starting to remember…" Ren's voice held a little more conviction than before.
"You do!?" Sae slammed her hand on the table. "If you know something, you must tell me! I won't allow things to end like this!"
They had that goal in common, even if they had different meanings behind it. Ren couldn't let this end here either. "My phone…" It was right there on the table, next to Sae.
"You mean this?" Sae glanced at the object in question. "I've been told the lock on it is quite complicated. But, it's only a matter of time until its cracked. What's so important about this smart phone? Are you going to unlock it and show me its contents?"
"Let's let her sleep. She's been working nonstop for days getting that app ready."
"Hey!" Sae called out to Ren a bit desperately. She was going over the allotted time, but they were actually getting somewhere. It couldn't end now! "What are you trying to get at here? What about the smartphone!?"
"Show it to the true culprit." Ren said.
"The…true culprit…?" Sae asked.
"We could say he stole a guard's gun and committed suicide during his imprisonment. How about that? Public security questioning will occur the first day…and with that room, my task will be simple." Right…that voice…he remembered those words and knew that voice. "And thus, the dangerous criminal responsible for the mass mental shutdowns will end his own life."
"I need you to be clear with me!" Sae stood up. "Who am I supposed to show this to?!"
"…Not a teammate." Ren replied in a low whisper.
"Not a teammate…?" Sae didn't understand at first, and then she recalled Ren's words from earlier. There was only one person whose name stuck out. He avoided everything else but that one person…it hit her like a lightning bolt and she gasped. "My god…you don't mean…"
"You need to trust me…" This was as far as Ren could push this. Sae had to trust him.
Sae didn't understand where this was going. Not at all. "What are you plotting? I can't even begin to fathom it." A sigh escaped her. "But our time is really over, this is as far as I can take it. Heh…I've listened to your whole story, so I might as well play along until the very end." She took one last look at Ren's face. "And that honest look in your eyes…I used to view the world the same way too, once. I'll place my bet on you. I just need to show him the phone, right?"
"Mhm…" Ren gave a firm nod. It was long, hard fought battle against a very skeptical woman. But it seemed at last that Sae was finally going to fully trust him.
Sae let out one more long sigh and took the phone. "I'll be going now…" And as she stood up to leave the room, she paused for a brief moment. A phone? "What good will this do though…?"
.
.
Sae walked out of the interrogation room, only to run into the person she was just talking about: Akechi. She did not expect to see him this soon…or at all, to be completely honest. "Akechi-kun? Why are you here!?"
Akechi just offered his usual, pleasant smile. "Why are you so surprised?"
"I needed my director to step in and get access and I was directly responsible for this case!" Sae replied. "How did you get approval?"
"For the same reason you did." Akechi replied casually. "I am heading up the investigation team after all. It's only natural I'd have the right to interrogate our culprit as well, don't you think?"
This was the first Sae was hearing of this. "They assigned you command!?"
"A joke." Akechi waved his hand. "I'm only helping with the public security interrogation. I am surprised it's this far underground. There aren't others incarcerated here, are they? Nobody would ever know if things got a little violent…"
Sae was skeptical about this and his attitude. "Didn't you say there was another culprit besides the Phantom Thieves?"
"That was just a lie I spread to set them up." Akechi was patting himself on the back. It was clear he was proud of himself with the tone he had. "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot I deceived you too, Sae-san. After all, if you wish to trick your enemies, you must first trick your allies."
Sae finally understood. "So it was you. You sold out the Phantom Thieves." Now she knew…Ren was telling the truth. That bet she placed on Ren may have been worth it after all.
"Is there a problem?" Akechi tilted his head.
"Akechi-kun…" Sae pulled out Ren's phone. "Does this phone look familiar to you? It belonged to the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I believe you'll need it for your investigation."
"Excuse me…?" Akechi stared at the phone. Then…something strange happened. He couldn't describe it, but it also felt natural so he shrugged it off. The only off putting part about that sensation, was the fact that it simply surprised him. "No, I won't need this phone. I was acting alongside the Phantom Thieves, remember?"
Sae lowered the phone. "True…this is undoubtedly a great accomplishment. Good luck in there." And with that, she left. She did what she promised Ren and showed the phone…but what would that do? She had no idea…she just had to trust him.
The moment Sae rounded the corner, Akechi had a maddening grin on his lips. His expression completely changed. His true self was starting to slip out from the cracks of his pleasant façade. "Foolish woman…" So he walked towards the interrogation room, meeting up with the security guard posted there. "May I ask that you accompany me? Going in unharmed for an interrogation makes me uncomfortable." The guard nodded and went into the room with Akechi. And then…
Once the door closed, the guard felt Akechi steal his gun. "Hey, what are you-!?" The guard didn't get another breath out. Akechi fired the gun, which was silenced, and shot the guard in the chest. Naturally, Ren jumped and gasped when this happened.
Akechi then turned to Ren, grinning madly towards the man he considered a rival. "I'm here to rescue you." A sickening pause lingered in the air. "…Is that what you were hoping I'd say?"
"…" Ren had no words…
"I owe you for this, thanks. That's right, you and your little friends were vital to our plan. And now, it will be completed." Akechi's expression changed. His eyes dulled and his face held nothing but contempt. Your popularity truly was quite stunning. That just made using you all the more worthwhile." Akechi then turned the barrel of the gun to Ren, enjoying his shocked expression. "Have you finally pieced it all together…?"
Ren's eyes widened in fear. Anyone would be afraid when they were staring down the front end of a gun. "…!"
Akechi stood over Joker, an evil, victorious smile painted across his face. "Case closed. This is where your 'justice' ends. This game is over. I win." He was able to do this with no hesitation. His finger squeezed the trigger. The bullet pierced through Ren's skull and into his head. Blood trailed down his forehead and his eyes were lifeless. Akechi watched as Ren's head hit the table with a sickening SPLAT.
"Hm." Akechi tapped Ren's lifeless body with the gun a few times. Just to make sure. After that, he carefully unscrewed the silencer on the pistol and safely tucked it away under his jacket. As for the pistol, he placed it in the now deceased Ren's hands, making sure his fingers curled around the handle for fingerprints. The scene was now painted perfectly. A guard was dead, and Ren was as well. Akechi smiled at his handiwork and simply…exited the scene with a content smile.
.
.
Sojiro was alone in the Leblanc. Business was slow and nothing noteworthy was happening. But the sound of a falling and shattering dish caught his attention. "…?"
.
.
Once the deed was finished, Akechi was on his phone. "Shido-san, my job is complete."
"I told you not to call me by name." Shido replied. It would be bad if anyone happened to overhear their conversation. As unlikely as it may be, Shido was not a man to take risk against him, no matter how small. "Regardless, all that's left is to deal with the remnants."
"The continued deaths of these teenagers would be a bit much, don't you think?" Akechi said. "I considered making it appear that they had a falling out, but that would only amplify the public frenzy. It would be best to have each of them meet with an unfortunate accident once the storm blows over."
"Is there any possibility they'll want to avenge their leader?" Shido questioned.
"No chance." Akechi had to keep from laughing at the thought. "They're nothing but cattle anyway. They have no backbone without his guidance…" He then paused. No…that wasn't entirely true.
"But…I take my declarations of war very seriously. So I have to beat you twice."
Why did her words pop up in his mind at that moment? Perhaps Akechi was only overthinking it. But if there was one person he thought could strike back, then it had to be….
"Akechi." Shido's tone had clear impatience in it.
"It's nothing. They won't do a thing." Akechi replied while shaking his head. "But I will keep an eye on them, just in case. You can't be too careful."
"I'll be counting on you." Shido said.
"I bet you are. That'll make it all the more satisfying when I crush you at your peak and destroy everything you've built…" "They will live their lives cowering in fear of death. An apt punishment for obstructing our work."
"Make you kill that strange cat when you find it as well. And don't take any chances with that unidentified girl either. Find out who she is take get rid of her." Shido demanded.
"Understood." Akechi replied. "I can figure out that girl's identity quickly. They were clever to hide her from me the whole time, but it's only a matter of time until I find her. As for that cat, there's no reason to be worried. It's only a cat, after all. More importantly, they should be dealing with the suicide right about now. Things will become quite busy once word gets out, I should prepare my comments on the matter."
"I must be prepared to deal with it on my end as well." Shido said. "Beyond that, what of the Director of the Special Investigations Unit?"
In response to that question, Akechi merely smiled. "Perhaps he'll be struck by a mysterious illness sometime soon."
.
.
It was the afternoon now. Everyone went their separate ways and tried to lie low after Makoto's sudden outburst. Ann was at a photo shoot and she had to share the camera with Mika in Shibuya. They could hear the news overhead. "This morning, the police that they detained a suspect who may in fact be the leader of the Phantom Thieves group. The suspect is reported to be a young man who is still a minor."
"Ann-chan! We need you to look over here too." A cameraman called out to Ann.
"Huh? Oh, right…" Naturally, Ann's mind was elsewhere.
"Oh, don't bother. I look much better anyway." Mika said while smirking towards Ann. Although she didn't really get much of a reaction out of Ann this time. Considering the news, Mika did understand…
"Hm? So he got caught?" The cameraman said in reference to the news. "That group sure was something."
"Y-Yeah…" Ann replied absentmindedly.
"…" Mika furrowed her brows.
"So the next shoot got me thinking! How about we have you and Mika do an idol thing!" The cameraman said.
"Now that sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm more than ready for anything!" Mika said in a cheery tone. If Ann was going to keep her head in the clouds, Mika would still just take advantage of that.
.
.
The news was continuing throughout the day. As unfortunate as things were, Haru was sitting in a limo with Sugimura. Naturally, the smug man watched the news with a grin. "So he was caught at last? About time. I believe your father can rest in peace now."
"…." Haru's gaze lowered as she resisted the urge to glare at him.
"That Phantom Thief could never have changed anything." Sugimura stated. "Only a handful of people are qualified to change the world." His gaze then shifted to Haru. "So, you've been coming home late. That's what I've heard. I make a good playmate you know…" He reached over to lightly touch Haru's hair and she tensed up with a gasp, before immediately shooing his hand away. "…!"
Before Haru could make her comment on the matter, something else happened that caught the entirety of Japan's attention by storm. "This is breaking news. The young man in custody has committed suicide."
.
.
Kasumi was in the middle of gymnastics practice when she heard this news. It stunned her mid flip and she was barely able to stick the landing. "W-What…!?"
Kasumi's coach heard the news as well. She was more interested in Kasumi's strong reaction more than anything. "I didn't think things would end up that way…but are you alright?"
"U-Um! Of course, Coach Hiraguchi!" Kasumi quickly straightened up. Messing up a standard act? Hiraguchi was going to let her have it and that was another worry she had to deal with now. "The news just…surprised me. I…didn't think something like that would happen…"
"Uh-huh…" Hiraguchi looked a little doubtful, but for a different reason. The way she stared at Kasumi was different than most. But for now…and only for now, she would let it slide. Kasumi wasn't the only one shaken up by the news of the Phantom Thief leader committing suicide. The whole atmosphere in the building changed as well. "Don't let it happen again."
"I-I won't…!" Kasumi gave a quick bow. The others were lucky they were being let off easy. This was a special case, because that usually never happened. Once Hiraguchi walked off, Kasumi's legs quaked and she resisted the urge to collapse to her knees.
.
.
Hifumi was visiting her father in the hospital when this news struck. Her eyes widened and she tilted her head down, her bangs covering her eyes. "…Ah…"
Mitsurugi frowned heavily at his news. He understood that Hifumi couldn't tell him what was going on specifically, but he knew that this was the worst kind of news. "Hifumi…"
"The police have confirmed his death, but the details have not been released. To repeat, the suspect has committed suicide while in custody. This station will provide updates as they arrive. It will be difficult to uncover his methods now. Perhaps that's why he decided to take this course of action."
"I'm terribly sorry, Hifumi…." Mitsurugi wasn't sure what to say. The downcast expression on his daughter's face broke his heart.
"…Don't be…" Hifumi said while lifting her head up. What Mitsurugi expected to be a downcast, broken expression…was instead a confident smile. "As I'm sure you already know, I really hate losing. Especially to someone who wants to endanger the people I care about."
"W-…" Mitsurugi's eyes widened and he coughed a few times. Right now, Hifumi had an expression befitting that of a ruler. One who refused to give in despite the circumstances because of what was at stake.
"Simple, Father." Hifumi closed her eyes with a sweet smile. "This was no tragedy. This was the start of our reverse pin."
.
.
In the interrogation room where the deceased guard and Ren lie, it was eerily quiet. As it should be, there were two dead bodies in the room. And yet…both of those bodies started to vanish, similarly to defeated Shadows. The explanation for that was very simple. That interrogation room…was in the Metaverse. What was once a room with two bodies was now an empty room. But in reality? The real Ren sat in the interrogation room with one leg crossed over the other, his chin resting in his linked hands. He wore a confident smirk the whole time, despite the bruises that covered his face and body. "Our justice is only just getting started. The game's not over yet."