"I'm going to crush you…kill you…destroy you!" Akechi's voice was dry and raspy, but it carried his murderous intent. Donning his Black Mask, he unveiled his true power to the Phantom Thieves and used it on himself. He made sure to attack Oracle first, taking her out of the fight so her support was a non-issue for him. Even Akechi's own sword changed; what was once a neon blue saber, turned into a crimson, jagged blade.
"Oracle, are you okay!?" Violet rushed over to Oracle's side.
"Alive…I think…" Oracle groaned. She wasn't expecting to be attacked, and her constitution wasn't nearly as capable as everyone else's. But she was able to barely withstand such a powerful attack, and for that, she was grateful for. "Sorry, I…I need a minute…"
"Here he comes!" Mona shouted.
"DIIIIIIIIIE!" Akechi lunged forward. His movements were raw and feral, like a wounded animal high on bloodlust.
Fox started to run forward, planning to meet Akechi head on. "Kamu-Susano-o! We shall strike!" His mask burned away as he summoned his Persona, preparing to strike in tandem with it. They both swung their swords, aiming numerous slashes towards Akechi to slow him down.
"I'm not letting you off!" Akechi said as Loki was still behind him. A barrier appeared in front of Akechi just before Fox's attacks connected. It was Tertakarn, and that wasn't good for Fox. All of his attacks bounced off of this barrier, returned to him in full force. "Gaaaah!" Fox felt his full power slice into him and his Persona, and he was thrown to the ground in front of Akechi. "DIE!" Loki raised his sword, flames igniting around the weapon. He brought it down on Fox, but he was stopped by Dragon's Aegis.
"Ngh!" Dragon grit her teeth, glaring towards Akechi. Fire was still her weakness, even if Aegis was capable of blocking it. Loki struck Venus's sword a second time…and a third…and a fourth. Each hit made Dragon's knees buckle as she protected Fox, but eventually her Aegis shattered due to her own weakness. "Ah…!"
Akechi prepared to thrust his sword forward, but he stopped when Panther's whip wrapped around his arm. "I don't think so!" Panther said.
"Take THIS!" Skull summoned Seitan Taisei, using his Persona to let loose a powerful bolt of lightning that struck Akechi directly, and continuously attacked him for several seconds.
When the lightning faded, Akechi just stared at Skull and Panther. "What the hell was that?" He sustained damage, but he wasn't fazed by it. Before the two could even make a comment about what happened, Akechi grabbed the part of Panther's whip that latched onto him, and used it to swing her right into Skull, and sent them both into a wall.
Queen, Violet, Mona, and Joker attacked together. Queen and Violet rode on Anat, while Mona transformed into a bus, with Joker standing atop him. "Full throttle!" Queen said while riding ahead, planning to ram Anat right into Akechi, while Violet jumped off at the last second.
"Die! Die!" Akechi pointed his arm forward and Loki went to work. Loki's sword cut through Anat, temporarily disabling the Persona while Queen flew forward against her will. Loki followed up by throwing a fireball at Queen's body. It exploded upon impact and Queen cried out as she fell to the ground. This didn't account for Violet, Joker, and Mona, however.
Violet was in the air and she called Cendrillon out. "Let's dance, Cendrillon!" From her position above Akechi, Cendrillon released numerous beams of light to rain down on him. They were all connecting, and Akechi was hissing in dry annoyance.
"Kali!" Joker summoned a female warrior with four arms and four swords. This warrior cleaved the air in front of them in an X formation with all four blades. The pressure of this attack sent a shockwave in an X formation barreling towards Akechi, while Mona followed and tried to ram into him.
The shockwave cut into Akechi and he growled angrily. This anger spiked his psychotic powers, and he gripped his head as the surge of power erupted uncontrollably from within his body. But he loved his felt. "GO DOWN WITH ME!" Loki stabbed its sword into the ground, and immediately cast Megidoloan. It took the form of a dome-like explosion that expanded from Akechi's location. Due to their positions, Mona, Joker, and Violet had no means of dodging this, and were all flung in separate directions in the narrow passageway. Akechi heaved, breathing heavily. His body then reacted to a gunshot on his shoulder, so he turned around and saw Noir with Milady summoned. Akechi let out a heavy, excited breath, then started to sprint towards Noir, dragging his jagged sword across the ground.
Noir dismissed Milady, planted her axe on the ground, and started to sprint forward as well. Sparks flew as the weapon was sharpened seconds before she and Akechi swung their weapons at each other. Noir's axe caught on Akechi's sword, and the two just started to swing violently at one another with reckless abandon. Haru's axe did cut into Akechi's body, but his psychotic powers rendered the pain null. "Do you feel anything!?" Haru asked, half in shock, half annoyed that her attacks were doing nothing. In the end, this exchange was one she was slowly losing, since Akechi wasn't slowing down. His sword slashed at her more times than she landed.
"The desire…to KILL ALL OF YOU!" Akechi shrieked.
"I will not…become a victim like my father!" Noir said while swinging her axe at Akechi. She tried to aim for his chest, but in a surprising twist, he actually dodged her attack. Because she put all her weight into that swing, she was left open to Loki's blast of darkness, which knocked her back.
"Come at me as many times as you want! I'll crush you all! I swear it! I…destroy you…!" Akechi said while yelling at the Phantom Thieves. They were still worse for wear after the first round, but this power of Akechi's was on a completely different level. Even though they were injuring him, his current state just allowed him to ignore it. His hatred fueled him, his desire to hate and kill stoked the flames. It was a never ending cycle. It was what kept him going all these years, and it wouldn't stop now.
"Damn…" Skull pulled himself up slowly. "He's totally lost it…"
"We're not gonna last if this keeps up…" Joker said. "We need a decisive blow…or something to at least open him."
"But he's just shrugging off our attacks…!" Violet said. "How do we stop something that won't stop charging?!"
"Who said you could stop and take a break!?" Akechi said while slamming his sword on the ground. "Didn't you hear me!? We're going to strike, and strike, and STRIKE until one of us dies!" Every time he said the word 'strike' his sword hit the ground, flaring up more and more with Curse magic. He then slammed his blade once more, causing a torrent of darkness to rise up and threaten to swallow the Phantom Thieves.
"I got this!" Dragon said while leaping forward, casting Aegis once again. She was putting in a lot of defense in this fight, but that's a role she didn't mind fulfilling. The wave of darkness hit the sword, splitting to the left and right of her. "Oh…that's a lot of damage…"
"Dragon, are you okay!?" Panther asked worriedly.
"Just fine….!" Dragon said. "I can hold this off…! But not for very long in my condition…!"
"Sounds like you need a little help…!" Oracle was back on her feet, but barely. She didn't have the energy for full support, so she put all her chips on the table. With Prometheus' help, she cast Charge and Mind Charge on the party, granting them the power they needed to get the job done. "Sorry…but he really got me with that hit. That's all I can do now…"
"It's perfect, Oracle!" Skull said with a wide grin. "Seiten Taisei!" He called upon his Persona, and with Oracle's boost, he was able to call upon several bolts of lightning to crash down on, or near Akechi. The sudden shock caused Akechi to relent his attack and recoil slightly. "Yeah, how's that feel!?"
Violet and Fox moved in unison once again, using their speed to their advantage. Violet used her acrobatics to approach from the left, while Fox approached from the right. Once they were close enough, they struck. "Freeze!" Fox called Kamu-Susano-o. The Emperor stabbed his sword into the ground, causing it to freeze over, along with sharp icicles jutting out from it as well.
"Cendrillon, we'll strike!" Violet said as her mask burned away. She waited for Akechi to dodge the incoming floor of ice, and that's when she bombard him with physical strikes from Cendrillon. The physical attack increase was welcomed, as Cendrillon was able to trade strikes with Loki for a little bit. A few of these strikes even landed on Loki, and that damage did transfer to Akechi as well.
"BURN!" Akechi suddenly exclaimed. Loki stabbed its sword into the ground, releasing a potent heatwave that caught Violet and Fox in its wake. Due to Fox's weakness, he was taken out and hit the ground hard. As for Violet, she tumbled back far, barely managing to catch herself. It was hard to stick a landing when she was as injured as she was.
"Ngh…" Violet was struggling to pick herself up. "We're doing damage, I know we are…!"
Queen rode forward on Anat, with Mona on her shoulder. "Feel my rage!" She coated Anat in Nuclear energy, putting the pedal to the metal as she slammed into Akechi at full speed, knocking him into the sky.
Mona hopped forward, calling forth Zorro in the process. "Zorro, show your might!" The crusader swung his sword quickly in a Z formation, prompting a powerful tornado to appear around Akechi. This tornado did damage, while also keeping him suspended in the air.
"What is this!?" Akechi growled.
Noir then added into the mix, using Milady's powers to create a tornado of psychic energy. This swirled right into the twister Mona created, resulting in a gigantic, rainbow tornado with Akechi right in the center. Now that he was still, she took aim with Milady. "One Shot Kill!" Milady fired an explosive round from her heavy artillery. The explosive shell exploded against Akechi when it hit, and he fell from the sky. "Got you."
Akechi hit the ground on all fours, coughing for only a split second…before Loki flew from the smoke at wild speeds, gunning for Queen first. "Die!"
"…!" Queen saw it happen, but she wasn't fast enough to react. Loki's sword was brought down on her, a surge of darkness erupting from her location. Queen was thrown off Anat and hit the ground on her back, grimacing as she tried to pick herself up, but her body felt heavy. "Come on…I can still…fight…"
The moment Queen was down, Akechi made a beeline towards Mona, gripping the creature by the head with his hand. "H-Hey? Put me down…!" Mona shouted.
"HAAH!" Akechi then hurled Mona towards Noir, following up with a large ball of almighty.
"Mona-chan!" Noir caught Mona, but she and Mona took the Megidoloan head on as a result. They slammed into a wall and made an indent that was difficult to get out of immediately.
"Hecate!" Panther used the Magic Charge to send a gigantic fireball into the sky, where it started to descend towards Akechi.
Akechi was about to dodge this with ease, but then Dragon jumped forward, catching the fireball on her staff. "Ashes to ashes!" Dragon yelled while extending her staff, slamming down the extension on Akechi, but he countered with his sword at the last second. This created a powerful explosion and a thick cloud of smoke.
Joker and Skull used that smoke as cover, rushing towards Akechi. "Kali!"
"Seiten Taisei!" Skull called out. Both of their Personas attacked at the same time, slamming their weapons into Akechi for an incredible amount of damage.
"GACK!" Akechi grunted as he staggered back. He was starting to feel it now. "You're just…pieces of shit…who lick each other's wounds! Anything goes…as long as you say you're teammates!" As he said this, Skull attacked with Seitan Taisei once again, but Akechi used Tetrakarn this time. The impact was reflected and bounced Skull into Panther and Dragon, who fell to the ground. Akechi followed up with this by crushing that trio with another almighty orb, leaving Joker as the only one who wasn't on the ground. "Now…it's just you."
"…" Joker didn't say anything, but he readied his knife, and Arsene came out as well.
"LET'S DO THIS!" Akechi roared while slashing at Joker over, and over, and over, and over again. Just as he said it would. He would keep striking until one of them went down. Joker did his best to parry with his knife, but Akechi's strength while he was berserk was impossible for him to match. Arsene was currently dueling it out with Loki, the two of them firing off curse after curse blast with each other.
"What can you do without your teammates, huh, Joker!? All of you are completely inadequate!" Akechi said while pushing more and more against Joker. Joker may have been able to best him before he unleashed this power, but that wouldn't be the case. Joker tried to clash with Akechi, but Akechi was able to knock him back with a slice.
"Gh…!" Joker grunted as he hit the ground, staring up at Akechi who was slowly approaching.
Akechi's gaze was fixated solely on Joker. A scornful look as Loki hovered over him. Akechi made use of the Charge skill as well, gathering as much power as he could while Loki held its sword up high. "You'll die alone!" Loki swung its sword for the Leavatain attack, one filled with utter malice. But before its sword could reach Joker, it was blocked by another sword…
Venus's, once again. "Did I tell you? You'll have to go through me if you wish to kill anyone!" Dragon said while swinging her staff at Akechi, forcing him to step back. She had the range advantage, and tried to thrust her staff at Akechi, while blocking his strikes in the meanwhile. Venus's Aegis kept Loki busy, for it was unable to break through that sword. Even when it started using fire attacks to break it down, Dragon held fast despite the damage.
"Then you can be first!" Akechi shouted. "I'll break your shield as many times as I need to!" As he said this, Loki kept slamming on Venus's sword over and over, causing Dragon to slow down. "Do you really think you can beat me in a fight? I'll crush you here and now!" Just when it looked like Venus's sword was about to crack again, Loki raised its own sword up high for a finishing strike…
And that's when Dragon grinned. This was the opening she was waiting for. "You forget, Akechi! This isn't just a shield! It's a sword as well! Aegis Counter!" With all the damage Dragon sustained over the last few seconds, she intended to counter attack with it all! Venus's sword gained new life as it clashed against Loki's sword for a stalemate. Both swords shook against each other, failing to overpower the other.
"Do you think…that this will overpower me!? I'll destroy you!" Akechi said loudly.
"No…As I am now, my sword cannot beat yours." Dragon admitted. "But it doesn't need to. I just need…to break even." The moment she said that, Venus's sword shattered…and so did Loki's. The resounding impact of this threw both Personas backwards, much to Akechi's surprise. The stalwart defender just had a smirk on her lips. The impact from Dragon's actions shattered the top part of Akechi's mask in the process. "Checkmate."
"Wh…!?" Akechi's eyes widened, but that wasn't the most shocking part. The moment Loki was pushed back, he saw Joker leaping over Dragon, with Black Frost behind him.
Joker stared Akechi dead in the eyes before extending his arm out with Black Frost. He still had the magic boost from Oracle, and he was going to use that and everything else he could muster to finish this battle off. "You're mine!" Together, he and Black created a powerful explosion of ice that completely swallowed Akechi.
"GAAAAAH!" Akechi had no defense for this. His body hit the ground, and there he lay…defeated. "No…"
The other Phantom Thieves were able to stand up. After a fierce fight like that, they didn't have it in them for a third round. Dragon and Panther leaned against each other, while Noir, Skull, Fox, Queen, and Mona made their way to stand near Joker. Violet was keeping supporting Oracle in standing. "You ready to call it quits…?" Skull asked while panting heavily.
Akechi crawled off the ground and onto his knees in a crouched position. He hated losing...and that's how he knew he was defeated; because this frustrated feeling filled void of the psychotic power within him. His gaze went to Dragon, because her final gambit was truly a surprise. She knew she couldn't win…but she forced a draw, which was the key to victory against him. That draw left a bitter feeling within him. "I know…I've had enough." Akechi conceded. "You're so lucky. Lucky to be surrounded…by teammates who acknowledge you. And once Shido confesses his crimes, you'll be heroes."
"Akechi-san…" Violet frowned. She was in the back of the group with Oracle, so it was unlikely he could hear her when she spoke so quietly
"As for me, people will find out my past deductions were just a charade. My fame and trust will vanish." Akechi's gaze went to the ground. Everything he built…his world was going to crumble and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"I see…so you were turning people psychotic, then solving the cases yourself. And you did that by joining forces with Shido." Every piece of the plot fit into place.
Akechi let out a dry laugh. "In the end…I couldn't be special."
"…You're more than special, Akechi." Joker said. Those words got a reaction out of Akechi, for he wasn't expecting those words.
"…You were our toughest opponent yet." Queen said. "By ourselves, we wouldn't be able to defeat you. But we had our advantage of teamwork and trust. Even without that…I've always been jealous of you. I was envious of your natural ability…and to see how much my sister trusted you…"
Haru's anger died down a considerable amount now that the fight was over. She still couldn't stand looking at Akechi, but unfortunately…she could relate to him. It was that feeling that stopped her from completely hating him. "I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did to my father…but I…I know how you feel. I wholeheartedly understanding wanting to get back at those who took from you."
"But when you gained the power to fulfill that desire, you only used it for your own self-benefit." Fox said.
"If you've got more than one Persona, maybe you have the same power as Joker. But you trusted no one, so you only got two Personas; one for your lies, and one for your hate." Oracle said. "Still, you thought that was enough, right? I totally get that."
"…" Akechi had no words.
"All right. Let's go back and get that callin' card ready!" Skull said while turning to the others, before looking back at Akechi. "We're gonna take Shido down. What're you gonna do?"
Panther looked at Noir and Oracle. "It'd be a problem if you kept getting in our way. So…if it's okay with Oracle and Noir, would you like to come with us and settle things?"
"…" Noir remained quiet for a moment. But… "I don't like the idea of him joining us. But I understand his situation. You should do this since Shido is your father…no, BECAUSE he's your father. But you have to answer for what you've done." She wanted to get rid of him, that feeling was still strong. But….doing it right now would put a sour taste in her mouth. It wasn't the moment she wanted…it didn't feel right.
"…What Noir said." Oracle nodded meekly.
Akechi just stared at the Phantom Thieves with wide eyes. "Are you all idiots!? You should get rid of me…if you don't want me getting in your way…you all are truly beyond my comprehension."
Dragon smiled softly, before taking a few steps towards Akechi. "I'm not worried about you getting in our way. We just beat you, didn't we? That means we can do it again if you decide to get rowdy."
"…Togo…" Akechi lifted his gaze to Dragon. "…You knew the whole time, didn't you?"
"About your plan? From the very beginning." She nodded slowly. "I didn't know the whole story, but let's just say it's difficult to get away with lies in front of me."
"I see…so you were able to outsmart me from step one…is that a win for you, then?" Akechi asked.
"I couldn't have done it alone." Dragon replied while lifting her mask, to look at Akechi face to face. "But we've been over the merits of teamwork already. I wanted to say one thing to you. I know how you feel."
"…what?" Akechi said slowly.
Hifumi managed a sad smile. "Alone. Until earlier this year, I was alone all my life. You've seen how my life has gone. My mother rigged my matches, my father is sick and dying…yet I did everything I could because I wanted something to hold onto. I was…nothing more than a puppet on a string, but thanks to Ann…and to everyone else, I was able to cut those strings. Even you helped."
"…Why did you want me to join you in the first place?" Akechi asked. With the information he knew now, he didn't understand why Hifumi wanted his help.
"I wanted your help." Hifumi replied honestly. "That's…only half of it. I suspected that you were Black Mask as well, but I had no evidence. So…I thought that it would help keep my mother safe. If Black Mask showed up, you would be cleared of your allegations, and I thought your help would truly make a difference. I think we're alike…and I can see strings attached to your back. I don't think Shido is the type of person to leave any loose ends. I don't want to leave you like this…and if anyone knows what a simple act of kindness can do for someone's life, it's me. So….give me your hand." Hifumi extended her hand.
"What are you…?"Akechi didn't understand what Hifumi was aiming for.
"I said give me your hand. I'm going to help you stand up. And give me your left hand, too." Hifumi clarified.
"I don't…why…?" Akechi was still confused.
"Because that's how I know you're really trying." Hifumi flashed a soft smile at Akechi. If he took her hand, he could try to do the right thing, even with the path he's taken. "You've done a lot of damage…but it's not too late to do the right thing. Plus…I've yet to beat you on my own, yet. That draw just then was the best I could manage. I hate losing just as much as you do."
Akechi just stared at Hifumi in bewilderment. "You….."
Click.
The sound of a gun cocking caught everyone's attention. The barrel of this gun was placed near Hifumi's head, causing everyone to freeze. The culprit? …Another Akechi. "Getting comfortable with these losers, are we?" Cognitive Akechi's voice was devoid of any and all emotion. Just an empty, yet sadistic stare.
"Akechi!?" Skull grunted.
"Another one…!? No, that's…!" Fox gasped.
"Fumi…!" Panther's instinct was to move, but she couldn't. She knew that gun was loaded.
"…!" Hifumi couldn't move. Her body froze as the barrel was close to her temple. "W-What…?"
"It's…Shido's cognitive version of Akechi-san…?!" Violet said.
"Don't worry, I'll deal with the rest of you later." Cognitive Akechi stared at the rest of the Phantom Thieves. "I just need this one here to make sure nobody makes any sudden moves. But on Captain Shido's orders…he has no need for losers." His dead gaze went to the real Akechi. "Well, this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway."
This was news to Akechi. "What!?" Hifumi was right!? Shido was going to get rid of him!?
"Did you truly believe you'd be spared after all the murders you undertook?" Cognitive Akechi would've laughed if he could. "Don't tell me…were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once? Oh, by the way. The captain says its time you receive retribution for the mental shutdowns."
"What the hell, man!?" Skull said angrily. "That bastard's the one who put him up to it!"
Akechi just let out a chuckle, standing up slowly. "I see. I was wondering how he'd protect himself if I used my power to tear through his Palace. Turns out you're how. So he's making puppet kill me. Sounds like something he'd do."
"That's right. Cognitive Akechi replied. "I'll do anything for the Captain. But look at yourself. You're the true puppet. You wanted to be acknowledged, didn't you? To be loved?" His expression had a twisted sense of joy.
"Damn you…" Joker mumbled.
"So this…is how Shido thinks of Goro Akechi…!?" Queen couldn't believe it. After everything Akechi did for Shido, he was still deemed as a disposable puppet.
"You little!" Skull was about to charge, but he stopped since there was a gun trained on Hifumi's temple. "Damn it!"
"Ngh…." Hifumi felt utterly useless.
"I suddenly hate this one more than the other one…" Noir said.
"You can hear me, right?" Oracle was communicating to Violet via their private channel. "Just move your hand if you can." Violet did move her hand slightly. "Okay…listen. You have a clear shot to the fake Akechi. You only have one shot…"
"I won't miss." Violet said while eying the situation carefully.
"What's all this nagging about?" Cognitive Akechi said with a curious head tilt. "Do you want me to take care of your friend first? Who knows…she could delay his death. You guys are all about doing things for others, aren't you? That's just the same as me." As he said this, numerous Shadows appeared behind him. "I'm going to take all the blame for our captain. I'll die for him too."
"Shit…" Skull grimaced. They didn't have the energy to put up a fight right now…
"Here. I'll give you a chance." Cognitive Akechi motioned to Akechi. "Shoot her."
Akechi just let out a dry laugh. "I was such a fool…" And then he drew his pistol, taking aim at Hifumi.
"Yes…that's the you our captain wishes to see." Cognitive Akechi smiled.
"Don't misunderstand…" Akechi said. "You're the one who's going to disappear!"
BANG!
A shot rang out, but it wasn't from any of the guns present. Cognitive Akechi was confused, because he knew he didn't fire his gun. Yet…his body was falling to a knee as a searing pain was in his arm. "Ghh!?"
"GO! GO!" Violet shouted. She was the one who fired the shot.
Panther grabbed Hifumi and quickly pulled her out of harm's way. Akechi dove backwards, pointing his gun to the emergency switch on the wall. This caused an alarm to blare loudly. "The watertight bulkhead door has closed! All personnel within the partition wall: evacuate at once!" Right after the voice said this, wall emerged from the floor, cutting Cognitive Akechi off from the rest of the group, sealing him within the depths of the ship.
"Whoa, what is that?!" Oracle gasped.
"Holy shit…" Skull was in awe at what just happened. "Violet totally saved that…!"
"That was incredibly close…" Fox felt his heart still beating.
"Oh thank god that's over…" Oracle let out a huge sigh of relief.
"That…was horrifying…" Dragon put her mask back on and just slumped against Panther. She was shaking a bit.
"Are you okay…?" Panther asked gently.
"M-Mhm…" Dragon nodded slowly…then looked over at the wounded Akechi. "You…weren't going to really shoot me, were you?"
"Of course not." Akechi replied while shaking his head. "…I was going to shoot him, but it appears that Yoshizawa beat me to it."
"It's Violet." Violet corrected.
"R-Right…." Akechi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You…" To be completely honest, he didn't expect to walk out of that alive. So he was a little…uneasy. Not that he would admit such a thing aloud. His gaze went to Oracle and Noir. Nobody wanted to look at each other right now.
"I was just helping Dragon-senpai." Violet said. "…But I didn't want to see you die either."
"We should get out of here." Mona was staring at the large wall. "There's no telling if or when they'll get out of that…"
"We're going to use the letters of introduction." Joker told Akechi. "Whether you want to come with us or not is up to you. I won't make you do anything you don't want to…but I'm also not going to be held responsible for what Noir or Oracle decide to do either." In other words, Akechi's fate was left up to the two girl's whose families he destroyed.
"If you're serious about your revenge against Shido, I suggest you start walking where I can see you." Noir tapped her foot. Her tolerance for Akechi's presence was extremely low. A single wrong move and her axe would find him. That's what she kept telling herself.
"…" Akechi didn't say anything. "I suppose you're going back to the central hall. Very well." So he started to walk where everyone could see him.
"…Are you sure about this?" Queen asked Noir and Oracle.
"…For now. There's still an itch that doesn't feel sated. I don't like him walking freely…" Nori was mulling something over. "Oracle, can I talk to you?"
"Huh? Oh, uh…year…" Oracle nodded slowly.
.
.
Since they traversed the entire ship at this point, they were able to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. Even though their stamina was returning, it was wise for them to confirm the Treasure's location and get out. With the five letters of introduction, they were able to access the Representatives Chamber. When they rode the elevator to the main assembly hall. The first thing they saw on the other end of the room was a large darumaka. "What the hell is that!?" Skull gasped.
"It's pretty rockin'." Oracle said.
"So this is the main assembly hall?" Noir said while looking around. It was a very spacious room.
"P-Probably…" Queen said. "Daruma are often used as symbols of election luck, plus everything else in here seems real."
"Odd…there isn't a single person in here." Fox said. "It sounded like there was quite a number of people when we were here last."
"But given how it looks, this has to be the root of the distortion." Panther said.
"Yes, I'm picking up on the Treasure's presence as well." Mona said.
"It's over there." Akechi pointed to the colorless mass that hovered over the podium. "Of course it would be…"
"That looks fitting…" Dragon tilted her head.
"But we have our infiltration route now." Violet said. "Now all that's left is to send the calling card!"
"…." Noir didn't say anything. But everyone slowly started to pool out of the assembly hall and to the exit of the ship. They were about to exit the Palace when she made a decision. Noir suddenly turned to Akechi, and with no warning, knocked him down to the ground. "You."
"…" Akechi didn't say anything. He wasn't surprised at Noir's actions either, considering he destroyed her life not even two months ago. "So…your anger has finally gotten the best of you? I'm not surprised, I know precisely how that feels."
"Noir…!" The others were worried about her actions.
"You said this was up to us, didn't you, Joker?" Oracle extended her arm out to stop everyone from intervening.
"…I did." Joker said with a slow nod.
"And this is what Noir and I have decided." Oracle was firm in her voice.
Noir raised her axe up while staring down Akechi. "Akechi…you are not leaving this Palace a free man."