Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia nor the Persona series
Chapter 27
"Alright, Izuku. What are your plans for prepping for the Treasure heist?" Morgana asked, his nose poking out of the green-haired teen's bag.
"I had a few things in mind… I think Kitagawa-san and Koto-san could use upgrades to their weapons, at least," Izuku's voice trailed off as he held his chin, eyes focused on the ground in front of him. "Iwai-san texted me about needing help today, so I'll definitely go to Untouchable and buy better guns for them. I'll text Hatsume-san to see if I can finish testing for the other two support items. We might not get anything right now, but it'll be good to have more options available in the future. I would also like to ask Mishima-senpai and Suzui-senpai if anymore requests are there for us to take in Mementos, but… no, no, I should hold off on that until after the heist. One thing at a time after all. No need to overwhelm the team right before our final push…"
"There he goes again…" Morgana sighed in amusement as he watched Izuku's mumble through his plans for the day.
"Hey, lemme see! I can't see my score!"
Izuku's eyes trailed back up when he saw the feet of a crowd blocking his path. A number of students were gathered by the wall to get a better look at the board. He could hear the mumblings of other students, some dejected and others excited.
"Oh, right. I forgot our test scores would be posted, soon," Izuku said to himself. He stood on his tiptoes to try and peer past the crowd to no avail. Seeing little other choice, Izuku weaved through the crowd, trying to get a better look at the board.
"No way… look who's at the top of the first years!" He heard a voice, causing the crowd to shift again, Izuku letting out a muffled grunt when he was pancaked between some bags and students. He finally squeezed through, taking a relieved breath as he looked up at the board for his name.
"Holy crap… didn't think he'd be that smart…"
"He had to have cheated, right?! There's no way!"
Izuku wasn't listening. He was too busy searching for his own name.
"Ah, there I am. I got seventh overall among the first years…" He frowned. "Well… I guess I didn't have time to catch up on some things with everything that happened…"
"Just how smart are you?" He heard Morgana's muffled voice from his bag.
"Whoa, did you hear that?"
"This guy sure acts confident. Maybe he really is that smart?"
"There's no way! I bet he stole the answers and tried to make it seem like he didn't!"
"I dunno, that's stretching it a bit…"
Izuku finally caught on to the voices surrounding him, sweat trailing down his face as he felt several dozen pairs of eyes bore into him.
"W-Well! I wonder what everyone else got!" Izuku awkwardly laughed aloud, trying to distract himself from the onslaught of whispers and looking across the board.
He smiled when he saw Makoto's name at the number one spot of the third years, which was not at all surprising. He moved onto the second years, looking for Ryuji and Ann.
N-Not to be mean, but… I should probably start from the bottom up to look for them…
Izuku was glad to see neither of his friends at the bottom of the list. Not that he believed they were dumb, but anyone could see how badly they procrastinated before exams. He found Ryuji's name a third of the way up and Ann a few spots above him. He also took note of Mishima a couple of spots above her.
Well… that's not too bad, all things considered. Hopefully, they scored where they wanted.
The crowd around the board began to thin, making way for some other students to peer in. Now with room to move, Izuku turned to leave.
"Izuku! There you are!" He blinked, his head craning to the right. Before he could process who it was, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back and pull him close.
"You're my hero! I thought I was gonna score way lower than that this semester! You're the best!" He heard Ann's voice, his face turning hot red as steam permeated from him. Not only was Ann hugging him tightly, but he could feel a soft pair of pillows pressing up against his chest.
BBBBBBOOOOOOOBBBBS~!
"Dude, ease up on him. You probably just gave him a heart attack," Ryuji's voice crept up this time, no small amount of amusement in his tone.
"Oh! Sorry," Ann giggled sheepishly, letting go of the awkward first year.
"I's 'kay… I fine…" Izuku garbled out a response, his eyes pointed up at the ceiling as his face cooled down.
"But she's right. Thanks for the help, man! I figured I'd be wa~y lower than that! You effin' rock!" Ryuji grinned at the green-haired teen.
Izuku rubbed the back of his head with a bashful smile. "O-Oh, i-it was nothing, really…"
"I see you've kept up with your schoolwork, Midori. Congratulations," Izuku looked back to see Makoto approach, a gentle smile on her face. "Seventh in your grade is quite impressive considering the circumstances you were thrust into."
Ryuji's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?! He got seventh?!" He and Ann quickly running over to the board to check.
"Thank you, Koto-san. Next time, I'll shoot for a higher rank. Now that things are calming down, I won't let myself fall behind," Izuku said, giving her a confident smile.
"Good. And I won't accept our 'jobs' as an excuse. I expect to see you at the top," Makoto giggled. "But thankfully, with exams over, we can focus our efforts on a more troublesome target."
Izuku's lips fell into a frown, his brow knitting. "Yeah. Just a few more days, and we'll finish this."
(Persona 5 OST: Suspicion)
This… wasn't the kind of job I was expecting.
Munehisa Iwai was a man Izuku had trouble reading. He didn't seem like a bad man. His son seemed to care about him enough to want to help out at his shop, too. Sure, he was a bit shady when it came to his custom airsoft guns, but Izuku was sure it wasn't anything illegal.
But now, Izuku was faced with another gray area.
The moment Izuku walked into Untouchable, Iwai said they were leaving, letting him make whatever purchases he needed first. He said he was going to meet with a 'friend' at the Shibuya diner and he wanted Izuku there to help him leave whenever needed. He even had him come in a bit later than Iwai and sit as close as possible without looking suspicious so he could hear the signal.
Now, Izuku would like to believe this was just a casual talk between estranged friends and Iwai wanted a quick out of at the drop of a dime. But Izuku wasn't stupid and could tell Iwai wasn't the type of person to involve someone else just to escape awkward conversation. He was certainly blunt enough to end it on his own.
"An old diner, huh? I thought only old farts come to a place like this," The elderly man asked the shop owner who sat across from him. Izuku didn't get a good look at him when he walked in, but could tell he was a thuggish man despite his age. "You've really changed, Mune-san."
"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. The food's decent. And cheap." Iwai defended gently, eliciting a bark from his guest.
"Ha! That's comin' from the guy who beat up fifty members of a rival family! Who woulda guessed, eh?"
Izuku blinked, his ears perking up in interest. Fifty men from a 'rival family'..? So… does that mean he's…
"You don't need to exaggerate." Izuku didn't miss that Iwai didn't flat out refute the claim. "But speakin' of old days, how's Tsuda-san doin'?"
"Ah, you know how it is. Survivin'. Somethin' particularly hard for men in our line of work nowadays. Heroes everywhere and none of 'em got any respect for what we used to do," the man spat, leaning back in his booth. "You've got that, and now our family's under the umbrella of the Eight Precepts."
"... Why would he go under them? They're pretty damn insane now after their boss fell sick. The kid in charge is nuts."
Izuku was tempted to look back at Iwai. He could hear the caution and disgust in his voice. But it would have been too obvious if he looked back, now.
"They're the strongest family left now, you know? The family had to survive somehow," his friend defended. "But why you even askin'? Didn't you two break ties when you left the family?"
"Well, we were both young. I figured it was about time I buried the hatchet with him. But I can't just go up and talk to him…" Izuku had to admit, Iwai was much better at lying than he was. At least, he thought it was a lie. Considering that Iwai had him here, ready to call at a moment's notice.
"Ah, I see. Tryin' to abide by the ol' code, huh? Okay, I can set up a meetin' for you!"
"No, you fool. I just wanna end up in the same place at the same time. Make it look like a coincidence."
"Ah, okay then… well, Shibaura might work. That's become our little 'business' district you know?"
"Shibaura, huh?" Iwai trailed off and coughed without warning. Remembering that it was his signal, Izuku quickly did as he was ordered to, calling his phone.
"Hang on, I gotta answer this…" Iwai said, putting the phone up to his ear. "Hey, how's it going… what? What part was missing? ...I see. Okay, bring it by the shop now and I'll see if I can fix it… okay, see you soon." Iwai stood from his booth, still holding the phone to his ear. "Hey, I gotta split. A customer had a problem with an order. Sorry about this."
"Ah, don't sweat it. Good seein' you, Mune-san," his friend said, watching as Iwai walked out. Izuku still held the phone up to his head, waiting for Iwai to walk out.
"Don't hang up," said Iwai. "Keep it on 'til he leaves."
What did I sign up for? Izuku released a sigh, but he did as asked, leaning back in his seat and not looking back.
"Hey, Tsuda-san, it's Masa," Izuku heard behind him, guessing the man was on the phone. "Iwai was askin' about you like you said. Don't worry, I did just as you told me to. Not sure what he's lookin' for, though. Think he's tryin' to squeeze some money out of us? O-Oh, sorry! G-Got it, sorry, boss. I-I'll keep that in mind."
Masa hung up and stood from his seat, finally taking his leave. Izuku watched him intently, taking a small sigh of relief as he watched the door close behind him. "Okay, he's gone, Iwai-san."
"Gotcha. Looks like he didn't say too much after I left, but still… Shibaura's their playground now, huh?" Iwai mused, more to himself than to Izuku.
"Iwai-san… who was that?" Izuku asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.
"No one you need to be concerned about. Now-"
"Iwai-san… if… if I'm going to help you, I need to know." Izuku fought to keep his voice steady. "I… I said I didn't mind helping out so long as it wasn't something illegal. And if you have a proper explanation for this, please tell me. I want to help you, but… I need to know what's going on."
A silence followed his small declaration. For a moment, Izuku feared he pushed too far.
"Heh. Right. You can be pretty gutsy when you wanna be."
Izuku felt some relief when heard the amusement in Iwai's voice.
"Havin' you help me out is pretty useful, so pushin' you out now wouldn't do me any good. Tell you what. Next time you come to work, I'll tell you all about what's goin' on. That work for you?"
Izuku wanted answers now. But he accepted that it'd be better to speak to him in person. "Okay. I can do that."
"Good. With that, you're all done for today. Feel free to treat yourself to somethin' nice while you're there, and bring me the receipt. I'll pay you back for the meal as part of my thanks."
"O-Okay… I will." Despite the circumstances, Izuku felt he was coming to a deeper understanding with Iwai. He might have had more questions than answers, but he trusted Iwai would keep his word.
*SMASH*
Hanged Man Confidant: RANK TWO
(My Hero Academia OST: I Will Become a Hero!)
"I'm so glad I got you back for testing, guinea pig!"
Izuku couldn't stop a sheepish laugh from escaping his mouth. Sweat trailed down his brow as his eye twitched nervously. He had imagined returning to U.A. would be a joyous occasion, but it was hard to feel any sort of joy with the way Hatsume Mei was eyeing him.
"I-It's Izuku Midoriya… A-and yeah, I was… excited to come back…" Izuku mumbled, already nervous as he watched Mei begin to rummage through a large bin she had rolled into the garage.
"That's great to hear, Midoriya-kun!" Mei laughed, pulling two harnesses out. One looked like a metal backpack and the other resembled a pair of metallic pair of wings with spouts on the ends.
"Now, I'll let you choose which one of my babies we'll test out today! The first will be the hydraulic attachments! They're made to help evade incoming attacks from all sides at a moment's notice! I need to test their balance and power compensation!" She began to explain, holding up the backpack. "Or you can test the auto-balancer! It's equipped with a 35-axis gyro sensor, meant to keep the user from falling down unless they want to! I just need to test the sensitivity of the sensor and the strength of the balance adjustor! So, which baby would you like to test? They're both eager and waiting to be given their first steps!"
Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat, looking between the two inventions pensively. Neither of them seemed too dangerous, but he found out the hard way that appearances didn't mean anything when it came to Mei's 'babies'.
I hope I don't regret this…
"W-Well… to be honest, I'm really eager to have you help me make my own support items, so…" Izuku took a deep breath, trying to summon his courage. "I-If you don't mind, I'll test both out today."
Mei's jaw slacked, her arms slightly lowering as she stared at Izuku in awe for a moment. It was soon replaced by a dazzling grin of excitement, her eyes sparkling as she gave a hearty laugh. "I see, I see! Yes, I'm sure you are quite eager to have some of my babies at your disposal! And here I thought you wouldn't be so quick to suggest that after our last test!"
"It wasn't easy…" Izuku said under his breath.
"But I can feel your passion, Midoriya-kun! You truly are making for a great guinea pig! Alright! If that's what you want, then that's what we're going to do!" Mei nodded in acceptance, setting the auto-balancer on the ground. "Let's start with the hydraulic attachments! Quick, put the pack on!"
"O-Oh, okay!" Izuku did as he was told, looping his arms through the harness and buckling it up front.
"Usually you'd be the one with the remote in your hand controlling the pack, but for testing purposes, I'll be in control!" Mei declared, her words immediately filling Izuku with dread.
"U-Um… okay, but… p-please don't start it without warning me. I-I need to be ready in case… something goes wrong…"
"Of course, Midoriya-kun! I wouldn't do that to you!" Mei laughed, waving a hand in dismissal.
Izuku breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's why I'm letting you know now! Get ready!"
"W-Wait, already?! But I-"
"START!"
With the press of a button, Izuku watched two poles shoot out of the corner of his pack, striking the ground and propelling him high into the air. He screamed in terror as he rose higher and higher. He came to stop after he reached about seven meters in the air, now suspended high above the ground. He flailed around in a vain attempt to steady himself. It felt like he would fall over any second now.
"Don't panic, Midoriya-kun! It looks like everything is working fine!" Mei called out to him, causing Izuku to stiffen up. "Just perfect! Look how good of a position you're in now, high above oncoming attackers and capable of launching a counterattack at whatever altitude suits you!"
"O-Oh, tha-that's great…" Izuku laughed nervously, sweat beading down his face. "S-So… can you let me down now..?"
"They hydraulics look to be working perfectly, no problems in the height or speed that they launch and lock at…" Mei muttered to herself, jotting notes down onto a clipboard in her hands.
"H-Hatsume-san, can you…" Izuku suddenly felt his weight shift, eyes widening as he slowly started to dip backward. "H-HATSUME-SA~N!"
"Hm? What is-" Mei watched as Izuku fell backwards, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud. Mei winced a bit when she heard the noise and rushed over. "Are you okay, Midoriya-kun? Was my baby destroyed in the fall?"
"N-No… I think…" Izuku grumbled, sprawled out on his back as the pack hadn't even cracked from the fall or his weight. Some part of him wished it was, as his back felt like it was almost snapped in two.
"Ah, that's good. It means I won't have to start from square one. I'll be sure to make some adjustments to the poles to make sure the balance is perfect. Maybe use a stronger metal? Hm…" Mei trailed off, her mind going into overload as she started to jot down notes, forgetting the fact that Izuku was still on the ground.
Izuku slowly climbed to his feet, rubbing his now aching back. It wasn't quite as bad as when he was flung into a tree, but that memory did nothing to soothe the pain. Still… better than it could have been… Izuku took a seat as Mei continued to write in her notes, thankfully giving him something of a break as she took her time.
"Alright! That's all the data I needed from the hydraulic extensions!" Mei said, slamming her notebook shut. "Now it's time to move onto baby number two! The auto-balancer!"
"O-Okay…" Izuku grumbled, sharing none of her excitement.
"Come now, Midoriya-kun! This one should be nowhere near as bad!" Mei laughed, holding her next invention out for him to take. "We've got some padded flooring on the other side of the garage. If something doesn't work right, you may need it."
Izuku followed her further in, strapping the contraption onto his back. He was relieved for the padded flooring because he had no idea what to expect now. "So… what do you want me to do?"
"This one's easy! Just get a good running start before letting your body freefall!" Mei said with a grin. "The auto-balancer, if it's working as we want, will use several quick bursts of wind to stand you back up! Easy, right?"
"Y-Yeah, okay," Izuku nodded, deciding that it definitely wasn't nearly as dangerous as either of the previous tests. He took a small breath in and out, waiting for Mei's call.
"Go!"
Izuku ran forward, going as fast as he could pick up speed. When he thought he was fast enough, with some hesitation, he hopped forward, falling toward the padded floor with his arms spread. Before he could faceplant, the auto-balancer kicked in, unleashing a small burst of air from each thruster, creating enough force to push Izuku's body away from the ground.
Though Izuku would say with too much force, considering he was sent back in an almost ninety-degree spin. "WAH!" the auto-balancer kicked in again, this time blowing out an equal amount of force as before, and flinging him back forward. Thus starting a chain of Izuku going back and forth, never hitting the ground but never quite stopping his freefall. "H-Hatsume-san! S-Stop th-this thing!"
"Looks like I need to adjust the energy output from the thrusters and adjust the delay between turning sides…. You're doing great, Midoriya-kun! Keep it up!"
"HATSUME-SAAA~N!"
It only took five minutes to finally get Mei's attention back to him, Izuku now laid face down on the ground. His head spun and he was on the verge of losing his lunch.
Even the least… dangerous of her items ended up being painful to use…
"You're amazing, Midoriya-kun! Thanks to you, we've gathered all the data I need to fix both of my babies in no time! You truly are the best guinea pig I could have hoped for!" Mei declared while standing over her reeling test subject.
"Th-Thanks… I think…"
"I appreciate it, I really do! Enough in fact that I'm willing to part a prototype of mine with you as a reward!"
Izuku felt some of his strength return, pushing up enough to look at Mei. "R-Really?"
"Yup! I can work on another item for you in the future, but this should be enough for now. Watch!" Mei said, speeding past Izuku and producing a gun-shaped item from her belt. She took aim at several standing dummies by the wall. "Behold, the capture gun!"
She pulled the trigger, shooting a small ball out that burst after travelling five meters, wrapping around three dummies and netting them together. Izuku's eyes widened in awe, stumbling a bit as he tried to stand. "W-Wow, you're… going to give that to me?"
"Of course! Considering your Quirk is vision-based, you need whatever you can get to disable villains by other means, after all. I have a fine-tuned model built already, so I'm giving you this one plus ten net balls!" Mei said, holding the capture gun out to Izuku. He took it gingerly, inspecting the item with great care.
"Wow, this should be… really helpful, Hatsume-san. Thank you!" Izuku said, turning to the inventor with a bright smile.
"Of course! If you need any more net balls, be sure to let me know in the future!" Mei said before placing a hand on his shoulder, her expression becoming intense. "And also… make sure that it doesn't get used for anything illegal or end up in the hands of some copycat… kay?"
Izuku nodded fervently. "Y-Yes, ma'am! I promise!"
Mei's intensity quickly vanished, replaced by another determined smile. "Great! Now go out and use it to your liking! Get a taste of my baby's power and see what you can expect more of in the future! And the more you test out for me, the more I'll be willing to share with you!"
"Understood, Hatsume-san! Thank you!" Izuku smiled, stuffing the capture gun away. As painful and strenuous as the tests had been, Izuku couldn't help but walk away with a spring in his step. Not only had he met her expectations, he was also walking away with something very useful. He could imagine its uses while in the Palace.
All in all, he thought today was progress well made between him and Mei.
*SMASH*
Fortune Confidant: RANK TWO
"You know, it's getting pretty late. Maybe now's a good time for you to go to sleep."
"After I… finish this last one up…" Izuku mumbled, trying to keep his concentration on the infiltration tool at hand. After getting home from U.A., Izuku asked Morgana to teach him how to make several tools. Currently, he was building an Element Set from the materials they picked up throughout the Palace.
"You said we're sending the calling card tomorrow, right? Are you sure you want to stay up this late after the day you had?" Morgana asked in concern, peeking past his shoulder and checking his progress.
"It's okay… today was… rough, but nothing too bad…" Izuku said, forgetting the bag of ice taped to his back. "And we even got another tool to use… But I'm going to make sure we're fully prepared. Ryuji-senpai and Kitagawa-san are doing their part. I want to do mine."
"Well… if you're that set on it, I won't stop you. Just try not to spend too long on it, okay?" Morgana said, impressed with Izuku's progress on the set. He was almost finished creating the freeze spray.
He could hear Morgana hop off the table and walking around the room. As Izuku adjusted the head of the aerosol can, he heard the sound of books toppling. Stopping his work, he looked back at Morgana. The cat glanced back sheepishly, rubbing his head with a paw.
"S-Sorry about that. I just saw something that looked interesting and tried to pull it out…" Morgana said while looking down at the scattered books.
"It's okay. Just leave it there and I'll clean it up when I'm done," Izuku said with a kind smile as he prepared to turn back to infiltration tool.
"Hey… what's this? 'Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13'?"
Izuku winced, quickly spinning back around. "A-Ah, that's-"
"Whoa, did you write all this?" Morgana asked, skimming through the pages with his paw. "You really did take your hero worship to the next level!"
Izuku blushed at that, looking down in embarrassment as he rubbed his head. "W-Well, that's…."
"Hoho~ What's this? Mount Lady is 'sexy', is she?" Morgana said, his tone hiding none of his amusement. "Now we know you're into taller girls, huh?"
"W-Wait, you're misunderstanding!" Izuku waved his arms sporadically. "Y-You see, at that time, Mount Lady was a brand new Hero on the scene! I watched her help Kamui Woods and several other Heroes take down a villain rampaging through town. She ended up dealing the final hit and um… made a point to… flaunt her assets…" He coughed, trying not to sound demeaning. "I-It's not unusual for some Heroes to use their looks to their advantage, man or woman. Mount Lady was definitely trying to get that sort of attention when making her debut."
Morgana tilted his head in thought, taking in the information. "I see… so you just took note of what she was going for… okay… though I'm only half-convinced because it's you saying this."
Izuku let his head hang, refusing to offer him the dignity of a response.
"Still… I have to admit, the notes you've taken are impressive," Morgana continued, causing Izuku to look back up at him again. "Even though you're a fanboy, I have to wonder… why take notes on so many different Heroes? All Might seems like the one you admire most, but you've got a whole catalog of Heroes in here."
Izuku gave a nostalgic smile, standing up from his chair and walking over to Morgana. He reached down and grabbed the notebook, holding it up and flipping through the pages.
"Because… I thought that maybe, if I could figure out how so many different Heroes made it… How their strengths worked and how I might be able to use them to my own advantage… I'd be able to get into U.A." Izuku closed the book, gazing at the charred, crinkled cover with a gentle expression. "I thought if I just worked hard enough and studied hard enough, I could make it, even without a Quirk. But in the end, it really wasn't in the cards for me, huh?"
His eyes trailed over to Morgana, who was now looking somewhat ashamed. "I… I see. I'm… sorry for bringing that up. I know being a Hero meant the world to you."
(My Hero Academia OST: You can Become a Hero)
"It did, but… I'm over it now." Izuku declared, causing Morgana to look up at him in surprise. "It's true! Ever since meeting you and becoming a phantom thief, I… I've found a new purpose to pursue. In fact, I want to show you something."
Izuku grabbed his book bag by the workbench and pulled out a bundle of notebooks. He undid the strap and pulled out a notebook at the center, turning around with a sheepish expression as the cat approached to see what he was holding.
"I was… sort of hiding it because I was kind of embarrassed, but I think it's okay to show you now." Izuku held out the notebook in his hand, placing it on the ground for Morgana to read.
"... 'Shadow and Persona Analysis for the Present No. 1'..." Morgana read aloud, slowly pulling the cover back to read through the pages.
"I made sure to include everyone's Personas in there and what we know about their strengths and weaknesses in combat! Not to mention I made note of all the Shadows we've encountered and which ones I was able to capture!" Izuku explained with a glint in his eyes, watching as Morgana looked through it in stunned silence. "I want to make sure everyone's using their powers to the fullest and we approach enemies with all the info we need to take them down."
"Izuku, this is… amazing…" Morgana mumbled, looking back up at the green-haired teen. "I knew you took your position as leader seriously, but…"
"I've accepted that I'll never become a Pro Hero now. It's just a fact," Izuku said, his voice solemn but firm. "But even if I can't be a legitimate Hero like I wanted, I can still help people in different ways. I can save people who have been overlooked or silenced. And that's thanks to you, Morgana-san."
"You're… thanking me?"
"Of course! If you hadn't taught us everything about the Metaverse, this never would have been possible!" Izuku declared, flashing a vibrant smile. "Thank you, Morgana-san! I'm really glad we met!"
The cat looked away shyly, rubbing his paws together as he struggled to find the words. "W-Well… I'm… h-happy to hear that you're grateful… I-I accept your thanks…"
Izuku's smile only widened. He could feel his bond with Morgana deepen now that he'd finally given his thanks to the cat for everything he'd done.
*SMASH*
Magician Confidant: RANK THREE
As the darkness faded, Izuku watched as Morgana coughed into his paw, trying to regain his composure and look stern.
"W-Well, if you'd really like to show your appreciation, I wouldn't be opposed to getting some fatty tuna if you'd get it for me!"
"Okay, I don't mind doing that for you," Izuku nodded in acceptance. "If you want, we can walk to the fish market and get some sushi from there. It's not too late for some of the stores, and Sakura-san gave me a key to lock up for him if I do leave."
"That would… be acceptable," Morgana said, giving him a feline smile. "Let's go."
Izuku nodded, standing up and grabbing his jacket and shoulder bag after Morgana hopped in.
"Hey… Izuku?"
"Yeah?"
"I… I'm glad we met, too."
The smile Madarame wore for his admirers was well-practiced. It had done well to hide the faint anxiety and irritation that lingered in his mind. At first, after dealing with Yusuke's unwanted guests, he had decided to wait until his exhibit was over to press charges and thought that would be the end of that. After all, they were just stupid kids. No one would listen to their 'lies' over his word.
But Madarame couldn't shake the grating feeling they were becoming a bigger problem than he first thought. The famous 'artist' almost felt paranoid with how much he seethed over their invasion of his home and exposing his secrets to his sole remaining student.
He spared a glance back at Yusuke, who was attending to arrangements with the exhibit staff nearby. He had been silent about that day's turn of events and didn't attempt to bring it up again. Part of Madarame remained suspicious of Yusuke's loyalty. Had his student shrugged off what happened? Or was he plotting against him with those brats?
He better stay in line. Or else.
"Sir," Madarame pulled his gaze away from his student, giving one of his security staff a feigned smile. "There's something we need to discuss with you. It's urgent."
"Alright." He nodded, looking at his patrons. "Please excuse me for a moment." He followed the guard off to the side, the two huddling close and whispering, "What is it?"
"We found this outside," the guard held out a small black and red card for him.
"A letter?"
"It's… uh…" The guard hesitated, causing Madarame to raise a brow. He took the letter, inspecting the words pasted across it with different fonts.
Sir Ichiryusai Madarame,
A great sinner of Vanity whose
Talent has been exhausted.
You are an artist who shamelessly uses his
Authority to steal the ideas of his pupils.
We have decided to make you confess your crimes with
Your own mouth.
We will take your distorted desires without fail.
From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Madarame's mask of serenity melted away. He quickly crumpled up the paper in his hands, looking up at the guard in anger. "Who's doing is this?!"
"We don't know! The same card has been posted everywhere!" The staff member explained nervously. "We checked the cameras and saw no signs of a culprit! All we caught sight of was some stray cat running around!"
"Remove all of these cards at once!" Madarame ordered him furiously.
"O-Of course, sir!" Madarame turned from him, but noticed that he lingered a moment. "Um…"
"What else is there?"
"W-Well, we here at the studio think it's nothing but a prank, but… what about the media, sir?"
"Are you insinuating that this slander is true?!"
"N-No, sir!"
"Then hurry up and deal with the remaining cards! Now!" Madarame watched the exhibit guard run off, gritting his teeth. It's those damn brats again… Oh, well. They can only do as they please until the exhibit is over…
Madarame didn't notice his student walking off to one of the standing walls of the exhibit to meet with Izuku and the others close by.
"Will that be enough?" asked Yusuke.
Izuku stepped up first, his brow hardened. "Yeah. Let's finish this, everyone."
"Right!"
(Persona 5 OST: Life Will Change)
"Figures there'd be a guard in there," Ryuji clicked his tongue, he, Makoto and Ann standing just outside the security room overlooking the Treasure.
"We could fight our way through, but that'd make too much noise," Makoto sighed, rubbing her chin. "We'll have to get someone to lead it away."
"Welp, guess that's where I come in," Ryuji said, rolling his shoulders in preparation.
"Are you sure you're up for it, Skull?" Ann asked in concern. "What if he catches you?"
"Heh. Don't underestimate the former ace of the track team," Ryuji declared. "Plus, I've been storin' up some energy. Once I'm far enough, I'll split real quick."
"Okay… just remember not to push your Quirk too hard," Ann said with a nod. "We'll leave it to you."
"If something goes wrong, meet us at the control room," said Makoto as she and Ann hid behind the planters nearby.
Ryuji stepped up to the door, giving it a quick rap. "He~lp! We've got some suspicious lookin' fools out here! I need help catchin' 'em!" he immediately took off, hearing the door behind him slam open, the Shadow in hot pursuit. Ann and Makoto stepped out of their cover as the Shadow was led away.
"You better make it back, Skull," Ann muttered before she and Makoto walked inside the security room.
"I trust he knows what he's doing. Now for us to do our part." Makoto said, peering out the glass to see Yusuke and Morgana standing in the scaffolding above.
"Is that secure enough?" Yusuke asked, tying Morgana securely to the hanging hook.
Morgana grinned in excitement. "It's perfect! I'm ready to nab the Treasure!"
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Yusuke mentioned in mild interest.
"Only the best can appreciate these critical moments! Plus, this makes us feel like real phantom thieves!" said Morgana out of pure joy.
"We'll be counting on you, Mona," Yusuke said, turning to look down at the security room. He made out Makoto and Ann through the glass and gave a quick wave. The two quickly shut the lights off, causing the room to darken completely. Yusuke jogged back to the control room, looking down at Izuku. "Now, Hero!"
"Got it!" Izuku quickly pulled the lever, lowering Morgana into the exhibit area. He pulled out his Staff and Yusuke drew his sword, preparing to engage any Shadow that walked in. To their relief, the first person to step through the door was Ryuji.
"Sup? Everythin' goin' well?" Ryuji asked, wiggling his right leg out.
"How's your leg?" Izuku asked.
"It's cool. That Shadow was harder to lose than I thought, so I ended up usin' it for a bit longer than I'da liked." Ryuji admitted. The doors quickly swung open, both Makoto and Ann coming through this time.
"Oh good, you made it here first," Ann breathed in relief when she saw Ryuji.
"Told ya I'd be fine!" He gave her a thumbs up.
"Alright, we're all here. Let's go see how Mona's doing," Izuku said, waving for the others to follow as he hopped up to the scaffolding. Walking out together, they saw Morgana walking toward them, the Treasure covered in purple cloth.
"I present to you Madarame's Treasure!" Morgana grinned, holding it up for them to see.
"You're amazin', Mona!" Ryuji said in awe.
"The Treasure! It's been taken from the display!" they heard the guards below calling out, the Shadows going into a frenzy.
"Those damn vermin dare..?" Madarame's Shadow growled before scoffing. "But this just means they're easier to catch. Lock all the doors out! Find them!"
"Going out the way we came isn't an option," Izuku sighed, looking over his shoulder as he heard Shadows bust through the control room doors.
"The window! That way!" Makoto pointed out, causing the group to look to the side.
"But where will it go?" Ann asked with reluctance.
"Seems like our only option, regardless. Let's go!" Morgana said, everyone quickly agreeing before hopping across the scaffolding. They made their way out the window after Izuku checked to make sure there was footing.
"Holy crap, we're high up!" Ryuji exclaimed, peering over the side. From where he stood, the buildings looked like toy models.
"We don't have time to enjoy the view, come on!" said Morgana.
"Come on, this way!" Izuku called, rushing to a side of artistically designed blocks along the building, hopping down one by one. They pushed as far as they could, but were forced to stop at an edge of the building, a lone red portal door standing tall to their left.
"This looks like one of those blue doors from that room," Yusuke pointed out, eyeing it cautiously. "But where will it take us?"
"I'm not sure, but… I don't think we have any choice," Izuku said, looking around the sides for any other options. Sadly, they were still far too high in the air to risk a jump.
"Shit, for real? Well, not like we got any other way," Ryuji clicked his tongue.
"Be ready for an ambush! We have no idea where it'll take us in the Palace, so dropping our guard now because we lost them would be a mistake."
"Right! Lead the way, Hero!" Ann said in support. Izuku did as asked, moving forward with everyone close behind him. Going through the red light, Izuku was soon met with a drastic change in scenery.
"This is the courtyard where we opened the door…" Izuku mumbled, looking around in wonder.
"I knew all that security had a purpose! It would have been meaningless if it only led back inside," Morgana hopped up and down in accomplishment.
"Well, that aside, it seems we've escaped their siege," Yusuke said, eyes peering around for any Shadows.
"We're not out of this, yet. We need to keep going. It shouldn't be far now," Izuku said, beginning to walk forward.
"M-Mroow?"
Everyone hesitated, looking at Morgana after his sudden purr.
"Huh? Mona?" Ann raised a brow.
"Gah! I can't take it! Let's take a look at the Treasure!" Morgana exclaimed, pulling the painting off his back.
"Wha-dude! Right now?!" Ryuji blanched in disbelief. "You choose now of all times to get excited?!"
"This has happened before..?" Makoto asked, raising a brow at Izuku.
"Y-Yeah, it happened with the previous treasure, too…" Izuku sighed, walking up to Morgana. "Mona, we don't have time! If we stay on task, we can avoid any trouble!"
"Just a quick peek! No harm no foul!" Morgana said, putting the painting on the ground and pulling at the fabric covering it. Izuku sighed, walking over with everyone else to take a look. "Treasure~!" Morgana exclaimed as he finally drew it away for everyone to see.
The team gave a unanimous blink, eyes wide as plates as the Treasure was revealed to be… a poorly made face outline. "Huh?"
"Th-That's the Treasure?" Ryuji blurted. In the corner of his eye, Yusuke watched one of the security gates lift up.
"Look out!"
Everyone looked up at once, reacting just in the nick of time to avoid getting caught in the electric field created.
"Hmph. Meddlesome vermin."
The Thieves snapped their heads back, watching as Madarame approached them with two guards at his side. Under one of his guard's arms was a painting, hidden from view. "Is this what you're looking for?"
"So you had a fake prepped, huh?" Ryuji huffed.
Madarame chuckled with a proud smile. "Counterfeits are accepted in the world of art."
"That was a smart choice. But you've made the big mistake of bringing the real Treasure here for us," Makoto declared, gripping her knuckle dusters and stomping a foot into the ground. Everyone soon drew their melee weapons, preparing for a fight. "We'll be taking it, now."
"Hmph. Such childish dreams you have if you think you can take this precious thing from me," Madarame grinned. Before the team could make an attack, Yusuke stepped forward.
"What made you change like this?! Was it becoming famous?!" Yusuke asked. "Can't you understand how it pains me to ask these questions of my own foster father?!"
Madarame's gaze shifted to Yusuke, watching him for a long moment. "... Now that I think back, the only reason I took you in was because of my ties to your mother. That woman never lost her passion for painting even after her husband died. Her skills and talents were quite astonishing… which is why I decided to look after her." Madarame's grin became twisted, the glint in his eyes turned manic. "Your mother and all her works were MY works of art!"
"How low can you sink?!" spat Ann.
"How many people have you used, Madarame?!" Izuku demanded.
"I suppose I could grant you one last 'gift' before you die…" Madarame smirked, his gaze remaining on the silently seething Yusuke. "A look at the genuine Sayuri!"
"Genuine..?" Yusuke muttered. His fury was replaced with confusion soon when Madarame signaled the guard holding the painting with a nod. The Shadow held it up for all to see, presenting a painting of Sayuri. But in the woman's arms was a baby wrapped in a white cloth.
Yusuke's face drained of color. "It can't be… this is the real… Sayuri?" Yusuke winced, emotions overwhelming him. "Mom…"
"That's right. Sayuri was a self-portrait of your mother. A woman who knew her impending death was coming painted her last wishes for the son she would leave behind." Madarame began, his voice surprisingly grave. But that expression quickly morphed into that of morbid amusement. "That is the truth behind the mystery of Sayuri's expression!"
"You stole something that personal?!" Ryuji shouted.
"I knew at first glance. I knew it'd become a huge success if I added a touch to the painting and announced it under my name!" Madarame went on, grinning at his 'achievement'.
"But… why did you paint over the babe in the picture..?" Yusuke asked, his voice weak.
"It was all to stage it! I knew if I removed the baby from the picture, Sayuri's expression would remain a mystery!" Madarame gave a callous laugh. "That is what the general public is drawn to! Each of those parasitic critics wrote the same thing!
"How could you?! If you took in Kitagawa-san, you had to have cared about his mother, at least!" Izuku snapped. "How could you do that to the painting of someone you cared about?!"
"Yeah! If you had any love for that painting or the one who made it, there's no way you would have replicated it!" Ann added, stomping her heel in front of her "You don't love art at all!"
"You have a real treasure right there, but your own work is nothing better than those scribbles on the fake!" Morgana hissed.
"Your 'skills' just make me laugh, asshole!" Ryuji huffed.
"I've changed my mind. We'll take the painting after we beat some sense into you!" Makoto clenched her weapons even tighter. "You'll get no more mercy from us!"
"Hmph. So you still plan on defying me?" Madarame huffed, looking down his nose at them before his gaze trailed to Yusuke. "Since you're one of my works of art, Yusuke, it seems I'll have to reap you now for the sake of my future. Along with your meddlesome friends."
"I can't believe you'd treat both mother and son like they're objects! You're inhuman!" said Ann. Despite his words, Yusuke was disturbingly silent, causing the others to shift their gaze to him.
"Fox..?"
"... I've heard that you 'destroy' your art once they've outlived their usefulness…" Yusuke began, his voice grave. "Did that include my mother as well?"
The Thieves' breath hitched in their chests, quickly shifting their gaze back to Madarame. Disturbingly enough, the counterfeiter gave a malicious smile.
"She just so happened to have a seizure in front of me. That's when a thought crossed my mind… if I left her be, I could obtain her painting with no strings attached."
"No… you let her die?!" Ann asked in disbelief.
"You… you monster!" Izuku's hands shook with fury as he gripped his staff tighter.
"Above all, Yusuke, don't you think it odd that I 'discovered' your talent from the young age of three?" Madarame continued, his tone hiding none of his twisted amusement. "The real reason I kept you around was to keep you from discovering the truth behind Sayuri!"
"You killed her…" Yusuke trembled with rage.
"Your artistic talent was a delightful miscalculation on my part, though. If I'm to steal ideas, it's much easier to steal from brats that won't talk back than adults. It's thanks to you that I came up with the idea. You have my gratitude." Madarame continued, holding back no punches as he twisted the dagger deeper.
Yusuke's only answer to these treacherous words was a sharp chuckle.
"Yusuke..?" Ann muttered in concern.
"I thank you, Madarame. For you've just erased any and all reason I might forgive you," Yusuke said, leveling his gaze back at his former master. "You aren't some rotten artist… you're a vicious fiend who wears the skin of an artist!"
"All you good-for-nothings! Barging into my museum and doing whatever you want!" Madarame finally barked out in anger, becoming frustrated with their defiance. The room started to darken, a pool of red and black ooze forming at his feet. "Those who have the connections make the rules; those who don't, follow them! Art is all subjective, and now I make the rules in that world! I am the supreme being! I am the god of the art world!"
(Persona 5 OST: Blooming Villain)
"This isn't good! Get back!" Morgana warned. Everyone jumped back as the black ooze absorbed Madarame. The Thieves watched as what looked like four picture frames take shape. The frames contained a pair of eyes, a nose and a mouth. Each part squirmed around in the air like a living thing.
"I'll paint all over you!"
"What the shit?!" Ryuji blurted in disgust.
"Careful! This is like Kamoshida! His Shadow should be incredibly strong!" Morgana warned the others.
"But I don't see the Treasure! How are we going to weaken it?!" Ann asked, reaching up to her mask.
"We'll just have to keep hitting him!" Izuku said, gritting his teeth as he took a fighting stance. "We're stronger than we were before! We can do this!"
"We shall not be denied the Treasure because of something like this!" Yusuke roared, drawing the katana and pointing the blade forward. "You're going down now, Madarame!"
"We'll see about that, you vermin!" The Shadow's mouth snarled, its eyes twitching back and forth between the Thieves. "You're all going to die here!"
"We're tired of hearing your mouth!" Makoto hissed, grabbing her mask. "Come, Johanna!" She summoned her Persona, hopping on top of it and revving its wheel before driving directly at the Madarame's Shadow.
"Stop marking my floors with your tires, you trash!" The nose portrait blew out a heated breeze from its nostril. Makoto pulled up on the handles, narrowly avoiding a powerful explosion of flame.
"Careful, Queen! I've got your back!" said Ann as she ripped her mask off. "Carmen! Maragi!" The busty Persona stamping her followers to unleash a barrage of flame at the Palace Ruler. It ate the entire attack, flames blazing through the air. She prepared to follow up on that attack but froze when the smoke cleared
"Hmph. what an annoyance," The Shadow scoffed. The Thieves watched as the eyes absorbed the flames painlessly as the same green aura of healing like Dia surrounded them.
Ryuji blanched. "What the hell?! It didn't do nothin'?!"
"Not only nothing, it healed the Shadow!" Morgana announced to the others.
"No, not all of it!" Izuku shouted, drawing his friends' attention. "Only the eyes! The mouth and the nose didn't absorb it the same way!"
"Are you vermin done chatting? Because now you're going to suffer!" The Shadow cackled, its nose once again blowing out a breeze. This time it was cold, producing a pure ball of ice directly at Ann. She could barely react, putting up her arms before taking the full brunt of the attack.
"Agh!" Ann cried out, being thrown back by the force of the ice explosion.
"Panther!" Everyone cried out, Ryuji the first to move and rush to her side as she fell to the ground. He slid across the floor, quickly moving to her side.
"Panther! You okay?!" He asked, cradling her up in his arms.
"I-I'm okay, just… need a second," Ann said groggily, slowly forcing herself to sit up.
"Skull, keep Panther safe while she recovers! Mona, heal her up!" Izuku ordered, quickly rushing at the Palace Ruler with a hand on his mask.
"You monster, Madarame!" Yusuke snarled, quickly drawing his mask away. "Goemon, strike!" Hefting its axe of a pipe, Goemon slashed down on the nose. It dealt a noticeable amount of damage, but it wasn't enough to destroy the portrait.
"Gah! You ungrateful brat!" Madarame growled, the mouth of the paintings lunging at Yusuke. Izuku was quick to intercept it, drawing his mask.
"Come, Yaksini!" A female, purple being materialized behind Izuku, the Persona wielding two blades in its hands and swinging them back. Before entering the Palace, Izuku had spent time with the twins fusing several of his Personas into completely new ones as part of his strongest lineup yet.
The nose didn't absorb physical damage like it did the fire, so this should-
Izuku felt sweat form on his face as he watched Yaksini's attack completely bounce off the mouth. Not only was it completely ignored, the force was drained and used to heal the mouth.
"Hah! Foolish child!" The Shadow cackled as the mouth continued unimpeded, biting down on Yaksini's arm and transmitting the damage to Izuku.
"Gah!" Izuku cried out in pain, feeling his arm bruise from the pressure.
"Hero!" Makoto spun back into the fray as Johanna's face began to glow with power. "Frei!" A ball of radioactive energy burst forth, blasting the Shadow's painted mouth and making it recoil back in pain.
"Gragh! You insolent-" Makoto didn't bother to listen, quickly grabbing Izuku and pulling him onto the bike.
"Are you okay?" she asked while circling around the courtyard.
"I-I'm okay… it's strong, though," Izuku hissed in pain, rubbing his tender arm gently. "I was careless. Each painting has different weaknesses. The mouth absorbs physical damage while the rest doesn't."
"Frei seemed to work on the mouth, at least. We'll have to test everything on it. Sadly, that means we'll be feeding it energy every time we use the wrong attack." She and Izuku peered over their shoulders to look at Madarame's Shadow.
"Target the nose! It appears to be the source of its elemental attacks!" Yusuke advised to the others, Morgana jumping to his side and summoning Zorro.
"Let's hit it with everything! Come on!" Morgana called out Zorro, who spun its rapier between its fingers to prepare to unleash a Garu spell.
"You shall all be painted over!" The Shadow roared. Black ink flew from the portraits without warning and splattered across both of the Thieves before they could attack.
"Wh-What is this?! I feel… weak…" Morgana mumbled, falling over as he failed to cast Garu.
"I-I'm not sure, but…" Yusuke mumbled, gritting his teeth as he looked back up at Madarame's Shadow, eyes widening as its nose drew in a breath. "W-Watch out!"
The wind coalesced into a ball of lightning that exploded on contact with the ground. Yusuke had grabbed Morgana before it hit and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. Even still, both of them tumbled across the floor reeling from the blow.
"I-It didn't… hit us directly, and yet…" Yusuke groaned, gritting his teeth.
"Th-The black ink… it's making us… more susceptible to damage…" Morgana ground out, pushing on his paws to stand up. Makoto quickly drove in front of the two with Izuku hopping off and taking a defensive position in front of them.
"We've been too reckless. We need to regroup and come up with a plan!" Izuku told them, reaching into his jacket.
"You vermin will get no chances! I'll wash over each of you with my paint and erase you!" Madarame's Shadow growled again, breathing deeply as it prepared for another attack. Izuku only narrowed his eyes and produced a white ball from his jacket. Before the Palace Ruler could strike, Izuku slammed the ball into the ground, creating a thick cloud of smoke that quickly filled their surroundings.
"Wh-What?!" The Shadow blanched before snarling. "You think you can hide from me?!" It blew another furious ball of flame out, blasting into the area Madarame assumed they were still standing in. The cloud of smoke was easily pierced, but there was no sign of his prey anywhere as the smoke cleared. "You little… COME OUT NOW!" Ink shot out around the area from the paintings, but the Thieves were safe behind the stone displays in the courtyard.
"Shit! If that crap hits us, we'll be in trouble!" Ryuji said, keeping an arm over Ann's head to keep her covered.
"We've figured out a few things about Madarame's Shadow. But proceeding isn't going to be easy from here," Makoto said, looking back at Izuku. "Any ideas?"
"Avoiding the ink is our top priority." Izuku looked over Morgana and Yusuke. "Are you guys better now?"
"It looks like it's fading… I'm still hurt from the damage we took, but it's nothing we can't handle," Morgana stood up and patted himself off to punctuate the thought.
"It seems the ink does not linger for long. Still, when it's on you, it saps your energy while making you more vulnerable to attack," Yusuke explained
"To top it off, the portraits absorb different types of damage to restore its own health," Ann said, gently touching Ryuji's shoulder. "Thanks, Skull. I'm fine now."
"Gotcha."
"Then let's focus on one portrait at a time. We'll go for the nose like Yusuke suggested," Izuku said, focusing on his masks and changing Personas. "We know it will still take physical damage. Let's not test our luck with anything else. Skull, Fox and I will go for the nose. Queen, Panther and Mona, you guys will work on the rest of the portraits. Try and find more of its strengths!"
"Right!"
"Before we rush in, here!" Morgana summoned Zorro, casting Media and washing everyone over with a healing wave. "We need to be more mindful this time."
"Okay. Ready?" Izuku asked. Everyone got up with weapons in hand. "Let's move!"
The Thieves burst out of their cover. Makoto summoned Johanna and rode out with Ann and Morgana riding in the back.
"Don't give him a chance to strike!" Yusuke exclaimed as he, Ryuji and Izuku went into full sprints toward the Shadow.
"Hah! You fools are nothing but lambs to the slaughter!" Madarame's Shadow laughed, inhaling a breath into its nose and preparing to blast them.
"Don't even think about it!" Morgana and Makoto each blasted an eye with a gust of wind and a blast of nuclear energy. While one eye recoiled in pain from the nuclear blast, the other drained the wind, absorbing it into health. "C-Crap! Wind's not effective on the eye!"
"You still can't stop me!" The Shadow laughed, blowing another blast forward from its nostrils.
"Come, Shiisaa!" Izuku called out, summoning a yellow and blue maned creature resembling the ancient Shishi's. Izuku jumped on its back as it ran, dodging the attack as his Persona hopped over the explosion before it could hit.
"Here's some help! Wreck him!" Ryuji pointed at Izuku, a red field washing over him and his Persona.
"Take this, Madarame!" Izuku roared, hopping off of Shiisaa as they sailed toward the Palace Ruler. The Persona let out a snarl before bringing its claw down, tearing three holes in the fabric across the nose. As Izuku descended, he twisted in the air and slammed his staff into the same portrait. He let out a fierce cry before following through and knocking the portrait to the ground.
"Graagh~! Yo~u da~mn vermin!" The Shadow's other portraits seized in pain as the nose began to crack.
"Let us be rid of it!" Yusuke called forth Goemon, the towering Persona stomping the ground as it slammed the axe end of its pipe onto the nose. With that last bit of damage, it cut it in half, causing both sides to dissipate into black ink before their eyes.
"N-No~! How could you?! How could you?!" It wailed, each portrait spazzing around. Izuku climbed back onto Shiisaa, turning on a dime and running back to join the others.
"Alright! That's one portrait down!" Izuku said as he fell back in line next to Yusuke and Ryuji some ways away from Madarame. "Now let's find the other portraits' weaknesses!"
"Right!" The others sounded back, preparing to run forward. They stopped in their tracks when the portraits went still, the eyes glaring down at them as the mouth twisted into a malicious grin.
"Hehehehe… You foolish vermin… don't understand my power!" It roared with laughter, its eyes flashing with red light. The Thieves gawked as a black puddle formed underneath the portraits. From it, the same nose they destroyed had taken shape again.
"N-No effin' way…" Ryuji mumbled as the Palace Ruler was restored to its full power.
"That thing can regenerate?!" Morgana gasped in disbelief.
"Everyone, get back!" Makoto called out in fear.
"You're too late!" Madarame's Shadow spat a wave of black ink from its mouth, covering Izuku, Ryuji and Yusuke. The three fell back as their strength was sapped. Izuku grit his teeth as he looked up at the nose, watching it inhale a gust of wind.
H-He's going to strike again! I-I have to stop him! Izuku quickly switched Personas, bringing Carter back out with his fist glowing with blinding light.
"Die!"
"Tarunda!" Ann quickly shouted, her Persona draining some of the Nose's firepower.
"Virginia SMASH!" Izuku roared, feeling his arm tremble as Carter brought its fist forward and collided with the wave of wind Madarame produced. Normally, Carter would have easily overpowered the attack. But the ink dulled his mightiest blow enough that they simply cancelled out.
Izuku heaved for air, sweat trailing down his face as he fell to his hands and knees. His body wasn't listening to him. His limbs quaked as they lost every ounce of strength they had left.
I… I need to get up! Come on, move!
"Good save, Hero! Come on!" said Ryuji. He and Yusuke quickly wrapping their arms under Izuku's and pulled him behind cover.
"We need to let the ink fade again!" Yusuke suggested, gritting his teeth as he mustered the strength to carry Izuku and run at the same time.
"Don't think you can get away!" Madarame prepared another attack, breathing gust into its nose.
"Lucky Punch!"
The nose was sent spinning off course when a spring-powered boxing glove collided with it. Madarame's Shadow groaned in pain, eyes glaring up as it saw Morgana, Makoto and Ann quickly move in front of the others.
"You're not going to do as you please!" Morgana proclaimed, pointing his scimitar at Madarame's Shadow.
"Keep them covered, Queen! We'll hold him off while the ink fades!" Ann said, flailing her whip before running at Madarame with Morgana.
"On it!" Makoto said, quickly driving back over to the Izuku and the others. "I've got you covered. Diarama!" A green wave washed over Izuku, bringing him enough relief to stand up on his own.
"Thanks, Queen… but damn it, what are we supposed to do?!" Izuku clicked his tongue, looking back at the Palace Ruler, which was busy deflecting Carmen and Zorro's attacks. "If we take out one piece, it'll just regenerate it!"
Makoto's gaze returned to the fight. "We'll just have to take them all out at once."
"But how?! That asshole's portraits resist all different shit! We'll just keep feedin' it power 'til we run out!" Ryuji cursed, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"It may be our only choice. We'll have to discover the weakness of each individual part and hope we do enough damage before he can stop us," Yusuke sighed, looking at his body. "Though with it spreading this black ink everywhere and weakening us, even that seems impossible. If only we could use it ourselves…"
Izuku's eyes lit up as a smile crept onto his face. "T-That's it! You're right, Fox! We'll beat him using the ink!"
"Huh? How?" Ryuji blinked in confusion. Izuku's gaze trailed back to Makoto, holding up his arm.
"Do you think there's enough ink on us for you to mimic?"
"Burn him, Carmen!" Ann ordered. The Persona flung several fireballs directly into the mouth and nose. The Palace Ruler growled but remained undeterred.
"I grow tired of this constant game of cat and mouse! You're all going to be washed away here!" Madarame roared, unleashing another barrage of black ink that covered Ann and Morgana this time.
"D-Drat! Be careful, Panther!" Morgana warned as he willed Zorro forward to cover them.
"Begone!" The Shadow inhaled yet again to prepare another attack. But before it got the chance, the eyes spotted Johanna charging it at full speed. "Hmph! You won't catch me by surprise, vermin!" It took aim at Makoto and her Persona, coating the ground with a wave of ice that crawled towards her.
"We'll see about that! Vajra Blast!" Makoto lifted the front tire of Johanna up before slamming it back down, using the power from her attack to launch her and the Persona high into the air, positioning herself perfectly above Madarame's Shadow.
"You can't escape my power!" The portrait's mouth roared and took another breath. But before it could unleash its next attack, a net burst around its eyes and nose and tied them together. "Wh-What?!"
"You've lost, Madarame!" Izuku exclaimed with the capture gun in hand. He shifted his attention up to Makoto. "Now, Queen!"
"You like that ink so much?! Have a taste for yourself!" Makoto cocked her right arm back. Her glove had been pulled off and her fist was now pitch black. With a forward thrust, Makoto shot a stream of ink out from her arm like a fire hose.
"Wh-What?! H-How-" The Palace Ruler's words came to an abrupt stop as each portrait was drenched in black ink, causing it to slowly lower the hover of each part closer to the ground. "W-What did you do?! H-How could you have…"
"Now, everyone!" Makoto exclaimed, pointing at Madarame. "Hit it with everything you've got!"
The eyes trailed forward weakly, portraits trembling with fear as each of the Thieves stood front and center together.
"Together!" Izuku said, placing a hand on his mask.
"Carter!"
"Captain Kidd!"
"Carmen!"
"Zorro!"
"Goemon!"
Each Persona materialized behind their master. Carter's fist brimmed with light. Lightning crackled around the barrel of Captain Kidd's. Carmen's slaves became engulfed in flame. Small tornadoes circled Zorro's twirling sword. Goemon's pipe was coated in a glistening layer of ice.
"Eat this!"
The Personas unleashed their wrath all at once, their attacks raining down like a waterfall over rocks. The portraits cried out in agony, each one unable to maintain its form as they all dispersed into ink, falling into a puddle on the ground and pooling together.
The Phantom Thieves dismissed their Personas, each one gasping for air as they watched the pool of black ink dissolve. Shadow Madarame's body took shape again at the center, the fraud groaning in pain as it fell on its hands and knees. Underneath his body was the true Sayuri.
"I-I… I won't…" Madarame's Shadow growled weakly, his deranged yellow eyes glaring up at the thieves. "I won't lose to you vermin!" He cried out, raising a hand and unleashing a small barrage of black energy balls.
"Careful, that's an almighty attack!" shouted Morgana.
"A-Almighty attack?" said Izuku. "What does that mean?"
"There's no time to explain, block it now!"
Izuku and the others quickly raised their guards as the energy orbs descended on them with a small explosion. It managed to push them back and dirtied their clothes a little.
But that was it.
The Thieves waited for more before looking around at one another, seeing that no one was really hurt.
"Well, that was… anticlimactic," Ann scoffed, placing a hand on her hip.
"So much for your last attack, asshole," Ryuji grinned, brushing off his jacket sleeve carelessly. "What was all the fuss about, Mona?"
"I guess I overestimated him," Morgana snickered. "Looks like Madarame's art isn't his only disappointment."
"You're all out of tricks, Madarame," Makoto said, walking up to join the others at the center.
(Persona 5 OST: Confession~Piano)
"N-No… h-how can this be..?" The Palace ruler coughed out as he fell back on his hands, his body shaking as he looked up at the Thieves in mortification. "I-I'm Ichiryusai Madarame… I bring in full crowds every time I open an exhibit…"
"No. You're nothing but a fraud, Madarame," said Yusuke, the artist taking slow steps toward his former mentor. "A fraud who has abused people and art for his own gain."
"B-But it's not my fault!" Madarame cried, grabbing the painting and hugging it close to his chest as he fell on his back, feebly crawling back from Yusuke. "A-All they want is easily recognizable brands! I'm a victim in this, too! Wouldn't you agree?!"
"Makin' up excuses now?" Ryuji scoffed, shaking his head.
"The art world revolves around money, after all!" Madarame continued, his back against a planter as Yusuke loomed over him "You can't get anywhere without money! Yusuke, you understand, don't you?! Being a poor artist is truly miserable! I just didn't want to return to that life!"
"Yusuke didn't hear any more of it, grabbing Madarame by the collar and pulling him close. "A fiend like you has no right to speak of the world of art! You're done here, along with this abominable world!"
"N-No, please! Just… don't kill me!" Madarame pleaded. Yusuke grit his teeth before pushing Madarame back to the ground, the fraud heaving in fear.
"Return to yourself in reality and confess to your crimes.-All of them!" Yusuke demanded.
"Y-You're not going to kill me..?"
Yusuke edged closer to him. "Swear it!"
"A-Alright! Alright!" Sweat trailed down his face in buckets. Yusuke seemed to relax at that, slowly backing away from Madarame. "B-But what about the other one? In the black mask!"
"Black mask? What are you talking about?" Izuku said, raising a brow.
"No way! There's been another intruder besides us this whole time?!" Morgana exclaimed. But before the topic could be explored, the thieves jumped as the Palace began to shake around them.
"There's no time! Hurry!" Ryuji said, looking at Morgana. The cat didn't need to be told twice, skipping ahead of the others before hopping into the air and transforming into a bus.
"W-Wait, he can turn into a car?!" Makoto blanched in disbelief.
"N-Not now, Queen! We have to go!" Izuku suggested, waving for her to get in. "Actually, can you drive?"
"What? Oh, y-yeah!" Makoto dashed to the front driver's side.
Yusuke went and picked up the Treasure before sparing a glance back at Madarame. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he turned around and walked toward the bus.
"Y-Yusuke, wait…" Madarame pleaded, his former student hesitating a moment. "Wh-What do I do..?"
"Put an end to all of this and use your own artwork for once," Yusuke finally said, his gaze cast at Madarame from the side.
"Yusuke, come on!" Ann called out. The young artist turned his back to Madarame again, making his way to the bus.
"W-Wait, please! Yusuke! Yusuke~!" Madarame cried, only to watch as his former student and the bus drive out of the courtyard and head for the entrance. A soft light soon enveloped the Shadow. It returned to its true self, filling the real Madarame with a newfound sense of guilt and disgust with himself.
Thus Madarame's Palace came to an end.
To be continued…
Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for working on this, even while busy with his own stuff!
Sorry about that short delay in release, this chapter's ending took a bit to wrap up as well as my beta needing time before he could work on it. But hoo boy, we did it! We've finally crossed Madarame's Palace off the list! Now we can move onto bigger and better things! Though you should all note that the next one or two chapters will be spent with Confidants before the final stage of this arc. We have a lot of people to cover with Izuku, after all, and around roughly ten days left before the final scene of the arc. So look forward to that!
Speaking of Confidants, I do hope you enjoyed those progressions as well! Giving Izuku a prototype capture gun made sense as a gift from Mei. Though I will note that my beta is the one who thought of a proper way to work it into the fight haha. The change to Iwai's confidant might seem small as well, but who knows exactly what this means for the future ;)
With that, I think that's all I have to say. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind. Peace!