4/15/20XX
Saturday: Early Morning
Shujin Academy
As the trio of Miku, Hibiki, and Kirika walked from the train station to the school, the former of the three had something on her mind. "Say, Hibiki?" Miku said.
"What's up?" Hibiki replied.
"I've been meaning to ask this for a while now, but how exactly did you and Ryuji become friends?" Miku asked. "I mean, I know you're a very friendly person and all, but you seem a bit closer to him than anyone else at the school. Myself excluded."
"Now that you mention it, Miku-san, she does tend to chat with Ryuji more than anyone else at school." Kirika added. "That is, aside from you, me, and Kanade-san dess."
"It's mostly because of the whole 'Track Traitor' incident that we're friends." Hibiki said. "I'll never forget the day I met him."
Flashback: After School
Shujin Boxing Club Room
One day, during her first year at Shujin, Hibiki went to train with Kanade. "Thanks again for letting me train with you, Kanade-senpai!" Hibiki said enthusiastically.
"C'mon Hibiki-chan, it's no fun if I'm the only one breakin' a sweat for the team." Kanade said. "Also, you don't have to call me Senpai if you don't want to. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
"Okay Kanade-san!" Hibiki replied with the same amount of enthusiasm.
"That's more like it!" Kanade cheered. With that, they arrived at the Club Room, but something was off. "That's odd..."
"What's wrong, Kanade-san?" Hibiki asked.
"I hear someone in the Club Room, but I don't recall anyone else ever using the Club Room on off-days." Kanade said before opening the door to see a boy in casual wear shouting as he rapidly punched one of the punching bags in the room.
"Effin bastard!" The boy shouted. "Thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants all because he won a stupid medal? What bullshit!"
"Hey! What're you doing here?" Kanade shouted, trying to get the boy's attention. When the boy turns to face her, she's surprised to see who it is. "Ryuji? Where have you been?"
Ryuji looked at Kanade and Hibiki with a deadpan expression. "I've been out of school thanks to a broken leg." He said. "And it's all effin' Kamoshida's fault."
"So those rumors about him breaking your leg were true, huh?" Kanade said, seeing the cast around his leg. "And here I thought his ego was the worst thing about him."
"What?! A teacher broke a student's leg?!" Hibiki shouted. "How did I not hear about this? That's awful!"
"Who's the kid?" Ryuji asked.
"Oh! My name is Hibiki Tachibana, age fifteen! My birthday is September 13th, and my blood type is-"
"Long story short, she's a first-year in the Boxing Club that likes to train with me." Kanade said as she put her hand over Hibiki's mouth. "Hibiki, this is Ryuji Sakamoto. He's a friend of mine."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ryuji-san!" Hibiki said. "And I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your leg. I can't believe a teacher would do something like that."
Ryuji scoffed. "As if that bastard could be called a teacher. The school only gave him the job because he's an Olympic medalist." He said. "And thanks to him, everyone acts like I'm a criminal."
"Well, I don't think you're a criminal." Hibiki replied. "And I know Kanade doesn't either, right?"
"Obviously!" Kanade answered. "I never liked that creep from the moment he got here, this only makes me hate him more."
Hearing the two girls were on his side, Ryuji smirked. "At least someone's on my side. Thanks."
"After that, Ryuji-san, Kanade-san, and I started hanging out more and more." Hibiki said. "We got dirty looks from everyone at first, but eventually, they just didn't care."
"Dang..." Kirika said. "And here I thought you two just happened to be good pals dess."
"Regardless of how you two became friends, I'm glad you and Kanade-san were there for him." Miku added. "I couldn't imagine how hard it must've been to be isolated because of Kamoshida."
"And now we're going to make him pay for all that he's done." Shirabe said.
"DESS?!" Kirika shouts. "When did you get here, Shirabe?"
"I've been here since you guys started talking about how Hibiki-san and Ryuji-san became friends." Shirabe answered. "Speaking of Ryuji-san, has anyone heard from him this morning?"
"Can't say I have." Kirika said as the group entered the school. "I'm just hoping he didn't do anything... Stupid?" Kirika and the others noticed the huge crowd gathered around the boards in the school's main lobby.
"Yo!" Ryuji said as he approached the group with a red card in his hand. "I posted these this morning before everyone showed up."
The group read the card Ryuji handed them.
"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust... We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you'll be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
"Well? What do you think about my masterpiece?" Ryuji asked confidently.
"Meh." Shirabe bluntly answered, much to Ryuji's shock. "It sounds like a dumb kid trying to sound mature."
"That, and the logo could use some work too." Kirika added.
"Th-that ain't true!" Ryuji said. "You think it's cool, right Hibiki?"
"Suuuuure is!" Hibiki nervously chuckled. "Right, Miku?"
Miku didn't respond... "Hey!"
"Who's responsible for this?!" Kamoshida shouted as he arrived at the scene, seeing all of the cards with his name on them. "Did you do this? Or what it you?"
Not wanting to be in the way of Kamoshida's rage, everyone left the scene and went to their classes, that is, everyone other than Miku and the other Phantom Thieves. "Are you brats behind this?" Kamoshida asked in an angry tone as he approached the group.
"And what if it was us?" Miku asked in return.
Kamoshida scoffed at Miku's retort. "It's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyways." After he says this, the world around the group warps into a black void and Kamoshida is replaced with his Shadow counterpart who smirks at the group.
"Come... Steal it if you can!"
Shadow Kamoshida said before the world went back to normal and Kamoshida walked away. "Judging from Kamoshida's response... I'm sure we had an effect on his Palace dess!" Kirika said.
"So does that mean the Treasure's appeared?" Shirabe asked, to which Kirika replied with a nod.
"So we'll be able to get it today, right Kirika-chan?" Hibiki asked.
"It's not just 'today.' It's only today."" Kirika replied. "The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long, and it cannot be repeated. This will be our one and only chance to steal the Treasure, and we can't screw this up. Meaning we need to prepare as soon as school's over."
"Would I be able to leave the preparations to you four?" Shirabe asked. "There's something I need to do after school before we go."
"Shouldn't be an issue." Kirika said. "We just need to make sure we all meet up at the school's main entrance tonight dess."
With their plans set in motion, the five students went off to their respective classes, ready to meet up as soon as school let out for the day.
Saturday: After School
Shibuya
As promised, everyone except Shirabe met up after school to prepare for their heist. First, they needed better weapons than they currently had. Thankfully, Ryuji knew just the place, leading the girls to a back-alley store called "Untouchable"
"What a cool shop dess!" Kirika said.
"I don't mean to be rude, but this place looks kinda sketchy..." Miku said.
"Right? To be honest, it'd be pretty scary to go in there alone..." Ryuji admitted. "Anyway, let's check out what's inside!"
The group looked around at the different model guns and various other weapons in the store. "Say, Kirika-chan? Why are we going for fake guns and weapons again?" Hibiki asked.
"It'll make sense when we're in the Palace." Kirika cryptically answered. "Regardless, all of this should be more than enough for our plan."
"And more than what we can afford..." Miku added, looking at the prices of everything they picked out.
"Right..." Kirika thought about this for a moment, before getting an idea. "Ryuji, you're a regular here, right? Haggle with the owner."
"What?!" Ryuji asked in shock, only to receive a serious glare from Hibiki and Miku. "Fine..."
With a sigh, Ryuji walked up to the girl sitting behind the counter. "Excuse me, is the owner here?"
The girl at the counter looked up from her manga to look at Ryuji. "He's not here. Iwai-san left me in charge while he was off running some errands." She said. "What do ya' want?"
"Chris-chan?!" Hibiki gasped. "I didn't realize it was you behind the counter!"
Chris looked at Hibiki and sighed. "For the last goddamn time, I am your SENPAI!" She shouted.
"You know this girl, Hibiki-san?" Kirika asked.
"Yep! I've known Chris-chan since middle school." Hibiki answered. "She's currently a third-year at Shujin. But I never realized she had a job after school let out."
"Gotta make my own money somehow." Chris said. "And why the hell is someone like you looking around a model gun shop for? Thought you were a martial artist or whatever."
"I am. It's just... Well..."
"We were planning to film an action movie and we wanted to have as realistic as possible weapons for it." Miku said, coming up with a lie to save Hibiki's bacon. "The only problem is, it's a little bit over our budget."
At first, Chris was silent. But after a moment of contemplation, she shrugged. "I'm sure the boss wouldn't mind if I gave you a slight discount." Chris said before turning to face specifically Miku. "Just make sure these three don't do anything stupid with these guns, yeah? Sure, they're fake and all, but that won't stop the cops from arresting you if you go pointing them out in public."
"I'll keep them out of trouble." Miku promised. After the deal was made, the group purchased their weapons and left to continue their supply run. "Thank you so much, Chris-senpai!"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for shopping." Chris said as she watched the girls and Ryuji leave the store, hiding her blush the best she could. "At least that idiot's friend has some respect..."
Yongen-Jaya
With weapons secured, the group left Shibuya to make a stop at a place Hibiki suggested for the group to check out: A coffee shop named "C.A.F.F.E. Café".
"So this is the place you wanted to show us, Hibiki?" Miku asked.
"Yep!" Hibiki replied. "I figured, while we may have weapons for use in the Palace, it wouldn't hurt to also get some physical training too. So I brought you all here to meet my Master!"
"He runs this Café dess?" Kirika asked, receiving a nod from Hibiki. "I figured he would've had a dojo or something with the way you call him 'Master'."
"He has a dojo at his house." Hibiki said, as she opened the door for the others. "I train there with him sometimes when he closes shop for the night."
"Ah, Hibiki-kun!" A muscular man with red spiky hair cheered. "How is my favorite pupil doing today?"
"I'm doing great, Master!" Hibiki happily answered. "I wanted to come and introduce you to some of my friends."
"Oh?" The man asked curiously. "Well, a friend of my student is a friend of mine! My name is Genjuro Kazanari. Welcome to C.A.F.F.E. Café!"
"I've been meanin' to ask. What does that stand for?" Ryuji asked.
"Coffee, Action, Food, and other Fictional Entertainment." A younger girl said as she approached the group and Genjuro. "I came up with the acronym for Dad."
"And it's a wonderful acronym, my dear!" Genjuro said as he playfully rustled the girl's long red hair. "And this lovely lady is my daughter, Elise Kazanari. Let me tell you, if it weren't for her genius, this café wouldn't be here."
Elise blushed at the praise. "I-It's nothing special... I just like to help whenever I can."
"Nonsense! I could never ask for a better assistant than you, Elise." Genjuro chuckled at his daughter's modesty. "But enough about us. Who are your friends, Hibiki-kun?"
"Hello. My name's Miku Kohinata." Miku said, introducing herself first. "Hibiki's been a close friend of mine since we were kids and I recently moved in with her and Tachibana-san."
"Heya! I'm Kirika Akatsuki dess!" Kirika followed. "I currently live with Miku-san and Hibiki-san, but I'm a first-year at Shujin."
"Yo. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto." Ryuji said. "I've been friends with Hibiki for a while now. I'm also a student at Shujin."
"You all go to Shujin, too?" Elise asked. "I actually just started as a first-year."
Hibiki's eyes lit up as Elise said this. "Really?!" Hibiki gasped. "In that case, feel free to come chat with Miku and I during breaks or after school, Elise-chan! I'd be more than happy to help out my Kouhai whenever I can!"
"I'd be happy to take you up on that offer, Hibiki-san." Elise said with a smile.
"But you're usually the one that needs my help, Hibiki..." Miku bluntly stated, which made Hibiki incredibly embarrassed.
"A-Anyways... I wanted to show my friends C.A.F.F.E. Café because they were curious about how I got as strong as I have." Hibiki said, changing the subject.
"Oh? So you three are looking to become stronger like Hibiki-kun?" Genjuro asked.
"I mean, if it's alright with you, that is." Miku answered.
"The pleasure would be all mine, Miku-kun." Genjuro said. "Just feel free to stop by my house anytime after I close up shop. As long as I'm not busy, I'd be more than happy to train you all. But be warned, I'm a tough teacher."
"Thank you so much, Genjuro-san!" Miku said.
"Oh, before you leave..." Genjuro pulled out a DVD titled "Fist of Justice" and handed it to Miku. "Feel free to start training with this. Hibiki-kun can help get you started."
"I won't let you down, Master!" Hibiki said with a salute. "See you around school, Elise-chan!"
With their goodbyes said, the group left C.A.F.F.E. Café to continue their preparations. "Master was very generous giving us that DVD to start." Hibiki said. "I've learned a lot from Fist of Justice."
At first, Kirika looked back and forth at the DVD in Miku's hands and at Hibiki with confusion. But not too long after that, she got an idea. "Actually, it might not be a bad idea to rent movies like this from C.A.F.F.E. Café." She said.
"How will a DVD help us become stronger exactly?" Ryuji asked.
"The same way model guns and fake weapons will, cognition dess." Kirika said. "It's hard to explain now, but it will make sense."
"Right..." Ryuji said skeptically. "Anyways, what's next on our list of preparations?"
"Medical supplies." Kirika answered.
"Since we're running out of time before we have to meet up with Shirabe-chan at the school, do you think it would be best for us to split up and gather supplies in two different areas?" Hibiki suggested.
"That's a great idea, Hibiki!" Miku added. "We can gather what we can find here and Ryuji-san and Kirika-chan can gather supplies in Shibuya."
"Why do I have to go to Shibuya?" Ryuji asked. "Don't we get a say in who searches where?"
"I see no problem with this." Kirika replied. "We'll meet you two back at Shujin. Don't be late dess!" With that, Ryuji and Kirika run to the train station, leaving Hibiki and Miku to search.
"So where should we start looking?" Hibiki asked.
"You know this place better than I do, so where do you suggest?" Miku asked another question.
"Well, I know there's a medical clinic nearby and a pharmacy that's also not too far from here, but in the opposite direction of the clinic." Hibiki explained.
"I can check out the clinic if you want to go to the pharmacy and meet me at the train station afterwards." Miku suggested. "We may have Ryuji-san and Kirika-chan searching elsewhere, but we can't afford to waste more time than necessary."
"Sure thing." Hibiki replied. "Good luck, Miku!"
"Good luck, Hibiki!" Miku said as she watched Hibiki sprint to the pharmacy, before realizing something. "I should've asked her where the clinic was..."
"Not a huge issue though. I'm sure someone around here will know where to find the clinic." She thought, walking over to the first person she saw: a woman with short dark blue hair who was wearing a lab-coat over her clothes. "E-Excuse me, ma'am. Would you happen to know where I can find a medical clinic around here?"
The woman looked at Miku with a confused expression. "I may know where to find it." She said. "But why are you looking for it? You seem to be pretty healthy from what I can see."
"Well... I..." Miku thought about how to word what she wanted to say without sounding crazy. "...I was going to see if they had any medication that could help me stay focused in class."
The woman was silent, but Miku could feel her gaze going around her body, which felt rather embarrassing. "Well... Now that I have a good look at you, you could make for a good experimental subject."
Miku started to become concerned. "E-Experimental subject?"
The woman reached into her lab-coat and pulled out a bag. "Here. It's very effective medicine. Try it when you're exhausted." The woman said, handing the bag to Miku. "In exchange, you have to report its effectiveness to me. Deal?"
"Deal." Miku said. "But, where should I go to report back to you?"
The woman pointed to the building behind her. "Just come to my clinic over there." She said.
"I see..." Miku sighed, realizing the clinic was closer than she thought. "Well, thank you Ms..."
"Takemi. Tae Takemi." Takemi said, introducing herself as she left. "By the way, there's also likely to be side effects, so be ready for that. See you around."
"Thanks again, Takemi-san!" Miku said before walking to meet up with Hibiki.
Meanwhile
Saturday: After School
Intensive Care Unit
While the other Phantom Thieves dealt with supply gathering, Shirabe decided to make one quick visit to the hospital to check up on Shiho with Ann. "Shiho-san..."
"This is all my fault..." Ann said, shocking Shirabe. "If I would've just done what that bastard wanted, Shiho would still be okay. Shiho would be..."
"This isn't your fault, Ann-san!" Shirabe said. "All of this is Kamoshida's fault. And I know I- I know those Phantom Thieves of Hearts people will avenge Shiho-san!"
"How do you know?" Ann asked.
"I... I just know." Shirabe answered. "I can't explain it, but I just have a feeling that those letters weren't just some prank. So, please, don't beat yourself up over something that wasn't your fault."
Seeing Shirabe's optimism and hearing her encouraging words, Ann smiled as she wiped away the tears in her eyes. "Thanks, Shirabe-chan." Ann said, before she noticed what time it was. "Well, I better get going. Good night, Shirabe-chan." Ann then looked at her unconscious friend in the hospital bed. "Good night, Shiho..."
"Stay safe, Ann-san." Shirabe said as she left the ICU to meet up with the others. "Stay strong, Shiho-san. I promise I'll make Kamoshida pay for what he's done."
Saturday: Evening
Shadow Kamoshida's Palace
With their preparations in order, the thieves regroup at Shujin and enter the Palace, ready to take Kamoshida's Treasure. "Seems like they've really beefed up security." Hibiki commented, seeing the searchlights from over the castle wall.
"Well, it wouldn't mean much if they didn't dess." Kirika said.
"The debut of the Phantom Thieves', at last. To be honest, I'm kinda nervous." Ryuji said.
"We even put up a calling card. We can't mess this up." Kirika said.
"That's a given." Shirabe added. "I'm ready to go the distance."
Seeing that everyone else was ready to go, Miku smirked as she adjusted her gloves. "Then let's get going!"
Together, the thieves hurried through the Palace, dodging traps, defeating any shadows that got in their way, and recruiting new personas in the process. "What happened to the shadow?" Shirabe asked. "Where did it go?"
"Oh right, you weren't with us when that happened the first time!" Hibiki said. "Miku can just kinda do that sometimes. We're not sure how she can do it either, but we chose to not question it if it can help us defeat more shadows."
"I'll take your word for it, Hibiki-san." Shirabe replied.
"Dess!" Kirika barked. "Use your code names in the Palace! Otherwise it's pointless for us to even be wearing masks dess!"
"R-Right. Sorry, Kirika-chan." Hibiki apologized, before receiving an elbow to her side from Miku. "I mean- Sorry, Imp."
Eventually, the group reached the Treasure vault behind Kamoshida's throne and opened the vault door. Once it opened, the group were surprised by what they saw. "It really did appear!" Warrior gasped.
"This is Kamoshida's Treasure." Echo added, equally as surprised by what they saw: a giant crown.
"Man, it's huge!" Skull shouted.
"And we have to take this out of here?!" Maiden asked Imp, before noticing she wasn't beside them anymore. "Imp?"
"T-Treasure!" Imp said as she dashed over to the giant crown with a mouthwatering grin on her face. "Beautiful, Beautiful Treasure!" Imp jumped towards the crown to grab it, until suddenly.
"Go-go, let's go Kamoshida!"
The cognitive Ann cheered from outside of the room as a red blur rushed past the thieves and grabbed the crown, forcing Imp to land face-first on the piles of money as the figure bolted out of the vault and stood proudly next to the throne, which the thieves followed after.
"Kamoshida!" Ryuji growled.
"This proves that I am the king of this castle." Kamoshida boasted. "It is the core of this world! I won't let anyone take it!"
"Oh, Mr. K!" The cognitive Ann said, fawning over her lover. "Your face is so scary, but I'm shivering with excitement!"
"Don't be impatient." Kamoshida said, addressing his Ann in a playful tone. "I'll throw some love your way later."
"This is how he sees Ann-san, isn't it?" Maiden asked, visibly disgusted by what she was seeing.
"Yeah." Imp answered. "It's how he thought of her, without regarding her own feelings."
Maiden's disgust turned into anger upon hearing this. "You make me sick!" She shouted at Kamoshida. "If you think you're going to get away with anything, you're sorely mistaken!"
Kamoshida chuckled at Maiden's threat. "You've got the wrong idea about me."
"The wrong idea?" Warrior asked. "How could we possibly have the wrong idea?"
"The People around me are the ones who set the stage." Kamoshida stated. "Adults who want to share in my accomplishments, students who have the drive to become winners... They willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it."
"Profit?!" Echo asked, shocked that people would just let Kamoshida do as he pleases for their own gains.
"There are too many imbeciles who don't understand that." Kamoshida continued as a red aura emerged from beneath him, making his skin turn a shade of pink. "Including naïve brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself!"
"Crap. I don't like where this is going..." Skull said.
"I'm a cut above the rest!" Kamoshida bragged. "I'm not like other humans!" Suddenly, his body began to transform and grow in size.
"That's right. Right now, you're no longer human." Imp said. "You're possessed by twisted desire."
"You're a demon!" Echo shouted.
Upon completing his transformation, Kamoshida laughed in a distorted voice. "That's right! I'm going to rule this world as a demon!" He said. "I can do whatever the hell I want!"
"You're wrong!" Echo retorted. "Let's finish this!"
With a roar from the demonic Kamoshida, the battle started. The thieves did what they could to strike at their monstrous opponent, but they soon found themselves dodging for their lives as Kamoshida sent massive volleyballs towards them with no sign of slowing down. "He's way stronger like this!" Skull shouted.
"Do it again, Mr. K!" Cognitive Ann cheered from the giant wine glass in the demon's hand.
"Oh course, my dear!" Shadow Kamoshida gladly replied. "But first, I need to restore my vitality!" Kamoshida licked the glass like a lollipop, causing an orange glow to surround him for a brief moment as Cognitive Ann giggled.
"This is bad dess..." Imp muttered as she summoned two small balls, handing one of them to Echo. "Follow my lead."
Doing as she asked, Echo threw the ball to the ground alongside Imp's, causing a massive cloud of smoke to fill the room which the team took advantage of and hid from sight. "Where are you? Where'd you go?" Kamoshida asked, becoming irritated by the thieves' sudden disappearance.
Meanwhile, the thieves huddled behind one of the pillars to strategize. "Remember, we're only after the Treasure." Imp reminded the group, looking around for any vantage points they could utilize. "Look! If we can get over there, we can steal it dess!" Imp pointed to a ledge behind Kamoshida in his blind spot.
"But that's impossible." Maiden said. "We'll just..." Suddenly, a giant volleyball whizzes past the pillar they hid behind, startling the group.
"Well, this looks like a job for me." Skull said, volunteering himself for the task at hand.
"Skull..."
"Yeah. Time to show off that monkey-like agility of yours!" Warrior cheered, receiving a deadpan glare from Skull. "I meant that as a compliment."
"Be careful." Echo said.
"I'm not expecting much." Imp added.
"Hey!"
"Good luck, Skull." Maiden said. "Make him pay for what he did to Ann-san and Shiho-san!" Hearing this, Skull couldn't help but smirk.
With their plans finalized, Echo, Warrior, Imp, and Maiden hurry back out into the middle of the room as the volleyball shatters the pillar they hid behind. "Finally decided to show yourselves, huh?" Kamoshida taunted, before realizing there were only four of them. "Say, where's Sakamoto?"
"Beats me dess." Imp replied. "Probably chickened out and ran away like a coward."
Meanwhile, as he climbed the pillar in Kamoshida's blind spot, Skull glared at Imp. "I'll kill that demon later." He whispered to himself.
"Besides, the four of us are more than enough to take down a creep like you!" Warrior added.
"Xena!"
"Van Brunt!"
"Kazama!"
"Viviane!"
Together, the four thieves summoned their personas and each unleashed an attack upon the demonic pervert, causing him to reel in pain. "Bastards! How dare you?!" He roared before reaching for the fork in the trophy at his feet, eating one of the pairs of legs that dangled inside of it, causing a green aura to surround him for a moment as he chuckled. "How refreshing!"
With his health restored, Kamoshida lashed his tongue out at the thieves, successfully knocking them back. "Dess... Looks like we have to break that thing first." Imp said as she pulled out a crossbow and shot at the trophy.
"Hey! You don't know how much this is worth!" Kamoshida roared. "It's a national championship trophy!"
"Hey, you shoot at it, too dess!"
Echo was confused at first, but decided to trust in Imp's plan as she pulled out the model pistol they got at Untouchable earlier today and aimed it at the trophy. "W-Where did you get that?" Kamoshida asked in a panicked tone. "Stop! Don't shoot!"
"I hope you're right about this, Kirika-chan." Echo said to herself as she pulled the model pistol's trigger. Suddenly, much to the shock of everyone except Imp, the gun fired an actual bullet that destroyed the trophy. "What the..."
"Like I said dess. This is the cognitive world." Imp said. "If he perceives it as a weapon, it becomes the real deal."
"What did you just do, you bitch?!" Kamoshida screamed in rage as he licked his wine glass. "Experience the killshot feared by the whole world!" Saying this, Kamoshida took a volleyball and spun it before catching it and throwing it far into the air.
"Gold Medal Attack!"
The demonic Kamoshida leaped into the air and spiked the volleyball down hard, causing an explosion that sent the four girls flying backwards. "Guys!" Skull gasped as he was nearly in position to ambush Kamoshida.
Once the dust settled, Imp, Maiden, and Warrior were lying flat on their faces where Echo struggled to pick herself up. "Let's do it again!" Kamoshida shouted as he prepared another volleyball to finish the job.
"Go-go, Kamoshida!" Cognitive Ann cheered.
"It's over, you delinquents!"
Just as Echo was about to get back on her feet, suddenly, she fell to the ground and passed out.
The Velvet Room
"You're pathetic, you know that?" Caroline scolded as Miku woke up in the Velvet Room.
"Hey!"
"You're in the presence of our master." Justine said in her calmer demeanor to her partner. "Please try to keep your emotions in check."
"Are you satisfied with this result?" Finé asked. "Are you contempt allowing things to end like this, without resistance, without action?"
"It's not over yet." Miku answered. "My friends need me, and I can still fight!"
For a moment, Finé stared at Miku with a serious expression, before a smirk appeared on her face. "Very well. Then I shall provide you some aid." She said as she snapped her fingers, causing Pixie and Viviane to fly out from Miku and stand beside two chambers of a machine that sat behind Finé's desk.
"Persona are the personalities that exist within you." Caroline stated.
"By discarding old personalities, your Persona will be reborn anew." Justine added as herself and Caroline started typing at their desks, causing the doors to the two chambers to open and the personas to step inside, but Viviane turned around to look at her mistress once more before fully stepping into the machine.
"Fear not, Mistress. Though I may disappear at this moment, I shall always be at your side."
"Viviane..."
"When thy fate reaches its end... We shall meet again."
With these words said, the door shut behind Viviane and Pixie's chambers, which shocked Miku. "What's happening to her?!" Miku asked.
"Relax, would you?" Caroline said in an irritated tone.
"If you're worried about dying because of this procedure, don't be." Justine added. "You will not be harmed because of this." While still very concerned, Miku decided to trust the Velvet room attendants and watch quietly as the machine started up.
After violently rumbling and sparking for a moment, the chambers let out two wispy strands of light that went through a series of tubes to merge together into a third chamber that sat in front of the other two. In that chamber, the rumbling continued. This time, however, a bright light began to illuminate the chamber even after the rumbling stopped.
Seeing this, Finé waved for the girls to open the chamber door as a new creature sitting in a pot emerged from the dissipating light. "This is the first step to avoiding the ruin that awaits your world." She said. "You may continue to strive with this newfound power."
With another snap of Finé's fingers, Miku passed out in the Velvet Room.
Back in the Palace, Echo woke up to see Kamoshida preparing another fatal volleyball strike. "It's over, you delinquents!" He shouted.
"Gold Medal Attack!"
While still wounded from the last attack, Echo quickly got to her feet and grit her teeth as her mask turned into flames.
"PERSONA!"
She roared, summoning to Persona that appeared in the Velvet Room, nullifying Kamoshida's attack entirely. "What?!" Kamoshida gasped.
"Another new Persona dess?!" Kirika also gasped. "Just how many Personas does this girl have? What... Is she?"
At first, Echo was shocked by the Persona, but quickly gathered the resolve to fight with her new power, using it to break through Kamoshida's guard. Seeing this opening, Skull jumped from the balcony behind Kamoshida. "Take this!" He shouted as she knocked the crown clean off of Kamoshida's head.
Because of this sneak attack, Kamoshida was massively weakened, forcing him to drop the wine glass with Cognitive Ann inside of it.
"Go-go, Kamoshida..."
Cognitive Ann cheered before crumbling into dust as the glass hit the floor. As for the crown, it shrunk as soon as it hit the floor, returning to the size it was when the thieves first saw it in the vault. "The symbol of my kingship!" Kamoshida cried out in panic, desperately trying to reach for it.
Seeing this, Echo couldn't help but smirk as herself and her allies raised their weapons towards the demonic king triumphantly. "Checkmate!" She shouted, signaling for the others to hit the king with everything they had, knocking him flat on his back before Echo resummoned her new Persona for the final blow. "It's over!" The demonic king was engulfed in a pillar of light that eviscerated his demonic form, reverting him to his normal, human self.
With the battle won, the thieves walked over to their prize: Kamoshida's crown, which had shrunk to the size of a normal crown as it rolled over to them. But before they could grab it, Shadow Kamoshida, now in his human form, desperately grabbed it and ran for the nearby balcony. However, once at the balcony, he soon found himself pinned between the thieves and a several hundred, if not thousand, foot drop.
"What's wrong? Not running away?" Warrior asked. "Why don't you run? Aren't you supposed to be a great athlete?"
Kamoshida silently stood there, panicking. "You're scared, aren't you?" Maiden asked. "You're cornered and there's nowhere to run. Right now, you're facing the same view Shiho-san faced, except she had no other choice but to jump."
"It's always been like this... all those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations on me!" Kamoshida barked. "I'm doing this all for them! What's wrong about demanding a reward for that?!"
"That's no excuse for what you did!" Skull retorted. "Don't even try to justify yourself!"
As Skull said this, Maiden summoned Xena and started charging two strong wind attacks on her chakrams. "Will you jump? Or would you rather die here?" Maiden asked.
"D-Don't!" Kamoshida begged. "Please stop!"
"I bet everyone said those same words to you! But you took everything from them without hesitation. You gave in to your selfish desires!" Maiden shouts as she fires one of the two wind blasts so it just barely misses Kamoshida, forcing him to fall to his knees in fear. "But if I finish you off here, we won't be able to prove your crimes and Ann-san and the others will continue to suffer in silence. So instead, you will admit to them. And spend a long time atoning for them."
"I've lost. You're through when you lose..." Kamoshida said as tears streamed down his face. "I'll return... to my real self. And I swear..." Before he could finish his sentence, he was engulfed in a bright light and vanished.
But before the thieves could celebrate their victory, the Palace started to rumble. "That's not a good sign!" Warrior said. "Let's get out of here!"
Agreeing with her, Skull and Echo ran for the exit. "Precious Treasure dess..." Imp said as she held the crown like a child with a stuffed animal.
"Hey! Move it or lose it!" Skull shouted as he grabbed Imp by the arm and continued to run, dragging her with him.
Meanwhile, Echo stopped to see Maiden was still staring where Kamoshida was sitting. "Maiden!" She said, snapping her out of her trance.
"Right!" Maiden nodded as she followed Echo and the others out of the Palace before it collapsed.
4/17/20XX
Monday: Early Morning
Shujin Academy Gymnasium
With their task completed, the thieves returned to their homes for a well-deserved night of sleep, more so for Hibiki who ended up sleeping through most of Sunday. As for the others, they all just waited for school to start up on Monday to see if they managed to actually change anything.
Much to their surprise, the Principal called the students to the Gymnasium for an early morning assembly. "What's with the sudden morning assembly?" One of the female students asked their friend.
"I bet it's about that girl that jumped the other day."
"They don't have to tell us not to commit suicide."
"There was that weird calling card too, so I guess the teachers are freaking out?"
Conversations like this kept happening around Miku and the others, so she decided to take her mind away from them and start her own. "Has anyone seen Kamoshida today?" Miku asked. "I heard rumors that he wasn't here."
"Dunno." Ryuji shrugged. "But as long as he's not dead, I could care less where he is."
"Let us begin this school-wide morning assembly." The Principal said over a microphone, getting everyone's attention. "As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers."
"Thank goodness!" Shirabe said aloud to herself and Ann.
"Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and-" The Principal's speech was cut short by the sound of one of the Gym doors opening, revealing Kamoshida, who seemed very unlike his usual, overconfident self. "Mr. Kamoshida?"
"I have repeatedly done things that were unbecoming of a teacher." Kamoshida admitted, which shocked everyone to hear, especially the Phantom Thieves. "Verbally abusing students, physically abusing my team... And sexually harassing female students. I am the reason Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!"
Hearing this news, the students began to talk amongst themselves, processing the horrific crimes Kamoshida has committed. All the while, Kamoshida fell to his knees in shame. "I am an arrogant, shallow, and shameful person. No, I'm worse than that!" He said. "I will take responsibility for my actions by killing myself!"
"Mr. Kamoshida! Please calm down!" The Principal demanded as two of the other teachers ran to restrain him.
As this happened, Shirabe looked at Ann and nodded to her. Of course, without hesitation, Ann knew what she had to do. "Don't run!" She shouted, making the Gymnasium fall silent once again. "Shiho's still alive even after all the things that made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!"
Hearing this, Kamoshida stopped flailing and composed himself. "You're right... You're absolutely right. I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes." He said. "I did horrible things to Takamaki-san, as well. In return for giving Suzui-san a position on the team... I... I tried to force her into having relations."
The students in the gym became disgusted upon hearing what Kamoshida did to Ann. "As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in. Someone, please call the police!"
As Kamoshida was being escorted out of the gym, the students turned their discussions away from what the assembly was supposed to be about and instead on the calling card.
"Isn't this just like what that calling card said?"
"Does this mean the Phantom Thieves thing was for real?!"
"Dismissed! Dismissed! Everyone, return to your classes!" The Principal shouted.
Monday: After School
Shujin Academy
With the assembly over, the thieves went about their classes as per usual. "Still, I'm glad that everything turned out for the better!" Hibiki said.
"I couldn't agree more." Miku added. "Well, I'll see you after your practice, Hibiki. Tell Kanade-Senpai I say hi."
"I will!" Hibiki replied as she started walking towards the boxing club room. "See ya later!"
With that, Miku headed home. But as she left the front entrance, she was stopped by someone. "Hey, Miku-chan!" Ann said. "You got a minute?"
"Hello, Ann-san." Miku replied. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah." Ann answered. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with Shirabe-chan and I to tell Shiho about what happened with Kamoshida?"
"I mean... Sure." Miku said. "But, why me?"
"I asked Ann-san if we could invite you to come with us." Shirabe answered.
"And I mean, it's only fair that the people responsible for getting Kamoshida to confess should be able to be thanked properly, right?" Ann asked, which made Miku sweat nervously.
"B-But, I didn't do anything." Miku lied.
"She knows it was us, Miku-san." Shirabe whispered, which scared Miku.
"I figured it out the day the calling cards appeared." Ann explained. "That, and, considering everything that happened from the moment you showed up at Shujin, it only made sense that you were responsible for it."
"I-I see..."
"But don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Ann said. "I owe you that much for dealing with Kamoshida."
"Thank you, Ann-san." Miku replied.
"Now come on! Let's go tell Shiho-san the good news!" Shirabe said, leading the way as the other two girls followed.
"But seriously, Miku-chan, thank you." Ann said as they walked to the hospital. "If it wasn't for the Phantom Thieves, I don't know what I would've done..."
Hearing this, Miku smiled. "That's what friends are for, right? I know you would've done the same for myself or Shirabe-chan if our positions were switched." she said. "Now let's go meet Shiho-san."
With that, the Phantom Thieves could rest easy, ready for whatever the future had prepared for them... Or so they would like to believe.
A/N: And with that, we end the chapter! I know this one's a bit longer than the last one, but I felt like some world building was necessary before ending the Kamoshida arc.
As you saw, Leblanc has been replaced by "C.A.F.F.E. Café" in this story. Of course, it's significance is still going to be as important in this story as it was in P5, P5R, and P5S. I hope you look forward to what I have planned regarding it and the Kazanaris that run it.
As for the ending scene with Ann knowing Miku and Shirabe were Phantom Thieves, I felt like it would only make sense for Ann to figure it out sooner than later due to being good friends with Shirabe and her talk with Miku two chapters ago. That being said, not all of the original Phantom Thieves will find out about the Thieves identities as quickly as Ann and (Other OG PT to be revealed at a later chapter) did.
Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter!