5/16/20XX
Tuesday: After School
Madarame's Shack
Once school let out, the Thieves of Shujin Academy went to Madarame's Shack again, letting Tsubasa know in advance that they were coming.
Miku: Is Madarame home?
Tsubasa: No. He's currently away at the Exhibit. You and the others should have no trouble questioning Kitagawa for the moment.
Miku: Great. See you in a bit.
"Alright, the coast is clear." Miku said, informing the others. "Remember the plan?"
"You, Hibiki, and Ryuji will talk with Yusuke while Kiri-chan and I make preparations while pretending to be models for Tsubasa." Shirabe recited.
"Good." Miku said. "And Ryuji, Hibiki, please try not to say anything that could make Yusuke-san lose his cool."
"Eh?!" Hibiki gasped. "But I don't lash out at people!"
"I think she was mainly adding you to not make Ryuji feel offended, dess." Kirika joked.
"Ironic that the demon's playing devil's advocate..." Ryuji mumbled.
"What was that?!" Kirika growled, which made Ryuji smirk.
"Alright, everyone, we're here." Miku said as they approached the door. "Just stick to the plan and everything will be fine."
With that, Miku rang the doorbell. However, instead of Yusuke answering the door, Tsubasa was the one to open it. "Welcome back!" She said. "Please, do come in."
The Thieves followed Tsubasa to the hallway where her room and Yusuke's were, before stopping next to a blue and white checkered door. "Kitagawa! You have visitors." Tsubasa said. "Kohinata and her fri-"
The door flew open, practically getting replaced by an ecstatic Yusuke upon hearing Miku's name. "Kohinata-san! I'm so glad you reconsi... dered..." All the enthusiasm left him as he saw the others. "Ah, you've all come..."
"Don't worry, Kitagawa." Tsubasa reassured her kouhai. "Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi are here with me. I asked them to be my models for an art piece I was working on last night."
"Well, that does explain why you were out so late last night..." Yusuke said. "But, what are you two doing here?" He pointed to Ryuji and Hibiki.
"I-I mean, wouldn't you get nervous too, if it was just the two of us?" Miku asked.
"We're here to keep an eye on you, so don't try anything perverted, 'kay?" Ryuji bluntly added, getting glares from everyone in the hallway, as well as an elbow to the stomach from Hibiki.
"Stop making such odd assumptions." Yusuke sighed, his initial anger towards Ryuji's words quelled by Hibiki's jab. "I have absolutely no interest in Kohinata as someone of the opposite sex."
"Well that's a relief..." Miku, Hibiki, and Tsubasa all collectively sighed.
"Is there a problem, senpai?" Yusuke asked, taking the opportunity to call out Tsubasa's reaction out of all of them.
"Oh, not at all." Tsubasa said, waving off Yusuke's worries. "Well, I better get started on my art piece. Best of luck, Kitagawa!"
"Likewise, Senpai." Yusuke replied as he watched Tsubasa, Kirika, and Shirabe enter the former's room. "Now then, shall we get started?"
As Miku and the others went into Yusuke's room, Kirika, Shirabe, and Tsubasa began their part of the plan. "Alright. Fill me in on what exactly we're going to be doing while the others distract Kitagawa." Tsubasa said.
"Dess." Kirika replied with a nod. "While they're busy with him, we're gonna look around for anything that could help us in the Palace."
"So we're stealing from Madarame both in the real world and in his Palace?" Tsubasa asked.
Kirika shook her head. "We're looking for anything that might be of significance to him in reality so that we could use that to our advantage in the Palace." She clarified. "Basically, if something's super important to him in reality, such as a specific person or a locked room, its importance will be reflected within the Palace as well."
"I see..." Tsubasa said, pondering the concept.
"Is there anything that might be considered important to Madarame in that regard, Tsubasa?" Shirabe asked.
"I can think of a couple places that might be worth looking into." Tsubasa answered. "But I'm not sure if it'd be safe for us to investigate them without making us look suspect."
"Not to worry, dess!" Kirika confidently proclaimed. "Just tell me where to look, and I'll be able to be in and out before you know it!"
"Very well." Tsubasa said, before whispering what she knew to Kirika and Shirabe. "Could those be worth looking into?"
"Definitely!" Kirika said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some photographs to take." Suddenly, Kirika became transparent as she opened the door and walked down the hallway.
Needless to say, Tsubasa was surprised by what she saw. "Wh-What did-"
"It's one of her many abilities thanks to her demon curse." Shirabe stated, which only proceeded to confuse Tsubasa more. "I'm assuming you've been able to see Kirika's horns and tail ever since yesterday at the hideout?"
"Yes." Tsubasa answered. "But, I figured those were just cosmetic accessories that Akatsuki wore in a more casual space. Are you telling me those are real?"
Shirabe nodded. "Kiri-chan is a demon, or at least thanks to a curse from what she's told myself and the others." She said. "Regardless of whether it's a curse or if she was born that way, she still has various inhuman abilities such as turning invisible and telepathy to name a couple."
"Well, that definitely comes in handy with this line of work." Tsubasa said.
Shirabe nodded again. "Yeah... However, all that power does have some... Negative effects on her..."
5/15/20XX
Monday: Evening
Shirabe & Kirika's Room
After getting the last of Kirika's things put away, she and Shirabe called it a night, with the former sleeping on a spare mattress next to Shirabe's bed. For the most part, their first night together was a quiet one. However, that was about to change.
After a few hours, Shirabe heard strange noises coming from Kirika's bed. Curious, she decided to check in on her friend. "Kiri-chan? Is everything alright?" She asked, but no response was given. "Kiri-chan?"
Shirabe got up from her bed and went over to Kirika's. The darkness of the night made it hard for Shirabe to see Kirika at first, but once she got closer to her bed, Shirabe noticed that Kirika had covered herself entirely with the blanket. Slightly concerned, Shirabe poked at the blanket. "Kiri-chan?"
"DEEESSSS!" Kirika screamed in pain, before waking up in a cold sweat. "Oh, hey Shirabe. Did I wake you?"
"Kinda..." Shirabe said. "You were making some strange noises, so I wanted to check to make sure you were okay."
Kirika quickly brought the covers up over her shoulders before continuing the conversation with Shirabe. "Oh, yeah I'm fine." Kirika said. "I just... Had a bad dream, dess. That's all. Nothin' to worry about."
Shirabe didn't buy it. "But why are you covering yourself with the blanket?" She asked. "Are you hiding something you don't want me to see?"
"'H-Hiding something'? Don't be ridiculous, Shirabe." Kirika chuckled nervously. "I promise you, I am 100% A-Okay, dess!"
Shirabe's concerned look turned into a full-on doubtful stare. "Kiri-chan..."
Kirika smiled as wide as she could, but the more she did, the harder Shirabe's stare became, "Jiiii..."
Eventually, Kirika gave up. "Fine... You win, dess." She said as she let the blanket fall down to her waist, revealing dark green cracks on her upper arms and chest.
Shirabe was shocked by what she saw. "What... Happened?"
"This always happens after I use my powers in reality for an extensive amount of time..." Kirika explained. "In the Metaverse, I can use them as much as I like. But when I do it here, these cracks show up and cause me a lot of pain."
"Kiri-chan..."
"Thankfully, the cracks and the pain vary based on how much of my power I use, so I don't have to worry too much about the side effects." Kirika explained, as she reeled from another spike of said side effects. "I'm just happy that the effects go away after some time. That, and they don't scar my body afterwards."
"Has it always been like this?" Shirabe asked.
"Well, at least as far as I can remember, yeah." Kirika said.
"And do either Miku or Hibiki know?"
"No." Kirika answered. "I didn't want them to worry while I was living with them, just like I didn't want to concern you."
Without saying anything, Shirabe pulled Kirika in for a hug. "You idiot... Hiding this from me would've only concerned me more..." She said. "As a fellow Phantom Thief, I think your powers have their uses, but as your friend, I think you should limit how much you use them in reality."
"I don't use them that much in reality..."
"Today alone, you used them to get us to the hideout faster than normal and to speed up the process of unpacking your things, Kiri-chan!" Shirabe interjected. "Granted, while it did make things more efficient, it's not worth the added backlash it has on your body. You're a human being first, and a Phantom Thief second. Got it?"
"Y-Yeah..." Kirika said. "Sorry for worrying you..."
"You don't have to apologize, Kiri-chan." Shirabe said. "Just promise me that you won't try and hide stuff like this from me again, okay?"
"I promise." Kirika said, twitching slightly from another spike of pain. "Although, I wasn't lying when I said I was having a bad dream earlier... It tends to happen when the pain's at its highest, dess..."
"Would it help if I slept next to you?" Shirabe asked.
Kirika's face went bright red at that question. "I-I mean... I could help a bit..." She said. "But I don't want to force you to do it for my sake. A-And I don't want your folks to get the wrong idea and-"
While Kirika was rambling, Shirabe had already put Kirika's blanket over the two of them, which made Kirika's blush even brighter than before. "If my grandparents got the wrong idea, they'd be happy for us, as long as you didn't do anything to hurt me." Shirabe said with a chuckle.
"Tha-That's reassuring, dess..."
"Besides, if you're suffering and I didn't do anything to try and help, I would just end up being a terrible friend, again..." Shirabe added.
Kirika, as much as the other Thieves, knew how much Shiho's attempt on her life affected her and Ann, so hearing this was what finally made Kirika calm down and accept Shirabe's comfort. It didn't take long for the two to fall asleep again after that. Kirika would still wince from the pain in her sleep, but thanks to Shirabe, she was able to sleep for once in what felt like ages after becoming a Phantom Thief.
5/16/20XX
Tuesday: After School
Madarame's Shack
"... So she's hurting herself by using her powers outside of the metaverse?" Tsubasa asked.
"In short, yes." Shirabe said. "But thankfully the effects don't add up over time, so she doesn't have to limit herself based on previous uses."
"That is a relief." Tsubasa sighed.
As for Kirika, she investigated the spots Tsubasa told her to look at by taking pictures of said spots before planning to return to Tsubasa's room. However, as she was about to enter, she overheard the others in Yusuke's room.
"What the eff, man?!" Ryuji shouted.
"Ryuji! Stop it!" Hibiki added.
"Let's all just calm down, okay?" Miku asked.
"That doesn't sound good..." Kirika said to herself as she decided to lean on the door to hear the conversation better.
"I won't report you..." Yusuke calmly said. "But only under one condition."
"What's that?" Miku asked.
"I want you to continue being my model, Kohinata-san." Yusuke answered.
Miku was confused. "But you said it wasn't working out today..."
"That's... because I was unconsciously being modest for your sake..." Yusuke said. "However, I have nothing to worry about anymore. If you're willing to bare everything to me..."
"...I will put my heart and soul into creating the best nude painting ever!"
The room went deadly silent as everyone stared at Yusuke in complete shock. "WHAT?!" Ryuji shouted, breaking the stunned silence.
"N-N-N... Nude?!" Miku's face went bright red from that. When she agreed to be his model, nudity was the last thing she expected to hear be suggested.
"Ah, to think I'd be able to create a nude painting with my most ideal model!" Yusuke exclaimed, ignoring the general shock of the trio before him. "Of course, you two won't be allowed in, and I ask that you forget about our discussion today, as well. If I don't submit a new piece to Sensei soon, there will be some... inconveniences."
"H-Hold on a second! You're saying that Miku will be nude, as in without any clothes?" Hibiki asked with genuine concern. "Why would you even consider suggesting that?!"
"Because those are my terms." Yusuke answered.
"Wait, ain't that bad?!" Ryuji asked, which Yusuke completely ignored him.
"Sensei is out during the afternoon while the art exhibit is on, and Kazanari-Senpai is usually out on errands around that time, so I can use this place freely..." Yusuke continued. "I should buy more art supplies..."
"Do I have any say in this?" Miku asked, still flustered from the fact Yusuke plans to use her as a nude model for his artwork as a trade for not being reported to the police.
"Of course. This doesn't need to happen right now." Yusuke said. "I'll make time according to your plans. But, please do come before the exhibit ends."
"That isn't what I mean and you know it!" Miku shouted. "Why won't you listen?!"
"Sensei will be returning home soon. We're done for today." Yusuke continued, still ignoring the problem the others are trying to address. "Kohinata-san, I'll be waiting for you to contact me."
"Oh no, we're not done with this conversation!" Miku retorted, before turning to Hibiki and Ryuji. "Help?"
"What do we do?" Hibiki asked Ryuji.
"I don't know if there's anything we can do... He's got us good..." Ryuji answered as he headed for the door, which left Miku speechless.
When Ryuji opened the door, he was met with a stunned Kirika, who was unfortunate enough to listen in right as the nude painting discussion started, and lost all focus on staying invisible. "N-N-N-Nude... P-P-P-Painting?" She mumbled repeatedly.
"Great... Now she's in shock, too..." Ryuji sighed.
"I got her..." Hibiki added with a sigh of her own as she carried the invisible Kirika out of the way.
Thieves' Hideout
With their attempted investigation over, the Thieves texted Shirabe and Tsubasa, telling them to meet up at the hideout as soon as possible. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long. "So, were you able to get anything out of him?" Shirabe asked.
"No..." Miku sighed.
"Is everything alright, Kohinata?" Tsubasa asked, before noticing the rest of the Thieves, aside from herself and Shirabe, all seemed equally as down. "Did something happen?"
Hibiki nodded. "We were nearly reported to the police..." She said, shocking the two. "But, Yusuke promised not to report us on one condition..."
Shirabe became curious. "What was the condition?"
Kirika was the one to speak up on that. "Oh, y'know, nothing too special... Just forcing our leader to be a model for a DESSIN' NUDE PAINTING!"
Shirabe was taken aback by that, but Tsubasa seemed unfazed. "So that was his plan... Huh..."
"You knew he was planning to do this?!" Miku asked.
"Well, he initially asked me to be his model, but when it came down to making the painting, he wasn't sure if I was the right model for the piece." Tsubasa said. "To be fair, he asked that of me quite some time ago, so when he asked you to be his model, I assumed it was for a different piece entirely."
"Still, that doesn't change the fact that he asked you to be a nude model!" Kirika exclaimed. "How are you so calm about that?"
Tsubasa shrugged. "Some art models do nude poses all the time, so I fail to see the problem."
"But-"
"Okay, enough about nude models!" Miku interjected, not wanting to think about the nude model topic anymore. "Long story short, we weren't able to confirm if Yusuke feels forced to stay loyal to Madarame or not, and it looks like we won't be getting that answer out of him anytime soon..."
"Are you sure Yusuke's never said anything to you about how he really feels about Madarame?" Ryuji asked Tsubasa.
Tsubasa shook her head. "In fairness, I try to avoid bringing it up with him." She said. "I fear that, if I pressured an answer out of him as you have, it would only serve to isolate him further. He has respect towards me as his Senpai, and I don't wish to break that respect with a topic that's sensitive to him."
"Fair enough..." Ryuji sighed. "Then we'll just have to change Madarame's heart and make Yusuke see that bastard for who he truly is!"
"If that's what it will take to make Kitagawa come to his senses, then I'm with Sakamoto on this." Tsubasa says.
"Everyone else agrees with this, dess?" Kirika asked.
"Considering the alternative, for both myself and Yusuke-san, I'm in." Miku answered.
"Count me in, too!" Hibiki added. "The last thing I want is for my best friend to become a nude model against her will!"
"Looks like we're in agreement, Kiri-chan." Shirabe said. "So, what's the plan now?"
"Let's go back to Madarame's Palace tomorrow." Miku answered. "Let's meet up here after school and go straight to the Palace."
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ryuji said as he started walking towards the exit of the hideout. "Well, see you all tomorrow!"
Tuesday: Evening
Tachibana Residence
With their next target agreed upon, the Thieves returned to their homes to prepare for their infiltration. However, just as Miku was about to go to sleep, her phone went off. Mishima was texting her.
Mishima: I know it's late, but do you remember that stalker, Nakanohara?
Miku: What about him?
Mishima: He wants to meet up. Said he wants to talk about changing someone's heart.
Mishima: Apparently it's someone really terrible, but he doesn't want to post their name onto the Phan-Site. He said it would complicate things.
Miku: Okay, but why are you telling me this?
Mishima: Because we're good friends, right? I figured I'd share this info with you.
Mishima: I told him to wait for you in Shibuya. Good luck!
Miku sighed as she put down her phone. "Who was that?" Hibiki asked.
"Mishima." Miku said. "Apparently Nakanohara wants to talk to the Phantom Thieves."
"Eh?!" Hibiki gasped. "You mean Nakanohara as in the one we fought in Mementos and saw in Madarame's Palace?"
"Yep." Miku answered. "I'm sure he's going to ask us to go after Madarame, but it might be worth hearing him out for any info we might not already have."
"Right." Hibiki agreed. "Should we let the others know?"
"I'll let them know in the morning." Miku said. "For now, I'm very tired. Good night, Hibiki."
"Good night, Miku." Hibiki replied as the two girls went back to sleep.
The Velvet Room
Suddenly, Miku woke up in the Velvet Room once again, being met with Finé's smiling face once more. "So you've come." She said. "Your progress towards the prevention of the world's ruin has been going smoothly. And I see that you've managed to enlist another to your aid since we've last spoken like this."
Miku knew immediately that she was referring to Tsubasa. "I have you to thank for getting me this far, Finé." Miku said.
Finé chuckled at the compliment. "All I've done is provided you with the means to progress as a thief. Everything else has been thanks to the efforts of yourself and those you surround yourself with." She said. "It is thanks to those efforts that you've managed to find your next target, as well."
"Madarame?" Miku asked, to which Finé nodded. "What do both him and Kamoshida have to do with this alleged ruin that's coming to the world?"
"In time, it will make more sense, but that's an answer you will have to discover yourself..." Finé said. "We shall meet again once your current endeavor is finished. Until that time, continue to obtain personas, continue to awaken the full power of the wild card that sleeps within you."
"But I-"
"Silence!" Caroline interjected. "Our mistress has found you worthy enough to try and prevent humanity's ruin. You should be honored with how much she has allowed you to do."
"Now, now, Caroline. No need to be hostile towards the wild card." Finé said. "Fret not, things may seem confusing for the moment, but I assure you, the more used to infiltrating Palaces and growing your relationships, the easier this shall become. You are still up for the task at hand, yes?"
While taken aback by Caroline's outburst, Miku remained as formal as she could be. "Y-Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Then, it is time for you to return to reality." As Finé said this, Miku's vision began to become blurry as she fell back asleep. "I'm expecting great things from you."
5/17/20XX
Wednesday: After School
Shibuya Station
The next day, Miku informed the other thieves about what Mishima told her, causing a slight change in their initial plans to infiltrate Madarame's Palace. So, instead of meeting up at the hideout and going straight to the Palace, they would instead meet up with Nakanohara in Shibuya and hear what he had to say.
Of course, seeing as the Phantom Thieves' identities were a secret, they spread out around Shibuya station so as to not draw unnecessary attention to themselves. Thankfully, it didn't take them long to find Nakanohara as he was standing in the middle of Shibuya's shopping district. "Natsuhiko Nakanohara?" Miku asked.
"Yes?" Nakanohara asked. "Are you the Pha-"
"Don't move." Miku interjected, causing Nakanohara to go back against the wall he was leaning on. "Tell me. Who is the person you wish to have a change of heart?"
"I'm sure you've heard the name before." He answered. "A traditional Japanese artist... Ichiryusai Madarame."
"Go on..." Miku said.
"He plagiarizes his disciples' work. He releases their paintings and takes all of the credit for their work." Nakanohara continued. "I used to be one of his disciples. There was another, a very talented senior of mine. But he was so miserable over the plagiarizing... That he committed suicide."
Tsubasa, who was listening in to Miku's conversation alongside the other Thieves from a distance, winced in response to hearing that. As a response, she slammed her fist into the pillar next to her.
"I don't want the same tragedy to happen again." Nakanohara said. "Right now, he has two pupils. I asked the younger of the two if he found it painful to stay with Madarame... Do you know what his response was?"
"What was it?" Miku asked.
"'If I could leave, I would!'"
Those words echoed through all of the Thieves throughout Shibuya, especially Tsubasa, who began to tear up.
"And what of the senior pupil?" Miku asked. "What were their thoughts on the situation?"
"Before I left, she promised me that she would avenge me and everyone that Madarame has ruined the lives of." Nakanohara said. "I haven't heard from her since then, but I can only hope that she hasn't suffered the same fate as myself or the others. So please, change Madarame's heart. Not just for my sake, but for theirs as well. Please!"
Nakanohara turned the corner to beg Miku to go after Madarame, but when he did, no one was there.
Shibuya Accessway
Instead of going back to the hideout, the Thieves decided to reconvene at the nearby accessway to discuss their next move. "Well, that settles it then, right?" Ryuji asked.
"We were already in agreement to go after Madarame, but that managed to confirm the last thing we needed to hear." Miku said.
"We finally know Kitagawa's true feelings." Tsubasa added. "This is no longer a mission to avenge the countless lives Madarame has affected with his plagiarism. Now, we fight to save Kitagawa from suffering any longer!"
"Then let's not waste anymore time, dess!" Kirika said. "We have to change Madarame's heart before the exhibit ends, or else Miku will have no choice but to be Yusuke-san's nude model!"
"Don't say that like we have a short window of time to do this..." Miku said, getting slightly flustered by the mention of Yusuke's request.
"To be fair, the exhibit ends on the 5th." Tsubasa stated. "So, we only have eighteen days to pull this off..."
"Not helping!" Miku shouted, her face turning a brighter shade of red. "L-Let's just stop talking about the nude painting thing and go already!"
Shadow Madarame's Palace
With their questions answered, the Thieves return to Madarame's Palace which, unlike the last time they were there, had beefed up security at an exponential rate. However, this didn't demoralize the group. In fact, it only motivated them further.
At one point, Echo purposefully got the attention of one of the guards and had them follow her to another room. "Now!" She shouted, queuing Samurai to swing her blade at the pursuing shadow as Echo ducked underneath it. With the slash successfully connecting with the guard, Samurai sheathed her blade, making the Shadow dissipate into nothing. "Nice one, Samurai." Echo said, praising her teammate for the successful ambush as she brushed off her pant legs.
"I had my doubts with Tachi- I mean, Warrior's plan, but I must admit, it was satisfying to pull off a maneuver with as much grace as that one." Samurai said.
"That's the power of action movies at its finest!" Warrior cheered as the other Thieves reconvened with Samurai and Echo.
"On that note, it seems like there is a lot more security around here now than there was beforehand." Samurai stated.
"Yeah, it's kinda odd for security to be this tight before we've even sent out a calling card." Skull added.
"That just proves that whatever treasure is in here is extremely valuable, dess!" Imp said.
"You seem a little too excited about that, Imp..." Maiden sighed.
"Regardless as to why security has been amped up, we should keep moving." Echo said, receiving nods from everyone as they continued through the Palace.
For the most part, the Thieves had little trouble going through the Palace. Dodging traps, avoiding Shadows whenever they could, and picking up any valuables they came across along the way.
However, their progress would come to a screeching halt as they approached a wide-open room halfway through the Palace. After passing through a pathway with several shoji that automatically and aesthetically opened up one after another, the Thieves were met with a laser grid that stood in front of a giant set of doors with a mural that looked like that of a Peafowl's tail feathers. "Yo, any luck findin' a way through?" Skull asked.
"Not yet." Echo answered. "There doesn't seem to be any mechanism nearby."
"No luck on my end, either." Samurai replied. "Not even something to turn off the lasers from what I could see."
"Same goes for me and Maiden..." Warrior added. "Not even as much as a keyhole in the door."
"Seriously?" Skull sighed. "Then what're we supposed to do?"
Imp, who had been quietly staring at the door, finally spoke up. "Doesn't seem like there's much we can do from here, dess..."
"What does that mean?" Warrior asked.
"It means that I may know how we can get through here, but it can only be done through reality." Imp answered. "I'll explain later, but for now, let's leave for today."
Out of options on how to progress further, the Thieves decided to listen to Imp and leave the Palace for today so that they could regroup at the hideout.
Wednesday: Evening
Thieves' Hideout
Once back in reality, the Thieves regrouped at their hideout to discuss how they could deal with the obstacle in their path. "Akatsuki, you mentioned in the Palace that you might have a plan as to how we can get past that door, correct?" Tsubasa asked.
"Indeed I did, dess!" Kirika answered. "And it's all thanks to the intel that you gave Shirabe and I when we first investigated the Shack."
"What do you mean, Kirika?" Hibiki asked.
"Tsubasa told us about two places within the shack that seemed suspicious to her." Kirika explained. "The door in the Palace just so happens to have the same design as a door within the real-life shack, dess. The door in question had an unnaturally hefty lock on it."
"Could there be something behind that door that Madarame doesn't want anyone to see?" Shirabe thought.
Suddenly, Miku had an idea as to what Kirika might be getting at mentioning this alleged door within the shack. "If we're able to open that door in reality, would the one in the Palace open as well?"
Kirika pointed finger guns in excitement towards Miku. "Bingo!" She cheered. "However, that alone won't alter how the door works in the Palace. In order to truly open it, we also need to change Madarame's cognition that the door can't be opened, dess."
"But in order to do that, we would need to open the door in front of him, right?" Tsubasa asked.
"Right again, dess!" Kirika cheered, now pointing finger guns at Tsubasa.
"That means we would have to precisely time when we open the door to when he's home..." Miku thought.
"Yep..." Kirika said with a little less enthusiasm. "Of course, it won't be too hard for me to unlock the door, but the real difficulty comes from showing Madarame. We would have to make it so we manage to get in just before he returns home, dess. We would just need someone to be a distraction while I pick the lock..."
The room went dead quiet as everyone looked in Miku's direction. Knowing exactly what the quiet stares meant, Miku scoffed. "No. Absolutely not."
"We don't really have any other options." Kirika said with utmost sincerity. "Shirabe and I wouldn't be able to distract Yusuke long enough because he could care less about us and I need to pick the lock, and Ryuji and Hibiki can't do it, otherwise he'll report them to the police. You're literally the only one who can keep him distracted."
"I hate to say it, but she's right." Ryuji added. "You gotta do the nude."
Miku looked around the room, completely flustered by everyone's collective looks of agreement, including Hibiki's more remorseful look. "You too, Hibiki?"
Hibiki looked her friend in the eyes. Miku could see the pain that was reflected within them. "I'm sorry, Miku, but it's the only way..." Hibiki said, before the pain in her eyes immediately became replaced with excitement. "But, maybe, you don't have to do the nude painting if you can stall for time."
"What do you mean, Tachibana?" Tsubasa asked.
"Yes, what do you mean, Hibiki?" Miku added.
Hibiki smirked proudly. "I'll explain when we get home from school tomorrow. But just know that I have a plan that I'm confident will save you from having your body exposed to the whole of Japan! That's something that only I deserve to see..."
"What was that last part?" Miku asked.
"N-Nothing!" Hibiki quickly answered.
5/18/20XX
Thursday: Early Morning
Shibuya
With their plan in place, Miku texted Yusuke last night about accepting his nude modeling offer, to which the artist was ecstatic over. However, as they walked to Kosei High together, Tsubasa noticed some doubts in Yusuke's face. "Is something the matter, Kitagawa?"
Yusuke snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Tsubasa looking at him. "Oh, it's nothing, Kazanari-Senpai."
"...You're a terrible liar, Kitagawa." Tsubasa said. "Is it something with your latest piece that's bothering you?"
Yusuke sighed. "...I can never hide anything from you, can I?" He chuckled. "Well, you see, I was contacted by Kohinata-san last night. She's accepted the nude modeling proposition."
"That sounds like good news!" Tsubasa exclaimed. "So, what seems to be the problem, then?"
"While I agree with you that it is good news, there's something that's bothering me about her sudden change in attitude towards things." Yusuke said. "I'm hoping that this is just all in my head, but I can't shake the feeling that her friends are conspiring something..."
Tsubasa was concerned that Yusuke's doubts could jeopardize their plan. "I can see where these doubts could be coming from, considering some of her friends haven't made the best first impressions." She said. "But, with Kohinata accepting your proposition, it must mean that Kohinata's thought this through with her friends and they're able to accept her decision to be your model."
Yusuke thought about it from the way Tsubasa described the situation, and smiled. "Perhaps you're right, Kazanari-Senpai." He said. "I shall not allow my work to be jeopardized by such childish doubts. After all, I made myself clear to them that they would be reported to the police if they were to try anything, so I shouldn't worry about it any longer."
Tsubasa silently sighed to herself, but Yusuke happened to notice it from a glance. "Are things going well with your works, Senpai? You seem troubled." Yusuke asked.
"Well, you're not entirely wrong with that observation, Kitagawa." Tsubasa said. "You see... I, too, have been having difficulties with my latest piece."
"Is there something I can do to help?" Yusuke asked.
"I appreciate the offer, but this is a hurdle I must overcome on my own, as you have been with your painting of Kohinata." Tsubasa replied. "Rest assured, my models have been quite helpful with my piece. But, the issue I have been suffering from is the lack of a proper background to help give the piece that element it's desperately missing. Luckily, Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi had a few places in mind that they felt might help me find that missing element from my work."
"I see." Yusuke said. "Well, I hope all goes well for you in your search. Does that mean you won't be at the shack later tonight?"
Tsubasa nodded. "I'm afraid so. Once I gather some supplies from my room, It'll just be yourself and Kohinata after school today." She said. "If Sensei shows up before I return, please do inform him of what I've told you."
"Of course."
Thursday: After School
Madarame's Shack
Outside of Madarame's shack, a woman scans the property with her camera for anything she may deem suspicious. She hasn't had much luck, but that didn't deter her. "Still, it's shady how he even went through the trouble of putting up a name plate..." She said aloud to herself as she looked closely at the plate next to the door. However, her focus is cut off as a figure with short, black hair passes by the camera, taking the woman by surprise. "Who was that? A high school girl?"
Suddenly, the woman feels a tap on her shoulder, shocking her to see that a boy with blonde hair and two girls, one with short light brown hair and the other with long black pigtails, were suddenly standing next to her. "You scared me!"
"H-Hey there, lady. What're you up to?" Ryuji asked.
"How'd you guys do that? I had no idea you were there." The woman said, still surprised that the trio were able to sneak up on her.
"Really? Aw, man! It's like it rubbed off on us in real life!" Ryuji said, impressed by the fact he managed to actually be stealthy outside of the Metaverse... Although the person in question was just preoccupied, so it didn't really count.
After that, the trio of thieves talked with the woman, the latter of which handed them her business card. "So, you're a Journalist?" Shirabe asked.
The woman nodded. "There are all kinds of rumors surrounding Madarame. Like that he's abusing his pupils, and that a painting of his was stolen out of retaliation." She said, the latter half of her statement being news to the thieves. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
"Not really." Hibiki lied.
The woman was surprised. "You aren't connected to him?"
"We're just passing through this area, ma'am." Shirabe replied.
"Still, there's something fishy about you three..." The woman said with a doubtful expression.
"Same could be said for you..." Ryuji retorted.
The woman dropped her doubtful gaze. "Fair enough, you got me there!" She chuckled. "Well, if you ever get any leads, mind getting in touch with me here?" She pointed to the card she handed the group a moment ago. On the card was her name, Ichiko Ohya, her Journalist title, and her number. "We're all fishy, so let's be friends."
"We'll be sure to get in touch if we hear anything, Ohya-san." Hibiki said.
"Sounds good!" Ohya replied, before realizing what time it was. "Well, I better get going. See you around!"
The trio waved Ohya off as she left, waiting until she was out of sight to chat amongst themselves. "What a weird lady..." Ryuji whispered.
"What are you three doing?" Tsubasa asked as she exited the shack.
"Nothin' much." Ryuji said. "Just saw some random Journalist stalkin' the place and had a conversation with them."
"Ah." Tsubasa said. "Well, Kohinata and Akatsuki are in position for their end of the plan. Shall we go about preparing for our half?" The trio nodded as Ryuji pulled out his phone and started up the MetaNav, warping the four of them into the Palace.
Inside Madarame's Shack
"I'll be honest, I had my doubts that you'd come back." Yusuke said to Miku as he prepared his station for the painting.
"I want to apologize about last time." Miku replied. "We were a little out of line back then."
"I must admit, I went a little out of line as well. I apologize for kicking you out." Yusuke said. "Still, I'm surprised you decided to do this, considering your reaction when I first gave my proposition. Regardless of your reasoning for reconsidering, I'm grateful you agreed to be my model so I could properly create a nude painting."
Miku became flustered. "W-Well, I figured if it's for the sake of art, that... That it wouldn't hurt to try at least once in my life." She said. "After all, you only live once, right?"
"I suppose so." Yusuke agreed. "Sensei should be coming back soon. So um... I'm sorry if that causes some anxiety on your part."
"Oh, no need to worry about that." Miku said. "After all, that's why I'm here..."
"Did you say something, Kohinata-san?" Yusuke asked while turning to face Miku.
"Oh, n-nothing!" Miku chuckled nervously.
"I see." Yusuke said, deciding to ignore what Miku said earlier in order to get a good view of Miku for his painting. "By the way... Have you gained weight?"
Thursday: After School
Tachibana Residence
Immediately after getting out of school for the day, Hibiki dragged Miku back home and enacted her plan to save Miku from becoming a nude model: By putting every article of clothing both herself and Miku had in their room on her. "This is the plan you had yesterday, Hibiki?" Miku asked as Hibiki continued to put layers upon layers of clothing on her best friend.
"Yep!" Hibiki said proudly. "It's foolproof! All you have to do is take off the excess clothing very slowly until Madarame returns to the shack, giving Kirika ample time to pick the lock and giving you the opportunity to still have clothes on before Yusuke has even a moment to see your naked body!"
"And what if I can't get these clothes off at any point while I'm stalling for time?" Miku asked.
"Then we won't have to worry about sneaking back in to get our clothes back." Hibiki said with a confident smile as she forced the last article of clothing onto her friend. "Alright! You're all set for Operation: Never Nude!"
Hibiki turned her friend towards the nearby mirror and, for the first time since this ordeal started, Miku was able to see the walking pile of clothes she had become. "I look ridiculous..."
"I beg to differ!" Hibiki said. "Who knows, maybe Yusuke-san will change his mind and paint you like this."
"That's somehow more embarrassing than a nude painting!" Miku retorted.
"Is it though?" A third voice asked as a flash of green filled the room.
"Kirika?!" Hibiki gasped. "How did you get here?" Kirika pointed to her horns with a deadpan expression. "...Right, demon magic..."
"Regardless, I feel like Hibiki's plan might just save your skin from being put on a canvas." Kirika continued.
"See? Kirika can see my genius plan for what it's worth!" Hibiki said. "After all, we're counting on you two to get that door open, so Ryuji, Shirabe, Tsubasa, and I are gonna have to wait and hope it works."
"Actually, that's why I'm here, dess." Kirika interjected. "I already let the others know, but there's something I need you and them to do while we're in there."
"What do you mean, Kirika?" Hibiki asked.
"I need you four to wait inside the Palace at that door." Kirika said. "Once it opens, you four need to sneak in and find a way to make sure that the door never closes again."
"I see!" Hibiki cheered. "Alright, I won't let you two down!"
"Now c'mon! We've got a door to unlock!" Kirika stretched out her hands and, once the girls grabbed onto them, teleported to a place outside of Madarame's shack.
Thursday: After School
Inside Madarame's Shack
"H-Have I? I don't think I have." Miku nervously chuckled from inside what was the equivalent of a clothing cocoon.
"Must be my imagination, then." Yusuke said. "Please pardon my rudeness."
"W-Well then, I should start taking my clothes off, right?" Miku asked.
"Yes, please." Yusuke answered.
There was a long moment of awkward silence between the artist and his model, until Miku finally spoke up. "Would you mind turning around while I undressed? It's embarrassing if you're watching me like that."
"Oh, of course." Yusuke said, doing just what Miku asked.
With that, Miku started to take off the many layers of clothing she was wearing, purposefully throwing them within eyeshot of Yusuke, whom of which started to become flustered at the thought of a woman getting undressed in his room. However, he wasn't about to let any naughty thoughts get in the way of his art. "Calm down, Yusuke! This is solely for the sake of art! Nothing more, nothing less!"
"Please don't look over here, okay?" Miku asked. "By the way, your sensei's coming back soon, right?"
Yusuke used this as a way to try and cleanse his impure thoughts. "Y-Yes, I believe so..."
"Interesting..." Miku said. "In that case, could we do this in a room with a bit more... privacy? One that would just so happen to be locked?"
"The only locked room in this building is Sensei's room." Yusuke stated. "Besides, I don't see why this room isn't good enough."
"I can't keep this up for much longer..." Miku said to herself as she started to back out of the room.
"Kohinata-san? Am I able to loo-" Yusuke was cut off as Miku threw one of the extra bras she was wearing past his face, causing the artist's impure thoughts to return once more, only for them to disappear again after he recomposed himself. "Am I able to look now?" He asked, receiving no response from Miku. As such, Yusuke turned around to see Miku, but all he saw was various piles of clothing. "You were wearing all of this?"
Yusuke waited for another response, but Miku still didn't answer, prompting him to get up and look for his model. "Kohinata-san?"
Meanwhile in the Palace
"They seriously gonna be able to pull this off?" Skull asked the other three thieves with him.
"All we can do now is put our faith into Kohinata and Akatsuki." Samurai answered.
"Yeah." Warrior added. "I just hope nothing's gone wrong on their end..."
Back in the Shack
Down to her last layer of clothing, Miku walked down the hallway to where a flashing green light emitted, assuming it to be Kirika. Once she got to the source, she saw the demon girl sitting on the ground with a key in her hands, all while suffering from green cracks on her arms and chest. "Kirika!" Miku gasped. "Are you okay?!"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, dess..." Kirika said through pained breaths. "This happens when I overuse my powers in reality..."
"And you never thought to bring this up?!" Miku asked.
"It wasn't important..." Kirika said as she got back on her feet. "I'll be fine once we meet up with the others in the Palace..."
"Kohinata-san?" Yusuke asked, finally catching up with Miku in the hallway. "You have to stay away from that room. Only Sensei can go in there."
Miku started to sweat nervously. "What's in there?"
"It's a storage room for old paintings." Yusuke said.
Meanwhile, Kirika had another sharp spike of pain, causing her to miss the lock with the key she created. "Shit..." She cursed under her breath as she slipped and slammed into the wall.
"What was that?" Yusuke asked, trying to get past Miku to investigate the strange noise.
"N-Never mind that!" Miku said, nervously trying to cover for Kirika. "I still need to finish undressing for the painting, right?"
This question quickly made Yusuke lose focus in Kirika's stumble, but Miku hoped that the demon girl didn't need any extra time to stall. "C'mon Kirika... I can't stall any longer..."
Suddenly, a door could be heard opening. "I'm home." Madarame called out.
"Dess! I got it!" Kirika said, as if Madarame's arrival was a queue.
"S-Sensei!" Yusuke gasped, ignoring Kirika's loud cheer.
"Yusuke?" Madarame asked as he went upstairs to check on his pupil, walking in on the site of said pupil standing in the hallway with Miku, who was moments away from taking her last shirt off. "What are you doing there?!"
Understanding how the situation could be taken wrongly, Yusuke quickly stood in front of Miku. "I-It's not what it looks like, Sense-" Before he could explain himself further, Miku grabbed Yusuke's arm and ran straight for the now open storage room door.
In the Palace
As the thieves in reality ran into the storage room, the four in the Palace watched as the laser grid shut off and the giant doors split open. "... It's off!" Skull gasped. "They seriously did it!"
"Let us not waste this opportunity." Samurai said. "We must locate the security system and make sure these doors stay open for good."
"Right!"
Back in Reality
"Kohinata-san, this is bad!" Yusuke whispered in the dark closet as Miku searched for the light switch. However, once she found the lights, they were both shocked by what they saw. "What is this?!"
"Isn't this 'Sayuri'?" Miku asked. "But, why are there so many of them?"
"I... I have no idea..." Yusuke answered, still in shock by what he was seeing.
"Get out!" Madarame shouted as he entered the storage room.
"Sensei... What is the meaning of this?!" Yusuke asked.
As a response, Madarame sighed and scratched his chin. "These 'Sayuri'... Are copies that I sell through a special connection of mine..." He said.
"But why?"
"You remember how the real 'Sayuri' was stolen, right?" Madarame asked, to which Yusuke nodded. "I've tried keeping a brave face since then, but in truth, I've been in a slump."
"A slump?"
"In order to overcome it, I returned to my roots and attempted to recreate 'Sayuri' once more." Madarame continued dramatically. "These copies were my last resort. I was desperate to return to the artist I once was."
"I'm not buyin' it, dess..." Kirika said to herself, doubting Madarame's woes.
"It was then that someone came to buy it, knowing well that they weren't the original." Madarame continued. "Truth is, Yusuke, I'm in serious debt, and I needed the money to further yours and Tsubasa's talents... So please, forgive your cowardly teacher for such an ill-advised venture."
Yusuke was buying into Madarame's speech, but Miku was not as convinced. "Hold on, something about that doesn't add up, Madarame-san." She said. "If the original painting got stolen, how exactly were you able to make such accurate copies of it?"
Madarame started to sweat. "I... Happened to find a finely detailed photograph of it in an artbook." He said.
"If that's the case, wouldn't someone who buys paintings generally have a keen eye for the fine arts?" Miku asked. "Everything about that story feels like a lie."
Madarame became angry. "And what would you know about the fine arts?"
Suddenly, while Madarame and Yusuke were distracted by Miku's questions, Kirika noticed the easel behind them and quickly removed the tarp covering it. Once the tarp hit the floor, everyone focused their attention on the easel, shocked by what they were looking at. "This... This is the real 'Sayuri'!" Yusuke gasped, before turning back to his teacher with a confused look. "But, you just said a moment ago that it was stolen."
"That's a replica!" Madarame shouted.
"No, it's nothing of the sort! This painting kept me going... It's the reason I made it this far." Yusuke retorted. "You're lying, Sensei. Please, tell me the truth."
"You doubt me?" Madarame became furious as his lies were brought to light. As a retort, he pulled out his phone and showed it to Miku and Yusuke. "I've reported you to my private security company!"
"What?!" Miku gasped.
"I had it set up to deal with problematic paparazzi, but I never could've expected that It'd come in so handy." Madarame said, confident that he was on the winning side.
"W-Wait, let's talk about this!" Yusuke pleaded nervously.
"Talk all you want to the police." Madarame said. "That includes you too, Yusuke."
Out of options, Kirika decided to step in. "Sorry about this, but you left me no choice, dess!"
"Who's there?" Madarame asked, before being shoved by an invisible force.
"Miku! Run!" Kirika shouted as she made a break for the hallway.
Without hesitation, Miku ran after Kirika. Unsure what to do himself, Yusuke followed after Miku. "There's no point! They'll be here in two minutes!" Madarame shouted as Yusuke disappeared around the corner.
Unfortunately for Madarame, Miku and Kirika had just the means to escape: the MetaNav. And unfortunately for them, however, Yusuke had caught up to them right as Miku activated the app.
Back in the Palace
The four Thieves ran to where the golden fountain in the main lobby was, having successfully shut off the laser grid for good and were moments away from returning to reality and regrouping with Miku and Kirika. "Thank goodness there were four of us on this end of the operation..." Maiden said as she caught her breath. "I'm not sure how well I would have fared against that guard on my own..."
"Hey, the important part is that we fulfilled our end of the plan as Miku and Kirika did theirs." Warrior commented.
"I just hope those two managed to get away..." Skull added.
As if to answer their worries, a portal opened up above them, dropping Echo, Imp... And Yusuke into the Palace, the latter of whom caught Imp instinctively while himself and Echo landed on their feet.
As this happened, Imp began to glow in Yusuke's arms, specifically around where her cracks on her body had formed. After a couple seconds, Imp's cracks were fully healed, at least, that's what Echo could tell from said cracks not being on her visible skin any longer. "Phew... We managed to escape." Echo sighed, before the realization kicked in on who else was present. "Y-Yusuke-san?!"
There was a solid ten seconds of everyone staring at Yusuke silently as he stared back, before the latter finally reacted. "Wh-Who are you all?!" He finally said.
"Umm... I hate to disturb your moment of panic, but can you put me down, dess?" Imp asked, leading to Yusuke dropping her in shock. "Ow..."
"A Demon?!" Yusuke gasped.
"Not a Demon!"
"C-Calm down, Yusuke-san! It's me!" Echo said, causing Yusuke to focus his attention on her.
"Kohinata-san?" He asked, to which Echo nodded. Getting this confirmation, he turned his attention to the others. "That means you all are...!" He locked eyes with Samurai and gasped. "Senpai?!"
"I know this is a lot to take in, Kitagawa..." Samurai said. "But right now, you're in great danger being here."
"What... Is this place?" Yusuke asked, finally taking a moment to observe his surroundings.
"We're inside Madarame's heart." Echo answered.
"Inside Sensei's heart?" Yusuke asked, which Echo nodded in confirmation. "I'm sorry, Kohinata-san, but are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"What Kohinata says is true, Kitagawa." Samurai answered for Echo. "As strange as it may sound, this is an alternate reality, one that is seen through Madarame's eyes. The truth that he keeps hidden from the public eye is fully on display here."
Yusuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You expect me to believe this garish, repulsive world is supposed to be his?" He asked in an angry tone.
"You gotta snap out of it, man." Skull said. "Like it or not, this is what that bastard truly feels. He's nothin' but a greed-filled money-grubber."
As much as Yusuke wanted to continue denying it, his fears would soon be answered by the distorted laughter of the man he called his teacher. "Is that... Madarame?" Maiden asked.
Once he entered the room, the Thieves and Yusuke saw this reality's version of Madarame: He was dressed in a golden robe and his hair was kept in a tall Japanese topknot while his face was covered in makeup. "Welcome to the museum of the master artist Madarame!" Shadow Madarame exclaimed.
Skull scoffed upon getting a better look at him. "Talk about bullshit clothes! First a king, now some kinda shogun?"
"Sensei? Is that really you?" Yusuke asked. "That attire..."
"My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act." Madarame said. "A famous person living in a shack? Please... I have another home... Under a mistress's name, of course." As he said this, he raised his pinky.
"Disgusting..." Warrior scoffed.
"This is all one big lie, isn't it?" Yusuke asked.
"It seems you all know too much." Madarame stated. "That being said, I cannot allow you to leave here alive."
"We're here for your treasure." Echo said.
Madarame laughed at Echo. "How naïve and foolish."
"You're supposed to be an artist, are you not?" Samurai asked. "Do you feel no shame for the acts of plagiarism you have committed?"
"Not to mention all the forgery we saw in the storage room, dess!" Imp added, which only disgusted Samurai further.
Madarame, however, chuckled. "Ordinary people are the ones who should be ashamed. They can't distinguish between a genuine and a fake, but throw money at me just for the trifling work of my pupils." Madarame said. "That is, as long as it has my name on it!"
"What are you saying?!" Yusuke asked.
"You helped me with that greatly, Yusuke..." Madarame replied.
"But if the 'Sayuri' was stolen, why was it in the storage room?" Yusuke asked. "And if you had the real one, why make so many copies?"
Madarame sighed. "You still haven't pieced it together?" He asked in response. "The painting being stolen was just a false rumor that I spread! It was all an act!"
"To what end does spreading a false rumor achieve?" Samurai asked.
"Let me see... How does this sound: 'I found the real painting, but it can't go public. So you can have it for a special price.'" Madarame chuckled. "How's that for preferential treatment? Art snobs will eat it up, and pay good cash at that!"
"No!" Yusuke shouted, falling to his knees as he grabbed his chest, feeling betrayed by the man he had trusted most.
"Kitagawa!" Samurai gasped.
"The value of art is purely subjective!" Madarame continued. "What's the matter with providing such an illusion to eager customers? Though I doubt a brat like you would come up with such a brilliant scheme..."
"You keep goin' on and on about money this, and money that... It's no wonder how you ended up with this disgusting Palace!" Skull shouted.
"Your painting 'Sayuri' was pure and truly beautiful. I chose this life after becoming entranced by that work." Yusuke said. "Why? Why have you forgotten true art?!"
"And what would you know about true art?!" Madarame retorted. "I'll silence that arrogant, lecturing tongue right now!"
Saying this, Madarame summoned more guards to surround Yusuke and the Thieves, the latter of whom knew exactly what they were after. "Everyone, protect Yusuke at all costs!"
The thieves immediately went to work fighting off the Shadows. However, with every Shadow that they took out, two more seemed to take their place. "Hey! They're not gonna stop comin'!" Skull shouted.
As Skull said this, Imp noticed the fountain in the middle of the room spewing a black, misty ooze that more and more Shadows emerged from. "We need to find a lid for that fountain, dess!" She said, before cleaving a Shadow in two.
"Where would we find something like that around here?!" Maiden asked.
"That's enough violence!" Madarame shouted, immediately turning the Thieves' attention to a set of Shadows standing in front of the oozing fountain, one of which had a hostage. "Kitagawa!" Samurai shouted. "Let him go!"
"Move even and inch and he's dead!" Madarame said to the Thieves. "However, if you choose to come back to me, Yusuke, I'll forgive these transgressions and allow you to live. You're nothing like this riffraff before you. You're my prized cash-cow!"
"Is that how you truly view Yusuke-san's life?!" Warrior gasped.
Even Yusuke was shocked to hear this. "You really thought I took you in all those years ago out of the goodness of my heart?" Madarame asked rhetorically. "Naturally it was to exploit your talent, harvest the fruit, and raise you to be slaughtered like livestock. Compared to the woman you call a senpai, there is so much more for me to gain out of you that it's a miracle I've kept her around this long." He laughed as he said this.
"You heartless, spineless coward..." Samurai said, her rage seeping through each word she spoke.
"How many others have you trampled?" Yusuke asked, which made Madarame stop laughing. "How many dreams have you exchanged for riches? It doesn't matter who you are... I'll never forgive you!"
Madarame slapped Yusuke across the face for his answer. "You dare to bite the hand that's fed you all these years?" Madarame asked. "What a disappointment!"
Now, Yusuke was the one who started to laugh. "How amusing..."
"Kitagawa?" Samurai asked, confused by Yusuke's sudden change in attitude.
"I wanted to believe that none of this was true... I had clouded my vision for so long." Yusuke continued. "My eyes were truly blind... Unable to see the true self behind this horrible man!"
"Have you finally come to your senses?"
Yusuke's eye shot wide open as he was overcome by a massive headache that sent him reeling to the ground.
"You foolishly averted your eyes from the truth..."
"A deplorable imitation indeed..."
"Best you part from that aspect of yourself!"
"A-Aaaagh!" Yusuke screamed as he dug his nails into the ground beneath him, causing them to bleed profusely.
"Let us now forge a contract..."
"I am thou, thou art I..."
"The world is filled with both beauty and vice..."
"It is time you teach people which is which!"
As the voice in his head finished forging the contract, a kitsune mask appeared over Yusuke's face. "Very well..." Yusuke said as he reached for the mask with his bloody hand.
"Come, Goemon!"
A/N: And with that, we end the chapter!
I decided to make this chapter longer than the previous ones because I wanted to bring up the downsides to Kirika's powers in reality. After all, I can't just have her be the better Morgana without there being obvious consequences.
But, as mentioned in the chapter, after using her powers for a while in reality, Kirika's body starts to break from the strain of said powers. Luckily, this strain is non-existent in the metaverse, the only effect of which being that, when she overuses her powers in the metaverse, she just gets tired the same way she and the other thieves would after overusing their Personas.
Speaking of Personas, yes, Yusuke is still a thief in this version of the story. This decision mainly comes from me not wanting Ryuji to be the only male Phantom Thief in the bulk of the story. Not to mention, with Ren and Morgana already out of the story for the most part, it wouldn't be fair for Ryuji to be the only major male character, aside from Akechi, still in the main storyline post-Madarame.
But, with that being said, I thank you all again for reading this chapter. I shall see you in the next one!