Begin
~Normal POV
8/4 - Friday
Ango Natsume entered the bookstore with his usual confident stride. There was a crowd here today as well. Though for whatever reason, none of them noticed him. They were busy staring at the walls around them. Hm. It was probably nothing. He ignored this oddity and walked up to his editor.
"Good morning," He greeted, cheerfully. "I see there's quite a crowd today as well."
"Uh… yes… about that…" His editor stammered, nervously.
Ango was about to wonder what was causing him to act this way, but then he glanced at the walls everyone was intrigued by. His jaw dropped. There were little red and black cards plastered everywhere. Mostly they littered the walls, some were stuck to his booth, some were even placed on nearby pillars. He couldn't even count how many there were; since they were all over the place! And looking more closely, he saw a very startling bit of writing on them. They were addressed to him.
"What?! What is this!?"
"When the staff came to open the store this morning it was already like this…" His editor replied, "They called the police, but they were told to leave it as is- to preserve the crime scene."
Ango walked up to the wall of cards and read the text printed onto them.
To the ostentatious swindler, Mr. Ango Natsume
You are a depraved miscreant who holds others in contempt and steals their work, lining your own pockets all the while. We refuse to overlook the crimes you commit as you wear a false crown. Tonight, we take back the Desires you've stolen.
One card near it was flipped onto the other side. On it was a logo that he recognized instantly. The Phantom Thieves, the ones who caused such a stir in the country last year, were coming after him! He couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of it.
"Honestly, how stupid can you get?! Damn it, what nonsense!"
"I am the Monarch. My followers are loyal. That is… as long as I hold their Desires. No… Having those Desires is proof of my claim to power. Proof of my sovereignty! I won't hand them over… I won't give them up! You foolish heroes are nothing but talk. Come then, I'll crush every last one of you!"
~...
The gang was standing outside the station at their entry point for the Jail. Zenkichi was with them and he looked haggard after last night. They didn't care much for the details, but he'd accomplished his given task without casting suspicion onto himself.
"His cognition should have changed by now," Yusuke said, "Shame we couldn't go inside to watch his reaction."
"Thank you for helping, gramps-san," Haru said, smiling.
"I'm now officially an accomplice to the Phantom Thieves…" Zenkichi grumbled, hiding his face in his hands out of pure shame.
Akira laughed. "Yeah… feels pretty great, doesn't it?"
"Shut it, Kurusu…"
"Aw, come on, gramps, you did great," Futaba said, "As a reward, we can try to start calling you Zenkichi from now on!"
"Oh, joy…" Zenkichi replied, dryly.
"Yeah, Zenkichi, we'll make a phantom thief outta you yet." Ryuji said, patting his back supportively.
"Please don't say that…" Zenkichi pleaded.
"Alright, inspector, we got somewhere to be. See ya when we get back tonight," Akira said. "Let's go, people, we got a Jail to rob."
As the gang walked off, disappearing into the Metaverse before his eyes, the inspector sighed heavily to himself.
"A perfect record… down the drain… Ugh- I need a drink…"
~...
Making it back to the castle tower took no time at all. Upon reaching the door, they busted it down to enter. Natsume's throne room was much more tolerable than Alice's. It was a spacious room, with a winged throne sitting atop a flight of stairs. Behind the throne were two huge shelves full of books. Stained glass windows lined the walls. Natsume Shadow was here already.
"Hmph… you certainly took your time, Phantom Thieves. Or should I say, chosen heroes?" Natsume said, tauntingly.
His Shadow certainly fit their expectations to a tee. He looked virtually identical to the demon lord character on the cover of his novel. His skin was lavender, and he had spiky blond hair. He still had his glasses and the mole on his nose. But on his head, instead of a crown, he had two horns. Rather than sitting, he was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at them with his usual smug attitude.
"Yeah, it's about we met, Mr. Overlord," Ryuji said, in a snarky tone.
"You're gonna give back all the Desires you stole!" Ann added.
"You've robbed real authors of their work, stolen people's free will to make yourself famous, and on top of all that: you're a conceited asshat," Akira said, bluntly, "So, don't make this harder than it has to be and let us take those Desires off your hands."
"Ha! Such foolishness." Natsume replied. "You haven't the slightest idea of what you've just walked into."
"That appearance, that stance… There is no doubt this is the overlord from Prince of Nightmares," Yusuke said.
"He certainly gives off that impression… but weren't his Shadow-cognitions just dressed like real people?" Haru asked.
"Yeah, thinking about it, those guys didn't get much love from the author, did they?" Futaba said.
Natsume ignored these comments. "Heh, you've come all this way only to fall right into my trap. This world belongs to me and me alone. It takes shape according to my design. Here, the overlord reigns justice upon the holier-than-thou heroes who would dare brand him as evil. Here, you are nothing more than flies to be swatted! I'll enjoy hearing those filthy screams as you atone for your transgressions."
"That's bold for someone who stole others' Desires just to satisfy their own selfish wants," Makoto commented.
"Yeah, if you're really the overlord, ain't this the part where you get your ass kicked," Ryuji asked.
"Hmph… Tell me how many of my demon brethren have you slaughtered while spouting such despicable hypocrisies?"
"Wow, he's reading right from the handbook, isn't he?" Futaba said, dryly.
"Seriously, what a hack…" Akira said, in agreement.
"Enough of this. If you won't hand them over willingly, then we shall have to take them by force." Yusuke said, "No matter how brave a facade you put on, it's clear you're just afraid of losing that hollow throne you're so proud of."
"What was that?!" Natsume shouted.
"Your reign is naught but an illusion," Yusuke continued, "Allow us to show you the truth!"
Natsume narrowed his eyes dangerously. A bunch of self-righteous brats in stupid costumes were trying to tell him what to do. How dare they look down on him like those other pieces of shit.
"I'm sick and tired of everyone looking down on me…!"
~...
Natsume put up more of a fight than Alice, but he too underestimated what he was up against. Now that he had been taken down, they saw him for what he truly was.
"My mantle! My magic armor!" He whined. "Don't look at me! Don't look at me!"
"Is that his true form…?" Makoto asked.
"Looks like it," Morgana said, "So, even his identity was just a cheap imitation."
"It's over, Ango Natsume," Yusuke said, firmly.
The man wasn't ready to surrender just yet though as he responded. "You're just a bunch of stupid kids. You don't know how much I've suffered! It's not too late for me. I've still got my reputation as a writer! I've won an award! I've sold books! It's not too late… It's never too late!"
"And that's good enough for you?" Yusuke asked, bluntly, making Natsume stare up at him in shock. "This fame you've acquired through deception and the brainwashing of others… Is that truly what you wanted? What was the real reason you started writing novels?"
"I… I mean, I…" Natsume couldn't bring himself to properly answer that question. His eyes got misty as he said, "Damn it… Damn it! I tried… I really tried. Just like everyone else! I read and read, all through the night! I wrote hours on end, like my life depended on it! And for what?! Nothing I wrote was ever mine. It was just another work from Sogo Natsume's grandson. No one! No one would ever acknowledge my effort! Not my effort! Not my work! Not even me!"
Whether it came entirely from his publishers wasn't clear to them, but they could see now what had happened to bring him here. It started with his publishers taking advantage of his family name for profit. And somewhere along the way, he was given the power of the Jail to change hearts in revenge. It was a curious dilemma. The set of circumstances only added to the mystery of the Jails themselves. But just like Alice, all he truly wanted was a chance to be happy…
"No matter where I look, all I ever see is a bunch of thoughtless idiots-" Natsume continued, "Slaves to appearances and nothing more…" He shed a few painful tears. "Acknowledge me, damn it! Acknowledge Ango Natsume's efforts for once! I just want someone to see that I really try!"
"...I do." Yusuke replied, simply.
"Huh?"
"It's very clear how much work you've put into writing your novels." Yusuke said, "A life led by creativity is almost always a lonely one, no matter your profession. You were battling that loneliness. You braced yourself, pouring your very soul into your writing, bringing it to your publisher time and time again. I will gladly acknowledge such effort and determination. There are many out there who would give up such a battle, even those with exceptional skill and creativity. To be able to continuously bring life to new works without giving up, however… that is perhaps the most exceptional talent of all. There was once a time where you kept fighting. That is one part of your career that could never be labeled a fabrication. So start over, Ango Natsume… claw your way back up from nothing and move forward. After all, there are some things that simply cannot be painted without a blank canvas."
Natsume couldn't find the words to respond.
"It is because everyone believed in me that I was able to choose the path I walk today." Yusuke continued. "I stopped lying to myself and was able to begin anew. And so, it is now my turn to pay it forward. Even if I'm the only one in the world to do so, I will believe in you."
"...Stupid kid… talking my damn ear off." Natsume replied, quietly. But the tears running down his cheeks showed that Yusuke's words had reached him at last. "But… you're right. This identity of mine was built on nothing but lies…" He reached up and snapped his horns off; apparently they functioned as his Monarch crown. "I don't need it anymore! I'll do it. I'll climb my way back up! And I'll do it on my own strength! I'll write a novel that'll capture the hearts of countless readers, just like my grandfather before me. I'll write something I can be proud of, to everyone… I swear it!"
"Good." Yusuke said, smiling. "And I'll be looking forward to the day I get to read it."
"Heh, you know, I really am stupid." Natsume said, sadly. "How did I let myself forget…? I know now what it is I really wanted…" He then vanished, returning to his body at last.
~...
Unfortunately, this Jail didn't disappear either after Natsume surrendered. The Desires did go back to their owners though. It appeared that despite their best efforts, the issue causing the Jails hadn't been resolved yet. When they returned to reality, it was night time.
"Mission complete!" Sophia said, happily.
"We'll check on the people before we head back to camp," Akira said, "It'll be easy enough to tell who's not brainwashed anymore."
Everyone else went on ahead, while Akira got a chime from Sophia. "Hey, Akira?"
"What's wrong?" Akira asked.
"I feel as though I'm restless right now. Do you know what this is?" She asked.
"Is something bothering you?"
"I'm not sure what's wrong. Natsume tried his hardest, but somewhere along the way, he lost sight of what mattered to him. He is a strange person, Natsume."
"Yeah, but now he can start over," Akira said, smiling.
"Yes, he did say he would climb back up." Sophia replied. "Yusuke said Natsume lost his way because he was alone. Whenever I think about that, I feel restless inside. Even though Natsume hurt a lot of people and was for some time one of our enemies… What is this feeling?"
"It might be the same Yusuke had."
"The same as Yusuke? I see. So that's why Yusuke saved Natsume. It was because Natsume's reason for doing all those things was really sad… I think I understand now. Sadness can hurt people, but it can also save them." Sophia smiled. "It can give humans a reason to support one another."
"Couldn't have said it better," Akira said, "You should be proud of how much you're learning."
"You can count on me," Sophia said, humming her usual tune with joy.
~End of Chapter
