With the defeat of Shadow Mariko, the Sapporo Jail was a little less cold than it was before. Crow was standing at the entrance to the Jail with his arms crossed, looking up at the liberated Castle. Joker, Sophie, Violet, and Dragon soon arrived. He was aware of their presence, but looked ahead anyway. "So, you made it."
"Did you need something?" Dragon asked while tilting her head. It was still chilly in here. "Could we not have met in a warmer Jail, perhaps? I would've preferred Sendai..."
"Or Shibuya." Violet shivered.
"It had to be this one. I have...a small errand to run in here as well." Crow replied.
"What a coincidence. I do too." Joker said.
"We are looking for materials to make an arm brace." Sophie said while bouncing on her feet. "What did you come in here for, Crow?"
"To do some thinking." Crow replied. That's not the question Sophie asked, but he wasn't willing to respond to that just yet. "It appears that Shadows are on the agenda. So let us walk and talk." With that, Crow leapt forward and proceeded to officially enter the Jail. The others looked at each other in confusion before following.
"Hey, about what happened in the fight..." Violet was showing a bit of concern about the events yesterday.
"I'm fine. I'm not worth your concern either." Crow said, leaving it at that. He wasn't going to delve into what happened against Shadow Mariko and they knew better than to pry about it.
"He seems fine..." Dragon said. It didn't come off as a lie, at least. So they didn't have to worry about that specifically.
Their separate errands were rather simple. Joker and Sophie mostly focused their attention on taking out Mothmen, while Crow had his attention on Jack Frosts. Dragon and Violet gave their assistance wherever they could, before they ultimately finished and stood at the entrance to the Castle. "Whew. That should be everything." Joker said.
"...It has been quite some time since the four of us were alone together." Dragon said. And almost alone; since Sophie was currently making some snow angels nearby. It wasn't something she would have the chance to do in reality, plus Skull gave her the idea earlier.
"The last time the four of us were together..." Violet recalled that and scratched her cheek.
"I felt rather embarrassed, but we managed to stumble through that ordeal somehow." Crow said. "But that's not what I'm here to talk with you all about."
"And what exactly has been on your mind?" Joker asked.
"Why are these places called Jails?" Crow asked, wanting to hear their opinions.
"I assumed it was due to the fact that Desires are kept prisoner here. The aesthetics of the area do resemble a prison as well..." Dragon responded.
"So...would you agree that we are breaking into these Jails and letting the prisoners free?" Crow turned to the others.
"...Well, with that context, I would say so." Violet responded.
"But...?" Joker looked to Akechi. Something felt off.
"I've been wondering...who are the real prisoners in the Jail? While I have no solid evidence, but I do have logic." Crow said while looking up at the castle, where the large birdcage used to be. "We go through quite a bit of effort to reach the Monarch. We have to disable the towers, and even go to a completely separate location to unlock the door leading to them. We are gathering a key to unlock a cell."
"...Wait..." Dragon stared at Crow. She was beginning to sense the kind of conclusion he was drawing.
"This is the second Jail I've seen to completion with the lot of you, but I can deduce much the same with Alice." Crow continued. "So. I'm questioning if the real prisoners are in fact the Monarchs. What is the point of 'throwing away' the key to their throne rooms? Not to keep other people out...but to keep them in."
"But isn't that so weird...?" Violet pointed out. "Because when we touch those doors, we get a vision of their trauma, and it hurts. Why would that be used to keep someone inside?"
"...Hm. This part is pure speculation, but I believe that is the point. Imagine...you're a Monarch with these strong emotions, but what if they waver at some point?" Crow began his hypothetical. "So, you come outside to try and escape, only to be met with that door. You remember everything horrible that happened to you, and the reason why you decided to take action to begin with. What would you do?"
"...I guess, if I were a Monarch, I'd stay..." Joker said. "Their emotions guide them pretty strongly until we beat them, the same went for Palace Rulers. But why are you telling us this?"
"I was getting tired of keeping my thoughts to myself. The three of you make for decent conversation." Crow admitted. "Besides, these are only thoughts. My logic can only get me so far until we get proper evidence. But I think I'm close to something. Either way, feel free to take what I've said with a grain of salt."
"Huh." Joker stroked his chin. "So, are we to assume we're your favorites?"
"Alright, I'm heading back now." Crow was not going to entertain that question. So he started to leave...
"Hold on there." Joker said suddenly. "You never told us what you were originally in here for."
"And I'll know if you're lying." Dragon added with a slight smile. They were not letting Crow go without him divulging his plans.
Since he was backed into a metaphorically corner, Crow let out a resigned sigh. "I was collecting material to have something made. And I would much prefer it be done before we leave Sapporo."
"Huh...I see." Dragon nodded. It wasn't a lie, just vague. But she would let it slide, since Crow was actually telling them what he was up to.
"Is that why you focused on all those Jack Frost?" Violet asked.
"You could say that. Now if you'll excuse me." Crow was the first one to leave the Jail.
"...I wonder what he's planning." Joker stuck his hands in his coat.
"We can wonder about that after we leave." Violet was hurrying out of the Jail. Too cold for her. She wanted to return to the nice summer warmth in reality. Which was fair enough. Joker and Dragon followed. Sophie did as well, but she lingered for a few seconds, curious about Crow's actions. But she'd worry about that later.
.
.
Night fell in Sapporo now, and there was still no word from Zenkichi. The day was winding down for the most part. While Ren did get to enjoy some ramen with Ryuji, outside of that, they hardly had any ideas on how to spend the rest of the time they had left. "Well...we've pretty much done what we can in the city. So, I wonder what comes next..." Morgana wondered. "We don't have a lot to do until Zenkichi comes back..."
"At this hour, I would recommend the Ferris wheel over in Suzushino." Sophia suggested.
"A beautiful Ferris wheel under the night? I cannot imagine something that would look more beautiful." Yusuke was ready to draw something since he already felt the inspiration strike.
"Ooh, that's right! I do remember seeing that Ferris Wheel." Ann clasped her hands together. "Fumi, we should totally go!"
"That does sound like fun." Hifumi said with a soft smile. Spending some alone time with Ann sounded nice. "We should get going, then."
"Awesome! Let's go!" Ann only needed to hear that before taking Hifumi by the hand and rushing off with her, just like always. They had their plans set for the night.
"I expected that." Ryuji shrugged. "So, uh...how are we gonna divide this up? I know we all can't fit in a single car..."
"The best way to is just divide into groups." Makoto said. "I believe we have enough people to make this work..." She did begin to divide the remaining group up; Ren with Ryuji. Morgana, and Yusuke, she, Sumire, Futaba, and Sophia, Haru and... "Oh, wait..."
Akechi was simply standing off on the side, as usual. He never got too close to the group unless it was for business if he could help it. But he'd either be left alone, or with Haru at this rate. Something that felt exceptionally awkward... "Do you...even plan on riding the Ferris wheel, Akechi-kun...?"
"...It's okay." Haru said, glancing at Akechi. "...I actually want to talk with him, so..."
"Uh...is that a good idea?" Futaba began to sweat a bit. Leaving Haru and Akechi in locked car together...
"It's fine." Akechi said. That response was even more surprising.
"...Is this really gonna turn out well?" Futaba gulped.
"I think it should be okay..." Sumire didn't sound confident. But it did stick in her mind that Akechi threw himself into harm's way for Haru's sake - an action that nobody could have predicted.
"Um, well...if you two are sure." Makoto did feel slightly nervous, but if they both were saying it was alright...then Makoto would trust them. So, off to the Ferris wheel they went.
.
.
Haru and Akechi were sitting on opposite sides of the Ferris wheel car they were in. As the Ferris wheel began to turn, it really showed that they were locked in a room, alone with each other. The wheel slowly spun, and they sat in awkward silence for the first few minutes. Neither of them knew what to say despite the fact they both wanted to talk. Haru was the one who decided to break the ice there. "...Why did you do that...?" She asked, hands holding her dress. The fact Akechi threw himself into danger to save her...she couldn't get that out of her head. She couldn't understand why he would do that. "Did you think something like that would make me forgive you instantly?"
"No." Akechi shook his head. "...If you want an honest answer, I can't really explain why I did that. Perhaps I thought that you couldn't do what you needed to if you were injured. You made it clear you wanted me to stay out of the way..."
"..." Haru wasn't sure what to think about that answer. Was Akechi just avoiding the real answer...or did he really not know? "I...I don't really know how to respond if you don't know why you did it."
"I suppose you can say that I was doing my best to honor our deal from before." Akechi explained. It was the best answer he could come up with. "As I said before, I do not have any expectations that you will come to trust or like me, and that's fine. The time spent in this city was just another reminder of how I destroyed your life for my own selfish gain. My options of doing better are limited...but aiding you in saving Hyodo was the best course of action."
"Mm..." Haru looked outside. The city was beautiful with all the lights and the elevation. "...I won't tell Mari-san what happened..." She said quietly. "I was able to get her back, and that's important to me."
"..." Akechi said nothing. He didn't know what to say.
"...Um..." Haru bit her lip. There was a phrase on the tip of her tongue, but she wasn't sure how she felt about saying it, let alone even thinking it. But she swallowed her pride. "...Thank you...for pushing me out of the way." That felt so strange to say, but she couldn't let Akechi's actions go without gratitude. That wasn't the kind of person she was. He did put himself in harm's way for her sake. She couldn't ignore that. "I know that...must have been unpleasant."
"It was." Akechi replied, glancing away. He wasn't sure how to take Haru's genuine thanks. It was the last thing he expected to hear from her. The air in the car felt awkward for a different reason now. "But...you...are welcome..."
"...This doesn't mean I trust you." Haru quickly added. "But I will acknowledge your efforts...that's only fair."
"...Fair enough." Akechi said while turning his gaze outside for a moment.
"...And...if you want to step into the RV for once...I'll deal with it." Haru said quietly. Akechi had been forced to stand in the doorway since Haru never wanted him inside, but...she was willing to give him a little legroom after what he did. He stayed true to his word, Mari-san was saved, and he did get her out a pinch. "But...don't make me regret that decision."
"...I won't." Akechi replied just as quietly. He turned to Haru and the way she looked in the light...was not a sight he was prepared to see. It caught him off guard for a moment, so he quickly glanced back outside again. Haru blinked once and bit her lower lip. Did she see the same thing? Who knew.
"...There's a little urban legend here..." Haru said, just trying to fill the air with some kind of conversation. "There's a golden car on this Ferris wheel. If two people board it together, it's said they'll be together for life." But, right as she said that, she had a horrible thought. "Um...which color did we get on again...?"
"...I don't know if I want to answer that question." Akechi wasn't sure either. He wasn't paying attention, but now that the possibility was brought up, he wanted to ignore it. So again, they sat in awkward silence until the Ferris Wheel finally came to an end. They both stepped out and agreed to not look at the car they boarded. "...I have one last thing."
"Yes...?" Haru turned to Akechi. She was surprised when Akechi handed her a small box. So, she opened it and pulled out a small Jack Frost plush. "T-This is...!?" She loved it. But...where did he...!?
"I noticed how you liked the Jack Frost in the Jail...so I had this made for you." Akechi said, glancing elsewhere. "...I'll be going now. I just wanted to ensure you received this before we eventually left Sapporo. That's all."
This was the nicest, most surprising thing Akechi could've ever done. Haru blinked sevearl times as Akechi shuffled off. "Akechi, I...t-thank you..." Wow. Haru was completely stunned at the last two days. Akechi really was trying to do better, wasn't he? She stared at the small plush in her hands, smiling gently at it. "...I love it..."
.
.
It took long enough, but Zenkichi finally returned to the group in front of the RV. "Sorry it took so long. I went to talk to Hyodo, but nothing new came out of it. All she explained is that she could control whoever added her as a friend on EMMA."
"So it's just like everyone else..." Ren sighed.
"Hey, come on now, don't look so down." Zenkichi said with a smile, holding a phone up in his hand. "I did get my hands on her smartphone, after all."
This made Futaba light up. "Perfect! Just what I wanted to hear!" So she could do her thing and see if Mariko's phone had anything on it! For that, everyone gathered in the RV as usual to discuss the situation. The others were surprised Akechi was allowed in, but Haru told them it was fine.
"After reviewing the facts, I've just about confirmed it." Morgana began. "Each of these so-called incidents...I think they all stemmed from a Mastermind."
"Oh?" Zenkichi glanced at Morgana. "I'm curious why you think so."
"Hyodo, Natsume, Alice...all of them weren't ever truly evil." Morgana said. "At the very least, theyre' not the same as the rulers who distorted reality for their own sakes and ended up spawning Palaces."
"I'd been considering that as well." Yusuke said. "Before Natsume lost sight of his writing, he was diligently working hard towards his dreams."
"Alice too." Ann added. "She was doing her very best to be a ray of light and hope for other people."
"Mari-san was also striving for the betterment of everyone in Sapporo." Haru said.
"They're very different from Kamoshida and Madrame, for example." Ren said. "They were selfish and acted only for themselves. But...the Monarchs kind of have a different motive."
"Mhm..." Zenkichi was following the logic so far. "But what makes you think a handful of not-so-different Monarchs means there's a mastermind?"
"Because the Monarchs are all locked in their cells." Akechi spoke up. It sounded like Morgana was touching upon the theory he had realized for a while now. "Jails and Palaces are different fundamentally. A truly corrupt person produces a Treasure to be stolen via the warped world within their Palace, but for Jails, all that are taken are other people's Desires. Naturally, this means the Monarchs do not have distorted desires so strong that reality warps to them."
"Akechi, you..." Morgana shouldn't have been surprised, but he was also stealing his moment!
"I'd been thinking about this for a while now. But I could only confirm it after this Jail." Akechi said. "Palaces are formed by one's own distorted desires, as you all know. So, tell me...how would a Jail be formed?"
"From someone else at that point." Makoto saw where this was going. "If their desires aren't strong, it means someone else is doing it. That's the only logical conclusion."
"You were right..." Hifumi wasn't doubtful of Akechi's intellect, but his logic tracked perfectly.
"Huh?" Ann blinked. She felt like she missed something there.
"But uh...I thought the Monarchs were in charge...?" Ryuji scratched his head. "All the Shadows follow their orders 'n stuff."
"Answer me this." Morgana looked to Ryuji. "What would happen if a Monarch tried leaving the cage?"
"They'd hit that door...and remember all their trauma." Ann said. "...Which would make them want to stay...!"
"And in that case...those Wardens we've fought serve a far more sinister purpose." Yusuke finally realized it along with the others. "They are not there to prevent the trauma from being discovered. They are there to ensure the Monarch's imprisonment..."
"That's horrible..." Sumire frowned.
"So let me get this straight..." Zenkichi attempted to sort through the information they had. "You're telling me that these Monarchs are being manipulated, and that someone is intentionally doing the manipulating."
"That has to be the case, yes." Akechi said. "These Jails have too elaborate a system to be anything other than man made."
"All Palaces were similar in some ways with their own security systems...but after these three Jails, it's easy to confirm." Ren said.
"How's Hyodo's smartphone looking?" Ann looked at Futaba.
"Nothing wrong with her phone or the EMMA app." Futaba reported with a sigh. "But again, I found more traces of surveillance. Heh, I bet it's the snooper we keep running into. I have no idea who it might be, though..."
"Any ideas?" Zenkichi looked to the group.
"Our first suspect is Maddice." Hifumi said. "It is not a coincidence that EMMA is the sole way to access the Jails. But, erm...we can only really glare at them from afar without proper evidence."
"Maddice, huh?" Zenkichi had his suspicions about them as well. "Too bad we can't just storm their headquarters."
"You mean the cops can't actually do that?" Ryuji gasped.
"Of course not." Both Zenkichi and Akechi said at the same time. Ugh, that was worrisome. "How would we even get a warrant on them? By saying they go around turning people into Monarchs?" Zenkichi said.
"They wouldn't even buy talk about the Metaverse..." Sumire said with a sheepish smile. "It sounds crazy..."
Ren's phone buzzed. Sophia acknowledged it. "You have a call from Ichinose."
"Oh, right...forgot about her..." Ren said. They had so much on their mind, and she was quiet lately, she slipped their minds! So Ren answered and put her on speaker phone.
"Hello there!" Ichonise said with a bright and cheery tone. "Sorry about the lack of communication. So, I've been looking into EMMA all this time, and I still have yet to find any differences between her past and present versions. I mean, this is state-of-the-art tech. This isn't something just anyone could pry open and take a look inside. But then I took a look inside of EMMA's changelog and that's where things get interesting! It seems that EMMA was transported to Okinawa at some point after I sold her to Maddice."
"Why Okinawa...?" Ren asked.
"Yes! Exactly!" Ichinose said. "Why was the first thing that I asked too! So I dug around some more, and I found that off the coast of Okinawa, on the island of Kukojima...Maddice apparently has a research lab!"
"No shit!" Ryuji gasped.
"Is she for real!?" Ann's eyes widened.
"Oddly enough, its existence is unknown to the public, and when I called for records, nothing came up." Ichinose said. "Basically, they're running a secret research lab! How crazy is that!? So, if EMMA's been altered in any way, it would have to be on that island! Well, guys! Wasn't I super stellar source of information!?"
"Y-Yeah...you...you just saved us..." Ren was stunned. Ichinose really was a helpful person to have on their side!
"You just leave it to me! I've become rather fond of investigating actually. Welp, guess it's bye for now, Phantom Thieves! Please regale me with tales of your adventure another time!" With that, Ichinose hung up.
"...Wow..." Haru was stunned.
"Can it be...?" Even Makoto was going to get distracted.
"Okinawa...crystal clear waters..." Ann's train of thought immediately went elsewhere.
"Okinawa...!?" Hifumi's eyes went wide. She glanced at her phone, looking over some recent texts with Mika. What were the odds...!?
"Shiisaa statues!?" Haru gasped.
"Juicy pineapples!?" Futaba's eyes went wide.
"Chinsuko cookies!?" Yusuke's voice rose from excitement.
"The beach...!?" Sumire looked hopeful.
"Okinawa Soba?" Ren said.
"Oh, that too! It's that ramen-like thing, yeah!?" Ryuji beamed.
"Ugh..." Akechi pinched the bridge of his nose.
Morgana and Akechi shared the same sentiment. Everyone was getting distracted. "Guuuuuys..." Morgana said, annoyed.
"If it's an unregistered facility, we could always say we're conducting a field survey; that way we could ensure their cooperation." Zenkichi suggested, mostly thinking aloud. "We may even find proper evidence to use in court. It's worth going."
"Evidence is the one thing we need right now." Akechi crossed his arms.
"However...Kukojima is a bit far from the Okinawa mainland...then I guess we'd have to go by plane..." Zenkichi sighed.
"Wait, what about our precious Feathermobile!? We've taken it all this way!" Futaba pouted.
"Is that...the name of the RV?" Sumire blinked a few times.
"Plus, you said it'd be dangerous to use public transportation." Haru added.
"Even so, wouldn't it be too complicated to reach Okinawa by car?" Yusuke brought up a good point. "Akechi uses his own car as well, and that kind of drive is undoubtedly taxing."
"I'll manage." Akechi said. Their concern for him still felt strange. He didn't think he would ever get used to this.
Before the conversation could continue, Zenkichi's phone rang. "Ah, sorry, hang on a second." He answered it and began talking. "Hey, what's up? Yeah...yeah...of course I'm aware! But I also had a job to do...you know...?" A nervous laugh escaped him. "Why would I lie!? Of course I remembered, I swear! The thing is, I'm a little...well..."
"...This doesn't sound like it's going well..." Hifumi awkwardly glanced away. And the very loud sound of the other line hanging up filled the RV.
"You got hung up on..." Futaba was trying not to snicker.
"...Okay! Plane's a no go." Zenkichi suddenly said. Ann and Ryuji looked at Zenkichi like he was insane.
"HUH!?" Ryuji's voice cracked.
"You mean we're going all the way to OKINAWA by car!?" Ann's jaw dropped. This was insane.
"Heh...the thing is..." Zenkichi started. "I need to make a stop along the way, so we'll be heading to Kyoto first."
"Did you say Kyoto!?" Yusuke's eyes widened.
"Oh no..." Hifumi sighed. Yusuke was going to get his Kyoto wish after all.
"Why Kyoto...?" Ren asked.
"I primarily work for the Kyoto Police Department. Thought I'd take a moment to catch up, share intel, y'know...cop stuff." Zenkichi said. Akechi rolled his eyes at that lazy excuse. Hifumi furrowed her brows at the lack of honesty. "After that, we head ot Kobe; we can take a direct ferry to Okinawa from there. That ought to cut down on time."
"Even so, that's still quite a distance..." Makoto mumbled.
"Even if we split that..." Hifumi's back wasn't ready for all that driving.
"Don't worry, I'll do the driving." Zenkichi said.
"You're coming with us?" Sumire blinked.
"Wait..." Zenkichi looked at Makoto and Hifumi. "Niijima. Togo, have you two been doing all this driving? What about Akechi over there? Or Okumura, I thought she had her license."
"I've been driving my own car." Akechi said. "However, that kind of trip does seem a bit..." Long, even for him.
"I do have mine..." Haru glanced down at the floor, embarrassed. "I just don't have much experience behind the wheel..."
"Plus, Haru's driving is, um...ehehe..." Makoto laughed nervously. Fearfully. "And what about Akechi...?"
"We can bring his car with us and tow it along." Zenkichi said. "All that driving isn't gonna be good for him, so it's not a problem if he's here in the RV too, right?"
"There is enough space for him..." Haru sighed. Well, it seemed like it was inevitable that Akechi would be in the RV. But at least she agreed to it first.
"Is that alright with you?" Sumire looked to Akechi.
"It's serviceable." Akechi wasn't sure how he felt about Zenkichi showing concern for him either. But it was just something he couldn't escape right now.
"Perfect. After you set everything up, we'll be leaving immediately." Zenkichi was in a hurry. The sooner the better.
"If we're leaving from here, you'll need to take the Hokuriku Expressway." Sophia reported. "The estimated time will be..."
"About 21 hours, give or take." Zenkichi knew this like the back of his hand.
"Gramps is correct!" Sophia chimed.
"21 HOURS!? ARE YOU NUTS?!" Ryuji shouted. That was nearly an entire day!
"You forget I'm an officer of the law? We're badass at driving." Zenkichi said coolly.
"Um...is that how it works?" Sumire scratched her cheek.
"No." Akechi shook his head.
"What's with him all of a sudden!? It's like you lit a fire under his ass..." Ryuji wasn't sure how to feel about all this.
"It doesn't matter to me! So long as I can visit Kyoto at last!" Yusuke said with his chest puffed out.
"There goes Inari, showing his true colors at last." Futaba sighed while adjusting her glasses. How unfortunate that this was unavoidable.
"Alright! Pedal to the medal!" Ren exclaimed.
"DON'T ENCOURAGE THIS!" Ryuji groaned. Whatever the case, the Phantom Thieves were finally saying goodbye to Sapporo. Step by step, they were slowly getting closer to the truth behind the Jails and their creation. Okinawa was their next major destination, as it may hold the keys to everything they seek. But first...
To Kyoto, where a very annoyed girl was waiting for her father to make it on time...