The Lock Keeper of the Sapporo Jail came from the form of a councilman that threatened Mariko's status as Mayor from the incident. This Lock Keeper had four shields in hand, staring down the Phantom Thieves. "How can you blame a PEON like me!? We don't get paid enough for this! This world revolves around money! Money talks, bullshit walks, Mayor!" As the Lock Keeper echoed these horrid words Mariko once heard, it began swinging at the Phantom Thieves, causing them all to scatter in different directions.
"Bastard! So he threatened the Mayor, is that it!?" Skull landed on his feet before leaping forward. He swung his club at the Lock Keeper, but as anyone could predict, his strike was easily blocked by one of the many shields it had on hand. Skull grit his teeth before he was ultimately pushed back, but did manage to land on his feet.
"I had no idea Mari-san went through such horrible things..." Noir felt so bad. This happened and she was living a life, completely unaware of the suffering of someone she cared for so much.
"Talk later! We have a fight on our hands!" Mona yelled.
"Haaaaah!" Dragon leapt into the air, swinging her staff at the Lock Keeper. Panther joined in with her blazing whip, but their attacks were completely blocked by the shields. Dragon grit her teeth as their attempts to attack bounced back. "Shields are rather annoying, aren't they?" Ironic coming from her.
"You want to stay mayor that badly? What a greedy woman you are!" The Lock Keeper said, putting all four shield forward in a wall and charged at Dragon and Panther. Sensing the danger, Dragon summoned Bella to use Aegis, her own shield clashing with the Lock Keeper's. She was able to fend it off and hold her ground.
Mona and Violet used this chance to attack. The two leapt into the air, drawing their blades back. Violet swung her sword forward, sending beams of light towards the Lock Keeper; Mona also swung his sword, sending a cyclone of wind to their target. The Lock Keeper noticed this and completely vanished from sight, allowing their joint attack to miss completely. "This one can teleport too!" Violet reported. The Lock Keeper appeared in front of her and Mona, spinning and slamming two shields into them.
"Gah!" Mona yelped as he and Violet were sent towards the ground. They were able to recover before a painful collision, but they still felt that damage.
"It's fast!" Fox was attempting to use his speed to outmatch the Lock Keeper. He was fast himself, but the defensive prowess of this Lock Keeper in particular was difficult to deal with. Every time they tried to attack, it had the means of protecting itself. Fox's slashes of ice weren't making a dent in its defenses.
"At once!" Joker shouted. He, Crow, Sophia, and Queen all leapt the Lock Keeper from different angles to try and surprise it. But with four shields, that was more than enough for it to block all of their attacks. The four of them couldn't break through and were pushed back violently. They all tumbled along the ground before coming to a halt, and Joker sucked his teeth in annoyance. "This one's annoying."
"We have more than enough people to break through its defenses. We just have to time it right." Crow said. "Otherwise we'll be going in circles and exhausting ourselves."
"What do you suggest we do, Crow?" Sophie looked to Crow for his opinion.
"It can take four of us at once. But I doubt any number higher than that will be pleasant for it." Crow said. As they were discussing their next plan of attack, Skull, Dragon, and Mona were keeping the Lock Keeper busy.
"She died because of your behavior! HAHAHA!" The Lock Keeper laughed. It was just echoing the words Mariko heard herself, but that didn't stop the impact of them.
"This guy's atrocious, placing all the blame on the mayor!" Panther, in a fit of rage, used Celestine to throw a fireball at the Lock Keeper. It only exploded against the Shadow's shield, but it did help her get some of that boiling aggression out.
"We're here to set Mari-san right! Listening to thugs like you is only a waste of time!" Noir swung her axe at one of the shields. Of course, it was blocked, but that didn't stop her from trying. She was slamming her axe into the shield over and over, trying to break it. She had no luck and she was bashed away, rolling along the ground, but coming to a halt while shaking her head. That one stung. "Ugh..."
"I got you all covered!" Oracle said while putting in her fair share of work in the battle. She used Al Azif to give everyone an attack and defense boost. "Go crazy!"
"Just what we needed, Oracle!" Joker said while his mask burned away. "Sophie, Violet, attack with me!"
"Yes!" Sophie nodded.
"Of course, Joker-senpai! Everyone, close your eyes!" Violet said. The three of them rushed forward as they attacked. Joker summoned Kaiwan, while Violet and Sophie attacked with Ella and Pithos respectively. They all used a form of Kougaon, sending a gigantic blast of light towards the Lock Keeper. It anticipated a direct attack, but instead, it just erupted in a blinding flash of light. This blinded the Lock Keeper as well, who was unable to find its surroundings due to the flash.
This allowed Skull to slip past its defenses, charging an attack with all of his might. "GET WRECKED!" Skull and William attacked in unison. Skull slammed his club into the Lock Keeper while using William for extra damage, slamming his ship into the Shadow in tandem. This resulted in a burst of electrical damage that sent the Lock Keeper flying and crashing into the nearest wall. "Gotcha!"
"It's useless no matter what you do!" The Lock Keeper said while picking itself up. "You should've just resigned as mayor and disappeared!"
"Are you serious!?" Skull groaned. "Stay down, you tough bastard!"
"No one likes a pushy politician." Sophie quipped.
"You can say that again." Crow found himself quietly agreeing with Sophie's statement.
"Another hit like that should do the trick!" Queen said. They just had to corner it again.
"Stand back!" Dragon said while her mask burned away. Multiple swords appeared alongside Bella. "Face the Swords of Judgement!"
"This attack changes name every time..." Panther said with a sweat drop. Despite that and Dragon's need for fancy names, these swords were effective. They rained down on the Lock Keeper who used two shields to protect itself from the onslaught. Dragon didn't expect any damage to be dealt from this, but that was fine. Panther joined in, using Celestine to rain multiple fireballs down as well, ensuring that it wasn't going anywhere from their attacks.
Crow was up next, charging forward as his sword was cloaked in darkness. He swung at the Lock Keeper, who used the third shield to block his attack rather convincingly. It tried to push Crow back, but he wasn't going to allow himself to be bested that easily. "You'll have to do much better that to get rid of me." Crow snarled. A statement that was, unfortunately for him, far too true.
As for the final shield, it was Mona that went full throttle. He turned into the Mona Car, having Diego create a gust of wind to propel him forward. He slammed into a shield, which did kind of hurt, but he was able to keep it occupied. With this, the Lock Keeper was using all four of its shields, unable to push back anyone and stuck in this position. To make sure that it was properly stuck, Fox joined in, stabbing his sword into the ground so ice could cover the legs of the Lock Keeper and prevent it from moving. "It's open!" Mona yelled.
"Why are you singling me out!? If I'm corrupted, so is everyone else around me!" The Lock Keeper squirmed.
"It's weakening! One more push!" Oracle reported.
Queen drifted into the Lock Keeper with Agnes, making sure to rebound off of it while holding her hand out. She passed the baton to Noir, who had Lucy summoned by her side. She grabbed the tip of her hat with one hand, and pointed forward with the other. "Adieu." Lucy fired a single, piercing bullet forward. This bullet struck right through the exposed Lock Keeper, killing it instantly. Noir let out a soft after that finish. "It's over."
"We can get into the Throne Room now." Mona said. That was an annoying fight, but their teamwork allowed them to overcome it in the end.
"Who were those guys, though?" Skull asked. "They were arguing with the mayor just now."
"One was a city employee. The other was a councilman." Queen explained.
"And from the sound of it, they accepted illegal donations from the contractor that built the sculpture. When something like that happens, it can't come as a surprise that an accident followed." Crow said.
"Payment for landing them the job - in other words, bribery." Fox shook his head. "We don't know if the sculpture collapsed due to a structural issue, or a general lack of care. The result is still the same."
"I don't get paid enough for this, he said." Dragon repeated those words. They made her angry. But that was what happened.
"Either way, the councilman was in the know. Not only that, he tried using a fatal accident to take Mayor Hyodo's position." Makoto shook her head. "Something along those lines."
"Grrrgh...unforgivable..." Oracle grumbled.
"And then Mayor Hyodo overheard the conversation." Violet frowned and looked at the ground. "So she was being blackmailed on all sides..."
"That's messed up! These greedy assholes only wanted money and power!" Skull shouted. No matter where they went, there were still rotten adults the country over.
"...Makes sense why she's acting so vicious towards them now." Joker said. "I'm getting a better understanding of what goes through her mind now."
"Mm..." Noir understood as well. An incident like this would make anyone cold... "That's why she's overworking her staff and trying to push her ethics bill through."
"To top it all off, she's trying to manipulate the people into reelecting her." Crow said, but his tone implied he wasn't entirely agreeing with the group's way of thinking. "It doesn't matter what form corruption takes. As long as it's present, it will always be there." He didn't have any problem voicing this thought.
"What are you trying to say?" Noir narrowed her eyes at Crow.
"...I think you know. Or perhaps you're choosing not to understand the situation at hand." Crow said. Noir was about to lunge, but she was held back by the others.
"Noir..." Mona said. "Listen...we should head back and prepare now."
"Can't you be a little nicer towards her?" Panther looked at Crow. It was no secret that Crow was far from the best at understanding how people felt, but he also knew how to read a room. He had to have known that sort of comment would rile Noir up.
"..." Crow didn't respond. The others just left, feeling conflicted about the scene that played out before them.
.
.
It was nightfall in Sapporo now. The group returned to the RV to discuss their plan of action. They were...stuck. "So...what do we do for the calling card?" Ryuji asked the group. This was the final step of their plan.
"Maybe we shouldn't go overboard with it..." Ann said while twirling one of her pigtails. Their target was a victim, and she wasn't so sure how she felt about it. "I don't really see her as a bad person."
"Yeah. The real bad guy here's the one who took the bribe." Ryuji said.
'No," Futaba shook her head adamantly. "The guy who offered the bribe in the first place is the true villain."
"Was it not the shoddy contractor who built the sculpture?" Yusuke offered. "They deserve the most punishment."
"..." Haru just sighed.
Akechi pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is with this back and forth?" All eyes were on him as he spoke. "Why is it you decided to hold back now? Furthermore, do you hear yourselves talking? Did you forget who it is the target was in the first place?"
"Akechi..." Hifumi stared at him. He hadn't spoken up like this in a while.
"We're just trying to...!" Ryuji started.
"I know exactly what it is you all are trying to do." Akechi said while shaking his head. "Then go ahead. Who are the names of those people you want to punish? Can you track them down? Do you even know where they are? You're putting all your efforts in avoiding the issue at hand."
"Hey!" Futaba pouted while looking at Akechi. "You saw what we did! You know how that played out too. How can we sit here and let them get away with it?"
"They already have." Akechi said bluntly. He didn't operate on the same emotional wavelength as everyone else. He saw the situation for what it was. "More importantly, do you seriously intend on allowing Mayor Hyodo to continue being a Monarch? She intents to purge corruption in her office, while also manipulating the people into voting for her. If she sits in office again, she'll be no different than the people she attempted to get rid of. After all, corruption is still corruption, and you all cannot sit here and tell me she isn't corrupted at the moment. And if you do...then I'll simply deal with her myself and we can move on." When he said that, everyone's eyes widened.
Before anyone could muster any response, Haru glared at Akechi. Everyone was lucky that the distance between them was blocked by Makoto. "Akechi...! If you lay a hand on Mari-san...!"
"You guys sound pretty heated." Zenkichi was sitting outside the RV, leaning against the window. "Who's to say one man's more evil than the next?" When they realized he was present, they let Zenkichi inside.
"So, you were here all along." Makoto said to Zenkichi.
"Long time no see." Ren said.
"Yup, sure has been a while." Zenkichi then...tried not to pout. "You guys forgot about me, didn't you? Why would you not get in contact with me?"
"...I did forget..." Sumire admitted to herself, and herself alone.
"Well, uh...now that you mention it..." Ann trailed off.
"Gramps. You completely slipped our minds." Futaba was blunt enough to say it. Futaba's bluntness would always shock Sumire, that just wouldn't change.
"Okay." Zenkichi simply nodded. "Then maybe I'll forget not to get you guys arrested."
"Okay, we're sorry." Ryuji sighed grumpily.
"Ah, forget it. So what's our situation?" Zenkichi asked to be filled in on the details, and the group properly informed them of what they learned. "Now I get the picture. So that's how Mariko Hyodo became a Monarch...that would explain your debate as to who's the worst of them all."
"What do you think about it, Zenkichi-san?" Hifumi asked.
"My take on it...you kids are naïve." The older man said.
"Whaddya mean...?" Ryuji looked to Zenkichi, confused.
"It's clear that Mariko Hyodo was cornered by a pair of rotten scumbags - tragic, I agree." Zenkichi realized how terrible that part of the situation. But everything else? "But what is she doing in response? Isn't it just as wrong to change people's hearts and manipulate them? Akechi here seems to get the picture."
"Well, yes..." Ann glanced away.
"Furthermore, that accident was her responsibility, being that she's the top of command." Zenkichi went on. "Regardless of who did what, a real leader takes the fall."
"But even so!" Ryuji tried to object.
"It may be a bitter pill to swallow, especially for a group of justice loving kids operating outside the law...but the real world isn't so cut and dry." Zenkichi's tone was not a pleasant one. This was a taste of reality these kids needed to understand. "The longer you keep up this hero charade, the harder it's gonna bite you in the ass."
"Zenkichi, that's terrible! Take it back!" Futaba shouted.
"Finally, someone's speaking sense in this RV..." Akechi said.
"...Is that what you really think?" Ren asked both Zenkichi and Akechi. Despite what he was just told, he didn't seem so convinced. Being a hero has already bitten him in the ass, but in the end, it's only made his convictions stronger.
"...Sorry." Zenkichi let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "Might've overstepped my boundaries."
"No, I can understand your line of reasoning." Makoto said. "You're saying the world isn't neatly divided into good and evil. But that won't stop us from fighting. If we give up now, then the people who are counting on us won't have any hope left."
"We help people in a way no one else can. That's why the Phantom Thieves exist." Ryuji said.
"I understand you all take this very seriously." Zenkichi could sense their conviction in this matter. "You have a question to answer then, don't you?" He looked to Akechi, whose question from before was left unanswered.
"...We're going to stop her." Haru finally spoke again. She was still upset at Akechi's words, but...they couldn't let Mariko continue to get away with what she was doing. "What Mari-san is doing is forcing her warped intentions onto other people. And we can't let that happen, no matter what the reason."
"Yes, we're gonna stop Hyodo." Morgana added. "And we're going to do it in a way that's true to us." He then looked to Akechi. "You know how we operate by now. So you should've already known the answer to our question...and we'll make sure we execute it the right way."
"Yeah." Ren said with a smirk. "We'll wake her up to the truth and take back all the Desires. At the end of the day...this is what we we have to do."
"Hmph." Akechi scoffed.
"I have no objections. It's decided, then." Yusuke said.
"So, how will we send the calling card?" Sophia asked.
"Send it with some curry to the mayor's office?" Futaba suggested.
"What are we, a catering service!?" Ryuji shook his head. "If anything, it should be ramen." Akechi groaned from this. Just when it sounded like they were about to make a serious effort, they immediately shifted to this.
"Maybe if we get one of the local delicacies..." Sumire was also, seriously on board with this plan.
"It might be better to avoid closed spaces, actually." Makoto said. "After all, she'll probably be outside prepping for the election most of the time."
"So we then send it outside." Hifumi smiled. "We must place it somewhere we know where she's going to be. Somewhere on her election route is most perferrable. Perhaps with a high amount of traffic as well..."
'Then how about where the Suzushino posters are?" Haru suggested. "I'm sure she'll have a speech over there."
"That's a great idea. Good thinking, Haru." Ren said.
"Question is, who's going to place it there..." As Yusuke said this, everyone's eyes slowly turned to Zenkichi.
No way. Seriously? A second time!? "Ah, no no no!" Zenkichi frantically waved his hands. "Now hold on just a minute! Didn't I just pull this stunt for you in Sendai!?"
"Then consider it a favor." Makoto smiled.
"For being such a jerk earlier." Futaba huffed.
"Shouldn't you own up to it?" Ann asked.
"There's no need to worry. We'll make the calling card for you." Haru said, as if that made this any better.
"We'll be counting on you, Gramps." Yusuke said.
"We wish you the best of luck!" Sumire beamed.
"Your efforts are greatly appreciated." Hifumi nodded.
"We need your help." Ren said with a growing smile.
Zenkichi let out a defeated sigh. There was just no way out of this situation for him. "Agh, you little weasels. Alright, I'll post the damn calling card!"
"We really do appreciate it." Haru was still smiling sweetly.
"How'd I let 'em twist my arm like this..." Zenkichi groaned.
"I'm just as surprised as you are." Akechi said. He was the only one who didn't add onto the dogpile, and yet, Zenkichi had no choice but to submit.
"Alright, well, you better get some rest. Because if we're doing this, it's going to be early in the morning." Zenkichi said.
"Haru, can we leave the contents of the calling card up to you?" Yusuke asked.
"Yes." Haru nodded, determined. "I want to show Mari-san how I feel personally." She said this, and yet...there was something still nagging at her all the same...
.
.
It was late into the night. Haru was left to write the calling card, but she hit a wall. She wanted to make this as personal as possible, but she was unable to find something that could stick. That's why she was outside, sitting at the fountain while mulling her thoughts over. She thought about asking if Ren or Hifumi would be willing to help her...but she had another reason to stay outside as well. She was watching for something...and that something was Akechi, who just so happened to pass her by. He was aware she was there, but had no intentions of disturbing her. "...Where are you going?" Haru asked, looking towards Akechi.
Akechi was going to just walk past Haru without a word, but since she called him out, he had to respond. "I'm getting food. I'm hungry." Akechi responded. "I don't think you should stay up too late either."
"...What are you really doing up?" Haru asked, completely unconvinced at his reasoning.
Akechi quirked a brow at Haru's response. "I can sense you have something else on your mind right now. So why don't you just go ahead and say it. I can handle the truth." Akechi's felt Haru's glare on him ever since he joined them on their cross country trip. If had gotten even stronger since they step foot in the Sapporo Jail.
"You want the truth?" Haru stood up to stare at Akechi. "I don't trust you, Akechi. I don't trust you near Mari-san, or anyone else for that matter. I have no idea of knowing if you were going to sneak into the Jail alone and do exactly what you did to Mari-san what you did to my father! I can't even trust you to be alone with someone, because I have no idea if you'd be the only one to come back or not. And I will NOT let you hurt Mari-san!"
"...I thought as much." Akechi crossed his arms. Ever since his life was miraculously spared on Shido's ship, Haru always wanted to keep him on the tightest leash imaginable. Something that changed when he sacrificed himself so everyone could then escape that ship...and then, something that held little meaning in Maruki's warped reality, where he thought the conclusion of that would be the end of it. But that wasn't the case. Here he still was, his past actions coming to haunt him. "I understand that Mariko Hyodo is important to you, but..."
"No, you don't get it at all." Haru shook her head. "I've been thinking to myself, how could I have forgotten about Mari-san, someone who I loved so much. Even with Hasegawa-san said her name, I didn't remember her. And do you want to know why...? Because of what you did to my father." Haru was angry and it showed with the tears stinging her eyes. She could've stomached Akechi's presence normally. That's what she had been doing so far, but when it came to Mariko, it got so personal, she couldn't hold it back anymore. "When she called me Haru-chan, I remember everything. A lid popped open and all my memories came pouring out."
"..." Akechi let out a silent grunt in response.
"The moment my father died...I ended up suppressing everything deep within my heart. And at some point, I got used to hiding things away, and even forgot a good friend like Mari-san." Haru told Akechi. Because she wanted him to know exactly what he did to her. "Just when I was finally starting to move on from it all, you show up again, and I run into Mari-san after so long. How could I not want you as far away from her as possible? I don't even want you here with the rest of us to begin with! This was supposed to be our summer vacation, and I don't have any enjoyment have you anywhere near me or my friends! Why couldn't you just...stay gone..." Why did her father have to die, but Akechi gets to roam free? The most frustrating thing about it all, was that there was just...no way to punish Akechi for his actions. The cases have already been shut.
"I've asked myself that same question." Akechi responded. The fact that he was agreeing with Haru is what had her surprised.
"H-Huh?" Haru blinked.
"Didn't I tell you before, how I'm cursed to be a free man?" Akechi said while staring at Haru. "Do you think I want to be here? The answer is honestly no. But I'm stuck here regardless. It's true, I did attempt to take the easy way out of our deal, because I thought it would make me good for something at the very least. But no, I was then dragged into Maruki's false reality. And when that was over...I truly wish I had vanished with that reality. Every single day."
"..." That...surprised Haru. Akechi was hardly one to vent his feelings, nobody could ever tell what he was feeling at any given moment. But she never knew his resentment for himself ran so deep, he wished he died with the fake reality.
"I wanted to disappear along with that reality, but I couldn't. I'm still here." Akechi kept going, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I'm stuck here and I haven't a damn thing I can do about it. Every day just passes by and I merely exist, going from day to day. It would be much easier if I didn't have to deal with that, but I'm not so lucky."
"So what?" Haru grimaced. "Did you join us so you could try and feel better about yourself? Helping us doesn't begin to erase the things you've done."
"You don't think I know that?" Akechi shot back. "I can't take back what I've done. And far be it from me to know how to atone either. What am I supposed to do? I haven't the faintest idea. I'm not going to compare our problems, but it's been a large pain in my ass these last few months." The path of atonement was hard, but Akechi's own principles didn't allow him to take the easy way out of not trying. He already had put in some kind of effort before...and it wasn't right for him to just abandon that. It wouldn't sit well with him personally. That's why, despite everything, he was still here...trying.
"...And what?" Haru shook her head. "I hope you're not looking for me to tell you how to atone. If you want to do that, that's something you're going to have to figure out yourself. I'm not going to give you any answers, because I can't trust that you're doing it just to please me, as opposed to doing it for yourself. You've taken so much from Futaba-chan and I...I don't think anything you could do in this lifetime would begin to make up for it. Futaba-chan is nicer and more forgiving than I am about it. She had Sojiro to take care of her. I was left alone because of you..."
Akechi let out a sigh before glancing off to the side. Was he hoping for Haru to give him a little push in the right direction? That would be too easy if it did happen. "I hardly expected you to give me any answers." There was a tense silence between them before his gaze slowly turned to Haru. "...You asked me before if I regretted what I did to your father. I couldn't answer you at the time, because at that point, I hadn't felt anything. But as time passed and I was cursed to this existence, I thought about it more. I can say now...I do hold some regret over what I've done, even if I cannot take it back."
"Ngh..." Haru sucked her teeth. "...You're just saying that, aren't you?" Telling her what she wants to hear in a moment like this? She didn't believe it was genuine.
"There's no better time for me to bring it up. But it's up to you if you choose to believe me or not." Akechi said. He wasn't going to press that issue, but he simply had to get it off his chest. "I don't suspect you'll ever trust me. I doubt the others do as well, and I do not blame you after all I've done. But I know when to play nice and keep peace. I can at least do that."
"...If you want to keep the peace, you'll stay away from Mari-san." Haru repeated. "I won't lose her as well, and if anything goes wrong tomorrow, you'll be the first person I blame. Do you understand?"
"Yes, the thin ice I'm on is cracking very rapidly." Akechi responded. He was fully aware of his situation. "We may not have our deal anymore, but I'll honor it's premise. Are we done here?" This conversation ultimately made him uncomfortable. He hadn't talked this long with anyone for a long time. Especially about his own feelings. It was foreign and he didn't like it. He'd rather keep to himself again, it was easier.
"...We're done here." Haru said with a sigh. She vented all of her frustrations out, but she didn't feel any better. Maybe it was because Akechi didn't put up nearly as much of a fight as she was expecting. They were both...tired. The steam she had faded pretty quickly because of it. Akechi's not putting up much of a fight, and Haru doesn't have it in her to fight for long.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Akechi nodded and went to get food as he intended. Although, he didn't move too far from the park. He'd still be in sight.
Haru wasn't sure if Akechi was doing this to try and make her feel better or not, but... "Ah..." She sighed. That didn't help her at all...it didn't feel like it did. Akechi eventually did leave, but Haru didn't have the energy to track his every movement. It would just exhaust her more, and she hated that she'd just have to trust and hope nothing happened to Mari-san between now and the morning.
"...Something wrong?" Hifumi quietly asked.
Haru immediately spun around. "H-Hifumi...? Um, did you..."
"Hm?" Hifumi tilted her head. She didn't seem to be aware of the situation between Akechi and Haru. If she was, she did a good job at hiding it. "You've been out for a while, so I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?"
"...I don't know." Haru let out a heavy sigh. "I was thinking a lot about Mari-san and the time my father and I used to spend with her."
"Go on." Hifumi took a seat at the fountain next to Haru.
"A long time ago, I remember tagging along with Mari-san and my father during a golfing trip. I was so happy running around, that I ended up tripping and falling. Then, of course, I started crying." Haru had a melancholy smile on her face as she recalled the memory. "Then all of a sudden, Mari-san came up to me and said, 'Stop crying and get back up!'. That shocked me at first, because I'd always thought of her as an extremely gentle person. But because I knew she was so kind, I managed to stop crying and eventually got back up. I remember thinking Mari-san would never say anything out of place. I trusted her completely. At that point, Mari-san hugged me and said: 'No matter how many times you fall, you can always get back up and start again. Never forget that.'. Can you believe it?"
"It sounds like she really cared about you back then." Hifumi said with a soft smile.
"Mhm..." Haru nodded. "I didn't understand it back then, but I think I do now. There's more to good character than kindness. Being good means dealing with the bad in front of you. It means to take a stand, even when all you want to do is run away. It's just like what happened in Maruki's reality...I don't want to run and hide from this. Nothing will change if we keep ignoring reality. I'd be betraying everything I fought for...what we all fought for."
"Hehe...you're right, Haru." Hifumi smiled up at Haru.
"I have everyone to take for that, of course." Haru said. "It's too late to save my father, but it's not to late for Mari-san! This time, I can change things around. This time, I can save someone important to me. I want to tell her exactly what she told me all those years ago!"
"Then we'll have to change her heart for that." Hifumi said.
"Yes...we will." Haru nodded. "Tomorrow, I'm going to do my absolute best! But for now...goodnight. I feel a lot better now."
"Goodnight, Haru." Hifumi said with a slight giggle. She'd have to pull her weight tomorrow, too. She didn't head back just yet, though. She pulled out her phone to text Mika something.
Ren and Sumire were nearby, happening to overhear Hifumi and Haru's conversation. They were going to check on Haru as well, but Hifumi beat them to it. "Hey..." Sophia chimed in from Sumire's phone. With everything she's heard so far, she had some questions of her own. "Why is Haru so upset over Mariko Hyodo? I don't have a heart, so it's hard to understand. Why do people try so hard for others? I wonder if I'll ever know."
"You will, eventually." Ren said confidently.
"Mhm. When you care about someone...you want to do your best for them." Sumire added with a sweet smile.
Sophia didn't seem entirely convinced, but she had yet to be led astray by them. "Okay, I'll believe you. It may seem like a simple concept to you, but to me, it makes my mind go BZZZZZZT. But I am humanity's companion! I am here to learn and grow."
"And we'll help you every step of the way." Sumire said confidently.
.
.
August 12th - WE'RE TAKING THE DESIRES BACK!
Early morning, Mariko was out and about, doing her usual campaigning. "Good day, everyone! Are we ready to make Sapporo a paradise as pure as snow? Then remember: on election day, please vote Mariko Hyodo!" As usual, her speeches did draw in a crowd, but...something was different this time. She could hear the murmurs of people at the posters nearby.
"Oh, my gosh..." Mika was among the crowd, but she was playing up her reaction the best way she knew how. She was very good at drawing people's attention and causing a scene. It helped that she was becoming a very popular model in Japan as well, which really sold her reaction. "Is that a calling card...!?" She knew what she was doing. In fact, it was Hifumi who asked for her help with a text that read...
"Can you stop by the Suzushino posters tomorrow morning? I don't want to say too much...but I trust in your ability to cause a scene. Thank you in advanced, Mika!"
And with a request from Hifumi, Mika couldn't resist. Plus, she did want to help Hifumi somehow. This was perfect, as her played out reactions were drawing in a crowd. "From the Phantom Thieves...!?"
"No way, a calling card...?"
"Whoa, it's real...!"
The reactions of the people not paying attention to her caught Mariko's attention. "What's...going on...?" So, she curiously went over to the posters, only to see a few calling cards plastered over some of her election posters. She began to read one. "Mariko Hyodo, the false empress with a frozen heart...You are a cold manipulator who treats people as tools to be discarded..." As she read this, her tone became more irritable. "We find this unforgivable and will end your reign of abuse. In fact, we will take back the Desires you stole this very night...!? This is...?!"
The threat was a success. Shadow Mariko reacted very strongly to this. "The Phantom Thieves? And they say they're going to steal my Desires!? What a bald-faced lie! Those Desires are MINE and mine alone! As long as I'm Monarch, i won't let anyone stop me! Very well...I was just beginning to get an appetite. I wonder what you'll taste like. I can't wait to gobble you up and find out!"
Mariko turned to her staff angrily. "What are you doing!? Take these things down at once!" In a panic, her staff hastily did so.
Across the street, the group watched Mariko read the calling card to confirm it had an effect. "Wait for us, Mari-san. It'll all be over soon."
"Let's begin the operation." Ren told everyone. They all nodded and were ready to get going.
.
.
Just like before, with the Trauma Cell taken care of, the chain on the Castle fell, allowing the group to easily climb up to the top. They did so and immediately busted into the throne room, where Shadow Mariko was waiting for them. "Sorry for the wait!" Skull said. "We're here to kick ass and-" He stopped, because the sight in front of him was NOTHING like he anticipated. This was the first time they laid eyes on Shadow Mariko, and she was completely different compared to Mariko in reality. She truly did have the appearance of an ice queen, and she was gorging herself on a buffet on the table in front of her, and her physical stature showed this. "WHAAAAAAAAAAA!?"
"Silence, impudent whelp!" Shadow Mariko said while chewing on some food.
"W-Who the hell is she!?" Skull was not prepared for this.
"T-That...that can't be Mari-san...!?" Noir gasped.
"WHOA!" Oracle wasn't sure what kind of noise she just made. It was a gasp and a cough at the same time.
"This is not what I expected to see..." Fox admitted.
"What on earth happened to her!?" Queen had a hard time keeping her composure. That said a lot about what they were looking at.
"Hoo boy..." Joker rubbed the back of his neck.
"T-This must be her distorted form..." Mona gulped.
"What do you people want?!" Shadow Mariko snarled between bites. "You had best...best not get in my way! I'm almost there! Only a few more votes and I'll win re-election!"
"I'm sure you're exactly the type of leader the people want." Crow scoffed.
"You have to stop this, Mari-san!" Noir pleaded. "Those votes you gathered by twisting the people's hearts are worthless!"
"And if you don't stop this, your staff will collapse one by one!" Queen said.
"I get why it's hard for you to trust people, but you still have to treat them with decency!" Panther added. "You can't treat people this way just because you don't like or trust them!"
"You are a leader, are you not? So surely you understand." Dragon said. "You must do the right thing. It isn't too late."
After slurping down some food, Shadow Mariko barked bak at these brats who understood nothing. "You shut your impudent mouths! I've done nothing wrong! I will wring out every last ounce of corruption from my staff by working them into the ground! And silence all charlatans who betray me, and I will consume every last vote in the cty, whether these people agree with me or not! Only then can I build a safe haven - a radiant snow city that sparkles like winter!"
"Are you happy living a lie?" Joker scoffed.
"It seems she's too far gone to even acknowledge the flaw in her own twisted logic." Crow shook his head.
"This isn't the way to do things." Violet shook her head.
"Listen to them, Mari-san." Noir stepped forward. "When you take away someone's Desire, you rob them of their agency - the ability to make their own decision. So what good does it do to turn your citizens into mindless drone? Wouldn't it be better to let them make their own decisions?"
"How dare you lecture ME!?" Shadow Mariko exclaimed in a fit of rage.
"Good job, Noir! You tell her!" Sophie cheered.
"Mari-san, say goodbye to the countless Desires you stole..." Noir then gave Shadow Mariko her usual dramatic point. "Because Beauty Thief and the Phantom Thieves are about to take them all back!"
Shadow Mariko grew frustrated, angrily eating more and more food. "Honestly, they're all in my way." She stood up from her seat, her body growing larger and larger. "This is the last straw! I'm growing very hungry...and my main course is going to be...YOOOOOU!" It was then she transformed into her true form. Shadow Mariko was not a pretty sight; that of a large blob with a gigantic mouth and eyes, and six appendages that held forks and knives. Her tongue shot out and wrapped around the table before swallowing it whole, and then she roared a frigid roar at the Phantom Thieves.
Noir grimaced from the cold air, but she did not let this stop her. With her axe in hand and eyes burning with determination, she stared Shadow Mariko in the face. "We end this now, Mari-san."
