AN: This might be my favorite chapter title pun lol
Chapter 28: Alibaba and the Phantom Thieves
July 19
"Looks like our grades are out," Collin said as students gathered around the notice board in the morning.
"Still think it's messed up that they post them out in the open like this…" Loona muttered. "But it looks like I passed, so great!" She ruffled Octavia's hair. "And you got in the top ten, princess!"
"It was nothing. Honestly, I think some of these subjects I already learned from Dad or with homeschooling," Octavia said humbly.
"I'm in the top ten as well!" Ren cheered quietly.
"Whoa! Everyone's gonna have their eyes on you two now!" Morgana complimented. "Very charismatic of you."
When it came to the other Phantom Thieves, though, things were different. "We were busy. It's not like I could focus on studying…" Ryuji defended himself. "Hey, it's not my fault my scores suck, right?"
"Actually, it is your fault," Octavia said in a snarky way. Ren just shrugged.
"You don't gotta throw the truth right in my face like that…" Ryuji sighed. "Anyways, there's something more important here! Mishima…"
"You want to ask me something about the internet, right?" Mishima guessed.
"Yup. I'm gonna be straight with you here- do you know who DHORKS are?" Ryuji asked.
"You weren't kidding about being direct," Mishima mused. "Well, I suppose the news about DHORKS and the Phantom Thieves has caused quite the commotion… They started out as seekers of the truth, but now they only look to prove their insane theories correct at any cost. That's all I know. They were the group I texted Amamiya about yesterday."
"I see…" Collin frowned.
"Nobody's sure who actually belongs to DHORKS," Mishima added. "Well, it looks like things'll be exciting this summer. It'll be the Phantom Thieves' world debut, no?"
"Dude…" Ryuji shook his head in disbelief.
"Don't worry, I'll be rooting for the Phantom Thieves. I'll get the forum mobilized as well," Mishima promised. "Now if we're dome taking here, I really must be going. I'll see you guys later."
"So that was fruitless…" Morgana said flatly.
"Wonder if anyone else got any info," Ryuji said, pulling out his phone.
Ryuji: Mishima was pretty useless. You guys got anything?
Makoto: I tried asking my sister, but it seems as though she didn't know very much about them. She doesn't specialize in the supernatural, after all.
Ann: I tried looking into them too, but I didn't come up with anything. There are really just no leads.
Yusuke: Hm, our opponent is truly elusive.
"No luck…" Ryuji slumped over.
"DHORKS, hm?" Morgana said. "It seems like we won't be able to deal with them by ourselves…"
"Especially since they know how to fight demons. If they show up in-person in Japan, it could be bad for us," Octavia added. Heading to homeroom after their talk, there was one more surprise for the kids.
"I know summer vacation is due to being next week, but I have an unfortunate announcement," Kawakami said. "We'll be holding an emergency meeting on Monday the 25th. Please come to school that day." The class was in an uproar at that statement. "Settle down! We've had many strange incidents: the psychotic breakdowns, students being dragged into crime rings… Hence, Principal Kobayakawa has instructed to caution the student body. This in inconvenient for us too, you know? Having to finds things to warn you about so suddenly…"
Ryuji: How're we gonna find DHORKS?
Loona: If they show up in person, look for people wearing suits and glasses. Oh, and carrying ninja weapons.
Ann: Uh, what?
Loona: I don't know, okay? They were using ninja stars and shit when IMP fought them last time.
Yusuke: Sounds like they are otaku then. They are a recognized organization, but are very elusive and derided all the same. Kaneshiro was a lot of trouble, but this turning out to be a much greater ordeal.
Collin: Did we bite off more than we can chew?
Ren: I'm not sure.
Makoto: Right. There's no knowing who we're actually up against if we can't see the full picture. We don't even know whether it's a single individual or a large conglomerate of people. And even if we do manage to get a lead, what do we do from there?
Loona: Damn, this stuff's really not going so good…
Ryuji: That's prolly why my exams're going to shit too.
Octavia: You know those are two separate things, right?
[***]
Unknown Location
"Damn, this stuff's really not going so good…"
A mysterious person laughs, eyes glinting behind glasses as they looked at their computer screen. "Clues on DHORKS, huh?"
[***]
Octavia and Ren shared a look as they entered the clinic that afternoon. While the situation with DHORKS was important, they didn't want to leave Takemi alone after the devastating news she had learned last time. The back-alley doctor looked up at the two as they entered he building. "It's been getting hotter, huh? How's your health? Don't forget to stay hydrated. I don't want you collapsing when you take my medicine. So, what are you here for today?" Takemi asked.
"We want to do a clinical trial," Ren replied.
Takemi looked down. "Oh, the clinical trial… Sorry, I'm going to pass on it today…"
'Takemi is depressed…' Octavia thought. She steeled her gaze. 'But I'm not going to leave her alone like this…! Heh, it feels like our charmis melting through her stubborn heart.'
Takemi looked up at the cousins again. "I… need to talk to you. Since this might be the last time… Come in." The three entered the exam room to have a more personal talk. "Hey… I'm thinking of resigning."
"What?" Octavia gasped.
"Several of my suppliers have stated that they're going to stop selling to me," Takemi explained. "If I can't get my hands on medical supplies, I won't be able to get what I need to complete the new medicine. They're probably being pressured by Oyamada to stop doing business with me. So I figure it's over."
"And you're okay this?" Octavia questioned. "What about Miwa-chan?"
Takemi shook her head. "It's fine. I confirmed with the hospital Miwa-chan was being treated at… Oyamada was telling the truth. Miwa-chan was apparently smiling until the very end. She probably didn't want to worry anyone. I wish I could've cured her… I didn't want fame of money. All I wanted… was to keep her smiling…"
The doctor sighed. "This isn't about her though… I was going to help every single person who was suffering for that disease…! I was a sickly child when I was young too… I was always in the hospital… and was rarely well enough to attend school at all. Medicine was all that kept me alive… That's why I wanted to become a doctor… So I could save people, just like I was saved…"
She shook her head. "But I guess this is where it ends… The medical industry is a business, after all, and the chief decides what's best for it. I'm all out of allies…"
"We're your allies," Ren said with conviction.
"Yeah… You're right," Takemi managed a small smile. "You might just be my only ones… I really appreciate everything you've done. My practice increased thanks to your nosiness, and in the end, I feel like a real doctor again. So… thank you."
"And your patients? Are you gonna run away from them too?" Octavia questioned.
"There are plenty of other small-town doctors," Takemi replied. "This is where it ends. Although it frustrates me… I can't do clinical trials anymore, so you can go home. Thanks again for all your help. And good luck on those entrance exams."
'Is there anything we can do for Takemi…?' the two Phantom Thieves thought.
"Bye…" Takemi said.
"What's his full name?" Ren suddenly asked.
Takemi looked at him oddly. "You mean Oyamada? Why? I hope you're not planning to get revenge for me."
"I won't do anything," Ren promised. 'The Phantom Thieves, on the other hand…'
"You're such a weird kid," Takemi shook her head. She paused before responding, "His full name is Shoichi Oyamada. He's a very influential Chief of Staff in the world of medicine… Is that all?"
Ren nodded, while Octavia discreetly put his name into the Meta-Nav. There was a match for his name in Mementos. 'We're going to do something about this, for Takemi… and for Miwa-chan…' the princess thought. As soon as they got the chance, it would be time to change the heart of the corrupt medical director.
[***]
Chihaya: No test today! Instead, I have a request for you! Will you please hear me out?
Ren: We'll be there.
Chihaya: Thank you so much. Can we talk after I close up shop? I'll contact you again later for when to meet up.
On a bench in the red-light district, Chihaya, Ren, and Octavia all sat down to hear what this "request" the fortune teller had for the two of them "Amamiya-san, Goetia-san… Honestly, I still believe in the existence of fate," Chihaya confessed. "I mean, the fortunes I see have an extremely high accuracy rate. But… I suppose my divine power isn't completely absolute, huh?"
"You're only realizing that now?" Octavia snarked.
"It's not that… I just need some time to accept that reality," Chihaya said. "You know, I've wondered in the past whether fate really can be changed… But I always concluded that it was something beyond our control. Almost like the laws of nature. Eternal… Impossible to defy… Any yet, there exist people like you who can ignore those laws and impose their own will upon the world…"
She looked to Ren. "How can I become one of those people, Amamiya-san?"
"Trust in yourself," Ren replied.
"Trust in myself, instead of my fortune telling? I've never thought of it that way before!" Chihaya said in surprise. She stood up from her seat. "This city keeps finding way to subvert my expectations… There was nobody like you back in my hometown in the country, Amamiya-san. It was a small, traditional town deep in the mountains, populated almost entirely by older people…"
"Sounds like a real riot…" Octavia said with sarcasm.
"During the winter, it's practically inaccessible due to all the snow," Chihaya continued. "That alone should tell you volumes. The youth there are forced to be strictly obedient to their elders as well. Not explicitly, of course… Oh, and there's a small shrine in the center of the village. There, I…" She stopped herself. "It doesn't matter anymore. I left that place to come to this city. It means nothing to me now!"
The fortune teller pulled out a rock from her pocket, holding it up for the kids to see. "After I arrived in Tokyo, I found comfort in this stone. It came from someone who dared to care about me, even though I'm just a monster with strange powers… That's why I sell Holy Stones. I want to help those who suffer from inescapable fates similar to my own. But… now I wonder if they really do much of anything. After all, you managed to change the destinies of my clients without one. Is it truly possible to alter fate with nothing more than mere words, attitude, and passion?"
Chihaya tossed her stone away, much to the shock of the kids. "If that's the case, I won't be needing this. I'm going to confront fate head-on, with my own strength. Although… the chairman would be really mad if he found out."
"…The chairman?" Ren and Octavia raised their eyebrows at that.
"O-Oh, don't worry about that! Just forget about it… unless you want to suffer my curse, that is," Chihaya said quickly, sitting back down. "Anyway…! If fate can be changed… Maybe even mine can be corrected… right? It didn't work for me before, but perhaps this time…"
"It all depends on you," Octavia noted.
"R-Right! I look forward to our continued exchange!" Chihaya said confidently. "At least, until I can manage to change my fate… Oh, and I'll be sure to put some extra effort into my fortune telling for you! Thank you for today, Amamiya-san, Goetia-san. Good night."
[***]
Octavia knew she was dreaming again, if only because of the blue glow of the room and the soft piano music of Club Velvet. Standing up from the lounge couch, she looked around to find a newcomer to the room: a woman in an opera dress with prominent white streaks in her hair.
"Welcome, one of the Aeon," the lady sang. "I am Belladonna. I praise visiting warriors. Who challenge the monster called thyself."
"Nice to meet you, Belladonna," Octavia greeted.
"This lady is my beloved," Nameless said, playing at his piano. "It is nice for her to finally join us."
"We must congratulate you on your latest victory, Octavia," Philemon said, appearing by her side. "The Phantom Thieves are growing stronger, though it seems that a new group has joined in this ordeal, and I feel that you will need more help to overcome this problem."
"It's different from our last targets, that's for sure," Octavia nodded.
"If you'll allow me, I believe a song may lift your spirits, and guide you on your journey," Belladonna offered. "To surpass the men that seek the truth, call on the leader of the forty thieves. Solve the mystery of the pyramid, and an ally to your cause you'll find."
"Okay, I'll pretend like I understand that, but I'll keep it in mind nonetheless," Octavia said.
"There is more, though this song pertains to your own journey, Aeon," Belladonna said. Her new song sounded more like a warning than anything: "A house divided, at crossroads you stand, not willing to choose a side. To mend the fractures in your heart, my song you should abide. Accept the truth you shied away from, and dive in deep to find the hidden depths. Free the swan from her cage of vines, lest the prince shall lose his head. But a heart is not so easily stolen, when within the grasp of such a fiend. You must decide for yourself if it's worth the effort to tame the hatred that freezes over her soul."
Octavia looked taken aback. "Wait, what does that all mean? A swan, a prince…? Are you talking about-"
A distant bell suddenly rang. "We are out of time," Philemon said. "I trust that you will do what you believe is right when the time comes, Octavia. I am very interested in seeing which path you choose…" And with that, Club Velvet faded away as Octavia awoke from her dream.
[***]
July 20
"Hey, your phone was buzzing earlier," Morgana said to Ren in class. Curious, the leader of the Phantom Thieves pulled out his device to see a message from an unknown number.
Unknown: Nice to meet you. I am the one they call Alibaba. I want to ask you something. You're a phantom thief, aren't you? Can you really steal hearts?
"Who is this? Why does he know that you're a phantom thief?" Morgana said in shock.
"What?" Octavia gasped, peering over Ren's shoulder to read the messages. "This better not be Loona pulling a prank…"
Alibaba: There is someone whose heart I would like you to steal. But I'm not asking for charity. Let's make a deal. You wish to know about DHORKS, correct? I can give you information on them if the change of heart is successful. If you so desire, I can take care of them as well. Do you believe in my skills? I can track down their accounts, just as I have with yours. But this is all I can prove at the moment. I've prepared the necessary tool on my end. Look forward to it.
"Shouldn't you respond to it?" Morgana asked.
"Be careful, though," Octavia warned. Ren nodded.
Ren: Who is this?
"Damn, I can't the account to send a response to," he cursed as his phone sent back an error message.
"I don't know what this is all about, but we should probably let everyone know about this…" Morgana suggested.
"Right," Octavia and Ren nodded.
[***]
After school, the Phantom Thieves gathered at the hideout to discuss this Alibaba character. "Considering he mentioned stealing hearts, he knows, doesn't he?" Collin said with worry.
"Seems so…" Octavia nodded gravely.
"How were we found out?" Yusuke wondered.
"He may have traced our chat log…" Makoto guessed.
"How careless of us…" Yusuke said.
"But how would he have known all these details with just that?" Octavia wondered. "Do you think that there's another cause, Makoto?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure why, but that's the feeling I get," Makoto nodded.
"Hey, is it that easy to look at someone else's chat log?" Ann asked.
"I don't know much about it myself, but… it's probably not impossible, I think?" Makoto replied.
"How's it done?" Ryuji asked.
"Maybe they extracted our phones' data?" Makoto guessed.
"Why's it getting an error when he tries to reply?" Loona questioned.
"Perhaps the receiving end doesn't exist?" Makoto replied.
"That's possible?" Ryuji said in shock.
"Don't ask me everything. I told you that I don't know much about it," Makoto said.
"Wait. Might this be what is referred to as hacking?" Yusuke asked.
"Then, does that mean this guy's a hacker!?" Ryuji gasped.
"I don't get high-tech stuff! What this this all mean?" Morgana asked.
"An unknown hacker contacted us!" Octavia said.
"I see. I don't really get it," Morgana sighed.
"Look, it doesn't matter if you get it or not. This "Alibaba" guy said he could somehow "deal" with DHORKS, if we accept their terms and change a target's heart for them," Octavia said. "That is, only if we take his words at face value."
"True…" Makoto nodded.
"Hey… Wouldn't it be great if we got this guy on our side?" Loona asked.
"But we know nothing about his identity at all," Collin said. "We can't trust him."
"I don't think it's a bad deal, though…" Loona said.
"Even if Alibaba turns out to be a criminal? I am not helping anyone of that sort," Yusuke said firmly.
"Yeah, that wouldn't be good…" Ryuji nodded.
"The "I've prepared the necessary tool" part makes no sense either," Morgana pointed out.
"Could this just be a prank?" Ann wondered.
"He knows an awful lot for it to be a prank," Makoto said seriously.
"If he knows who we are, won't we get caught?" Collin asked.
"No. If he wanted to report us, I think he would have done it already," Makoto replied.
"He must have his own goals, considering he offered us a deal," Octavia said. "I'm certain that we'll be getting another message from Alibaba soon. There's no telling when he'll do so, though…"
"I'd be best if we stay together. If something happens, we can act at once," Makoto suggested.
"Yeah," Ann nodded. "Good thing we have your apartment, right Octavia?"
"Actually… We might need to change hideouts," Octavia said. "There were some guys in suits following Loona and I home. I managed to open a portal in a back alley, but…"
"I think DHORKS already has agents patrolling the area," Loona growled. "They know what my human disguise is like, so I can't go out freely like before. If they see me leave this apartment building, we're all screwed."
"Then we need a new location to hide in," Makoto hummed. "How about Leblanc?"
"That could work," Ren nodded. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a funny-looking pair of glasses. "Here Loona, these should keep you disguised."
"You actually bought these?" Loona raised an eyebrow. She let out a groan before putting the gag glasses on, getting a few laughs out of the group. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. You won't be laughing when these don't work…" The gang left for Leblanc soon after that, making their way to subway station to go to Yongen. As they walked, they passed by two guys in suits, one tall and one short.
"Hey Three, doesn't that girl look like one of our suspects?" the tall agent asked.
"Nah, Four, he's got a mustache. Totally different person," the shorter one replied.
"Dude, you can't just assume the gender of someone like that. What if they're still transitioning?" Agent Four said.
"Oops, my bad," Agent Three said sheepishly.
"I can't fucking believe these stupid glasses worked…" Loona muttered under her breath.
[***]
The group soon arrived at Leblanc as evening fell, surprising Sojiro as he read the daily newspaper. "Oh? What's with the big group?" he asked Ren.
"Good evening," Collin greeted.
"We were thinking about putting together plans for our summer," Ann explained.
"Hm? Is that a new face I see?" Sojiro asked, looking at Makoto.
The student council president stepped forward. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Makoto Nijima. I hope we're not being a bother."
"She's the student council president," Loona stated.
"Nijima…?" Sojiro repeated.
"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked.
"Nah, it's nothing," Sojiro shook his head with a smile. "A student council president, eh? I'm stunned. I hope he's not causing you too much trouble. I'm Sojiro Sakura, but everyone just calls me Boss. By the way, that was addressed to you. This old man'll get going and leave you kids be. All right, the store's all yours." He left soon after that, the Phantom Thieves taking up a table as they turned on the news.
"We have late-breaking news on DHORKS, whose notoriety rose since their statement the other day," the reporter on TV said. "Just moments ago, a new message has been released on their website. They have announced their victory over the Phantom Thieves. DHORKS also warns that any Japanese citizens who praised the Phantom Thieves to stop doing so. We will report any further actions by DHORKS as they arrive."
Oh, come on! It's in English!" Ryuji groaned.
"I'll take care of it," Loona said, pulling up the message on her phone. "The Phantom Thieves remain silent at our question. This proves that we are just. People of Japan, wake up. You must not worship the Phantom Thieves."
"What!? That's bullshit!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Calling their praise "worship" is a bit much," Collin said with a frown.
"Keep listening," Yusuke said.
Loona continued. "We will discipline any who worship them. The punishment is forced exorcism of evil spirits. We are DHORKS. We reveal the unseen. We will eliminate evil." That's what it says."
"What does that all mean!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"They're saying that they'll target sympathizers of the Phantom Thieves," Makoto explained.
"Exorcism of evil spirits, hm?" Yusuke recalled.
"Loona told me that my father possessed one of their own to appear in the human realm once… Perhaps they have a means of exorcising demons and will use that power to interrogate anyone that stands with us," Octavia guessed. "All of those innocents, taking the fall because some assholes think we're using demonic powers to possess the people of Japan…"
"Why the hell are we being singled out?" Ryuji asked.
"Perhaps all they care about is labeling the Phantom Thieves as crooks," Makoto speculated. "That all this wouldn't have happened had the Phantom Thieves not existed."
"That's complete bullshit," Loona growled.
"Talk about a troublesome organization that we've been targeted by…" Morgana sighed.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Ann asked.
"It's certain we can't do anything about this on our own…" Yusuke said.
The group was silent, before Octavia looked to Ren, who was fiddling with a letter in his hands. "Hey, what's that letter about? I hope it's not something else for us to deal with…"
"It's rare for you to get something like this," Morgana noted. Ren opened up the letter, revealing a familiar red card inside. "A calling card?"
"Anything else in there!?" Ann asked. "Who's this from anyway?"
"There's no stamp on it. Someone must've directly dropped it into the mailbox here…" Makoto noted.
"Could it have been Alibaba?" Yusuke asked.
"That reminds me, he did mention something about preparing the "necessary tool"… Don't tell me… Is this what he was talking about!?" Morgana exclaimed.
"What the Hell's going on here?" Loona questioned.
"All we ca do at the moment is wait for Alibaba's orders," Makoto said. "Let's brace ourselves and stand by... in case anything comes up."
"Oh dear…" Collin sighed.
[***]
July 21
Alibaba: Good day.
Ren: What do you want?
Alibaba: Ah, you responded today. Once again, I am Alibaba. You are the leader of the Phantom Thieves, correct?
Ren: That's right.
Alibaba: Mm, I appreciate your honesty. I take it you received the calling card?
"So it really was from this guy…" Morgana said.
Alibaba: Are you at school right now?
Ren: I'm in class.
Alibaba: Hm, you're a surprisingly diligent student. Now then, I have prepared the calling card for you. When are you going to steal it?
Ren: Steal from who?
Alibaba: What do you mean by that? Aren't you able to steal a heart as long as you have a calling card?
Octavia looked at Ren. "Tell him," she said.
"We need the name of the target," Morgana clarified.
Ren: What's the target's name?
Alibaba: …A name? Is your heart thievery truly impossible without such information?
Ren: It is.
Alibaba: …I see. Hm, I suppose past calling cards did have names on them. One moment. Very well, I'll tell you.
…
Alibaba: I believe their name was… Futaba Sakura. If you fail in this mission, I will expose your identity to the world and the police. Including what some of your members really are. Well then, I'll be counting on you. We shall speak again after the change of heart.
Ren: Who is Futaba Sakura?
"Error message again…" Ren said frustratedly.
"So he threatened us, then just took off!?" Octavia said. "And Sakura…? Wait, isn't that Boss' lass name?"
"In any case, we should let everyone know about this," Morgana said.
[***]
"We're gonna get reported if we don't do this? What the hell…" Ryuji said.
"Not just that, but Alibaba somehow knows about the involvement of demons and angels," Collin said. "I thought we'd been careful about that fact, but I guess not careful enough…"
"Futaba Sakura"?" Ann said.
"Wasn't Sakura…" Makoto stated.
Octavia nodded. "Yeah, it's Boss' last name."
"Does he have any family?" Yusuke asked.
"Does he?" Morgana wondered.
"I'm not sure. He's never mentioned it before, or I just didn't notice…" Ren replied.
"For reals!? How laid-back are you!?" Ryuji exclaimed. "Wouldn't you normally be introduced at least? I mean, you are living at his place."
"Well, his situation does make things difficult," Yusuke pointed out.
"The calling card was delivered to Boss' house; it'd be more natural to assume this is all related," Makoto said. "One of the reasons for that is because Alibaba mentioned nothing about "which" Futaba Sakura. Perhaps he things that the name alone is enough."
"That makes sense," Morgana nodded.
"I believe it's adequate for us to think that this is the doing of someone close by," Makoto said.
"I see," Ann nodded.
"I don't know how Alibaba got a hold of Ren-kun's smartphone information. However, since he's ordering us through chat, I do feel as though he's taunting us," Makoto stated.
"You mean, this might just be a prank?" Ryuji questioned.
"I mean, look at his demands. Pay me if you don't want me to leak who you really are- that I'd understand. But he's telling us to steal someone's heart without explaining why," Makoto said.
"So we're being tested?" Octavia raised an eyebrow. "Ugh, whatever this really is, we should just ask Boss about Futaba Sakura, now."
"That's probably for the best," Morgana replied. "There's nothing else we can do at the moment, and Chief might have an idea on what this is about too."
"I'll check the school's roster just in case," Makoto offered.
"We must make sure Boss doesn't figure out who we are. We'll have to go about this cautiously," Yusuke warned.
Ann: Oh, I just remembered! Ren, were you able to ask Boss about Futaba Sakura?
Ren: I tried…
Yusuke: So, no results. Could there be a reason as to why that was?
Makoto: Hm. Alibaba might be our only hope of defeating DHORKS. I wish we could get some info about Futaba out of Boss…
Collin: But trying to force it out would probably have the opposite effect.
Yusuke: To be honest, I owe a great debt to both Boss and Ren. I don't wish for this to be a source of discord between them.
Ryuji: Yeah, I know just what you mean!
Octavia: It's probably best to wait for Boss to bring the subject up himself.
[***]
July 22
Ryuji: Yo, how'd it go? You find out anything about Futaba Sakura?
Collin: I've been wondering about that too!
Ren: At the hideout, OK?
Ryuji: Whoa-ho!
Yusuke: So you did learn something. Fine work.
Ann: I knew we could count on you!
Makoto: Ren-kun, thank you.
Octavia: All right, let's all meet up tomorrow.
[***]
July 23
"A woman was threatening Boss?" Octavia said as Ren relayed what he'd learned the other day.
"Yeah, she was going on about domestic abuse and taking the case to court and stuff…" Morgana added.
Makoto looked troubled. "What's up?" Loona asked.
"It's nothing," Makoto assured her. "So to summarize what you told us, Futaba is Boss' daughter, and he's abusing her? I don't know him very well… is he really the kind of person who would do that?"
"There's no way," Ren said firmly.
"I would like to believe that as well, but we've unfortunately seen how humans can hide their inner darkness away from others," Collin said. "We'd need to get evidence that confirms that Boss is as good as he appears to be."
Ren's phone suddenly rang. "Is it Alibaba!?" Morgana asked excitedly. Everyone gathered around to look at the messages.
Alibaba: I've given you a calling card and told you the target's name. You should be ready for this. Why aren't you doing it? I told you I'd help you if you stole her heart. What seems to be the hold up? I also said I'd report your identity to the police if you didn't help me. Are you OK with that? I'm serious here.
"What a selfish person," Yusuke scoffed.
"Well, he does have information on us…" Octavia reminded him. "Anyways, we'd need the keywords to Futaba's Palace if we're to perform a change of heart. Thy asking him about them."
Ren: Tell me her keywords.
Alibaba: Keywords? What are you talking about? Are you just saying random stuff to dodge the issue?
"What are we supposed to do about this?" Ann asked.
"We'd be able to figure out Alibaba's identity if we could just meet with him…" Morgana said. "Try asking him if there's any way we could meet up."
Ren: Let's meet somewhere.
Alibaba: Meet? With me? That will be difficult. I have reasons for not being able to go out. That's why I'm contacting you like this.
"He can't go out!?" Collin exclaimed.
Alibaba: Wait. I get it. You steal people's hearts directly… That might make things difficult. Extremely difficult. One moment. I'm thinking… OK. It's a shame, but I'm calling this deal off. Stop looking into Futaba Sakura. Forget this ever happened. I won't report you to the police either, don't worry. Sorry for taking you time. Now if you'll excuse me…
Ren: Who are you?
Alibaba: I said the deal's off! We're never going to speak again. Don't expect me to contact you anymore either.
Ren: Why are you doing this?
"Error…" Ren growled, pocketing his phone in frustration.
"Huh…? Did he just shut the whole operation down?" Loona asked. "This doesn't make any sense… Not only can Alibaba not go out, but he won't let us meet Futaba either?"
"Well, it's none of our business now. We can't contact him anymore," Ryuji shrugged.
"But… what do we do about DHORKS? We won't be able to get Alibaba to help us with them now," Collin pointed out.
"Maybe they were just pranking us," Ryuji suggested. "They made that huge declaration, but they ain't done nothing since. I bet we go 'em freaked out."
"You mean they back out because they're afraid we'll change their hearts?" Morgana questioned.
"Yup. Now it'd just make 'em look lame if they came out and apologized!" Ryuji grinned.
"But-" Makoto tried to say.
"I guess with Alibaba and DHORKS outta the picture, can we just say this case is closed?" Ryuji asked.
The others all looked at each other, before Makoto sighed. "You do have a point. I guess it is safe to relax a little."
"Oh yeah, remember Kaneshiro's treasure? Prepare to have your mind's blown!" Ryuji stated. "We got one hundred and fifty thousand yen out of it!"
"That's awesome! We can really go all out with that kinda money!" Ann cheered.
"Yeah! We gotta go eat something fitting for the Phantom Thieves' worldwide debut!" Ryuji said.
"Where would be good?" Ann wondered.
"Oh, how about sushi!? I could really go for some eel too!" Ryuji suggested.
"The best method is to fill yourself on ginger before beginning to eat sushi. That is my master technique," Yusuke said.
"You don't need to do that this time," Makoto said. "Actually, definitely don't do that, okay?"
"I'm all for sushi! You're oaky with that too, right?" Morgana said.
"Sushi's fine," Ren nodded.
"Then it's decided, I guess," Loona shrugged.
"All right! We'll go tomorrow night!" Ryuji said.
Makoto: I wonder if all that DHORKS business was just a prank. Now that I think about it, calmly, it's strange that they haven't done anything yet. If their goal is to target the Phantom Thieves, they should want to be acting now, given our fame.
Loona: But what about those guys in suits I saw?
Collin: You said they used ninja weapons, yeah? Who's to say they weren't just here in Japan to restock or something? And if they're a secret government organization, it makes me question their threats… Especially after they taunted us theatrically like that.
Yusuke: Yes. However, it would be best for us to come up with a countermeasure regardless.
Octavia: I agree with Yusuke. For now, though, we should cautiously enjoy the sushi. That is all we can do.
Ren: Something's not right…
Octavia: Agreed. I can't put words to what, though.
Makoto: Hm, Yusuke is right. I'm sorry for bringing this up. On the day before out celebration party too…
Ann: Cheer up, Makoto! We'll be eating sushi like kings tomorrow!
Yusuke: I hope one person in particular is on their best behavior. I'll refrain from saying who to though.
Loona: CoughcoughRyujicoughcough.
Ryuji: Coughing doesn't work in text, Loona!
[***]
July 24
That night, the Phantom Thieves all went to Ginza to have some sushi. "Man, the flounder is out of this world! The texture…" Loona moaned as she bit into her sushi.
"I-I don't see any prices listed here," Yusuke said nervously.
"It's call market price. Don't worry about it; we got the cash!" Ryuji assured him.
"And I can pay anything over," Octavia added.
"So good…" Ann moaned.
"Hey, is the fatty tuna ready yet?" Morgana whispered. Octavia nodded and slipped some sushi down for the not-cat to munch on. He happily purred as he went about devouring his food.
"By the way, Ren-kun… Is Boss really the kind of person who would abuse someone?" Makoto asked.
"That again?" Loona sighed.
"I can't get it off my mind. Especially if it means he could be taken to court…" Makoto admitted. "What kind of person is he? Do you truly believe he'd do such a thing?"
"No chance," Ren replied. "He's strict, but fair. Boss has a good heart under that rough exterior. Like Loona."
"Hey…" the hellhound snorted, flicking some rice at Ren playfully.
"Still, if it's really true about the abuse, he'd be a no-good jerk pretending to be a guardian," Ryuji said.
"Maybe the Chief is the one who needs a change of heart…" Morgana suggested in between bites of tuna.
"Hold a sec! About that…" Collin said. "I actually got curious after our conversation… and checked his name in the Nav."
"Same here. No hits found at all," Octavia nodded.
"Right. Anything beyond this is his family's problem. We probably shouldn't get any more involved," Collin said.
Ryuji suddenly got an idea. "Wait… You think Alibaba could be Boss' ex-wife!?" The group gave him confused looks. "He musta cheated on her, and that's where Futaba came from."
"Doubtful," Ann scoffed.
"Your imagination has run rampant," Makoto shook her head.
"How foolish," Yusuke said.
"Yeah, that was… pretty dumb, Ryuji…" Ren said.
"Still, this is delicious. I've never experienced anything quite like it before," Yusuke said, turning back to his food.
"Man, and it's all thanks to us being the Phantom Thieves-" Ryuji said causally.
Loona smacked him over the head hard. "Idiot!" she whisper-shouted. The hellhound whipped her head around before laughing nervously. "Phan…tastic! This sushi is delicious! Right, Ryuji!?"
"Y-Yeah! The fish is so fresh!" Octavia added, smiling nervously.
"Hmph. Everywhere we go, we hear about these Phantom Thieves," a customer said in a huff.
"What rubbish," her husband scoffed.
"Think about where we are, Ryuji. What if a DHORKS agent walked in right when you said that? They wouldn't think twice about tying you up and dragging you off to some secret facility," Loona hissed.
"Sorry, it just kinda slipped…" the blonde apologized, rubbing where Loona had smacked him.
"My apologizes for bringing up Boss again. We should just enjoy the food," Makoto said. After a hearty meal the gang all left to go home but ran into a familiar face at the train station.
"Nijima-san! What are you doing here?" Akechi asked, approaching the group.
"Akechi-kun…" Makoto greeted.
"Akechi?" Ryuji said, turning to face the guy.
"You're the ones from the TV station… Could it be that you're friends with Nijima-san?" Akechi asked.
"Do you know this guy?" Yusuke asked.
"It's nice to meet you," Akechi greeted. "My name is Akechi. Glad to make your acquaintance, Yusuke Kitagawa."
"How you know my name?" the artist questioned.
"Well, because he's a psychic, of course," Octavia snarked.
"She's only joking," Akechi chuckled. "In truth, I'm a rookie detective. You're a former pupil of Madarame, right? I have actually just recently joined the investigation team looking into the Phantom Thieves. Did you see that DHORKS has declared war on them?"
"War?" Loona raised an eyebrow.
"Their public website was updated just a moment ago," Akechi explained.
"For real!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"English again… I'll translate," Octavia said, pulling up the site on her phone. "Wait, what!?"
"What's it say!?" Ryuji asked.
"Hm? Why do you seem so agitated?" Akechi wondered.
"Oh, um… I'm just surprised they went that far. Seems a bit much for the Phantom Thieves," Octavia covered for her shock. "Aren't DHORKS more about paranormal activity? This case seems a bit out of their usual wheelhouse, even with the Phantom Thieves' methods being unknown."
"I would normally agree, but rumor has it they have intel on what those methods could be, in fact. They haven't shared any information with us yet…" Akechi sounded annoyed at that fact. "Still, I would avoid reactions like the one you just had. People might think you're a fan of the Phantom Thieves, and I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of a group like that."
"What is with these comments?" Makoto questioned.
"My apologizes. I didn't mean to butt into your conversation. But I must say, this is an interesting group," Akechi observed. "Prosecutor Nijima's sister, an ex-pupil of Madarame, and a few Shujin Academy students… It seems you're all connected to the Phantom Thieves. Perhaps you have better intel than I do."
The detective looked to Ren. "Ah, yes. I wanted to ask you something. Regarding this whole DHORKS commotion… If you were one of the Phantom Thieves, what would you do?"
"I don't care," Ren replied with a shrug.
"Unsurprising. I suppose you aren't interested in such gossip…" Akechi nodded.
"Sorry to disappoint, but truly, we're just regular high school students," Collin said. "If anything, we'd like to hear what your thoughts are regarding these events, Akechi-senpai."
"My profiling of the Phantom Thieves has led me to believe that they are a group of juveniles," Akechi stated. "They have a relative amount of free time after school and a hideout to slip away to. Furthermore, considering Kamoshida was their first target, it seems they began activity around April." He looked at the group with suspicion. "In a way, all I've just said about the Phantom Thieves coincides with the group you have here."
"What, you gonna report us?" Ryuji accused.
"I didn't say I was being suspicious of you," Akechi said.
Loona saw and opportunity and took it. "Well, you got one of them, at least. Ryuji here? Totally a Phantom Thief."
"M-Me!? You're siding with him!?" the blonde exclaimed.
"I wasn't anticipating that response," Akechi chuckled. "Even your friends find a way to rise above my expectations, Amamiya. You really are an intriguing one. I lack your calm mannerisms… but don't you think my deduction is an interesting one?" He winked. "I bet we'd make a great team if we worked together."
"What!? The hell're you saying!?" Ryuji shouted.
"Well, this has been a valuable point of reference for me. I hope to see you all again." Akechi left after that.
"What was that about?" Ann whispered.
"Do you think he's ascertained our true identities?" Yusuke wondered.
"Nah, couldn't be. Right?" Ryuji said.
"He is a detective, and I've had… suspicions about Akechi. Certain things he says, the way he acts…" Octavia shook her head. "It may be best to be cautious from now on, especially with DHORKS on the rise. I swear I've seen more agents in this area…"
"We shouldn't forget that Alibaba was able to discover who we are," Makoto pointed out.
"True, but it's not as though he had tangible evidence to prove that discovery," Yusuke said. "Just keep acting normally."
"More importantly, things are getting serious with DHORKS!" Octavia said, pulling out her phone.
"Right. What did they say?" Collin asked.
"Here, I'll read it… "We are disappointed in the people of Japan and the belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice. Hence, we shall proceed with our plan to exorcise Japan. This process will commence on August 21st. As a result, the truth behind societies corruption by demonic forces will be revealed, and life as you know it will cease to be."
"For real…?" Ryuji gasped.
"Keep going," Makoto insisted.
Octavia nodded. "However, we are magnanimous. We will give the Phantom Thieves one final opportunity to repent. As proof of this repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public, along with their dealings with demonic forces. We will begin our cleansing if these demands remain unmet. The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves. We are DHORKS. We reveal what is unseen. We will eliminate evil." She looked at the others. "That's what it says."
"I hate this…" Loona growled. "All that talk about cleansing, it reminds me of Extermination Day. But how would they even be able to do that?"
"Perhaps they found a way to access holy artifacts, or something of that sense," Collin suggested. He looked a bit ill at the message. "I never agreed with Extermination Day myself, and to hear humans using the rhetoric… I don't like any of it."
"Okay, what's this Extermination Day thing you guys are talking about?" Ann asked.
"To put it simply, it's a day once a year when angels descend into Hell and start a mass purging of demons and Sinners due to the overpopulation of Hell itself," Octavia explained. "You've read about genocide in school, right? Think of that, but on a yearly basic."
"In other words, if we don't unmask ourselves and turn over Octavia and Loona to them, DHORKS will attack Japan… correct?" Yusuke summarized. "It seems they are quite the attention-seekers…"
"What are we gonna do about this?" Ann asked.
"If only we could get in contact with Alibaba," Makoto said.
"Our only clues… are Boss and Futaba," Ryuji reminded the team. "Anyways, it's too damn hot out here. Why don't we go to Leblanc? We can talk more over there."
[***]
"We went through all sorts of options on our way here, but… Looks like we don't have a choice but to ask for Alibaba's help," Octavia said.
"Question is, how do we get in touch with him?" Ann wondered.
"He cut off all contact with him after his misunderstanding," Yusuke said. "Then again, if we manage to steal Futaba's heart, he may attempt to reach out to us once more."
"But we don't have any clues on what her keywords are," Morgana pointed out.
"Damnit, Alibaba! Where the Hell are you!?" Loona cursed.
"Actually… he may be closer than we think," Collin said.
"Huh?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
"This might sound crazy, but… what if Alibaba is Futaba herself?" Collin said. "Let me explain: Alibaba wants us to change Futaba's heart, right? But how would he know if we've done it without confirming it in person? On top of that, he was able to deliver the call card here, and can check on Futaba's condition despite the fact that he's unable to meet with us or leave his location. So… wouldn't it make sense for them to be the same person based on the facts we have?"
"For real!?" Loona gasped.
"Hm, I was thinking the same thing. Good deduction, Collin," Makoto said, making the cherub blush.
"So she's asking that we steal her own heart?" Yusuke asked.
"Maybe she wants us to save her from the scars of her abuse? That would be hard to ask directly," Ann guessed.
"I'd like to meet with Boss… He lives nearby, right?" Makoto asked.
"I know where his house is…" Ren nodded.
"I agree. It's real late though. What should we tell Boss when we get there?" Octavia asked.
"We'll say this take-out sushi is a gift for him," Makoto suggested.
"Aw, but that has the extra fatty tuna in it…" Morgana bemoaned. "But if it's for the mission…"
"No complaining," Ann said.
"Let's all go together," Collin suggested. "Boss may get the wrong idea if just Ren and Makoto show up alone." The gang left for the Sakura residence after that but found that no one was answering the doorbell when they rang.
"Nobody's answering… But the lights are on…" Makoto said.
"Should I go invisible and slip inside?" Collin asked. He shook his head. "No, that's not a good idea. It'd be invading their privacy, and that's not something I want to do…"
"Think she's napping?"Ryuji asked.
"Even Boss would've woken up with how many times we've rung this doorbell," Ann said.
"I would think Futaba would have answered by now if she were here too," Morgana said.
Yusuke suddenly pushed on the front gate, which swung open without any resistance. "Ah, the gate is unlocked."
"Yusuke! You can't just open other people's doors like that!" Collin chided.
"But look. The door seems to be slightly open as well," Makoto pointed out. "I wonder why. That's rather careless…" Suddenly thunder rumbled on the distance.
"Woah, it sounds like it's going to rain… We should get inside!" Morgana said.
"Think that's okay?" Octavia asked Ren.
He shrugged. "Most likely. Let's go."
"My apologizes, Boss!" Collin said as they all went inside the Sakura residence. The house was dark on the inside, with no one seeming to be home. "Hello, sir? He's not out, is he? The door ahead is open, and I can hear the TV."
"I hope he didn't pass out or something…" Loona said. "I mean, Boss is kinda old, ain't he?"
"I'm a bit worried. Should we go in and check on him?" Octavia suggested.
"Please excuse us…" Makoto called out. As they all went further in. Suddenly thunder flashed as the lights went out, a scream coming from inside the house. "A scream!? What was that!?"
"H-How should I know?" Morgana said. The sound of something thumping of the floor came from up ahead.
"Did you hear that!?" Collin squeaked.
"Let's get out of here, please? Can we just go?" Ann said.
"What're you freaking out for?" Ryuji questioned.
"I-I-I'm not freaking out!" Ann exclaimed, clearly freaking out.
"Could it be Alibaba? I mean, Futaba?" Morgana asked.
Ann, Yusuke, and Ryuji turned to leave. "Um, sorry… Can I hold your hand?" Makoto asked Ren. He nodded, taking her hand as they turned around. A door suddenly creaked behind them, making Makoto flinch and grab Ren's arm tightly.
"I can sense someone's presence…" Loona said, sniffing the air as her hair stood on end.
"Who is it?" Makoto whispered. "Who's there!? I can't take this anymore! I'm leaving!" She suddenly went weak in the knees. "N-No… My legs won't move…"
Feeling something behind her, Loona slowly turned around, catching the sight of a small girl with large glasses and orange hair. The two suddenly screamed in surprise, the shock so great that it scared Loona out of her human disguise for a brief moment.
"Alibaba! Futaba!" Octavia called, running to the door Futaba had shut herself behind. "Hey! Come on, let us in! You're a hacker, right? Just show yourself!"
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry! PleasesavemeSis…" Makoto said quickly, clinging to Ren's leg in panic.
"Are you okay, Futaba!?" Sojiro's voice called out from outside.
"Crap, he's home!" Ryuji cursed. The others went to hide, leaving Ren, Octavia, Makoto, and Loona out in the open. The hellhound quickly put her human disguise back on as Sojiro burst into the room. "Who the hell are you!? Don't move! You hear me!?" He grabbed a flashlight off a nearby table to arm himself.
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorrySis… Somebodypleasesaveme…" Makoto whimpered.
"You? What're you doing in my house?" Sojiro questioned, now seeing the four of them clearly.
"Ah…" Makoto looked up to see Sojiro.
"You're…" Sojiro recognized.
"Hey Boss…" Octavia waved awkwardly. "We didn't mean to intrude, but then the rain started, and the power went out, so…"
"Goetia-san!" Sojiro said. He looked at Ren and Makoto awkwardly. "Wait, are you two dating?"
Loona laughed, relieving the tension in the air as Makoto went flush. "W-We're j-just friends!" she said.
"Friends nowadays get that close to each other?" Sojiro questioned.
Makoto stood up and detached from Ren. "That's not it! This, um… Things happened… and…" The others took the moment to walk out in the open.
"You kids are here too!?" Sojiro exclaimed.
"Um, we brought you some sushi, but nobody answered when we rang the bell… The door was unlocked too," Collin explained. "We could hear the TV though, so we got worried you might have passed out or something…"
"The door was unlocked?" Sojiro said in surprise.
"Yes," Octavia nodded.
"I do that sometimes. Guess I'm getting old," Sojiro sighed.
"Um, excuse me. There's something we'd like to ask," Makoto spoke up.
"Hm? You want to ask me?" Sojiro replied.
"There's someone else living here… isn't there?" Makoto said.
"Yeah…" Sojiro admitted. "My daughter."
"Could she be Futaba Sakura?" Octavia asked.
"Of course you told Goetia-san…" Sojiro shook his head at Ren.
"Is there… any way we could perhaps meet her?" Octavia continued. "I think we maybe have scared her earlier, so we'd like to apologize to her for that…"
"Well… that's…" Sojiro tried to find the words.
"Is she sick or something?" Loona questioned.
"No, it's not like that." He looked at the kids and sighed. "I don't want you all getting the wrong idea… I shouldn't have kept this a secret from you. Let's talk at my shop. She'll hear us if we stay here." The group all went back to Leblanc, gathering around so Sojiro could tell his story. "Now, where do I start? Futaba's mother and I knew each other long before Futaba was born. Her mother was a bit of a weird one, but we got along well for some reason… She was sharp-witted, somewhat stern, a little socially inept, but always carefree…"
He smiled. "She truly was a great woman."
"I see," Makoto nodded.
"When something piqued her interest, that'd be all she focused on. She always worked deep into the night. I thought that'd change after her kid was born, but having Futaba didn't change much. Even with that, she always took good care of her."
"Working and watching over a child at the same times sounds rough…" Ann said.
"I guess raising Futaba along turned out to be tough in more ways than one…" Sojiro sighed.
"Alone? What about her father?" Ren asked.
"There wasn't a father," Sojiro explained.
"Do you mean…" Yusuke started to say.
"Well, there probably was one. I didn't know him though. She never said a word about him, either," Sojiro clarified. "She was single when she gave birth to Futaba, and single when she raised her. They were an ordinary, loving family. You could really tell how much she cared for Futaba." He sighed. "But one day, she left… leaving Futaba behind."
"Did she… die…?" Octavia asked.
Sojiro nodded after a moment of thought. "Yes. She committed suicide."
"Suicide…!?" Ann and Collin gasped.
"Threw herself into the street, right in front of Futaba's eyes…" Sojiro explained.
"Shocking doesn't begin to describe that…" Makoto said.
"That's gotta be devastating for a kid," Ryuji said.
"So… Well, a lot happened after that, but ended up taking custody of Futaba…" Sojiro continued. "First, she was so depressed she… she wouldn't even talk to me."
"Was that because she couldn't get over her mother's suicide?" Ann asked.
Sojiro nodded. "I kept talking to her though, and she started opening up to me little by little. That's when I found out… Futaba blames herself for her mother's death."
"What!? That's nonsense!" Loona exclaimed. "Why would she think something like that was her fault!?"
"That part she's never told me," Sojiro admitted. "I wanted to know what led her to believing that, but I decided not to rub salt in the wound. Then, a few months ago… She started getting real scared, even when nothing was happening. She'd say things like, "I hear voices…" and, "Mom is looking at me…"
"Visual and auditory hallucinations…" Yusuke guessed. "Have you taken Futaba to a doctor?"
"I wanted to, but she refused. Even when I had a doctor come, she locked herself away in her room," Sojiro replied. "Since then, she's become what you'd call a shut-in. She won't take a single step outside the house, or even try to see other people."
"What about you?" Collin asked.
"She doesn't even let me come in her room," Sojiro said.
"That's pretty harsh…" Ryuji said.
"Futaba us, well, a unique girl. She's so quick-minded that conversations with her tend to jump from one topic to the next… It seems like she's always coming to conclusions in her head. There's a lot I don't get about her…" He sighed. "So yeah… her situation is why I couldn't let you in my house."
"I understand," Ren nodded.
"What Futaba needs is a safe place where nobody can threaten her. Somewhere she can be at ease," Sojiro explained. "That's why I won't do anything she doesn't want. I don't make her do anything she's unwilling to either. Then again, I know that's no way for her to live. It's all I can do though…"
"What does Futaba want?" Octavia asked.
"I don't know," Sojiro shook his head. "She just asks me for things she wants, like food or these complicated books… Well, that's that. So can you just… leave her be?"
"Yeah…" Ren nodded.
"I'm gonna head back then," the café owner stated. "You all had better head one soon too." He left after that.
"I feel awful for prying into his personal affairs…" Collin said.
"No way in Hell he's abusing her," Loona said firmly.
"The reason why Futaba wants her heart stolen must be related to her mother," Ann guessed.
"So she'd like to discard her feelings of pain, but can't do anything about it herself," Yusuke said.
"Will changing her heart really help her, though?" Collin questioned.
"If we can help her, we might have a chance against DHORKS," Octavia said.
"It's possible," Ren agreed.
"Hold on a sec. Do we even know if she has a Palace?" Ryuji asked.
"I checked and…" Octavia held up her phone. "Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura's residence."
"Candidate found," the Nav said, the world flashing for a brief moment.
"She's got one…" Collin gasped in surprise. "So, someone can have a Palace even if they're not evil? Hey, Morgana-"
"Where's Morgana?" Ann asked, looking around for the not-cat.
"I haven't seen him since we… left the house…" Octavia said slowly. She suddenly smirked. "Heh, I guess our friend is getting ahead on the investigation…"
"The trains're gonna be shutting down for the night soon, so we should prolyl be heading home," Ryuji stated.
"We have to go to school in the morning, after all," Makoto reminded them.
"Oh, right. The urgent assembly," Loona grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"An assembly? What about?" Yusuke asked.
"Shujin has been garnering a lot of attention ever since DHORKS called out he Phantom Thieves," Ann explained. "So, they need to remind us not to say arbitrary stuff online and add more fuel to the fire."
"We gotta meet up for every goddamn little thing. Talk about a pain in the ass," Ryuji whined.
"I mean, it is out fault," Octavia shrugged.
"Anyway, let's contact each other afterward," Makoto said. Everyone left for the night after that, resolved to help Futaba with to gain her aid in the upcoming war against DHORKS.
Author's Note
It's time for the Futaba arc, everyone! While this mostly plays out the same as in the game, DHORKS is certainly changing what the stakes are for this arc. For one, they have agents active in Tokyo, meaning that Loona and Octavia have to be careful, lest they get captured and experimented on. Secondly, it seems that the agents somehow have a method of "exorcising" demons and are threatening all of Japan until the Phantom Thieves reveal themselves. I wonder what their exact methods are to do that...?
Yes, the gag glasses were something I wanted to bring back, if only because Loona would complain about having to wear them. There are actually a few moments here that got a chuckle out of me when writing this chapter. I think it helps balance out the serious parts, especially with Sojiro giving the PTs his backstory about Futaba and her mom. (Also I always, ALWAYS pick to say "Ryuji is a Phantom Thief" whenever that dialogue option pops up. His reaction is too funny)
Octavia gets another scene in Club Velvet, and meets the singer Belladonna! The Bride of Nameless gives her two songs predicting the future: one relating to the current arc, and one that seems much more personal to the princess. I know some of you might have been wondering what happens if you change the heart of a demon, and we may just find out in the future...
Next time will be the start of perhaps my favorite Palace in the game, besides maybe the Third Semester content. I'm excited for the gang to properly meet Futaba as well!