August 22nd

There was a knock at the door of Zenkichi's hideout. "Hey, it's me." Morgana whispered.

"The password. What pairs well with curry?" Yusuke asked.

Morgana sighed. Why did he need a password? But he knew what it was. "Coffee."

"Accepted." Yusuke said with a hushed whisper, opening the door for Morgana to step inside. He immediately closed it after.

"What the hell kinda password is that!?" Ryuji asked.

"Something only a true Leblanc aficionado would know!" Futaba said with a smug grin. "It's foolproof."

"Did I really need a password? " Morgana said with a dry tone.

"How are things out there, Mona-chan?" Haru asked.

"It's a nightmare. The streets are packed with cop cars and there are foot patrols around every corner. For once, I'm pretty glad to look like this." Morgana shook his head. A cat would go unnoticed on such busy streets, but even so...

"Ugh, this makes no sense! I thought part of our deal was that they wouldn't arrest us!" Ann groaned.

"Yeah, and now they're treatin' us like killers! It's total bullshit!" Ryuji groaned.

"The only thing you've murdered is a sense of fashion." Mika pointed out from behind the bar counter. She was sort of dragged along in the chaos but ultimately it was for the best. "But that's as far as it goes. Wasn't that guy already dead waaaaay before we were even in Okinawa?"

"Yes." Hifumi nodded, but she frowned as well. "To think they would attempt to pin that death on us. I...could not have foreseen such a course of action. But I should have been aware it was always possible."

"This journey was supposed to prove our innocence, yet it only led to further condemnation..." Yusuke glanced down at the floor.

"Well, at the very least...we can deduce some things from these turn of events." Akechi crossed his arms. "Given the effort Zenkichi went through to warn us, it appears that he truly is our ally in this scenario. So, we can freely assume he had nothing to do with this." Placing his trust in Zenkichi worked out after all. That was...a strange feeling, but not entirely unwelcome.

"This was probably something out of his control." Haru nodded in agreement with Akechi. That was also still weird, but not...entirely unwelcome either.

"He really came through for us..." Sumire rubbed her arm. "Even as we were running, I could hear him shouting for us to get out of there. I want to trust him."

"Yeah, me too." Ren said. "We'd be scrambling a bit more if he didn't shout when he did."

"He put himself at great risk to warn us. I have to appreciate that effort. We may be in much greater danger now if he didn't." Yusuke said.

"And if Zenkichi-san really wanted to sell us out, the police would've showed up here, too." Makoto added. Zenkichi had their trust.

"What is this place anyway? It's old and dusty..." Mika stepped around from behind the dusty counter. Even though she was technically a civilian and had no reason to run or hide from the police, she would not leave Hifumi alone in danger.

"This is Zenkichi's hideout, basically." Ann responded. "...Are you sure you want to be here? This is serious stuff now."

"Duh. I already ran here." Mika waved her hand dismissively. "Besides...I'm sure if the police wanted to, they could actually figure out that I'm here. I'm friends with Hifumi-chan and there's no doubt they'd try and question me about her whereabouts, even if they don't know how much I know. I'd rather not deal with that, and I'd never sell Hifumi-chan out."

"Aw, Mika..." Hifumi smiled a bit. Mika was here for her...that was sweet. Even if Hifumi was the only reason Mika had no intentions of selling out the Phantom Thieves, it was nice to know Mika was thinking about her wellbeing, which extended to the team in a strange, weird way.

"Ironically, it's probably for the best." Morgana said. "If she's going to stick around, may as well be with us."

"I mean, that cop knows who you are, right? How else would he bug you in Tokyo." Mika turned to point at Ren. She was also referring to Zenkichi. "So, they probably have a vague idea of the rest of you."

"I don't think she's wrong." Sumire pursed her lips. If the cops found them, everything they worked for would be destroyed.

"Oh, by the way. Thanks for getting us here safely, Sophia." Futaba turned to Ren's phone.

"No problem." Sophia replied. "But how did this happen?"

"Betcha Konoe set it up, seein' how much bullshit he was spewin' about justice." Ryuji spat.

"I agree." Akechi spat. Konoe's sense of justice irritated him. "Using the notion of justice tot twist things how he wants. Sickening."

"We've wrecked havoc in four Jails already. If Konoe had created them, it would only stand to reason he would lash out now." Yusuke surmised.

"But it could also be Owada, that politician Zenkichi told us about." Morgana suggested.

"It's likely both of them." Hifumi was sitting, so she crossed one leg over the other. "I think that is the most likely. It's frustrating to say, but I think they're putting forth a joint effort to capture us. Konoe uses a public speech to paint us in a terrible light, while Owada follows up with police to swiftly be rid of us. They're doing everything they can, using all of their power and resources." Hifumi didn't like delivering that news, but it was what made the most sense. Their situation was very, very bad.

"Damn..." Ryuji sighed. "So what do we do now...?" Their situation looked pretty grim.

Before anyone could figure out their next step, Sophia's attention went to the TV. "Hey, why is Zenkichi's name on TV?" They had the TV on, but they weren't really paying attention to it until Sophia brought it up.

"Last night, the Kyoto Prefectural Police announced their arrest of Inspector Zenkichi Hasegawa for harboring fugitives. Police headquarters have released a statement regarding this apparent scandal, which has been met with confusion." The newscaster said.

"You gotta be kidding! They're takin' it out on Gramps!?" Ryuji's eyes were wide.

"Why would they arrest him!?" Haru asked.

"Because he's been working with us for quite a while." Akechi replied.

"He even made sure we got away. I'm sure they didn't like that very much." Ren added.

"He sacrificed everything to save us..." Makoto was thinking about Akane as well. Zenkichi put everything on the line to help them.

"Then let's get off our asses and help him!" Ryuji said while getting up from his seat.

"Hold on, we can't do that. We'd just be walking right into their trap, and that's what they want!" Morgana exclaimed.

"I know, but...!" Ryuji couldn't sit and do nothing.

"Calm down." Akechi said. "Listen to the cat. They put that on TV to try and bait us out of hiding."

"I'll try talking to Sis." Makoto suggested. If there was anyone who could help Zenkichi in this situation, it was her sister.

"Sae-san...?" Akechi looked at Makoto. He...hadn't spoken to Sae since the police interrogation on Ren all the way in November. That brief passing in the hallway was the last time they had truly seen each other. The Christmas scenario didn't count because it was never real.

"Oh right, she's a lawyer!" Haru clasped her hands together.

"A lawyer?" Akechi was also surprised by this as well.

"I've kept her out of the loop so far, and I imagine she won't be too happy once I get her up to speed..." Makoto was already preparing herself for the earful her sister was going to give her for this. But if it could help Zenkichi, she would endure it. "But there are more important things to worry about than her reaction. I'll ask for her help."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Sumire asked the others. They were just...stuck.

"Are we seriously going to have to bunker down in this dusty bar?" Mika grunted in annoyance. She was probably free to do whatever she wanted, but there was no way in hell she would be walking out when the police were patrolling the streets so heavily.

"We can gather as much information as we can. That's all we can do for now." Morgana wasn't happy about the situation. But their hands were tied.

.

.

Zenkichi was sitting in an interrogation room, alone. He was groaning and rubbing the back of his head. "Dammit. Bastard interrogator. It's like he enjoyed getting those hits in..." He scowled. This was what Ren had to go through too, was it? When did the police force get this bad? Or was it always like this and he just refused to see it? Or ignore it... "Guess that's what I deserve. What the hell am I doing?" He shook his head, reflecting on his situation. This whole mess felt like his fault. "I should've just left those thieves alone. Then neither of us'd be in shitty situation. I couldn't even protect the ones I care about most. Goddammit!" He sighed heavily, once again. "I wonder if those kids ended up making it out okay. As if that even matters anymore...Akane, Aoi...I'm sorry..."

.

.

Meanwhile, back in Zenkichi's home, it was practically invaded by numerous officers. Akane was very unhappy with the amount of officers barging into her home uninvited. "Hey! Please stop touching our things!" She pleaded. "Since when can you enter someone's home without a warrant! You lack probably cause!"

The lead detective, a sarcastic man, turned to the annoying child with a half grin. "Woooow, not bad for an inspector's daughter. We have plenty of probable cause. See, your daddy's been arrested thanks to the Phantom Thieves."

Akane's eyes widened and she took a step back. "What?! The Phantom Thieves...got him arrested!?" But they were her idols. That couldn't be right...! "No. No way that's true. I mean...why!?"

"Hahaha! You really don't know?" The sarcastic man laughed. "I'm sure it's all over the news, TV, and internet by now. Now run along, we have work to do." There wasn't anything Akane could really do in this situation. She just had to stand there as the police cleaned out her house for the sake of 'evidence'.

Once they were gone, Akane stood in the middle of the empty home, pulling her phone out to verify the truth. "Inspector Zenkichi Hasegawa of the Kyoto Police held under suspicious, Arrested for harboring fugitives. The Phantom Thieves found responsible for murder and...hacking EMMA!? That's impossible..." It felt like her world was crumbling around her again... "Somebody, help me..."

Beep.

"Sure. How can I help you?"

.

.

At the top floor of Maddice's main building in Osaka, Akira Konoe looked out over the city while speaking to Owada on speaker. "Have the Phantom Thieves been caught yet?" Konoe asked.

"No, not yet." Owada replied. "I've seen three-legged dogs work faster than the boys in Public Security."

"Haha, they sure are tenacious." Konoe could respect that. "Guess that's how they made it this far. Any chance you could...turn up the heat on their hot pursuit?"

"If you're asking, I'll see what I can do." Owada replied. "But in return, make sure you don't forget to set up a Jail of mine as well." Those were the terms of their agreement.

"Oh, that's a given. Please look forward to what I have in store." Konoe said with a pleasant smile. After that, the call ended. The very second it did, Konoe practically scowled at what he had to deal with. People like Owada made him sick, but there was a more pressing concern at the moment. "EMMA. Do you think the police can actually catch the Phantom Thieves?"

"Considering the Phantom Thieves' unknown power, it may take a considerable amount of time." EMMA replied. Even though she was supposed to be shut down, that was only the public statement. In truth, Konoe was biding his time.

"I was hoping to get you back online when we captured them," Konoe said. That would've been the perfect timing. The Phantom Thieves caught in a timely manner and EMMA being put online public? That was the ideal scenario.

"If it takes any longer, it may negatively impact our public image." EMMA said. She was also on the same page with Konoe on that front. They needed to deal with the Phantom Thieves quickly.

"Maybe what I said on TV wasn't reassuring..." Konoe said with a small chuckle. He then turned to his desk and proceeded to walk towards it. "Okay, EMMA. What should we do?"

"The fact the Phantom Thieves can access Jails poses a huge threat to our plans." EMMA said. "Since we can't afford to leave them to the police, we can always trap them in a Jail and force a change of heart."

"Now there's an idea..." Konoe liked the sound of this. "Especially since we can't let their talent go to waste. Good plan. How do we make it work?"

"It would be best to make the Phantom Thieves come to us, instead of chasing them. Perhaps we could use someone they're close with as bait to lure them into a Jail." EMMA suggested.

"Do you have someone in mind?" Konoe questioned.

"Yes." EMMA said.

"Then that's who we'll go with." Konoe nodded. "EMMA, make that person a Monarch. Once they're in our grasp, we change their hearts to our liking. And if that proves impossible, they die."

"Should we notify Mr. Owada?"

"No, let him be." Konoe shook his head. "In order to cleanse this world of evil, nothing will get in my way. And you, Phantom Thieves...you will be the sacrifice to bring about my new world order."

.

.

August 23rd.

It had only been a day since the police turned up their hot pursuit of the Phantom Thieves. They were still hidden away in Zenkichi's hideout. "So, I got ahold of my sister..." Makoto began. "And yes, she was angry, but she also said she'd do her best to help."

"I wish you let me talk to her..." Ann let out a sigh.

"Why...?" Hifumi furrowed her brows. Ann whistled and said nothing.

"Sae-san proves to be reliable once again. I suppose becoming a lawyer has done more good for her these days?" Akechi asked Makoto.

"Yeah, it has. She seems much happier now too." Makoto said.

"That's a relief. We can leave Zenkichi to Niijima for now." Morgana was glad they didn't have to worry about that.

"What should we do from here? We can't sit here and wait..." Haru frowned.

"It's getting really hard to stay in this stuffy, cramped building for long." Mika huffed.

"I have to agree with her." Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "Sitting around doing nothing is starting to get to me." He knew they had to be careful, but he was also a man of action. They had to turn the tables somehow.

"I know it isn't ideal, but we cannot rush our next moves." Hifumi was sitting down and had her hands in her lap. "Every step from this point onward is crucial." Before they could continue their conversation, there was a phone buzz. Makoto, Ren, and Hifumi pulled out their phones. "Oh, Akane...!"

"She must be beside herself right now..." Makoto was quickly accessing the chat they had with her. But the message it displayed was...

Akane: Phantom Thieves. We have Akane Hasegawa. If you want her back, come to Inari Taisha."

"W-What the...!?" Makoto gasped.

"What's wrong?" Yusuke sensed the panic in Makoto's voice. Everyone did.

"Someone took Akane." Ren said. His voice was grim and serious. "It says we have to go to Inari Taisha if we want her back."

"They kidnapped a kid just to capture you guys? That's messed up!" Mika exclaimed.

"I never thought I'd agree with Mika on anything, but here we are." Ann stood up. "She's right, though. We have to rescue Akane-chan! She's got nothing to do with us!"

"Slow down." Akechi told everyone. "They're attempting to lure us out again. I have no doubt this is yet another trap."

"Even if it is, we can't take the risk that it isn't. What if this is Konoe's doing? What if he really plans to hurt her?" Ren asked. "We can't stand by and let that happen."

"Maybe you can't, but I'd err on the side of caution." Akechi was making his stance clear. Even if Akane was in danger, her safety was hardly worth risking their own.

"They'd probably catch us in minutes when we step out the door..." Ann frowned. She was frustrated because she wanted to help, but for once, she had to think about things.

"What are we supposed to do?! Shit, we can't even go to the cops..." Ryuji grunted.

"I can't believe they captured Akane-chan just to get to us." Haru frowned. Akane was innocent in all of this!

"Given the timing, this truly is a trap. I cannot imagine anything else." Yusuke said.

"But...can we really just sit here!?" Sumire couldn't stand for it either.

"I'm well aware of what this is, and I'm fine with going there alone. I won't let them hurt Akane-chan! If they even lay a finger on her, I'll...!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Hey, calm down." Ren said calmly. Makoto took a deep breath. "It's too dangerous to go out there alone. So...let's get her back together."

"You losin' it?" Ryuji said with a faint grin. "We'd never let a friend risk their neck without at least givin' backup."

"Plus, Akane-chan's our fan! She knows more than anyone we'd never abandon anyone in need!" Ann grinned.

"That's right. We're here to help those who can't help themselves!" Feeling invigorated, Sumire pumped a fist into the air.

"Even if it is a trap, let's turn the tables on them!" Haru said with determination.

"I like that idea." Hifumi grinned. "It is time for our reverse pin!"

"Darn right! Let's show them how big a mistake they've made!" Futaba said with her chest puffed out.

"So are we going?" Sophia asked.

"...Tragically." Akechi could see he was outvoted here. But at the same time, perhaps walking right into a trap held some merit, too.

"Alright. I'll take point. Sophia, you navigate." Morgana said.

"Okay, got it. I'll take the quickest and safest way there." Sophia responded.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Mika frowned, feeling left out.

"Twiddle your thumbs and wait here, or something." Akechi replied. Mika, of course, didn't like that.

"Oh, I got it." Mika had a devious idea. "Trust me. This will help you guys plenty."

"...I hope so." Ann said with a sweat drop.

.

.

Mika's grand plan? Since she was a civilian, all she had to do was employ a bit of her sobbing performance to a group of cops. Her crocodile tears were even better than before, and she completely succeeded in distracting and luring a few cops in the opposite direction of the Phantom Thieves. All she had to do was find the ones who were starting to get bored with the lack of results and pull their attention, which she could easily do. With that done, it left Morgana an open path to lead the group to Inari Taisha. When they arrived, they were still pretty stunned at Mika's talent. "Wow. She's good." Sumire was floored at what she witnessed.

"Grrr...she's gotten even better at that!" Ann said with a frustrated huff. Why was Mika so good at fake crying and acting? She should be an actor over a model...

"Thanks to her, we actually made it out with no trouble. There were more cops than I was expecting." Morgana wasn't going to openly admit that to Mika. He didn't want to inflate her ego anymore than it already was.

"More importantly, have we arrived in the right location?" Akechi asked.

"Yes. We are outside Inari Taisha." Sophia confirmed.

"But I don't see anyone suspicious..." Haru trailed off. She was trying to be subtle with the way she looked around, yet there wasn't a single person nearby.

"If it's a trap, then frickin' come out already!" Ryuji said impatiently.

"Don't invite them...!" Hifumi said with a hushed whisper.

"But they could be coming out from anywhere at any moment..." Yusuke said.

Sophia then let out a gasp. "...! I smell a Jail! This whole place smells like one!"

"Ya mean there was a Jail in Kyoto this whole time!?" Ryuji was taken aback.

"No," Sophia shook her head. "There wasn't one before, but there is one now."

"How is that possible?" Makoto asked.

"Did someone become a Monarch in the few days we were gone?" Sumire had to ask. That was the only thing that made sense.

"But how..." Before Ren could ask that question...

"You have a friend request from the Phantom Thieves. Please state the keyword." EMMA spoke out.

"EMMA, too?" Akechi furrowed his brows. Of course, this likely had to be part of the trap. But something about this just wasn't adding up. What was the goal here...?

"Given our location and the circumstances we're in, it's likely the kidnapper." Makoto surmised.

"But we don't know the dang keyword..." Futaba kicked the ground.

"But why do we even need one? isn't EMMA supposed to be offline?" Morgana brought up a good point.

"This reeks of a trap." Hifumi didn't like this one bit. They knew it was a trap, but now that they were diving into it, something about it left her unsettled.

"I just wanna know why the friend request says it's from the Phantom Thieves! What gives?" Ryuji also had a good question. "It makes it seem like we're the bad ones!"

"Keyword successfully entered. Beginning navigation."

"What!?" Yusuke gasped and everyone's eyes widened.

"The keyword's Phantom Thieves too!?" Makoto said in shock.

"Oh you're shitin' MEEEEEEEEEE...!" Ryuji's cry was absorb as the group was forcefully dragged into the Metaverse once more.

.

.

From the location of their entry, the Phantom Thieves were now in Kyoto Jail. "My bad, guys...I just had to go and blurt out the keyword." Skull said apologetically.

"You needn't apologize, Skull." Dragon said while shaking her head. "Something tells me we're exactly where we're wanted. I just wasn't expecting things to turn out like this."

"Help me..." Akane's weak voice called out to whoever was around.

Queen responded immediately to it. "That voice...!"

"Help me, Phantom Thieves...!" Akane cried out.

"That sounds like Akane-chan!" Queen said.

"No way...she's actually in here!?" Skull couldn't believe it.

"That's a problem! Where there are Jails, there are bound to be Shadows!" Mona said.

"We have to hurry!" Joker told everyone. They nodded and proceeded to follow after him.

"..." Crow was silent. Something about this felt wrong.

"Question. If this is a Jail, doesn't that mean only Akane's Shadow is here?" Sophia asked.

"Right!" Panther nodded. "It's only her Shadow, and not the real one. That's how it should be."

"But we can't take the risk. Her Shadow may be here, but that won't stop other Shadows from attacking her if they want. If that happens..." Joker trailed off. "But we won't let it happen."

"That's right, Joker-senpai!" Violet nodded. "Oh, look...!" As they ran, there was Akane...at least, Shadow Akane, tied to a pillar, unconscious.

"Crap, that is her...!" Skull grunted.

"We have to help her." Noir told the others. Without wasting any time, they all proceeded to rush towards her.

Crow started to slow down as they did. Oracle ended up almost tripping, but she was caught by Dragon and Violet. "We got you!" Violet smiled.

"..." Crow had too many questions about this situation. Dragon also felt the same. A Jail in Kyoto when there wasn't before; Akane being kidnapped but nowhere to be seen; the Phantom Thieves being targeted, Akane's Shadow being right here. The dots were quickly connecting. If they were in a Jail, this meant someone had to be the Monarch. There was only one person who fit that description right now. The realization hit them like a lightning bolt. "GET BACK!"

"THIS IS THE TRAP!" Dragon exclaimed.

"What!?" The others who ran ahead came to a halt. Or rather, they were forced to come to a halt, because numerous iron bars appeared all around them, soon turning into a cage that trapped Joker, Panther, Skull, Mona, Fox, and Noir. This cage then slowly rose into the air as well.

"What in the!?" Fox tried to slash at the bars with his sword, but nothing happened. The bars held firm against the assault.

"W-What's going on...!?" Violet gasped. She, Crow, Dragon, and Oracle were the only ones not trapped since they lagged behind.

Shadow Akane then broke herself free from her restraints. Yellow eyes opened and she let out a laugh while walking forward with an aura wrapped around her bod. Her appearance soon changed into that of a Phantom Thief. "Welcome, Phantom Thieves...to my own Jail!" She welcomed them with a grin.

"Akane-chan!?" Queen spoke with a horrified look. Numerous Shadows then spawned in front of Shadow Akane.

"This is bad!" Oracle said in a panic. "We're going to be caught at this rate!"

"What is this...!?" Joker demanded to know.

"Tch." Crow only saw one way out of this. "The three of you, get out, now."

"What? But what about you?" Dragon asked.

"I said NOW!" Crow wasn't debating the issue. Considering the number of enemies rapidly approaching, he had to buy them time to escape and regroup. So he activated his power on himself, a black and red aura exploding around himself. Left with no options, Dragon, Violet and Oracle quickly scurried back to the entrance, while Crow dealt with the horde of Shadows that attacked him.

They didn't know how this situation even came about to begin with. But retreat was the only option. With a majority of their team successfully captured, that trio were the only ones that could fight back another day...