August 24th.
The group just arrived in Osaka, their final destination. With the police off their backs, they could devote their focus to bringing Konoe to justice. "Waddup, Osaka!" Futaba exclaimed
"So, we're finally at Konoe's home base, huh?" Ann was getting a sense of finality here. It was similar to how they were prepared to face off against Shido.
"Man, too bad we had to come here for Phantom Thief biz. We coulda stuffed ourselves stupid." Ryuji groaned. It was such a wasted opportunity!
"Speak for yourself." Mika rolled her eyes. She could not afford to stuff herself. Her diet was already hating her for what she had to eat recently. It was going to be such a pain to work off.
"Well, Sophia? Is there a Jail nearby?" Yusuke asked.
"There is. I can smell it." Sophia confirmed once again.
"That settles it, then." Morgana said.
"I hope Ichinose-san can find that business card." Makoto was very hopeful and nervous at the same time. This final operation hinged on the state of Ichinose's messy room.
"Are you seriously relying on that woman? She sounded so fake." Mika rolled her eyes. Was she the only person who realized that?
"You haven't even met her..." Ren sighed.
"She can seem a bit eccentric, but..." Hifumi trailed off. It didn't seem like anything they could say would convince Mika otherwise.
"This is is it, you guys." Zenkichi suddenly spoke up. "Do or die. We're gonna take that asshole Konoe down and settle this case once and for all."
"Whoa, look who suddenly decided to step their game up." Futaba teased.
"Think his new Persona ability's getting to his head?" Ryuji said with a wide grin.
"If this were a movie, you'd probably be taken out in the next 30 minutes." Ann said with a frown, and also glanced at Mika, too. She, Sophia, Hifumi, and Sumire were sworn to scenery about Mika's awakening until she had the brilliant opening to invite herself into the Jail. That was...the plan, anyway.
"Gimme a friggin' break! I'm just saying we should be ready!" Zenkichi huffed. Damned kids, still giving him a hard time.
"With the police off our backs, I think we should be if we act normally." Sumire nodded. She was a little tight lipped, because she was not a good liar, and didn't want to ruin Mika's spotlight plan. Acting normally was very stressed for her so long as they were grouped together.
"Well, Osaka is Japan's Kitchen. I cannot imagine a better place for a pre-battle meal." Yusuke said, his mind already going to food.
"Ugh..." Akechi was mostly silent, leaning against the RV. He wasn't in the circle, but he wasn't too far away either.
"And there's plenty else here for us, too." Haru chimed in.
Makoto turned to Zenkichi. "By the way, is Akane-chan okay?"
"Yup!" Zenkichi nodded. "She was up and at 'em this morning. She's with her grandparents right now. I really owe you guys. Thanks."
"Yeah, you're welcome." Mika flipped her hair. All eyes were on her. "What? I had to babysit an angtsy teenager and carry her back home. By the way, all of you own her a signed portrait. I told her I'd get you one because I'm the best babysitter ever."
"...Why are you still here. Don't you have a job to do?" Akechi was growing a little tired of Mika's presence. As far as he was concerned, her usefulness started and ended in Kyoto.
"...Crap. I did tell them I'd be at the location in about 20 minutes. That chick better call soon, because I'm not missing any of this." Mika huffed. She was so absorbed into wanting to use her new powers, she really did almost forget she was at her final shoot location.
"It's weird hearing Gramps thank us like that, though..." Ryuji admitted.
"Hahaha, yeah. He didn't make the best first impression." Ana snickered.
"Knight in shining armor." Hifumi said. Normally she wouldn't make such a jab, but considering that was literally the first thing Zenkichi said to them, she couldn't forget it.
"Gah. Yeah, yeah...don't trust the police and all that." Zenkichi grumbled. "Getting back to business, though, do you guys have a plan to get Konoe's keyword?"
"Ichinose is working on it." Ren explained. Just as he did...his phone rang. It was Ichinose! So he answered. "Hello?"
"Gooood morning Phantom Thieves! How's everyone been?" Ichinose asked with an upbeat and happy tone.
"Ugh, seriously. Am I the only one who can hear how fake she is?" Mika groaned.
"Stop that..." Hifumi nudged Mika lightly with her elbow.
"Upbeat as usual, I see." Ryuji could hardly believe how much energy Ichinose seemed to have at all times.
"Did you get the keyword?" Makoto asked.
"Hahahaha, did you forget who you're talking to?" Ichinose said smugly. "Of course I found it! No problem whatsoever!"
Of course, Hifumi did feel a slight tingle with her power. She did not want to imagine how long it actually took Ichinose to find it just for them...but the fact she went through the effort said enough. "Wonderful. Thank you so much."
"Now, without further ado! Konoe's keyword is..." Ichinose waited for a moment to build up dramatic tension. "Zephyrman!"
Hearing this, Akechi immediately walked closer. "...Zephryman?"
"Zephyr...what?" Zenkichi, being an old man, was not aware of what this was.
"Is that what I think it is?" Futaba also looked at Akechi, who she noted took a sudden interest when he heard that word.
"Do you guys know what that is?" Sumire looked to Futaba and Akechi.
"It's an old live action superhero series. Y'know, the kind where they fight evil and stuff." Futaba explained. "It's got somewhat of a cult following. Actually, I remember hearing something about one of the Feathermen, were here in Osaka! Pink Argus, I think? I'd so love to meet her...I think her name was Yukari Takeba..."
"Ah...?" Hifumi blinked at the same. Why did that strike a sense of familiarity within her.
"No kidding..." Ren was just as surprised, but in a different way than Hifumi.
"Konoe must be a superhero fan. How ironic." Akechi scoffed.
"So it's a superhero TV show...why would he have something like that as his keyword?" Makoto wondered aloud.
"Anyhow, we can get into his Jail now. Thank you, Ichinose-san!" Haru beamed.
"Nonsense, it was easy." Ichinose replied. "Besides, hearing you guys go about your business truly brightens my day."
"Thank you, you really came through for us." Ren said.
"I guess I am pretty amazing, but it's kind of embarrassing when someone else points it out." Ichinose said so, so humbly. "Anyhow, the real fight is only just beginning, right? Make sure you don't get yourselves killed out there! Alrighty, I can't wait to hear all the juicy details when you get back!" And with that, she hung up.
"Oh my god..." Mika could barely take this. She got what she wanted to hear, so she started to walk off to her shoot.
"Okay. Next stop, Konoe's Jail." Morgana said.
"If things go accordin' to plan, this'll be the last one!" Ryuji was rotating his arm.
"Changing his heart should bring an end to the Change of Heart Epidemic." Makoto said firmly.
"He has a lot to answer for, and I personally cannot wait to see it done." Akechi remarked.
"Man, this is turnin' into one hell of a summer vacation." Ryuji said.
"I'll say. We nearly ended up traveling the whole country." Haru said with a smile. Even though she had some bad feelings about this trip when Akechi decided to join, she...couldn't say she hated it. She had fun, for the most part.
"We cannot rest yet. Our battle is not yet over." Hifumi said firmly.
Ann then took a glance at Zenkichi. "Hey, are you sure it's okay for you to be hanging around us, Zenkichi? You're not gonna get fired or anything?" She was a little worried. Even though Zenkichi was off the hook, she was concerned he was on thin ice.
"Come on, you're not gonna make me sit out for the finale, are you?" Zenkichi shook his head. "That bastard Konoe's gonna get what's coming to him. Plus, it's time you kids cleared your names. Let's not forget Owada. I'm bringing him in, too."
"That's right! We cannot return to our normal lives until he is brought to justice!" Yusuke said firmly.
"Sophia. Can you give us the best location enter the Jail from?" Sumire asked.
"Leave it to me! I've got it!" Sophia said with determination.
.
.
Osaka was a large city. Since they were in the city, they did decide to take some time to enjoy the sights. They wouldn't be here for very long, and they always managed to make the most of their time in a city. Unlike Sendai, Sapporo, and Okinawa, there was no investigation needed. They knew their target right off the bat. Mika, however, was totally annoyed she was going to miss everything because of work. She could speed through a shoot no problem, but this time? This time...
"Ugh...it's just not the same without EMMA around..." One of the photographers sighed. Everyone had that same thought and the energy just wasn't the same.
"Are you serious?" Mika lifted a brow. "Come on, where did your professionalism go?" She then cleared her throat. "I mean...I really can't finish this shoot without you, guys...please find the strength, for me?"
"Aw, Mika-chan..." Another one of the photographers sighed. "We'll try for you...but it's just so hard."
"I just wish EMMA was back..."
"Everything was so much easier with EMMA..."
"I want it to come back soon."
"Oh my god..." Mika pinched the bridge of her nose. This was getting too much for her to listen to. She was never going to get work done at this rate. Leaving was tempting, but she was too much of a professional to ditch work because of unfavorable attitudes. She always stuck with it. "I'll be right back. I need some fresh air."
.
.
"The safest entry point of the Jail is straight ahead near Tenboto. Let's go." Sophia said to Ren, since she was residing in his phone. The others were only taking a quick glance around, they were too focused on the task ahead to enjoy the sightseeing just yet. As Ren walked, he could see a number of people surrounding some kind of statue.
"What's going on here?" Ren tilted his head.
"It does look pretty noisy." Morgana commented.
Ryuji and the others were soon to follow. "What's up?" He asked.
"There are a lot of people gathered around this strange statue." Sumire pointed out. "I've never seen anything like it before. What is it?"
"Search complete." Sophia chimed in. "That is the Billiken Statue. Supposedly, it is the god of good fortune, and if you touch its feet, your wish will come true."
"Oh, I see. It looks pretty popular..." Morgana said.
"Please, Bililken Statue!"
"Please bring EMMA back online!"
"I don't know what I'll do without EMMA...!"
"Please, I need EMMA back!"
"Is this crowd here because EMMA shut down...?" Haru asked, shocked at the desperation.
"Are they seriously here because of that?" Ann could hardly believe it.
"It's like they're having withdrawals. I get that it's convenient, but to think they're this dependent." Makoto shook her head.
"It's pathetic." Akechi just scoffed. "Precisely what Konoe wants, too. Someone who enjoys the superhero genre committing these sorts of acts. I can't wait to get my hand around his throat."
"...You're taking this a lot more seriously than you were before." Haru pointed out. Akechi was always one to get straight to the point, but the way he spoke about Konoe almost felt personal.
"..." Akechi didn't respond to that. He just glanced away, because he couldn't tell Haru that she was wrong.
"If we change Konoe's heart, perhaps we can break people free of their dependency." Hifumi said. But when they stepped away from the crowd, she furrowed her brows. "Wait a moment, come to think of it...we can still use EMMA. I know it was to trap us initially, however..."
"We have the element of surprise." Akechi surmised. "He needed us to be able to enter Kyoto Jail so we could be captured. However, it seems he has failed to realize the opening he has left us."
"We can sneak straight into his Jail because of it!" Futaba snickered. "Guess he can't tell if the plan to capture us was a success or not."
"That is a strange oversight on his end. But I'm not going to complain about it." Yusuke said. Everyone else felt the same way.
"Then let's get moving and wipe the smirk off that cocky asshole's face." Zenkichi said. That was a statement everyone could agree with. Tenboto was straight ahead...
As they walked, Ren glanced over when he sensed a familiar presence. When he looked over, he saw Lavenza and the Velvet Room. He knew what that meant..,so he stepped into the Velvet Room, where he was once again donning his prison garb.
Once in the Velvet Room, Lavenza looked up to Ren. "It appears your journey is finally entering its closing act. As for this man named Konoe's ambition...all of the pieces have been gathered in one place. His heart must be truly warped for him to sacrifice the will of others without hesitation. At this rate, even your futures may fall into his hands..."
"Hah." Ren just scoffed at that idea. "We won't let that happen. We'll stop him."
Lavenza smiled at Ren's confidence. "I have no doubt that you will..."
.
.
Ren was only 'gone' for a few moments. But when he was in the Velvet Room, it just looked like he was spacing out. "What's wrong, Ren? Did you...Zone out?" Sophia asked.
'Wha? Oh, uh, no..." Ren shook his head. "I'm good. It was just Lavenza talking." He said. They were getting closer to Tenboto. As they walked, they could hear all about the greatness of Akira Konoe or how EMMA being down was such a travesty. It was the same around every corner they walked. But soon enough, they reached their entry point, the Tower at Shinsekai.
"So this is our entry point this time." Yusuke said while looking around. "If his kneword is indeed a name of a superhero, I can only wonder what his Jail will look like."
"Ain't gonna be pretty, I bet!" Ryuji said.
"I agree." Akechi said coldly.
"We'll find out when we get there." Hifumi was calm about it. "Is everyone ready?"
"Yes, let's go!" Haru nodded firmly.
"We're gonna settle this thing once and for all!" Ann said with conviction.
"I'm ready to bring this to an end!" Sumire nodded firmly.
"Konoe's gonna pay bigtime for toying with people's hearts like this." Zenkichi was serious. He would never forgive Konoe for what he did to his daughter. For Zenkichi, it was personal on so, so many levels.
"Everyone's ready." Ren said. "I am too. We're going to stop this here, and now."
"It's time to begin the operation!" Sophia said. "Entering the keyword now. The Keyword is...Zephyrman!"
And right as the group was entering the Jail, Mika was nearby. Nobody else noticed a group of people vanish from a crowd, because they weren't paying attention. They were too distraught about EMMA. Mika, however, was waiting for her chance. "Finally..."
.
.
Osaka Jail was a futuristic setting. The group entered the area atop a building while taking a look around. "Very...high-tech." Fox commented when they stepped inside.
"Yeah, figures it'd be another crazy one..." Skull rolled his eyes, watching a few blimps fly about overhead.
"See that?" Panther pointed ahead. It was in clear view; the tall building that had the Madicce logo right in front of it.
"I'd wager we just found Konoe's Castle." Wolf said with a soft grunt. "We're almost there, team. Only one job left: bring the villain to justice." Everyone nodded in agreement to that. This was the final Jail, their last stop.
"Security is bound to be tight." Mona said. Anyone could guess that since they were finally in the enemy's stronghold.
"We should expect that Konoe knows how Jails work too." Queen warned everyone. This would not be an easy endeavor, but they went into this knowing that.
"He can struggle as much as he wants. It will end with his defeat." Crow spat.
"We've done this plenty of times before. As long as we keep our wits about us, we'll be fine." Joker said calmly. This was just like any other operation. Only this one was going to be their last. As such, they had to be on their A-game. "Ready, Wolf? This will be a lot harder than Kyoto Jail."
"Askin' me that?" Wolf quirked a brow, but he then smirked. "Alright, then. Show me how it's done, guys."
"Let's go!" Joker said while leading the charge ahead. Everyone followed suit right after to begin their final operation!
...And seconds after the officially plunged headfirst into the Jail, Viper then followed inside. "Whoa...this place is freaky." Every single Jail she had been in was off the wall insane. But any place would be better than Okinawa Jail. She could see the Phantom Thieves up ahead. This made her grin. It was time for her entrance...