Oh my God, I really need to get to writing other chapters. Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! So, another day, another birthday. And I am slowly realizing my humour isn't the same as it was in high school.
Oh my God, I've been doing this since high school...
NO REGRETS! Onto questions! To Midgardsormr Jr, Sayains4ever and Kaiser Dragon: Okay, I didn't explain myself properly. Sorry. What I mean is that Akira is the protagonist of his story: Persona 5. However, we're going into the shinobi's side of Persona 5. He's still doing his confidants and stuff but we're trying to focus on the new stuff. However, I am starting to notice that we are focusing on Homura a little too much. Now that I think about it, maybe the whole "Homura Confidants" thing is too much. Anyways, to Black Fang: Wait, what? Which one? And I am aware of Katsuragi's sexuality (I've done my research throughout writing this fic). To Autistic-Grizzly: Don't expect this fast update thing to last for another month. Because I go back to school on March and we are going to run out of prepared material eventually. To Vein Bloodborne: Yes to more thieves! No to more Palaces. However, to compensate, we have a bunch of new Mementos requests! To One-eyed Spider: Oh boy... I have a special scene already done for the legendary green penis.
Anyway, that's it for now. Let's pig out!
Load Game... Start!
Chapter 23: The Phantom Thieves
(5/4, Evening)
(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)
Akira sighed as Morgana jumped out of his bag. "Finally got to sell it." He breathed out as he set down his bag down on the table.
"We got a decent chunk of change. That should be enough to afford the place Lady Ann suggested." Morgana stated. "Plus, we have a bargaining chip for the shop owner." He added as the Leader pulled out a paper bag.
"Yeah." Akira replied with a nod as he looked inside the bag once again. Why did the owner give him such a realistic-looking gun, and why did he need to hide it from those detectives?
Okay, that last sentence made a lot less sense in his head...
BZZT! BZZT!
Putting the thought of confronting Iwai about the gun aside, he pulled out his phone and checked who was calling him.
"Ann..." Akira muttered to himself before answering. "Hello Ann. Akira speaking." He replied.
"Oh...yeah. Hey." Ann started. "I saw the news today. You know, about Kamoshida. It's getting a lot of coverage..." She then informed.
"How do you feel?" The Leader asked as he sat down on his nearby loveseat.
"I don't know...The reaction's been bigger than what I was expecting." Ann admitted. "...I guess I'm just...surprised. I don't think we did anything wrong though. I wonder if we helped those people speak up about it..." She then got out.
"Ann...we caused a riot." Akira pointed out.
"I know! That was pretty amazing, huh? I didn't think we'd actually be able to cause something like that! And yet look at us now! This calls for a celebration! Let's meet in front of Shibuya Station at noon tomorrow. Don't be late!" Ann soon declared. "Oh, and did you pawn off that medal? You didn't forget, right?" She then reminded me.
"Just did it a little while ago." Akira replied.
"Good to hear! I already made reservations! You should be really excited about the place I chose, by the way. I'm sure everyone's gonna love it! How much did you get?"
"30,000 yen." Akira answered.
"Wait, Homura was right about the medal's price?" Ann got out, sounding a little...upset.
"Yeah? Why?" Akira asked in a curious tone.
"Akira...it's 8,000 per head." Ann soon informed.
"Hm?" Akira hummed out before doing a little math in his head. 8,000 times by five is... "Crap." He soon groaned out.
"We're 10,000 short." Ann sighed out. "You have some extra money?" She soon asked.
"...Double crap, forgot to sell the stuff from the Palace." Akira awkwardly revealed.
"Dammit! Um...I sort of spent most of my money on some new clothes today and I doubt Ryuji's that smart with his allowance..." Ann then revealed.
"And I doubt the shinobi are in a comfortable position to drop that kind of cash." Akira stated. "Um...maybe push back lunch to give me time to sell our loot?" He soon requested.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. The reservations are really strict so I can't just change it at the last minute." Ann replied.
Akira cursed under his breath before sighing. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." Akira got out before hanging up. "The girls have our loot, don't they." He then remembered.
"Yep." Morgana answered. "I would contact them." He then suggested.
"Right." Akira responded with a nod before quickly calling the tan skinned girl's phone. "C'mon, pick up, pick up, pick up..." He then muttered in anticipation.
"Hey." Homura's voice greeted in a rather casual tone.
"Homura, hey. I need you to-" Akira started.
"Why are you calling me at this hour?" Homura then asked in an annoyed tone.
"L-Look, I'm sorry but I need you to do something for me." Akira then requested.
"Ugh...it's always someone asking for something from me..." Homura muttered to herself. "Okay, what do you want?" She then asked.
"I just need you to sell all the loot in the duffel bag. Iwai's shop should still be open and you're the only ones fast enough to get there before it closes." Akira soon explained.
"You're asking us to abuse our abilities for something so trivial?" Homura responded in a flat tone.
"Sorry, but I just don't have the time right now..." Akira sheepishly got out. "We're 10,000 short for the place Ann suggested and-" He then started, however...
"You do realise this is a voicemail, right?" Homura suddenly informed.
"...Huh?" Akira soon got out.
"Dude, either I don't care enough to answer you or I'm dead but either way I can practically predict what you're saying. If it's the second one, tell Asuka Shirokage that I love her like an adorable sister (emphasis on sister) and meeting her was the greatest moment of my life. However, if for some reason you killed me and you're calling my number for whatever the fucking reason, let me tell YOU ARE-"
BEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP...
Akira blinked as he stared at his phone when the message abruptly ended. "...When the hell did she get the time to do that?" He thought with an incredulous look on his face.
"Hm...that would explain the shouting in the bathroom last week..." Morgana muttered to himself.
"Well, Homura's not picking up. I'll try Asuka." Akira got out as he called his fellow Leader. "...Nothing..." He then muttered. He was actually glad that it went to the default voicemail, though.
"That's worrying..." Morgana stated with a frown.
"...Why aren't they picking up?" Akira groaned out. "Are they asleep or something?" He then wondered.
(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)
"Hey Sis, you've been playing with your phone since we met up at Station Square." Homura noted as they walked into their apartment. "You having trouble with something?" She then asked.
"Yeah. It's been acting up. I wanted to call Akira-kun to see if he sold the medal yet but it isn't working..." Asuka replied with a frown. "Is the MetaNav messing with my phone?"
"Maybe we should get it to a repair shop." Homura suggested as her roommate checked her phone's settings.
"No...that's not it..." Asuka muttered out before remembering. "Oh, hold on!" She then got out as she quickly dialed a number.
"I thought you said you couldn't call anyone." Homura reminded with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes...but...Oh, here we go." Asuka replied as she received a text message.
SHATTER!
Homura could swear that she heard broken glass as her roommate stared at her phone.
"What the!? My sim card expired today!?" Asuka exclaimed in shock. "Moh...Jii-chan! You forgot to renew it! Dammit, I knew you should've turned on Auto-Renewal. Hold on, I'll go call...him..." She then started before realizing the problem. "Crap..." She swore out.
"Use my phone, Sis." Homura offered as she passed her phone over. "Luckily Hebijo still takes care of my phone bills." She then revealed.
"Um...Homu-nee...your phone is flashing no battery..." Asuka soon got out as she tried to turn on the tan skinned girl's phone.
"What? Gimme that!" Homura exclaimed as she snatched her phone out of her roommate's hands.
Just as she said, Homura's phone battery was flat.
"Did you forget to plug it in?" Asuka guessed.
"I swear, I plugged my phone in! I heard the charge sound and everything!" Homura got out before checking her charger. "Aw what!?" She soon exclaimed.
"What is it?" Asuka soon asked in concern.
"Ah, the cord has some exposed wires. It didn't charge my phone last night because it wasn't in the right position..." Homura groaned out. "Stupid Hebijo cheaping out on my charger..." She soon grumbled in frustration.
"I guess we'll have to buy a new one when we have the chance." Asuka replied. "Meanwhile, I have a spare sim card just in case." She then informed as she went to her bag to get it. "Gonna have to get everyone to re-add my number though..." She soon mumbled out. That was going to be a hassle.
"Deal with that tomorrow though. Think I can borrow the charger?" Homura then asked.
"Yeah, sure." Asuka answered as she tossed it over.
"Thank you." Homura replied as she plugged the charger into her phone and waited about a minute before trying to turn it on again.
Once she got past the reboot screen, she quickly checked for any notifications. "Huh, a missed message from Akira." Homura informed as she looked at her phone.
"Hm? What's up Homu-nee?" Asuka meanwhile asked in a curious manner.
"Erm...eh, it's probably just Akira telling us he sold the medal." Homura guessed before shutting off her phone to allow it to charge. "Now, bath time~!" She soon declared.
"Hai~!" Asuka replied with a salute as the two stripped down and headed for the bathroom.
Soon enough, they were in and scrubbing each other down.
"How was the gym?" Asuka asked.
"Great. Worked up a really good sweat. You should come next time." Homura replied with a smirk. "Oh, and how was Leblanc?" She then asked.
"Er...well...you see, there was-" Asuka began in an awkward manner as the bath water became a lot more interesting to look at.
"You didn't go to Leblanc didn't you." Homura guessed. "Sis, what did you do?" She soon asked.
"...Well...I took the wrong train by accident so I ended up at Kichijoji. I was gonna head back but then I got hungry and saw this club and..." Asuka revealed, but trailed off at the end.
"And?" Homura had to ask.
"Er...meet the new Dart Queen...?" Asuka awkwardly revealed. "Then after that there was this jazz club and um...I sort of lost track of the time okay." She then sheepishly added.
"...Oh." Homura got out with a nod. "You...definitely had a more interesting day than me..." She then admitted.
"Hey, maybe next time we can go there together." Asuka suggested.
"I would like that. Now turn your back to me." Homura instructed as she grabbed the sponge.
Soon enough, they were clean, naked and in bed.
"Tomorrow's the last of Golden Week..." Asuka sighed out. "Moh...it went by so fast." She then added.
"That's only because of the hell we went through over the past few weeks." Homura pointed out. "But now, we can be rewarded for our efforts. Get plenty of sleep tonight, Sis." She then instructed.
"I will. Good night." Asuka replied as she closed her eyes.
"Night." Homura responded as she drifted off to sleep.
(5/5, Early Morning)
(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)
Asuka woke up today with a bright smile as she sat up and stretched her limbs. "Mmm...Ahh..." She breathed out. "Homu-nee, wake up." She soon softly requested as she lightly nudged her roommate's shoulder.
Homura got up soon after and rubbed the crust out of her eyes. "Morning, Sis." She greeted with a yawn escaping her lips.
"Morning. It's the last day of Golden Week..." Asuka yawned out. "What do you want for breakfast, Homu-nee?" She soon asked.
"Nothing. We should save our appetites for the buffet." Homura reminded.
"Huh? Oh, that!" Asuka got out as she remembered. "We should get our nicest clothes for this." She then suggested.
"Yep. I was about to say that. Oh, I can't wait to see all the meat they have there." Homura replied as she gained a far-off look.
"Homu-nee, you're drooling on the floor." Asuka got out as she giggled in amusement at the sight.
Homura snorted as she snapped back into reality. "Huh? What?" She got out before wiping the drool off her chin. "Sorry...Uh...I'll clean it up before we take a bath." She then awkwardly informed.
"You go do that." Asuka got out as she went to the wardrobe to pick out an outfit.
(5/5, Daytime)
(Shibuya, Wilton Hotel)
[SushiRoll23: Hey, uh, Ann-chan. What was the place we were going to celebrate at?]
[Sweetkat06: The Wilton Hotel. I'll send you the address in a sec if you're lost.]
"No, that's okay Ann-chan. We found it." Asuka replied.
"WAH!" Ann screamed out as she turned around to see the ninja girls behind her. "Don't do that! Or at least warn us!" She exclaimed.
"They did." Akira informed as he looked down at his phone.
[FireGirl20: Don't worry. We're coming now.]
"They came...before the message got sent to us..." Ryuji got out in disbelief.
"How is that even possible?" Akira asked in confusion. "Are they really that fast?" He then asked.
"No, we were just around the corner." Asuka answered while adjusting her hat. "We just got lost and felt like idiots when we saw the sign." She soon revealed in a sheepish manner.
"We're fast, but not that fast." Homura then admitted in an amused tone.
"Oh. Okay." Akira got out as everyone sweatdropped. "Let's head inside." He then suggested.
It was a process to get to the buffet. They had to wait in line for an hour, convince the cashier that they could pay for it and then wait another hour before their table was available.
But it was all worth it when they finally made it in.
Homura couldn't help but shudder in pleasure as various smells assaulted her nose. "Meeeeeaaaaaat..." She droned as her eyes glazed over like the sweet honey glaze pork chops she could smell.
"A buffet." Asuka got out in amazement as she looked at all the food. "Is this really alright?" She soon asked.
"Yup!" Ann replied. "This is what we deserve after what we did with Kamoshida, so go enjoy yourselves." She then reminded.
"Yeah, bet you don't do this often as sh...tudents, huh." Ryuji got out before awkwardly correcting himself.
"Shtudents?" Akira got out in an amused tone.
"Oh shut up!" Ryuji grumbled out while the Vice Leader giggled. "Now enough talk! Let's go eat our hearts out!" He then declared.
"Yeah!" The Thieves cheered out before dashing off to get their food, ignoring the disapproving and disgusted looks of the people who could afford to eat (read: pig out) there every day.
Soon enough, Akira, Ryuji and Ann were at their table eating their reward for taking down Kamoshida. Akira had started off light with a salad and some fish for Morgana.
Ann and Ryuji, however, were less restrained with various dishes covering the table.
"So good...!" Ryuji moaned out in happiness as he ate.
"No wonder Lady Ann chose this place." Morgana got out in an impressed tone.
"Of course it's good. This is a famous hotel, after all." Ann pointed out as she ate her cake.
"Hey, where are the roommates? Are they still getting food?" Akira asked. Just as he said that, the tan skinned girl returned...with a giant pile of meat on her plate.
"Mmm! Now this is some good meat." Homura got out as she ate her plate in a satisfied tone.
"That looks like a portal to the Meat Dimension." Akira deadpanned.
"Is...Is that all for you...!?" Ryuji got out in disbelief.
"Yeah. Duh. Who else?" Homura casually answered as she took a bite. "Oh...the beef...it's melting in my mouth...~" She got out in a satisfied and pleased manner.
"Well, she's definitely taking advantage of the..." Akira started to say, only to trail off as he saw a giant pile of everything coming towards them.
Asuka soon arrived as she was humming a tune as she held her plate. "Hey!" She greeted as she tilted her head to see the group.
"A-Asuka-chan!?" Ann exclaimed at the sight.
"I didn't know what to get since it's my first time at a buffet, so I sort of got everything..." Asuka sheepishly got out as she sat down.
"Dude, it almost goes to the ceiling..." Ryuji got out in awe.
"So much for your diet..." Akira muttered out.
"The metabolism of a shinobi, it is something that you should be amazed by." Morgana soon stated.
"And feared." Ann added.
"Huh?" Asuka and Homura got out in confused unison.
"O-Oh yeah, I heard that the police are coming to interview some people at school." Ann revealed, trying to change the subject.
"That's troublesome..." Morgana muttered out.
"...Should we ruin his reputation further?" Homura soon asked as she continued eating.
"Nah, we already had our revenge. May as well stop kicking him while he's down." Akira replied.
"What about our no neck principal potato?" Asuka then asked.
"Oh, fuck him. We might be able to squeeze a few more improvements from the school if we say the right things." Homura answered with a devious smile.
"I like the sound of that Lady Homura." Morgana replied in agreement with his own devilish smile.
"Yeah, that sounds great and all but...you realize our names are gonna come up for sure." Ryuji pointed out. "We were the most public against Kamoshida after all, and not everyone stopped spreadin' rumours 'bout us..." He then reminded.
"Maybe we should try and avoid cameras then..." Akira muttered out.
Ryuji then grinned as he continued eating. "But hey, we caused a goddamn riot! I'm still hearin' people sayin' that the Phantom Thieves really stole his heart!" He then revealed. "I think most people don't believe it, but some of them actually seem grateful." He soon added.
"Well, we did bring color back into their lives." Asuka giggled out.
"Ain't that the truth." Homura also got out with a smirk.
"Yeah, and look at this." Ryuji continued as he pulled out his phone and showed them the screen. On it was a website, mostly red and black, with a live chat and a poll.
"Eh? What's this Ryuji-kun?" Asuka soon asked in a curious manner as she ate some more.
"The Phantom Aficionado Website...?" Ann read out the name of the site.
"We have a fan site already?" Akira got out with a slight chuckle.
"Not just a fan site, a Phan-site! Like Phantom Site." Ryuji corrected with a grin as the Thieves read through the comments.
"Well done, Phantom Thieves."
"Hey, do you think the person who saved that girl is part of them? You're amazing!"
"Now I can keep going too."
"Thank you for giving us hope."
"Keep it up!"
"Pretty cool, huh." Ryuji remarked.
"Yeah, a little." Asuka replied. "Our profession...We don't usually get praised like this but...it feels nice..." She soon admitted with a soft smile.
"I was just desperate to deal with my own problems, but seeing people saying all this feels...strange." Ann meanwhile admitted.
"Same here Ann." Homura got out.
"Yeah...but what do we do now?" Ryuji asked in an unsure tone.
"Eat." Akira answered simply.
"That's not what I meant..." Ryuji sighed out before suddenly, the ash blonde gasped.
"This place has a time limit!" Ann called out.
"Right, we only have an hour to eat left." Homura replied as she went back to doing as such.
"Actually, it's more like fifty..." Asuka pointed out. "This fish is so good~!" She then got out in a satisfied tone.
"Gah! I'm not gonna finish all the beef dishes at this pace!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"I need to eat my way through the entire dessert menu...!" Ann then declared.
"Wait, so the whole cake thing is true?" Homura got out in surprise.
"Shut up! I need to go!" Ann frantically got out before grabbing an empty, clean plate and stood up.
"Oh, any cake recommendations Ann-chan?" Asuka soon asked as she got up with an empty plate.
"Wait, you're goin' for another plate!? Don't you wanna finish your first!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Huh? I already finished my last plate." Asuka innocent replied as she showed off the empty plate.
"Habubububa...!" Ryuji tried to remember how to speak Japanese as he saw that the Vice Leader's plate was empty.
"Shinobi metabolism." Morgana once more declared. "Respected and feared." He then stated.
"I'm finished too. I want more of that melting and tender beef!" Homura declared in excitement.
"I don't think the cooks can make enough for you two..." Akira deadpanned with a sweatdrop.
"Can you two give me tips for losing weight?" Ann meanwhile asked as she got a piece of cake.
"Sure, but later. More cake now!" Asuka replied as she also took a piece of cake.
"Look after our stuff, Akira! We'll snag something for you guys too, don't worry!" Ryuji quickly got out before he and the girls dashed off to get more food before the black haired boy and the not cat could respond.
The two meanwhile just looked at each other before grimacing. Something told them this wasn't going to be good.
Suddenly, the table was split into two sides. One with Homura and Ryuji and their piles of meat dishes and the other with Asuka and Ann and their entire dessert menu.
"Aw man, Homura was right! It does melt in my mouth!" Ryuji moaned in happiness.
"I know, right? Hey, pass me that ham." Homura requested as she reached for the plate.
"Seriously? You guys only got meat?" Morgana soon asked in disbelief.
"Now, where should I start?" Ann whispered out as she looked over all the various sweets she and the Vice Leader had brought over.
"So many choices~!" Asuka happily declared with stars in her eyes.
"And they're all about cake..." Morgana got out.
"Too much protein versus too much sugar..." Akira muttered out. "Place your bets. Who will get indigestion first?" He then thought.
"Hehe, usually I'm more into eating Jii-chan's futomaki rolls, so this is a good change." Asuka soon admitted with a giggle.
"Oh, shit, you have to try one of them." Homura spoke up. "They're so big, long and moist..." She then listed off.
That immediately got everyone's attention as they looked at the tan skinned girl. "Wh-What was that?" Ann coughed out.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Asuka soon asked in an innocent manner. "It's how Jii-chan describes them." She revealed.
"I'm...I'm gonna enjoy my cake now and ignore that." Ann awkwardly replied as she took a bite. "So happy...!" She soon sighed out in a pleasant manner.
Asuka meanwhile shrugged her shoulders to that as she also took a bite of her cake. "Mmm~!" She moaned out.
"Man, how many calories are you gonna have to work off later...?" Ryuji muttered out.
"Remember, Ann can't get fat. She has a nutrient deficiency." Homura reminded. "And Sis can easily burn it off." She then added.
"Yeah, and besides do you know how much this costs? I'll never have a chance like this again!" Ann revealed. " Mmm...the Wilton Hotel cake buffet...I'd heard rumors but I never thought it'd be so amazing!" She got out in delight.
"And...where's our share?" Morgana soon asked.
"I didn't know what you'd want...So I just grabbed some beans." Ryuji answered as he shoved the plate of baked beans in front of the glasses wearing boy.
"B-Beans?" Morgana choked out.
"There were some pretty bizarre things there too, so we got you a variety of those." Ann then informed. "Fried bananas, preserved eggs...some kind of beans..." She then listed off as the dyed blond shoved a plate full of odd food in front of the Leader, mostly consisting of beans, smelling weird as a result.
"M-More beans...?" Morgana got out in disbelief.
"Can cats even eat beans?" Akira wondered out loud.
"Yeah, and we put so much on one plate that it all got mixed with each other." Homura sheepishly revealed. "We're sure it's still edible though...I think." She then awkwardly added.
"Don't worry, Morgana-chan, they were serving milk drinks so I got those for you guys." Asuka replied in a reassuring tone as she lifted up a chocolate-flavored drink.
"Er, cats are lactose intolerant. They get diarrhea and vomit." Akira informed.
"Oh...then more for me~!" Asuka replied as she downed the drink in 3 seconds flat. "Ah~! That really hits the spot!" She breathed out in satisfaction.
"Hey! Save some for me!" Ann called out as she grabbed a strawberry milk drink. "We have to eat efficiently in order to maximize our time here!" She then advised.
"Oh, I am the master of efficiency when it comes to food! I can bite two sushi rolls at the same time!" Asuka revealed in a proud tone before looking sheepish. "They're a little too big for my mouth, though. I can't swallow them both at once..." She then admitted.
Akira tried to say something about that little factoid but decided against it. "She's way too innocent for her own good." He thought.
"Can you teach me, Sis? There's too much meat to fit in my mouth properly." Homura meanwhile asked.
"Of course, Homu-nee! I'm gonna help you fit as much meat in your mouth that you'll explode in joy!" Asuka soon declared.
"Oh dear God, they don't know..." Ann muttered out as the other Thieves stared at the shinobi, the males blushing slightly all the while.
"L-Lady Asuka...um..." Morgana stammered out.
"Hm?" Asuka innocently hummed out with an adorable tilt of her head.
"I...Er...Uh...I'm gonna get my own food now..." Akira replied as he grabbed his bag.
"G-Good idea, Joker. Let's do that." Morgana got out as the Leader went to get an empty plate.
The two shinobi looked at Akira weirdly, noticing his odd walk, before shrugging and getting back to their food.
Both oblivious to the disgusted/interested stares that everyone in the buffet were giving them.
"As I'd expect from the buffet at a high-class hotel." Morgana got out as he smelled all the food around him. "The ingredients and variety of dishes are crazy good. There's a reason it costs 8,000 yen. They have a lot here… but fish should come first!" He soon declared. "Let's fill our plate with all sorts of fish. Which table do you think they're at…?" He then added before asking the question.
Akira look around for a second before spotting the seafood section and heading there.
"Oooh…Look! Salmon, tuna! Oh, this is what I call a jackpot!" Morgana got out, resisting the urge to drool. "I'd prefer it raw, but grilled is great too!" He then added.
"You sure you're not a cat?" Akira whispered out as he went to get some on his plate. However, he couldn't help but overhear a conversation from nearby.
"Have you heard, my dear? The news about that Kamoshida fellow was absolutely dreadful." A gossiping wealthy appearing woman asked.
"Ah, right. That teacher at Shujin Academy, caught doing such indecent acts. Shameful, really." The Haughty Wealthy Woman responded.
"And did you hear about what happened to the school itself? How dreadful." The gossiping Wealthy Woman then got out.
"I can only imagine the budget for the clean up. I doubt they'll do anything about it." The Haughty Woman once more responded. "And they still haven't managed to solve those horrible psychotic breakdown episodes, have they? I wish they wouldn't let themselves be distracted by such a tawdry scandal." She then added.
"Perhaps it's a sign of how peaceful this country is. I honestly pity those poor Shujin students though." The Wealthy Woman replied.
"Hm. Guess they didn't mention the riot on the news…" Akira thought.
"Huh. It sounds like the Kamoshida incident is the talk of the town." Morgana got out before noticing that the two women were looking their way. "Shoot, they noticed you! Just grab some food and act natural! On the plus side, we'll get to eat the food later." He then advised.
"Tsk, how did a child like this end up in here? I certainly hope he didn't bring friends. I prefer my meals to remain hooligan-free, thank you very much. Come, let's go." The Wealthy Woman got out in arrogance and annoyance before the two women walked off.
The Leader however narrowed his eyes to that. "I can hear you." Akira muttered out with a frown.
"What's so bad about kids coming to enjoy a buffet…?" Morgana got out in an offended tone. "Hm, I wonder how the other people here are reacting to the news. Let's get some more food and listen in." He then suggested.
"Hm…" Akira hummed out before flashing Third Eye to see if he could find any persons of interest and where the meat, rice and dessert was. He decided to go to the dessert section with its three chocolate fountains.
God, he would kill to get one to brighten up his room.
"Up close, it looks even bigger and more delicious. This giant, sweet, dark…" Morgana got out before catching himself. "Ah. I got distracted." He awkwardly admitted.
"Hey, I read up cats can't taste sweets." Akira informed. "Plus, gotta watch your weight." He then added.
"Gah! I can taste sweets 'cause I'm human! Give me as much cake as you can put on your plate!" Morgana demanded as the Leader soon eavesdropped on an IT Company President and a Reliable-looking Woman.
"News travels quick. It's already all over the internet. You know, the story about how Kamoshida got his ass kicked by some world-reforming heroes…" The IT Company President began.
"It doesn't sound like a serious story to me. Some of the details are pretty far-fetched." The Reliable Woman responded.
"Don't worry about it. We just have to do what they tell us to do. It's all rumors made up by school kids, anyway. If it's gripping news, who cares if it's not true?" The IT Company President responded.
"So they don't believe themselves, but they're making up stories to make the Phantom Thieves seem real…" Morgana got out in amusement. "...And they're doing this in front of the actual Phantom Thieves." He then added with a grin, right before noticing that they were beginning to look their way. "Whoa! Act fast, and get some food! And make sure it's got a lot of whipped cream." He quickly reminded.
"What's wrong?" The Reliable Woman asked.
"Ah, nothing. I thought some weird kid was looking at us, that's all. Why don't we go? It's almost time for the meeting." The IT Company President replied as the walked off.
"...You know, to be honest, they're right…" Akira admitted.
"It doesn't make him any less rude." Morgana countered in annoyance. "Hm, I wonder how the other people here are reacting to the news. Let's get some more food and listen in." He then added.
The glasses wearing boy nodded and headed for the rice dishes next. That curry rice looked and smelled amazing, though nowhere near the cafe owner's level. "Rice is incredible! It's the cornerstone of every great meal!" Morgana got out in excitement. "...Sorry. I got a bit carried away there." He awkwardly added as the Leader tried to act as if he was studying the dishes while he listened into a conversation between a TV Station President and a Fancy Girl.
"So the ratings for the news were really that good? It was because it was about that teacher who sexually harassed his student, huh? Was it Kamoshida?" The Fancy Girl asked.
"It's all about how you frame it. You've got to cater to the idiot public. Ratings go up when you show them crude, sensational news, and make it easy for them to understand." The TV Station President explained.
"How can he be so insensitive? A student almost killed herself because of that man…" Morgana growled out.
"They'll screw up eventually with some bullshit news story like…All Asian Mall or something." Akira muttered out. "Besides, Principal Bowling Bitch is doing his best to hide Shiho's jump." He then added.
"Not to mention the graffiti at the school made for some great footage as well." The TV Station President then added in amusement. "We're certainly going to get the hipster demographic to tune in more often." He soon stated.
"By the way, do you think these sudden changes of heart might be real?" The Fancy Girl soon asked.
"Well, that's- Hmm…?" The TV Station President started, but then turned towards the glasses wearing boy.
"Quick, grab some food! Oh, and don't forget the crispy bits!" Morgana quickly ordered.
"So because he had a sudden change of heart, he just confessed to all his crimes?" The Fancy Girl then asked.
"Haha, who knows? Sorry, but it's time. I have to go. I'll call you again after the meeting." The TV Station President responded before walking off.
"A sudden change of heart, huh? I suppose I can't blame him for seeing it that way." Morgana admitted.
"Yeah, but using something so horrible for views…" Akira whispered out with a frown. "God, I hate TV these days…" He then muttered.
Finally, Akira got to the meat section. He really hoped Ryuji and Homura didn't clear out all the dishes because he wanted some ham himself.
"Ah, meat! I'm no Ryuji, but a meal is just not the same if you don't have any-" Morgana started before stopping himself. "...I got distracted." He then got out.
"I really gotta try out the melting meat Homura and Ryuji got." Akira muttered to himself as he listened into another conversation between two subordinates.
"...When you really look at it, he's just an ex-athlete who overestimated himself. He should have just accepted his lot in life and quietly done his job as a teacher." The Haughty Subordinate got out.
"It's not even an incident we can take seriously. The whole story is pretty ridiculous. We should probably look into it, but we can also just let the low-ranking scrubs handle it." The Insolent Subordinate responded.
"Look into…? I guess they're investigating Kamoshida? They don't sound very enthusiastic about it though." Morgana informed.
"Okay, it may be out there, but the acts and consequences were real." Akira whispered out as he saw that they were beginning to notice him.
"Gah, grab some food! Ah, get the part that's not too fatty!" Morgana panickingly ordered.
Nodding to that, Akira did as suggested as he placed some meat on his plate
"He's going to be arriving soon. We don't want to keep him waiting, so we better get going too." The Insolent Subordinate soon reminded.
"What is he going to discuss with the higher-ups? Well, I'm sure it's more important than lunch." The Haughty Subordinate responded as they then walked away.
"They were dressed quite well, but they still looked pretty shady to me." Morgana admitted. "I don't think there's anyone else we can listen in on. But it's shocking…So many of the adults here don't seem like nice people."
"Do any of them remember being teenagers themselves? Can they even hear themselves?" Akira thought with a frown. "God, if I grow up into an asshole, someone shoot me."
"Now, according to what we heard…It seems most adults aren't very interested in the news about Kamoshida." Morgana recapped what they heard. "Well, now that we've got a nice variety of food on our plates, let's head back to the others." He then suggested.
Soon, the Leader came back with his own mountain of food, with plenty of fish for the not cat to eat.
"...Ooh, you brought back a ton." Ryuji replied as the Leader sat down while Ann finished off her pie. "Whaddya think about comin' up against such ristzy food?" He then asked.
"I'm happy honestly." Akira replied with a satisfied smirk.
"It's cute hearin' that from someone like you. Just don't get too excited, got it?" Ryuji however remarked.
"You're the last person I want giving advice about that, Ryuji." Morgana sighed out.
"Don't you think that's too much on your plate, Mona?" Ryuji then asked.
"There's no knowing when we'll get to come here again. We're gonna make the most of it." Morgana stated.
"Sure, but you guys brought back loads of food..." Ann pointed out. "It'd be a shame to let it all go to waste. Why don't you help them out, Ryuji?"
"Hey, we should all help." Ryuji suggested.
"Oh? Sorry, but I'm wayyy too stuffed! I couldn't possibly help!" Ann got out as she ate her cake.
"Um...I'm helping Ann-chan work through her dishes." Asuka stated before she downed another milkshake.
"And I don't want to." Homura finished.
"Goddammit..." The dyed blonde sighed out. "Looks like we're on our own. Let's do this Joker!" Ryuji soon declared.
"Shut up and eat!" Homura called out as tore off some meat from her mutton. "25 minutes!" She then informed.
"Where did Homura find mutton?" Akira meanwhile thought with a sweatdrop.
However, he didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts as he buckled down and began eating.
But...as time went on...Akira started to notice something...
"It feels like no matter how much we eat, the amount of food stays the same." Akira thought with another sweatdrop as everyone ate as much as they could.
Even Asuka and Homura were starting to slow down as their pile of plates got stacked higher and higher.
"I think...We got too much..." Asuka groaned out. "But we can't just leave it all here..." She then began.
"Stupid buffet. Not letting us put it in take-out containers..." Homura grumbled out as she continued eating.
It was a long and arduous battle for the boys, but finally, with 10 minutes left on the clock, they conquered the challenge...barely.
"W-We did it..." Morgana groaned out.
"Great teamwork, everyone." Akira moaned out, trying to let his food digest. "My belt feels multiple sizes too small..." He soon revealed.
"Y-Yeah...This is a victory...for all of us..." Ryuji remarked, trying not to throw up on the table.
"That was tough." Akira then declared.
"We won...because we did it together..." Ryuji soon stated.
Meanwhile for the girls, they all had a very tall stack of clean plates and satisfied expressions on the faces from all the food they had eaten.
"Ah~ That was great~!" Asuka got out with delight in her voice.
"Yep! So tasty~!" Homura breathed out as she leaned back in her seat while cleaning her teeth with a toothpick.
"Good job, you guys. How about one last dish to cleanse your palate?" Ann suggested. "I recommend the seasonal tart! The grapefruit has both alluring sweetness and a tangy sourness!" She then informed.
"That sounds good, Ann-chan. I could go for dessert." Asuka admitted.
"Me too. Oh, I saw that there was squid ink ice cream over by the cakes." Homura informed. "I say let's go ladies!" She then declared with a smirk.
"Yeah!" The other two girls replied in unison while pumping a fist into the air.
The boys however groaned at this. "You three are monsters..." Akira thought.
"Stop...If I see any more food, I'll die..." Ryuji moaned out before burping. "This isn't good...I gotta go to the bathroom..." He then got out.
"M-Me too..." Morgana got out in a sickly tone. "Please...carry me gently..." He soon requested.
As such, the two boys and the not cat got up and headed for the restroom.
"Huh, guess they couldn't hold it down." Homura casually replied while flicking the toothpick away.
However, the girls started to overhear people talking about them.
"My, look at that table..."
"They must not normally have the opportunity to eat such exquisite food."
"I can only imagine what their parents must be like."
"Excuse me, it's rude to stare!" Homura called out to the two sneering people. "Mind your own business!" She all but ordered in annoyance, causing them to scoff and walk away.
"Homu-nee, please quiet down. You're causing a disturbance." Asuka requested while placing a hand on her roommate's shoulder. "Come on, let's go get that squid ink ice cream." She then suggested as she stood up.
"Hai, hai." Homura replied as she followed her roommate's lead.
Just as they got their bowls, however...
"Oof!" Ann suddenly got out as a lady on her phone walked into her.
SHATTER!
And with that, the lady's plate shattered on the ground along with her food.
"Oh, sorry! Sorry!" Ann apologized.
"You should be! Can't you see where you're going!"
"Hey lady, you bumped into our friend first." Homura got out in an annoyed tone as her roommate nodded in agreement.
"I don't need to deal with the likes of you..." The woman scoffed in annoyance before walking away.
Meanwhile, everyone in the restaurant was just staring at them, and none of them looked sympathetic. Hell, one of the workers glared at them as he cleaned up the mess.
"Bitch..." Ann muttered under her breath. "What is up with everyone treating us like dirt?" She soon asked.
"Hai..." Asuka also muttered in agreement.
"Eh, I wouldn't worry about her." Homura however got out with a smirk.
"Eh?" The brunette and ash got out in confused unison.
"She won't be paying for her meal. She'll be paying for ours." Homura stated as she revealed that she took the lady's wallet while also wearing gloves.
"...Should I be surprised at this point?" Ann muttered out.
"Not really." Homura casually replied as she opened the wallet. "Hehe, she had a lot." She then revealed in excitement.
"Homu-nee..." Asuka chided as she gave her roommate a disapproving look.
"She brought it on herself Sis." Homura countered with a smirk.
"Do you even know her pin number?" Ann however asked.
"No, but she has a lot of physical cash. Ah, I love old fashioned people that think they're so rich that they're untouchable." Homura then replied in an amused tone.
"At least return the wallet to her afterwards..." Asuka sighed out the request.
"Oh I will...eventually." Homura off-handedly answered. "Now let's get our desserts!" She then reminded.
Meanwhile, several floors above the girls, the three boys had just finished up their loud, embarrassing business in the men's bathroom and were waiting by the elevators.
"Ughh...I'm so stuffed." Morgana groaned out.
"I totally panicked when I saw the Closed For Cleaning sign at the bathrooms..." Ryuji admitted as he slumped down.
"You were talking big about eating until you puked, but then you really did puke." Morgana reminded in a smug tone, though his expression said otherwise. "You ate way too fast. You gotta be careful next time." He then advised.
"Hey! Follow your own advice!" Ryuji called out.
"Quiet down you two. You're gonna get us kicked out." Akira warned. "Let's just get back to the girls before our time's up." He then added.
"Yeah. Whatever..." Ryuji sighed out as he pressed a button to call the elevator. "What floor was the restaurant on again...?" He soon asked.
"We came up to get here, so it has to be on a lower floor, right?" Morgana guessed.
"Urgh...why did it have to be that the only bathrooms available were several floors above us...?" Akira mentally groaned. He nearly shit his pants on the elevator ride here.
However, he suddenly heard people gasp. He turned to see that all the people's attention had turned to a group of men in suits heading for the elevator.
Akira was about to step aside, only for the men to shove him and the dyed blond away as they stood in front of them.
"What the-Hey!" Ryuji got out, annoyed by the men's rudeness.
"There's still no update on the case?" A bald, distinguished man asked-no, demanded from his subordinates.
"N-Not yet..." The Haughty Subordinate replied. "Excuse me, but why are you so involved? It's not something you should be concerned with..." He then added.
"I don't care about your opinion, you incompetent buffoon! When I say pick up the pace, you do it!" The bald man soon ordered.
"Hey, that's verbal abuse. He should file a complaint to HR." Akira thought as he frowned.
"Hey, you're cuttin' in line!" Ryuji called out.
"...What do you want?" The Haughty Subordinate got out, just noticing the two.
Akira couldn't help but feel angry at the man's tone. Just something about him ticked him off. However, he calmed himself down. He didn't want to cause an incident over an elevator. "Sorry, sir. But you did bump into us. It was quite rude." He then stated.
"We're in a hurry." The Haughty Subordinate off-handedly answered, barely looking at the two.
"Oh, I'm sorry. So you can butt in front of other people if you're in a hurry?" Ryuji growled out.
"It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last." The bald man got out with a frown. "Have they started a daycare?"
"Pretty sure they haven't, considering they let you in here." Akira couldn't help but counter, his eyes flashing red.
"Joker..." Morgana whispered out.
"Y-You dare speak to me that way you insolent brat!?" The bald man countered, raising his voice and intimidating everyone around him.
"Yes." Akira casually replied. He wasn't afraid of some rude adult after facing death itself, especially with Arsene at his side.
"I'll have you know I can destroy your life if you dare-" The bald man began to threaten.
"Sir, we don't have time for this. Let them be." The Haughty Subordinate got out.
The bald man quickly calmed himself down. He was not going to let this brat get the better of him. "I know." He got out as the elevator arrived.
Ryuji didn't even bother trying to step into the elevator with the men, but was shoved aside anyway. "Hey!" He soon called out, thoroughly pissed now. He didn't need to push him so hard.
However...Akira couldn't hear the dyed blond as something inside him...sparked.
Akira swore the world slowed down as the bald man shoved past him, looking him in the eyes.
Those eyes...That voice...
Why...Why did he seem so...familiar...?
"Yo, Akira. You okay?" Ryuji spoke up, wondering why his friend stared at the man like that.
"Hm? Oh, nothing." Akira replied as she shook his head before hitting the elevator button.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
"Huh?" A subordinate got out as he tried to get the door to close, only to see Akira hitting the button at the same time as him. "Hey, you're really pushing it kid."
"Sorry, sir, I'm just calling for the other elevator." Akira got out, feigning innocence even while he was still hitting the button.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
"Well, stop that. The elevator won't come any faster if you keep pushing the button." One of the suit wearing men got out in annoyance.
"Again, sorry but I know how sometimes the elevators don't respond sometimes." Akira got out as he continued tapping the elevator button even faster as the dyed blond joined him.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
"That's it! Get them!" The bald asshole ordered in clear anger and annoyance.
"CHEESE IT!" Akira shouted out as the two boys ran away from the guards, laughing all the way.
"Hey, wait! Don't move so fa-BARGH!" Morgana got out before puking his contents on the floor behind the three.
SLIP! CRASH!
And with that, the guards slipped on cat vomit.
"OH GOD, IT WENT IN MY MOUTH!" Was the last thing the boys heard before making their daring escape.
Back to the girls, Ann had placed her bowl on top of Asuka and Homura's bowl and leaned back.
"Aaaaah, that was good~" The three girls got out in delighted unison while sitting in their seats.
"Who would've thought squid ink ice cream was that good." Ann admitted.
"It tastes just like...actually, I don't really know what it tastes like other than good." Homura got out.
The Vice Leader then turned to her roommate. "Hey, Homu-nee, is my tongue black?" Asuka asked as she stuck out her tongue.
"Yep. A little." Homura answered just as the boys arrived, sweaty and panting.
"What took you so long?" Ann questioned, wondering about their tired states.
"Making the most of my time, Takamaki-san." Akira cooly replied as he sat down.
"Ugh, Akira here went and trolled an asshole." Ryuji bluntly revealed with a smirk. "And it was awesome." He then added.
"Trolled?" Asuka and Homura however repeated in confused unison while tilting their heads.
"Urgh..." Morgana meanwhile groaned out as the Leader set his bag next to him. "You really shouldn't have done that..." He then stated.
"That's only because you threw up." Akira pointed out. "So, how was the squid ink ice cream?" He then asked in a curious manner.
"Sooo gooood~" Asuka moaned in a pleased manner.
"Yeah. We did run into this lady though. Yelled at us for spilling her food even though she was the one talking on her phone and bumped into us." Homura sighed out before smirking. "Don't worry, she won't be paying for her meal. Oh, by the way, here's some cash to pay for the meal and a little extra." She then offered.
Akira in response blinking to hearing that before smirking. "You pickpocketed her?" He guessed.
"Yep. Now take the money before I swiftly return the wallet to her." Homura got out.
"Thank you. Really." Akira admitted with a smile. "Now we can actually afford this meal." He thought.
"Spoken like...a true Phantom Thief." Morgana meanwhile praised, though still a little sickly.
"I still think you shouldn't have done that. We're already skating on thin ice here..." Asuka mumbled out.
"Eh, she sounded like a real bitch." Ryuji got out with a shrug.
"She totally was." Ann muttered out.
"Hell yeah." Asuka and Homura also replied in agreement.
"But then again...the restaurant workers all looked at us with disapproving expressions..." Ann admitted. "I wonder if we're out of place here..."
"Yeah...I feel like we're being treated like homeless people..." Asuka sighed out.
"Judgemental assholes..." Homura grumbled in annoyance.
"Maybe." Akira got out as everyone groaned in unison.
"...Hey, Morgana." Ryuji suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.
"What is it?" The not cat responded.
"...Anyone can have a Palace, yeah?" Ryuji asked.
"Anyone with a strong, distorted desire." Morgana answered.
"Same for them havin' a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?"
"That would be the case." Morgana replied.
"Ryuji, we know all this. What's the point you're trying to make here?" Homura soon asked as she narrowed her eyes at the dyed blond.
"Remember when I said that Akira was trolling those assholes? Well, they barely tried to hide how selfish they are. Like, they treated everyone but themselves as trash." Ryuji explained. "I was just wonderin' if we'd be able to change those kindsa people too." He then suggested, surprising the group.
"Eh?" Asuka got out to hearing this.
"You mean...you want to continue as the Phantom Thieves?" Ann asked.
"You do realize what you just said, right? We all nearly killed ourselves back at the castle. You seriously want to do that again?" Homura reminded in an incredulous yet curious tone.
"I've been thinkin'." Ryuji started as he gained a serious expression on his face. "We put a lot of work into changin' Kamoshida's heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves. At best, people think we're a gang. Plus...those guys had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin' us. Us, of all people." He then reminded.
"There were a lot of victims." Akira muttered out as everyone was silent once more.
However, after another second of silence...
"I...I agree." Ann spoke up, getting everyone in their group's attention."If we ignore people who are in trouble, I'd go back to being the same as I was before...!" She then confessed.
"Yeah. Honestly...this is the first time it felt like I really did something good." Homura soon confessed in a solemn manner.
"It may be, but it's possibly the first of many." Asuka stated. "It's not like helping people will be a one time thing." She then added.
"But do you want it to be a one time thing?" Akira asked.
"...No. I'm done being this passive, order following girl who takes what she can get." Homura declared. "I finally have control of my life...now, I'm gonna use it to help people." She soon decided in a determined manner.
"That's great, Homu-nee! Besides, there's only so much good a Good Shinobi can do thanks to all the rules. But a thief...they can damn do anything." Asuka stated.
"...Well, if you're all going through with this, you're going to be under my tutelage. There's nothing we can't accomplish as Phantom Thieves!" Morgana got out.
"So...are we in agreement?" Akira asked. "I mean, we are helping people but that will mean we're going to have to fight more Shadows. I'm trying to be realistic here. If we're not careful, we'll all die." He then reminded.
"Oh come on, Joker. We have a couple of sexy ninja girls to help us out. I'm sure we'll manage just fine." Ryuji pointed out.
"Such uncouth language...but he is right." Morgana stated. "Having shinobi on our side is a great boon we shouldn't waste." He then admitted.
"And we're willing to put in the work. Just say the word." Asuka replied as she and her roommate cracked their knuckles.
"...Well...if everyone's willing, then I don't see why not." Akira got out. "Heh, maybe this'll be fun. Sure beats spending my probation doing nothing, I'll say that." He soon added.
"A probation for a bullshit reason." Homura reminded. "We gotta hunt him down when we have the chance." She then declared.
"Heh...Even if three of you can be considered fledglings, this means we're an actual organisation now like the Shinobi Factions." Morgana soon stated.
"We're less an organization and more of a...guild or something along those lines." Asuka corrected. "Like me and my friends back at Hanzō Academy as Elites. The Top Five strongest basically." She then pointed out while explaining what she meant while her roommate nodded in agreement.
"All right, it's settled!" Ryuji called out. "We're gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!" He then declared.
"Not all corrupted hearts are gonna be adults, Ryuji. There can be people our age that are just as corrupt." Homura pointed out.
"Then we'll change their heart too! We're gonna change the world!" Ryuji declared.
"Hey, Akira, Asuka, you still going to be our Leaders?" Ann asked. "You two did pretty well at the castle." She then reminded.
"If that's alright you guys." Asuka replied as she looked at the Leader. "Right Akira-kun?" She then asked.
"I don't see why not." Akira answered with a smile.
"No objections here! I can't handle all that responsibility stuff." Ryuji got out.
"Still kind of bothered by the fact we're letting a civilian be one of our leaders, but you haven't killed us yet so I'm fine with it." Homura affirmed.
"Where's my say in this...?" Morgana complained before sighing. "But, if the girls agree, so do I." He then added in approval.
"Oh! What team name should we go by?" Asuka soon asked in a curious tone. "I mean I think we should have a team name to go with our group." She then explained.
"But Phantom Thieves of Heart sounds good enough." Akira admitted.
"Yeah, come on, we gotta have a better name than that. Too much of a mouthful." Ryuji stated. "Maybe like, the Crimson Thieves!" Ryuji called out.
"Crimson's more my thing." Homura remarked. "Next." She then got out.
"The Vandals!" Ann spoke up, having pulled out her phone to look up a team name generator.
"Sucks! Next!" Akira once more replied.
"Worthless Rebels?" Homura suggested.
"That would mean we can't change the world. Or we'd have to explain the irony of the name. Next." Morgana stated.
"Dispensable...Liquidators...?" Ann got out hesitantly.
"...No." Ryuji got out with a grimace. "Sounds effin' lame." He then added.
"Unarmed Knights." Akira then threw in before pausing.
"..." Everyone remained silent as they were reminded of Kamoshida's Palace.
"Remember, we're thieves, not knights." Morgana deadpanned.
"Stardust Crusaders!" Ryuji said.
"...Maybe? Eh...pass anyways." Homura replied.
"Vento Aureo!" Ann read out.
"That's just nonsense." Ryuji sighed out.
"Heated Hearts!" Asuka got out.
"Nope." Akira responded as he shook his head.
"League of Assassins!" Homura called out.
"Taken already." Ryuji responded.
"Thieves! We are thieves! Do I have to remind you every time!?" Morgana meanwhile got out.
"UknownHearts!" Someone called out, but they weren't sure who suggested it.
"Also taken already." Akira instinctively declared.
"...By who?" Morgana asked before shaking his head. "How about...Mona's!" He soon suggested in a dramatic manner.
"That's not narcissistic." Homura sarcastically muttered out while rolling her eyes.
"I got one that's cute and luxurious. Pink Diamonds." Ann then suggested.
"Um, only you're pink Ann." Akira pointed out. "And even then it's only on the gloves." He then added.
"How about Tilefish Poele?" Morgana spoke up.
"Morgana, are you still hungry?" Akira chuckled out before calming down. "...The Phantoms?" He then suggested.
"That sounds...generic. Pass." Homura got out. "But we'll keep it on the table." She then added.
"Senran Persona...?" Asuka innocently suggested.
"..." The other just silently stared at the brunette with blank expressions on their faces.
"O-Okay, that was dumb. I don't even know what a Senran is..." Asuka mumbled out.
"Let's...Let's just stick to The Phantom Thieves." Homura decided. "With The Phantoms being the short version." She then added.
"I agree to that." Asuka replied with a nod of approval. "Short, simple yet effective." She then started with a smile.
"Well, that should be good enough. We shouldn't overcomplicate it." Morgana stated.
"So we're stickin' with the Phantom Thieves of Heart?" Ryuji asked.
To that, everyone nodded in response.
"Well now that the name's set, who's our next target?" Ann asked.
"There are tons of rotten people in the world and all..." ``Ryuji muttered out.
"We should probably choose more public figures. CEOs, celebrities and such. We need to get the Phantom Thieves name out there first." Akira suggested.
"Still, the world is our oyster now." Homura then remembered with a rebellious grin. "Let's make the most of it." She then added.
"Yeah, to all the terrible people in the world, the Phantom Thieves are coming for you!" Asuka quietly declared.
"Good idea. If we become better known, we might be able to give people the courage to fight back." Ann pointed out. "But I don't really like the idea of just picking someone out of the blue, though." She then admitted.
"Then let's narrow it down to someone we can all agree on." Ryuji suggested.
"You mean like a unanimous vote?" Akira asked.
"Huh, a smart idea coming from you Ryuji." Homura remarked in amusement.
"Hey, I have my good days." Ryuji countered with a smirk.
"So we need a big shot to target that we can all agree on." Asuka muttered out. "Shouldn't be too hard to decide, as long as there is no doubt the target is a terrible person." She then added.
"I like that unanimous decision part! It's like we're making some kind of pact!" Ann got out in excitement.
"Now then, this is the official formation of the Phantom Thieves organization!" Morgana declared.
"Let's do our best!" Asuka and Akira declared...
RING! RING! RING!
...Just as they heard their alarms go off.
"Oh no! Our time for the buffet ran out..." Ann informed sadly.
"Well we did eat a lot." Homura reminded.
"That's an understatement." Akira thought with a sweatdrop.
"I guess we'll have to talk more tomorrow." Ryuji got out with a shrug. "Guess I'll see ya at school." He then added.
"Hold up. Gotta pay for the meal. We are law-abiding citizens after all." Akira stated as he walked over to the front desk.
A little bit later, Akira came back with a smile on his face.
"Thanks Homura. We were 10,000 short." Akira thanked the tan skinned girl.
"Oh, really? Okay, that was lucky." Homura got out.
Suddenly, they heard a lady yelling at the man on the front desk. "You do not talk to me that way! Just allow me back in to search for my wallet!" She soon demanded.
"Miss, calm down or else I'll be forced to call security."
"DON'T YOU DARE EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"
"I'm guessing that's the rude lady you mentioned?" Morgana whispered from within the Leader' bag.
"Yeah. Run. Now." Homura got out as the lady loudly shouted and complained while dropping the wallet a distance away for her to eventually find and throwing out the gloves, all while the Thieves made their daring escape.
(Fast Forward)
"Another world in which people's distorted cognitions take shape? Stealing treasure to change hearts? And on top of that, a talking cat told you all this?"
"And it only gets more bizzare from here." Akira got out as he rubbed his forehead.
"Honestly speaking, that all sounds absurd. It's hard to believe that this is even worth listening to." Sae admitted. "Still, it can't be considered nonsense when parts of it align with Kamoshida's confession. The same goes for the testimonies of the officers who arrested you..." She then stated."But so be it. At any rate, you mentioned something more important. These two other accomplices, besides this talking cat thing that appeared in your story...From what you've been telling me, all members of your group are students at the same school, aren't they? Including these mystery girls, Asuka and Homura?" She soon deducted.
"...Perhaps." Akira replied.
"...Very well. I'll leave it at that." Sae got out, seeing that she wasn't going to get anything else from him for now. "Let's continue on. There are many more events that I must inquire on. Lies and false accounts are eventually exposed." She requested followed by informing the Phantom Thieves Leader of what was going to happen.
"Don't worry. We'll make sure you find your truth." Akira assured as he fidgeted in his seat. He wondered if he could get a pillow for his chair...
"The next to receive a calling card was this individual..." Sae started as she flipped over to the Phantom Thieves' next target; an old man in traditional Japanese dress. "A master of Japanese arts. Or, well, formerly. Ichiryusai Madarame. It's even more incomprehensible than Kamoshida as to why this man was targeted. Where did you come to know him? And how did you learn of his crimes when you weren't a victim of them? Start by telling me what you all schemed..." She soon requested.
"Hey, we were plotting, not scheming. There's a difference." Akira pointed out.
The prosecutor only narrowed her eyes as the Leader began telling her what had happened.
By telling her about the shinobi's bath time.
Again.
(Rewind)
(5/5, Evening)
(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)
The two shinobi entered their apartment with happy and satisfied smiles on their faces.
"Soooooo gooood~" Asuka got out in satisfaction.
"Yeah. We should totally go on our own next time." Homura sighed in a calm manner. "...Though when we have enough money." She then awkwardly added.
"And next time not to eat so much..." Asuka suggested. "I didn't even eat whatever we got for Akira-kun but I can still taste it..." She then admitted.
"Want me to get some water for you?" Homura soon offered.
"If you don't mind." Asuka replied as she then noticed the uneasy expression on her roommate's face. "Is something wrong Homu-nee?" She soon asked.
This snapped the tan skinned girl out of her uneasiness. "I-It's nothing..." Homura replied.
"Hey, talk to me Homu-nee." Asuka got out.
To this the tan skinned girl sighed. "I'm just...kinda worried. I mean, we're still pretty new to this Persona thing. What if it isn't enough? That we're not strong enough?" Homura admitted in an unsure tone. "What if I lose you...?" She then muttered as she bit her bottom lip.
"Hey. We're Thieves and shinobi, Homu-nee. We can take on anything." Asuka declared. "We'll also be the sword and shield of the group as well." She then added as she stripped down.
"Well, swords and shields need to be cleaned and sharpened, which is why we need to get stronger." Homura soon reminded as she calmed herself down. "And cleaned up for school tomorrow." She then added while also stripping down. "AKA it's time for our bath time Sis~" She reminded in a smooth tone with a grin on her face while holding her roommate's chin with her face in front of the other girl's.
"H-Homu-nee..." Asuka mumbled out with a blush on her face to the close contact. "S-Sister like..." She stammered out her reminder.
"What? Don't sisters touch each other like this?"
The brunette in turn awkwardly giggled to that. "You have a very poor understanding of what sisters do..." Asuka bluntly told her roommate.
Homura in turn dropped her head in shame to that blunt statement. "Only child..." She muttered out in depression.
"I-I know...but now I'm starting to get all of Akira-kun's jokes..." Asuka admitted. "You act like we're lovers and...I don't want that..." She then got out.
Homura immediately blushed crimson to that as she stepped back. "I-I-I'm not trying to act like that!" She responded in a flustered manner.
"But your actions speak louder than words. This is way past the influence of the bath bombs." Asuka sighed out. "Look...if you're gonna act like that, maybe we should stop sleeping together..." She soon suggested.
SHATTER!
"S-Sis!" Homura got out in a panicked and feminine manner as tears started to form.
"I'm sorry but...there has to be a line, Homura-chan." Asuka stated in a lecturing manner before sighing. "Ah, now I feel cold. I'm gonna get my pajamas now..." She then got out.
SHATTER!
"No! Wait! Please!" Homura soon called out in even more panic.
"Homura-chan. Please...grow up." Asuka soon sighed out in a mature manner. "You're starting to worry me..." She then stated.
"D-Don't leave me..." Homura sobbed out in depression. "N-Not again...I-I'll be a good girl..." She then suddenly got out.
Asuka however froze up when she heard that second part. "...Eh?" She got out, concerned and confused to hearing that.
"I-I was bad...I was bad..." Homura mumbled out, her eyes appearing hollow and lifeless now as she fell to her knees. "I'll be good...I'll obey..." She then informed.
"...Shit..." Wolverine meanwhile got out within the tan skinned girl's mind. "Her hidden trauma..." She then added.
"...O-Obey!?" Asuka meanwhile repeated before running up to her roommate. "Hey, snap out of it. Snap out of it, Homu-nee!" She called out in concern.
"It's okay…I'll go sleep in the hole again…" Homura soon got out in a lifeless manner.
This caused the brunette to pale at hearing this response. "I-I wasn't serious! Come on, don't do this!" Asuka got out as she shook her roommate. "Gah, is this what I get for showing a little tough love for one night...!?" She then muttered in concern. "Is this something related to what her former family did to her?" She meanwhile thought in shock to see her roommate like this.
"I should've died…I should've just died with them…" Homura soon muttered in a hollow voice.
This caused the brunette to pale even further to those words being said from the usually confident and strong willed girl. "Dammit, w-what should I do?" Asuka muttered to herself.
"GO JUMP OFF THE SCHOOL!" Yin soon declared with fury.
SLAP!
At that moment, Homura delivered an echoing slap right across her roommate's face as the others looked on in shock to this.
Asuka knew what she had to do as she pulled back her hand.
SLAP!
"SNAP OUT OF IT HOMU-NEE!" Asuka cried out.
Homura soon gasped as light returned to her eyes. "W-What just happened?" She soon asked while taking in deep breaths.
"Trauma." Wolverine answered within the girl's mind in a dead serious tone.
Homura immediately paled to that, already knowing what that meant.
However, Asuka quickly pulled the tan skinned girl into a tight hug. "I'm really, really sorry! I'll never do that again Homu-nee! Oh God, I'm such a terrible person!" She whimpered out.
"S-Sis...how...how bad was it?" Homura however softly asked in concern and a bit of fear in her voice.
"Really bad." Asuka answered with a regretful look on her face. "I'm so sorry! If I knew that saying… those types of things would make you like that…No…No! Fuck! That's not an excuse and I'm a terrible roommate!" She then cried out as she tightened her hug.
The tan skinned girl however was struggling to move. "Sis…you're…crushing my ribs…" Homura choked out as she tried to get out of her roommate's grasp.
"I'm never going to let you go! I'm never going to leave you alone like that and we're gonna sleep together every night for the rest of your life!" Asuka declared, ignoring her roommate's plea.
"That's… going to end… in about 10 seconds!" Homura soon got out as her face was starting to become slightly blue.
"Huh? Oh, sorry!" Asuka got out as she dropped her roommate, allowing her to breathe precious oxygen.
"It's...It's ok..." Homura panted out. "I've…I've been through worse…" She then revealed.
"That doesn't make it any better..." Asuka however muttered. "W-Was that...'cause of your former family?" She soon asked.
Homura in response nodded in a depressed manner to the question. "Dammit...my former family's tough love..." She muttered in anger. "More like just ignoring me until I obeyed them..." She then added.
"What didn't your family do to you?" Asuka had to ask.
"Take my virginity." Homura bluntly and offhandedly answered.
"What?" Asuka however asked.
"Nothing! I said nothing!" Homura soon exclaimed after realizing what she just said. "Yeah, nothing at all…" She then added in a more quiet tone.
"Okay. Just…I'm so sorry." Asuka mumbled.
"Sis, stop apologizing. It's fine." Homura soon reassured. "You didn't know..." She reminded. "And I have to admit, I was being really weird back there...completely unlike myself...human like..." She then admitted.
"And...that bit about sleeping in the hole?" Asuka then asked.
"Don't." Homura quickly answered with a darkened expression on her face while shadows covered her eyes. "...Just one of their former removing my humanity plans..." She then muttered her explanation.
Asuka's eye in response twitching to hearing and learning this plan. "Disgusting..." She got out.
"So uh...I can't play it off as a ploy to get you to sleep with me, huh...?" Homura tried to joke.
"Homu-nee..." Asuka chidded out in a mumble of disapproval. "I-I can't believe your trauma's that bad..." She then added.
Homura in response sighed. "Yeah...sorry, was hoping I fought it all off after they disowned me..." She admitted.
"Hey, just because we faced our dark sides doesn't mean we're automatically all better." Asuka stated. "It takes time and friends to help you through it." She then added.
"And maybe a therapist but we know how many there are in the shinobi world." Homura grumbled out. "I think…I'm just gonna save the bath for tomorrow…" She then groaned.
"Yeah..." Asuka muttered in agreement as they went to the bedroom. "Tomorrow's back to school, we have to find a target for us to take down and change the world for the better...for everyone." She then reminded.
"It's gonna be a busy year, Sis. One step at a time." Homura replied as they laid down on the futon. "We have to prepare for any situation that comes at us." She then added.
"I know. And…if we get more famous, we might attract shinobi…" Asuka stated with a frown.
"Again Sis, one step at a time ..." Homura responded, though she understood why her roommate was frowning. "Still…I'm kinda excited to be a Phantom Thief." She suddenly admitted. "I mean…I had lost my chance to be a Good Shinobi thanks to everything...but now I can do some good for once in my life..." She then explained.
"Yeah. From this point on, we're gonna change the world for the better." Asuka got out with a determined look on her face. "Not for Good or Evil, but for us and us alone." She then declared.
"Right. Let's do this...together." Homura replied with a smile before sighing tiredly. "Now go to sleep." She soon mumbled out.
"Hai. Good night, Homu-nee." Asuka sleepily replied.
"Night, Sis." Homura quietly replied.
"I wonder...what will happen from now on..." The two thought as they drifted off to sleep in each other's embrace.
(5/6, Midnight)
(?)
A single lone girl with light grey short hair in a snow white kimono was sitting on the rooftop of a building as she looked at the black and red card in her hands. "The Phantom Thieves...could they be related?" She soon asked as she then stood up while the moonlight shined on her. "I will find out soon enough. For now, I must prove myself to society." She then decided as her outfit glowed, soon being replaced with a dark blue bordering on black school uniform with a star and olive branch badge on it.
She then checked the time on her phone.
"...Tomorrow. Today. Ah!" The girl stammered out before sighing to calm herself down and vanishing. She had work to do either way.
Save Game... Quit!
Whew! Done! I need to get Spotify Premium for students soon... But next up should be Mementos.
UknownHero signing off, my friends!
