AN: I forgot to mention this last chapter, but Collin and Haru's Showtime attack is named "Phantom in the Wind"
Enjoy the rest of this chapter!
Chapter 56: Captain of Pride
December 3
The Phantom Thieves gathered in Leblanc the next day, Akechi's sacrifice still on their minds. Joker looked to his teammates with a solemn gaze. "…I think we should change Shido's heart as soon as possible," he voiced.
"Once you decide to send the calling card, there will be no going back," Morgana warned. "Make sure you're fully prepared beforehand, okay?"
"I know," Ren nodded.
"It's finally coming down to this!" Ryuji said. "So, how're we gonna send the calling card?"
"It would be pointless to send it to the Diet Building," Octavia said. "And even if we handed it over to different media sources, who knows how it would be treated…"
"The worst-case scenario would be giving it to the police under the table," Makoto said.
"What shall we do then?" Haru asked.
"Let's ask Sae," Ren suggested.
"We just said that's not gonna work…" Ann sighed.
Futaba suddenly started laughing to herself. "What's up, Sis?" Loona questioned.
"My Futaba Cannon is ready," Futaba declared. "It's good to go. Look. Now, if I do this…" She turned her laptop for the others to see.
"When did you make this!?" Collin gasped.
"Heh, you did say you had some ideas. I just didn't think it would be this…" Loona shook her head.
"You should've told us you were planning something like this!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"To trick your enemies, you first gotta trick your allies," Futaba smirked.
"How stylish," Yusuke said.
"It's kickass!" Ann cheered.
"This should work nicely…" Haru nodded.
"All right! It's time for people to start coming to their senses," Ryuji said.
"Let's do this, team… For Akechi, for ourselves, and for the good of the world," Octavia said. "Once Shido is defeated, the entity won't have anyone else to hide behind."
"It's Showtime!" Ren declared.
[***]
That night, the city of Tokyo was business as usual, with the news being broadcast over the scramble crossing. "On tonight's news… Since the young man suspected to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves died while in custody… the police have officially announced that these crimes have come to an end, and assure everyone that the peace will be-"
The screen suddenly cut to static, catching the attention of everyone on the street as the logo of the Phantom Thieves appeared. "Yo! What is up, everybody!" Skull exclaimed.
"We are the ones known as the Phantom Thieves," Fox said.
"And all of us are alive and kicking," Lycan said. "But those shitty guys in power? They've been manipulating information to try and hide the truth."
All across the country, every TV station and broadcast signal was being hijacked by their message, all thanks to Futaba's hacking skills and her supernatural ability to connect screens with the Metaverse. No one was safe from hearing what the Phantom Thieves had to say.
"So, before we appropriate our next target… We would first like to borrow your time!" Oracle said.
"The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns- These weren't caused by unknown reasons," Omen said.
"One man is behind every single instance… simply to satiate his own greed," Templar said.
"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame onto us," Queen said. "He even manipulated the police for that."
"We only steal the hearts of criminals. But this asshole tried to dump what he did on us," Skull said. "That just shows he doesn't care about those victims at all."
"The identity of that cowardly man is-" The screens all suddenly cut off, before a massive explosion of spectral energy went off in the heart of the scramble. Civilians all backed up and watched as Arsène erupted from the ground, followed by the Phantom Thieves appearing in person for the first time ever.
"Holy shit!"
"Are those the real Phantom Thieves!?"
"What was that demon looking thing?"
The TVs came back on, this time showing a live broadcast of the team for all to see. Police tried to make a move on the scene but were suddenly stopped by the swarms of people crowding around the area, making it impossible to get through. "The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things," Omen said. "The Minister of State for Special Missions… Masayoshi Shido!"
Shido's picture appeared on the TVs as Noir spoke up, "Everything that man said is a lie. And to prove that… Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kicking!"
"I'm sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not," Panther smirked. "Shido himself will soon confess all the crimes that he's committed. Please look forward to it, everyone!"
"We're not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this county just cause of his goddamn ego," Skull said.
"Ain't that right… Leader?" Mona said.
The Phantom Thieves parted as Joker stepped forward, all of the cameras pointed at him as the crowd gasped that he hadn't died after all. "Yes. Before that happens, we will take this country!" With that he snapped his fingers, making the team disappear into the Metaverse, Arsène wrapping around them with his wings as they did so. The only thing left of their appearance was the Phantom Thieves logo burned into the scramble like the aftermath of a summoning circle.
[***]
Location: Cruiser of Pride, Assembly Hall
"Shido!" Joker shouted as the Phantom Thieves burst into the room. Their target was already waiting for them, standing at a podium in the front of the room.
"Where did you lowlife obtain that power?" the Shadow questioned. "…Not that it matters. If you have a complaint, I'm willing to listen."
"What did you do to Akechi!? He… He was your own Son!" Templar exclaimed.
"Hmph, I had a feeling it was something like that. He reminded me too much of that woman," Shido scoffed. "I also have an idea as to why he approached me. He was hoping to trap me, was he not? He was sharp, but in the end he was just a kid. I controlled him merely by offering praise. I intended to dispose of him as soon as I became prime minister."
"What!?" Skull shouted.
"I could never keep someone with such intimate knowledge of my past alive. What an "ace" detective. He was standing beside me all this time, yet couldn't see through my plan. His destroying himself saved me quite a bit of effort though."
"How could you…!?" Omen shouted.
"You stole my mom's research… and took her life!" Oracle barked.
"Everything you've done has been for your own selfish gains!" Noir shouted. "You even killed my father! I will never forgive you!"
"Sacrifices are inevitable in the path of reform. I only require that the foolish entrust themselves to their superiors. I shall guide them," the captain said.
"The Hell makes you think you're so much better than everyone else!?" Lycan growled. "You never would have been able to make it this far without Akechi or Striker's help!"
"They only appeared because of the expectations God held for me Moreover, it was thanks to me that Akechi and Striker were able to properly use their powers to begin with. The "changing of hearts" that you've been doing… was nothing more than provoking the public."
"How selfish!" Fox shouted. "You were unable to win by honest means, so you used foul tricks to ascend the political ladder!"
"A cruel person like you has no right to stand leading this country," Queen said. "You're nothing by a criminal who rose above others by climbing a staircase of sin."
"The life of a nation as opposed to those of a few sacrifices… There can be no comparison. The ignorant masses only care about their own personal happiness. I am merely granting that for them. That is the social reform that only I, as the one chosen by God, can enact!" Shadow Shido declared.
"I can't believe you look down on everyone else so harshly… and using God as your justification!?" Templar shouted. "I'd never accept a leader who makes a teenager murder people!"
"You say it's for the country, but I bet it's all for yourself," Panther said. "Nobody would wish for something like that!"
"Nobody? Then why was I chosen? Why are they surrendering the seat of prime minister to me? Everyone denies the value of hard work these days. Instead, they seek to effortlessly gain wealth. That is why I must reestablish this mighty country. One that does not waver… One that others bow to."
"Mighty, my ass! That's just a crooked country made by a crook!" Skull scoffed.
"We cannot let you do this. You are a disgrace to Japan," Fox said. "Hence, we will take your deranged heart." The team got ready for battle.
"Hmph. Those who disobey me must be eliminated," the Palace Ruler scoffed. "However… considering the loss of Akechi and Striker, it would be a waste to kill those who are actually capable. I will allow you to choose between life or death one last time. Devote your power to my social reform. I will give you anything you want, be it wealth or status."
"Are you serious? No way!" Joker retorted.
"There's no way we'd follow you!" Mona nodded.
"No matter how many times you ask, our answer's not gonna change!" Omen declared.
Shadow Shido shook his head. "It seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such… I thought you were smarter than that. This is unfortunate…. I have no choice but to eliminate you all. A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes."
Suddenly, hundreds of cognitions rose around the room, clapping for their Palace Ruler. "There's tons of them!" Noir said.
"Since when!?" Queen gasped.
Shido laughed as the room of the building opened up, the room transforming as the Phantom Thieves jumped to higher ground, the battle going topside as Shido continued his speech. "Let me make myself clear. Do not think of me as you did my foolish son or hired man, who acted so brashly. Die… without further delay."
"Our leader has gone through shit because of you. It's on!" Omen declared, brandishing her staff as the battle began.
Shido's lion mount roared, his appearance now that of a dictator with a flowing cape and a spiky helmet. "There is no need for thieves in my mighty country… Only myself and the ones who revere me are needed."
"You think you can hide from us on your high… cat?" Lycan said. "Whatever, I'm still gonna beat the shit outta ya!" The hellhound ran forward, swinging her chain sickle at the beast, only for the attack to be deflected off of its skin. "Really, you block physical attacks!?"
"At least we know to focus on magic for now," Omen shrugged. "Templar, Panther, Joker- Let's do this!"
The quartet of magic users took to the front of the battle, casting their best spells against the beast to weaken it. The Beast of Human Sacrifice attacked with vicious claw swipes, but Noir set up physical barriers to shield her teammates against the tyrant.
"This is for Crow!" Templar shouted, summoning out Puck and using Aquadyne to blast the Shadow with a torrent of water.
"You lowlifes! I hope you understand what it means to turn your back on me!" Shadow Shido shouted as he flicked water from his cape.
"I don't wanna understand!" Oracle retorted.
"…Then you shall perish! You shall regret these foolish actions against me… in the afterlife!" His beast jumped up into the air, suddenly sprouting wings and hovering above the arena floor.
"It changed!?" Templar exclaimed in shock.
"I will destroy you!"
"If it's form changed, then its weakness is probably different as well," Omen guessed. "If I was a betting man, I'd think it's resistant to magic now instead of physical."
"Then leave this part of the battle to us, princess," Lycan smirked as she, Skull, Fox, and Queen took over on the front lines of the fight. Omen's guess was correct as the Wings of Human Sacrifice now only took damage from physical and gun attacks, which Skull took advantage of by using Charge before going for a Megaton Raid. Lycan did the same, charging up before unleashing a One-Shot Kill while Fox landed attacks with his blade and Queen kept her team healthy with both healing magic and defense buffs.
"To think you'd manage this much…! Why won't you stop resisting…!? He nation I strive for… is the ultimate realization of the public's happiness!" His beast transformed again, this time into the form of a pyramid.
"It changed again!?" Lycan growled.
"The weak must be sacrificed for the sake of grand ideals! That is the natural order of this world!"
"Ugh, now he's totally plagiarizing! Tombs are my Palace's thing!" Oracle shouted. "Give him the what-for, team!"
"Noir, it's our turn next!" Mona cheered as the two stepped forward alongside Joker and Omen. The not-cat used his Miracle Punch attack to get lucky critical strikes against the Tomb of Human Sacrifice, while Noir charged up Joker and Omen's magic so they could hit extra hard with their spells. The enemy attacked them with cannon fire, but Mona was able to keep them safe with healing magic.
"You've been bad! Here's your punishment!" Noir shouted as she cast a Psiodyne on Shadow Shido, knocking down the last bit of strength his mount had.
Like that the pyramid crumbled, leaving Shido without his beast to ride. "Useless, ignorant masses! It seems even thieves should not be taken lightly if they come in great enough numbers…"
"Once you're losing, you're putting all the blame on the masses, huh!?" Skull taunted.
Shadow Shido looked at Joker. "So, you're the one unifying them…"
"A touching reunion, isn't it?" Omen smirked. "The next time you crush a foe, I suggest you do it in a more certain manner. Not that there'll be a next time for you!"
"You… You're more than just a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?" the captain questioned.
"Remember me?" Joker said, removing his mask to show his true face.
"This ain't the first time you failed to finish this guy off," Lycan said.
"You took him to court and yet you don't remember? You truly don't care about the fate of others," Templar said.
"Wait… Could you be… the one from back then!?" the Shadow recalled when he and Joker had first crossed paths. "That damn brat who showed up and stood against me when I was with that woman! I see… So it truly is you. Haha… What an interesting turn of fate… But your efforts will be worthless in the end."
"What!?" Skull shouted.
"Small sacrifices are inescapable for those wishing to be powerful, competent leaders. How would you ever reach your destination if you stopped to count every ant you crushed on the road?"
"Are you saying that the people you killed deserved to die!?" Noir exclaimed.
"He's totally insane…" Panther said.
"I wouldn't expect the ignorant masses of this country to understand. Thus, I will offer proof…" He removed his dictator attire, revealing a muscle tension system beneath bulging muscle. "By crushing the Phantom Thieves! I… shall win this game!"
"What is this power!?" Oracle questioned. "Careful! Those muscles aren't just for show!"
"He's been hiding behind his beast this whole time. I'm pretty sure he's out of defensive tricks now. Let's go all out with our attacks, team!" Omen called.
Shido was no joke here, having the ability to both buff himself and get rid of buffs on the Phantom Thieves. Joker's Personas came in handy here, removing defensive buffs from the enemy so the team could hit him with full force attacks. Magic was thrown around, guns were fired, and physical blows were dealt as the team gave it all they got.
"Take this!" Lycan shouted, tossing out her chain sickle to wrap around Shadow Shido's arm. She then used her strength to pull herself towards him for a powerful claw swipe, hitting him across the face as the Shadow spat out some blood.
"Great hit, Lycan!" Oracle cheered.
"Not bad… But there is no reason for me to lose to thieves!" Shadow Shido shouted.
The team kept up the pressure, making sure that Mona and Templar were safe to heal the team while Queen and Noir added on barriers and defense buffs for extra protection. When Joker saw his moment, he jumped into action and rolled around to Shido's backside, firing a magically charged shot from his gun. "Go down!" Joker shouted.
Shadow Shido gave a grunt of pain as the attack connected, stumbling a bit to one knee. "How are these lowlife brats beating me?"
"Now's your chance! Let's take his Treasure!" Oracle shouted, but the Palace Ruler just laughed.
"Don't think you've won. The power held by the most elite is what rules over our society… It's vexing that I have to use this on some foolish brats… But I will educate you through and through!"
"He's still gonna come at us!?" Templar exclaimed.
"Let's take his heart… It's time to do this!" Joker declared.
Shadow Shido flexed, breaking his bracers and turning red as his muscles bulged, the world around them shifting to that of a throne room with an odd circus theming about it. "Just as I thought… Samael…" Omen whispered. "The king of Pride finally reveals himself in full."
"No way! He's even stronger now!?" Oracle gasped.
"…Die," Samael said. He started out with a Deathbound attack, which Joker responded to by unloading his gun on the Shadow. Samael then tried to use Tyrant's Purge, but Templar was ready for that.
"The Lord is my strength!" he called, nullifying the instant-death spell with his holy magic.
"Now eat this!" Skull shouted as he and Fox ran in together, bashing Samael with their weapons from either side.
"And here's some from me!" Mona added as he cast a Garudyne spell.
"Hmph… You will regret your actions… You've angered me for the last time."
"In your dreams!" Panther taunted as she, Noir, and Queen teamed up to do a triple cast of fire, psychic, and nuclear magic.
"This is the power we hold!" Omen called as she and Lycan summoned their Personas together, unleashing a flurry of piercing and gun attacks against the tyrant.
"You had enough yet!?" Lycan laughed.
"Nngh! To think you'd put up this much of a fight… You bastard! I won't let you have this!" Samael punched the ground, sending out a wave that blasted everyone back except for Joker, who used his power over the shadows to dodge the attack. Now it was just him and Samael left in the arena.
"What happened!? Joker!" Omen shouted.
"I'm okay… We just have to end this one-on-one," Joker called.
"I never would've imagined… That impertinent brat from so long ago, managing to get in my way this much! Honestly unbelievable… I should've finished you off before this could've happened… Hahaha… it seems I too was naïve. However- my dream has been attained! My desire to steer this country has finally come to fruition! But, my ambition has only just begun! I will not stumble over mere minutia like yourself! This time, I'll be dead certain to seal your fate. I will reduce you to nothing!"
"Bring it on!" Joker said. "I'll finish this by myself!"
"Inferno!" Samael shouted, gathering fire in his hands.
"Seth!" Joker called, summoning the betrayer god to his side and reflecting the attack back at the Shadow. He then used One-Shot kill against Samael and dodged his next attack afterwards. "Did you really think you'd get me with that attack?"
"Grr… Diamond Dust!"
As ice raced towards him, Joker smirked and pulled off his mask. "Parvati!" The Hindu goddess of love came to his side to reflect the attack once more, with the Phantom Thief getting a moment to charge up as Samael applied buffs to himself.
"Thunder Reign!"
"Please… Trumpeter!" Joker shouted, the angel caller of the end aiding him in redirecting the electric attack back at its sender before casting Rehabilitate on Samael.
Samael roared as he pointed at Joker. "Tyrant's Fist!"
The Phantom Thief looked up at the giant fist coming his way and simply said, "Stolas…" The personification of the Goetia Prince appeared, catching the manifested fist with one claw. Joker snapped his fingers, and his Persona launched the fist with great speed back at Samael, knocking the Shadow back so hard that his left a dent in the wall behind him.
"Dude… You got him with your own attack!" Skull gaped.
"That was fucking awesome!" Lycan cheered.
"We knew you could do it, Joker!" Mona smiled.
The world returned to normal as Samael turned back into Shido, laid out on the ground and defeated. "It's only fitting that you hurting yourself back then is what does you in now," Joker snarked. "What goes around comes around, as they say."
"How could I… lose?"
"For causing countless mental shutdowns in others, you will atone… with your life," Queen said firmly.
"Don'tcha got something to say to our leader before you go passing out?" Skull smirked.
"Yes… I acknowledge… that I incriminated you on false charges. I did it to protect myself… I'm so sorry for what I've done… It feels as though it's been quite some time since I have felt sincerely apologetic…"
"Do you really mean that?" Joker raised an eyebrow.
"I don't have the willpower to deceive you at this point… So, I've been defeated…" Shadow Shido started laughing pitiably. Up above them, a golden steering wheel descended down to the team.
"Wait, why a wheel? And it's for a ship?" Panther said in confusion.
"I must… steer this country! If I don't, who will?"
"What arrogance…" Fox scoffed.
"I-I…" Shadow Shido suddenly exploded into red static, fading out of existence.
"What the…" Lycan gasped. The entire Palace started shaking as well. "An explosion…?"
"But we haven't taken the Treasure yet…" Queen pointed out.
"We'll talk later!" Mona shouted. "Come on, let's grab the Treasure and run!" Omen used telekinesis and grabbed the Treasure before the gang booked it for the exit.
"Huh!? Didn't we come this way!?" Panther exclaimed as they ran down the halls.
"We can't get through like-" Skull started, before the ship was rocked again.
"What is happening!?" Templar shouted. "Oracle!?"
"The ship is exploding… but why!?" Oracle wondered.
"Who cares, let's just get out of here!" Lycan shouted.
"Something might've happened to Shido in the real world!" Mona guessed.
"Sounds better than nothing, I guess!" Omen shrugged. "But standing around here isn't going to help!"
"We have to run!" Noir exclaimed.
"Oracle! Are there any other escape routes!?" Queen asked.
"I'm looking, but…" Oracle faltered.
"Shit!" Lycan cursed as the next hallway started flooding with water. "So much for going that way."
"Still, where else can we go!?" Templar questioned.
"Crap, this side too!" Skull cursed, looking down the next hallway.
"Are we… sinking?" Panther wondered.
"We are not gonna die like this!" Mona shouted.
"Everyone, stand back!" Omen said, holding out her staff. "If the Palace is collapsing, maybe the barrier between reality and the metaverse is weak enough for me to…" Her staff glowed bright before a massive laser shot through the ceiling, creating a hole all the way to the outside of the Palace.
"Gotta, princess!" Lycan said as she grabbed Omen before she could fall over. "You did good… Joker?"
"On it," he said, aiming his grappling hook and zipping the gang all the way to the outside of the ship. There were still stuck on the sinking Palace, however, and the way to exit they had used before was nowhere to be seen.
"We're gonna die! I don't know how to swim!" Oracle despaired.
"Over there, a lifeboat!" Queen pointed out. The team moved to where they could more clearly see it, but the boat was still a ways away.
"We just gotta get here…" Skull said.
"It's too far… We won't reach it in time!" Fox said.
Templar closed his eyes before a look of deamination overcame him. "I've got this," he said.
"What?" Lycan gasped.
"I can fly out and unhook the boat, but I'll need some muscle to help me," Templar said.
"Then let's do it together, dude," Skull grinned "It's now or never…"
"Let's go!" Templar shouted, the two sprinting/flying to where the boat was. Skull made a big leap over the water, letting Templar grab his arms and fling the former star runner to the other side and a good distance up the boat.
"Ryuji! Collin! GO!" the team all shouted.
Skull made a leap of faith, with Templar tossing his spear to jam into the side of the boat, creating a foothold for Skull to stand on and pull the release lever for the lifeboat.
"All right!" Joker cheered as they hopped into the lifeboat, getting the motor starting so they could go and collect Skull and Templar. Skull gave them a thumbs up… before explosions started tearing that side of the boat apart.
"COLLIN! RYUJI!" Lycan screamed reaching out as if she could grab onto them.
"No way… It can't be…" Panther gasped. "Come on, what he hell, Ryuji, Collin?"
"Oracle…?" Omen whispered, covering her mouth in shock.
"…Wait, I'm getting a reading!" Oracle gasped.
The gang all looked as within the smoke of the explosion, a ball of white light bobbed out of the water towards the boat, eventually collapsing to reveal Templar and Skull, safe and sound. "Good thing… we've got an angel on our side, huh?" Skull panted as Panther pulled him into the boat. "Man that was close, though."
"That was the last of my magic… I'm so, so tired now…" Templar said.
"Come on, lambchop," Lycan laughed, wiping tears from her eyes as she pulled him up into the boat. "We've got plenty of room in here."
"Time to get back to reality. Food's on me tonight," Omen said, the gang giving their cheers of approval at the idea.
Joker looked back at the Palace one last time. "Akechi, this was for you…" he whispered.
Ryuji: We finally did it.
Yusuke: We've done all we can.
Futaba: We started off with a huge announcement this time, after all! I can't wait for the results.
Ann: But all that popularity doesn't matter anymore.
Queen: Right. Things like approval ratings aren't important now.
Collin: We definitely did the right thing for society, though.
Loona: We can be a little proud about it, right?
Ren: Of course.
Haru: All that's left is to wait calmly for the results.
[***]
December 5
Haru: Do you have time today? It would be nice to talk to you about coffee and things again… How about we talk and garden at the same time? I know things are tough for you, but I thought the fresh air might do you good.
Ren: I'd like that.
Haru: I'm glad to hear that! I will be waiting on the rooftop! Make sure you use the back gate to sneak in.
"I should be surprised you can sneak into the school so easily, but with your shadow powers I'm really not," Collin said as Ren arrived on the scene.
"That's our leader for you," Haru giggled. "So, I bought a mini roaster and a coffee mill the other day… I thought it would be fun making coffee myself. It's certainly not easy, but it's an immensely satisfying process…" She suddenly gave a noise of discontent and winced. "Sorry about that… I just got a little dizzy for a second there…"
"Don't overwork yourself," Collin said, using a light healing spell to cure the dizziness.
"I'm fine, honestly… Let's see, next up is… dirt for the planters…" Haru soon started fainting, but Ren was able to catch her before she fell. "Ah… I'm sorry… I think I just need to rest a little…"
"Chair!" Collin said, zipping over and grabbing a foldable chair for Haru to sit in.
"To be honest, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately…" Haru admitted. "Takakura-san has really been pushing for us to start a new business venture soon… In particular, he's adamant about a chain of low-cost, intimate cafes. Some employees don't think it's a good idea though, so they want me to step in and put a stop to it… But I'm just a high schooler… There's no way I could predict the success or failure of this idea… In the end, I'm just not sure what to do…"
"What do you want to do?" Ren asked.
"H-Huh…? That's a good question…" Haru replied. "The idea sounds nice… The smell of a fresh cup of coffee always brings a smile to my face. And it certainly would be nice to be able to give that experience to as many people as possible… But… I don't think you can truly gain the same joy from the low-cost chain Takakura-san is suggesting."
"You should tell him that," Ren said.
"Huh…? You really think he'd listen to a high schooler with no prior work experience…?" Haru questioned.
"Yes," Ren and Collin said together.
"Hm, I see…" Haru nodded. She stood up and gave a determined look. "I've been so afraid of him this whole time… but all I need to do is show him how I feel…! I'll make him see what I'm really thinking… and what's really important to me."
"You can do it, Haru!" Collin cheered.
"I understand… By refusing to trust Takakura-san, I was also shutting myself off from any hope of having him trust me…!" Haru realized. "But that's going to be different now… I'll do my best, Ren-kun, Collin-kun! …Oh, and I just thought of the perfect way to do it! A magic item that will help me convey my true feelings to Takakura-san…"
She giggled. "It's going to take some time to prepare though, so it will have to be my secret for now. But I'll tell you next time, okay?"
"We'll be hearing from you soon then," Ren nodded as the trio left for the day."
[***]
December 9
Meeting back up on the roof, Haru was ready to talk about her plan for Takakura. "Hey, Ren-kun… Do you remember the magic item I mentioned before? The think that will help me show Takakura-san how I really feel… is right here."
"The soil?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
Haru giggled. "Correct! You see, the soil here is a special mix I made with a few different kinds of fertilizer. It's very high quality. It's soft, warm, it has good drainage… and it's full of nutrients. This… This is the magic I need. I'm not very good at expressing myself with words… Just thinking about it makes my heart race… But I've been pouring my heart and soul into this soil for months now. It knows exactly how I feel."
"Your green thumb truly is a blessing, Haru," Collin praised.
"That's why I'm going to use it to grow my coffee plants. Then once they're ready, I'm going to make coffee with the beans! It shouldn't be much longer now," Haru explained. "Honestly… just raising those plants has taken considerable effort. I've check on them every day, given them water, put them in the sun… But… all of that love and care has found its way into the beans themselves. Combining that with the nurturing warmth of this soil should give me the perfect way to convey how I feel. I wonder what Takakura-san will think when he tries it…"
"It'll help him understand you," Ren said.
"Yes! I fully believe that," Haru giggled. "It's strange… Only recently, I was struggling to find belief in anything. By the way, I've thought about ti some more, and… I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to Takakura-san's ideas. If that's what management decides to do, I won't get in their way. At the same time, I can't support them if their main goal is to deceive. What I mean is, people don't think of Okumura Foods very highly right now. So… I'm afraid management is trying to use this new chain to sneak under the radar rather than rebuild our image."
Haru nodded. "Of course, I understand how hard it is to rid yourself of a negative label… But if they want to fool people with a low-quality product instead of regaining their trust… I will proudly oppose them."
"Your amazing, Haru…" Collin said with a smile.
She giggled, "Well, naturally. I'm a heroine of justice, after all… Just kidding. You know, Ren-kun, Collin-kun… it's so reassuring having you both here. It's because of you two that I was able to cultivate this soil… And because of you that I have the courage to tell Takakura-san how I feel. Speaking of which, um… do you think you could be there when I do it? As long as you two are with me, I won't be afraid to say what I'm thinking."
"Of course we'll help you out," Collin nodded.
"Thank you… Now then, I need to take some of this soil home to my coffee plants," Haru stated. "Could you carry a bag for me?" With that, Ren and Collin helped take some Haru's soil down to her waiting car before heading home for the day.
Author's Note
And with that, Shido has been defeated! Writing this chapter was a lot of fun, especially with how I got to rework the calling card. With Ren having actual demon powers I thought it would be cool for the Phantom Thieves to actually make a public appearance instead of just appearing on TV. If you're wondering how they all had their PT outfits on in the real world, let's just say that Ren and Octavia used a combined illusion/disguise spell to temporarily give everyone their Metaverse attire for the public appearance.
I don't have as much to say about the Shido/Samael fight itself, but I do have an amusing story about my own play through of this fight when I first played Persona 5 Royal that influenced this chapter: when I got to the one-on-one fight with Samael, I had been swapping Personas so I could block/nullify/reflect his attacks back at him. This ended up leading to him doing his giant god fist attack... and Joker reflecting the attack back in his face. So just like at the beginning of the game, Shido only had himself to blame for getting hurt when trying to assault Joker. The irony was too good to pass up on including here, and I had to let Joker get a sassy dig on his tormenter to boot about it.
Collin actually helps out in the escape sequence at the end, sparing Ryuji from a beatdown by the rest of the team after the Palace ends. I know I've given Ryuji a lot of crap in this story (mostly because out of the Phantom Thieves he is admittedly my least favorite and he does the most stupid things that almost get everyone in trouble), but even I think the girls beating him up after he saved their lives was too much for the guy. It's the equivalent to Loona kicking Blitzo in the nuts in "Seeing Stars" where it's kinda funny in the moment but undermines the powerful story beat that had happened in the previous scene.
Next time we'll be finishing up Haru's Confidant and getting ready for the next arc of the story, so stay tuned!