Chapter 14: Confrontation (Finale Part 1)

(Yamakawa's Hideout, The Next Evening)

Ichiro Kurusu was sitting in the office, planning next steps. In order to kill these untouchable criminals, he'd need an army, and Yamakawa's fortune would provide it.

Now, who should he go after first? Those Phantom Thieves were certainly effective, but the people whose hearts were changed could always relapse. His method would be much more… permanent.

His thoughts were cut off when one of his bodyguards suddenly entered. "Sir!"

"What is it?" He asked dismissively.

"You should see this." The bodyguard showed him a small piece of paper.

"What is-" Ichiro stopped when he saw the all-too-familiar logo on the card: a cartoonish face, with two stick-figure arms sticking out, big eyes, and an impish grin. And beneath it was a message. In simple handwriting, it read 'Keep up the good work!'

"Sir?"

"It's Lupin. He's onto us. Keep this news from spreading. The last thing we need is a drop in morale right now."

"It might be a bit late for that, sir…"

"Beg pardon?"

"Look outside."

He looked, saw that all the billboards were static, and looked back to his bodyguard. "What?"

"…"

"What? What is it?"

The moment he asked that, all of the billboards suddenly flared back to life, showing Lupin's logo with a… flaming eye?!

[BGM: Life Will Change Instrumental Version (P5 OST)]

"Good Evening, Tokyo!" A voice sounded from the speakers, one that sounded somewhat familiar, but Ichiro couldn't quite pin down WHERE he'd heard it before…

"Been a while, hasn't it?" This time, it was Lupin's voice.

"Now then, let's get down to business!"

"There was someone among you who masqueraded as a kind soul, but had countless people killed behind the scenes. Now, another has taken his place!"

Ichiro was starting to panic. Did they know who he was?! If that was the case, then it was only a matter of time before-

"That man is the father of one of that zealot's victims: Ichiro Kurusu!"

"That's why we're bringin' you down!"

The image changed to a video feed, featuring a blonde man in a green jacket, a bizarre samurai-looking fellow, and none other than Lupin III standing between them.

"We will strike tonight. Be ready, and try to make this interesting for us. Catch ya later!"

The screens went blank once again, just as quickly as they turned on.

(Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department)

The whole department was in a frenzy. People were scrambling to trace the message, find the thieves, and organize a group to ambush them.

"EVERYBODY, CALM THE HELL DOWN!" The sudden shout came from Zenigata. "If we're gonna get Lupin, then we all need to be careful. First of all, we need every technician on deck to trace the signal, then the rest of you get ready to move out once we find out where he's-"

"Wait," Makoto interrupted. "That won't be necessary."

"Huh? Why not?"

"A unit just called in with a report. A canary-yellow Fiat 500, following a Mercedes-Benz SSK of the same colour, was just seen speeding through Shibuya Square."

"Where were they headed?"

"They split up. The Fiat is currently making its way north, and the SSK is driving eastward, ploughing through everything in its path."

"Alright. I need all available units pinning a tail on those cars. We'll nab Kurusu and Lupin in one go! Niijima, you're with me. Let's head out!"

(Yamakawa's Hideout)

[BGM: Life Will Change (P5 OST)]

The guards were finished setting up for Lupin's arrival, prepared for anything.

"Entrance guards are unresponsive!"

Well, almost anything.

The thieves were carving and shooting their way through the guards like a hot knife through butter.

After dealing with the first line, Lupin, Ryuji, and someone in a mask grabbed three of the guards and dragged them to a back room.

"Okay," Lupin said. "You remove that one's uniform, Takamaki."

Despite their protests, Ann insisted on going with them to confront Ichiro. "What? Why me?"

"Because that one's a woman, and I'd likely get a slap across the face for doing it myself."

"Fair."

While they were talking, Ryuji had already taken his uniform and slipped into it. "Are you two gonna keep yammerin' or will ya get a move-on?!"

"Right, sorry." The two said in unison.

"Anyway, what about the others?"

"Goemon will take care of Futaba and Mona, don't worry about them."

"We just lost contact with the guards on floor one!"

"Dammit, this is bad. With this kind of speed, they'll be here any-"

Three guards in broken and battered outfits suddenly ran up to the group. "We can't hold them back any longer! The others sent us ahead to warn you."

"Right. Head on ahead and warn the boss. Tell his guards the same thing you told us."

The three ran past them, and made their way up to the office. After getting past the last line of defense, they finally removed their helmets.

"Damn, it's stuffy in this outfit," Ryuji complained.

"You get used to it," Lupin responded.

"I hope so, for Ryuji's sake," Ann quipped.

"Yeah, yeah," Ryuji said as he got out of the disguise. "Let's finish this."

"Right. Let's go!"

[BGM: Blood of Villain (P5 OST)]

The three barged into the office, guns drawn.

"Alright, we can do this the easy way or the hard way!" Ryuji yelled.

Ichiro turned around, slowly clapping his hands. "Well done. You made it past my security, deceived my guards, and even smuggled a package in with you, (he gestured towards Ann) all without breaking a sweat. You truly are the master thief everyone says you are."

"And you're every bit the cheap imitation I thought you'd be," Lupin said flatly. "You ARE aware that I haven't driven an SSK or worn a green jacket in years."

"Maybe not, but the next Lupin does."

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I'm the next great assassin, following in the footsteps of Lupin III."

"I think you've got your thieves confused," Ann said, resting her finger on the trigger of the SMG she'd been given. "Lupin doesn't kill people for no reason."

"Doesn't he? Weren't you quite famous for killing others back in the day, Lupin?"

Lupin closed his eyes. "That was a long time ago. I've changed my ways."

Ichiro smiled. "And that's what makes you weak. You couldn't stand the blood on your hands, so you stopped doing what you should."

"What I SHOULD be doing is leaving people to face their actions," Lupin shot back firmly. "That's the right thing to do."

Ichiro sighed. "This is why you need a replacement." He turned around and jumped out the window, using a makeshift grappling hook to slow his descent. Once he made it to the ground, he jumped into a Mercedes Benz SSKL and sped off.

"Damn!" Ryuji shouted. "He's getting away!"

Lupin pressed a button on his watch. "Not yet."

A grappling hook of his own secured itself in the ceiling, and the three rappelled down to their own vehicles: Lupin in the Fiat, and Ryuji and Ann in the SSK. The chase was on.

P5 OST composed by Shoji Meguro.