Chapter 28: Welcome to the Streets!

"Mrrroooowwwwww…."

"That's a big yawn Morgana." Ren comments, wiping down a table.

"Can you blame me…It's cold outside and warm inside." Morgana replies, wrapping himself up in a ball. Ren shakes his head at the non-cat while Sojiro and Hifumi chuckle at him. Even if Sojiro didn't understand him, he got the gist of it. But as Ren turned his attention back to the counter, his phone suddenly rings.

"I wonder who that is." Hifumi asks, looking at the ringing phone.

"Dunno." Ren replies, picking it up and answering. "Moshi Moshi."

"Hey senpai! It's Kasumi." Kasumi's voice echoes from the phone as Ren switches it to speaker. "If its not to much trouble, could you come over to an alley nearby? There's something here that's…off putting. Yusuke-senpai is here with me and he's also concerned."

"Sure thing. Hifumi and I will be there soon." Ren replies, ending the call.

"Leaving Morgana?" Sojiro asks, watching as the two prepare to leave.

"Something tells me he won't be moving anytime today." Hifumi replies, glancing to the sleeping cat. Sojiro chuckles as he shakes his head at the two, before wishing them well before turning back to the dishes.

"In our next story tonight, the Mysterious Graffiti Master known only as Guernica has made yet another huge splash in public."

"Again? This Guernica never appeared before, so why now?" Sojiro asks, turning to the TV.

"Many experts have heralded the pseudonymous street artist as one of the top talents in the field today. However, Guernica's radical subject matter—and selected sites for murals—continue to upset critics." The picture on the TV showed an image of three difference coloured mice painted on the side of a office building. Taking up almost the entire side of the building. "Each massive work is completed overnight, including the latest piece spread across the Security Department headquarters. Some have posture the timing related to the former SIU Directors confession, but people are still debating weather this was timed or not."

"Very strange timing indeed…" Sojiro muses, eyes locked on the TV.

"Despite their first mural appearing in Tokyo over a month ago, the artist's true identity remains unknown. Local police have been grappling with growing criticism at their inability to track down the artist while at the same time, public support for preserving these murals only continues to rise."

"Oh shut up…" Morgana groans, slamming a paw on the controller and turning the TV off. "Why did they leave it on…"

"Hey!" Sojiro shouts as Morgana looks at him. "I was watching that."

"What do you think could have caused Kasumi to be concerned? And with Yusuke as well?" Hifumi asks as she and Ren walk down the alleyway. Noting the colourful uses of spray pain lining the walls.

"I don't know. But if it's something we have to see then we need to see it." Ren reasons as they turn the corner, finding Kasumi waiting for them while Yusuke was further down, looking at a back wall caked in shadow.

"Ren-senpai, Hifumi-senpai! I'm glad you made it." Kasumi greets with a smile.

"Afternoon Kasumi." Ren greets. "So, what was it that you needed me to see?"

"It's just down here. Yusuke-senpai is looking it over right now. It's an artwork, but…what it depicts is a very disturbing image." Kasumi replies before heading down the path. Ren and Hifumi follow after her before finding the said wall, with Yusuke still standing in front with a frown.

"Ah, Ren. Hifumi. I'm glad you are here." Yusuke greets before turning back to the painting. "I'm sorry we dragged you out of the warmth of Leblanc, but we found a disturbing artwork you need to see." As Yusuke moves to the side, Ren and Hifumi saw what it was they found.

An artwork of a giant pink rat, with green acid falling from its incisors, about to eat Arsène.

"What the—?" Ren elegantly says as his eyes narrow.

"How is this possible?" Hifumi asks, concern on her face. Yusuke and Kasumi shake their heads, unable to answer the question.

I would feel flattered at being painted, but this art… makes me feel very uncomfortable. Arsène remarks inside Ren, which he readily agrees with. How could someone figure out what his Persona looked like? Let alone paint it like this? That…and the strange feeling he was getting from the painting.

Just what was this?

"Well now… Colour me surprised." A voice echoes behind them as the four spin around. "I never expected the two of you to be here. With friends as well." Akechi says as he walks up to the four with a smile.

"It's a surprise to see you here as well, Akechi." Ren replies, holding a hand out. "What bring you to these back alley?"

"I suppose the mural behind you if what." Akechi replies, shaking Ren's hand. "In case you haven't heard, graffiti like this has been all over the news lately, including the giant murals on buildings. Of course, not depicting this particular image, but of similar giant rats eating strange beings. I have a picture of a few on my person." He pulls a few out and hands them over to Ren.

He takes them and looks at the first one, only to feel his heart stop for a split second. It was a picture of Johanna, being eaten by the same rat that was eating Arsène. The ones underneath were just as gruesome. Carmen, Captain Kidd, and even Zorro were met with the same fate.

Ren couldn't help but wonder if the others were also painted as well.

"Such anger." Yusuke suddenly says with arms folded. "An artists emotions can be revealed by how they paint, as well as the composition. And these, they harbour a great deal of anger, sadness, and despair…"

"Ah, that's right, You yourself are an artist, Yusuke-kun." Akechi acknowledges. "Indeed, while the subject matter speaks for itself, the artist's M.O. is causing even more of a fuss."

"You are talking about the giant murals on the side of buildings, correct?" Hifumi asks.

"That's right. Whoever the culprit is, they've turned the entire city into a canvas to share their disturbing message. And, considering the number of unauthorised sites they've chosen, their legal troubles are piling on quick."

"What do you think caused them to go to such extremes? Do you know who they are?" Kasumi asks, wrapped up in Akechi's case.

"Unfortunately, no. No one has gotten that far yet. The artist could be doing all of this for kicks, or its part of a grander government conspiracy." Akechi's face seemed to grow dark at that last part. And Ren and the other knew why that was, yet chose to remain silent.

"Maybe, they are doing it to expose the social injustice that is currently plaguing us. Like with the recent admission from the SIU." Ren suggests.

"That is most likely, considering how all of her murals depict mice chained down to the floor in tears." Akechi admits. While he continued to talk, Ren cast his eyes back to the Mural. That strange feeling was still there, prompting him to place a hand on the stone wall.

"Phantom Thieves…Phantom Thieves of Hearts… Please…I…need your help…! I need your power…to change the heart!"

"A voice?" Ren comments, backing away slowly.

"Ren? Is something wrong?" Yusuke asks, noticing Ren slowly backing away from the wall. But before Ren could reply, the mural began to glow with a white light. Catching the eyes off all five.

"What the—?!" Kasumi calls out before the light became a roaring vortex, sucking in the air around them as it pulled the group towards the wall.

"It's sucking us in!" Hifumi shouts over the roaring air.

"Everyone grab onto something!" Akechi yells, trying to grab something.

"Too late!" Ren replies as he is suddenly forced off his feet, with the others quickly following him as they are sucked right into the portal. In a flash of light, the vortex vanishes, leaving behind a mural of a rat with its mouth closed.

And Arsène was nowhere in sight.

With a groan, Akechi walk up with a start. "Well, that was quite the experience." He comments, before noting that he was wearing white gloves instead of his usual black ones. A cursory glance revealed that, he was indeed, in his Metaverse outfit.

"Great…I'm here again." Akechi groans before taking stock of his surroundings. An abandoned alleyway covered in graffiti, with the night sky above them. Concrete barriers and colours lay scattered about. Alongside abandoned cars, bins and rubbish bags. There were even some metal drums filled with paint. "Did I somehow end up in a Palace? But I didn't use the app, and Show was nowhere nearby to drag me in. Was it the mural?"

A the sound of the ground parting way draws his attention behind him as three men, wearing yellow hoodie, pink caps black sweatpants emerge from the ground. Each one wielding a long rifled gun. As the men trained their guns on him, Akechi backflips behind a trash bin, watching as pain balls fly around him like rain.

"Okay…foes who rely on their guns. A disadvantage to some, but not me." Akechi quips, brining out his laser gun. "And Sho always told me to throw this away. A good thing I have a bit of a rebellious streak." Akechi grins before leaning out of cover and shooting one of the barrels. It explodes, covering one of the attackers in blue paint that seems to stun the foe.

"Aw, whaaat? This colour is really killin' my vibe here!" The Shadow complains before Akechi shoots it in the head, dissolving it into black mist.

"Hmm, not so strong when immobilised." Akechi muses before spotting two more hiding behind cover. "But they are also smart enough not to stand out…" He places a hand on his mask, feeling Robin Hood before nodding to himself. "Let's try this then. Robin Hood! Eiagon!" Summoning his other self, Akechi was surprised to see the single target spell had a small area of effect around it, while the two targets struck were sent into fits of despair. Clearly this place worked on different rules compared to the Metaverse.

Taking the chance, Akechi moves from cover to engage the two foes, only to find himself come under fire from above as two more foes emerge. Not helped when two more appear next to the ones he had just driven to despair, followed up by four more behind him and….

A hulking brute holding two giant spray cans in its hands?

"This is not good." Akechi knew when it would be a good time to retreat, but all his ways were blocked. He could fight his way out, but the hulk looked like he could easily throw him into the wall up close. That, and with all of the others wielding guns, charging in with his sword seemed like the worst idea possible.

But just when it seemed he ad run out of idea, a echoing thunder of a sniper rifle echoes through the streets, as a round slices through the hulks head. Taking it down with a single shot. Followed closely by two more rifle shouts taking out the two behind him, a surge of round eliminating the four in front. And two pistole shots silencing the ones on the roof.

As Akechi watched as the two on the roof fell to the ground, a third figure emerged on the roof. One that he had only just seen recently, yet was recognisable no matter what.

Red gloves, black coat, and a white domino mask with a head encased in shadows.

"Akechi. Are you alright?" Joker asks with a distorted voice, as he leaps down to join him. Followed closely by Fox and Violet emerging from the shadows, while Shadow herself leaps down from a nearby tower on her grappling hook.

"Yes, I am fine…" He replies evenly, looking around him. But to his confusion, only four members of the Thieves were here. This did not make sense. After the fight he had with them in the Directors Palace, he deduced that they act as one collective whole. To find only four of them here and no all of them made little sense. Unless… they were the only ones with him that were brought here. And the only ones who were next to him were…

"Is that you, Ren?" Akechi asks, looking directly at Joker. The group seemed to hold its breath as Akechi stared directly at the domino mask, looking for any hint of emotion. Until Joker gave off a low chuckle as the darkness around his head seemed to waver in and out.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out, Akechi." Joker replies as, to Akechi ears, the distortion fades away, revealing Ren's voice as the darkness around his head vanished as well. Revealing Ren beneath the darkness.

It was then that an illusion seemed to have broken apart, as the veils of darkness covering the other Thieves also peeled away. Revealing who they were. Especially…

"Kasumi? You're a Persona user?" Akechi asks, shocked at seeing her here. Violet chuckles a bit as she leans on one foot, looking directly at Akechi as she pushes her mask up. Revealing her face.

"That's right. I became one at the start of October, and I've been with Joker and the others ever since." The smile on her face falls though, as she locks eyes with Akechi.

"I tried to kill you in the Director's Palace… What was I doing?!" Akechi suddenly shouts, horrified he had attacked his childhood friend.

"Akechi! Calm down!" Violet says, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You never hurt me, and I don't blame you for trying to attack me. It was all out of your control." She takes a moment to breath as Akechi manages to calm down. "After all, I heard what you said to Sho in the Directors Palace. Is it true? That they are threatening me in order to turn you into a murderer?"

Akechi sighs deeply, looking at Violet as Joker, Fox and Shadow keep watch for any other surprises.

"This has been a long time coming. Alright, I'll tell you what happened and how I ended up with this noose around my neck." Akechi agrees, leaning on a wall. "As you probably guessed, it happened in April. I was following a lead into the dealings of a certain employee before I suddenly found myself in the Metaverse. I only found out later that it was Sho who forcefully dragged me in their under Shido's orders to get rid off me. Instead, I awakened to my persona, Robin Hood. And that was when Sho thought of a new use for me. After he managed to beat me half to death by himself."

"That explains the injuries you had at the TV Station." Joker surmises. Akechi nods solemnly as he takes a deep breath.

"Naturally, I had no desire to become a lapdog to Shido. The man who abandoned my mother. But when he threatened to kill everyone I love, I was left with no choice but to submit. At least, until I heard about the Phantom thieves." Akechi turns to look at Joker. "When I saw Madarame confess, it gave me hope that a force of good from the shadows could bring down Shido and Sho. Something that was proven when you managed to stop Sho twice."

"So, you plan to betray Shido now?" Fox asks, only for Akechi to shake his head.

"Not while Sho is still around. So long as he is free, either my mother or Yoshizawa's father can still be targeted. Until he is defeated, my hands are tied."

Joker, Fox and Shadow share a look, silently debating what to say. Only for Violet to cut them off.

"Then, join us in Shido's Palace." She says abruptly. "He's our next target, so when we go to face him, you can join us. Together, we can beat Sho and throw him in jail, along with Shido." Violet's hopeful eyes stare into Akechi's as a small silence fills the area.

"Let me tell you something, Akechi." Joker says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing worse than having to fight a dear friend." Akechi stays silent, looking at each of them before giving a tired smile.

"It would seem I have little reason to object. And I would be a fool to do so." He replies giving Joker a hand shake. "When the time comes, count me among your members. I am tired of having to live a lie forced upon me." Joker nods, watching as the eighth star is added to Akechi's card.

"Now that that is out of the way, what shall we do?" Shadow suddenly asks, glancing around. "This is unlike any Palace we've encountered so far. And we have neither Mona nor Oracle to scan for a Treasure."

"There is the chance that we are not even in a Palace. For I do not remember having to face guards armed with nothing but rifles." Fox admits, looking over his own assault rifle.

"Considering our appearance, there is no doubt we are in the cognitive world. One that runs on rules far different than what we have experience so far." Akechi replies, glancing around. "Perhaps we should…Wait…Something's coming!" His warning charges the Thieves, each pulling out their own gun as they turn to the sound of approaching footsteps. Only to raise eyebrows when a girl in a pink mouse costume, covered in pain rushes up to them. Breathing heavily.

"A stuffed animal?" Violet asks watching it run towards them before falling over.

"He…help…" It cries weakly. Violet rushes over, helping it onto its back as its breathing grows heavy. While Joker, Fox, Shadow and Akechi stand around. "Sa-Save them…Please!" It asks with a weak voice, before exploding into pink, blue and green paint. The same as the foes they had just fought.

"She was a cognition." Shadow comments, before a loud scream draws all of their eyes to a nearby alleyway.

"They are probably down there." Fox observes, racking the bolt on his rifle.

"Let's go!" Joker shouts, rushing forward pistole in hand. As he is quickly followed by the others, including Akechi, rushing into an open area thay looked to be a skate park. Finding before them the making of a massacre.

All five of them stood in silence as numerous mouse people are ruthlessly gunned down, exploding into paint as the Guards open fire with pinpoint accuracy. Leaving not a single one of them survive, creating fountains of paint that rained down from the sky.

While walking forward through the rain, a lone figure approached the Thieves. Wearing a black gasmask with red tinted lends, a white cropped shirt exposing her shoulder, arms and stomach. While black bulging pants stained with paint stop above her ankles. Her arms were covered in black tattoos, while in her right hand was a futuristic pain gun. And her hair was bleached white.

But what was more strange, was the giant pink bird floating next to her with a jewelled necklace. The masked girl chuckles, madness evident in her voice as she turns her gun on the feeling cognitions. Each shot landing a direct hit as they explode into fountains of paint.

All the while, she laughed like a madman possessed.

"Such horror…" Fox comments, seeing the death.

"Even though they are cognition, this is just…" Shadow remarks with a shake of her head.

"How could she?" Violet asks, a hand over her mouth.

"Such depravity…Almost like Sho…" Akechi comments with a grimace. Joker remains quiet, eyes locked on the woman and the strange bird next to her. Soon, she removes the mask, revealing that she had pink coloured eyes. The same colour as the strange bird next to her.

Okay…those are not natural. 10 yen says she's possessed. Joker mentally says as the woman walks towards them, like a predator hunting its prey.

"Hey! Stop hurting them!" Violet shouts, as Joker mentally facepalms himself. While her heart was in the right place, this woman did not look like she was up for negotiations.

"Huh? Did you just shout out to me and try to tell me what to do?" She asks, unimpressed. Violet, realising what her tone might have been like, backpaddled a little bit.

"I'm not trying to boss you around if it sounded like that, but I can't just stand here and watch you kill people." She replies, hoping to appeal to common sense. Unfortunately, it seemed she missed the mark.

"Jerri, who even is this brat? That yammering of hers is extra-annoying." The woman replies, giving the pink bird the stink eye. But the bird was giving Violet a curious gaze.

"Hmm…How peculiar…The Streets should not be accessible to outsiders…" She comments, looking over Violet and the others. "The five of you…how did you even get here?"

"We are merely a few passer-by…we hope." Akechi says, quickly standing in front of Violet. "We have not been able to make heads or tails of this world. Could you kindly show us the exit?"

"Akechi?" Kasumi asks in a whisper. "What about stopping her?" Akechi shrugs his shoulders, at her, unsure how to answer before they look back at the woman.

"Well, your girlfriend there has a point." She says, causing the two to blush. "I could stop hurting them right now." While Violet would feel happy at hearing that, the look she was getting told her a different reason why.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Shadow whispers to Joker and Fox as they watch the surroundings. A feeling exemplified by the chuckling bird next to the woman.

"Ah, Guernica…Stuck yet again by inspiration?" Jerri asks, shocking the five at letting the woman's name slip.

"She is Guernica?" Fox asks with a disgruntled look. "How could she call herself an artists by killing people?"

"Come on, Foxy boy. There's plenty to find here." Guernica replies, apparently hearing Fox. "And to be honest, I was getting board cooking with the small fires." Her grin seemed to only grow as she pointed her gun at the group. "But with you here, I can perform a little experiment—lets see if you bleed the same way the rest do!" She shouts, firing paint as the Thieves as they duck into cover.

"So much for diplomacy." Shadow quip, taking her sniper rifle and aiming at Guernica. She fires a shot, watching as misses her but slams into a can behind her. Covering her in paint. Fox, seeing the opening, opens fire with his assault rifle as Guernica moves out of the blue paint.

But to add to their trouble, a hulk type guard and three normal ones appeared from the ground. Ready to support Guernica. Something that Joker was not going to happen.

"Arsène! Maeigaon!" He shouts, sending curse energy around two of the normal guards. He turns to look at Guernica, mentally switching to Artemis to debilitate her. Only to suddenly find a problem. "What the—I can't switch Persona!" He shouts in alarm and confusion. This had never happened before! Caught of guard, Joker was unaware of the grunt taking aim at him, as he soon felt a spike of pain in his left shoulder.

"Joker!" Violet shouts, casting Kouga on the offending foe before rushing over to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just startled for a moment." He replies, shaking his head. He could figure out why Artemis wasn't coming to him later. Glancing back to Guernica, he summons Arsène and unleashed a Megidola on her, forcing her back. And earning her ire.

"Why are you making this so hard on yourselves!? Just bleed out for me already!" She shouts, firing full auto at Joker and forcing him, Violet and Fox into cover. A sniper round from Shadow cracks the road next to her, forcing her into cover as more guards spawn around her, including two hulks.

"Sorry, but we prefer to having our blood remain inside us!" Fox calls backs, unloading another clip into the foes before them. It was strange how the rules here gave them infinite ammo, not that any of them were complaining.

"C'mon! Just chill out! You know this place is some kinda weird-ass world?" Guernica suddenly shouts, startling the Thieves and Akechi. "We could splatter our guts all over this place—just snap your fingers and everything's back the way it was."

"She's aware this is the Metaverse? But still, even if that's the case, we would still die." Violet points out to Joker.

"If that is the case, would you be able to prove it on yourself first?" Akechi suggested. The annoyed grunt from Guernica told them she was trying to trick them into shooting themselves for her.

"You guys are no fun. Jerri! Take care of them for me!" She shouts to the sky, leaping high onto a nearby wall as Jerri floats down to join her.

"Always foisting the tough work onto me…what am I going to do with you?" Jerri asks before throwing a wing out, spawning more of the gun tottering guards. "Now my dearies! Finish them off!"

"Not good, they have us outnumbered and out gunned." Shadow comments, glancing around for an escape route. Joker was starting to sweat at the numbers against them. Unable to bring out Artemis was becoming a problem.

But just as it looked like they were truly cornered, a glowing sigil appeared underneath the five. For a moment they wondered what it was doing. Until the sigil vanished and they were suddenly standing on nothing but air.

A few seconds later, their bodies suddenly realised that they were indeed floating on the spot as they unceremoniously fell into the giant hole. While Violet let out a scream alongside Shadow, Joker tried to fire his grapple hook at the hole. Only to groan as the hole closed itself up.

Luckily, their landing was not hard as they fell on a pile of mattresses in an underground room. And judging by the giant vents in the wall, it was without question the sewer.

"Is everyone okay?" Joker asks as the group untangle themselves from the mattress.

"I am fine, if a bit dazed." Fox replies, placing a hand in his head.

"That was sudden…I didn't have time to even think." Violet admits, sitting on the mattress.

"At least we got away from Guernica. I don't think we could have lasted much longer." Shadow admits, placing the sniper rifle on her back.

"While I agree with that, the bigger question is, who brought us here." Akechi replies, with a hand on his chin.

"That would be me." A voice echoes from the side as all eyes turn to the source. Walking out from the shadows, was another person in a blue mouse costume. But unlike the others, she had her hood down. Revealing herself to have short blue hair and brown eyes.

"A mouse girl? No wait, a girl dressed as a mouse mascot? So cute…" Violet coos as the others shake their head at her.

"You are the one who saved us? In that case, you have our thanks." Fox says, bowing to her out of respect. Earning a smile from the girl.

"You've very much welcomed. Sorry that you got dumped right here, I didn't have time to be choosy." She admits with a frown.

"Better than what the alternative could have been." Joker replies, placing his hands into his coat pockets. "But still, we have a lot of questions about this place. Could you answer them for us?"

"You don't know about the Streets? Well, I'll be happy to tell you. But first…" She pats her self down before placing a hand on her chest, smiling to the team. "My name is Luca."