Chapter 17: We Are the Phantom Thieves

Ω • Ω • Ω

•Akira•

5/4, Wednesday

"Before you leave, I need you to do the dishes."

"Can I do them when I return? I've already made plans to see some of my friends, and you had me help you all day yesterday."

Sakura narrowed his eyes at him, wiping his hands off with a towel. "Don't start thinking that you can put things off… but fine, since you've already made plans, you can do them when you get back. Just don't forget to do them."

"Sir."

The door to their shop opened, distracting Sakura. "Welcome," he greeted the customer, a woman wearing a business suit with silver hair and sharp eyes.

Perhaps sensing the atmosphere, the woman raised an eyebrow as she sat down at the counter. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all."

He set his bag down on one of the tables, checking one last time before he left that he had the fake Olympic medal within, having to push Morgana's body to the side, causing the feline to grumble. As he did, the television Sakura usually had playing the news or some random station droned on in the background. "The cause of the runaway-train incident in the subway the other day has still not been found. Police are hurrying to solve the matter as it may relate to the rise in psychotic breakdown incidents..."

"Oh, is that that thing everyone's been talking about?"

"Doesn't it make you curious?" The woman sitting at the counter interlocked her fingers beneath her chin, frowning. "People who were living normal lives suddenly went mad or deranged out of the blue. Not to mention it's happening one after another… Could they really be coincidental?"

"Hmm…" He couldn't tell whether Sakura was interested or not since the man immediately changed the subject. "Setting that aside, what'll you have?"

"I'll have the house-blend, please." He zipped his bag closed, slinging it over his shoulder and hearing the quiet yowl of Morgana as he banged against his body. He turned around and saw the woman staring at him inquisitively. "Are you a part-timer? I'm surprised this place can afford one."

"Uhh, no, not exactly," Sakura quickly interrupted.

She didn't react to Sakura, only nodding to herself. "Are you a high-school student? Where do you attend?"

"Shujin academy."

"Oh? Someone I know goes there as well. I've heard that things are… rough, right now."

"You can say that again," Morgana snickered in his bag.

"A teacher named Kamoshida confessed his crimes like he was a completely different person, supposedly. And it happened 'all of a sudden' one day… Can a person's mental state change so easily?"

This woman is rather… interested in this case, is she not, Trickster?

Mair than a normal body wid be, at least.

'Yeah…'

Why so suspicious of woman, Master?

'No real reason, Slime. Just… a feeling.'

"Is my drink ready yet?" Seeing that she was no longer looking at him, he nodded at Sakura and left the cafe.

"I wonder why she was so interested in the psychotic breakdowns?"

He thought for several moments about Morgana's question, walking to the train station. "Well… psychotic breakdowns are, and this is an incredibly simplified description going off what I know based on the news, periods of time when a person displays erratic or abnormal behavior. Considering how Kamoshida acted when we changed his heart, that could very well be seen as a 'psychotic breakdown.'"

A fair point, Trickster.

Morgana stayed silent, and he assumed the fake cat was thinking as he got onto a train towards Shibuya. After what they had done, would the people investigating the psychotic breakdowns investigate their school? It had been a long-shot in his mind, but thinking about it more…

He shook his head, hurrying off the train after realizing he'd lost track of time, and nearly missed his stop. Station Square was as bustling as ever, and he passed by dozens of people as he made his way through the crossing. Central street was just slightly less full, but there were still hundreds more people there ever were in Onett.

"Hey, kid! You there!" He saw someone out of the corner of his eyes, a man wearing a black suit and sunglasses with a goatee and a smirk plastered on his face. "You in high-school? Want to make some easy money? I'm talkin' stacks, without needin' to do nothin' difficult!"

"Not interested." He brushed the man off and continued walking, hearing his scoff.

"Good idea. Who'd be dumb enough to fall for something like that?"

"Don't say that, now you know that Ryuji's going to end up saying yes to him."

"Oh please, it'd happen anyway even without me jinxing him." He sighed

and walked down Untouchable's alley, eyeing two men in suits that were looking at the store. Of course, unlike the shady man earlier, they looked more professional, but he ignored them since they weren't focused on him.

The owner nodded as he walked in, setting his magazine down. "Hey. You here to buy somethin', or sell?"

"Sell." He pulled out the Olympic Medal, handing it over to the manager.

His eyes widened a fraction before his usual surly look replaced his surprise. "I ain't gonna ask where you got this… How's thirty-thousand yen sound, though?"

"Perfect. I looked up how much medals are worth, of course, in case you tried to rip me off."

A smirk grew on the manager's face. "Heh. thirty-thousand it is." He matched the man's smirk, pushing the medal forward as the older man counted out the yen. He opened his bag and placed the money inside, Morgana grumbling at having to move again.

"It's almost time… Here, take this with you." He looked up as the shop owner handed over a small paper bag, and when he took it, it felt moderately heavy. "A little thanks for sellin' me that medal. But, uh… best not to open it. Just bring it with you next time you come back here."

"Doesn't sound much like a thank you if I need to return it," he commented with a raised eyebrow.

"You're way too smart for your own good." The door to the shop suddenly opened, and in walked the two men he'd seen outside. "They're here…" Seeing his expression darken, he immediately stepped away, pushing his glasses up further to hide his eyes as the men focused on the shop owner.

"Munehisa Iwai, yes? There are some matters that we'd like to discuss with you today. Do you know why we're here?"

Iwai smirked, pulling the brim of his cap down. "I dunno, lookin' for evidence? You tell me, Mr. Detective."

One of the men, the detectives, apparently, slammed his fist down on the counter, glaring at Iwai. "Watch your attitude!"

"Well, you guys gonna search me? Go on, do what you gotta do."

His eyebrows rose as he watched the spectacle, slowly walking towards the door as the more vulgar detective snarled. "What was that?"

"An upstandin' citizen's supposed to cooperate with the cops, right?"

The second detective turned to the vulgar one, furrowing his brows. "Are you sure that lead was legitimate?"

"I could've sworn that it was…"

"Can you two hurry it up? I got a business to run."

"You bastard…" The man turned and pointed at him. "You! What's in the bag, huh?! Show me!"

Iwai's eyes narrowed, crossing his arms. "That kid's just a regular. Check the tapes if you need convincin'."

Twould not be good if the detectives were to witness thee selling that false king's medal.

He continued to walk to the door, trying to ignore the detective, only for the man to storm towards him, glaring. "I won't let you get away that easily. Show us what's in the bag!"

He turned towards him, silver eyes glinting like steel behind his glasses. "What's in this bag is none of your business, sir. You have no right to accost me like this. If you have a problem with Iwai-san, then you take it up with him. Not me."

The detective began sputtering, wagging his mouth with no idea how to respond. Iwai, meanwhile, snickered, trying to hide a grin. Finally finding his words, the vulgar detective pointed in his face, practically shouting. "Show me the bag!"

"Hey, knock it off!" His partner grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. "You're talking to a kid, remember? Besides, he's not the one we're here to see."

"Ugh…"

"That's right, Mr. Detective. Maybe next time try not harassin' my customers, see how that goes." When the angry detective growled at Iwai, the shop owner simply ignored the man and winked towards him. "Safe trip home, kid."

He walked out of the store, down the alleyway, and stopped by the entrance to the Velvet Room. Morgana nudged his way out of his bag, jumping up and placing his front paws on his shoulder. "I wonder what those detectives were doing there… And more importantly, what do you think is inside the bag?"

"Well, he obviously doesn't want us to look. So let's check it." He opened it and they both looked inside, only for their eyes to widen when they saw a gun.

"W-Whoa is that a real—?! No, wait, it's just a model… But it's incredible though! It looks way realer than the ones you guys got!"

"Well, we have only been looking at the beginner's catalog. I'm sure that Iwai must have dozens of incredibly realistic-looking guns in his shop."

"Yeah… Hey, we should try and buy this one the next time we come here! I mean, something this realistic looking would work wonders in the Metaverse!"

"He already has some trust in me, I'm sure I can strike some kind of deal the next time we stop by. Now, let's get back to Leblanc and… ugh, do those dishes"

Ω • Ω • Ω

5/5, Thursday

"Ooooh, thish ish sho gooood!"

"If you don't close your mouth I'll close it for you, numbskull." In response, Ryuji stuck his tongue out at Morgana, chunks of meat still in his mouth. "Alright, that's it, you're dead!"

"Can you two not do this? We're going to get kicked out!" Ann's words lost any sense of weight when she then took a bite of cheesecake and immediately squealed in pleasure, smiling happily. "Sho goood!"

"Inelegant fools," he sighed, watching the girl, boy, and cat, lifting a cup of tea to his lips and crossing his legs.

"Shut your mouth," Ryuji shot back around a mouth full of steak. "I may be messy, but I ain't actin' like a fake rich kid."

"Who says it's fake?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

"Just 'cause you're drinkin' tea don't mean you're rich!"

"No, but at least I'm more elegant than you uncultured swines."

"That's only 'cause you got some fancy British Persona! I've got a pirate!"

'Some fancy British Persona'?! How dare he! I am FRENCH!

Oh, calm down, you big baby.

Mister Arsène acting funny, Master.

"Our Personas are representations of ourselves… perhaps there's a reason I got the gentleman thief, while you got the dirty pirate. I am the truest form of a gentleman," he spoke, sipping at his tea, "while you are simply a rowdy boy."

"Give me a break," Ann smirked over her plate of sweets.

"Madame Takamaki, you don't believe me?" He held a hand to his chest in mock astonishment, causing everyone to snicker.

"No, I don't." Everyone resumed eating, including him when he put down his teacup to pick up his plate of food before Ann looked at them again. "By the way, I've heard that police might be coming to Shujin to interview people."

"Whoa, for real?"

"That'll be troublesome," Morgana sighed. He stayed silent, pondering what might happen if they, somehow, managed to lay the blame on him.

"Our names are gonna come up for sure," Ryuji groaned, "People're spreadin' all kinds of rumors about us and Kamoshida. But hey, at least we got 'em pumped up! I keep hearin' stuff like 'The Phantom Thieves really stole his heart!' I think most people don't believe it, but some of 'em actually seem grateful!"

"Well, that's nice to hear," he smiled.

"Yeah, lookit this!" Ryuji pulled out and began tapping at his phone, before showing them a red and black website, with various functions.

"The Phantom Aficionado Website…?" Sure enough, the site seemed dedicated to the 'Phantom Thieves,' and on the forums, comments kept being posted. "'Well done Phantom Thieves,' 'Now I can keep going too,' 'Thank you for giving us hope…'"

Serving God truly is a worthwhile endeavor when this is the outcome! So much hope! So much joy!

Eh, Succubus is gaggin' in th' corner. Haud yer horses oan th' 'praising th' lord' if ye wid, please.

That devil could use the light of the lord.

Ignoring his Personas, he listened as Ann continued looking at the forum. With each comment that Ann read, Akira felt a sense of pride well up inside him, knowing that it was their actions that had helped those people. Ryuji grinned widely, ecstatic. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"I was just desperate to deal with my own problems, but seeing people saying all this feels… strange."

"Yeah." Everyone was beaming widely before Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "So, what now?"

"It depends on how much time is left," he answered, taking a bite of the pancakes in the middle of the table, causing Ann to squawk that 'those were hers!'

"Eh? Oh crap, you're right! We've only got an hour with access to all this food! I'm not gonna be able to finish all the beef dishes in this place!"

"I need to eat my way through the whole dessert menu!"

"Look after our stuff, Aki! We'll grab something for you too!"

"Please don't, peasants wouldn't know what could please a palate such as mine." Ryuji simply flipped him off in response, while Morgana ignored them all and gorged himself on fish.

The two eventually returned, carrying plates piled high with either meats or sweets. Ryuji unceremoniously placed down a plate filled with various types of beans in front of Morgana and him, before immediately stuffing food into his maw.

He and Morgana shared a glance as the two blonds guzzled down cake and steak respectively, before staring at the plate of beans. "Beans?!"

"Yeah, I'm not eating this. Come on, Morgana. Let's grab some actual food that isn't just… beans, eggs, and… is that banana?"

"Fried banana, actually!"

"Ann, not helping."

"This is just plain grotesque! It's even worse than that meat monstrosity the idiot's eating!"

"Can't fight, must eat…"

"Ugh… Come on, Akira, let's show them what fine dining really means!" Morgana jumped into his bag and proudly pointed forward.

"Just leave it to me."

"All right! You two! Watch our stuff!"

"Oh man, it's a meaty explosion…"

"Ooh, this part's cream cheese!"

"They're not even listening…"

"Well, we all know that Ryuji loves those meaty explosions in his mouth. And Ann just loves delicious cream." Both blonds began choking on their food as Akira teased them, and he quickly left with his plate in hand before they could make a rebuttal while several Personas laughed in his mind.

Oh my! How lewd!

Silence, heretic!

"You shouldn't taunt Lady Ann like that!"

"I'm an equal opportunity taunter. No one is safe from my witty banter," he drily responded. "Family, friends, gods, devils, all will be slain by mine silver tongue." Morgana snorted, before looking around at the various foods on display.

"Ignoring that… Look at all of this food! As you'd expect from a buffet at a top-class hotel. Definitely worth eight-thousand yen!"

"And with this wide variety, I'm sure you want us to start with some fish."

"You bet I do!" He rolled his eyes and wandered towards the fish dishes, placing his plate down and beginning to grab food. He heard two women speaking to each other in snobby tones, and he ignored them, until a familiar name came up.

"Have you heard, my dear? The news about that Kamoshida fellow was truly dreadful."

"Ah right. That teacher at Shujin Academy caught doing such indecent acts. Shameful, really."

"Hey, Akira, are you hearing this?"

"Shh," he focused on placing more food on his plate as he continued listening in on the women.

"And they still haven't managed to solve those horrible psychotic breakdown incidents, have they? I wish they wouldn't let themselves be distracted by such a tawdry scandal."

"Perhaps it's a sign of how peaceful this country is. I honestly pity those poor Shujin students though."

"Sounds like the Kamoshida incident is the talk of the town!"

"Hm?" At the sound of Morgana's meowing, both women looked towards him, and he made sure to act like he wasn't paying attention.

The other women scoffed at the sight of him lowering their tones to gossip about him. "How did a child end up in a place like this? I certainly hope he didn't bring friends, I prefer my meals to remain hooligan-free, thank you very much."

He twitched, turning to walk away and frowning as he went. "Assholes…"

Morgana looked at him with a mix of confusion and anger about how they'd treated his partner in crime. "What's so bad about kids coming to enjoy a buffet?"

"Most rich people don't enjoy the 'lower class' mingling with them. It makes them feel like they're not as special as they think they are," he scoffed. "I've seen enough of that shit…"

"Huh? You know rich people besides that Andonuts guy?" He didn't respond, so Morgana just shrugged. "Well, whatever. I'm kinda wondering how everyone else here is reacting to this news."

"I can grab some more food and listen in." He began wandering between tables, looking over the food slowly and putting it on his plate while he eavesdropped on various people. A television station's president, an IT company's president, various important people were in the room, and none paid attention to him. Some of them were interested in using the incident to up their ratings, such as the president of the television station. Others just sounded like they were investigating it, perhaps higher-ranked police forces or detectives.

When his plate started getting too heavy to carry, he walked back to the table thinking about what they'd said. Ann and Ryuji were still cleaning their dishes of food as he returned, and he sat himself down in his chair. "Holy crap dude, you got a lotta food! Guess you can't help it after seein' such ritzy stuff, huh?"

He chuckled in response. "Like you're one to talk."

"Ha! But, uh, isn't Mona eatin' a bit too much? He's gonna get bloated with that small body."

"There's no… telling when we can… come back," Morgana spoke between bites of fish.

"You guys brought back a ton of food, I think you'll be eating enough for a while," Ann grinned.

"Yeah, certainly enough to feed an entire family," he chuckled.

"Alright, then we'll help out! Let's finish all this!" Everyone joined in with cleaning off their plates, but even after stuffing their faces for several minutes straight, it seemed like almost none of it was gone.

However, with enough tenacity, their plates were finally cleaned, and everyone leaned back in their chairs, groaning. It felt like his stomach was going to burst open, and he held back a belch, but at least it was over…

"This is… ugh… our victory…"

"God, why was that a harder battle than Kamoshida…"

Ann cheered from her seat, a wide smile on her face. "Nicely done, guys! How about some sweets to celebrate?"

He groaned in response, nearly barfing at the thought of more food. "Ann, is your stomach a black hole when it comes to sugar?"

"Please, I can't… even just the thought of it is… hurp… Oh no, this isn't good, I gotta go to the bathroom…"

Morgana mewled from his bag, rolling over. "M-Me too… Please carry me gently…"

"If you upchuck inside my bag I'm going to skin you, I hope you realize this," he groaned.

"I-I know, I know!"

As he grabbed his bag, a wealthy couple walking by spotted the surplus of empty plates on their table and paused. "My, look at that table…"

The man shook his head at his companion, scoffing. "Come now, pay them no attention. I'm sure they must not normally have the chance to eat such exquisite food."

He stilled, fighting the urge to glare back at the two. "I can only imagine what their parents must be like."

He saw Ryuji's eyes flare with rage as the couple walked away, glaring at their backs. "What was that?! Urp…" Ryuji slumped forward and groaned. "Ugh, no time to be angry, gotta use the bathroom." He felt his anger fade and he chuckled at Ryuji, getting up from his seat.

"Yeah, let's go."

The restrooms on their floor turned out to be closed for cleaning, which of course led to Ryuji frantically trying to find bathrooms on a separate floor as he trailed behind in amusement for several minutes, before finally finding one. After waiting for Ryuji and Morgana to stop upchucking their food into the toilets, they walked much more calmly back to the elevators.

"Man, you were talking about eating until you puked, but I wasn't expecting you to actually do so… You're really some kind of moron."

"Hey, you did the same thing!"

He sighed and intervened, chopping the faux-blond and the faux-cat on their heads. "Enough."

Ryuji grumbled, hesitating to hit the buttons to call an elevator. "Uh, which floor were we on?"

"We came up to find a bathroom, so obviously a lower one."

Ryuji pressed the down button and they began waiting, while several people began gathering behind them, also waiting for the elevators. He heard several people speaking to each other and walking closer, but thought nothing of it until he was rudely pushed to the side. He stumbled and saw the man who pushed him also shove Ryuji aside with nary a glance.

"Hey! The hell, man?!" The suited man ignored Ryuji, listening to another man, this one bald and with yellow glasses, surrounded by more men in black suits.

"Is there still no update on the case?"

"Not yet. But, sir, why are you so involved in the case? This should be far below your concern…"

Turning his gaze towards his subordinate, the bald man responded harshly, "I don't care for your opinion, you incompetent buffoon. When I say pick up the pace, you do so!" He frowned at the man's voice. He'd heard him from… somewhere…

Having had enough of being ignored, Ryuji took a step forward. "Hey, the hell are you cutting in line for?!"

One of the suited men scoffed, turning to look down his nose at them. "What do you want?"

"I believe that we were here first," he coldly answered. "Apologize."

"Yeah, what he said!"

"We're in a hurry."

Ryuji gave a sarcastic laugh, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Oh, I'm sorry, you can butt in front of people if you're in a hurry?"

The supposed leader of the group shook his head, looking back at them. "It seems that the customer base has changed somewhat since I last came here. Have they started a daycare?"

"If you're lowering yourself to the level of school playground insults, then maybe you should be the one checked into this 'daycare,' yourself," he shot back. The man turned to glare at him, and for a moment there was an incredible feeling of rage, but he wasn't sure why… had he met the man before? He looked… somewhat familiar, and there was the voice, but…

Keep your cool, young one. If he were truly important, you would remember him, would you not?

'Maybe, but… God, this is going to keep bugging me.'

"Sir, we don't have time for this."

The leader of the men scoffed and broke eye contact with him first, which he took a small vindictive pleasure in, before turning to enter the elevator as it opened. "Hey!" Ryuji stomped forward, but one of the man's goons shoved him back, causing him to fall as he landed badly on his faulty knee. "Ah!"

His vision nearly went white with rage, and it was only thanks to Arsène calming him down that he didn't throw a punch. Calm thyself, Trickster! What would happen should thee assault these men with strikes already on thy record?! He clenched his teeth and his fists, small sparks threatening to erupt from them.

Master, please calm! Friend is okay!

As sexy as that wrath is, I'd rather not have us all be stuck in jail for the rest of your life.

Aye, laddie, juist gallus yer heid a bawherr!

He slowly breathed out, thankfully not wanting to punch a hole through any of their stomachs any longer, and watched as they all entered the elevator and the doors began to close.

Of course, as calm as he usually acted, he was still just a petty teenager.

His finger shot out and clicked the down button, causing the doors to open again. One of the men inside looked confused and clicked the close button on the inside of the elevator, and he waited for them to be nearly fully closed, before pressing the down button again. When the doors once more opened, the men inside seemed to have realized what he was doing, and he smirked, flipping them off as he grabbed Ryuji who had just gotten back up, and ran towards the stairs, dragging the boy with him.

If he couldn't have his revenge by punching them across the face, then he would get some satisfaction in slowing them down and inconveniencing them. Even if only slightly.

The men yelled after them angrily but didn't bother to give chase as their leader told them to leave it, having wasted enough of their time already. Entering the stairwell and beginning to walk down, Ryuji finally seemed to have grasped what he did and began laughing. "Holy shit dude, they were pissed!"

"Well, if they wanted to be assholes to us, what was stopping us from doing the same?"

"You could just be the bigger man, you know," Morgana commented.

"Maybe, but that was much too satisfying."

"Ha, you usually only act like that in the Metaverse dude, you should act out more in the real world, too, it can't just be me gettin' in trouble!"

"No, I believe you make enough trouble for all of us on your own." They shared a laugh, but the great mood they'd had all day had been slightly soured by the rotten adults that they had dealt with.

Ω • Ω • Ω

Upon returning to the buffet, they found Ann still sitting at their table, glaring at them. "What took you so long?!" He raised an eyebrow at her anger, while Ryuji blinked in shock.

"Man, what's got you all pissy?"

Upon realizing that she'd snapped at them, she winced, looking down. "Uh, sorry… I had a run-in with some woman a second ago. She bumped into me, but then said it was all my fault when she dropped her plate."

Ryuji scoffed, slumping into his seat as he took his. "Sounds like a real bitch."

"Sorry that we weren't here."

"Yeah. Thanks, though. But… the restaurant workers all looked at me with this disapproving expression… I wonder if we're out of place here?"

"We are," he spoke. Perhaps not him personally as Akira Starr, but right now, as Akira, the boy on probation, dressed in casual clothes, alongside his friends? Amongst the elite, they had no place. "But that doesn't matter. They're all assholes. Why exactly would we want to fit in with these snobby adults? For whatever reason, they think themselves our betters because they're rich, or famous, or whatever the reason for their inflated egos, but in the end, their looking down on us just makes us the bigger person in the end."

"Yeah, you do have a point…"

Morgana scoffed. "Says the dude who pranked the guys that cut in line for the elevator."

"Hey, not just because they cut in line." He smirked. "Because they were assholes that cut in line."

Everyone had a chuckle at that, while Ryuji stayed silent. In fact, he'd been silent for a good minute already. He simply sat there, seemingly thinking, before looking at Morgana. "Hey, Morgana… You said that anyone could have a Palace, yeah?"

"Hm? Yes, that's right. Well, anyone with a strong distorted desire, that is."

"And the same goes for changin' their heart, and all that if we steal their Treasure?"

"That would be the case."

He and Ann shared a confused look before the blonde turned to Ryuji. "Hey, what's got you so interested so suddenly?"

"Well… We had trouble with those selfish shitheads that looked down on everyone earlier too, yeah? I just kinda wondered whether we could change those kindsa people too."

As Ann's eyes widened, he sat silently and listened. "You want to continue as the Phantom Thieves?"

Nodding at her question, Ryuji sighed. "Yeah. I mean, we put a lotta work into changin' Kamoshida's heart, but barely anyone believes in the Phantom Thieves. Plus, those guys who had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin' us. Us, of all people!"

When no one responded right away, he turned from Ryuji to Ann and motioned at her. "What do you think, Ann?"

"I… I agree." She looked down, raising one hand to play with her hair. "If we ignore the people who are in trouble, I'd go back to being the same person that I was before." He could see it in her eyes. She didn't want anyone else to end up like Shiho did, not if she could help it. He smiled at the fire in her, before breathing out and leaning back in his seat.

"You both have the right idea, I believe. I certainly do like the idea of being able to inspire hope in people, all while preventing criminals from hurting others. But, of course, we need to be careful. Ryuji, as much as I agree that I wish we could change all the assholes like the ones we've seen today, we can't let this power go to our heads." He sighed, continuing. "What we can do is dangerous, and shouldn't be abused. Simply looking down on others or being an ass is not exactly a crime. Changing hearts can already be likened to mind-control or brainwashing which is bad enough, but we cannot go as far as changing anyone we please. Do any of you really want to stoop fully to their level? Become the assholes that we see them as?"

"Yeah, you've got a point…"

"If we really are going to do this, we'll need to be responsible. We can't let this power go to our heads. As long as we continue this, you need to remember why it is you wanted to start. Inspiring hope in others and stopping the criminals that can't be caught by others. Not for vindictive pleasure, or any other reason." Upon realizing that he'd been rambling, he coughed and hid a blush. "Or, ah, that's what I think."

Ann shook her head. "No, you're right!"

"Yeah! I totally get you!"

Morgana nodded. "Alright, that sounds good to me! And under my tutelage, there's nothing we can't accomplish as phantom thieves!"

He laughed, patting Morgana on the head. "Alright, good to know, O' Great Mentor Morgana."

Ryuji grinned, "well, if the cat's the mentor, then you've gotta be the leader! I mean, you've been doin' pretty great so far, and you totally just gave a super leadery speech!"

"'Leadery' is not a word."

Ann giggled and nodded. "I agree, are you alright with that?"

"It's fine by me. What about you, Morgana?"

"Well, if Lady Ann thinks it's fine, then who am I to oppose?"

"Of course," he replied with a dry tone. Morgana swatted his arm playfully, but he just continued smiling. In truth, having these three trust him so explicitly… Friends with him for who he was… It lit his chest up with warmth, and he swore that he'd do whatever he could to protect his friends, and now true partners in crime.

"Alright, now that we've settled on Aki bein' the leader… what about our name? I mean, I called us the Phantom Thieves of Hearts on that first calling card, but…"

"No, I thought it was pretty cheesy, but I do like it," Ann commented.

"Yes, I'll at least give you that much, Ryuji. You certainly picked a good name for us!"

"Morgana's complimenting Ryuji on something? The end is nigh. In any case… I like it as well." He chuckled, folding his legs, and cracking his knuckles. "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts are going to take the world by storm soon. All those assholes that hide in the shadows hurting others… well, they won't be for much longer."

After discussing for several more minutes, they decided that to select targets it would need to be a unanimous vote and that their next target would need to be big, to show that the Phantom Thieves really were out there, and inspire hope in more people. Of course, by then their time for the buffet ran out, and they promised each other to talk more the next day, before going their separate ways for the night.

Ω • Ω • Ω

His eyes shot open, and he sat up, finding himself within the Velvet Room once more, the ethereal piano and woman signing just on the edge of his consciousness, with the sound of a baton slamming into his cell bars much louder. "Wake up, Inmate! Our master wishes to speak with you!"

He sighed and stretched, dragging his chains towards the door where he grasped the bars. "Well, I'm here."

Igor's smile didn't waver at all at his sarcastic tone, and he simply folded his hands together. "First off, I'd like to begin by congratulating you."

"To think our master would give words of praise," Justine hummed.

"You better treasure this moment, inmate!"

He absentmindedly flicked Caroline's hat, causing her to squawk in offense before he motioned for Igor to continue, preventing Caroline from retaliating with her electric baton. "You have encountered allies who share your ideals, and have found your place in reality. The time has come… rehabilitation shall soon begin."

"You keep saying that, but you also don't explain it at all."

Igor chuckled. "I shall explain it to you now then. You have a special potential. However, that must be refined into a useful power. It is weak now, but refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin."

"So my rehabilitation is training my powers?"

"Indeed. That is the rehabilitation cast upon you." He sighed, leaning his forehead against his cell bars. Well, that answered one thing, but literally nothing else. And he could bet that Igor wasn't about to start explaining what the hell 'ruin' was either. "There are various means by which you may gain the power to resist ruin. Fighting shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process is another. And of course, the confidants through which you have forged bonds with are yet another."

"Battle, execution, friendship. The oddest trio I've ever heard of."

"Thanks to the contracts you have formed, your heart is steadily gaining the power of opposition. It seems that the rehabilitation is going well. This is truly a joyous occasion. I shall grant you an ability befitting of your newfound growth. Consider it a gift. May your devotion to your continuing rehabilitation grow ever deeper. I have high hopes for you."

RANK UP!

Fool Arcana, Prison Master: Rank Three

As the sound of crashing chains filled his mind, he could also feel… something happening deep within. It was as if his mind, filled with his Personas, had expanded somewhat. It felt odd in a way he couldn't describe. It wasn't as though they took up physical space…

In any case, afterward, alarms began ringing and Justine nodded at him. "The time has come. Return to your fleeting moments of rest."

"And don't forget to go talk to your contractors, Inmate!"

He rolled his eyes and lay back down on his prison, cot, closing his eyes as the music of the Velvet Room began to fade. However, as he drifted off, something else filled his mind, a distant noise, garbled beyond recognition. Although, one word he could hear perfectly stood out in the mess.

"...h...Me...Ple...r…f...r...O...sen...Trickster…"

He strained to hear more, and he realized now that it was a woman's voice, who almost seemed to be pleading, but he could hear no more, as he drifted back into a deep sleep, a blue butterfly drifting across his consciousness.

Shorter chapter, but I felt like we reached a good stopping point. While not much really happened in this chapter, I feel like this is the true formation of the thieves since it's when they decide to keep the name and continue helping people, so I think it's pretty important.

Some will question how exactly Akira doesn't recognize Shido, and I always kind of thought the same, since he doesn't recognize him until the very end of the game, but I guess it's chalked up to how dark it was on the street where the incident between them went down. Plus, Shido was also pretty drunk and angry, so he'd sound different from how calm he is in the hotel, if not a bit annoyed by his lackeys.

Also, did you know that if you lie down on your bed in the Velvet Room you can hear you-know-who's pleas from after she got split apart? The closer you get to the end game, the clearer her voice becomes. Always thought that was a neat detail.

Welp, we'll be getting around to Palace number 2 soon, but other than that, not much else to say for this chapter! Leave a review on everything you liked in the chapter or just a 'nice,' both are always great to read. See y'all next time!