Author's Notes:

Replies

Janson Wu: Yu needs a miracle and a quick one at that.

Nightly: Akira's life continues to get more difficult, but ironically due to Minato, he's now in a way better position than he ever was in the games. Not only did his phantom thief activities become more elaborate, he now has a shot against Shido. As for Yu, it'll be revealed who is behind alot of his plans and etc. He does have help from a ton of people just to catch one guy pft.

Guest: I'll go into Yu's back story eventually, but he used to be a very lucky guy and in some ways, he still is. It's just that he's up against something that's bigger than goddess luck herself. Speaking of Minato messing with P5's plot, you'll love this chapter and what he does to Akechi.

Goro Akechi poured himself a cup of black coffee, gulping down the burnt concoction, barely able to taste anything in the process. His tired frame dragged itself from his kitchen to his living room, a place that was barely furnished with the bare necessities. A dull colored sofa sat across from a generic flatscreen, bisected by a small coffee table. The whole scene is reminiscent of a showroom display rather than a lived in space. Grabbing some scattered files from his bag, he placed them down to examine their contents, a tinge of annoyance bubbling up from his mind.

For the past few months, reports of a mysterious group known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts have been making the headlines for their grandiose displays, starting from their announcement of a forced change of heart, accompanied by the mysterious methods of which they delivered their calling cards. He shuffled the papers, noting the key links between the Kamoshida and Madarame cases where crimson cards rained down from the sky, yet he couldn't help but feel these crooks have gotten bolder after each heist.

"Just what were they thinking…" He mused to himself, both cursing yet couldn't help but be impressed how a bunch of high schoolers were able to pull these outrageous stunts off, even in a collective group. What started out as a joke among the police department about supernatural criminals now spiraled into a national embarrassment for the Japanese government. Till this day, they still couldn't figure out how Madarame's exhibit was vandalized, nor how the hearts of those victims were changed. To say the public's mistrust in their justice system was weak is now an understatement, and thus Shido had been putting him more to work than usual, along with his much older peers.

Looking towards his coffee table, his old trusty pistol lay idle, he wondered about the Thieves' methods, just what allowed them to change others, despite the same access to the metaverse. Thinking back, he recalled his shock when he saw them disappear into the metaverse near Madarame's shake, his blood running cold at knowing there were now possibly others with the same powers running about. However, during his hidden reconnaissance he did discover they had another member that was rather odd.

Try as he might, when he pulled up his police issued laptop, digging through the database for a specific name, his frustration grew at finding little to no records of the man's existence. Minato Arisato was the name he was trying to track down. Digging deeper, he now dove into an info network provided by his father, yet there was still nothing aside from a picture and a birthday on file with the most generic information possible. Race, eye color, blood type, nothing more was shown, not even his birth place.

"Are you fucking serious…?" Akechi cursed, biting his nail. Shido's government network was what the boy used to gather information about his targets, whether they be government officials, CEOs, or other big personalities that were usually well hidden from the public, just how mysterious was this man to have even his most basic information cut? It was as if someone else had deliberately cleaned up the entire file, someone big enough to even rival Shido. But who could that be and what did they have to do with this Minato person? Furthermore, no information among the other thieves connected to him at all, how strange.

Shutting his laptop, he gathered his belongings for today was another investigation day where he would pretend to solve some case he caused himself and then be done for the week. That was expected anyways, until he was called into Shido's office.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Shido?" Akechi greeted the man with his most pleasant smile, despite him noting the tense atmosphere. Did he mess up somewhere? Or did one of his colleagues mess up big time? This was always the air Shido held when something didn't go his way. Slowly, he saw the politician turn, his brows already furrowed in a hidden fury.

"For your next few investigations, try not to slip and make sure your colleagues fall in line with our work." Shido said blunt, not even bothering to address the young man by name.

What a bizarre thing to say, Akechi was unsure of the man's meaning and so he just accepted the request, "Of course, Mr. Shido. I'll make sure the police working with us are well aware of the situation." He began to bow, thinking that was all he was brought here to hear, but then Shido halted his exit, his tone stern.

"If you encounter any moles among the herd, report them back to me immediately."

"Moles you say?" Now this was new, "Has there been anyone disrupting our efforts lately? " The brunette poked the lion, now his curiosity had peaked. Shido only gave him a glare before beginning to speak again.

Was there another target for him?

"No one you need to expend your efforts disposing off." The older man said.

Inwardly, Goro Akechi was shocked, maintaining a neutral facade. For the first in their collaboration, Masayoshi Shido was showing signs of caution. A titan of the political world with near infinite connections, a phenomenon no one would dare to challenge, was now forced on the defensive.

Lights, cameras, action! Minato Arisato posed for a camera under the watchful eye of multiple film directors. Each time they advised him to adjust his figure just a bit more until they would move on to the next shot. Sometimes they would make him hold the product, other times they'd ask them to work with other crew members. When the final scene was finished, the assistant director bowed, thanking him for his hard work.

"Once again, we're very glad to have you here Mr. Arisato! I apologize for asking such a favor." The man bowed his head in deep gratitude, as he had to meet the demands of a very angry client when the model they had requested decided to skip at the last second.

"No need to thank me. All's well that ends well, right?" Minato gave a smug smirk to the camera crew, including the employee's boss, who was busy calming down a silver haired woman. A few days ago, Akira informed him that the Shujin class would be visiting the TV studio, which led the bluenette to be quite worried. He had to keep an eye on the team, especially if they were letting those kids on air, and so he hatched a plan.

"What do you mean he's gone? They don't look alike at all!"

Holding a hand to his ear, Minato wondered how he ended up in this situation. At first, he thought of sneaking in as an employee, watching from the shadows, however he was pulled by the assistant before him the moment he stepped on studio grounds and begged him to be their replacement for the day. In short, it was both an adventure and a disaster.

"They both have blue hair, don't they? The eyes are just a bit off." The director argued back, "In fact, they might as well be twins!"

"I specifically asked for Kazuya, why isn't he here today?!"

"What is the meaning of this? Stop disrupting our flow!" Suddenly, the clash was cut short by an authoritative voice, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Crossing his arms, a balding man broke the verbal squabble between the two combatants. He was Furutani Michio, the studio's owner. With just a few words, he was able to disperse the argument, leaving a silent film crew to pick up after themselves. Then, he turned to the bluenette.

"My deepest apologies for that sorry display, Mr. Arisato. The actions you've witnessed today, I assure you do not represent my studio's work environment." Miciho introduced himself then shook the younger man's hand. "Not only did my employees pull you into a sudden contract, they've embarrassed themselves more than enough."

"No, no. It's fine sir Miciho. I enjoyed the photoshoot very much. In fact, I'm quite jealous of the guy who was supposed to be here today." Minato cracked a sweet smile.

"Is that so? Well, I'll be more than glad to arrange some opportunities for you in the future if it peaks your interest. As per our shot today, the crew has noted your potential as a model going forward." The middle aged said, wearing his intentions on his sleeve. As this was an equivalent of providing someone 'shut up' money.

Sure, Minato would play along, "Hmm, that does sound like a pretty enticing offer. But can I have more time to think about it? Although, if I were to accept, will I get the opportunity to appear more on TV?"

Miciho nodded, "Of course, of course! We hire talent from all over Japan and everyone has an equal chance to succeed!"

The bluenette's eyes sparkled, "Wow, I didn't know it'd be that easy. Actually, there is one show I was curious about. A talk show you guys are really famous for. I heard from some staff that a famous detective was coming on air this week to talk about the phantom thieves."

"Ah, do you mean Satoshi's talk show? Are you perhaps a fan of Akechi?" Miciho said.

"Not quite. I side with the thieves for their out of the box thinking. Although I'll be glad to debate anyone that disagrees. But I'm a big fan of Satoshi's way of speaking, especially how you guys spice up the interviews." Minato said, then he stopped when he noticed a curious look from the studio owner, a small smirk growing on his face. Check mate.

"Then how about this? We just so happen to be filming this week's episode about the detective prince, Goro Akechi. I'll make sure to take the crew to squeeze you in the audience-no wait!"

Confused, Minato watched Miciho grab a nearby paperboy hat, putting it on the bluenette. He then made some finger gestures as if he were taking mental shots of the youngman. A strange, malevolent glint in the studio owner's eyes. "How about this kid, I'll let you star in the show itself if you agree to my terms!"

It was a hot summer day when the students of Shujin filed in for their second day at the TV studio. Akira shuffled through the crowd, finding a seat between Ryuji and Ann, being packed inside the studio. Looking around, the film crew were preparing to go live on air.

"Man, do we gotta do this? This field trip sucks." Ryuji said, trying his best to sit still. "Couldn't we have gotten a better set to sit down on?"

"Quiet, everyone's watching. You'll draw too much attention." Ann chided from her seat, giving the false blonde a nudge.

"Ok, ok. Geez ouch. You don't have to shove so hard. Who's gonna be this week's guest anyways. It'd better not be that detective guy again." The former track star complained, but nearly choked when he saw the host bring the two guests on set. "Holy sh-ouch!"

"You need to stop." Akira whispered, now tense.

Minato Arisato walked on set, wearing a paperboy hat with a navy blue coat. He was then followed by Goro Akechi as they took their seats, facing the hosts. The scene was now set and the show would begin in three, two, one…

Lights flickers, aiming down at the group, with the female host, Natsumi, introducing the guests.

"Now back to the most anticipated segment of our show, the meet and greet!" She said, "But today's airing will be a special broadcast as we have dedicated extra time to a recent hot topic that has been circulating throughout Japan and the world!"

"That's right Natsumi! Ever since the incident with renowned artist Madarame, people from around the world have been debating this heated topic! As such, we have once again brought back our expert detective prince, Goro Akechi to help us end this discussion once and for all. Opposing him, we have another honored guest joining our broadcast today. Everyone, please welcome Minato Arisato, a huge advocate for the Phantom thieves and expert on the recent incidents." The male host, Satoshi, welcomed, earning cheers from the crowd. Although one could tell they were more geared Akechi than Minato.

"So Akechi, thank you for coming on once again and accepting our proposal for an all out no hold bars debate on the nation's hottest issue. Now what is your opinion on the Phantom Thieves' most recent case?"

Akechi studied his opponent and a twitch of annoyance flickered across his features as the man sitting across from him, Minato, had a rather infuriating smirk on his face, as if he knew everything about him. Not to mention, he was not looking away or even blinking, keeping up his gaze with absolutely no trouble at all. The detective swallowed the annoyance and responded to the host with his usual, cool voice.

"My, to say I am perplexed is an understatement. These mysterious figures not only seem to elude the police but their presence almost feels supernatural." Akechi said and noted that while he sat proper and tense, Minato looked like he was almost lounging on the seat, no care at all about what he had to say. "Tch!"

"Is that so? Then do you believe these phantoms are truly otherworldly?" Natsumi said, intrigued, "And what are your thoughts, sir Arisato?"

Minato adjusted his hat and sat up a bit more proper, his smirk now widened at Akechi who was finding it difficult to control his annoyance. "Methods? That is a rather pitiful straw man attempt, Akechi"

"Excuse me?" Akechi said, frowning slightly. "Their methods are unknown and that is a fact."

"What about the results?" Minato countered, removing his hat to silence a few noisy hecklers in the crowd. A few whispers of support for the unknown male broke out in the back and Minato continued. "I have seen a few interviews of yours, and you always point to the methods. Why not the results?"

"Is it because those results shame the institutions you are married to?" Minato said with a small snicker, leading to some jeers from the crowd but Minato did not care. The jab struck a nerve with Akechi and he clenched his fist. Minato could almost feel the hate emitting from his dormant persona as well and he relished the reaction with another grin.

"Here is another fact, detective prince. Kamoshida and Madarame were monsters, monsters that were simply too powerful for society to control and expose. The phantom thieves brought them to justice and saved a lot more people than you realize." Minato said as silence prevailed in the studio, with barely any protest in the background. The sheep had enough sense to get his point and he continued on the offensive.

Akechi attempted to say something but Minato leaned forward and interjected at once.

"Is this the detective prince who believes in justice or the spokesperson for the police?" Minato taunted and the situation turned tense real quick. The host panicked but the big wigs backstage were definitely enjoying the surge in viewership because the cameras kept rolling, most of them on the bluenette.

Akechi once again attempted to speak but the rage was starting to get the better of him and Minato did not allow him a second more.

"Go on, I'll wait." Minato said, leaning back again to disrupt the thought process of Akechi. The detective almost snarled at how disrespectful the older man was but his fans had quieted down a lot.

"Mr. Arisato…" Akechi said after a deep breath.

"It's called a debate, little man." Minato chuckled. "If you want to be the next detective prince you'll need to learn how to think on your feet."

"I don't blame you though." Minato said. "You're just a kid trying to play grown-up."

The silence erupted into chatter and Akechi was visibly irate, the façade cracking with every second and every insult from the older male. His eyes twitch, holding in the urge to let out a low growl at the embarrassment.

"With all due respect, Mr. Arisato. This debate has gotten quite off topic. The matter is that these phantom thieves have earned quite the national ire, and we're quite unsure if their actions are just." Barely holding it together, the brunette could feel the two personas inside him rage. His facade was breaking as he heard faint mocks from the audience, the people that once admired him were now turning away from him with each word. His heart pounded in his ribcage, blood rushing to his head.

"I must agree, Akechi." Satoshi said, giving the highschooler some breathing room. But the host gave a faux smile before speaking again, catching the detective's breath in the next moment, "Although we've yet to establish a clear method for these phantoms, it's clear Mr. Arisato has raised some valid points. With all their targets having hid all sorts of nasty skeletons in their closet! What a scary bunch they must have been!"

Natusmi perked up, agreeing with the host, "That's right Satoshi! Now that we're almost at the end of the show, let's hold a live poll to see what our viewers think! Please use the link shown on screen in the next few moments everyone! We will have votes pouring in from all over the country in just a few minutes!"

Minato crossed his arms in a lazy anticipation of the inevitable. Sparkling lights flashed across a screen that mirrored the show, displaying the live television broadcast. Votes poured in from the entirety of Japan, asking one single question, 'Are the phantom thieves just?'. It started at a measly five percent, then swiftly skyrocketed to a monstrous sixty with the support of the collective pouring in, in the thousands. A smudge sense of satisfaction crawled its way onto the bluenette's face when he observed Akechi's paling visage, and so he gave him a mocking grin when Natsumi announced the results.

"Wow, what a shocking turn of events! And our results are in the viewers! It appears our watchers are quite ecstatic about these mysterious phantoms." She announced to the entire studio, a thumbs up from the studio owner flashed from the corner of the stage.

"What a pleasant turn of events. Although I expect nothing less of the incompetence of today's police force. Back in my day, they used to risk their lives to solve any case they came across." A certain officer flashed in the mind of the veteran, someone that he spent hours sorting weapons with at a humble police station.

"In fact, how can we be sure they're not hiding any of their skeletons?" Minato looked toward Akechi, putting him on the spot, making the brunette tense. Like he would ever forget his stalker back at the shake.

"Now that just what are you suggesting, Mr. Arisato? I'd let you know false accusations can be tried as quite the crime in court." Backed into a corner, Akechi could only stale for the time, feeling the predatory nature of the TV studio's staff along with the wariness from the audience. Their gazes dug into him like icy daggers, reminding him of his broken childhood. What was once his domain, was now his cage, as he fought desperately to escape from this devil they had unleashed onto the world.

"Simply just an observation of modern affairs, nothing more, nothing much to it. Of course, if anything does go wrong, I'm sure these phantom thieves will take care of it." His last words were more of a warning but it was washed away by a shout from the audience stand, one that would send everyone into quite the frizzy.

"See that blue haired guy!? He's the real detective prince!"

Minutes later, chanter erupted from the crowd, turning heads at the curious statement. From confusion to inquisitive, then realization as a single Shujin student dug up a picture from her phone.

"Oh my god, guys! He looks just like Naoto Shirogane!"

"No way! Send me the picture!"

"Didn't that guy disappear from a case years ago?"

"Maybe he's just in disguise to protect his true identity!"

Minato listened to the students lose their minds, followed by the collective internet at large. From the corner he could see the studio owner put away a recorder, euphoric at his new record breaking profits that would be coming his way in the next few days. His show would be the hot subject for weeks, trending around the world with plenty of curious eyes. From an unknown underdog up against the second detective prince to then burying him in the dirt, proceeding to become the one spearheading the phantom thief movement and perhaps, shining light on an old case from years ago.

Cold hand against a wall, Goro Akechi held in his boiling rage, clenching his teeth. For now he would have to hold it in, sinking into the shadows of his dark surroundings. Worn alleyways summoning tall shadows from the presence of the setting sun, giving them an impression of being alive. Cautiously, the brunette shied away from any extra attention closing in on his target. With each step, he drew into the shadier parts of the city, occasionally spotting groups of delinquents gathered downing countless bottles of alcohol.

Akechi cursed under his breath, trailing his prey deeper, annoyance growing on his face. The more he walked through the Tokyo outskirts the more old memories from a time gone by resurfaced in his fragile mental state. Stories of a vulnerable child living in a rundown neighborhood filled his mind. At the time, he only had only his poor mother to rely on, and yet he would describe his situation as him being the one having to take care of the ill women as she struggled to earn a living. Abandoned and without much hope for the future, Goro fought hard to stay alive. Everyday he wished things were different, perhaps he had the power to rewrite the future he could…

Passing through a final corridor of trash littered streets and drunken thugs, Akechi's eyes locked onto the bluenette who greeted him in what appeared to be a closed down factory. Minato stretched his arm out wide, welcoming the boy.

"Huh, I didn't know you'd be this desperate, did you miss me, little boy? Has the detective prince finally shown his true colors and lost his mind?"

Akechi's eye twitched.

"What makes you say that, ? I only came here to investigate one of my cases." He improvised, lying through his teeth.

"Please, don't even try giving me that crap. You suck at lying."

"And what might I gain from that?" Akechi replied, his voice smooth yet soothing.

"Anyone who puts on a mask as thick as yours should know. Your media act however was quite convincing for a layman." The bluenette began, "Too bad you can only fool so many people. So why'd you come after me?"

"Are you suggesting you have a better mask?" The detective put a hand to his chin faux contemplation. "This makes me wonder, what is the real you, Minato? Surely that TV studio act was only used to stir up the masses." Everytime that interaction was brought up, it made Akechi's blood boil, yet the exchange just felt too artificial. In fact, he wouldn't be shocked if the studio deliberately set it up that way. Aside from this, Minato's presence among that group known as the phantom thieves desperately plagued his mind.

Being caught red handed in the act, Akechi shrugged, dropping his charming boy persona from earlier, losing his mask. A certain curious glint in his crimson orbs. "Although I admit you caught me at the worst time. Ok, I admit defeat there."

He watched the older male think a second, waiting for him to take the bait. But all he got was a signal for a chance, which surprised him. Minato cracked his neck, reaching his hand out to the boy.

"You're onto something there. But I'm not spilling the beans just yet. How about this? You seem like you want to know why I embarrassed you. If you can land one punch on me then I'll tell you everything. Hell, I'll toss in a bonus and answer any three questions you have."

The offer was tempting, which made the boy's heart beat faster at the surging adrenaline. Being offered information straight from the horse's mouth was more than enough to tempt him, however, the idea of punching the guy was a bizarre way of gleaming information. In fact, what if this was just another set up to get him to harass him again? Although he soon learned he wouldn't worry about such things.

"And don't think about the consequences. Throw away your mask and go all out. I don't have any hidden cameras on me, alright? This isn't going to get you dragged in the mud like last time." Minato tossed his phone to the side, and took off his dark jacket, rolling up his sleeves, "Just a good old fashioned bet."

Mirroring Minato's moves, Akechi threw away his olive coat, going into a fighting stance, "Very well, I have to admit Minato, your ways are a bit strange, but it's better than digging around in the dark." Reading himself, the boy was dreaming of a chance to punch the jackass in front of him anyways, and now he had the chance. And so he took a fighting stance, Loki encouraging him from the sea of his soul.

"Good choice, now show what you've got."

"I'll let you know, you'll regret challenging a detective!"

With the green light, Akechi leaped towards his opponent, coming for a fast low sweep to the older male off balance, before trying to land a punch, yet he found his fist cutting through the empty air as Minato gracefully dodged out of the way. Seeing this, the boy blinked in shock, unable to comprehend the bluentte's speed.

"Too slow, try again." Minato scoffed, avoiding a second, and then a third swing from the detective, who missed all three from his sluggish movements. As if dancing upon the broken concrete, the veteran could slowly see the frustration in the boy's eyes as sweat started to form on brow and his breaths became more haggard as time went on.

"Try harder."

"Missed again."

"Come on, this is getting boring."

Akechi steadied himself, almost toppling over at missing another precise strike. With enough training to ace and beat the strongest candidates from the police academy, his abilities were nothing to laugh at, yet he couldn't land one measly hit on this unknown man. Recovering, he whipped the sweat from his face, he sped towards Minato once more with determination in his eyes, throwing a left hook at the veteran's head, only for him to lean to the side, avoiding the impact with a raised eyebrow.

"Is this seriously the best you can do?" He watched the boy clench his fist, his pride taking a massive hit every second the challenge went on. Disappointing, this was truly disappointing to witness. Craning his head upwards, Minato dodged yet another hit from the brunette, noting how the world was fading to night. Their little spar had lasted a total hour without Akechi even getting close to hand, let alone landing a solid hit. Irritated beyond belief, Minato decided to end this fierce here and there, now was the final test to see just how this Wild Card differed from his own, sensing the two Persona's hidden in the detective's soul.

"You'll see once I get you-!"

Minato watched the boy try to close in once more, going for a skilled right swing when he grabbed him by the shirt. The next few seconds were a blur as a loud resounding slap rang out across the abandoned setting, a strike powerful enough to throw Akechi's body rolling into the ground.

"We should call it quits." Hand still raised in the air, the older male approached the boy, his eyes dead. He could see pain on the boy's face, as he glared daggers at daggers from being hit. Akechi burst forth, running at him at full speed, trying to punch him when Minato caught his arm, throwing him aside again once more.

"What the hell was that?! Are you fucking insane?!" He heard the brunette scream, utterly pathetic, one hand still clenched on his bruised cheek.

"I said we should stop, didn't I?" Minato grimaced, looking down on the trash before him. "Is the little baby detective afraid of a little pain? Did I hit too hard? Does he need a bandaid and a kiss for his mommy to feel better?"

"Shut the hell up you twit! You didn't say you'd hit this hard!" Goro Akechi dragged himself up, throwing a kick, breaking down from the humiliation, "You think you're some big shot?! I'll pry that damn info out of you either way! Just watch you piece of shit!" Madness took over his body as he picked up the nearest broken pipe, starting to swing at the apathetic bluenette who shrugged off his advances with simple, skilled movements. Akechi swung hard, doing a horizontal strike, threatening to bisect the older male in two when Minato's hand came down on his head in a hard chop motion.

"GAHHH FUCK OFF! " Back off, Goro gripped his hand, coursing through his body like fire, giving him double vision. His vision flashing in and out of the encroaching blackess, forcing him to crumple halfway to the floor, barely supporting himself with his hand. Powered only by hatred and adrenaline, he raised his voice to scream at the bluenette once more.

"Minato Arisato, you will rue this day! I will end you!"

SMACK

The second slap sent Goro to the ground, completely unconscious. As Minato towered above the Wild Card, he felt the faint presence of his two personas retreating back to the recess of his soul as he displayed his presence. And within that presence, he could pick up a shard of that fake god's power. So little in fact, that he pitied this useless wrench and his pawn status. At least he would be providing his meal ticket, unlike this sorry partnership.

It was here and now, Minato Arisato decided to fully invest his efforts into Akira and only Akira. Because despite his imperfections, he at least knew how to control his rage. In some ways, Akechi and Akira were opposites, the male noted. To an eerie degree, they lived on extreme ends of the scale, one forced to live in the darkness while the other thrived in the spotlight, adored by the masses. A scale, the veteran was sure, was rigged by the fake god in some way. And so, he saw himself as a balancer of sorts, to break even and strike an equilibrium for his own gains. Once he wrecks this game, he'll take all the pieces for himself and win out in the end, for that he was sure of.

Shaking his head, Minato left the area, leaving the unconscious failure of a pawn behind.

In the middle of the night, in the deep recesses of Leblanc, an ear shattering sound of broken glass traveled across the empty cafe. Whipping off the warm, crimson blood leaking from his cut, Akira cleaned up the mess, his hand unexpectedly shaking whole handling the cafe cup.

An ominous atmosphere like he never felt pressed down on him.