Chapter 13; Chance Meetings and Target

Location; Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome

At Shujin, before exam week started, Principal Kobayakawa had gathered everyone for another announcement. "Ever since that specific incident, many of you have voiced concerns that I could not bear to ignore. We believe the mental health of our student body is absolutely vital, so we've acquired the services of a therapist. The floor is yours, Doctor…" Then a male doctor with glasses appeared on stage. Everyone looked at him and he said to everyone. "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Takuto Maruki. Thank you for welcoming me to your school." Takuto then bowed his head, and hit the microphone. Everyone laughed and after Maruki recovered, he said to everyone. "No need to be formal with me, though. I'm just here to counsel anyone who's interested. You can even call me Doc, if that would help you feel more comfortable. Any assistance you need, I'll be– Oh… I guess I'm not really good at helping with money problems…"

"...Thank you, Dr. Maruki." Principal Kobayakawa said stop Maruki and let everyone go. As everyone went to class, the Phantom Thieves met up and Ryuji said to everyone. "Yo. You ever expect this place to actually give a shit about our mental health?"

"Well, our school's made national news. Maybe they figured they'd look even worse if they didn't do anything for us." Ann said before Aqua said. "Still Dr. Maruki seems like a good guy, even if he is kind of clumsy."

"Oh, thank you." Maruki said as he appeared to them. Maruki then said to them. "Kangofu-san, Sakamoto-kun, Takamaki-san, and Amamiya-kun, right?"

"How do you know our names?" Ryuji said to Maruki as they were surprised to hear that he already knew their names. Maruki then said to them. "Well, I was informed of certain students before beginning my tenure here. Those that had, ah… previous interaction with Mr. Kamoshida. Kangofu-san and Amamiya-kun, it must've been especially tough for you two after having just transferred here."

"You have no idea." Aqua said, remembering their first few runs into the castle. Maruki then said to them. "Well, just don't overdo it, okay?"

"So… whaddya want with us?" Ryuji said and Maruki said. "Ah yes, I'd forgotten… I know I already offered my services to the student body earlier, but would you four be interested in counseling?"

"Nope, not at all." Ryuji said and Maruki was surprised. "How's that surprising?" Ryuji said before Maruki said. "You were just a touch more emphatic about it than I'd expected… Ah! But, if you come to my office, you can have free snacks! All you can eat… would be nice, but there's still plenty to be had. So, how about it?"

"We're not little kids." Ann said to Maruki and Maruki said to them. "Haha… You're right. To be frank, I've been explicitly ordered to provide counseling to the students directly involved with Mr. Kamoshida. It's in the school's interest… for its students."

"Ahhh, the school's interest, huh?" Ryuji said and Maruki said. "I know that asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot. Making this mandatory wouldn't do you any good, either. Might as well turn it into a worthwhile experience… Ooh, I know! If you attend my counseling sessions, I'll teach you different ways to improve your mental acuity. Like, ways to hone your concentration before exams, or not getting nervous on dates. How's that sound? There's also snacks…"

"Alright, alright, enough with the snacks!" Aqua said to Maruki and Ryuji said to Ren. "So. which way are you leaning?"

"No harm in a little chat."

"I guess it'd just be more trouble for us if we didn't go." Ryuji said with a sigh. Ann and Aqua agreed with what Ryuji said, and Maruki said to them. "Really? Then, I guess it's a deal. I'll be in the nurse's office–feel free to come by whenever it's convenient for you."

"Well, we should get going." Ryuji said and Maruki said. "Okay, I'll see you later." Aqua, Ann, and Ryuji left for class. But just before Ren left, Maruki said to Ren. "Thanks for taking my counseling into consideration. Now that we have a deal, I promise I'll do my best to help you."

"See you around, Doc." Ren said as he went back to class. After everyone returned to class and took their first day of exam. For the first and second days of exams, Aqua did very well on her exams, Ren and Ann did well on their exams. And Ryuji, well... He failed his exams.

Location; Shibuya, Station Square

The next day at Shibuya Station Square. Ren and Aqua were waiting for their train, when Ryuji appeared and said with a yawn. "I'm so sleepy. I ended up pulling an all-nighter once I realized today's the last day of exams."

"You? Staying up studying?" Morgana said as he popped out of Ren's bag. Ryuji then said to Morana. "Nah, I gave up on the exam. I was playing some games, and then before I knew it, it was morning."

"You're failing for sure." Aqua said and Ren agreed with him. "Hey, what's the point of studying if I am going to fail." Ryuji said as Ann appeared, also looking sleepy. She yawned and then said to them. "Morning…"

"Yo, look who else is yawning." Ryuji said before Ann said. "Exams are almost over, so I thought I'd make one last effort across the finish line."

"Impressive, Lady Ann. You're quite different from this stupid monkey I know." Morgana said before Ryuji said to him. "Huh? Don't gimme that crap. Your brain's tiny compared to mine."

"Size is meaningless if there's nothing inside, you know."

"What was that!?"

"Ugh, will you please shut up~? You're gonna make me forget everything I memo-" Ann said stopping them, but subtly stopped herself. Aqua looked at Ann, who was looking around, and said. "Ann? What's wrong?"

"It's… It's nothing." Ann said as they all boarded the train. After they reached and walked off the train. Ann looked back and said as everyone was going up the escalator. "Oh my god, that guy got off!"

"Who?" Aqua said as she and Ren looked back. Ryuji didn't and just yawned. Ann then said to Ryuji. "Hey! At least act like you care!"

"Fine… Come on." Ryuji said as he walked up the escalator. The others followed him and so did the guy that was following Ann. When he reached the street, he saw Ann standing alone. He walked up to her, but was stopped by Ren and Ryuji, and Aqua covered Ann. With this, everyone was able to see the guy, who had dark-blue hair, dark-colored eyes, and was wearing a different school uniform. Ren then said to the man. "Who are you? And why were you stalking our friend?"

"Stalking? You must be confused." The guy said before Ann said, walked up to him. "I know you've been following me! Ever since the train!"

"That's because…" The guy said before a car appeared and then an old man wearing a komodo rolled down the window and said to the guy. "My goodness… I had wondered why you left the car. So this is where your passion leads. All's well that ends well." The old man then laughed and the guy said to Ann. "Sorry. I was looking for someone, that someone was with you. So when I saw you from the car… I couldn't help myself from after you."

"If you were following me to find someone, then who is it?" Ann said before he walked past Ann, Ren and Ryuji, and walked straight up to Aqua. Everyone got the idea and Aqua said. "Wait? Me!?"

"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time. The moment I saw you, it was like the world became silent. I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei… But thank goodness, I caught up to you. Please, won't you be the model for my next art piece!?" The guy said to Aqua, which caused everyone to be confused. "Come again?" Aqua said before the boy said. "All that I've drawn till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else."

"Ain't this a recruit for some shady business?" Ryuji said and the others felt the same way. The guy then said to Aqua. "Will you cooperate with me? What do you say?"

"Hold your Rapidash. Who're you anyways?" Aqua said and the guy said. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm a second-year at Kosei High's fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. I'm Madarame-sensei's pupil, and I am being allowed residence at his place."

"Huh!? Do you mean THAT Madarame? The one who was on "Good Morning Japan" the other day?" Ann said before Yusuke said. "The very same."

"You know who that is?" Ryuji said to Ann and Ann said. "He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who's been recognized all over the world."

"But didn't we also hear about that name from Nakanohara when we were in Mementos…" Aqua said to Ren and Ren said. "Yes, we did." Then Madarame called Yusuke back to the car. Yusuke then said to Madarame. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I'll be right there!" Yusuke then turned to Aqua and said. "Madarame-sensei's exhibition will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow. I'll be there to help out on opening day. Please come by. It'd be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then…" He then turned to Ryuji as he gave Aqua four tickets. "I bet you have no interest in the fine arts, but I'll give you tickets too." Aqua took the tickets and Yusuke said before going into the car. "Well then, I hope to see you there tomorrow!" After Yusuke and Madarame left, Ryuji said to everyone. "That guy's as easy to read as a book… You're not planning on going, are you?"

"I, uh…" Aqua said before she looked at the time. "Dang, we better get going, or we are going to be late!" Aqua said before they all ran to school.

Location; Integration Room

Sae stopped Ren and said. "You became acquainted with Madarame's pupil by chance? That's a little too convenient. It makes me wonder if you're even telling the truth."

"I am telling you the truth."

"So be it. What I want to know most is your method. It's true that Madarame was an unforgivable criminal worthy of the scorn thrown at him. He was an adult who cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihood of children… But he'd been covering his tracks for years. How did you uncover the truth in such a short span of time?"

"In the Metaverse."

"This "Metaverse" business again? …Fine. Let's suppose that people's hearts can be changed by stealing their Treasure, like you've said. If so, a different suspicion arises. People have gone mad or lost consciousness, and after a while become a totally different person, like that subway driver, the one who caused the accident in April. Depending on how you look at it, that could be taken as a phenomenon for sudden change of heart too. …Were you related to those as well?"

"No, we are not related to those."

"...I see. Tch. Fine. Let's get back to Madarame's case. Keep it concise, and stick to the facts." Sae said and Ren continued where he left off.

Location; Aqua's House

After school, everyone was happy that exams were over, and had a little fun with their Pokemon at Aqua's House. Aqua was surprised that Ryuji now had a Larvitar and Ann now had a Buneary. But when Ren told her that it was the Person in Red who gave them those Pokemon. Aqua understood, but wondered where the Person in Red was getting these Pokemon. After they were done, Ryuji pulled out his phone and Ann said to him. "What're you looking at?"

"The usual site. …It's no use. There ain't any useful info. The number of posts are getting less and less too…"

"I am not letting this end as a one-hit wonder, okay?" Morgana said before Aqua said. "We aren't going to be a one hit wonder. But a brake wouldn't hurt. So how about we all go see Madarame's Art Exhibit."

"Why?" Ryuji said before Aqua said. "Because we have free tickets, and I think we should learn more about Madarame."

"Yeah, hearing his name in Mementos. And that has made me curious too. So tomorrow we will all go and check out the exhibit." Ren said and they agreed with him.

Location; Madarame Exhibit

The following day everyone in their normal clothes reached the exhibit, which was full of people. "So crowded…" Morgana said, sticking out of Ren's bag. Ryuji then said to Morgana. "It'll be a pain in the ass if someone sees you, so don't stick your head out too much, all right?"

"You came!" Yusuke said as he walked over to Aqua, but wasn't happy to see the others, mostly Ryuji. Yusuke then said to Ryuji. "You really came."

"What'd you expect when you left us those tickets!?"

"Make sure that you don't get in the way of the other visitors." Yusuke said before turning to Aqua, and then said to her. "Come now. I'll show you around. I'd like to speak more about the picture I'd like to draw too."

"Ok, later guys." Aqua said as she left with Yusuke. After they were gone, Ryuji said to the others. "Are we really gonna "appreciate" the fine arts? Can't we just go home?"

"We are here to learn about Madarame." Ren said before Ann said. "Yeah, you are the one who wanted a famous person as a target."

"Right." Ryuji said before they started to look around. As they looked around they saw all kinds of art styles and then they found Madarame talking to a news crew. They heard the Interviewer say to Madarame. "We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination. You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that it all stems from one person… Where in the world does all your inspiration come from?"

"Well… It is rather difficult to put into words… They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in the spring."

"Naturally, you say?"

"What's important is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame. My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."

"... A shack?" Ryuji said as he started to remember something. The interviewer then said to Madarame. "I see… So the act emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty. Still, to think we could hear the word "shack" coming from the great artist Madarame."

"You would understand if you saw it." Madarame said before laughing. "Wasn't that word "shack" something…" Ryuji said and before anyone could ask him what he was talking about. A big group of fans swarmed the exhibit and started to crush them. So the others had no choice, but to leave or they would get hurt. Meanwhile, Aqua and Yusuke were looking around. "I didn't know there were so many types of Japanese art."

"Usually one concentrates on their own style. However, Sensei creates all this by himself. He's special."

"There you are, Yusuke." Madarame said as he walked over to them. Yusuke was surprised and Madarame then said to Aqua. "Ah, the girl from yesterday. Are you enjoying the exhibit?"

"I don't know how to put it into words… but it's really amazing."

"You're sensing something from the artwork… That alone is enough to give us artists satisfaction. I hope this becomes a wonderful piece, Yusuke. Well then, if you'll excuse me." Madarame said before he left. Aqua then said to Yusuke. "Is he always this friendly?"

"Indeed." Yusuke said and Aqua felt like Yusuke was lying. Aqua then saw a painting and said to Yusuke. "Hey? Did Madarame really paint this one?"

"Yes! Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I had a friend back home that taught me how to understand paintings, and this one is full of anger. It just doesn't seem like Madarame would make that." Aqua said and Yusuke didn't respond. Aqua turned to him and said. "Is something wrong, Yusuke?"

"Don't mind me. There are better pieces than… this one. Come now, this way!" Yusuke said, leading Aqua to another painting. Outside on the skyway, everyone had recovered, Ryuji said before pulling out his phone. "That old lady totally elbowed me… But thanks to that, I remember now."

"About what?" Ann said and then Ryuji said. "Well, lemme get to it. It's about a post online. …Here, look at this. This post might be about Madarame." Ryuji then showed them a post on the web site. Aqua walked up and heard the last part, so she said to them. "So what does it say?"

"A master of Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV."

"Plagiarizing!?" Ann said very surprised. Ryuji then said to them. "I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, but hearing "shack" and "Madarame" triggered it."

"How did that trigger it?" Aqua said and Ryuji counted to read the post. "His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog…"

"Abuse on top of plagiarism, hm?" Morgana said and Ryuji said. "If this is real, it'll be a huge scandal."

"I wonder if Kitagawa-kun posted this. I mean, he IS a pupil of Madarame." Ann said before Aqua said. "Maybe, I felt like something was wrong with Yusuke after we ran into him and we looked at one of Madarame's paintings."

"In that case… It's possible the Madarame we heard about in Mementos is referring to the same one." Morgana said and Ren said. "It sounds like it, but we can't tell if the post is real or fake. So I say we need to talk to Yusuke about these, before we make a move."

"Serious?" Ryuji said and everyone gave him a look. Ryuji got the idea and said. "Fine, but if this post is legit, ain't this the kinda target we've been waiting for?"

"Yes it does." Aqua said before Ryuji said to her. "By the way, what did you do about the whole modeling thing?"

"Yusuke gave me his contact info. And the address to his sensei's atelier."

"He said he lives there, right? Perfect timing. Let's try going tomorrow. We're off to Madarame's house right after school!" Ryuji said and Aqua said. "Ok, but I am not going to do any modeling for him. Got it?"

"We understand." Ren said before they all started to go home.

Location; Madarame Shack

After school, Ren, Aqua, Ann, Ryuji and Morgana all took the train to Madrame house, which was a very old two story building that looked like it would fall over if someone breathed the wrong way. "Is… that it?" Ryuji said as Aqua checked the address. Aqua then said to Ryuji. "We're at the right address…"

"The door plate does say "Madarame." Ann said pointing at the plate. Ryuji turned to Ren and said. "Uhhh… You ring the bell."

"Ok." Ren said as he rang the bell. "Who is it? Sensei can not come to the door." Yusuke said on the intercom. Ren moved away and let Aqua speak into it. "It's me, Aqua." Aqua said into the intercom and then Yusuke said. "I'll be right out!"

"People really do live here…" Ryuji said before Yusuke appeared and opened the door. Yusuke was happy to see Aqua, but wasn't happy to see the others, mostly Ryuji. Aqua got between them and said. "Sorry, I'm not here for the modeling job. There is something we gotta ask you."

"And that would be."

"Is Madarame taking your work, and abusing you if you don't."

"Plagiarizing and abusing?! Are you serious?" Yusuke said before Ryuji said, showing Yusuke his phone. "We read about it online."

"This…?" Yusuke said before laughing. He stopped and then said. "Preposterous! Not only is the plagiarism impossible, but abuse? He welcomes pupils into his own home! This is no act of violence; it is charity! And I'm the one residing here and studying under him. I'm saying it's not true, so it's beyond doubt."

"You might be lying about it!" Ryuji said before Yusuke said. "That… That is utter rubbish. I had no family when Sensei took me in and raised me into what you see now! If you continue to ridicule the man I owe my life to, you will rue this day!"

"...You really think that?" Ann said before Madarame appeared and said. "Yusuke? What's the matter? I heard you yelling."

"These people are slandering you with baseless rumors!"

"...Forgive them, Yusuke. They must've heard some bad rumors and came in worry for their friends' safety."

"...Understood, Sensei."

"Well, even I doubt that a cranky old man like myself could be liked by everyone."

"Sorry, Madarame. We didn't come to this shack to hound you all with rumors." Aqua said before Madarame said. "And I am sorry to have butt in on your conversation. However, I do have neighbors around. Won't you keep it down?"

"Of course." Ren said before Madarame left them. Yusuke closed the door and said to them. "That was discourteous of me… I'm sorry. …I know! I think you'll be able to believe in Sensei if you saw that painting. It's his maiden work as well as his most representative piece, it's titled "Sayuri." Yusuke then showed everyone a picture of a painting of a beautiful woman in red and behind her was a cherry blossom branch and a full moon, and the woman was looking into a fog and had a sad smile on her face. "This was the painting that inspired me to become an artist." Yusuke said before Ann said. "It's so beautiful…"

"I don't know all this fine-art stuff, but even I can tell that this is impressive…" Ryuji said and Ren noticed that Aqua was grabbing her head. Ren then whispered to Aqua. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, it was just a headache." Aqua whispered before Yusuke said to Aqua. "When I first saw you, I felt the same powerful emotion as when I saw this painting…"

"Really?"

"Yes. I wish to pursue beauty like this. And I believe drawing you will be part of the pursuit. I implore you: seriously consider my offer."

"I will text you a response later."

"Very well. I am sorry that you took the time to come all this way, but I must assist Sensai today. I hope that we can discuss this further another time. If you'll excuse me, then." Yusuke said before going back into the shack. Everyone then got a good distance away from the shack and Ryuji said. "Those two… seem like nice guys, don't they?"

"Maybe the Madarame we heard about in Mementos is a different person." Ann said and Ryuji said. "Man, right when we thought we found a new target, too…"

"How's the Meta-Nav?" Morgana said before Rotom came out of Aqua pocket and said. "Actually, it turned itself on and recorded your conversation."

"And?" Ren said before Rotom said. "And it has a match."

"That means Madarame has a Palace too, right!? But why!?" Ann said before Aqua said. "I don't know, but we should learn more if we go into his Palace."

"Madarame", "plagiarism"... and then "shack", huh? These seem to be the keywords." Morgana said as Rotom fellow close to Morgana. As Rotom flew back to Aqua, Ryuji said, looking at the shack. "For real though, what the hell's going on!? Does an old man like him really have a Palace!?"

"We have the person's name and the location. All that's left is the "what" that Madarame mistakes this shack for to enter his Palace." Morgana said and then Ann said to him. "You mean… like how Kamoshida thought the school was his castle?"

"That's right. Let's try saying something. They can be random guesses." Morgana said and Ryuji said. "It's a bit sudden, though…"

"Why don't we start with "castle"?" Ann said and it didn't work. Then Ryuji said. "Then, what about "prison"?" That didn't work either, then Ryuji said. "Ugh, what a pain! "Jail"! "Warehouse"! And "guidance counseling office"! Might as well add "farm"!" Not one of them worked. Ryuji sighed and said. "Not a single hit?"

"...Should we come back another time?" Morgana said before Ann said. "A building that's related to artists… If we think from there, what would it be…?"

"Have any ideas, Ren?" Aqua said to Ren. Ren thought about three ideas. One was an art school, but that wouldn't match because of plagiarism. The second was an art supply store, but that didn't match because it would be multiple locations, not just the shack. So Ren thought it was the last one. "Museum." Ren said and it was a hit. Then the Navi sent all of them into Madarame's Museum.

Location; The Museum of ?

Everyone was in their thief gear and Mona said, because he wasn't paying attention. "Hey, when did you activate the Navi!? You surprised me!"

"Didn't have much choice. I think we just happened to get it right." Skull said and Mona said to him. "What if I hadn't noticed, and then wandered off and got caught by an enemy!?"

"Prolly woulda figured it out once you started walking on two legs." Skull said and Mona wasn't a little embarrassed. Then Panther said to Mona. "So even you can slip into the Metaverse without realizing it, Mona?"

"Yes. In a place with minimal cognitive distortion, the differences can be subtle." Mona said and then Keeper said as she looked at the shack. "Uh, guys? Take a look at the shack." They all turned and the shack had turned into a museum that had multiple levels and was gold paint and patehrs. Skull then said to everyone. "That shack is seriously some kinda museum!?"

"Let's go check it out!" Panther said letting Buneary. Joker then said to them. "Yeah, but it is just recon, ok." Joker then let out Rowlet. Keeper let out Wooper, Skull let out Larvitar, and Mona let out Nincada. After they got closer, Panther said to everyone. "It's so extravagant… to the point that it's gaudy. It's a museum… right?"

"This is Madarame's?" Skull said before Mona said. "Well, a Palace is a world formed by a mind twisted by desire-remember Kamoshida's castle?"

"Madarme's artwork is on display at museums in reality too, thought. His exhibit was popular, and people already respect him. Why would he fantasize about a museum? His exhibit was popular, and people already respect him. Why would he fantasize about museums?"

"You got a point… It ain't related to plagiarism or abuse, either." Skull said and then Keeper said. "Let's go inside and look around."

[Can we go in through the front door?] Buneary said with a female voice. Larvitar then said to Buneary in a male voice. [Do you want us to get caught, idiot.] Buneary then hit Larvitar with her ear. Soon they both started fighting and until both Skull and Panther picked up their Pokemon, they didn't stop. Aqua then said to Joker. "I can see why the Person in Red gave them to Panther and Skull."

"Yeah, now come guys. Rowlet found a way in." Joker said, pointing at Rowlet on a truck. Everyone climbed over the truck and then over a wall. They did see guards which looked like museum guards blocking an opening, so they had to find another way. Lucky some strong art pillars made them a path of an open skylight. And to add to that luck, Mona had some rope, so they were able to enter the museum. Inside they didn't see any guards and it was too quiet. "...It's quiet in here. Almost eerily so." Mona said before they noticed paintings of people everywhere. All of the paintings were moving, some had more details then others, and no two were the same. Keeper then said to Mona. "Mona, what is wrong with these paintings?"

"Hm, the Palace reflects its ruler's heart… We may want to check these paintings out." Mona said and they looked at each painting. The name plate only had someone's name and age. Panther then said to everyone. "Hey, this doesn't make any sense… Madarame's famous for having a variety of art styles… But all the portraits on display here look the same… This is way different from what was at the–"

"Wait a sec!" Skull said, stopping Panther, and turned to see a picture of Nakanohara. "Ain't this that guy we saw in Mementos? Y'know, the one who was shit-talking Madarame…" Skull said and Mona said. "Natsuhiko Nakanohara. His name's written on the plaque."

"Dude, I don't get it. Why's there a painting of HIM in here!? And more importantly, why's his name written under it?" Skull said before Panther said. "You're right… Doesn't art usually have like, the title of the piece or the artist's name?"

"Hm… This is quite the mystery…" Mona said before Keeper said. "So is this." Everyone looked at Keeper, who pointed at a painting of Yusuke. They all looked at it and Skull said. "Hey, isn't this a painting of that guy?"

"It says, "Yusuke Kitagawa." There's no mistaking it." Mona said before Panther said. "Huh? Wait a second… What do you think these paintings are?"

"Madarame's pupils." Joker said and Panther said. "I think you are right."

"For real? All of them? But it was only Yusuke when we went to his place before…" Skull said and then Mona said. "This must include former pupils as well. Only one remains now… Taking into account what that Nakanohara guy said earlier, things are getting clearer. All right, let's keep investigating. We need something to further confirm our deductions."

"Yeah. Let's move." Keeper said and they looked around. They did find a map for Keeper, but it didn't show the treasure on it, and it ended at a certain point. The next thing they found was a gold statue with kids about their age being shot out of the bass and going into a river stream. Keeper read the description on the statue. "The Infinite Spring"? A conglomerate work of art that the great great director Madarmae created with his own funds. These individuals must offer their ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living!"

"Hey… This is most likely about the plagiarism, right?" Panther said before Skull said. "Dammit, what a phony geezer!"

"In other words, his pupils are his property. He doesn't even qualify as an artist if this is true. He's stealing the ideas from talented students in exchange for securing their livelihood. I wondered about those portraits on display… They must all be his "pupils" through his cognition. This even says that they have no worth. Couldn't this be about the abuse? Madarame will keep them around as long as they're useful to him, but the moment they're not…"

"He's treating them like slaves or tools!" Panther said and then Skull said. "Why's Yusuke keeping quiet about this? He's got no reason to cover this up!"

"Yusuke feels like he owes Madarame his life for being taken in. And I know Yusuke doesn't like what Madarame is doing." Keeper said and then Joker said. "What do you mean?"

"When we were at the exhibit, I found a piece that must have been Yusuke, and I could feel the anger inside that painting." Keeper said before Joker said. "Good to know, but I would like to talk to Yusuke one more time."

"Why?" Skull said and Joker said. "We should confirm these facts with Yusuke first." The other understood and agreed with Joker, but not Skull. Skull then said to Joker. "Confirm what, thought!?"

"It means we should get solid evidence that such crimes actually took place." Mona said and then Skull said. "What a pain in the ass…"

"Besides, there's too much we don't know about Madarame yet. I'll contact Yusuke later." Keeper said and then Panther said to Keeper. "Hey. We might be able to get the truth out of him if you accept his modeling offer."

"Fine, but I am not going without all of you. I don't want Flechinder to burn down the shack if Yusuke tries anything." Keeper said and they agreed. Then they left the museum, and Skull was very excited that they had a new target. And as they were leaving, they didn't see something small watching them and then following them to the exit.