Chapter X: Big Trouble in Distorted Osaka


Osaka Castle (大坂城)/Chūō-ku, Osaka (中央区, 大阪市)/August 5, 2020 (202085)

They awoke. They found themselves near the outskirts of Osaka Castle. As tourists pass by admiring the historical landmark, the Thieves, Sion, and the Spiritual Gamblers walk by the faceless crowds, who've just noticed them. However, the visible masses didn't say a word, keeping their distance from the Thieves and their entourage.

"Hey, these people don't have any faces. This is getting creepy," Mary muttered, shuddering from the blank looks from the faceless crowds.

"That's because we're not in your world anymore," Morgana answered.

"Seems like our minds are all linked into this cognitive space," Yusuke observed.

"Wait, so we're all having the same dream?!" Ryōta was flabbergasted with this sudden notion.

"Yes, more or less," Haru answered.

"Incredible, I never would've imagined this was possible," Hifumi scanned her surroundings. "This looks so…"

"Real? Heh, you better get used to it," Ren replied with a playful grin.

"Sion, are you close to me?" Hifumi glanced passed her shoulder, seeing Sion surveying the cognitive surroundings. With a smile, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Come on, this way."

Sion blinked with surprise. "Oh? In this dream, we can feel each other?"

"Hey, can we move along? These faceless stares are giving me the creeps!" Ann quivered at the sight of the faceless tourists.

"We can head over there," Makoto pointed toward the historical landmark standing in front of them.

"Osaka Castle then," Ren identified it, assessing the beauty and majesty of the landmark that unified Japan in the 16th century.

"Yes, that's where Mona and I found the readings," Makoto reminded their leader.

"You know this place is very similar to the Metaverse," Morgana observed before the sage voice of another cat interrupted.

"Amrita, yes indeed."Nekomata finished.

"Hey, I wanted to finish my sentence here!" Morgana snapped at the Guardian Spirit cat.

"Ho ho! But, I enjoy getting a rise out of you, my young friend!"Nekomata playfully teased, eliciting an angry hiss from Morgana.

"Enough, you two!" Ann chided the two cats, getting Morgana to cease his hissing.

"Yes, Lady Ann," apologized Morgana.

Hifumi noticed Sion with a quizzical look on his face. "Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing, Hifumi. I was just pondering. Maybe this place can provide an answer to how I came to your dimension," Sion bluntly said.

"Do not worry. We'll find out the answers together," Hifumi reassured him, taking his hand as she walked him along.

"Hehe, well? Shall we get going?" Yumeko, with a happy, go-lucky smile on her face, raised and waved her hand around.

"Right. There's no turning back now," Ren faced the castle and led them toward it.

Then, as the group walked right into Osaka Castle, they noticed the faceless civilians faded away. Their familiar Osakan surroundings were replaced with a distorted space similar to the Metaverse, but with less of the creepy, warm atmosphere. Instead, the colors of this space consisted mostly of dark purple and gray. While the Thieves ignored the changes in their surroundings, the Spiritual Gamblers and Hifumi were put off by the horrible vibes from the Mementos-like atmosphere. Not too long ago, they were just outside Osaka Castle and admired its grandeur. Walking inside the castle sent them into a wholly different realm.

As they walked further, they reached the end of a tunnel. From it, a white light flashed and engulfed the group, relocating them to another realm.


Distorted Osaka

The group entered the realm. While gaining their bearings, they became horrified of what they were seeing.

It seemed like Osaka at a glance, but it couldn't look any more different than what they know. Elements of modern architecture and ancient structures have meshed together into entirely amalgamated expressions. Other aspects of famous places such as the Aquarium Kaiyukan and Universal Studios Japan are seen merged with other buildings and decorums. In the distance, a tall skyscraper similar to the Umeda Sky Building stood out in plain sight view from their location. Unsettling vibes generating from this distorted version of the real Osaka unnerved the group.

"Holy shit, dudes! Look!" Skull yelled out, gawking at their new location.

"Oh my god…" Queen was aghast.

"This can't be Osaka!" Presto exclaimed in shock.

"What in the hell?!" Panther gasped as she and the others not only were in their superpowered forms, but they realized they were in a distorted realm that resembled the city of Osaka.

"This looks like the amalgamation of Osaka's locations!" Fox exclaimed.

"Holy hell, this is disturbing!" Brave cried out, noticing Presto just as disturbed as she is. When she turned toward Tamamo, she wasn't the least surprised the Compulsive Gambler was awestruck by the twisted imagery. If Brave tallied the times her compulsive friend weirded her out, she would've lost count by now.

Suddenly, Nekomata appeared once, letting out an audible meow. "What immense energy! This distortion is something we never felt beyond Amrita energy!" He warned them.

"Beyond Amrita energy?" Noir asked.

"Man, I totally agree with you, old cat. My sensors are going off the charts here!" Oracle pointed to her visors glowing intensely red.

"I get the feeling we're not going to meet Shadows in this realm. Let's be on our guards, everyone," Mona warned his teammates.

As his red eyes glowed, Sion scanned the area and muttered, "We won't rest until we find the source.

"It is not going to be an easy task," Tennyo stated.

"Who said this was going to be a walk in the park?" Joker asked as he and the others walked around and surveyed the distorted city.


Distorted Osaka/Distorted Umeda Sky Building

Meanwhile, the enigmatic figure who has been monitoring the Phantom Thieves and their allies' activities stood up with a glass of red wine in hand. His amber eyes stared through the window, seemingly admiring the view of the distorted city from his skyscraper.

"So, they've come at last," the anomalous figure calmly stated, taking a sip from his wine glass. Suddenly, ten shadowy figures materialized from the dark corner of his room.

These ten shadows resonated with similar Metaverse energies.

The enigmatic figure calmly smirked. "You are all so eager to meet these Phantom Thieves. Indeed, the moment has come to see them."

As the ten shadowed figures vanished into the darkness, the man faced the window as the moon's glow beamed passed him. The reflection from the moon's light revealed the man's shadow.

A giant shadowed silhouette image of Yaldabaoth smudging the room's tiles.


Distorted Osaka

Upon walking through the abandoned city, the group huddled close as an unsettling vibe from the distorted city instilled dread in some of their members. The streets are devoid of any civilian life and activity. It looked almost nothing like the Japanese city anymore. Its liveliness and energy were removed, converting Osaka into a lifeless husk of its former self. Based on the group's keen observations, the distorted city appeared abandoned. But, there was one color that prominently stood out, covering many sections of the city: red.

The structures have red marks blotted over them like blood spreading over a stainless surface. Like red paint seeping over a canvas. The red represented the Thieves' motif and the Revenant's thirst for blood.

However, they also remembered they were still asleep in the real world and exploring what is essentially the dream world.

"Geez, I sure as hell wouldn't wanna live in this creepy ass place," Skull remarked, put off by the malformed city.

"You're preaching to the choir, blondie," Brave marked.

"Yo, I'm not a natural blonde like you and Ann."

Panther sighed. "Hey, can we just focus on the situation?"

Just then, Sion halted all of a sudden. Tennyo and the others noticed this. They saw his red eyes glowing again.

"What is it, Sion?" Tennyo asked the Revenant.

"Do you sense anything we can't?" Joker queried, trying to get a response from him.

Suddenly, Sion gasped as he felt familiar essences. "I feel… I feel Revenant presences nearby!"

"There are other people like you here?" Queen asked him. "Where? And how did they get here?"

"I don't know, but... " Then, Sion's face twisted with a big smile. "Can it be them?!" He dashed forward, leaving the others behind as he desperately investigated the Revenant source.

"Hey, wait a minute! Where are you going?!" Brave called out to the Revenant.

"I wonder what got him so excited?" Tamamo thought, having noticed the big smile on the Revenant's face as he raced ahead.

"Wait, Sion!" Tennyo called out to the Revenant. She was the first to chase him as the others followed behind. As Tennyo turned around a street corner, she saw Sion standing still and facing a group of five unknown individuals. "Sion, there you are."

"Hifumi, you're not going to believe this."

"What, Sion?"

"Look, Hifumi! It's my friends!" Sion whipped around, revealing the faces of his Revenant compatriots to Hifumi. Then, as the Thieves and Gamblers arrived, they were graced by the presence of these other Revenants, the very same Revenants he last saw before the wormhole pulled him in.

"Are you sure, Sion?" Tennyo asked, glancing over the five newcomers right in front of them.

"Of course. Why would I lie?" Sion asked, genuinely smiling at his compatriots. "Although, there's two faces here I haven't seen in a while."

The first of the five stepped forward, examining Sion closely before shifting away from him toward Tennyo. As he sniffed her, his eyes glowed a bright shade of red like Sion's occasionally does, but only when he senses imminent danger.

Taking a deep breath, the individual, a young man with darker brown hair in an unkempt hairstyle, lightly chortled. "Sion, I'm so glad you're ok, my friend."

"You, too, Louis," Sion casually addressed him with familiarity, which intrigued Tennyo.

As Tennyo glanced over the Revenant identified as Louis, she saw a red-eyed young man with youthful and handsome features. He has on a white dress shirt with an unbuttoned collar, coupled with a vest that gradually faded from red to black, from top to bottom. He has on a necklace looping through a wide metal ring. Additionally, he has on black leather jeans held up by a studded sidewalks belt. His feet are in a pair of red boots with two straps over them. Fastened on his left arm is a black jacket fashioned like Sion's ogre-style Blood Veil.

"Of course we haven't met, miss?" Louis veered over to Tennyo. With a gentle disposition, he gave a sincere vibe.

"I'm Togo Hifumi."

"Hello, Hifumi. I'm Louis Amamiya," the young Revenant man generously introduced himself. As he scanned over Tennyo, he sensed Io's essence coursing through her. "Wait, is that…?" Before he could investigate, the other Revenants casually approached Sion and patted him.

"Hey, Sion! It's been a while!" Another young man laughed, clapping Sion's right shoulder. He is taller than either Sion and Louis. His build is broader than either of his male compatriots. He has red hair placed in a ponytail and bangs covering the sides of his face. The playful grin on his face exuded confidence. His green eyes looked over Tennyo, causing the Shogi player to blush. He has on a dark brown mesh shirt, brown fingerless gloves, and camouflage-patterned pants. Tennyo noted the tiny bag on the man's left thigh. He also has on black boots and a dark brown coat draped over his shoulders. "Hi, have you been taking care of our Sion, miss?"

"Yes, I have. My name is Togo Hifumi."

"Right, I should've caught that! Pleased to meet you. I'm Shinonome Yakumo."

Tennyo muttered. "Shinonome Yakumo? Someone Japanese from your world, Sion?"

"I think so."

Then, Tennyo eyed Louis. "And Amamiya, too? What a coincidence, I know a friend with that surname."

"You do?" Louis asked her.

"Hey, can't I join in and meet Sion's friend?" The first woman out of the group chimed in, approaching Tennyo. Her voice has an affectionate and sweet tone, indicating she sounded like a calm and nurturing individual.

When Tennyo directly faced the woman, she was approached by a petite individual, even shorter than her. The Revenant woman is blonde with her hair pulled up into twin tails while letting her bangs and letting two large curls hang and frame either side of her face. When Tennyo met her face to face, she noted the woman's delicate face and large green eyes. Her waist is slimmer than Tennyo's. Her hips and shoulders are narrower. Adorning her head is a tall black wool papakha hat. She has on a spaghetti strap black corset over a lavender skirt, purple thigh-length socks coupled with black garter straps and black fur boots. Overlapping her black corset is a black, fur-lined black coat.

"Thank you for taking care of Sion. We've been worried about him. My name is Mia Karnstein."

Tennyo politely responded. "You, too. I'm Togo Hifumi."

"It's good to meet another girl. Although I'm hardly the only lady in this group," Mia stated as the other two Revenants walked over to greet Tennyo.

Tennyo came face to face with a couple. Standing on the right is a white-haired woman taller than her and even most of the Revenant men. Her hair is at a neck's length and adorned with a single yellow highlight. Tennyo was mesmerized by this woman's dark violet eyes. The tall woman has a red and slightly torn backless dress. The dress is mostly ripped around her abdomen and her well-endowed chest. She also has a dark maiden corset under her red dress and a pair of black short-heels. Her body has a few gruesome-looking scars, most prominently featured across her nose, cheeks, and arms. Adorning over her chest and neckline are white feathers wrapped in steel roses.

"Hello. I am pleased to meet you, friend. I am Eva Roux," the tall woman smiled at Tennyo. "Allow us to express our gratitude."

"No, it's ok. Just knowing Sion has friends like you is good enough," Tennyo politely dismissed any rewards.

"You shouldn't turn down Eva like that. She'll just keep asking," the man on the left from Eva playfully added, eliciting a head nod from his white-haired lover. "Just kidding, Eva." The man, who was roughly as tall as Yakumo, scanned Tennyo with his blue eyes. He has short silverish white hair gelled back coupled with a fringe covering the right side of his face, eye included. A grisly scar is prominently carved over his left eye. He has on a black and white striped, unbuttoned dress shirt. Over his dress shirt, he has on a black jacket and a red tie coupled with black leather jeans with a golden belt. Strapped to his right leg is a gun holster. He has a ring and a necklace. He has dark shoes. Draped over his shoulders is a white jacket.

"Hello, and you are…?"

"Jack Rutherford. Thanks for looking after Sion. He wasn't much trouble for you, was he?" The man asked.

"No, not really."

The white-haired man nodded and coolly smirked. "That's good to know. My name is Jack Rutherford."

As she backed off, Tennyo took a moment to take in everything related to Sion's friends. With a smile, Tennyo felt a welcoming aura from the Revenants.

"Hifumi!" A voice belonging to Joker called out. As the Revenants and Tennyo turned around, the Phantom Thieves and the Spiritual Gamblers confronted them.

"Sion? Hifumi? What's going on here?" Fox asked them.

"Who are these five people? I've never seen them before!" Panther eyed the Revenants with suspicion.

"Wow, could they be some new friends for us?" Tamamo gleefully clapped her hands once.

"Yeah, they don't look suspicious," sardonically remarked Brave.

"Hmmm, there really shouldn't be others here with us," Mona keenly observed the Revenants. "And these people are not real people."

"Huh? What do you mean? But, they are real," Sion addressed Mona's driving suspicion.

"They must be cognitions created from Sion's mind," Joker deduced.

Hearing this, Sion took a closer look at his Revenant friends, not feeling anything off about them. "Yet they're so real? I mean, we're interacting with them."

"I know it's hard to understand, but we are still asleep in the real world. Everything we see here is a cognition created from people's minds, including our own," Mona explained.

"Then, what about this twisted version of Osaka?" Noir asked the cat.

"I have no doubt our culprit is the one distorting it," Mona answered.

"Then, these five aren't real?" Presto openly asked.

"So, my friends aren't truly here," Sion faced his friends in disillusionment. As he reached for Louis, he was able to touch his shoulder physically.

"What do you mean, Sion? Of course, it's us," Louis replied.

"Who else would we be, man?" Yakumo addressed Sion.

"However, since you can interact with them this much, it does illustrate your strong bond with your friends. We can see how close you were with them," Mona stated.

As the Revenants introduced themselves to the Thieves and Spiritual Gamblers, Joker was surprised when he learned of Louis's surname. They briefly confronted each other to discuss it.

"So, you're the one with Amamiya in their name?" Joker approached Louis.

"That's right. I wouldn't venture to guess we're somehow related?"

Joker just nodded. "I doubt it."

"Just as I thought," coolly smirked Louis.

"So, Mia, Louis, Jack, those names of yours aren't Japanese. That'd make you foreigners like me?" Panther asked them.

Louis replied, feeling comfortable conversing with Panther. "It's good knowing there's someone we can speak with casually and can understand our language."

Mia added. "English is the dominant language of our time."

Panther felt relieved. "I'm thankful I can speak another language and can interact with foreigners. I must say Sion is a pretty cool guy once we got to know him. He and I have bonded quite well."

Fox painstakingly noted. "Yakumo, do you happen to be Japanese? I ask because your name is very much Japanese."

Yakumo answered. "Yes, but pure Japanese are nearly extinct in our time. I'm only half-Japanese." He turned to Sion. "And I've been his friend since he helped me a great deal. We've earned each other's trust."

Mona approached the short, blonde-haired Revenant. "Hey, um Mia, how long have you known Sion?"

"For a while, but Louis and Yakumo met him before we crossed paths."

"Oh really?" Mona blinked.

"We started on the wrong foot after I nearly attacked him. I thought he was going to harm my brother," Mia replied, looking over toward Sion's direction. "But, after he and the other guys did me a huge favor out of the kindness of their hearts, our bonds only grew. They saved my brother. For that, I'm forever in their debt."

Mona nodded. "That's so nice of them. There's much about you Revenants I'd like to know about."

Mia chuckled. "And I'd like to know how a cat like you can even talk, but I've seen weirder things."

Mona snorted, slightly irked that people refer to him by a feline species. "Well, I'm not a cat. I'm…! Ugh, never mind. By the way, can I call you Lady Mia?"

Hearing this, Mia was confused. "...huh? But why?"

"I dunno. I call Ann by 'Lady Ann.' I just think you're as pretty as she is."

Giggling, Mia shrugged. "Well, if you insist, go ahead."

Noir whispered to Queen. "By the way, don't you think Louis is quite attractive, Mako-chan?"

Queen blinked and shook her head. "What? You think so?" She pivoted toward Louis and meticulously eyed him, trying to look through his handsome exterior. Try as she might, Queen blushed when Louis noticed her.

Noir giggled at Queen's reaction. "See? He's quite handsome, right?"

Queen scoffed, turning away and not giving Louis so much of a glance.

"Yes, you have to admit he's very good looking."

"Maybe for a Revenant," the female police officer shrugged. "Then again, that's just a cognition."

Noir nodded. "Yes, I'll bet the real deal is even more attractive."

Queen faked a cough. "Right. You said that, not me."

"It's finally good to meet your friends, Sion," Noir acknowledged the Revenants despite them being cognitions. She noticed Queen somewhat looking standoffish with the Revenants. "Mako-chan, it's ok. If they're friends of Sion, then they should be good people."

"Yeah, I know," Queen faced the other Revenants. She watched Louis walk up to her.

"Hello, your beautiful friend there is right. We are Sion's friends," Louis extended a hand to Queen. She noticed Noir's face blush from Louis's compliments about her appearance. She turned and firmly shook Louis's hand. "Alright, you have my trust."

"Sheesh, what do we have to do to earn your trust?" Mia lightly chuckled, rolling her eyes back.

"I can't say I blame her since we're not humans," Jack stated. "Besides Sion, she hasn't met the rest of our kind."

"You can say that again. Look, it's not often you meet someone with supernatural abilities," Brave stated. "Of course, some of us are going to react the way we do."

"Ah, but you're all wonderful people! I hope we can get along swimmingly!" Tamamo openly welcomed the Revenants. Her odd and outlandish behavior elicited confused looks from the Revenants, who hadn't seen anyone as animated as the Compulsive Gambler.

"But, not Yumeko. She'll befriend you no matter what you are, but she's a special kind of person," Presto added.

"So, where are we? You keep mentioning something about cognitions and you being asleep now?" Yakumo asked the Thieves.

"It's like they said, the Thieves and I are asleep right now. What we're seeing are cognitions created from our minds," Sion said. "And that includes you."

"Yet since we're able to communicate like we're having a real conversation, it shows you still long for us to reunite, Sion," Louis clarified while grasping the concept of cognitive states being linked to one's state of mind.

"Whether you're cognitions or not, I'm just glad you're all here," Sion felt reassured his friends are here with him. Seeing Sion with a smile put Tennyo's mind at ease.

"I dunno. They seem cool to me," Skull remarked.

"Yes, we can see what kind of loyal friends Sion has," Noir assessed the Revenants.

"Now that we're here, perhaps we could offer to help you?" Eva asked the Thieves.

"That would be great. We're trying to look for the source that brought Sion to our world," Queen replied.

"The source? You mean whatever created that wormhole and pulled Sion in?" Louis queried.

"That's right. I want to get to the bottom of it," Sion answered. "I'm grateful to Hifumi and the Phantom Thieves for being my support system since I've been living in this dimension."

Yakumo nodded. "Now that we're here, you can count on us to help you locate this source."

"We're glad to hear it. So, why don't we get going?" Joker asked the group as they scoured through the distorted city.

Along the way, they found familiar international landmarks meshed with the distorted Osaka. The Thieves recognized the Statue of Liberty, the Colosseum, the Arc of Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Taj Mahal, and many famous landmarks.

"Holy crap, look at all this famous architecture in one place! Like what the heck?!" Oracle exclaimed.

"I recognize all of these!" Presto cried out.

"That's the Eiffel Tower of Paris. The Colosseum from Rome. And that's the Statue of Liberty from New York City!" Brave identified a few of these famous landmarks.

"This person must have a love for architecture," Noir added.

"Then, he also has a love for the arts," Fox muttered, eyeing famous paintings fused with buildings. "I even see Leonardo da Vinci's works." He and the others then noticed another renowned landmark: a famous Spanish mission that doubled as a battle fortress. "Is that… the Alamo? Based on what I've read from American culture, we've stepped into Texas. San Antonio, Texas."

"And we just bypassed New York, Paris, Rome, Sydney, and other places," Queen assessed the cultural amalgamation they've explored.

"Ugh, man. Can't this guy have just picked one piece of architecture and stick with it?! This is givin' me a headache," Skull groaned, massaging his forehead.

"But, we're still in Osaka, aren't we? Or, are we in San Antonio?" Panther asked.

Oracle scanned the Alamo. "We could be in both. Hey, if I recall, it was Texas who fought Mexico over independence and declared the 'Remember the Alamo!' motto, Inari?"

"Yes, indeed," Fox replied.

"Yeah, yeah, enough about the history lesson," sighed Skull.

"Hahaha, as I'd expected, Skull doesn't strike me being someone interested in history and cultural arts," a calm and soothing voice that the Thieves immediately recognized chimed in.

Upon hearing this voice from a particular individual, Joker turned around as he and his friends faced not one, but two newcomers. Joker's eyes widened when he recognized them.

"Akechi? Sumire?" Joker audibly gasped when Crow and Violet appeared to everyone.

"No way! You two are also here?!" Queen exclaimed.

"By Akechi? Do you mean Akechi Goro?!" Presto inquired aloud.

"That's right and the other one is a friend of ours. Her name is Yoshizawa Sumire," Noir answered.

"Don't tell they were pulled into our dreams as well? That must mean they're Osaka, too!" Fox realized.

"Do you know these two?" Sion asked Joker, the Thieves, and the Gamblers.

"Not us, but we only knew Akechi from television. I never swooned over him like those dumb fangirls of his though," Brave said, recalling the various interviews conducted with Akechi related to Phantom Thieves topics.

"Yes, he was a celebrity once and then he just vanished. I dunno why," Tamamo added.

"That's right. He was a big thing in the celebrity circles and then he just vanished without a trace. Not even the influence of social media was enough to find out his whereabouts," Presto nodded.

"Yeah, we know them, but…" Panther replied to Sion's inquiry, shifting toward Crow. "But how are you here? I get why Sumire would be here, but we haven't seen the real Akechi since we left Shido's Palace."

"Yes, every Akechi we've seen since then have been cognitions, including the one that aided us against Maruki. That was another cognition created solely to exist in Maruki's reality," Fox pointed out.

"Senpai! I'm so glad we found you!" Violet ran over and embraced Joker. "I'm sorry I didn't return your calls. I wanted our reunion to be a surprise."

Joker smiled, patting Violet's back. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're doing ok."

Panther walked up to Violet. "We were beginning to worry about you."

"I'm fine, Ann. Thanks for your concerns," Violet said.

"But, you brought Akechi along?" Fox asked Violet as he and the other Thieves suspiciously eyed the former junior ace detective.

"You're looking well, Phantom Thieves," Crow casually greeted them. "Funny that you mention Maruki because I have memories of that cognition that fought alongside you. Yes, I recall everything the cognition experienced during that third semester. I can even summon Hereward if you wish to see some proof?"

"But, how and why are you here?!" Skull remanded.

Queen meticulously eyed Crow. "So, if he's here, he has to be alive."

Joker's smile twisted into a mischievous grin towards Crow. "This just confirms Akechi is out there somewhere. Right?" He turned to Violet when he asked.

"Well, we've physically interacted in the real world. So no, he doesn't appear to be a cognition," Violet clarified the nature of Crow's apparent existence.

"Quite astute of you, Amamiya Ren. Whether I'm just a cognition living freely in other realms or if I'm asleep along with the rest of you is up to your perception. The human mind can create things they're not able to comprehend fully. Isn't that right, Phantom Thieves? Oh, and who are these people?" He noticed Sion's friends and recognized the Revenant after seeing him and Queen's heated argument outside Leblanc.

"What if we told you, they're vampires?" Oracle replied with a sadistic grin, eliciting a bewildered look on the former detective's face.

"What?' Crow blinked in bewilderment.

"Yep, they have fangs! Hifumi can tell you. Sion drank her already!" Tamamo happily yelled out loud, to which Tennyo clamped her mouth shut.

"He doesn't need to know that!" Tennyo cried out, pulling the Compulsive Gambler away from the conversation.

"Surely you're kidding," Crow was taken aback, pivoting toward Sion. "But, I did hear you threaten to drink Makoto's blood during your spat with her."

Upon hearing this, Sion gnashed his teeth and scowled. "Wait, so you were spying on me?!" He walked over to grab him, but Tennyo intervened and stopped him from confronting Crow. "What else did you hear?!"

"Easy! There was nothing else I wanted to learn, except it's how I learned you'd be coming to Osaka! It was the only way I could bring Sumire here to see you, Joker!" Openly confessed Crow, who felt as if he was being backed into a corner.

"You should've straight up brought her to us," Panther frowned at him.

"Yeah, man. We haven't forgotten you betrayed us before," scoffed Skull.

Mia grumbled. "This guy gave you trouble before?"

Nodding, Noir sighed. "Yes, unfortunately."

Hearing the Thieves' accounts, Yakumo shot a fierce look at Crow. "Is that so? Maybe we should have a word with him?"

Jack then interjected. "Or, maybe you should let me deal with him if he steps out of line."

Sensing the hostility from the Revenants, Crow stepped away with hands flailing. "Wow, such belligerence from your vampire friends, Amamiya."

"Probably because they're better judges of character than we are. Since they're not humans like us, they can probably smell the stench of shadiness from you," Queen stated.

"Hell, I'm not a vampire and I'm not fond of two-faced backstabbers either," Brave said, promptly giving Crow the cold shoulder.

Joker folded his arms. "Can you blame them? They take bonds and loyalty very seriously."

"Is that so? Well, how about giving me a chance to make a good first impression with some of you then?" Crow openly stated, eliciting hostile responses from the Revenants, such as red glowing eye treatment and growls. When he faced the Gamblers, they both responded with opposition. Tamamo gave him a cold and blank expression, sending chills down the ex-junior detective's back. "Oook, perhaps we need to work on that trust. Look, I don't know you, but now you know about my shaky relationship with the Phantom Thieves. So, let's try and work like professionals here."

Sion stepped in and confronted Akechi. "It's not about being professional. It's all about trust. Let's face it. You're walking on thin ice after the stunt you pulled on the Thieves." He then poked Crow's chest. "And I'm giving you fair warning now. You better be on your best behavior."

Crow chuckled nervously. "Yes, your friends have already made their point quite clear."

Just then, Tennyo walked over and slapped Akechi's face. "I'm sorry, but you asked for it."

"No…" Crow rubbed his cheek, not about to throw a pity party and gain sympathy points from the Thieves and Revenants. "I did ask for that, Ms. Togo."

"Please, everyone. We can try and get along while we're here?" Violet pleaded for everyone to mend their differences.

"It won't be easy, but since you asked, we'll try," added Panther.

"So, you'd rather be vague if you're the real Akechi or not, we'll ask later since we're here to find the source that brought our friend Sion to our world," Queen informed Crow.

"Have you found any leads?" Crow asked them.

"None so far, but all we know is that the source is in Osaka. That's why we're here still exploring," Joker replied.

"If it's ok. Can Akechi and I join your party?" Violet asked him.

"You don't even need to ask," Joker smiled as he and Violet exchanged smiles.

"But, we're going to keep an eye on you, Mr. ex-detective," Queen warned Crow.

"What she said, you cross the line and you get dealt with by us," Sion intensely glared at Crow, his eyes glowing fiercely.

"Yes, I get that my presence is most certainly unwelcome, but I will do my best to earn all your trust," Crow openly vowed while saying this in front of the Thieves and Revenants.

Tennyo folded an arm around Sion's right hand. "Hey, are you ready to get going?"

"Yeah, we've wasted enough time here. I'm ready whenever you are, Joker."

With that, the group explored the spacious vicinity near the Alamo. Along the way, Joker listened to the casual conversations with his friends and the Revenants were having. He became at ease as the Thieves, Tennyo, and the Gamblers established close bonds with Sion and his cohorts. The vibes were more positive than the previous hostility between Makoto and Sion not too long ago. Now all that hostility has been transferred over to Akechi, who suddenly appeared with Sumire. Joker speculated if Akechi was still alive, but Sumire claimed he was. However, until he and Akechi meet again in the real world, he wasn't convinced.

Just then, Joker paused. The others noticed Ren standing still. Mona hurried over to Joker's side.

"Hey, is everything ok?"

Joker quietly muttered. "Yeah…" Before he can finish, a distorted wave swept through the vicinity and altered the path, creating a more open space for them to move around in and possibly fight something within.

"Heads up!" Sion called out as a burst of unusual golden light cast down from the sky.

The beam summoned a lone figure in front of the Alamo. As the golden light cleared, the group saw an alluring, young woman with shoulder-length blond hair. She wore her blond hair into a right-sided single braided ponytail. She wore a dark brown uniform and a white dress shirt underneath. She also has white dress pants, wore a golden cape, and dark brown boots. Sheathed on her right hip, she carried a rapier. The woman's puissant eyes scanned the group.

She walked out from the Alamo entrance like a royal queen. The group held their ground as the proud woman stopped in front of them.

"Who are you?!" Joker demanded, quickly brandishing his pistol.

"Phantom Thieves, I presume?" Maria regarded them with familiarity, stunning the Thieves.

"Yes. Are you the one who brought us here?" Joker queried the Spaniard.

"Daymn, she's a hottie," Skull remarked over Maria's attractive looks.

Elbowing his side, Panther groaned. "Stay focused, will you?"

Sion growled toward Maria. "I'm sensing a malevolent aura from her."

Louis, Mia, Yakumo, Jack, and Eva quickly amassed next to Sion. The Revenants fiercely glared down at Maria.

Before Mona can speak, Nekomata materializes next to him.

"Phantom Thieves, Revenants, and Spiritual Gamblers beware this is Maria. She is a chaos bringer that sought the Amrita. She's proficient in combat and not one to be taken lightly. And I sense she's brought other evil spirits with her." Nekomata warned the group.

"Hey, it's you! I remember you!" Violet gasped as she noticed Nekomata giving sage advice.

"Ah, yes. You're the young maiden who, along with this fellow here, fought Tatarimokke during the Yokai incursion," Nekomata acknowledged Violet and Crow's presence.

"Sounds like you two have already been acquainted with Nekomata," Joker referred to Violet and Crow.

Violet smiled innocently. "We sure have."

Crow nodded. "He was a real helping hand if I do say so myself."

"I don't mean to interrupt your chat, but you mentioned there are other evil spirits, Nekomata?" Queen wondered cautiously.

"Wait, Maria? Yes, you're the same Maria that Nekomata warned us about!" Brave recalled their briefing with the spirit cat.

"That's right! William even mentioned her name!" Panther also remembered the infamous Spaniard ninja's name during their first meeting with William's spirit.

"Yes, Maria of España. She's that Spaniard who came to Japan to seek Spirit Stones to restore her country to its former glory!" Fox called out, identifying the Spaniard woman.

"Maria? Oh yes, I've heard about her from Japanese history and folklore!" Noir recalled.

"Didn't they call her some kind of Spanish ninja?" Presto asked the others.

"Well, she looks like she's been in a lot of fights," Brave said, noticing the intensity exuding from Maria's hardened eyes.

"Yes, and if I recall, she came to Japan after the defeat of the Toyotomi clan at the Siege of Osaka and intended to revive the villainous Hideyoshi, who used Spirit Stones to seize power of Japan, but what she got was the kind man before he became Hideyoshi. She was ultimately apprehended by William, turned over to the Tokugawa clan, and shipped back to her native land," Fox entailed his friends about Maria's infamous backstory.

"If she's a ninja, I bet she can pull off some crazy feats, Inari?" Oracle asked him.

"Indeed, her skills are derived from mystical arts similar to ninjutsu. She's highly proficient in combat. I'd advise we be careful."

"Well, whatever. Whoever these evil spirits are, bring them on!" Sion declared.

"Whoa! Don't goad her, you idiot!" Makoto chided the Revenant.

"Heh, you just can't help yourself, huh, Sion?" Louis chuckled, taking out his sword.

Oracle gasped as her scanner readings increased. "Whoa! Danger, danger Will Robinson!" She called out. "The readings on these spirits are off the charts!"

Joker shouted with a cautious look. "What?!"

Mona added as the back of his fur stood. "She's right! We've got company and not the kind you'd want!"

Maria replied resolutely. "Yes, I've communicated with these spirits and they asked me to bring them to you. They're dying to meet you." She raised her rapier into the air. "Come forth and materialize!"

Then, four dark figures materialized behind Maria, who released these restless spirits from the Yomi-no-kuni. Behind her are the Shadow versions of Shido Masayoshi, Kamoshida Suguru, Madarame Ichiryusai, and Kaneshiro Junya.

Needless to say, the Phantom Thieves are surprised to see their old enemies again.

Joker reacted in distress at the Shadows. "It can't be?!"

Skull gaped in shock. "Hell nah! We kicked their asses before! Why the shit are they here?!"

Oracle reminded them. "I mean, we are still asleep, right?! In the dream realm, cognitive thoughts can do a lot of crazy things, including bringing back old enemies!"

Panther gritted angrily toward Shadow Kamoshida. "Not you again!"

Fox coldly glared at Shadow Madarame. "So, we're doing this again, Madarame?"

Queen fiercely scowled at Shadow Kaneshiro. "Ugh, I'd hope I'd never see your disgusting bug face again."

Joker glared down Shadow Shido. "And even you've returned. I thought we got rid of you."

As his eyes turned yellow, Shadow Shido's insidious chuckle matched his equally sly grin. "You might've changed the hearts of the very same humans we've possessed, but you can't purge us Shadows that easily. Thanks to an outside force, negative cognitive energies started to overflow and thus allowed us to reconstitute ourselves. With the Metaverse gone, we were left drifting until we happened upon this woman here. She, like us, was revived by a powerful entity. And what a better way to exact our revenge than to finish you while you're all asleep!"

Crow interjected. "Then, what about these five?" He referred to the Revenants. "They just came into being because of that Revenant, Sion, conceived them from his cognitive memories!"

Shadow Shido veered to the supposed cognitive version of Shido's son. "Correct, they are not real. Then again, neither are you, but then again, you've always been an enigma yourself, Akechi Goro. While I'm curious to debate whether you're real or not, it doesn't matter now. I don't care either way." He openly dismissed Shido's son.

Mia gasped. "So, we'll be gone once you wake up, Sion?"

Upon hearing this, Jack frowned. "Don't tell me that's true, Sion."

Sion wanted to say something, but Tennyo consoled him.

"Don't worry about that now. They're going to fight with us to defeat these Shadows," Tennyo reassured him.

Skull quipped. "Yep, these Shadows are still the same shithole scumbags."

Shadow Kaneshiro cursed them out while buzzing like a fly. "Hey, yo, we're gonna beat you biznatches all over and get our revenge, yo!"

Glancing over Panther, Queen, Oracle, Noir, Tennyo, Violet, Mia, and Eva, Shadow Kamoshida chuckled in his twisted, perverted tone. "Eheheh, ladies, I'll take good care of you all, especially you, Panther." The abhorrent 'king' revealed his degenerative nature, licking his lips once locking eyes with Panther.

Shadow Madarame cackled. "Call me a rip-off artist, will you?! For that, I'll blacklist you from this reality permanently!"

Maria chuckled while tightening the grip of her rapier. "So, now that we have reintroductions out of the way, how about we commence the battles? We can't hold off on your executions any longer."

"You're right. What are we waiting for?" Joker accepted Maria's challenge.

"Defeat us, and that's a big if, then you'll wake up," Maria stated the conditions. "However, when you lose, your minds will be trapped here forever."

Sion muttered. "With no chance of us ever waking up?"

Maria smirked frigidly. "Correct, you'll be trapped in an endless sleep and you'll be subjected to us killing you over and over. Our battles will end up on an endless loop until we break your spirits and your physical bodies die."

Queen rebuked. "Sorry, but we don't plan on dying in our sleep. We're beating you here!"

Nekomata cautioned them. "Be careful when you engage Maria. She can and has beaten multiple opponents at once in her prime."

Mona nodded. "Thanks for the warning, but I have faith in the Thieves and our friends."

"We accept your conditions, Maria," Joker firmly resolved.

"Good. Shall we proceed with this battle of cognitive wills?!" The Spanish woman declared as the environment around them transformed into a Mementos-like setting. Amrita stones and shards quickly became unearthed and protruded around their surroundings.

The four Shadows spread out over San Antonio's downtown vicinity.

"They're shifting toward different locations!" Noir cried out.

"They're going for a divide and conquer strategy. Clever," Fox said.

"Even so, we have to spread out and fight them. I have faith we can do this," Mona stated with the utmost confidence in his team's abilities.

"This is the first time I'll be fighting these Shadows," Tennyo said, slightly worried.

Brave added, equally worried about letting her colleagues down. "I hope my spirit Janomecho will be enough."

Tamamo chuckled darkly much to her friends' suspicions.

"Why is she laughing now at a time like this?" Mia asked Sion.

"It's Yumeko, don't ask," Sion sighed.

As she continued laughing, Tamamo gave a crazed look. Her eyes glowed bright red as her blissful nature reached new levels.

"Eheheh, OH YES! THEY'VE GOT ME ALL EXCITED NOW!" Tamamo passionately shouted. "GAMBLE AND STAKE MY OWN LIFE IN THIS? I ACCEPT!"

Everyone else cowered back and became creeped out by the Compulsive Gambler's frenzied outburst. Even the other Revenants, who've just been introduced to Yumeko, were disturbed by her. Some also wondered if she was some kind of Revenant.

"Oh, I'm sorry, children. I neglected to tell you, but I'm not your opponent," Maria shook her head.

"What?!" Fox exclaimed.

"So, you're going to run away?!" Mona chastised her.

"No, but you will be fighting this," Maria raised her rapier as a pillar of blue light materialized behind her. "Come forth Blade Bearer and Cannoneer!"

With that, the Spanish woman brought forth two Greater Lost entities.

The first one, the Blade Bearer, is a 7'0 foot tall brown-skinned female humanoid with long, back-length blonde hair and carrying a yellow sword. A black eye fold covered her eyes. She has on a primarily white twin-tailed overcoat and boots with a revealing purple and black leather attire coupled with golden metal objects vertically facing downward.

The second one, Cannoneer, is an 8'0 foot tall rotund creature with a build similar to a Stonecrusher. The left side of its massive arm is augmented with metal and cybernetic enhancements. Its right arm is fitted with a giant flamethrower cannon.

"Whoa…" Skull gaped in shock at the giantess.

"It can't be! There's Lost here?!" Louis and Sion cried out. Both of them aggressively reacted as their eyes glowed bright red in response to the danger.

"Damn it!" Mia hissed, readying a long metallic stinger, which looked similar to Sion's Stinger-Type Blood Veil.

Yakumo growled, instinctively raring to fight and tear the Lost into pieces. Jack and Eva prepared for battle against the Lost.

"Here they come!" Joker yelled out, readying his pistol and dagger. As the two Greater Lost headed off the group, a wave of water pushed away Blade Bearer and a slash from someone's blade connected with Cannoneer. Taken aback by this intervention, Joker and the others saw Mina and Kyosuke standing off with the Greater Lost.

"It's Mina and Kyosuke?!" Queen exclaimed.

"What are y'all doing here?!" Skull exclaimed.

"Likely the same way Akechi and Sumire are here," Noir replied.

"You know them?" Joker turned toward the Thieves.

"Makoto and the others must've met them while conversing with the spirits. Some of us were split up that day," Mona said.

"And I was out looking for Sion that day," Tennyo said, summoning her ko-naginata for battle.

"Or, all of us here having the same dream or what?!" Panther yelled out.

"Maybe they were caught in a skirmish with Yokai and Lost like we were?" Mona deduced. "One thing's for sure. We're all here because the source we're looking for has deemed us a common threat to his or her plans."

"What's this? So, you're Saorise's wielder now," Maria scanned over Mina, who readied a katana imbued with blue energy. She pivoted toward Kyosuke, who fought off Cannoneer with an ōdachi. "And you have Yokai energy coursing through you. You must be a Shiftling."

"Looks like we came in time. That's good," Mina said, standing off against the Blade Bearer. "Allow us to take Maria and these two monsters! The rest of you go after those evil spirits!"

"Are you sure you don't need some of us to help you?" Joker asked the two.

"We'll manage. Now go!" Kyosuke roared as he clashed with the Cannoneer.

"You two be careful! Those are Greater Lost!" Sion called out to Mina and Kyosuke.

Tennyo grabbed Sion's hand. "It's ok, Sion. Let them handle the Lost and Maria. We have our battles ahead of us."

"And we'll gladly fight with you and your new allies, Sion," Louis firmly stated.

As Mina and Kyosuke engaged the two Greater Lost, Maria proceeded to attack Mina and Kyosuke. However, Mina waved her katana and invoked her Living Weapon, forging a wave of water that compelled Maria to dodge.

"Let's move while those two keep them accompanied!" Joker declared.

Wasting no time, Tamamo summoned her Nine Tails Guardian Spirit. "C'mon, let's get our gambling freak on!" Laughing maniacally, she ran off ahead to pursue the Shadow spirits.

Skull yelled out. "Whoa, hold on!"

Brave growled. "Ugh, that reckless idiot! She's going to get hurt!"

Presto called out. "C'mon, we have to go after her!"

Joker sighed as he nodded to the hacker. "Oracle, you know what to do."

Oracle nodded. "Right! Defenses up!"

With that, the group felt new energies resonate with them. As green energy rings whirled over them, they received defense boosts.

"And some speed boosts so we can catch up and find those Shadows," Panther suggested.

Oracle added. "You got it! Speed up!"

The group received quick speed boosts.

"Ok, split up, but be cautious on your way to fight the Shadows," Mona forewarned them about any other possible dangers and obstacles before meeting the Shadow bosses.

Nekomata appeared again, giving them his blessing. "Good luck and persevere, young ones!"

"Phantom Thieves and company, move!" Joker declared.

Fox, Oracle, Hifumi, Yakumo, and Presto went one way to face Shadow Madarame.

Tamamo, Noir, and Louis went another way to find Shadow Kaneshiro.

Panther, Skull, Mona, Mia, and Brave headed off to face Shadow Kamoshida.

Joker, Sion, Queen, Crow, Sumire, Jack, and Eva scoured for Shadow Shido's location.


Chapter Soundtrack

Nioh DLC OST - Region IX -Siege of Osaka- "Summer"- The protagonists entering Distorted Osaka. The mysterious figure awaits their arrival.
Code Vein OST - Towards the Eternal Glory - The cognitive appearances of Sion's friends.
CRISIS OST - Hiroyuki Sawano - 9a14s (feat. Gemie) - Maria and the Shadows of the Palace Rulers' arrival.


A/N: Like the chapter title? It's a nod to a great John Carpenter action horror-comedy from the '80s.

Yes, it's going to be big trouble in Osaka for our heroes. It's a good thing they've met the cognitions of Sion's Revenants friends, which is a significant moment for our lone Revenant. So while they're not the real deals, you can certainly bet Cognitive Louis, Yakumo, and Mia will hold their own. Mina and Kyosuke also join the big Thief and Revenant party. Yes, and at last, Akechi and Sumire meet up with the Thieves (and get introduced to the Gamblers and the Revenants, the latter of whom don't trust our dear Crow). They'll undoubtedly be helpful against the Spanish Inquisition.

Speaking of which, say hello to Maria, one of Nioh's antagonists and a force to be reckoned with. I've seen playthroughs of her and she is one hardcore DLC boss. And joining her on behalf of our mysterious perpetrator are the Palace Rulers. We'll see how our Thief/Revenant teams fare against them. Should be a wild brawl.

That's all for this chapter. Leave a comment and review!