As Valkyrie and the Phantom Thieves made their way through the somewhat dim tunnel, the former spoke regarding what they had heard a moment ago.
"About that voice, I'm fairly certain it belonged to Rintaro Okabe. That would be his "Shadow", correct?"
"Most likely." Mona answered succinctly. "Considering how close we are to the Treasure, I'm actually surprised we haven't heard from the Ruler at all until now."
"That's true, although I'm a bit concerned about what he said." Queen added. "These "Gates of Sacrifice" sound like they could be a serious hindrance to our progress."
"I'm also curious what this "oh-so feared history" he mentioned refers to. And who is it feared by exactly?" Noir asked.
"There's simply too much we don't know as of now, perhaps these things will be elucidated further inward." Fox suggested.
While the others continued to discuss their thoughts, Crow remained silent as he headed the group's progression. Before long, a strange sight could be seen further in. Hurrying onward, they quickly discovered that what stood before them was no gate, but rather, what seemed to be the shattered remains of one.
"Gate of... Family?" Noir said, reading the words etched on one of the scattered fragments.
It appeared the other pieces were also each emblazoned with a portion of a larger image. Fortunately the fragments were large enough to discern the whole image. It seemed to depict a young girl wearing a bright smile, lovingly embraced by a man who shared the same expression. Just as they began to question the significance of this, the voice from earlier once again spoke from nowhere.
"Forgive me, Lab Mem 007. Reunited with your beloved father, only to be torn apart once more... Such pain was born of my own ambition, this I cannot deny. Yet this sacrifice had to be made! To secure our Treasure, we must press ever onward! So... Forgive me, Faris. And thank you, my friend."
With that, the voice vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. With his words fresh on their minds, everyone looked to each other in contemplation.
"Hey Valkyrie, did any of that sound familiar to you?" Panther asked.
"Yeah, but something's weird... I'm almost certain the "Faris" he mentioned is someone else I fought alongside in 2036. I think she currently works at a maid cafe." She explained. "But, as far as I know, her father died when she was a child."
"Wait, really? But then.. what did he mean they were "reunited"? And that they had to be "torn apart" to reach the Treasure?" Noir questioned.
"I have a hypothesis." Crow spoke up for the first time since entering the area. "Valkyrie, you mentioned that Rintaro Okabe has the means to cause worldline divergence, as well as the ability to retain his memories upon said divergence, correct?"
"Yes, that's right." She responded.
"In that case, could he not have somehow caused a change that resulted in a worldline where her father was alive and well?" He suggested, met with several looks of surprise. "Yet perhaps this new worldline somehow obstructed him from his own Treasure, taking the form of this Gate. Upon leaning this, he could have then reversed this change, thus "tearing them apart once more", and shattering the Gate that had appeared within his Palace."
"That... does logically track I suppose." Valkyrie admitted. "You came up with all of that just now?"
"As I said, it's only a hypothesis. Still, given the Gate was already destroyed upon our arrival, it's clear it wasn't created to dissuade potential intruders, but rather it was something the Palace Ruler never intended to be in the first place." Crow concluded.
"Dang... I guess they call you the next "Detective Prince" for a reason! Still, if that's the case, that's... pretty brutal." Oracle said.
"Something else stuck out to me as well. He called it "Our Treasure", as if he were trying to reclaim it for her sake as well." Queen pointed out.
"In any case, there's likely more information further in. Let's keep moving." Crow suggested, already beginning to walk forward.
"Oh, y-yeah..." Panther replied.
She looked worriedly to the others, who appeared to share her concern. Since their first encounter with the Palace Ruler, everyone noticed that Crow had been acting somewhat odd. His tone seemed colder, and he appeared to be subtly keeping his distance from the others. As they quietly considered who would be the one to bring it up, it wasn't long before they encountered another shattered Gate.
"It appears this one's open too." Crow said upon their arrival.
"Lemme see... This one says "Gate of Identity". The hell's that mean?" Skull asked, reading a shard of this Gate.
The image contained on these fragments depicted an incredibly happy girl dressed in Miko garb, wearing a warm, kind smile on her face. As if on cue, the Palace Ruler's voice once again echoed throughout the area.
"Lab Mem 006... I cannot begin to imagine the pain I've inflicted upon you in my hubris. To gaze into your reflection and finally see the beautiful young girl you've always wished to see, only to be cast once more into that form which you so lament. But beyond that pain lies that which we seek! Rest assured this is true, my dear Lukako, and know that your sacrifice will not be in vain."
Once again, the voice disappeared without warning, leaving everyone to their thoughts. The first to speak up was Valkyrie.
"I'm pretty sure the person on this one is-"
"Luka Urushibara." Crow interrupted, beginning to theorize. "I'm certain he mentioned being a boy, though based on what we just heard, it would seem this was not ideal. Perhaps this Gate was created by shifting to a worldline in which he was born female? And opened by returning to one in which his "lamentable form" is that of a male."
"Wait, how do you know Luka Urushibara?" Valkyrie asked in surprise.
"Several of the others spoke with him briefly while meeting with Mayuri Shiina at the Yanabayashi Shrine, though Oracle and I only witnessed said meeting remotely." He answered, to the apparent surprise of the everyone else. "Ah right. These were events from before my leap, so I suppose they were "undone", so to speak.
"Is that so? I take it this meeting was where we initially gained the details regarding this Palace?" Fox asked, being met with a nod from Crow.
"Weird... It's kinda crazy to think about things we did that we never actually did, you know?" Panther said.
"Waitwaitwait, STOP! My brain's gonna burst thinkin' about shit like that!" Skull pleaded, prompting laughter from the others, with the exception of Crow who had already begun to continue onward.
Unable to hold back her worry any longer, Valkyrie ran up to his side and voiced the concerns she shared with the others.
"You've been acting strangely ever since we got here, Crow. Did something happen?"
Her straightforward question caught him off guard as he stopped to look at her, then back to the other Phantom Thieves, who shared a worried expression. He then gave a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment, seemingly to collect his thoughts before responding with a somewhat forced looking smile.
"I... apologize for worrying you all. Perhaps time leaping took a bit more out of me than I thought."
"That's perfectly understandable, I still can't even fully conceptualize such a thing. I imagine experiencing it firsthand is quite another story entirely." Fox replied.
"Totally! But we're teammates, right? You really should lean on us more if you need to!" Panther added.
"Agreed. We're here for you, Crow." Joker said with a kind smile.
Valkyrie couldn't help but smile as well upon witnessing this wonderful show of camaraderie.
"...Thank you. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me." Crow said, still wearing a somewhat conflicted look.
"Alright! Now that the sappy shit's outta the way, let's go find that Treasure!" Skull exclaimed.
"Yes, let's get moving everyone." Crow responded.
Together, everyone made their way further in, continuing to discuss their experiences thus far until-
"Careful, guys! The Treasure's just up ahead, but I can sense Okabe's Shadow too!" Oracle announced.
Cautiously approaching the readings, they prepared to face any possible hostility, as previous interactions with Palace Rulers had trained them to do. However, what was waiting for them was anything but hostile. Before them was yet another Gate, however this one was completely intact. Depicted on it was the visage of a single woman, whose appearance was unfamiliar to Crow and the other Phantom Thieves. Valkyrie, however, narrowed her eyes angrily upon seeing this Gate.
"Kurisu Makise...!" She said, in a voice so low she was nearly growling.
Before the others could ask about her reaction, they heard a familiar voice.
"Why are you here...?" It asked in a subdued tone.
While it sounded like the voice they had heard earlier, this time there was a clear origin. Everyone directed their attention to the base of the Gate, where the owner of the voice appeared to be on his knees facing the Gate, the bottom of his tattered lab coat spread out like a rug on the ground surrounding him.
"Is that Rintaro Okabe's Shadow?" Asked Valkyrie, looking to Oracle who returned an affirming nod.
"Why are you here...?" The Shadow asked again, the same tired inflection in his voice.
Not expecting a direct confrontation already, Crow decided to answer honestly. "We're here for the Treasure."
Upon hearing this, the Shadow turned his head slightly, revealing his piercing yellow eyes and an painfully exhausted expression. "The Treasure? I'm afraid the Treasure is out of even my reach. I can't go back there... I won't..."
"Hey guys? Something feels off here." Mona pointed out.
"You think so too?" Noir agreed. "The voice we heard earlier seemed intent on reaching the Treasure no matter what. This one just seems... defeated."
"Maybe, but this is definitely his Shadow." Oracle confirmed.
"Perhaps the earlier voice was simply an echo of his prior mental state upon opening the other gates?" Fox suggested.
"But it addressed us directly at the entrance, didn't it?" Panther asked.
"Regardless, we should try to get more information while we have the opportunity." Queen said, turning to the Shadow. "You said the Treasure is out of your reach, right? I assume you're referring to the other side of this Gate, yes?"
"That's right." He answered. "I won't open it... I can't."
"Given the context of the previous Gates and assuming my theory is correct, the opening of a Gate seems to correlate to a worldline reversion in which the individual depicted loses something they had gained as a result of changes made by Okabe himself." Crow postulated. "This loss is the "sacrifice" for which the gates are named. So the question becomes, what would this "Kurisu Makise" lose should this particular Gate be opened?"
Crow turned to the Shadow and began questioning. "You've already opened two Gates, haven't you? Tell me, why are you so afraid to open the third?"
The Shadow narrowed his tired eyes a bit at Crow's question before giving his reply. "You're afraid too, no?"
Crow's eyes went wide at his unexpected response. "What...?"
The Shadow stood up, slowly stepping towards Crow while maintaining eye contact with him alone as he spoke. "You have your own reasons to fear what's beyond this Gate... Don't you?"
"...Shut up."
Crow's hands slowly curled into fists as he listened to the Shadow's words. The others quickly noticed his agitation, but before they could do anything the Shadow spoke once more.
"To think you too would be burdened by that worldline... You have my sympathies."
"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!" Crow screamed, swinging his fist at the Shadow's face, sending him flying back into the Gate. "PERSONA!"
Tearing his mask away, Crow summoned his Persona, Robin Hood, and prepared to strike the now prone Shadow.
"Crow, stop!" Joker's voice echoed through the tunnel as he leaped forward to place himself between the Shadow and Crow's Persona to prevent this potential tragedy.
Returning to his senses, Crow quickly recalled Robin Hood, his mask returned. Everyone was completely shocked by this uncharacteristically venomous outburst, but no one present was more surprised than Crow himself. He simply stood stunned, staring down at his own trembling hand before slowly looking over to the others.
"I... I'm sorry." With those words, Crow took off toward the Palace entrance.
"Crow, wait!" Valkyrie cried out.
Deciding to chase after him, everyone eventually arrived back at the tunnel's entrance. Despite Oracle's best efforts to locate him, he no longer seemed to be in the Palace. Queen suggested he likely used one of the abandoned vehicles to quickly make his way back to the entrance. Deciding to do the same, everyone left the Palace.
Upon returning to the real world, the sun had already begun to set. Naturally, everyone wasted no time trying to contact Akechi. Unsurprisingly, their efforts were met with no response. At a loss for what to do next, Suzuha broke the silence.
"I'm worried about him, as I'm sure you all are as well, but I think we need to prioritize the change of heart. Goro Akechi gave us this second chance, and if our time runs out there's no guarantee we'll get a third."
"That's true..." Makoto reluctantly agreed. "So, the question is, how do we get to the Treasure?"
"The reading was literally just on the other side of that Gate. If it opens up, I'm certain it'll be right there." Futaba reiterated. "The problem is that he seemed pretty dead set on keeping it shut."
"Isn't there any way we could change his cognition and make it open?" Ann asked.
"If Akechi was right, the only way to open that Gate in Okabe's cognition is to return to the the associated worldline..." Morgana reasoned. "It goes without saying, but we obviously lack that capability."
"Ah, something has just occurred to me." Yusuke said. "This Palace is unique in that the Ruler doesn't seem to be in direct possession of his own Treasure, correct? Could we not use this fact to our advantage?"
"To our advantage?" Haru asked, her curiosity shared by the others. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
"A bluff." Yusuke replied. "Along with our usual declaration to steal the Treasure, the calling card will also suggest that we've discovered an alternate route."
"I see... Even if Okabe's Shadow has given up on reaching the Treasure himself, he'll naturally still want to keep us from doing so." Makoto followed. "Ideally, it could motivate the Shadow to open a path for us, be it the main Gate or some other way, all to ensure we haven't taken the Treasure from under his nose."
"That does make some sense, but it's still risky." Morgana said hesitantly. "We've never tried anything like that before , so I'm worried about whether or not it'll work."
"True, but we ain't really got time to test it out or anything." Ryuji pointed out. "Based on what Akechi said, we only got till tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah... I'd say this is gonna end up being one of those do or die things." Futaba added. "What do you think, Ren? You are the leader, after all."
Everyone looked to the typically quiet Ren, who had been listening intently to the conversation so far. Taking a moment to consider their options, he gave his answer.
"Let's do it." He said succinctly.
"Alright, it's settled." Morgana confirmed. "Though, there's another potential issue regarding the calling card that's been worrying me."
"Oh, what's that?" Ann asked.
"Okabe's condition." He answered. "According to Suzuha, he's completely out of it. I'm not sure if the calling card will have any effect on him in his current state."
"I actually have a suggestion regarding that." Suzuha interjected unexpectedly. "While my understanding of the "calling card" is still limited, I think the best course of action would be to give it to Mayuri Shiina and have her deliver it."
"Oh, right! She's the one who originally made the request on the Phan-Site, yes? Considering what was written, it does seem that Okabe still responds to her presence, at least in a limited capacity. I... suppose that does make more sense now, given what Akechi told us." Haru said with a slightly mournful look.
"But how will we arrange to have her deliver the calling card? We don't exactly have time to explain the situation from scratch." Makoto said.
"Leave that to me." Suzuha insisted. "If I leave now, I should be able to catch her at the Yanabayashi Shrine. I'll simply tell her that she'll receive something important from a black cat tomorrow at the lab, and to read the contents of it to Rintaro Okabe."
The others looked at her incredulously upon hearing what she intended to tell Mayuri.
"You, uh... you really think she'll buy that?" Futaba vocalized everyone's uncertainty.
"It's the truth, isn't it? To be honest, Mayuri Shiina is... she's a refreshingly simple girl." Suzuha explained with a sad smile. "She may be confused at first, but when Morgana does deliver her the calling card, I have full confidence that she'll come through for us."
"Very well, would it be alright if I accompany you?" Yusuke asked. "With this calling card, I believe phrasing will be of utmost importance. As such, I believe your counsel, and possibly Shiina's as well, will likely spark the necessary inspiration for me to complete it in time."
"Of course." She responded. "We'd better hurry though."
With a great amount of uncertainty hanging in the air, everyone headed their separate ways to prepare for tomorrow's operation.
The next morning, Suzuha met with Ren in Yongen-Jaya, just before he headed to school in order to take Morgana with her to Okabe's lab. The plan was to have him deliver the calling card to Mayuri while everyone was at school, so they could immediately begin the infiltration afterwards.
"Have any of you heard from Goro Akechi?" Suzuha asked, before heading out.
"No, not yet." Ren replied with a worried shake of his head.
"I see. I really hope he's alright..." She replied disappointedly. "Well then, let's go, Morgana."
With her new companion in tow, the pair bid farewell to Ren and made their way to the Ohiyama building. Once there, Suzuha knelt down to pass the finished calling card she had received from Yusuke earlier that morning to Morgana.
"Hey, are you sure about this...?" Morgana asked.
"I am. Given my interactions with him so far, if Rintaro Okabe sees me, he'll likely just become more emotionally defensive. That would risk making the calling card less effective, wouldn't it?" Suzuha explained.
"That's true, but..."
"Don't worry, Mayuri Shiina will be expecting you. She didn't fully understand of course, but when I told her whose sake it was for, she quite readily agreed. She may be a bit odd, but I have faith in her pure desire to save Rintaro Okabe."
With that, Morgana gave a nod and took the calling card in his mouth, quickly making his way up to the second floor window. Within he could see three people, one of which he recognized as Okabe himself based on his Shadow's appearance. As for the others, one was a large and rotund man wearing a yellow hat sitting at a computer, the other was a girl wearing a bright blue dress who appeared to be sewing something. This matched Suzuha's description of Mayuri Shiina. She was sitting next to Okabe on the couch with a somewhat lonely looking expression. Keeping his eyes on her, Morgana tapped at the glass with his paw to draw the occupant's attention.
"Huh? Is that a cat? Why's it trying to get in here?"
The first to notice him was the large man at the computer, much to Morgana's frustration. As he began to worry that he was about to be shooed away, the man's words seemed to grab the attention of Mayuri, who looked up to the window and met Morgana's gaze.
"Oh wow! It's really here!" With those simple words, she quickly stood up and ran over to open the window and grant Morgana entry.
"What's up, Mayu- w-wait, why'd you let it in!?" The large man asked, clearly baffled by her actions.
Just then, the curtain near the back of the room opened, revealing a fourth person. "Can you stop yelling, Hashida? I can't focus like this!" She exclaimed.
Morgana immediately recognized this woman as the one from the final Gate in Okabe's Palace. The one Suzuha had referred to as Kurisu Makise.
"Ahh! I'm sorry, it's my fault... I was just surprised that the kitty actually showed up!" Mayuri explained apologetically, motioning to Morgana who was now sitting on the lab's floor.
"The... kitty?" Kurisu responded in confusion. "Huh? There's something in it's mouth."
"Oh, right!" Mayuri exclaimed, kneeling down and reaching out to Morgana. "Can I please borrow that, mister kitty?"
Morgana, not expecting such a polite request, obliged nonetheless. Gently placing the calling card in Mayuri's outstretched hand, he watched nervously as she walked over to the still silent Okabe and began to awkwardly read it's contents.
"Um, Sir Rintaro Okabe, Prisoner of Time. Not only have you allowed your grief to distort your desires, but you refuse to claim them as your own... I-instead, you have chosen to... allow them to destroy you."
Both Kurisu and Hashida looked at Mayuri in concern as she began to tear up. Morgana however was more focused on Okabe's reaction which, while subtle, was still apparent. His body had gotten more tense, and his eyed seemed more focused than they had been a moment ago.
Determined, Mayuri finished reading the card. "If you refuse to act, then we will. No Gate can stand in our way. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
Emotionally exhausted, she dropped to her knees upon finishing, the others rushing to her side to comfort her. His job completed, Morgana made his way out the window and back to Suzuha's side.
"Did it work!?" She worriedly asked upon his return.
"I can't say for certain yet, but... he definitely had a response. As for whether or not this is going to have the effect we're hoping for, that's another story." He replied.
After school, everyone gathered in front of the Ohiyama building as planned. Now it was finally time to begin the operation and confirm if their plan had been a success. Just before they entered, Makoto spoke up.
"This is it. Based on our intel we only have until sundown before Okabe makes his leap and the Rounders make their move." She summarized. "Also, I know how this is going to sound Amane, but... Given our past experiences, there's a high likelihood a confrontation with the Okabe's Shadow will be unavoidable. I'm well aware how capable you are, but without a Persona-"
"I understand. I'll remain on standby outside the Palace." Suzuha quickly answered.
"For real!? I was sure you were gonna be all like "I won't remain here while you all put your lives on the line!" or somethin' like that." Ryuji responded incredulously, his attempted impression of Suzuha prompting a few giggles from the others.
"No, I fully understand the danger that world poses. More importantly, I already decided that I would believe in all of you." Suzuha said.
"Well then, we'll be sure not to let you down!" Futaba exclaimed.
With that, everyone looked to Ren as he pulled out his phone to open the MetaNav.
"It's showtime!" He announced boldly.
Suzuha made her distance from the others as he activated the Nav, so as not to enter with them. As the last of them vanished seemingly into thin air, she began to make her way to her own destination, and the true reason she abstained from entering the Palace with the others.
Climbing these stairs for what felt like the millionth time, Suzuha entered that all too familiar 8th floor room.
"So... You really did come back here." She said to the figure currently slouched against the wall, just next to a particularly large piece of rubble.
"Quite the deduction..." Akechi replied, looking up at the concerned Suzuha. "I assume the others have already begun the infiltration?"
"That's right. My question is, why aren't you with them?" She replied unflinchingly.
"That's simple... I'm a coward."
"Please, just talk to me, Goro Akechi. What happened to you?" She pleaded.
He gave a heavy sigh, then slowly stood up to look her in the eye. "If you insist. Tell me Amane, do you know what awaits you in the the worldline that will result should you successfully petition Okabe to change it?"
His question caught her off guard, but for the sake of the answers she wanted, Suzuha gave her own. "Not specifically, no. Only Rintaro Okabe can carry memories between worldlines."
"With clarity, at least... right?" His voice was colder than she had ever heard it, with a slight tinge of frustration. It was almost like listening to a different person speak. "Though, in your own words, "Memories of prior worldlines can vaguely exist within anyone, manifesting as deja vu, or in the form of dreams", or in my case... nightmares."
Her eyes widened at what he implied, but he continued regardless.
"That's all they were... just simple nightmares. Even after what you told me, I still managed to convince myself this was true. But after listening to that damned Shadow, it all became crystal clear. These were no mere nightmares... they were memories. My memories."
Suzuha was at a loss for words. Whatever Akechi seemed to have remembered about that worldline, the worldline she had staked everything to reach, was the cause for his clear distress.
"Hm? Are you not going to ask what I remembered?" He inquired, a hint of mocking playfulness in his tone. "You did come here for answers, didn't you?"
"I..." Her hesitant response was quickly cut off.
"There's no need, I'll tell you." His voice was once again flat and cold. "What I remembered... was hatred. A pure, all encompassing hatred for a single man." His fists clenched as he spoke. "In the name of that hatred, I swore to eliminate anyone who stood in the way of my vengeance! Including- No, especially... the Phantom Thieves."
He shook his head slightly before continuing.
"I swore to fight alongside the Phantom Thieves. I swore to destroy the Phantom Thieves. They're my friends. They're in my way." Akechi gripped at his head in frustration. "All of these are true, I know they are, but how!? Why!? It's like my mind is being split in two! Why the hell did I have to remember!? Just who the hell am I!?"
Unable to take any more of this display, Suzuha stepped forward and delivered a strong slap across his cheek.
"Get a hold of yourself!"
Taking a moment to recover from her strike, he looked back to her, the frantic look in his eyes now replaced by one of sorrow.
"...You wanted to know why I didn't go with the others. The truth is... it's because I don't want them to succeed." He said with a shameful tone. "If they change Okabe's heart, and he chooses to return to that worldline... Then what do I become? A criminal. A killer. A monster."
"And if they fail? You told me that you and your friends were among SERNs targets. To be hunted like animals for the rest of your days, is that truly a better outcome, Goro Akechi!?
"I don't know!" He admitted frustratedly.
While she was certainly surprised by this unexpected confession of sorts, Valkyrie decided to share with him her honest thoughts on the matter.
"Listen to me. The fact is that you're the only reason I have this chance to see my mission completed. So I refuse to leave things unfinished, because whoever else you were, or whoever else you'll become, I choose to place my trust in the Goro Akechi standing before me here and now."
He simply stared at her upon hearing those words, before something in his fractured mind seemed to click.
"...To think it was that simple after all." He said with a slight chuckle. "If we return to that worldline, my every action is unforgivable. And yet, if I intentionally forsake everyone's future to remain in this worldline, I would never forgive myself. Heh, it truly is a no-win scenario..."
Suzuha made to respond, but he continued before she got the chance.
"But in the end, I was so focused on denying these memories that I failed to see the one quality of mine constant in any worldline." He proclaimed, his determined tone now more reminiscent of when they had first met. "I refuse to leave matters unsettled."
"Does this mean...?"
"Whatever comes of it, no matter what worldline this entire affair results in, I will see my own convictions through to the end." He declared.
With his resolve renewed, Akechi stood tall, and together with Suzuha, they made their way back to join the others in the final confrontation within Rintaro Okabe's Palace.