After successfully making it out of school, the Phantom Thieves had transported back into the Metaverse, and they were currently standing in front of Kamoshida's castle.
"Alright, we're back!" Mona exclaimed, "Time for us to resume our infiltration!"
However, Skull, the group's current head of command, wasn't listening as his gaze was currently fixed on Ann.
Due to them having to deal with that toilet shadow back in that weird red-room, he wasn't really too focused on Ann's appearance, but now that he got a good look at her, he was able to appreciate just how attractiveand stunning she looked in her catsuit.
Even if it was a bit questionable...
"Daamn..." He couldn't help but whisper in awe.
Unfortunately, he wasn't quiet enough, seeing as how she turned around and noticed him staring.
"Hm? What's up?" Ann asked innocently.
"Yeah, Skull. What's up?" Joker, who had been watching him, questioned with an insufferable grin.
The aforementioned thief squawked as he realized he had been caught.
"O-Oh, uh, it's nothin!" He unconvincingly assured as he hurriedly tried to come up with a lie, "III... was just thinkin' of how we need to come up with a code name for ya! That's it!"
"A code name?" Ann repeated in confusion.
"Yeah! A code name!" Skull nodded with a relieved grin, "It'd be totally lame if we used our real names while we're trying sneak around. Fits with the whole phantom thief theme, ya know?"
"... Okay, I guess that makes sense." Ann conceded, "So, what are you guys' code names then?"
"I'm Skull, he's Joker and that's Mona." Skull revealed him and his other comrades' aliases.
"Joker?" Ann repeated in surprise.
"Ya like it?" Joker asked with a smirk, "It's because I'm the only funny person on this team."
"Wait, really?" Ann asked with a raised eyebrow behind her mask, "I thought it was because your outfit kind of looks like something from a circus act."
Her unintentional jab caused Joker to comically freeze up while Skull and Mona both broke into hysterics.
"HAHAHA! Get 'effed, scrub!"
"Looks like we ought to start calling you Clown, now!" Mona heartily chimed in while Ann watched the scene with perplexity.
"... Let's just come up with her code name already." Joker groaned.
"Heheh... but getting back on topic." Mona calmed himself down, "Why don't we use Lady Ann's costume for reference?"
"I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so..." Skull caressed his chin as he examined her outfit.
Joker then suddenly snapped his fingers with a grin.
"Sexy Cat!"
"Like hell I'm gonna call myself that, moron!" Ann snapped.
Skull merely shook his head at his friend's terrible suggestion.
"Ignorin' that whack ass name... Why not go with Catwoman?" Skull asked before smirking, "I mean it would totally fit with how ferocious you were earlier, not to mention you're part of the Phantom Thieves."
"... I get what you're referencing, but I'm still not really down with that." Ann shook her head.
"*Sigh* Okay... Then what do you wanna call yourself?"
"Something better than just a little cat..." Ann tried to think of a name for herself before her eyes suddenly widened, "Oh! "Panther" works!"
"Panther?" Skull repeated in surprise, "I mean, I guess that sounds cool, but why that?"
"Cause it sounds more... ferocious?" She awkwardly explained.
"She's a cougar~" Mona uttered with a lovesick gaze.
"Don't call me that!" Panther snapped at him.
"Panther, huh...? If only your gloves weren't the only pink part of your costume. Then we could've given you a different kind of name involving a panther." Joker jokingly commented.
Panther stared at him with an undecipherable expression for a few seconds before turning back to Skull.
"Does he always make lame jokes like this?"
"You don't know the half of it." Skull and Mona simultaneously replied.
"But more importantly, we need to hurry up and steal Kamoshida's treasure!" Panther reminded the group of their main objective.
"Oh, right!" Skull remembered, "Let's go!"
"It's game time from this point forward." Mona seriously stated, "Now let's do this!"
"Let us start the game!" Joker grinned.
At that, Joker, Mona, and Panther ran towards the castle, their objective clear.
However, just before Skull could move to join his teammates, a sudden bright flash caught his attention, and he looked to his right to see a strange blue door to a cell, and standing right near it was one of his wardens in the Velvet Room, Justine.
"The hell...?!" He exclaimed in surprise.
"My master would like a word with you, Inmate." Justine calmly stated as the cell opened by itself, "Come at once."
"The old man?" He asked, "He wants to talk? Like... right now?"
Justine noticed him slyly eyeing his friends' departing forms.
"Do not worry. To them, it will seem as if you've simply frozen in place." She revealed, "Your body shall return to normal once you leave your cell."
"For real?" He asked, "That's good to hear, I guess..."
"Now then, let us not keep my master waiting any longer." Justine urged calmly.
"Alright then." He complied as he walked inside the cell with Justine following suit.
The teen eventually found himself in the familiar eerie atmosphere of the Velvet Room, and he was back in his prisoner outfit rather than his thuggish attire.
"The prisoner Ryuji Sakamoto has returned!" Caroline announced.
"You wanted to see me, old man?" Ryuji asked Igor.
"Indeed. I summoned you in order to offer you praise." Igor stated with his permanent grin.
"Praise?" Ryuji repeated with raised eyebrows.
"It seems you have remembered my words... You truly make it worth rehabilitating you." The long-nosed man stated.
"I'd ask what ya mean, but knowin' you, you're just gonna dodge the question." Ryuji deadpanned.
"Don't get smart with our master, Inmate!" Caroline slammed her baton the bars.
Igor let out a chuckle, "I am not attempting to withhold information from you, Buccaneer. Discover your place in reality, and continue to encounter allies who share your ideals and will provide you their aid... Then I will explain the full essence of the rehabilitation you must complete."
"Judgin' from our last talk, I'm guessin' you're gonna lend me your aid too, huh?" Ryuji questioned as he remembered his deal with Igor.
If Igor's grin wasn't abnormally wide then, it definitely was now.
"Precisely!" Igor confirmed, "This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing."
"Due to your potential in wielding the power of the wild card, you can handle more than one Persona."
"The wild card..." Ryuji remembered the name of his newfound ability, "Hang on. The last time I was here, you guys were sayin' formin' more bonds could make my Persona stronger, but I remember you said "Personas" and not "Persona". You guys knew I had this power the entire time, didn't ya?"
"Your attention to detail is quite impressive, Inmate." Justine praised, seeing as she was the one who said that.
"Correct." Igor confirmed, "I was aware of the potential you held from the very beginning."
"... Woulda been real nice to know about that earlier, ya know..." Ryuji muttered in exasperation.
"The power of the Wild Card holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential." Igor stated.
"How're ya gonna do that?" The teen asked curiously.
"... Execution."
"W-WHAT?!" Ryuji jolted away from his cell in fear before forming a T with his hands, "Woahwoahwoahwoah, time out, time out for a sec!"
Igor chuckled at his reaction, "Do not be alarmed." He assured, "Personas are personalities that exist within you. Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones."
The blonde sighed in relief as he held a hand over his heart. Granted, he still didn't get it, but at least they weren't gonna kill him all of a sudden.
"Gee... Ya coulda started with that. You almost gave me a damn heart attack..."
"Now then, bring forth the Personas you currently possess." Igor instructed as he snapped his fingers.
Before Ryuji could ask what he meant, he grit his teeth and grabbed the cell bars as he suddenly fell to his knees.
"T-The hell...?"
A bright blue flame overtook his body and four balls of fire shot out of it before floating in front of him.
When the flame died down and he got back on his feet, he opened his eyes and looked on in shock as they fire balls transformed into all four of the persona he currently held.
Pixie, Bicorn, Jack-o'lantern, and in the center was Captain Kidd himself.
"Woah... How'd they come out on their own?" He asked in surprise and confusion.
"This place works different from the cognitive world and the real world, remember?" Caroline reminded him before turning a bit impatient, "Now hurry up and choose two of them, Inmate!"
"Choose? Whaddya mean?" The teen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"As I said before, by discarding your old identity, you give way to a new one. Hence, we call that process "execution" Igor stated, "Think of it as the fusion of your Personas."
"Soo... basically you're sayin' that I choose two of my Personas and then you fuse 'em into a new one?" Ryuji summarized it, receiving a nod which confirmed his analysis was correct, "Huh, okay then. That actually doesn't sound too bad!" He became excited.
"But uhh, how exactly are you gonna fuse 'em, though?" He had to ask.
"With these." Igor snapped his fingers.
The blonde teenager looked on in wonder before dropping his jaw in shock.
Behind Igor were two large guillotines that had suddenly manifested in the room, and if Ryuj wasn't busy being flabbergasted, he would've commented on how odd it was that the devices somehow fit in the relatively small Velvet Room.
'W-WHAT THE EFF?! ARE THOSE 'EFFIN GUILLOTINES?!!!'
"Why do you seem so surprised, Inmate?" Justine asked curiously as if this was normal.
"When you guys were talkin' about "execution" I didn't think you literally meant "execution"!!" He exclaimed.
"Duh! What else would it mean, Inmate?" Caroline retorted with a vicious smirk.
The realization that he'd have to subject two of his Personas to getting decapitated by those things set in fast, and it immediately made him feel uneasy.
"Ah, before you make your selections, allow me to tell you something greatly important." Igor chimed in.
Suddenly, a card appeared above each individual Persona, surprising Ryuji.
'Why do I feel like I've seen these cards before...?' He mentally asked.
"Carefully examine the cards belonging to your Personas." Igor instructed, "Do they not resemble the cards that appear whenever you forge a new bond?"
"Oh yeahhh!" Ryuji uttered in realization, "The Arcanas!"
"Indeed." Igor nodded, "When you fuse a Persona that shares its arcana with one of your bonds, it will receive a great amount of power depending on how strong your bond is with that confidant."
"So that's why you were so insistent on me formin' bonds!"
"Exactly. This will be a guiding principle for your forays into fusion... Try not to forget it."
"Alright... Then I guess its time for me to make my choice, huh?"
The blonde finally faced his four Personas as he began to examine all of them with an uncertain expression.
Surprisingly, none of them seemed bothered or distraught, almost as if they had been expecting this.
"You need not worry about us, Buccaneer..." Captain Kidd suddenly spoke up, surprising Ryuji.
"As the other versions of yourself, we are all fully prepared to give ourselves up in order for you to achieve greater power." Captain Kidd revealed without a hint of fear in his voice, "As long as our sacrifices result in the fulfillment of your mission, then that is all that matters to us."
"And though my existence will temporarily cease, I shall forever remain at your side... For I am Captain Kidd, the other you who exists within!" The pirate persona confidently declared.
Jack-o'lantern was the next to speak up.
"Don't get all de-hee-pressed on me, ho! I know you'll miss hee-having a funny personality like me-hee around, but in the end, knocking that rotten king off his hee-high horse is all that matters, ho!"
"Don't worry about us. We're all here to help you through your journey in any way we can." Pixie assured him before winking with a playful smile, "Just make sure to summon me again when you can, 'kay?"
"If choppin' me up means it'll make ya a hell of a lot stronger, then go on right ahead, sonny!" Bicorn also made himself heard.
Hearing his Personas' words of encouragement surprised the blonde teenager as he wasn't expecting them to be so calm and headstrong in the face of "death".
"... O-Okay then..." He gulped as he steeled himself, 'If they're all so damn okay with it, then I guess I got nothin' to worry about...?'
Slightly put at ease by his other personalities' lack of fear, Ryuji gazed over all of them as he contemplated which ones to give up. After all, he needed to make a decision that would advantageous rather than lose two useful personas due to a careless decision.
It took about a minute of silence before the blonde was finally able to arrive at a decision he deemed acceptable.
"Okay... I'll fuse Pixie and Bicorn." Ryuji stated.
The aforementioned personas said nothing as they simply bowed in understanding and flew backwards to the guillotines behind them.
"Glad to see-hee you still want little ol' me around, ho!" Jack-o'lantern cheered with a little spin.
"So, you still wish to have me by your side?" Captain Kidd questioned.
"I might be able to get more Personas, but you've stuck with me since the very beginning." Ryuji gazed at his first partner with a grin, "Ain't no way in hell I'm gettin' rid of you!"
His declaration made the pirate Persona give out a hearty laugh.
"Very well! I am honored to continue fighting alongside you on your jourmey, Buccaneer." Captain Kidd announced with delight, "Let us hoist our flag of rebellion over this wretched nation!"
At that, both Captain Kidd and Jack-o'lantern transformed back into flames and shot into Ryuji's chest.
His attention then shifted toward Caroline and Justine, who covered Pixie and Bicorn with purple cloths before placing them under the holes of the guillotine.
"Time for the fun part!" Caroline sadistically exclaimed as she eagerly pulled at the switch.
Ryuji couldn't help but cringe as he watched the blades descend upon his Personas. Though his unease turned into shock when the Personas suddenly burst into raw energy and mixed into a single flame.
The flame then died down to reveal it had taken the shape of a large mass of green slime with red eyes and a mouth.
The blonde teen stared at the new Persona with a blank stare.
"... Well that wasn't what I was expectin'..."
"Me Slime..." The slimy Persona introduced itself, "Y-You... have mask...! N-N-Nice meet you...!"
It transformed into a mask resembling Ryuji's skull mask and absorbed itself into his face.
"And with that, a new and stronger Persona has been born." Igor stated, "It shall be your new strength."
"There! Now that wasn't so bad, was it, Inmate?" Caroline remarked.
"No, I guess not..." He uttered in agreement.
Honestly, he still couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by the entire process of "executing" his Personas. Sure, they explained it was to make him stronger, and his Personas were okay with it, but something about the whole thing still rubbed him the wrong way.
'... Ah, what the hell? Maybe I'm just bein' paranoid.' He quickly dismissed his nervousness.
"Continue to gather Personas and bring them here to be executed." Igor advised, "Developing your powers as such will play an integral role in your stand against ruin."
"So that your rehabilitation goes well, we have a variety of rituals to choose in regard to executions." Justine revealed.
"And depending on the effort you put in, our master might consider further development of new rituals." Caroline added, "Feel free to cry your tears of joy, Inmate!"
"Like hell I'm gonna do that...!" Ryuji deadpanned.
"The rebellion in your heart is steadily gaining strength." Igor commented, "Your rehabilitation is going smoothly. A joyous development indeed..."
"In commemoration of this, I shall grant you a gift." Igor revealed, "I believe it will be of great use to you during your journey."
Before Ryuji could ask what it was, he grunted and vigorously rubbed at his eyes as they suddenly felt very irritated. However, as quickly as the irritation came, it dissipated, and Ryuji finally opened his eyes, only to widen them in surprise.
He saw Igor and his twin wardens, but for some odd reason, almost everything in his vision was dark, except for Igor and the twins, who seemed to be illuminated. There was also the sight of Igor's Fool tarot card was now hovering over his head.
"What the...?" He uttered in confusion, "The hell did you do to my eyes?!"
"That, Buccaneer, is your Third Eye."
"Third Eye...??" He repeated in confusion before rapidly patting his forehead in panic, "Oh hell no!"
"The term is not literal." Igor assured him with a chuckle, "I assure you, your appearance has not been altered."
"Oh thank 'effin God..." Ryuji sighed in relief, "I thought I was gonna be a freak forever..."
"The Third Eye is a thief's skill, allowing them to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark or invisible to the naked eye." Igor explained.
'A sixth sense? Like Spider-Man?' He questioned in surprise. 'Actually nah, this is a bit more like Daredevil.' He commented on his current state of vision.
"Okay, but like, is there any way to turn it off or am I stuck with blacklight vision?" Ryuji asked.
"Simply wish for your vision to return to normal, and it shall do as such." Igor instructed.
Following Igor's instructions, Ryuji closed his eyes as he tried to mentally turn the Third Eye off, and when he opened them, his eyesight was back to normal.
"Woah... It actually worked!" Ryuji exclaimed in awe, "That's 'effin awesome!"
"I believe you can handle this ability now, and I trust that you will use it well in your adventures..."
It seemed like Igor was placing his trust in Ryuji, and it felt like there was a bit of a deeper connection.
'... Maybe he really ain't as bad as I thought.' Ryuji mentally figured before grinning.
"Heh. Thanks, old man!"
RANK UP!
FOOL: RANK 2
"Now then, continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation." Igor bid him farewell, "Until we meet again..."
Before he knew it, Skull found himself back in the Metaverse, and the cell door to the Velvet Room was nowhere to be seen.
'I'm back in the castle!' He realized as he noticed he was back in his thief attire.
"Uh... Skull?"
He turned around to find that his teammates were staring at him with puzzled expressions.
"Is something wrong?" Mona asked with a bit of concern, "You were just standing around all of a sudden."
"We tried calling out to you for about two minutes but you seemed pretty daze." Joker commented.
"Are you okay?" Panther asked in worry.
'Huh. Justine really wasn't lyin' after all.' He mentally noted.
"It's fine, you guys. I'm cool." Skull assured before rubbing at his hair, "But uhh... There's somethin' I need to tell ya..."
"What is it?" Joker asked curiously.
The skull-masked thief silently tried to think of the best way to explain his daze before suddenly shaking his head.
"Actually, y'know what? I'll tell y'all later." He changed his mind, "We've got more important things to worry 'bout right now."
"Hmm... Well, if it's a matter you don't think is significant enough to dwell on until after the infiltration, then I guess I can wait." Mona conceded before looking at Joker and Panther, "What about you two?"
"I trust Skull, so if he thinks it can wait, I don't mind." Panther answered, "As long as we can deal with Kamoshida as soon as possible, that's all that matters!"
"I'm down with whatever." Joker shrugged.
Skull flashed a grin of appreciation at his team's easy acceptance.
"Thanks, you guys. I promise I'll explain everythin' when this is all over." He assured them before hardening his gaze to showcase his determination.
"Now let's storm this castle!"
"Come on out!" Skull yelled as he ripped a knight's mask off, revealing their true form, or forms, to be three shadows including a mandrake, a bicorn, and a Pixie.
"Good. Now try out exactly what I taught you!" Mona instructed.
"Got it!" Skull swiftly summoned Captain Kidd and floored the bicorn with a Zio.
"I'm open!" Joker offered his hand for a high-five.
"Okay! Passin' the baton, yo!"
Skull went over to Joker and smacked his palm with his own, which caused a red fiery aura to flash over the latter.
"You're mine!" Joker exclaimed with an excited grin at his boost in power as he summoned Arsène before instantly vaporizng the Pixie with a curse attack.
Sensing it's impending doom, the mandrake leapt at Joker and tried to plant its feet into his gut, but Arsène blocked the attack and grabbed it by the legs and threw it back into the battlefield.
"Ooh! Ooh! I've got the last one!" Panther excitedly raised her hand.
"All yours!" Joker passed the Baton over to her, and a yellow aura passed over her.
"Take this!" Panther yelled as she manifested Carmen, who killed the mandrake with a boosted fireball.
The elegant Persona took a puff out of her cigar before sealing herself back into her wielder's mask.
With the knocked-down bicorn being the last shadow left, the four thieves immediately took it out with an All-Out Attack, leaving their enemies defeated.
"Woohoo! That was awesome!" Panther cheered.
"Hell yeah! We all kicked ass!" Skull pumped his fist in agreement.
"I knew you guys would handle it!" Mona stated with a proud grin, "Improving yourselves is important, but learning to fight as a team is just as vital to our survival."
"I guess we better keep on using that Baton Pass, huh?" Joker commented with a smirk.
"Exactly!" Mona nodded, "With that technique, we can take control of a battle as often as possible!"
"Then let's make sure to keep that in mind for the next times we get into a fight." Skull instructed, receiving a "Yeah" from his teammates.
At that, the group of Phantom Thieves resumed their infiltration.
"I'm Mandrake. I mean, I'm you after all, so let's hope we get along!"
The flower-like shadow morphed into a mask as Skull absorbed it.
"Piece of cake!" Skull exclaimed at his success.
"Nice going, Skull!" Mona praised, "You haggled with that shadow pretty easily."
"Hehheh." He hoisted his bat over his shoulder with a grin, "Negotiatin' with shadows is light work for me."
"Funny. That screaming match you had with the shadow in a jug from earlier says otherwise." Joker smugly commented.
"Shaddup!" Skull retorted, "It's not my fault that thing was so damn irritated!"
"Y'know, I'm both impressed and surprised that you were able to negotiate with that shadow." Panther stated before playfully smirking, "The Skull I know would've just kept yelling at it until it surrendered."
"Not you too, Panther!" Skull complained with a sweatdrop while Joker laughed.
"Is there a joke here I'm not getting?" Mona asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Gah, it ain't important! Let's just get movin'!" Skull grumbled as he stormed off, with a snickering pair of Joker and Panther, and a confused Mona following behind.
The team went through the door at the end of the room they were in, which led them to not another hallway, but a rather spacious room.
The main spectacle was the center of the room, which was blocked off by black bars and several pillars with black busts resembling goat heads hanging from them. The busts also had large rings hanging from their maws.
"Woah. We haven't been to a strange ass room like this before." Skull commented.
"I don't see any guards around here, so I assume we'll be fine." Mona stated.
"Hey, there's something in there." Joker pointed toward a table in the center of the room, gaining the team's attention.
"Yeah, you're right, but these bars are blocking our way in." Panther noted.
"You think it's somethin' important, Mona?" Skull questioned.
"Definitely." Mona nodded confidently, "It wouldn't be so tightly secured if it wasn't. There must be a way in and out of there."
"Maybe pulling on one of these goat heads would do the trick?" Joker suggested.
"It is possible... Perhaps we should leave this to our head of command." Mona agreed and turned to Skull, "Skull, you think you can solve the mystery of this room?"
"I'll give it a shot!" The aforementioned head of command gave a thumbs up.
The skull-masked thief examined the various busts around the room, silently wondering how he'd go about figuring them out until an idea hit him.
'Hold up... Maybe I can use that new Third Eye Igor was talkin' about!' He realized. After all, he did say it would let him see things invisible to the naked eye.
Closing his eyes, Skull placed all his focus on trying to activate his newfound ability, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that his vision was darker, although the bust near him was illuminated compared to the others.
'I did it!' He cheered, 'Now to get to solvin'!'
Right away, he noticed there were highlighted footsteps leading to not just the bust in front of him, but also to another bust on the other side of the bars. So, he walked toward the nearest bust and pulled on its ring, drawing out a chain and making the light in its eyes go out, but not unlocking the bars.
"I don't think that was the right one." Panther stated.
However, Skull already knew there was more to this puzzle, and he quickly ran over to the highlighted bust on the other side of the room and pulled its ring, causing the bars around the room to be lifted up, surprising his teammates.
"Nailed it!" Skull fist pumped at his success.
"Woah! He did it!" Joker exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Nyahaha! As expected from you, Skull!" Mona beamed with praise as he and the others entered the room with Skull.
"Heh, it was nothin'." Skull rubbed under his nose with a grin, "Now let's check out that table."
The four thieves went over the table and found a certain sheet of paper.
"Huh? Is that a map?" Panther asked.
"It looks like a map of the Palace." Joker commented.
"Yes! This will be a vital asset for out mission!" Mona cheered excitedly, "Not only will having this map give us a better layout of the Palace, but now we also don't have to continue wandering aimlessly hoping to the find the treasure."
"Uh, not to be a downer or anythin' but I don't think this map is finished." Skull got everyone's attention, "I don't see any spots markin' where the treasure is."
"Oh, I see... It appears it's incomplete." Mona sighed in disappointment.
Suddenly, the map started to glow, taking the thieves aback.
"W-What the hell?!" Skull uttered in shock.
"Uhh, Mona?? Why the hell is the map glowing?!" Panther frantically asked.
"I-I have no idea!" The equally shocked cat replied.
When the light eventually died down, a buzzing noise suddenly came from Skull's phone, and he pulled it out before widening his eyes in surprise.
"What...?! The map's on my phone now!"
"Seriously?" Joker asked in surprise as him and the rest of the thieves looked at the blonde's phone screen.
True to his word, a digital version of the map was indeed on Skull's phone, with the words "Kamoshida's Castle" and "Old Castle 2F" at the top.
"Huh... I guess the layout of the map must've somehow been copied onto your phone." Mona guessed.
"That's kinda crazy... But it beats having to carry the map around wherever we go." Panther remarked.
"For real." Skull agreed, "But it still ain't complete though."
"Perhaps there are more of them hidden around the castle." Mona suggested.
"M'kay, then let's start checkin' what we can. We'll prolly find another map on the way somewhere." Skull agreed as he gazed at the spot on the map that signified their current location, "Judgin' from where we are, we needa make a right and go thru that door. Okay, follow me, guys!"
His teammates wordlessly followed him as he went through the door on their left.
The blonde hadn't said it out loud, but it was really starting to feel like he was in a dungeon crawler.
"... Mona."
"Yeah?"
"When you told me we had to look for a treasure in Kamoshida's castle... I didn't think you meant ACTUAL treasure!!" Skull exclaimed as him and his team stared at a golden treasure chest.
"Don't be mistaken. This isn't the treasure I was talking about." Mona disregarded before grinning mischievously, "But... That doesn't change the fact that we can still find smaller treasure around here."
"For 'effin real?!"
"It's so shiny!" Panther uttered in awe.
"Is that actual gold...?" Joker asked in surprise.
"Indeed it is! And I'm betting we can find ourselves something really valuable in there." Mona stated.
"Then what're we waitin' for?! Let's open it!" Skull exclaimed like an excited little kid.
"*Sigh* As much as I'd like to, it appears this one has a lock..." Mona commented in a dejected tone.
"... I might be able to help with that." Joker stated with a smirk as he pulled out a certain sharp object.
"Wuh- Is that a lockpick??" Skull asked in surprise.
"Where did you even get that?!" Mona questioned.
"I made it." Joker simply revealed, "I got bored yesterday so I randomly decided to look up "ways to improve one's proficiency" and one of the top results was making lockpicks. This should help get that lock right open, don't you think?" He smugly asked.
"Is it just me or does he act like a totally different person in this world?" Panther asked.
"Nice going!" Mona praised, "It seems even you have your uses, Joker."
The darkly-dressed thief grinned with pride at the praise before handing the lockpick over to Skull, who fiddled around with it until he heard a "click" and the lock fell off.
"Got it!" Skull cheered, "Now let's have a look!"
He reached in as a slight glow came from inside the chest, and he let out a certain jingle as he pulled out the hidden item.
"DUN DUN DUN DUUUUN-! Eh?" He faltered when he noticed the item he acquired.
"A bottle? And why the hell is there a bead in it...?"
"That, my apprentice, is called a bead!" Mona informed him, "One of the best healing items when it comes to restoring full health. We should definitely use it in case we run out of medicine."
"Sounds useful enough." Skull conceded and stored the item away, "Think we'll find more chests along the way?"
"Yes. Although, it's not just chests that contain valuable items." Mona revealed, "Sometimes, jars like that one have the chance of containing goodies. If you're lucky enough, you can break one and find something nice."
"Word?" Skull asked before eagerly rushing over to the only jar in the room and smashing the top half with his fist.
"Haha! I've got-!" His elated expression quickly changed into disappointment, "What?! This jar's got nothin' but dirt in it!"
"I guess you could say "you've got a jar of dirt"?" Joker asked with a smirk.
"*Sigh* You just ruined one of my favorite scenes from that movie..." Skull sulked.
"Uhh... I don't think we're goin' any further this way." Skull commented.
The four thieves had entered a certain room leading to a stairway. However, it seemed like a big chunk of the stairway leading upstairs was missing, probably broken down judging from the rubble. How this was even possible, who knows?
"Should we look somewhere else?" Panther asked as a suggestion.
"Wait- look up there!" Mona pointed at the upper stairway.
The other theives looked to see a goat bust hanging from it.
"Another bust? We're not gonna throw a rope over it and climb, are we?" Joker questioned.
"Phantom thieves are much more stylish than that." Mona shook his head before smirking at Skull, "And I think Skull has something that will do just the trick."
"I think I know what you're gettin' at Mona." Skull grinned as he strapped a certain device to his left wrist.
"What's that?" Panther asked curiously.
"You'll see in a sec." Skull simply answered.
Then, the skull-masked blonde shot his wrist upwards before a hook suddenly shot out and hooked onto the bust, allowing Skull to zip high into the air.
"Woohooo!" He yelled out in glee before landing on the stairway.
"W-Woah!" Panther yelled in surprise.
"What the??" Joker followed suit.
"Haha! It seems like it works like a charm!" Mona beamed.
"Hell yeah it does!" Skull enthusiastically agreed, "That was wicked!"
"What the hell was that?!" Joker questioned.
"You dig it? It's my grapplin' hook!" Skull gestured toward the device on his wrists, "I saw it back at the weapons shop, and somethin' told me to buy it."
"And it's a good thing you did!" Mona stated, "With that device, you can zip to hard-to-reach areas without any problem!"
"Wow, you really can do anything here if you think you can hard enough..." Panther whispered with wide eyes.
"Huh... That's actually pretty badass." Joker admitted with a smirk, "But... How are the rest of us supposed to get up there?"
The question caused both Skull and Mona to comically stiffen up.
"O-Oh... I uhh, didn't think that far ahead actually..." Mona admitted with shame.
"I don't suppose you bought one for the rest of us too, Skull?" Panther asked.
"Uhh... N-No." Skull sheepishly answered.
"*Sigh* Figured..." Panther facepalmed.
"Ooh, wait! I think I have an idea!" Mona suddenly exclaimed.
"What is it?" Joker asked.
"Well..."
"I already hate this..." Skull deadpanned as Panther and Joker held on to him from each side of his body.
"A-Are you sure this is the best way?" Panther stammered as she held around Skull's neck, leaving slight room for him to raise his arm.
"Well, if you guys have any better ideas, I'm all ears." Mona responded from his spot on Skull's head.
"As practical as this is, it's still really uncomfortable." Joker stated with a sigh while holding on to Skull's chest.
"Easy for you to say!" Skull remarked, "You ain't the one that's bein' suffocated by all this damn weight!"
"Oh please." Joker rolled his eyes, "I'm sure if Panther was the only one holding on to you, you'd be a lot more willing." He stated with a smirk.
His comment elicited an embarrassed blush from both of the blondes.
"S-Shut the hell up!" Skull retorted to hide his flusteredness.
"Can we hurry up and get a move on already?" Mona urged.
"Grrr... Fine." Skull grumbled as he calmed himself, "Hold on tight."
"3.."
"2.."
"1.."
The thieves, minus Mona, let out a collective startled scream as the hook lifted them up to the top.
"OOF!"
"NGH!"
"OWW!"
The trio let out sounds of pain as they roughly landed while Mona safely hopped off Skull's head.
"See? That wasn't too bad!" Mona stated.
"Urghhh..."
"Uhh, are you guys okay?" Mona questioned in concern as the trio moaned in pain.
"Note to self: Buy a grapplin' hook for everyone else..." Skull uttered.
"I'd really appreciate that..." Panther stated.
"Ditto..." Joker agreed.
"Another one for the collection!" Skull remarked as he obtained Cait Sith.
"I can't believe you got Puss in Boots as your new Persona, Skull." Joker joked.
"Ha! That shadow low-key did look like Puss in Boots!" Skull agreed, "At least I've got one of the most badass cats in my arsenal now."
"Huh?! What about me?!" Mona asked in outrage.
The smirks on Skull and Joker's faces immediately made the cat realize his screw-up.
"I-I mean- Y-Yeah! You're right! Puss in Boots is totally the coolest cat since I'm definitely a human and not a cat! Yup! 100% human!" Mona quickly retracted his statement.
Skull and Joker snickered while Panther shook her head.
"Can we hurry up and go already?"
"Heh, my bad." Skull apologized as he opened the door to a library.
"A library?" Joker observed.
"So many damn books...!" Skull uttered.
"I know I'm seeing it for myself, but I still find it really hard to believe this place is still the school..." Panther commented before a certain bookshelf caught her eye.
"Hey, is it just me or do these books have names on them?"
"Let's check 'em out! There's gotta be some kinda secret mechanism around here." Skull stated.
"What makes you say that?" Joker questioned.
"Helloo? We're in a library in some twisted castle." Skull replied, "The bad guy always has a secret passage hidden by a bookshelf!"
"You may be right." Mona thought, "Let's inspect these shelves further."
Following his examples, the group checked out the various bookshelves in the area.
During his search, Skull used his Third Eye, and a certain illumination from the bookshelf on his left caught his attention, and he went to inspect the books over there.
"'The History of Kamoshida', 'Tracing Kamoshida's Steps', 'Kamoshida's Heroisms'... 'Kamoshida's Law'?" His face progressively scrunched up as he read out their names, "What the eff?! All these goddamn books're about Kamoshida!"
"That reminds me, you found a few books earlier, didn't you, Skull?" Mona remembered.
"Yeah, somethin' told me we might need 'em." Skull replied as his gaze went toward the gap in the bookshelf, "And I think I was right..."
"You thinking about putting one of the books in that empty spot?" Mona questioned.
"Yup." Skull answered before inspecting the three books he got his hands on earlier.
They each had a different title. There was the 'King's Book', the 'Queen's Book', and the 'Slave Book'. Only one of these books could properly fit inside the gap, but it would be hard to tell which one just by looking at them.
Perhaps he should think about it differently...
'All the books on this shelf're are talkin' about nothin' but Kamoshida and how "glorious" he is...' He forced himself not to cringe at that thought, 'They all fit with how highly that bastard thinks of himself, like how he's the king of his own damn castle...'
The blonde's eyes suddenly widened in realization.
'... I think I got it!'
His final choice being clear, Skull placed the 'King's Book' inside the shelf, and grinned in satisfaction when he saw it fit perfectly.
"It looks like you were right, Skull." Mona commented.
"Heck yeah I was." He grinned, "I knew bringin' these books with me would come in handy."
"There are probably a few more bookshelves with gaps just like that one that require the two other books." Mona stated, "Let's all start looking around for them."
The team nodded at his words and did just that.
During her inspection of one of the shelves, Panther spotted something that surprised her.
"Huh? This book has Shiho's name in the title..." She noticed as the book was titled, 'Shiho Suzui: The Mere Substitute'.
"Wait wuh?" Skull uttered as him and the others walked over to her.
"Wait... It's not just this one!" Panther exclaimed in surprise as she scanned the rest of the books on the shelf, "My name is on here too! And a bunch of other girls!"
"These books must primarily be about female students..." Joker stated.
"'Ann Takamaki: The Charming Doll'..." Skull read the book's title with revulsion, "What the flying 'eff...??
"That goddamn pervert!" Panther yelled in anger.
"The deeper we dive into his mind, the more repulsive he becomes." Joker scoffed.
"*Groan* Well this one is a no-brainer." Skull commented as he placed the 'Queen's Book' inside, "Okay, just one more book left."
In due time, Joker ended up being the one to find the final gap.
"Skull, I found the last one." He stated, "But I don't think you're gonna like it..."
"You're sayin' that as if I don't already hate this place." Skull remarked as he walked over to the shelf before inspecting the books himself.
"Wha... These're the names of the volleyball students!" He exclaimed in surprise, "But, wait a sec... I'm only seein' the dudes' names on here!"
There were some pretty messed up titles, like 'Yuuki Mishima: The Worthless Punching Bag'.
"It appears there's a book here for Skull too." Mona pointed out, "'Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape'."
"Oh, that sunnuvabitch!" Skull shook his fist in anger.
"Well we know for a fact that he abuses the volleyball team and sees them as slaves, so..." Joker commented.
"*Sigh* Yeah, I get ya..." Skull replied as he placed the final book, the 'Slave Book', inside the gap.
Suddenly, a "click" sound could be heard, and one of the bookshelves began to shake before it slid to the side to reveal a certain room.
"Woah, it opened up!" Panther expressed her surprise.
"See?! I told you guys there'd be a secret passage in here." Skull gloated.
"No surprise that a deplorable man like Kamoshida has their secrets." Joker commented.
"Let's go check it out!" Mona instructed.
When the thieves entered the mysterious room, their expressions simultaneously shifted into a mix of befuddlement and disgust.
"Dear God..." Joker whispered.
Inside the room was a shrine, evident by the strange sight of various candles on the floor surrounding a rack.
However, what really elicited the reaction from them were the various photos of Shiho Suzui occupying the room. Some of them were plastered on the wall, while others were scattered before them on the ground. The pictures themselves seemed to be either normal or quite suggestive.
"W-What the hell...?" Skull quietly let out.
"... T-These are pictures of Shiho." Panther whispered, clearly aghast.
"They're all pictures of her..." Joker observed, his face showing off clear signs of disgust.
A certain photograph at Skull's feet caught his attention, and when he picked it up, he felt his heart drop.
It was a photo of a topless Suzui, wearing only a bra, backing up in fear as a shadow loomed over her, and it didn't take a genius to know who that shadow belonged to. Frankly, it was a horrifying picture.
However, the flabbergastment that Skull felt was quickly replaced by a feeling of pure hatred and fury. If looks could kill, then anyone who gazed at his face would immediately be buried six feet under.
'That goddamn son of a BITCH...!'
Before he could express his rage any further, his eyes darted toward Panther, and he noticed that she was slightly shaking and rubbing her arm while her gaze was downward.
His anger quickly turned into concern as he could easily tell she was feeling uncomfortable, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her anxious state.
"He ain't gonna get away with this." Skull reminded her in a comforting and assuring manner, "We promised to make him pay, didn't we?"
Panther stared at him in slight surprise for a bit before gaining a little smile.
"Yeah... You're right. Thanks." She thanked him, "If anything, I feel even more motivated to do this now."
Skull smiled at her words, "That's good to hear."
"There has to be something in this room if Kamoshida was hiding it with such an elaborate trick." Mona commented before looking a bit sympathetic, "I'm sure it'll feel awful, but we should probably search around."
Panther let out a sigh to mentally prepare herself before gaining a determined expression.
"I'll be fine." She assured everyone, "As long we find something that brings us one step closer to dealing with Kamoshida for good, then that's all that matters."
"You're damn right!" Skull voiced out his agreement.
Mona nodded at their words, "Alright, then let's begin our search."
"Sorry about this, Suzui-san." Joker apologized as he began to look around.
Not wanting to prolong his and his friends' stay in the unnerving room, Skull went forward and activated his Third Eye, which allowed him to immediately spot an illuminated object in a nearby mini bookshelf.
"Yo, I found the key!" Skull exclaimed as he picked up both a medal-shaped key and a familiar piece of paper, "And I think I found another map!"
A buzz came from Skull's phone once again, notifying him that the map had been updated, and he checked it as his teammates gazed as well.
"Aha! Our map's complete now!" Mona cheered.
"So can we spot the treasure's location now?" Joker questioned.
"Yeah. Look right there!" Mona pointed at a certain section of the map that had a treasure logo.
"That's a weirdly-shaped building..." Panther commented, "Is it a tower or something?
"Considering our current position... I'd say we're about halfway there." Mona stated.
"All right! Then let's skidaddle!" Skull beamed.
"Hold that thought." Mona stopped him, "We shouldn't go over there just yet."
"Why not?" Panther asked in confusion.
"Now that we know how much ground we have left to cover, we should pace ourselves a bit." Mona advised, "If we get too excited and expend all our energy, there's no way we'll be able to steal the Treasure today."
"You've got a point." Skull conceded, "In that case, let's keep on explorin' until we find another Safe Room. That okay with y'all?"
"No objections from me." Joker replied.
"Same here." Panther agreed.
"Whatever you say, Leader." Mona nodded.
"Alright." He nodded at his team's compliance, "Now let's get-"
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
The four thieves quickly turned at the voice, and they saw that one of the knights of the castle had entered the library.
"Dammit! Of course they spot us now..." Mona cursed.
"How dare you snoop around in King Kamoshida's castle!" The knight readied its sword, "I shall slay you pesky thieves myself!"
"Shhhh! Sir, this is a library." Joker quipped.
"Tch. Nice job, dumbass. You just led yourself straight to your own grave." Skull mocked the soldier as he summoned Cait Sith.
"Let's plow through 'em, guys!"
Ryuji's Confidant List:
THE DEATH - Ren Amamiya:Rank1
THE FOOL - Igor: Rank 2
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 1
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 1
Yup, this took me a little awhile, but alas, I have finished it!
Now I know some of you were probably expecting me to cover the full dungeon but do not worry! I'm purposefully splitting this chapter into two parts so it doesn't get too long, so the next chapter will definitely be out before next week!
Anyways, the final infiltration seems to be going well for Skull and his Phantom Thieves, but the adventure still isn't over yet. What other sitches will they be getting into? Stay tuned and find out!
Until next time, my friends!
RinOta, out!