The arrival of Yoshiki left the Phantom Thieves in shock. "H-Hey, what was that? Don't tell me that weird blowhard was...!" Futaba was in shock. She recalled seeing that man on the large screen earlier.
"That's Yoshiki." Yuki confirmed. "He's the general that rules this country."
"Why is he in a metal suit..." Sophia tilted her head to the side.
"Why is he a Buddha?" Ichinose also asked, the two of them looking extremely identical right now.
"Ahhh, it brings me such joy to see my citizens display their love for me." Yoshiki spoke with an elated tone. "Today, once again, peace reigns in my country as it should."
"Yes, sir!" A passionate Legionnaire exclaimed. "Only possible because of your love, Lord Yoshiki!
"Hohoho! You're exactly right!" Yoshiki agreed with a laugh. "This is exactly..."
Before Yoshiki could finish, a citizen approached him. "E-Excuse me, Lord Yoshiki!"
Another Legionnaire stepped forward, a hand on their hip as he prepared to brandish a weapon. "What do you think you're doing!? Can't you see Lord Yoshiki is speaking!?"
"Hoho, it's quite alright." Yoshiki raised his hand to calm his subordinate. "Go on, speak."
"Y-Yes, sir..." The citizen nodded slowly, feeling a bit intimidated by the presence of their Lord. "Well, some time ago, my family had the honor of being selected for your Labor of Love. But, many moons have passed, and they still haven't returned..."
"Hey, watch your mouth!" The Legionnaire exclaimed angrily. "Are you objecting to Lord Yoshiki's methods!?"
"N-No...! I would never!" The citizen shook his head meekly. "I just...I miss my family..."
"Well, this simply won't do." Yoshiki replied with a serene tone. "All citizens of my country are my family. In other words, your family is my family, and I will not let you endure such sorrow."
"S-So, they can come home?" The citizen asked.
"Oh, I know! How about this?" Yoshiki acted as if he hit upon a genius idea. "You can join your family in the Labor of Love. That way, you and your family can be together again. Isn't that nice?"
"You'll really let me see my family again?" The citizen spoke with widened eyes.
"Lord Yoshiki, always compassionate!" A female civilian exclaimed in awe.
"His love really is endless..." Another citizen spoke with tears in their eyes.
"I'm gonna throw up." Mika gagged at all this talk of love.
"I agree with her..." Akechi grumbled.
"Now, listen carefully." Yoshiki spoke to all of his wonderful citizens. "Remember that my love will always watch over you. Yes, to see is to love! And these Eyes of Love see all."Hohohoho! Hohohohoho!" Yoshiki then broke out into a hearty laugh, making his exit all the while. The others returned inside Leblanc for now.
"As you can see, this is the current situation in our country." Yuki frowned. "On the surface, Yoshiki appears as a kind and loving ruler."
"That surface seems to be paper-thin as is." Makoto glanced to the side. "I am beginning to understand what Mika means when she says someone is fake."
"It was obvious I felt insulted." Mika huffed.
"All that talk about love was bull." Zenkichi crossed his arms. "But it does match up to how it talked in reality. Whenever he talked about Toshiro, the way he said certain things didn't exactly sound like a loving parent. So it's no surprise it translate this way in this Kingdom."
"..." Toshiro said nothing to that remark. He held his head, because it sounded...true.
"Yes, it is all merely a false pretense Yoshiki uses to serve his own ends." Yuki confirmed. "He claims the cameras are for safety, and that he takes people away to protect them. However, he only wants to be rid of any potential dissent that threatens his power."
"In typical tyrant fashion." Hifumi nodded.
"He mentioned something about a Labor of Love." Morgana looked to Yuki. It didn't take many context clues to understand what it really was.
"It is exactly as you think." Yuki answered with a solemn expression. "Though he calls it "love" , people are actually taken to a forced labor camp. Once he takes them, most never return..."
"You seem to know a lot about this." Akechi looked to Yuki curiously. The amount of information she knew was far too much for a mere civilian.
"How do you know so much, Yuki-san?" Erina asked, although she was far less skeptical about it than Akechi was.
"It's because I myself had to flee from Yoshiki's castle." When Yuki said this, everyone's eyes widened a bit.
"After learning about Yoshiki's crooked ways, Lady Yuki took some of us and escaped." A civilian responded.
"Yet I was only able to bring a few people with me." Yuki said, regrettably. "The rest are still..."
'Hey, but if you know the crap he's been doin' why don't you tell everyone?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, you see..." It wasn't as if Yuki thought about it, but...
"Even if you spread the truth, the people think so highly of his love that they wouldn't believe you." Yusuke sighed. "When people are treated this sort of way for so long, they welcome it with open arms." He understood the situation. When Madarame was under fire for all of those rumors, Yusuke refused to believe them, even if he knew in his heart it was true. "If you spoke against Yoshiki publicly, he would have no need to denounce it himself. The people would do it for him."
"Yes, that's exactly right." Yuki nodded. "The people cannot be convinced with words alone. They need to see it, but I don't have the power to do so alone. That's why, all I can do is shelter the people here."
"This is looking to be even more bothersome than Marie's Kingdom." Ren sighed. "We've really got our work cut out for us this time."
"He kept going on about love, but he's nothing more than a con man, huh?" Ann placed her hands on her hips.
"So our next mission is to dethrone Yoshiki? Okay, I've got it!" Sophia smiled.
"..." Erina didn't say anything...
"He's a dictator who exploits his people! I'll never forgive him! Right?" Toshiro looked at Erina, who began to sweat and smile bashfully. He called her out.
"Haha...that obvious, huh?" Erina said quietly.
"Let's just say yo tend to act before you think when it comes to injustice." Toshiro replied. "I'm worried that you'll charge ahead on your own again."
"H-Hey! I wouldn't do anything that stupid, you know." Erina tried to defend herself. "We just got here and I haven't seen everything firsthand. But if it's as Yuki says, and these injustices are being committed...No, we can't lose sight of our purpose. The goal of the Phantom Thieves is to return to your original world, correct? So in that case, I'm here to help you make that happen."
"Your help is appreciated, Erina!" Sumire smiled. "But you don't have to worry too much. After all, it's not like Yoshiki isn't unrelated to our goal. After all, the door in Marie's kingdom didn't bring us home, but here."
"The Metaverse works in patterns, like Zenkichi-san said before." Haru spoke up. It was something they'd grown used to after all their travels in the Metaverse. "So if we follow this logic, it stands to reason that there will be a door in Yoshiki's castle. Maybe that one can bring us home."
"We don't have any leads, but we do have logic." Makoto replied. "Besides, with those cameras, there's a chance Yoshiki is already aware of our presence. I doubt we have the opportunity to settle this peacefully."
"It always comes down to a fight." Hifumi has said this numerous times before, yet it always remains relevant.
"Well, they weren't swayed by my peace talk. So it comes to this again." Toshiro really wasn't looking forward to conflict, but they had no choice.
"So we picking a fight with Yoshiki. Got it." Ichinose was on board for this.
"...But will you be alright, Toshiro?" Haru looked to Toshiro with a hint of concern. "Zenkichi-san has more knowledge about this than all of us, so you'll be facing off against your own Father if you do this..."
"...I'll manage." Toshiro replied. "Honestly, it's hard to believe that man is my father, or why he would want me to be a criminal. Scares the crap outta me, to be honest...but these people need help, too. If I can stand up to Marie, maybe I can do this too..."
"Mm..." Haru was silent for a bit. She knew just how hard it was to stand up to family. Marie was different. Standing up to a bad fiancé was just as difficult, but still manageable.
"Okay! So bring it on, Yoshiki!" Meanwhile, Erina was down to fight.
'H-Hey, don't get the wrong idea!" Toshiro quickly said. "We'll only fight if we absolutely can't avoid it, and -!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Erina said with a dismissive tone.
"W-What was with that half-hearted response!? You're too easy to read!" Toshiro groaned.
"Um, excuse me!" Yuki called out to everyone. "May I have a moment? Do you all intend to fight Yoshiki and the Aizen Squad?"
"Uh. The what?" Mika looked at Yuki.
"They work under Yoshiki and are tasked with preserving the peace." Yuki explained. "However, all they do is control people through surveillance and violence."
"So they were the enemies we encountered outside." Hifumi surmised. "It makes sense."
"As you have seen, they'll rush in if they sense any commotion in town." Yuki said. The odds were certainly stacked against the Phantom Thieves.
"So if we cause any commotion, they'll be right on top of us." Ren had to think about this one.
"We'll have to do something those cameras first." Makoto said.
"Oh!" Ichinose chimed in. "Finally, a chance to shine! If Yoshiki has cameras placed throughout this entire area, there are several places where they soldiers are monitoring the footage. I think Futaba-chan and I can work a little magic to make the network fall apart!"
"Oooh, now that's an idea!" Futaba grinned. With Ichinose by her side, there was probably not a single thing in this world or reality they couldn't hack through.
"A network system in Bakumatsu-era Japan...? No, I won't think about it." Toshiro had to quit while he was ahead. "Yuki-san, do you know where the surveillance station might be?"
"I think so." Yuki answered. "The Aizen Squad has several bases located inside the town."
"so, if we're going to make a move, we need to target there, first." Erina surmised.
"We only need access to one." Ichinose raised a finger. "As long as we can work our way through the network, it doesn't matter how many they have."
"Hold on a moment! Do you really intend to fight the Aizen Squad?" Yuki asked the group. Nobody had ever done such a thing before...!
"We're prepared to, if we must." Haru said firmly. "Oh, but we won't involve you or the citizens."
Yuki was stunned. This group was serious, weren't they? In fact, one of the citizens also recognized this. "Ms. Yuki, maybe they could..."
"Yes, you're right." Yuki nodded. "From what I witnessed, even if it was brief, you all appear to be quite skilled in combat. Because of that, I would like to ask you all a favor. There are rumors of another labor camp at the Aizen Squad base, much like the one at the castle. If the rumors are true, I'd like you to free the people imprisoned there."
"There's even a chance my family might be there!" A civilian spoke.
"Please, could you lend us your strength?" Another one asked.
"Eesh..." Mika glanced away. "Talk about no pressure."
"They don't have many options. We're the only ones they can ask for help." Sophia told Mika. "What do you think, Ren?"
"I don't think I even need to say it. There's only one option here." Ren looked at the others. "Let's help them."
"I knew you'd say that." Morgana said with a small chuckle.
"We're all in agreement. Besides, it is the least we can do to repay Yuki-san as well." Makoto nodded.
"I'm in agreement! So let's bust 'em all out in one go!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Wait, really!? Thank you so much!" The citizen exclaimed. Even Yuki looked pleasantly surprised at the Phantom Thieves' offer to help.
"I'd like to offer my thanks as well." Yuki smiled warmly at everyone. "Of course, I will do my best to assist you. Although you are all very skilled, the Aizen Squad has far too many members. It would be unwise to fight them head on."
"I suspected as much." Akechi replied. "We may be skilled at taking out large groups of enemies, but that is to our detriment in this world. We'll get outnumbered and overwhelmed in our current state."
"Do you have a plan in mind, Yuki-san?" Toshiro asked.
"Yes, but it will require a bit of traveling." Yuki confirmed. "I will show you the way, once you are all prepared."
.
.
Everyone needed a break after being whisked away to this new Kingdom. Plus it would allow them the chance to get their bearings straight. During this time, Ren received a call from Lavenza to meet in the Velvet room. When he arrived, she was still wearing that welding mask. "Ah, Ren, you have arrived. It appears that after your life and death conflict, you have arrived in yet another world."
"No kidding. I thought we'd be home by now, but it's not that easy, is it?" Ren asked while placing his hands in his pockets. He was still looking to see if there was any sign of Igor, but no dice.
"I apologize, but this situation has exceeded even my Master's purview." Lavenza said with a frown. But she shook that off and instead gave Ren a smile. "But have no fear. I believe you will be able to overcome this adversity, just as you have with every trial in the past. And I am here to assist you in that manner."
"Thank you, Lavenza. Your help is always appreciated. As strong as we are, you've always been a key factor in our victories." Ren said with a smile.
"You praise me too highly. But I appreciate hearing it all the same." Lavenza said with a warm smile. "And my assistance is what you shall be receiving now as well. I have called you here today, to tell you that I can create even stronger fusions for you and your allies."
"Really?" Ren was pleasantly surprised to hear this.
To that, Lavenza nodded. "Indeed. I rather enjoying tinkering with this and that, as well. Perhaps I should split myself into the twins to make the process faster."
For some reason, Ren suddenly had a horrible feeling in his stomach at that idea. "...I. I do not think that's a good idea." The last thing Caroline needed was a hammer. The baton was bad enough.
.
.
Now that everyone had a chance to regroup and relax, they took a moment to go over their situation. "I never thought we'd end up in whole new country. It feels like we're doing a world tour or something." At least Ann could see the bright side of this situation.
"We already did a tour of the country." Futaba pointed out. "And frankly, I was fine with that."
"I like it here, actually!" Hifumi spoke up. "Although the atmosphere is a little oppressive, I haven't felt excited about being in a new place like this, since we delved into Prince of Nightmares!"
"You sure enjoyed that place." Ryuji recalled that experience. Hifumi was so animated in there, and he can see it again in her eyes.
"Something about the setting calls to me..." Hifumi stroked her chin. "I cannot discern what it is yet, though."
"I'm more concerned about the places we keep finding ourselves in. I can't say I'm liking the pattern before us so far." Akechi grunted off to the side. "Although, when I think about Yoshiki, I recall there might be more to him than meets the eye. Unfortunately, I don't think he is the type to stand out like others before him."
"Hm..." Zenkichi was sitting down, arms crossed. "I wish I could do some kind of research right now. But since we've got no internet access or contact while in here, that's a bust. So I guess we're back to doing it the old fashioned way."
"You sure adapt fast." Toshiro commented. He was still thinking about the fact Yoshiki was his father. It sounded so true, he could feel it. But his memory just wasn't allowing him to remember that fact.
"Being a member of PubSec for so long does that." Zenkichi replied. "There was some information on your phone about your father as well. Does that ring a bell?"
"Unfortunately, I can't seem to recall." Toshiro sighed. "I really want to. This is so frustrating..."
"It's alright. If this place is anything like Marie's Kingdom, we'll figure something out sooner or later." Zenkichi reassured Toshiro. "Right now, we need to focus on the things we can do. And we're gonna need you at your best for that."
"That's right!" Ichinose slid on over with a grin. "You've already proved your worth with the fight against Marie. So you can't fall short now. No pressure, though."
"...Why do you keep doing that." Toshiro groaned. Ichinose was intentionally adding pressure onto him. "But I'll keep my head straight. I'm already preparing myself for a confrontation with Yoshiki. Although I hope I can avoid it, if I'm going to be completely honest. I don't doubt your words, Hasegawa-san. I've always tried to avoid trouble, but I want to help. I guess those good Samaritans over there have give me a change of heart."
"Funny how they manage it, huh?" Zenkichi said with a slight grin. Those damned brats could really worm their way into someone's heart.
"You can call him Gramps. He's oldest one here." Ichinose gave Zenkichi a coy smile, causing his brow to twitch faintly.
"You're the last person I need that from!" Zenkichi exclaimed. It made Ichinose laugh though. So, this was progress for her, at least.
"Looks like they're getting along well." Sophia smiled at the sight of Ichinose interacting with Zenkichi and Toshiro. "She's come far...I'm happy for her."
"All thanks to you." Ryuji said, ruffling Sophia's hair playfully.
The mood was nice. That said, Makoto couldn't help but drift her gaze over to a thoughtful Erina. "Erina...are you going to be alright? I know you came with us to help, but..."
"I admit, I wasn't planning to leave like this. But I'm also not worried either." Erina replied with a smile. "With Marie's reign over, we'll work together and rebuild."
"The Rebel Corps it s a very tightly knit group. I'm sure rebuilding will take no time at all!" Sumire grins.
'Indeed. I'm certain the recovery will be quick." Yusuke added. "I hope you can restore their old way of life soon."
"Yeah, I know I'll be busy when I get back." Erina nodded. "But thinking of everyone in my Kingdom is why I can't ignore what's happening now."
"If that talk of forced labor is true, they must be suffering." Haru frowned.
"Yeah," Erina nodded. "If there's anything I can do for them, I want to help. And not only those being held captive, I want them all to truly be free."
"That's the plan." Ren nodded, now that he was back from the Velvet Room. "It's not going to be easy, but we're up for the challenge."
"Just don't get us in trouble with your 'act first think later' attitude." Mika pointed at Erina. "You could get away with that before because you knew the back alleys. But this is a new territory, and I do not feel like cleaning up after any mess you make."
Erina did flinch slightly from Mika's words, because she was right. "I'll...do my best, Mika."
"Alrighty then! Are we safe to say that this one is a unanimous decision?" Futaba asked the group as a formality. But everyone did nod in agreement to that. "Excellent! So Yoshiki is totally going down!"
"Are you all prepared?" Yuki overheard their conversation. Everyone was on the same page. "In that case, let us be off."
"Buuuut it's not like we're gonna go in and fight 'em, right?" Ryuji asked. He wasn't really sure what the plan was here. "So what're doin' exactly."
"Oh, forgive me!" Yuki realized her folly. "I still haven't explained the details, have I? Since we need to stop the surveillance cameras and rescue the citizens, I believe infiltration is our best option."
"That's a sound strategy, and right up our alley." Hifumi said. "But how exactly are we going to avoid security?"
"Usually, the Aizen Squad will take measures against anyone they find suspicious." Yuki explained. "However, if you're less conspicuous, then you may have a chance."
"Um, what do you mean? Do we just walk right through the front door?" Ann blinked. Yuki was making this sound way too simple!
"Precisely." Yuki smiled, which did surprise everyone. "You can't go in as you are now, of course. So, you'll need to slip past security in disguises that won't arouse their suspicion."
"Ooooh, so that's where we're going?" Futaba asked.
"That's right. We're going to get you fitted in some kimonos." Yuki nodded. "Thankfully, I know a silk shop that should be willing to help us."
"Ooh! I've never worn a kimono before!" Sophia bounced on her feet. She was going to be able to try something new!
"This is kind of exciting!" Haru beamed.
"...What an awkward situation." Hifumi mumbled to herself. Her Phantom Thief attire was a kimono! Although it was far from a traditional one, what with the exposure and all.
"Alright, let's get moving!" Morgana was oddly excited for this.
.
.
Yuki carefully escorted the Phantom Thieves throughout the city. She knew the area extremely well, and knew precisely what routes to take to avoid being spotted by the Aizen Squad. "Our destination is very close. Once we get to the end of this street..."
Of course, avoiding the Aizen Squad would be difficult. Because there they were, surrounding a frightened and confused female citizen. "Wait, stop!" Morgana noticed this and pointed it out.
"P, Please stop...I beg your forgiveness." The citizen cowered slightly.
"Silence! Don't talk back to me!" The Aizen Squad member snapped.
"Those are Aizen Squad members, right?" Panther asked.
"Yes," Queen nodded. She remembered how they stood out. "But it doesn't look like they're looking for us."
They weren't but the sight of these squad members ganging up on a civilian was a hard one to bear. "It's the duty of every citizen to make an offering in return for Lord Yoshiki's love!" A large squad member glared at the woman.
"That's...!" Yuki gasped. She realized who this person in particular was.
"You dare refuse to pay up!?" Another squad member exclaimed.
"I-It's just...the financial strain..." The woman admitted meekly. "Since my husband's at the Labor of Love, I can barely make ends meet, sir."
"Hmph, what a sorry excuse. I'll have to teach you what happens when you defy Lord Yoshiki's love!" The vile squad member grunted.
"Authority figures threatening their people in broad daylight?" How disgusting." Fox scowled.
"I'm right there with you." Erina said,
"And why the hell is everyone just standin' around? Help her out!?" Watching this scene play out only made Skull more upset.
"Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen." Oracle sighed.
"Yeah. Nobody's going to stand up to authority in this situation." Wolf clenched his hand into a fist. If he saw this happening in reality, he'd do something about it. Of course...he planned to do something about it now too, and he knew he wasn't alone in that feeling.
"Poor thing...but I guess it can't be helped..."
"That's right. As long as we have Lord Yoshiki's love, it's only natural."
"How is this natural!? They're clearly crossing a line! We can't let this slide!" Panther objected.
"I agree! I refuse to stand idly by and watch this scene play out!" Dragon exclaimed.
"Then it falls to us to help!" Violet said firmly.
"That's right. I dislike standing idly and watching this injustice." Sophie added.
"I guess it can't be helped." Crow sighed. He already knew what was coming next.
"How can we help the people of this Kingdom if we won't even help one person?" Noir already had her axe at the ready. The Aizen Squad enraged her.
"I agree." Queen pounded her fists together. "If they want to pull rank, they'll have to understand exactly what that means around here now."
"On my behalf as well, please help them!" Yuki pleaded.
"That's exactly what we do." Joker told Yuki.
"I knew this was going to happen." Viper shrugged. "But since nobody else is going to do anything, I guess we have to do it ourselves."
"I guess it can't be helped." Toshiro was worried about this, but they really couldn't watch that poor woman get assaulted. "But in lieu of those cameras, we really have to be quick about this."
"Don't you know who you're talking to?" Ichinose tilted her head. "This will be over in a flash. I've seen them deal with worse."
"That's right!" Joker said while taking the lead. They had the element of surprise on their side. "Let's take 'em out!"