The door was opened with the expectation of bringing everyone back home. Instead, something completely different happened. What they thought would be the warm and welcoming return to Leblanc, was instead a sudden trip into a very feudal setting. There were cameras all over the place, and up ahead, a large castle. "Ugh, where...?" Morgana began.

"This isn't...?" Makoto immediately noticed that they were not home.

"Wha...where the heck are we?!" Futaba exclaimed in shock. This was the last thing she was expecting to see.

Yusuke was probably the least perturbed person here. "Hm, how fascinating. The scenery resembles the Keio era, but with a touch of the Genroku's splendor. Quite the collage."

"If you ask me, this all clashes horribly. Those golden cameras stick out like sore thumbs anyway!" Mika pointed at the cameras on the rooftops. Her aesthetic eye did not allow her to ignore something so awful. "Wait a minute, that's not important!"

"Oooooh, I get it!" Ann nodded slowly. "So that door we went through sent us to feudal japan, right?" And a second later, it hit her. "Wait, that doesn't many any sense! Uh, hello?! What's going on?!"

"Where the hell are we!?" Mika added onto this.

"Heheh..." Erina gave meek smile. Based on everyone's reactions, she had the sense that they were not home. "I guess this isn't the world you were talking about, was it?"

"No, it wasn't." Zenkichi dragged his hand across his face. He was really hoping they'd be home by now. But that just wasn't in the cards.

"I feel like we've stepped backwards in time." Sophia was amazed. An AI in this era? How exciting!

"Almost." Ichinose's eyes were on those cameras. She wouldn't have noticed them. But now that Mika pointed them out, it was hard to ignore their presence. Cameras implied that someone was watching...

"Our clothes haven't changed either. So the only natural conclusion is that we have yet to escape the Metaverse." Hifumi sighed, but then she realized. "Wait, Erina?"

"...Why are you here?" Akechi crossed his arms. Having Erina tag along with them was not what he expected.

"You see, I had every intention of returning immediately." Erina began. "But before I knew it, when you opened that door, the light enveloped me as well. So, here I am."

"You were dragged along with us?" Haru pursed her lips.

"And now the door is gone too." Erina frowned. "That was going to be my ticket back home...can you believe it? Ahahahaha..."

"You had no reason to follow us to begin with." Akechi sighed. While he wanted to reprimand Erina for decision, there was just no point. If the door was gone, she was simply stuck with them.

"B-But that door was supposed to take us home, right?" Toshiro was trying to wrap his head around this. From what he knew, that door was their ticket back to reality. "But somehow, we've gone from a strange world resembling Europe, to a town that looks right out of Bakumatsu-era Japan? If there are any more inexplicable occurrences, it might fry my brain!"

"I agree with Toshiro-san." Sumire had her hands behind her back. "I thought we would be home. I don't know what this is."

The conversation didn't have a chance to continue, because some kind of beeping filled the air. All of the civilians nearby stopped moving. "W-what's that noise?" Haru asked while looking around.

"Up there!" Makoto pointed at the large display screen up ahead. On it, there was a solider of some kind, clad in samurai attire, standing next to a person that closely resembled a Buddha statue.

"Now, we're pleased to announce our daily bulletin on Lord Yoshiki!" The newscaster declared excitedly. "Today, just like every day, Lord Yoshiki bestows his boundless love on us. Not a drop of love is spared in preparation for his lovely meet and greet, and an air of harmony spreads..."

"...Huh." Toshiro stared blankly at the screen. His expression was completely empty. "Buhhhh..."

"He actually lost it..." Ann stared in surprise.

"I've never seen someone short circuit before!" Haru gasped.

"Hello? Earth to Toshiro?" Ichinose tried snapping her fingers a few times in his face, but was met with a nonreaction. "Wow. He's really gone. But this place is somehow more technologically advanced than whatever Marie had going on. I can tell that from a first glance."

"I don't blame Toshiro for losing it. I have no idea what's going on." And frankly, Morgana was tired of being out of the loop.

"It's as if these worlds are connected, but Palaces and Jails didn't work like that." Makoto was having a hard time wrapping her head around this.

"Yoshiki..." Zenkichi mumbled that name under his breath. It didn't take him very long to make the connection, which only made him look towards Toshiro. "Oh no..."

Before their conversation could continue, the distressed cry of a woman caught their attention. She was an older woman with brown hair and blue eyes. There was a flower pin in her hair, and she wore a light blue kimono with blue and pink flowers. "P-Please stop...!" The woman pleaded, as she was slowly being back into a corner by a large and regular sized Legionnaire.

"Hey, wench!" The arrogant, smaller Legionnaire exclaimed. "You dare defy Lord Yoshiki!?"

The larger Legionnaire harshly grabbed the woman by her wrist. She was trying to break free of his grip. "I haven't done anything! Please, let go of me!"

"Lies!" The large Legionnaire growled.

"Look, it seems like there's trouble brewing over there!" Oracle gasped. With trouble brewing, they were going to be quick to revert back to their codenames now.

"That woman's in trouble! We have to help her!" Erina didn't even wait for anyone to say anything. Instead, she quickly rushed over to the scene, leaving everyone except Joker in the dust. But they were quick to follow "Hey, let her go right now!"

"Huh? Who the hell are you!?" The Legionnaires turned to Erina. "Stay out of this!"

"Oh yeah!?" Skull stepped up to bat. "Why don't you make me-!?"

And then, Toshiro quickly rushed forward to stand between all parties. "H-Hold on, now! We do not need anymore trouble after us. If you let me, I believe I can resolve this situation peacefully."

"You think so...?" Erina lifted a brow. It wasn't that she doubted Toshiro's diplomatic skills, but she had less faith in the Legionnaires than anything.

"It's called a civilized discussion between adults." Toshiro said calmly. "Watch how it's done."

"Famous last words." Ichinose and Wolf said in unison.

Toshiro turned to the two Legionnaires with a calm smile. He was sweating a little bit, but he held his composure. "Hello there! My name is Toshiro Kasukabe. First, we should sit down and discuss..."

"Silence"! The arrogant Legionnaire cut Toshiro off. "Unless you'd prefer a beheading!?"

At that threat, Toshiro's face paled, and he swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. "...And there you have it, folks." Toshiro said while turning to the others.

"...And what exactly do we have here?" Fox asked.

"He didn't do anything!" Viper face palmed.

"Wait a minute..." The large Legionnaire took another look at Toshiro. "Toshiro Kasukabe, and that face. This man is a notorious criminal!" And that information shocked everyone.

"W-What!?" Toshiro gasped, the most shocked out of everyone.

The shouting did catch the attention of the nearby citizens. They all resembled the Rebels from Marie's kingdom, but clearly none of them had the same fighting spirit. "What in the world is that noise..."

"Did he just say notorious criminal!?"

And now, more eyes were slowly falling on the commotion. "He's a rebel that opposes Lord Yoshiki! Seize him!" The arrogant Legionnaire shouted.

"From getting married, to getting arrested. Your rap sheet isn't looking very good." Ichinose pointed out.

"What the hell is goin' on!?" Skull was exhausted about all of this.

"I'd like to know as well." Toshiro had no idea what was going on.

"Unfortunately, it seems like peace isn't an option anymore." Noir was prepared to fight. But the first one to make a move was Wolf, drawing his twin pistols and shooting down the Legionnaires that caused the scene to begin with.

"I should've acted sooner. That's my bad." Wolf said with a grunt. The moment they branded Toshiro a criminal, he should've gunned them down. It would've saved them the trouble.

"We should have some time before reinforcements come. So we can..." Queen was going to devise some kind of plan, but before she could, more Legionnaires started to pour in. "Huh?!"

"They're here already?" Even Dragon was surprised at how quickly they arrived.

"We can't fight in the middle of this crowded street." Violet looked to the nearby civilians. "We'd risk hurting the people here!"

"A tactical retreat sounds wise." Sophie said, using her yoyos to strike at a few incoming Legionnaires. "Otherwise we will be stuck fighting."

"Oracle, do you see a way out?" Joker looked to Oracle, but the answer to his question would come from someone else.

"Everyone, this way!" It was the woman in the kimono. Everyone turned to her. "You must retreat for now! Please, follow me!"

"Another person, I wonder..." Crow had a few questions in his mind, but that could wait.

"Seize them!" Voices from the incoming Legionnaires cut any questions short.

"There are more coming. Don't you think we should follow her lead?" Toshiro looked to Joker.

"Yeah, we'd be idiots to try and fight in this situation." Joker nodded. This situation was familiar with how they ended up in Marie's Kingdom. Only this time, they weren't going to make the mistake of blindly fighting. They had a way out, and they were going to take it. "Okay, Ms.! Please show us the way.

"Take care that we're not separated." The woman said. "This way, follow me!" And with that, she ducked behind a corner and into an alleyway, with the others quickly following behind her.

.

.

After some time, they stopped in front of a building. The woman let out a relieved sigh. "We made it. We'll be safe here."

"Whew, we managed to lose them..." Mona said with sigh of his own. He then took a look at the building that was in front of them, his eyes widening. "Wait, isn't this building...?"

"This is just that coffee shop again...!?" Viper grunted.

"Who would've thought it'd be here, too?" Noir was just as surprised as everyone else.

"What in the hell is this supposed to mean?" Wolf crossed his arms. Once he could believe; he'd grown accustomed to Metaverse shenanigans. But twice? This was already starting to feel less like a coincidence and more like a pattern.

The woman looked at the group curiously. "Oh, are you familiar with this place?"

"Well, yes..." Oracle scratched her cheek.

Toshiro finally caught up to the rest, hunched over, hands on his knees. He was panting heavily in a desperate effort to catch his breath. "F-Finally caught up...all that sprinting...gave me side cramps..."

"You need to get out more." Said Ichinose. Of course, she wasn't the most atheltic person around either, but she wasn't winded from a five minute sprint.

"I-I know..." Toshiro grumbled. But he then looked up at the building in front of them. "Wait, wait, it's this place again!?"

"The part where we're shocked is already over, Pops." Oracle said with a deadpan.

"I'm confused. Why are we at Leblanc a second time?" Sophie asked the others.

"Maybe our own cognition has something to do with it?" Queen couldn't fathom a real explanation.

"That's all I can think of. But it still doesn't explain what it's doing here." Panther, like the others, was at a loss.

"...!" Toshiro gasped slightly. Almost as if he had a realization. "This coffee shop..."

"I would hope you recognize it. You've been here before." Crow stated.

"Yes, but..." Toshiro shook his head. Something about this felt strange, but he couldn't begin to explain it. "Never mind."

"Feel free to come inside." The woman said while stepping to the door and opening it. "Allow me to show you inside, this way, please." And so, everyone followed her inside. The exterior may have been slightly different, but the interior was no doubt Leblanc.

"It's just Leblanc...again." Futaba scratched her head.

"First, allow me to thank you all for saving me." The woman said with a soft smile. "My name is Yuki. I am the proprietress of this teahouse."

"This is a coffee shop. I don't think they serve tea here..." Mika mumbled, but she was promptly jabbed in the side by Ann's elbow. "Ow!?"

"Forgive me if this is rude, but you don't seem to be from around here." Yuki blinked, realizing the Phantom Thieves changed attire. "Oh, and your manner of dress appears to have changed as well?"

"Oh, right...I guess we should tell you about ourselves." Morgana crossed his arms.

"...How exactly do we even begin with that?" Sumire scratched her cheek.

"I'll leave it to one of you, since you've been engaged with this longer." Zenkichi said, arms crossed as he took a seat. He couldn't help but stare at Yuki a little bit, with a furrowed brow.

"I'll take care of it." Makoto nodded. She then proceeded to explain everything to Yuki, and one could see the question marks appearing above her head.

Yuki digested this information. "So...you all come from a far-off land where you engage in 'phantom thievery', and now, you're looking for a way to return home?"

"That sounds about right." Haru confirmed.

"Well, I'm a bit of an exception." Toshiro said. Yuki's eyes landed on Toshiro and she gasped softly, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. "Hm, is something wrong?"

"N-No," Yuki shook her head. "I just feel as thought I've seen your face somewhere before..."

"I probably shouldn't be saying this, buuuuuut I'm a wanted criminal." Toshiro said while glancing off to the side. "Perhaps you've seen my face on the wanted posters?"

Yuki nodded slowly, placing a hand on her chest. "Oh, yes, that must be it. I never thought I'd see you in person."

"..." Hifumi, Akechi, and Zenkichi were all silent to that remark. All for different, yet similar reasons.

"In that case, you never know where Yoshiki's Eyes might be. So please, take this." Yuki said, handing Toshiro a piece of cloth.

"Oh, is this a disguise? Thank you." Toshiro took and it put it on. It did cover his face, but it looked a little silly on him to the others.

"Ah, it really suits you." Yuki said with a gentle smile.

Futaba was withholding a snicker. "It looks good on you, Pops!"

"Uh-huh!" Ichinose was failing to hold back her giggle. "I would never guess this is a wanted criminal!"

"Yep, totally suits you!" Ann also giggled. "They'll never figure out who you are now." And then she, Mika, Futaba, and Ichinose all ended up bursting out into laughter.

"This is ridiculous! Half of my face is till showing!" Toshiro finally exclaimed. "In fact, I look even MORE like a common thief now! A disguise is supposed to...!"

"Oh no, here comes one of Toshiro's tangents!" Erina said with a teasing laugh.

"...How about we focus for a little bit?" Ren cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. But they did have to get information.

"Yuki-san." Hifumi was sitting near the counter. "Who is Yoshiki? I cannot help but feel as if I've heard this name recently..."

"...It couldn't be, but I have an idea." Zenkichi finally spoke up. "Something has been bothering me since we got here, and it's exactly about Yoshiki. We just came from Marie's kingdom, and she had a connection to Toshiro as his bride to be. Now, if I'm assuming this correctly...this Yoshiki we're dealing with now. Is Yoshiki Kasukabe."

"W-Wait, but that's..." Yusuke and the others looked directly at Toshiro.

"Toshiro's father." Zenkichi explained.

"W-What?!" Toshiro was the most surprised by this. Even Yuki's eyes widened a little bit at this information.

"I already said in Marie's kingdom, that I was investigating your disappearance. I went straight to your father and Marie as a starting point." Zenkichi said while closing his eyes. "While I can't say with 100% certainty, I know that the Metaverse works in patterns. I can't cross this off as a mere coincidence."

"If that is the case, then why is Toshiro being branded as a criminal by his own father?" Sophia asked.

"Yoshiki Kasukabe is a politician, but he sits in the back compared to the others." Zenkichi knew that much. "Toshiro's record is clean, though. So I don't understand why his father would think of him this way."

"Of course he's a politician." Akechi rolled his eyes.

"Any ideas, Toshiro?" Zenkichi looked to Toshiro, who began to grip his head.

"...sorry. I can't remember." Toshiro grit his teeth. It looked like he was trying. In fact, he could feel the reason in the corner of his head. But he was drawing a blank. It was the most frustrating feeling. "But when you said that man was my father, I felt something in my head...it's almost there..."

"Don't push yourself." Zenkichi said with an understanding nod. "At the very least, I'm almost positive about all of this."

"Does Yoshiki rule this place as well?" Ichinose asked Yuki, who nodded.

"Yoshiki is the general who leads - No, who controls this country." Yuki said, although it took her a second with the information presented to her. "His conduct may very well make him a dictator. Anyone who even slightly defies Yoshiki will be captured by his eyes."

"Those gaudy cameras?" Mika asked, and Yuki nodded.

"He says he uses them for people's safety, but it's only an excuse for his surveillance." Yuki confirmed.

"So if Lord Yoshiki isn't happy with someone, he'll have them arrested with no questions asked, huh?" Futaba asked.

"Yes." Yuki said solemnly. It was an event she bore witness to many times.

"So...we're in another Kingdom where someone has a connection to Toshiro." Ichinose rocked her head back and forth. "I wonder what that's about."

Yuki then turned around. "Could everyone gather around for a moment?" And when Yuki called out to them, civilians appeared. They were similar to the Rebel Corp in appearance, but their attire was more fitted to the Kingdom.

"Huh?" Yusuke blinked.

"Is that..." Erina was the most shocked. "No, they're not the Rebel Corp, but they look extremely similar...!"

"They are the civilians of this country who have become victims of Yoshiki's reign." Yuki said.

"Some of us were falsely accused of crimes, and others had their families taken away from them." The saddened citizen spoke with a frown. "Ever since we lost our homes, Lady Yuki has kindly let us shelter here."

"However, it caught Yoshiki's attention, which is why his men interrogated me." Yuki sighed.

"I see..." Hifumi frowned.

"More citizens being exploited by a tyrannical ruler...just like the last world..." Toshiro grumbled.

"The people in your life are messed up." Mika pointed at Toshiro. The likelihood that this Yoshiki was Toshiro's father was extremely high, so Toshiro could not exactly argue that point either.

"Mika..." Hifumi grumbled. Mika just shrugged in response, because she wasn't wrong. She just didn't have to say it!

"Marie's his fiancé, Yoshiki is his father...so who is Yuki...and Erina..." Zenkichi thought to himself. The Metaverse they found themselves in this time...why did it seem to revolve around Toshiro?

"Also, I have one more question." Erina looked to Yuki. "Yuki-san, how do the people in this world feel about Yoshiki? Despite how badly everyone is treated, the town still appears somewhat peaceful."

That was a difficult question to answer. Yuki paused for a moment. "Well, that's because..." However, before she could continue, the sound of a bell loudly chimed throughout the entire Kingdom. This caught everyone's attention, and Yuki knew wha this meant. "That's...! Everyone, look outside!"

What was outside?

The man of the hour himself.

Yoshiki himself stood on a floating platform that idly drifted through the main street. "Hohoho...I'm pleased to see you all quietly gathered here." Yoshiki's radiance shone through as all the citizens bowed respectfully before their ruler. "Excellent. All citizens who are righteous and happy exemplify a beautiful state of perfect harmony." He brought his hands together, a gentle clang of metal emanating as he did so. His neck then craned forward slowly, looking down at his people, who tried their best not to shudder in front of their Lord. "And thus, unhappy citizens are truly nothing but useless - no, injurious to this country. Now, tell me...are you all happy?"

"YEs, MY LORD!" Every citizen exclaimed in unison.

This was the power that Yoshiki had over his citizens. The Phantom Thieves stared at their new target from afar, each and every single one of them fully aware of what was to come next...