With the defeat of Salmael, their time in this Metaverse was slowly coming to an end. The Velvet Train came to a halt within Marie's kingdom, much to Ann's surprise. "Huh? We're back here?"
"The creator of this world, Salmael, has been defeated." Lavenza began. "Eventually, this place should go back to its proper state. Once that happens, you should all be able to return to your reality as well. Until then, please spend your time wisely, as to not leave any regrets."
"Regrets?" Haru tilted her head.
"I see..." Erina was already fighting back the tears. "We should probably get our goodbyes out of the way."
"Goodbyes?" Ryuji blinked. "Hold up, you're not comin' with us, Erina? Oh...wait..." Right after the question left his mouth, he realized how stupid that sounded.
"You're not going to disappear, are you...?" Sophia asked with a frown.
In response to that, Erina stepped forward and knelt down, giving Sophia a head pat. "No, I'm not disappearing. I'm just going back to where I came from. I was only born to protect Toshiro's heart from Salmael, remember? Now that Salmael is gone, I'm going back to where I came from." She looked to Toshiro with a smile. "So...you can't cry, alright, Toshiro?"
"A needless concern. I should say." Toshiro said with a faint, tense smile. "You were once a part of me. So you'll just be going back to where you belong." He turned around, to not show the tears rolling down his cheeks. "What kind of person...cries over...saying goodbye to himself...?"
Erina sobbed quietly. "You really...aren't honest with yourself, are you...?"
"Isn't it too early to say goodbye?" Futaba frowned. "We only just finished the final fight...! There was still so much I wanted to talk to you about...!"
"Yeah...this should be the beginning, not the end." Ann said with a sad smile. But they both knew that just wouldn't be the case.
"Thank you...Futaba...Ann." Erina smiled, and looked to the others. "Brief as it was, I'll never forget the time we spent together! Not ever!"
"I won't tell you goodbye. I'll just say...I was proud to bear witness to your noble way of life." Yusuke said, unable to hide the sadness within his tone.
"We'll always be connected through Toshiro, okay?" Makoto gave Erina a smile. "Bye, Erina."
"Even though she's not disappearing...I know it in my head, it still makes me sad." Haru sighed.
In these moments, it definitely looks coolest if you make it short and sweet." Ryuji stood up straight. "But that ain't for me..."
"Thank you for everything, Erina. You were the greatest ally we could ask for." Sumire lifted her glasses up a bit, to wipe the tears before they could fall.
"You really were more instinct than person, but in the end...you weren't half bad. Thanks for the help." Mika said. The fact she actually said thanks, in an earnest manner, caught Erina and the others by surprise. She didn't look as sad as the others, but she wanted to give her piece as well.
"Thanks a lot. I learned a lot from you...and Toshiro, too." Ichinose placed a hand on her chest. "Maybe one day, my heart can become as strong as yours and his."
"You were tough, all the way through. Your sense of justice is something my old self would be envious of. I'll be sure not to let you or Toshiro down in the future." Zenkichi said, giving Erina a nod of approval.
"If Toshiro ever loses his way, I hope you all make sure to whip him into shape!" Erina smiled. Her eyes then widened, as her body started to glow. "Ah...it's time..."
"Already...?" Morgana said with a slightly sad smile. And here I was planning to take you in as my apprentice. "It's a shame, you know?"
"Guess I missed out big time..." Erina gave a dry laugh. "Will you teach me how to be a Phantom Thief if we ever meet again?"
"You can count on it!" Morgana grinned.
"I'll even play a game of shogi with you." Hifumi clasped her hands together. "I'll teach you all I know!" And Erina laughed in response to this.
"You were incredible, Hifumi. Your will to protect people saved us far more times than I can count." Erina gave a warm smile. "I learned what it really means to put yourself on the line for someone from you."
"Oh, I was just...upholding my word." Hifumi gave a bashful smile. "You are my friend. As such, I would do anything to protect you. Even if it meant nearly getting squashed by dozens of gears. It was hardly a problem."
"You have a problem with that!" Ann exclaimed. It came from a place of concern. Hifumi did cut it close far too many times. Hifumi decided to ignore that very valid call out of her character. For now, anyway.
"Goodbye, Erina. I promise, I'll never forget you!" Sophia said. She could feel that sadness in her chest again. Her heart felt sad for this parting, but it was a bittersweet farewell.
Akechi gave Erina a firm nod. "...Your efforts were a great help. If not for you, we would've lost in this very spot. You have my thanks."
"You're rough around the edges...but you always mean well, don't you?" Erina gave Akechi a smile.
"Always is giving me far too much credit." Akechi responded, clearing his throat. Erina was the one person who knew nothing about his past. She only got to see him as he attempted to improve. A reaction like that to him...it wasn't what he expected.
"We'll always be waiting for you." Ren said with a firm nod.
"Your words always have a warmth about them, don't they?" She looked to Ren. "You've saved me and Toshiro countless times. I'm glad I met you all...right in this very spot." As Erina spoke, her body began to flash even more. It was time...
"..." Toshiro had a shaky breath. Everyone watched on with mixed emotions. Ryuji was trying to hold it together, but he was failing.
"Thank you, everyone." Erina told the Phantom Thieves as her body began to vanish in a soft, warm light. As she began to disappear, the memories of her encounters with Toshiro played in her mind, and the reverse was true. How Erina's strength and will saved him...how they saved each other time and time again.
"Erina!" Toshiro called to her once last time. "I won't doubt myself anymore! No matter how many times I get knocked down! No matter how many times I falter...I'll follow the path I believe in! Will you...watch over me...?"
As if he even had to ask. Erina let out a small noise, and one final smile, as her body disappeared into a golden light. That light began to wash over the entire area, and everything was covered in that warm glow...
.
.
Morgana's eyes opened slowly. He was also a cat. He frantically looked around, eyes widening. "Is this...Leblanc...!? There's no mistaking it! It is Leblanc! Which means...!"
"We're finally back!" Mika was looking outside. She felt so relieved. "Thank goodness!"
"We're really back!" Haru clasped her hands together.
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji had such a wide grin. "Oh man, we really did! Uh, wait! Hold the phone! Where're Toshiro, Gramps, Ichinose, and Sophia!?" That was a great question.
"Oh, right...!" Sumire's eyes widened and she looked around.
"They came into the world in a different location than we did." Makoto said. "So it stands to reason they wouldn't show up where we did."
"But how can we confirm it!? Maybe we can call the Diet and ask about Toshiro!?" Ann suggested.
"Terrible idea." Akechi commented.
"Oh...!" Ren had an idea. He had Zenkichi's contact information, so he decided to shoot him a text. "I'm asking Zenkichi to let us know if there are any updates." And after a moment, his phone buzzed, and Zenkichi did reply.
Zenkichi: We just got back, too. Keep an eye on the news. I'll keep you updated, too.
"Score one for Gramps!" Futaba grinned.
"So it seems the only thing we can do is wait now." Hifumi took a seat. It felt so nice to be back in reality. All she could do was sigh happily.
"I'm going to do what I should've done in the first place. Leave." Mika walked towards the doors of Leblanc, and opened it. Getting dragged into that Metaverse was awful! Although, before she could actually leave, Sojiro returned.
"Oh, I didn't realize it got so crowded." Sojiro said as he stepped inside. Mika stepped to the side to allow him in. "I was only gone for a few minutes."
"A few minutes? That felt like weeks. Months..." Mika groaned. Sojiro had no real idea what she was talking about. In fact, he'd only seen her in passing once before. He assumed she was with the others since she went up into Ren's room with them over the summer.
"Um...?" Sojiro blinked.
"Don't mind her." Ann waved a hand. "She was just on her way out anyway! Weren't you?"
"You don't have to tell me twice." Mika opened the door again, but she was halted when Sumire tapped her shoulder. "Huh?"
"Let's get your contact info!" Sumire smiled brightly. She felt like she was getting along with Mika.
"Er..." Mika wasn't sure what to do now. Hifumi and Ann were the only ones here she had the contact info with. Hifumi was her only friend. The fact Sumire was trying right now, was...a lot.
"Oh, yeah! Me too!" Futaba jumped up.
Even the shut in!? Mika started to sweat. "Erm...I...uh..." She found herself sighing and pulling her phone out. "Just don't bother me when I'm working! I don't know what you're expecting from me." She exchanged contact information with Sumire and Futaba. Watching this did make Hifumi smile.
"You're making more friends, are you? I'm so happy for you. Sango..." Hifumi thought to herself.
"Now I'm leaving!" With that, a slightly flustered Mika quickly scurried out of Leblanc.
"Hehe...she's quite the character, isn't she?" Haru giggled. She then noticed Akechi beginning to stand as well. "Oh...are you leaving?"
"...Yes. I'm still not used to big gatherings like this." Akechi admitted. He gave Sojiro a very awkward glance before beginning to leave. Even if he was doing better, looking Futaba and Sojiro in the eye was still...a bit difficult. Futaba gave Sojiro a look, and he knew what it meant.
"...If you want a cup of coffee sometime, feel free to drop by during open hours." Sojiro said. If that's how Futaba felt, he wouldn't fight it. Not at all.
"Or you could visit..." Haru also said quietly. But Akechi heard it.
Akechi stopped at the door, his back turned. "...I'll consider it. Thank you." That was the best response he'd given so far when it came to social outings. He left quickly, presumably embarrassed.
"Heh." Ren chuckled a bit. "Man...what a day..."
"It's only 10." Sojiro added. He had no idea why everyone looked so relieved and tired all at once.
"...Yeah. It sure is." Ren shook it off. "Anyway...don't we have a Winter Break to be getting to?"
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheered. "We're gonna party! That alright, Boss?"
"Not like we've got any customers right now." Sojiro adjusted his glasses. "Go right ahead." To that, the entire group let out a happy cheer. Their Winter Break could really, finally get started now!
.
.
December 28th.
Zenkichi located Toshiro within the city, and they were sitting in his car, just outside of Toshiro's house. Ichinose decided to tag along as well, since she wanted to see this part through to the end as well. "Who would've thought you got dragged into the Metaverse in some random alley!" Ichinose teased.
"I was having a bad day." Toshiro rolled his eyes at Ichinose's teasing. One second he found himself trying to sneak away from curious gazes, and the next, he ended up in Marie's prison. "Thank you for searching me out, however. I wasn't sure if I was going to have to return home by myself."
"It's my job. Plus, I promised." Zenkichi replied. He stared at the house, then back at Toshiro. "Given everything on your phone, I have all the evidence I need to arrest him on the spot, just so you know. Say the word and I'll have it done."
"Can you wait?" Toshiro asked. "There's something I need to take care of first. I know for a fact there's going to be an interview about my disappearance. My father is going to lay out of a script of things he wants me to say. During that conference, on live TV, I'm going to expose all of his crimes myself."
"Wow, look at you!" Ichinose grinned at Toshiro's determination. "I'm glad to see you weren't all talk after all. I'd be really disappointed in you otherwise."
"You don't have to worry about that." Toshiro replied. "I'm not going to back down, ever again. I can't let them know what I'm planning to do, though."
"You can do it, Toshiro!" Sophia chimed from Ichinose's phone. "Everyone's supporting you!"
"Hah..." For Toshiro, it was strange to not have Sophia physically present. But her words were still just as genuine. "Thank you, Sophia."
"Ready to go in, then?" Zenkichi asked.
"Yeah. It's time for my homecoming." Toshiro nodded.
"...You have to stay in here." Zenkichi told Ichinose.
"Awww..." Ichinose frowned playfully. But she knew why. Still, she handed Zenkichi her phone with Sophia.
"You know I really shouldn't be letting you know any of what's happening, right?" Zenkichi asked with a dead pan.
"Oh, it's fine! It's just a phone." Ichinose gave an innocent smile.
"..." Zenkichi sighed. He knew Sophia was just going to relay everything...then again, she would've asked him after he came back anyway. "Since you were helpful in this case, I'll let you see it through to the end. Still, you can't talk about it, got it?"
"My lips are sealed." Ichinose said.
"I'll report back with all the details!" Sophia saluted.
With that, Toshiro and Zenkichi exited the car, and went inside of the house. When they did, they were immediately greeted by Yoshiki and Marie when stepping into the main office. "Toshiro...!" Yoshiki gasped, eyes wide to see his son after what felt like so long.
"Toshiro!? Where on earth have you been!?" Marie asked.
"I'm sorry I've caused you any concern." Toshiro answered, his gloved hand clenching into a fist. He thought the hard part would be seeing them again after everything that happened. But in reality? He found that the hardest part was not telling them off immediately.
"Oh, I'm sure." Marie rolled her eyes. "I bet you were just running away from the pressure as usual. Officer Hasegawa, I'm sorry this usel-...I mean, less than helpful man caused you so much trouble. Thank you for finding him. If only he could just do as he was told...I worry I'm expecting too much of him sometimes."
"Wow. She's bad at hiding it." Zenkichi thought to himself. Perhaps the Marie in the Metaverse really wasn't so far off. He could tell that that she was holding herself back simply because a fourth party was in the room. He could see the angered twitch of her eyebrow and the scowl forming on her lips. "You're welcome."
"Now, now, Marie-san." Yoshiki closed his eyes. "Incompetent though he may be at times, he's still my dear son. Please go easy on him." He turned to Zenkichi and gave him a bow. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Hasegawa-san. I owe you a great deal for finding my fool of a son."
"Of course, Kasukabe-san. I'm going to report this to my superiors now. I hope to see you again soon." With that nod, Zenkichi exited the building. "And I'll definitely be seeing you soon." And now...the rest was in Toshiro's hands. Based on what he knew about Marie and Yoshiki, it was going to be rough, but he trusted it would turn out alright.
"Now that he's gone..." Marie placed her hands on her hips. "I don't know what stunt you think you were pulling, but you better not do it again!"
"Whatever the circumstances, he did come back." Yoshiki said calmly. "I'll have him make a formal apology later and all will be well."
"Father, I'm..." Toshiro could hardly hold himself back.
But whatever he was about to say was cut off by Yoshiki's anger rearing its ugly head. "You fool! Disappearing at a time like this? Do you realize how much this will affect your credibility!? We'll be holding an explanatory prep conference immediately. I have the script ready." Yoshiki handed Toshiro the script in question. "You'll say you were covertly admitted to the hospital. Your condition was critical, but you made a miraculous recovery. Now, health issues will lose you approval points, so be sure to make a point of impressing that you're back to full health."
"..." Toshiro's expression was tense.
"Come, no need to look so serious." Yoshiki spoke with a calm smile. "Everyone still has high hopes for you. I've already laid out all the groundwork, so as long as you follow my instructions, there won't be any problems. That's how it's been...heh, and that's how it'll stay.'
Toshiro gave a fault, obedient nod." Yes..."
"Hm." Yoshiki was glad to see that Toshiro was still his obedient little boy. "Now then, Marie-san. Shall we be going? We have our own preparations to make for the press conference. I would like you to play the part of the devoted fiancée who supported Toshiro through his many obligations."
Marie groaned at this. It all sounded like a chore! "Ugh. I realize I have to do this if I want to become First Lady, but it's such a hassle." The things she'd do for power...oh well. "Do you think I should change? Perhaps I could wear something that panders a bit more to all those commoners?" As she spoke, she and Yoshiki left the room.
Once they were gone, Toshiro took a deep breath, and proceeded to rip up the script. He looked out the window with a smile. "This is where the next chapter begins. Right, Erina?"
.
.
December 30th.
The group gathered within Leblanc once again, sans Akechi and Mika. The last one to arrive was Sumire. "Sorry I'm late!" She said while setting her stuff down. To her surprise, Ichinose was there, with her phone on a stand so Sophia could see the others. "Ichinose-san!?"
"I'm in town for a bit longer. Did you think I was gonna miss this?" Ichinose grinned. "This coffee is pretty good! Can I have another, Boss?"
Where did they find this woman again? Oh, well. She was a paying customer, and Sojiro wasn't going to turn her down. "Yeah, sure. Sit tight."
"Hello, Sumire!" Sophia waved, and Sumire waved back.
"I think you're just in time." Ren said, holding his phone up. "Zenkichi messaged me earlier. Told us to take a look at the news, since he knew we'd be here together. Do you mind, Boss? There's a press conference going on we'd like to watch."
"Really? This early? Did you guys do something?" That was Sojiro's first question.
"We're innocent, we swear!" Futaba grinned. "I mean, all we may have done is give a guy a push, but that's it."
"...Alright." Sojiro wasn't sure what everyone was grinning about, but he was just as fine not knowing. So he turned the TV to the news, where the press conference with Toshiro, Yoshiki, and Marie was about to begin. "Hey, isn't that the guy who went missing?"
"Yup." Ryuji nodded. Everyone looked pretty intense as they stared at the TV. The doors opened to Leblanc and they glanced back for a moment, only to see that Akechi actually did stop by. "Sup. Just in time!"
"I see..." Akechi knew it was about to begin. Despite how he felt about social gatherings, there was a part of him that did want to see this moment with everyone else.
Mika followed in soon after, appearing calm and cool. "I guess I'm fashionably late. Oh well!"
"You're actually here?" Morgana didn't expect to see Mika present!
"I got like, three texts to come over..." Mika glanced at Hifumi, Sumire, and Futaba. She could say to Sumire and Futaba, but as always, she could never say no to Hifumi. The three together just made an annoying force she had no choice but to give in to.
"Hehe..." Hifumi was content with that response. She turned to the TV as the press conference began...
.
.
"I understand there are many of you who have questions." Yoshiki waved a hand calmly. "Worry not. Toshiro will explain everything that happened during his absence. Isn't that, Toshiro?"
"Yes." Toshiro nodded firmly.
"Kasukabe-san!" The first reporter to speak was none other than Ichiko Ohya! Not that anyone would recognize her right away, but she was on the ball. "Is it true that your absence was due to illness!?"
"That's..." Toshiro felt all eyes on him. The audience, the interviewers, Marie...his father... "That's untrue." When he said this, a tense atmosphere filled the room.
"Toshiro? What are you doing...?" Yoshiki smiled, but spoke through gritted teeth.
"In fact, there is something I must announce today. And that...is that I'm not qualified o be Prime Minster!" Toshiro stood up from his seat, while Marie and Yoshiki could only watch with widened eyes. "Not only that, but the path I've taken here was paved with blackmail and other illegitimate means, all because of the one man who set me up for this in the first place! I indict my father, Yoshiki Kasukabe, for his crimes, and I am ending my relationship with Marie-san effective immediately!"
"TOSHIRO!?" Marie's gave Toshiro and ugly scowl. "What the hell is the meaning of this!" Cameras began flashing as the ever composed Mario Anto was now in a fit of ugly rage!
Yoshiki's eyes were wide in shot. "T-Toshiro!? W-What is this?! You can't be serious!?"
"I've gathered evidence on you for years, Father. It's high time the world knows what you've done!" Toshiro exclaimed. This was crazy. The crowd was going wild for so many reasons. "And Marie-san, you're not off the hook either!"
"Gh...!?" Marie gripped her shirt angrily.
"I apologize severely for my disappearance, along with the lies used to get me to this point." Toshiro then bowed in front of everyone, which made them murmur.
"Yoshiki Kasukabe-san." Zenkichi appeared off to the side, with a serious expression. "I knew I'd see you again soon. You too, Marie-san. We've got a looooot to talk about."
Wait a damn minute. The dots connected in Yoshiki's head. He turned to Zenkichi, and then Toshiro. "Toshiro...you betrayed me!? After all I've done for you!? You ungrateful, incompetent, disgraceful son of mine!"
"Toshiro, you BASTARD!" Marie screamed. She would've normally attempted to keep her composure, but this was just too much! Toshiro crossed a line and she could never forgive him for stepping over his boundaries like that!
"This is gold..." Ohya's eyes lit up. Reporting this was going to be massive! She wasn't going anywhere, even as people were trying to usher her out.
"Come now." Zenkichi said. "We've got some questions for you down at the station. My boss is gonna love to hear what you have to say." Was he enjoying this? Absolutely. It was a very close second to the elation he felt when he finally got his hands on Owada. At the moment of Yoshiki's arrest, the broadcast finally cut off.
.
.
"Yooo, let's go, Toshiro! He hit 'em with the one two punch!" Ryuji grinned.
"...And you guys really didn't do anything?" Sojiro only remembered seeing that kind of press conference when the Phantom Thieves were invovled!
"He changed his own heart." Ren replied while leaning back. He actually got a text from Mashima that read...
Mashima: What did you guys do!? You come back to town, and suddenly the politician that went missing returns and he confesses all of that!?
Mashima wasn't the only one to send a message. He received something similar from Tae, Yoshida, Kawakami, Shinya, and Chihiya. Ohya was likely too busy getting as many questions and answers as she could with such a hot scoop. He told them all the same thing: it was Toshiro's decision, and his decision alone. Although he did ask Yoshida to give Toshiro some help in the coming days, feeling that he might need it.
"I would've been pissed if he messed that up." Mika scoffed. But she was...glad to see that Toshiro actually followed through on his word. Although she was also looking forward to smacking some sense into him.
"Breaking off his engagement right after the indictment. What a press conference." Yusuke gave a faint smile.
"Ultimately, his resignation means any hope of becoming Prime Minster went along with him..." Haru did feel a little bad about that part.
"But at least Toshiro kept his promise. That means his resolve was real." Morgana said.
"After all of that, I would hope so." Akechi said.
"That took so much courage. I'm proud of him! I'm sure Erina is too!" Sophia beamed.
"Hah, yeah. I bet she is." Sumire grinned softly.
"He's definitely got guts." Futaba snickered. "His actual gut though...not sure it's up for what could come next."
"Isn't there any way we can contact him?" Ryuji asked. He was a little worried. Toshiro stood up for himself, but the storm was coming next.
"Zenkichi said he'd update us." Ren waved his phone again. "Public Security probably still looks at us with some caution. So he's gonna look out for us. Otherwise...I don't think we can expect much from him."
Ichinose gestured to her phone. "I could always give him a ring. That's not suspicious at all."
"You got his phone number?" Hifumi blinked.
"Of course! I wanted to bug him. Plus he might actually need some assistance with the next steps of his life." Ichinose answered.
"She really did pester him until he handed it over." Sophia clarified. That was the answer everyone expected.
"That doesn't surprise me..." Makoto said with a nervous laugh.
"I suppose waiting is our only option..." Yusuke said. Right as he did, Ichinose's phone actually began to ring. "Hm?"
"Oh! Toshiro is on the line!" Sophia reported.
"Didn't have to wait long." Ichinose grinned. "Put him on speaker."
"You got it!" Sophia nodded and answered the phone.
"H-Hello, Ichinose-san? Are you at Leblanc? Should I, uh...have called there first?" Toshiro was on the other line, clearly nervous.
"We're all here." Ren answered.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief.
"Toshiro, are you okay?" Morgana asked.
"Is that Morgana? Wait, would he be in cat form right now? Should I speak in cat? Meow...?" And he was completely serious about this as well.
"He knows the cat?" Sojiro had more questions. But instead, he was just going to listen quietly and do some dishes. He didn't want to spoil their moment.
"Are you making fun of me!?" Morgana growled. "Ah, whatever! How are you doing?"
"I refrained from contacting you all directly to avoid any potential trouble. Hasegawa-san said it would be alright, however." Toshiro explained. "I'm sure you saw the press conference. Things are already hectic on my end. As for my father and Marie...they'll like be arrested with their co-conspirators very soon."
"Excellent job, Toshiro." Hifumi smiled.
"Thank you. Anyway...my life is about to get extremely busy. No doubt I'll be tied up in hearings every day, and I'll only get more occupied moving forward. I also have to think about what I'll do now that I'm not a representative anymore." Toshiro was already thinking.
"Wanna work here? Boss could always use some extra hands." Ren joked. Sojiro just glanced back at Ren with a raised brow.
"I appreciate the offer, but I think I know what it is I want to start doing. I want to start over. I want to become a politician I'm proud to be." Toshiro replied. "Of course, I still don't know what kind of sentence I'll get. So maybe expecting a fresh start isn't very realistic. But even so, I think I still want to take on the challenge. I want to be the politician people can trust to take a stand and fight by their side." Toshiro's voice sounded very hopeful at that, too.
"I know a good lawyer who can help you." Makoto said with a smile.
"And I know the perfect politician that can give you a helping hand." Ren chuckled. "Even if we can't help you going forward...you won't be facing this alone."
"Thanks. And one day...I'll turn our society into a place that no longer needs the Phantom Thieves." Toshiro said firmly.
"Bold claim." Akechi commented. "But I wonder if you'll be able to pull it off."
"I think he can." Haru smiled.
"While it's been great hearing your voices again, I must say goodbye for now. I probably won't be able to come by the café anytime soon, but I'll be sure to visit soon. Alright then...thank you, Phantom Thieves. Stay well." With that, Toshiro hung up.
"He's gonna try and be a politician again, huh?" Ichinose was surprised at that.
"There's no doubt it'll be a bumpy road. He's been under a lot of fire online, from what I've seen." Yusuke said.
"Yeaaaah." Futaba sulked. "The internet is already trying to cancel him and his dad. But it would be stranger if they didn't go after them..."
"Oh! Mika! Use your powers of social influence to give him a good word or two!" Ann looked to Mika as if she had the greatest idea in the world.
"No way in hell!" Mika shook her head.
"He'll have to restart his whole race from scratch. Actually...he'll be behind the starting line." Makoto did feel bad about that. "No matter what your ideals may be, it's always the constituents that get to decide."
"But he knew what he was getting himself into." Ryuji nodded slowly. "This is his fight now..."
"Doing what you think is right doesn't always produce positive results. But he made his decision to stay the course, and showed no regrets about what that meant." Yusuke was proud of him for that.
"Despite his shaky start, he wasn't half bad." Ichinose admitted.
"That means we have to keep doing our best, too!" Sophia added. "For their sakes."
"I agree." Makoto smiled. "We wouldn't want Erina and Toshiro to laugh at us, now would we?"
"And fight we must! First, I will fight against empty stomach, the result of an equally empty wallet." Yusuke grumbled.
"Big ambitions, I see..." Futaba rolled her eyes.
"And don't forget about your appiteite, Ann! Otherwise you'll be kicking yourself for it again!" Ryuji snickered. That one actually made Mika laugh a bit, even if Ann could eat whatever she wanted and still remain slim.
"Ugh! Shut it!" Ann said with at ick mark. "You know what? I'm fighting you instead!" She then reached across the table, trying to grab at Ryuji's bag of candy. "I'm confiscating that candy as punishment, and sharing it with Fumi!"
"Please don't drag me into this." Hifumi said with a nervous smile and a sweat drop.
"Hey, stop! You'll spill them!" Ryuji tried to pull back, while Mika was pushing him forward. She wanted to see this play out.
"Can you please settle down...?" Makoto pinched the bridge of her nose. Some things never changed...
Meanwhile, Haru, Yusuke, Sumire, and even Akechi were at the counter. "Curry for me, please!"
"M-Me too!" Haru quickly said.
"I'll take some as well, please!" Sumire added.
"...I'm not hungry." Akechi wasn't going to involve himself in that.
"Curry for him, too." Haru nodded. Akechi narrowed his eyes.
"Are all of you really trying to score free grub in the middle of all this?" Futaba watched, a hand on her chin. She would not interfere with any of that.
"...Looks like we're going to be busy." Ren said with a small chuckle. He was behind the counter with Sojiro.
"I wish I could have curry again..." Sophia missed being with the others physically. She actually got to eat food!
"I'll figure something out for you. Just you wait. That's a promise." Ichinose said with a small smile. Sophia deserved that much.
"No matter how many times we fight for our lives, some things never change." Morgana shook his head. "Still, there's no doubt the will we showed in battle got through to Toshiro and the others. Every person who takes a stand gives someone else a push of encouragement. Maybe that's how this 'flame of revolution' gets passed on."
"I wouldn't mind pushing on a bit more...but if we could pass the baton, that wouldn't be so bad either." Ren responded while getting some coffee ready. "But I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm thinking about how much time we have left before we head back in that case...who wants some coffee?"
.
.
April 19th...
Spring was in full swing and cherry blossoms gracefully descended from the trees all around It was a pleasant day within Shibuya, and a day off from school. Hifumi and Ann walked through the streets, hand in hand. Ann had a crepe in her free hand, happily munching at it. "Things are so good lately!" Ann said, with her mouth full.
Hifumi gave a small smile, and she nodded. "Indeed. The weather is nice, I'm with you...I could not ask for much else in a day. That's when she noticed a few boldly placed mouse drawings on a few buildings. This made her giggle.
"Looks like Guernica is still at it, huh? Her art is awesome!" Ann vibed with it. It always felt nice seeing a symbol of someone else's rebellion right before her very eyes.
Hifumi's eyes glanced around. She noticed a familiar shade of blue hair shifting about. For a moment, they did share a passing glance. It was quick, since the artist in question was already rounding a corner. But they did see each other and exchanged brief nods. After that, Hifumi turned back to Ann. "That she is. Where should we go next?"
"How about the station? We can take the day and go to Dome Town again!" Ann suggested. It was early in the day, after all.
"Sure. That sounds nice." Hifumi could easily agree to that. So, she and Ann began to walk their way to Shibuya Station. As they did, they saw a familiar face, but he was busy talking with someone else. "Oh, look, that's...!"
"It's Toshiro..." Ann gasped. "I did hear that he's been out in public a lot recently."
"He looks like he's doing well for himself." Hifumi took note of that. Coincidentally, Toshiro did notice them. It was the first time he'd seen any of the Phantom Thieves in months. Ann and Hifumi gave him a smile and a wave, before continuing on their way. That was their way of telling them it was good to see him. Toshiro nodded in response to that.
"He looks so much better!" Ann grinned. "Now, c'mon, Fumi! We've got a date to go to!"
"Yes, we do!" Hifumi giggled excitedly. Ann ended up pulling her along. As they ran, Hifumi caught sight of a familiar face. Strange...it wasn't a woman she'd ever seen before, but she felt like they'd met. For a moment, her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of a red eye...and she smiled, giving the currently unaware Toshiro one final look, before she and Ann vanished into the subway station to carry on with their day.
The woman looked at her phone, reading all the various comments about Toshiro. Some people still didn't care for him, others believed in his efforts, and there were some that were just plain indifferent about him. The overall aid of Yoshida did lessen some of the criticisms towards Toshiro, but the people weren't going to be swayed that easily at the end of the day. Still, she smiled when she laid eyes on him. Toshiro turned around, his eyes widening in shock, before softening. Eri needed a cane to walk, so her steps were very slow...she was also just taking in the moment. She heard so much about Toshiro over the last few months... "Looks like I finally caught up..."
Toshiro gave Eri a soft smile. As the cherry blossoms fell, he looked to her with a relieved expression. "I've been waiting for you."
.
.
Persona 5 - Royal Tactics: END.
Writer's Note: And we come to the end of yet another Persona 5 story! I've been getting a lot of questions as to what comes next. Honestly? I'm unsure. I know I don't intend on writing another big adventure with this group anytime soon, as I really do need the break. Perhaps one one shots here and there with them, though. I do have a few ideas for those. I have ideas for other long term Persona fics as well, but I'm not going to promise anything I might not even sit down to write.
I've also been getting a lot of questions about PQ2. Do I want to do it? A part of me does want to. I did do a PQ2 chapter in the first fic of this series, and the bits of hints about it are spread throughout the rest of it as well. It's just...so many characters to include and that in itself would be a struggle. It's not off the table, but it wouldn't be happening for a while either. I do have a few other works out there, if they tickle your fancy. But until next time, thank you all once again for reading!