Progress through the palace was going slowly but surely. As they were making their way through the palace, they quickly discovered that the keypad that they had found before was far from being the only one.
So, for most of the palace, they found themselves seeking out executives, defeating them, and using their codes to slowly make their way through the palace.
"Oracle, can't you like, hack onto the system or whatever?" Ryuji asked.
"It's a lot more complicated than that." Futaba grumbled.
"Sooo… you're saying you can't hack it?" Ren chuckled.
"Shut it, Joker."
Haru entered the password into the keypad, letting them through into an area called the airlock room.
As they glanced around, they noticed several doors that seemed to lead outside… into the vastness of space.
"Wait, we have to go into space?!" Ann gasped. "How are we going to breathe?!"
"That… would most likely result in our deaths." Yusuke stated.
"It is a place, so maybe it would be ok?" Morgana replied, not sounding very sure.
"I'm gunna need more than a maybe!" Ryuji snapped.
"Wellllllll, you might be ok if you cover your mouth and eyes shut." Futaba pointed out. "... For about 30 seconds. Then you'll probably explode."
"That… doesn't sound pleasant." Haru said.
"Seems like the only way forward, though." Ren frowned.
"Wait, hold on, everyone hide!" Makoto commanded.
The group immediately hid behind some nearby containers as some robots walked by.
"Let's see how they go about this." Makoto whispered to the group.
The robots, thankfully, had not heard them, instead heading straight for the airlock.
They opened up the airlock… only to quickly fly across to the other side.
"Looks like that's all there is to it." Morgana noted.
"Then that'll be our way forward." Haru said.
One by one, they all hopped through the airlocks, navigating through a maze on the way to the treasure.
Eventually, they found themselves in an isolated part of the maze, with only a barricaded door inside of the empty room that they were in.
"It certainly took us quite a bit of effort to get here." Yusuke pointed out.
"Yeah, that maze was a real pain." Ryuji groaned.
"If it was hidden so well… it's possible that the final Will Seed must be inside of there." Makoto noted.
"Everyone! Duck!" Futaba frantically cried.
Makoto and the others immediately dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding a strike from a shadow that had flown in right after them.
Seeing that they had been discovered, the shadow landed in front of them.
"I'm afraid your little company tour ends here!" the shadow declared.
Makoto took a moment to study their opponent.
They had a purple and gold color to them, and a body that seemed to be made of metal, especially its sharp, gray wings.
She swiftly fired off a Freila, but the shadow dodged with ease.
"Pretty fast, huh?" Makoto muttered to herself. "Joker, slow it down!"
"Got it!" Joker nodded, before firing off a Sukunda.
The shadow let out an annoyed grunt, boosting their speed back to normal before shooting out a beam of light.
Makoto winced as it scored a direct hit on Ren.
As the shadow began to speed itself up again, Makoto quickly hatched a plan.
"Mona, heal Joker!" Makoto ordered. "Fox, speed us up!"
The shadow took a moment to decide who to target before charging at Yusuke.
Thankfully, their moment of indecision allowed Ryuji enough time to get in between the two of them and block the attack, giving Yusuke enough time to speed them up.
Despite the speed boost, however, they still struggled to keep up with the shadow's staggering speed.
Whenever one of them would try to attack, the shadow would narrowly dodge and retaliate with either a blast of light or a devastating physical attack.
Makoto frowned, raising the team's defense as she tried to think of another plan.
They went on the defensive, trying their best to avoid the shadow's onslaught.
"Tetra-urk!" Haru gasped, the shadow slamming its fist into her stomach.
The shadow rose into the air again, ready to land another blow.
And that was her opening.
The shadow had boosted its speed before they had, which meant that its boosted speed would wear off before theirs.
Makoto leapt into the air, rearing back her fist.
The shadow, shocked by her speed, pulled up its arms to block.
Makoto smirked.
"I've got you now!" she yelled, unclenching her fists to grab ahold of the shadow's arms.
"What are you-"
"Fox, now!" Makoto shouted.
Fox was already in the air, slashing at the enemy's wings, causing them to go spiraling into the ground. Even with the damage to their wings, however, the shadow was still not down for the count.
"White Rider!" Makoto shouted, calling forth a skeleton archer riding atop a horse with eyes all over its body. "Triple Down!"
Her persona fired shot after shot, chasing down the shadow with a barrage of arrows.
"Let me help!" Haru cried, before firing an explosive round of her own.
The shadow narrowly dodged the resulting explosion, which caused a cloud of smoke to form.
Haru fired grenade after grenade, narrowly missing each time, but covering the ground in smoke.
The shadow retaliated, firing a beam of light that hit Haru directly.
The shadow prepared to finish the group off, only to realize that one of them was missing.
"Wait, where is-"
"RIGHT HERE!"
Makoto emerged from the smoke, slamming her fist into the shadow hard enough to knock it to the ground.
"Everyone! All-Out Attack!" Makoto commanded.
They hit the shadow with everything they had, finally finishing it off.
"Thank goodness." Haru said, panting in exhaustion. "That was close…"
"How come there are always shadows guarding these places anyway?" Ryuji grumbled.
"It makes sense that the palace owner would have some strong protection for their memories." Morgana noted.
"Either way, this is the last one, so we won't have to worry about any more guards like that." Makoto noted.
Makoto grabbed the final Will Seed from the pedestal, and for the final time, the room began to shift around them…
They found themselves in a corporate office inside of Okumura Foods, watching Okumura and another man staring at a television in the room.
Judging from Okumura's appearance, it seemed that this event was taking place close to the present.
"Okumura Foods have been accused of being involved in numerous fraud cases involving their food." the reporter on the TV spoke. "We have several reporters outside of Okumura foods, who have yet to comment on the controversies. The information of these cases was leaked by a whistleblower inside of the company. Posts on an anonymous website stated that the president himself had issued the orders."
"That's absurd!" Okumura exclaimed. "That wasn't me! I would never issue such an order!"
Okumura turned towards the other man in the room.
"Takakura, would you have any idea who would be impudent enough to do such a thing?!"
"I do have some suspicions…" the man called Takakura answered. "I think that the executive director is the most likely culprit."
"Why them?" Okumura asked.
"I heard that this morning, some anonymous letters were sent to some executive's houses. I also found out that the whistleblower was a subordinate of one of them."
"But why would he do such a thing?" Okumura frowned.
"I believe that he could be trying to become the next president." Takakura answered. "He never did like how Okumura Foods was family owned."
"So, he committed fraud and tried to blame it on me!" Okumura realized.
"For now, we should hold a press conference." Takakura reasoned. "It'd be best to deal with the reporters quickly… as well as the worry spreading inside of the company."
"From inside as well…" Okumura frowned.
Takakura nodded. "I suppose they must be worried about how this would affect their careers. It might be hard for them to concentrate on their work."
Okumura slammed his fist on his desk. "That's ridiculous! Why are they all suspicious of me in the first place?! I've devoted so much to this company! More than anyone else!"
"I know, I know." Takakura said, trying to calm him down. "But with the company as large as it is now, some of our employees might not be aware of how hard you've worked."
"So I should just accept this?!" Okumura snapped. "Accept that I'm being falsely accused by my own employees?! I've sacrificed too much up until now! I grew a tiny little cafe into this! In just one generation."
"How to communicate that to our employees, though…" Takakura muttered.
"Why don't you try and convince them?" Okumura asked. "Tell them that I would never do such a thing!"
"... That might be difficult." Takakura admitted. "Before I looked into it, even I was suspicious of you."
"W-What? Even you…?" Okumura stammered.
"Since you became the president, people have been saying that Okumura Foods has put profit above all else." Takakura stated. "You even shut down your late father's old cafe. So I thought…"
"So even you would betray me, Takakura…" Okumura muttered. "After all the years you've worked for me."
"It's not a matter of betrayal, sir!" Takakura reasoned.
"Then why are you siding with that old fool and his complete lack of business sense?!" Okumura spat. "Why can't any of you understand?! Understand what it takes to succeed in this world?!"
"Kunikazu please!" Takakura pleaded. "Surely there's some sort of compromise that-"
"Get out of my office! Now!" Okumura demanded. "I wasn't there when my wife and my father were on their deathbeds… I wasn't there to spend time with my only daughter… because I spent my every waking moment at work! To keep this business, and our livelihoods, afloat! And you… you and the rest of the employees don't feel a shred of gratitude!"
Takakura could say nothing as Okumura continued to rant.
"I must be the stupidest man on Earth, working myself to death for all of you!" Okumura scoffed.
"Sir, please, just for a moment, please listen." Takakura said. "It's… not just the fraud. No one should be working themselves to death. Not you… and not the employees either."
"What are you saying?" Okumura asked.
"Employees… both former and current have also been spreading rumors that Okumura Foods is a 'black company'."
Okumura's face twisted into a scowl. "Bah! If ours is a black company, then so is every other damned company in this country! What they're complaining about is just normal working conditions!"
"I just… surely there's something that we could-"
"Takakura, if you don't like this company, feel free to go work somewhere else." Okumura bluntly said. "And the same goes for those employees, though I doubt anyone would hire them."
"What do you mean?" Takakura asked.
"Okumura Foods is willing to give anyone a shot and pay them for their work! Other places aren't so kind. If they can't make it here, then they have no place in society at large. The same goes for everyone who's that incompetent."
"Are you serious, Kunikazu?!" Takakura cried. "What would your father think if he heard you speak like that?!"
"It's because of him that I am the way I am." Okumura argued. "That man left us with nothing, and the only thing he taught me was what it meant to go hungry! My father valued kindness and morality, and I did not. And tell me, Takakura, which one of us was a successful businessman?"
"...You've really changed." Takakura stated. "I suppose it's lucky that our competitors have been getting involved with scandals as well."
"Is it luck, or have they come to the same conclusions that I have?" Okumura asked.
Takakura sighed. "I suppose there's no use in continuing this conversation."
Takakura walked out of the room, leaving Okumura to his thoughts.
"In the end, I can't trust anyone." Okumura muttered. "Money and power… are the only things that will never betray me."
Okumura glanced out of the window to his office.
"I need more…" Okumura whispered. "I have to focus exclusively on myself. I'll… I'll betray others before they betray me! I'll rise to the top of society…"
The final vision ended, leaving them all to think about what they had just seen.
"Father…" Haru whispered. "So that's why…"
"Say… what's a black company, anyway?" Ryuji asked.
"It's… probably one of the worst things a company can be accused of." Haru explained. "It means that working at that company is like… working at a sweatshop."
"Shit…" Ryuji trailed off. "Noir, I'm sorry…"
"It's alright." Haru told him. "Now that I know my father's past, my resolve to stop him has only grown stronger."
Despite her words, Makoto could tell that Noir was very upset with what they had just seen.
She began to wonder what she could even say to help.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Joker cleared his throat to grab the other's attention.
"Welp, now that we've gotten all the Will Seeds and all that's left is to confront the big cheese!"
Everyone stared at Joker, unamused looks on their faces.
"Aw, come on, guys, I know that you're glad that we beat all the executives and made our way to the top of the food chain."
"Uggggggh." Futaba groaned. "You're not funny, Joker. Nobody laughs at your j-"
"Hahaha!" Yusuke grinned. "I get it! It's funny because-"
"Correction." Futaba muttered. "Nobody who's not a weirdo laughs at your j-"
"Snrk."
"Uggggh! Come on, Queen! Not you too!" Futaba complained.
"W-What, me?" Makoto muttered. "I just…"
"It sounded like you were laughing, Queen." Ren smirked.
"N-No I wasn't!" Queen insisted.
"Yeeees you were." Ren grinned. "You at least gave a little snort."
"I do not snort!" Makoto exclaimed.
Ren just started laughing, much to her embarrassment.
"Hehehe…"
She glanced over, seeing Haru giggling at their antics.
Turning to Ren, she saw an innocent look on his face.
"Trying to lighten the mood?" she asked, her lips curling upwards.
"Oh, I don't know what you're talking about, Queen." Ren grinned.
"Whatever you say." Makoto smiled, the two of them walking off with the rest of the group.
Finally, after continuing to navigate the maze for a little longer, they arrived at their final destination.
"There it is… Okumura's treasure." Makoto stated, staring at the bright light in front of them.
"So… is this the part where we send the calling card?" Haru asked.
"Yeah, exactly." Ren answered. "Now that we've located the treasure, we'll have to head back into the real world in order to write out the calling card, and then ensure that Okumura sees it, himself."
"Noir, can we trust you to discreetly slip the letter to your father." Morgana asked.
"I'll certainly try!" Haru promised. "Although… maybe I could tell him it came in the mail?"
"That could work." Makoto nodded.
"How long will it be until we are able to take the treasure?" Haru asked.
"We'll need some time to restock on supplies, and then we'll send the calling card and quickly steal the treasure." Ren informed her.
"All right." Haru nodded. "Then I'll wait until the rest of you are ready."
"I promise it won't be long." Makoto assured her.
Their business in the palace finished for now, they left and returned to the real world.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 9
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 8
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 8
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 7
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 6
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 6
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 8
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 7
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 6
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 6
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 6
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 4
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 4
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 4
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 6
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 4
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 6
THE HERMIT - Futaba Sakura: Rank 3
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 6
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 4
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa: Rank 4
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 6
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 5
THE COUNCILOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 6
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 80.4%