Chapter Text
“So,” said Ren, pushing up his glasses. “Where should we visit first?”
All of the Phantom Thieves stood in the entrance hall of Shujin Academy. The school’s cultural festival was in full swing, with tons of colorful crepe paper festooned across the crowded hallways and the air smelling faintly of cheap festival food.
Ooh, I’m so excited! It’s the school festival! said Ryoji. Minato could practically see Ryoji in the back of his mind, bouncing in excitement. I wonder if there’s a haunted house? Or maybe a group date cafe! We have to visit all the food stalls as well!
Minato had to suppress a huff of laughter, but he couldn’t help a small, wry smile. We’ll look around for some, he thought.
You better! Now let’s go!
“Hey Minato!”
Minato startled out of his thoughts. “Hm? What?”
“Jeez, pay attention. You’re worse than Ren sometimes.” Ann huffed, ignoring Ren’s protest at her statement. “I said you should stay close to us, since you don’t have a phone on you.”
“Oh. Sure.”
Futaba huddled closer to Ren. “Woah… t-there’s a lot of people here, huh?”
“Yeah,” Ryuji muttered darkly. “This school got famous and all.”
Ann gave Futaba a warm smile. “Don’t worry, Futaba! Compared to the beach, this’ll be a breeze for you.”
Futaba stood a little straighter. “Y-you’re right! I beat the final boss already! This is just low-level grinding!” She gave a small ‘eep’ when a group of first-years wandered a little too close to their group. “Make that mid-level…”
“You’ll be fine Futaba. Just stick with us, we know where everything is anyway,” said Ann.
“Yeah, we’ll show you guys all the good stuff!” said Ryuji.
“Looking forward to it,” said Minato.
“Very well. Lead the way,” said Yusuke.
The group wandered down the hallways for a while, talking amongst each other and taking in all the brightly decorated classrooms.
“It’s a shame Makoto couldn’t join us,” said Ann.
Ren nodded. “She said she was busy with student council work. I’m glad Haru decided to be with her, though.”
“Mmhm. Yeah, Makoto has it tough. I think having Haru around will be nice for her right now.”
Ren paused in the hallway. The others followed his line of sight to see a classroom decorated to look like a haunted maze.
A Joker-like smirk grew on Ren’s face.
“I’m going to check out the haunted house.” Before anyone could stop him, he made a beeline for the classroom.
Ryuji and Ann exchanged a glance.
“...I’m gonna go with him,” he said, following behind him.
Ann rolled her eyes. “I’ll sit this one out. You guys have fun.”
“H-hey, wait up!” said Futaba, already heading in after them and pulling Yusuke along by his sleeve. “Inari, come on! You wanna get left behind?”
“I did not agree to this-!” Yusuke was cut off as Futaba followed them into the classroom, pulling him along.
Ann glanced at Minato, who hadn’t moved yet. “You’re not going?”
He shook his head. “Pass.”
Ann glanced at the haunted house classroom. “Well, I don’t know how long they’re going to be in there. You wanna look around a little while we wait?”
“Sure.”
The two wandered up and down the hallway to pass the time, exploring what the other classrooms had to offer. Eventually, Minato paused in front of a small booth that caught his eye.
The booth was very small and unassuming, set up in the hallway itself rather than in one of the classrooms. It was draped in swathes of rich blue cloth, with a sign that advertised fortune-telling in front. A long blue curtain covered the entrance, hiding the inside from view. It looked rather out of place surrounded by the colorful paper flowers and streamers that decorated the rest of the hallway.
Minato glanced down the hall; Ann was busy looking at a sweets cafe a couple classrooms over. He shook his head. His curiosity was piqued now, and he wasn’t going to bother trying to drag her over here for something this trivial.
Minato moved to push aside the curtain; As soon as his hand touched the curtain, a blue-gloved hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside.
“What— oof!”
It was dark inside the booth, and the woman who grabbed him immediately pulled him into a rib-crushing hug.
“Well, this is a surprise for the ages!” she laughed. She let go of him, putting her hands on his shoulders. “I knew something big was happening, but I never would have guessed this!”
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the booth, he could begin to make out a small round table, draped in a blue tablecloth with a tarot deck stacked on top.
The lady who had pulled him in was decked out in a blue dress, with a matching blue cap and boots. Her platinum blonde hair was cropped short, and her yellow eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness of the booth.
There was something so very familiar about her that he just couldn’t place yet.
“...Who are you?”
Her smile fell, and some unnamed emotion flashed across her face. It was quickly replaced by a small frown as she narrowed her eyes. Minato had a feeling he said something very wrong.
“Wait...” She leaned in closer as she continued to scrutinize him.
Minato leaned backward, away from her. “Personal space.”
She ignored him. After a moment, she sighed sadly. “Ah. I see what the issue is.“
“Issue?”
The lady poked him squarely in the forehead. “You don’t remember, do you?”
Minato tensed. “How did you know about that?”
She smiled wryly. “I have my ways, of course.” Her smile fell and she gave another dejected sigh. “But I’m afraid it’s not something I currently have the knowledge to fix. What a shame. I was truly looking forward to seeing my guest again,” she lamented. She placed her hands on her hips. “Well, we certainly can’t have our reunion like this. This won’t do at all.”
Minato blinked in confusion.
Ryoji, please tell me you understand what’s going on, he thought.
I’m sorry, but I’m just as lost as you are, he said. But it sounds like she knows you.
“Oh, don’t worry! I have the utmost faith that you will understand in time,” she said, interrupting their internal conversation. She clapped her hands together. “Anyway, this is a fortune-telling booth, is it not? And I’ve got something special in mind just for you!”
She ducked behind the table and brought out a massive leather-bound book. She placed it on the tiny round table with a thump and flipped it open. From between the first few pages, she drew out a card and held it between her fingers; it looked like a tarot card, one with the number zero on it.
She took his hand and placed the card in it, placing her other hand flat over his. “I believe this belongs to you, yes? Consider it a good luck gift. Or a welcome back gift. A welcome-luck gift!”
She pulled her hands away; the card had now disappeared.
What— Hey! It’s gone!
She waved Minato away, ignoring his stunned silence. “Now shoo, both of you. We’ll certainly meet again soon enough. I’m looking forward to a proper reunion next time!”
He looked up at her again, finally finding his voice. “Wait—”
Before he could protest, she grabbed him by his shoulders, turned him around, and shoved him out of the booth with inhuman strength. He stumbled across the hallway, nearly falling flat on his face.
“Good luck, you two~!” she called out with a small wave before disappearing behind the blue curtains.
That was… weird. Did she really know him? From what little he could make sense of, it definitely sounded like she recognized him.
Ryoji then spoke up. Minato.
What?
She said ‘both of us’.
Minato froze.
She meant both me and you, didn’t she?
I believe so.
Well now Minato definitely had questions for the blonde lady. He stepped up to the booth and pulled open the rich blue curtain, showing the interior; the lady from less than a minute ago was nowhere to be found.
What? Where did she go?!
Minato didn’t have an answer. It should have been impossible for her to just disappear.
“Hey, there you are! I was wondering where you went.” Minato looked up to see Ann approaching him. “Hm? What did you find?” she asked. “Is this a fortune-telling booth?”
“Yeah.” He frowned, looking at the booth again. “Did you see a lady in a blue dress?”
“Huh? No. Why?”
“She was in the booth earlier.”
She leaned in to look. “Aw, looks like nobody’s here now... I guess it’s closed. Too bad.” She elbowed his arm lightly. “What kind of fortune would you have hoped for?”
“Uh… dunno,” he said. “You?”
“Hmm… I hope things get better for us, I suppose. And I wouldn’t say no to lots of sweets in my future,” she said, smiling at the latter.
“You could make that second future happen yourself,” he added dryly. Minato hadn’t known Ann for long, but he’d definitely noticed her sweet tooth.
“Haha! You’re right about that,” she admitted. “Hey... if that’s true, do you think we could do the same for the first one?”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
She nodded, brightening a little. “Yeah, I’d like to think so too.” She gestured down the hall in the direction she came from. “Heck, let’s do it right now! I actually came over to show you a sweets cafe just down the hall. They have some good stuff!” She waved for him to follow. “Come on, before the others get back!”
The two of them left the booth behind, with Minato almost jogging to keep up with Ann. He pushed the encounter with the blonde lady toward the back of his thoughts, trying not to let the lingering feeling of disappointment show.
“Dude, I cannot believe you did that.” Ryuji deadpanned.
The entire group had reunited outside of Ann and Ren’s classroom and gathered themselves around a makeshift table, made of several desks pushed together. The area around them was relatively deserted compared to the rest of the hallway.
Ren grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry. I got caught up in the moment.”
“I thought that girl was gonna have a heart attack!”
Futaba snickered. “It was pretty funny.”
“It was less amusing when Ren was asked to leave,” said Yusuke. “However, watching him sneak up on the ones dressed up to scare us… it reminded me of the way he ambushes shadows in the Metaverse. It certainly gave me ideas for a new painting.”
“Everything gives you inspiration for a new painting, Inari,” Futaba muttered, low enough that Yusuke couldn’t hear.
“Other than getting kicked out, it sounds like you guys had fun,” said Ann. “We just explored the classrooms.”
“Did you two happen to hear any more of those rumors while you looked around?” asked Makoto. “Haru and I heard some on our way here.”
Ann’s smile fell, and her expression darkened a little. “I did.” She stabbed her plastic fork into her takoyaki with more force than necessary. “I even heard someone say Kamoshida was a victim. After everything he did!”
Ryuji scowled. “Seriously? For real?!”
“Yeah! Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to gag!”
“Yeah, me too. Wish I was surprised, though,” he muttered sourly. “School rumor mill’s always been shitty like that.”
Minato glanced at Ren. “Kamoshida?”
Ren’s expression darkened. “Long story. He was Shujin’s volleyball coach.”
“Yeah, and he was a total asshole!” Ryuji bit out. “I still can’t believe people here are already forgettin’ that part!”
Makoto frowned. “Compared to that, I don’t know if hearing people talk about Akechi’s appearance tomorrow is better or worse.”
“Well, he is rather popular lately,” said Yusuke.
“All thanks to the Phantom Thieves!” Futaba grumbled.
A voice interrupted their conversation. “Oh, I was hoping I would run into you all.”
Ren glanced up. “Speak of the devil. Hey, Akechi.”
Minato looked up to see a smartly-dressed boy with long, brown hair walking toward them. Akechi gave a polite smile as he approached the group.
“Hello, Amamiya-kun. I see everyone’s all here.” Akechi’s gaze sharpened when he saw Minato. The group tensed a little. “...As well as a new face. A friend of yours, I assume? I don’t believe we’ve met.” He turned to face Minato. “I’m Goro Akechi. Though I assume you already knew that.”
Minato gave him a blank stare. “I didn’t.”
Akechi’s smile faltered a little at his blunt statement, while Futaba tried to hide her snickering laughter. “M-my apologies. My fame as a detective tends to precede me,” he explained. Minato saw Ryuji roll his eyes. “I shouldn’t have assumed. Though I didn’t catch your name..?”
“Are you investigating me?” he deadpanned. It was… mostly an honest question, but he couldn't deny that he was dodging giving him an answer.
Minato could hear that Futaba was definitely struggling to keep her laughter contained now. Out of the corner of his eye, Ren shot him a wicked smirk.
Makoto interjected before Minato could continue annoying Akechi. “What are you doing here, Akechi? The assembly isn’t until tomorrow.”
To Minato’s secret relief, Akechi finally relented. “Oh, well, I simply came to check out the venue. A lot of people are coming tomorrow, after all, and I wouldn’t want to make any mistakes.” Akechi sighed. “Unfortunately I was recognized, and people kept asking me questions, so I escaped to someplace more quiet, where I ran into you all here.”
Akechi glanced at the table, where Ren’s takoyaki sat mostly untouched. “That looks delicious. Mind if I steal one?”
Ren shrugged. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” He then grabbed the piece on top that was bright red.
Ann sat upright. “Wait… that’s…”
Haru gasped. “The special one!”
Akechi raised an eyebrow. “Special one? Well, since I’ve already taken this one, I suppose I’ll see what’s so special about it then,” he said, before eating it all in one bite. “Mmm. This is…” He trailed off. His pleasant smile rapidly morphed into shock as he began to hyperventilate. “...Hot. Hot! Oh, my throat..! This is…”
Minato saw Ryuji trying to hold in his laughter.
Haru shot upright. “Are you alright? Do you need water?”
Akechi tried to plaster on a smile, though it looked more like a grimace. “No, no, it’s fine! I’m fine! I just… really love spicy food..!” he wheezed out. He turned to leave, giving a wave as he left. “Well… I-I’ll see you all… tomorrow… G-goodbye!”
The group watched him quickly walk away, bolting down the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Ryuji and Futaba burst out laughing.
“Wow,” said Ann. “He’s really trying to hold it together.”
Ren’s smirk widened as he glanced at Minato. “I’ve never seen anyone else annoy our favorite detective that quickly. I’m almost proud.”
“Forget that! Did you see the look on his face when he ate the special takoyaki?” Ryuji said as soon as he calmed down. “It was priceless!”
“You are all such children,” Makoto scolded, looking at them with disappointment.
“Regardless, did he really come to simply check the venue..?” said Yusuke, looking downcast. “This is not good. I keep suspecting every little thing.”
“I know what you mean,” said Makoto. “I’ve been doing the same. But we need him to be our source of intel tomorrow.”
Futaba’s smile fell, and she fidgeted in her seat. “Hey, guys… didn’t he say ‘everyone’s all here’?” she asked.
Ryuji looked a little apprehensive. “...You’re prolly just imagining things.”
Makoto shook her head. “I don’t know if he’s onto us, but he’s been suspicious of us before, especially whenever someone joins us. Did you notice how he focused on Minato?”
Minato looked at Makoto. “I did. I wasn’t sure of it at first.”
In fact, something about Akechi set him on edge. Minato couldn’t put his finger on exactly what, though. Maybe he was thinking too hard on it. After all, all the others were tense towards Akechi as well, and Minato didn’t enjoy the feeling that he was being analyzed underneath that benign smile.
Ren nodded. “He definitely was. I’ve gotten to know him long enough to tell.”
“Then we’re going to need to make a cover story for how we know Minato if people start asking too many questions,” said Makoto. “Especially Akechi.”
“Yeah, I doubt anyone’s going to buy that we found him in a subway tunnel with amnesia,” said Futaba. “And I still haven’t found anything about him yet, either. If anyone else goes digging, that’ll be pretty suspicious.”
Makoto blinked in surprise. “You still haven’t found anything?”
Futaba pushed up her glasses with a frown. “ Yet. ”
“Well, we can’t say we know him from school. He obviously doesn’t go to Shujin,” said Ann.
“Perhaps not Shujin, but I could claim that he is a friend of mine from Kosei,” Yusuke suggested.
Futaba sat up. “Hey, that’s not a bad idea, Inari. Actually, let’s go with that cover story. I think I’ve got an idea how to really sell it.”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”
She grinned. “Nope! I’ll have to work on it when we get back home, so it’ll be a surprise! I should have it ready by tomorrow. Maybe the day after, at the very latest.”
Morgana looked unamused. “Does that include sleep?”
“No promises, kitty! This is important!”
“I’m not a cat! And sleep is important, too!”
The two continued to bicker for a minute, before the conversation moved on to lighter topics. The group eventually finished their takoyaki, and they explored the festival a little while longer.
Eventually, Futaba decided she had seen enough of the school festival and asked if she could head home early to work on her idea. (“Secret,” she said when they asked what it was.) At that, they all decided to call it a day, so Minato left with Ren and Futaba, riding on the train with them back to Leblanc. The three of them even managed to grab seats.
The silence between them wasn’t a completely comfortable one like before, though. While Ren looked unperturbed and Futaba a little tired out, Minato was uneasy about tomorrow, and the group’s plan to get information from Akechi. It was a solid plan, but it was risky. Akechi seemed sharp, and to be honest, the boy unnerved him a little.
Jeez. Three days, and he was already running with a group of vigilantes playing cat-and-mouse with a detective while evading the police, all in a mission to regain his memories. What had he gotten himself into?
You never were that good at staying out of trouble, said Ryoji.
Minato felt a reassuring presence brush against the back of his mind, and a sense of calm radiated towards him, easing his worry just a little.
Thanks, Ryoji, he thought.
...That’s not me.
Minato paused, sitting upright in his seat. Ryoji was right; the persona’s presence was familiar, but it wasn’t Thanatos. In fact, it had felt so natural that he hadn’t even noticed it until now. Just as he had known Thanatos’s name the moment he awakened, he knew the other persona’s name as well.
“Orpheus…” Minato mumbled.
Ren glanced at Minato with an odd look. “What?”
No way! Ryoji said in shock. When did you appear? You definitely weren’t here before!
Minato felt more than heard Orpheus’s response. Memories of the blue fortune-telling booth and the lady in blue came forward, accompanied by one word from the silent persona:
Elizabeth.
Minato held his hand up. The same one that the lady— no, Elizabeth had held earlier that day.
The card, Minato thought. This was her gift.
Orpheus was silent, but he didn’t need to speak to confirm Minato’s suspicions.
Jeez. I can’t believe I didn’t even notice, said Ryoji. But I guess we were pretty distracted… and you do have the same kind of presence as Minato. He brightened again. Well, in any case, it’s good to have you back!
Orpheus shied away from Ryoji. Personal space.
What?! You’re so mean!
“Hey. Is something up?”
Minato tuned out Ryoji’s complaints and snapped his attention back to his surroundings. Ren was giving him an odd look.
“Nothing,” he lied. That was a complicated explanation he didn’t feel like navigating at the moment.
Ren stared a little longer. He clearly wasn’t buying it.
Minato pointedly ignored his stare. “Akechi seems smart. You should be careful tomorrow.”
Ren nodded. “I know. We will be,” he said, determination in his voice. “Things are a mess, but we’ll work things out.”
“For your sake, I hope so.”
They were quiet as they made their way back. Ryoji was happily chattering away to Orpheus, who was listening silently.
Minato returned to his thoughts on what Orpheus said. Elizabeth… he definitely knew her. And it wasn’t in a bad sense; even without giving him Orpheus, she was definitely a friend. Once again, the familiar sense of frustration with his memory simmered beneath the surface.
He hoped she was right that they would meet again soon.
“This ain’t no deal, it’s blackmail!”
“Call it what you like, but I stand by my decision.”
The Thieves were all gathered in the PE faculty office the next day, along with Akechi. Tension was running high in the group, especially after watching the assembly and listening to the deal he was now offering them: help him uncover the truth and disband afterwards, or be turned in to the police.
“The hell! You can’t be serious!” said Ryuji.
“I am very serious about this,” Akechi said calmly. “The police are only concerned with settling the case. Sae-san is in charge of the Phantom Thieves case, and the higher-ups are putting more and more pressure on her to find the culprits.”
“What about evidence?” asked Yusuke. “How do they intend to prove that we did it?”
“Yeah, it’s not like they can use the Metaverse as evidence,” said Ann.
Akechi shook his head. “That won’t matter if they’ve established that you are the cause behind it,” he explained. “Sae-san is growing impatient under the pressure that’s being put upon her. With that kind of desperation... without evidence, she may even go as far as making up a confession.”
Several of the Thieves protested at that.
“Disgraceful,” said Yusuke.
“So they’re just gonna say it’s our fault just because they can?!” said Ryuji.
“We didn’t kill anyone!” said Ann.
Makoto’s face fell. “Sis...”
Minato said nothing, only quietly fixing Akechi with a dark look from where he stood at the back of the group, leaning against the desk. The reality of their situation was truly sinking in as he quietly listened to all of this. He had heard the gist of what happened with the Phantom Thieves and Okumura, but this… this was all coming to an ugly head, and very quickly. Minato glanced over at Ren, who looked pensive as he thought over all this new information.
Akechi held up a hand defensively, silencing them. “Whether you did it or not does not matter now. If you are caught, you will be found guilty, with or without evidence.”
“Game over,” Futaba said grimly.
Akechi nodded and looked over everyone. “So... will you accept my offer?” Minato noticed that Akechi’s gaze lingered on himself and Ren a little longer than everyone else, which did nothing to soothe the unease he felt.
Ren looked up, looking a little lost. “This is a lot to ask, Akechi. Will you let us think about this?”
He nodded. “Very well. You don’t have to make a decision now, but I would advise you to make it as soon as possible.” Akechi checked his phone, then looked to Makoto. “I believe we are out of time. You invited me to get intel, correct? My apologies, but would it be acceptable to end the panel here?”
“It would be unwise to continue it now, with the direction it was headed,” Yusuke commented dryly.
Makoto nodded. “I’ll deal with it somehow.”
“Then I will take my leave,” he said. He paused in the doorway. “I hope you will all make the right decision.” He then stepped out into the hallway, already making his way back to the auditorium.
The rest of the group filed out of the classroom, save for Morgana and Ren; the former called out to him to talk in private. They all made their way back to the auditorium, wandering the now mostly empty halls. The cheerful paper decorations did nothing to improve their spirits.
The mood continued to tense when they arrived back at the balcony they’d been watching from before. Minato gripped the railing tightly as they watched Akechi excuse himself from the assembly early, cutting off any remaining questions with a deceptively sheepish look and an offhand joke. It betrayed none of the seriousness he’d spoken to them with not five minutes ago.
His unease only continued to grow. In the back of his mind, he could tell Ryoji felt the same.
“Was this really our best course of action..?” Haru asked.
Yusuke looked grim. “This is bad. We were supposed to gather intel, but instead we played right into his hands.”
“He totally used Makoto’s idea against us,” Ann lamented. “Are we really going to accept his deal?”
“He has photo evidence,” said Minato. “Unless you count being arrested, there isn’t another option.”
“Dammit! He was practically toying with us!” Ryuji was fuming, his hands clenched tight into fists.
“Calm down, Ryuji! You need to keep your voice down!” Ann hissed.
“How am I supposed to stay calm about this? What are we gonna do?!” he shot back, fear and desperation clear underneath the hard anger in his voice.
Minato glanced at Ryuji before looking to the others. “The panel’s over. We should leave before we’re overheard.”
“I agree,” said Yusuke, turning to face Ryuji. “While I cannot deny that I feel the same, we need to cool our heads and avoid attracting unnecessary attention.” He turned to look at the others. “What’s done is done. We cannot change what has happened. But we will have to keep our heads clear and make our decision before Akechi contacts us again.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” said Morgana. Ren approached the group, with Morgana perched in his usual spot over his shoulder.
“There you two are. What kept you?”
Ren anxiously tugged a lock of hair from his messy bangs, glancing around. “Not here. We’ll explain later.” Ren nodded toward Ryuji. “Come on, let’s head to the roof. I could use some air myself.”
“Me too. I think I’ve had my fill of people for the rest of the year,” said Futaba, following them out.
Ann leaned against the balcony. “Honestly, I don’t know if I can enjoy the rest of the festival after this. I kind of just wanna skip out and go home.”
Yusuke nodded. “I’ve had my fill as well. I would consider leaving, but I suspect there is still yet more to discuss. Ren did say he and Morgana would explain their brief absence later.”
“But what Akechi-kun’s asking of us…” Haru trailed off. “If we disband… What about Mona-chan? And Minato-kun?”
Minato blinked, slightly dumbfounded. Why would she be worried about him? His situation wasn’t any more dire than theirs; if anything, she had to have it worse than everyone else.
Ann’s eyes softened. “It’s okay, Haru. We’ll... figure something out.”
Minato looked up. “You haven’t disbanded yet. We’ll work with this for now.”
Ann nodded in agreement. “Yeah! Don’t count us out just yet.”
Haru blinked before giving a faint, tired smile. “I suppose that’s true. We still have each other. But...” Haru looked to him. “Minato-kun… you could get arrested for something you had no part in. Are you sure you still want to help us?”
He did not hesitate; he looked at her, a hard glint in his eyes. “Yes.”
He inwardly frowned at the thought of what she suggested. Minato had already decided he would help them in any way he could. Even if he wanted to, Akechi already knew he was a part of the group, which meant his fate was tied with theirs. There was no turning back now.
She nodded. “I understand.” She turned to leave. “I’m going to find Mako-chan.”
“Yeah. I think she could use the company right now,” said Ann.
With that, Haru left, leaving the three of them alone. None of them made any motion to leave, or to rejoin the throng of students wandering about. Instead they all stood near the balcony, watching the auditorium being set up for the next student panel, all of them wondering the same thing.
What were they going to do now?