On the Possibility of Raiding the Phantom Thieves’ Leader 35

Chapter 35

Even on a weekday, Shinjuku was crowded. Yu and Ren walked through the throngs of people, carrying their shopping bags.

Morgana, as usual, was tucked away in Ren’s bag, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Akechi doesn’t have many friends, and he has a bit of a temper. He’ll be furious if he learns the truth,” Yu said.

“He’ll definitely be angry, but as long as he doesn’t find out, it’s fine,” Ren replied.

“Wow, Ren, you’re so mean,” Yu teased.

“Do you really think he hasn’t suspected me?” Ren asked calmly. “He’s probably already investigated me thoroughly. Don’t underestimate the Detective Prince.”

“And why are you only worried about him, not me?”

“If my identity is exposed, I’ll face serious consequences.” Even though the Phantom Thieves had many fans, they were still vigilantes, operating outside the law. If exposed, they could face arrest.

So Ren, unusually, complained.

He didn’t want to hear the person he liked express concern for his rival. Yu should be more concerned about him.

“Huh?” Yu looked at Ren, puzzled. “Do I really need to state the obvious?”

He said, in his usual earnest tone, “I thought you would understand without me saying it. I’m always on your side, Ren.”

“I’ll always support you. I said that before, didn’t I?”

This was something Yu had decided from the very beginning. No matter what happened, he would always stand by Ren.

His concern for Akechi stemmed from his worry that their relationship would be irreparably damaged.

Interpersonal relationships and bonds were crucial, and a broken friendship, whether with Akechi or Ren, would be a sad outcome.

Having experienced such loss before, Yu didn’t want Ren to go through the same thing.

Ren paused, looking down, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks.

The light turned green, and they crossed the street, heading towards the subway station. Ren stopped at the entrance.

Yu stopped as well, looking at him curiously.

“Ren? Aren’t you coming?”

“Akechi and I can’t coexist,” Ren suddenly said. “Let’s not go back yet. Let’s find a place for lunch.”

“Is it already noon?” Yu tilted his head, checking the time on his phone. “I didn’t even realize. I am a bit hungry.”

Morgana: …

What was going on with these two?!

Why did Ren stop mid-sentence?! What did he mean by “Akechi and I can’t coexist”?! And why the sudden shift to lunch?!

Yu! Weren’t you curious?! How could you just go along with the lunch suggestion?!

They ended up at a pet-friendly restaurant, chosen so Morgana could join them. The advantage was that pets were allowed, and they even had a pet menu. The disadvantage was the high price and mediocre food. But for Morgana’s sake, Ren paid the price.

At least Mona didn’t have to stay hidden in the bag.

Yu, never one to refuse Ren’s suggestions, was also looking forward to the pet-friendly restaurant.

After ordering, they waited for the waiter to leave before Ren spoke.

“Yu, you know that each Arcana represents a Confidant.”

Yu nodded, his gaze gentle. “Yes, even Margaret is an Arcana.”

“Akechi is Justice.”

“Justice?” Yu’s eyes lit up with understanding. “That suits him. The righteous Detective Prince.”

Ren lowered his gaze. “No, he’s not.”

He had to tell Yu the truth. They were reaching a critical point. The Phantom Thieves were infiltrating Okumura’s Palace, and his daughter, Haru, would be joining them soon. After they stole Okumura’s treasure, Akechi would cause his mental shutdown.

This would be the beginning of Akechi’s downfall, and the only incident Ren could definitively link him to.

He was about to confront Akechi.

“Yu,” Ren met Yu’s gaze. “Akechi… he’s reversed Justice.”

“Reversed…?” Yu paused.

Each Arcana had a specific meaning, the Velvet Room categorizing the bonds that aided a guest’s rehabilitation. Besides the standard Arcana, in Yu’s experience, there was Tohru Adachi, represented by the Jester Arcana, which later evolved into Hunger.

Now, Ren was telling him that Akechi was Justice, but reversed.

A perversion of justice, driven by selfish desires and apathy, leading to disastrous consequences.

Reversed Justice was injustice.

Morgana, unfamiliar with the Arcana, listened to their conversation, puzzled. He didn’t understand, but he could sense the seriousness in both Ren and Yu’s voices, the usually lighthearted atmosphere replaced by a heavy tension.

“I saw him. In the Metaverse.”

“Yu,” Ren said. “He’s the one behind the mental shutdown incidents.”

Yu’s fingers trembled. The news was as shocking as realizing that Tohru Adachi, the only person who fit the profile, was the culprit behind the Inaba incidents.

Now, his friend was telling him that another friend was responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people in Tokyo.

Yu remained silent until the waiter arrived with their food.

The friendly waitress wished them a pleasant meal, complimenting Morgana on his beautiful fur.

But no one was in the mood for pleasantries.

Morgana carefully walked over to Yu, placing his paw on his hand.

“Narukami,” Morgana said, worried. “Are you…”

“I’m fine,” Yu held Mona’s paw. “So, Ren, Akechi is a bad guy, right?”

Ren nodded silently.

“I understand,” Yu stood up, releasing Mona’s paw, placing Ren’s belongings beside him, then smiling, his expression seemingly unchanged, but Ren could see the emptiness in his eyes.

He was smiling, but there was no warmth in it.

“Leave Akechi to me. You guys continue with your plans. Don’t worry about him from now on.”

“Hey, are you sure about this?” Morgana looked at Ren, worried. “Shouldn’t we follow Narukami? He seems a bit scary…”

“It’s fine,” Ren picked up Morgana. “He’ll be alright.”

Ren hadn’t formed any genuine connection with Akechi in this life, so he didn’t feel any personal grief. But Yu was different. He had genuinely befriended Akechi, never suspecting his true nature. He would be hurt.

So Yu had to deal with this on his own.

In a deserted, neglected park, Yu stood calmly in the center of a dry fountain, making a phone call.

“Akechi, can you come here?”

“It’s nothing much. I just need your help with something. Yes, it’s urgent. Please come now. I’ll send you the address.”

“Thank you.”

After Akechi agreed, Yu ended the call, turning to look at a broken, abandoned screen nearby.

When he was younger, this park had been lively and bustling. A large screen had been installed for some event, but as the city’s economic center shifted, the park was gradually abandoned, the broken screen left untouched.

Yu placed his hand on the screen, his fingers sinking into it, disappearing into the distorted space.

Good, it would work.

He withdrew his hand, waiting for Akechi to arrive.

Akechi arrived and saw Yu standing before the abandoned screen, his tall frame accentuated by a simple white shirt and black pants. The monochrome outfit somehow made him even more striking.

He understood why Yu was popular at school.

“Narukami?” Akechi approached. “What’s so urgent that you had to call me here? I’m very busy.”

“Really? Busy with your crusade against the Phantom Thieves?” Yu asked without turning around.

Akechi looked at Yu, surprised by the coldness in his voice.

In the months he had known Yu, he had always been gentle and approachable, his words light and airy, like a soft marshmallow.

But now, that marshmallow had hardened into a stone.

“Are you alright?” Akechi placed a hand on Yu’s shoulder. “You seem a bit off.”

Yu turned around, his gray eyes, magnified by his glasses, sharp and cold.

Akechi knew Yu didn’t need glasses. Why was he wearing them? And why did he seem so… intimidating with them on?

Before the detective could process anything, Yu grabbed his wrist, pulling him down forcefully. Caught off guard, Akechi fell to the ground, grabbing Yu’s sleeve, his black gloves wrinkling with the force of his grip.

“Yu Narukami!” Akechi struggled to free himself. “What are you doing?!”

But Yu’s grip was surprisingly strong, even Akechi, who trained regularly, couldn’t break free.

In this dire situation, Akechi’s mind, lulled into a false sense of security by Yu’s invitation, finally caught up.

A deserted park, far from any surveillance cameras, in a practically abandoned part of the city… it was the perfect location for a murder.

Was Yu going to kill him?

“…Why?” Akechi frowned. “Yu Narukami!”

“I wanted a reason, but then I realized it doesn’t really matter,” Yu said impassively, pulling Akechi to his feet and pushing him against the abandoned screen.

Akechi’s eyes widened.

He felt a strange, watery sensation, as if he was passing through something. He looked back and saw ripples spreading across the screen, Yu pushing him further into it.

“What is this?!”

“It’s the other world,” Yu replied.

Akechi’s eyes narrowed in fear.

“Akechi,” Yu continued, “Personas aren’t meant for evil.”

As Yu released him, Akechi instinctively reached out, a desperate plea for help. But there was only empty air behind him, and he fell into the screen, into a world he had never known, the other world of Inaba, Yu’s other world.

The ripples on the screen subsided, as if nothing had happened.

Yu stood there for a moment, then stepped into the screen.

“Even though I said it didn’t matter, I still want to know why you did it,” Yu muttered as he fell. “I want to know your reason…”

“Is it the same as Adachi’s?”