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Satou was an idiot. The great evils she fought were just a tiny part of the corruption that bathed the world, the corruption apparently only he could see. As if knocking down a few little pawns would change society. Ridiculous.
Really, all the Phantom Thieves were idiots. Idiots to associate so openly with each other, to allow their meetings to occur in highly public places, to continue going to the same school during an investigation into their activities. But Satou was particularly idiotic to allow him anywhere near her, as if she could somehow throw him off their scent.
He'd known about her immediately, of course. The origin of the Phantom Thieves hadn't been difficult to track once he saw them in Madarame’s Palace, and from there it was all too easy to find the delinquent trash leading them.
How could this moronic, sanctimonious little rat have the same power as him? Well, it didn't matter. She didn't know a thing, which made her all too easy to control. As soon as she was no longer useful, he would remove her from the equation.
Goro’s eye twitched. Satou was waving her hand in his face. What was her problem?
Goro shook himself back to reality. “Ah, my apologies. I was... lost in thought. Did you need something, Satou-san?”
Satou stepped back and gestured to the dart board. Her turn was over. Something about the way she communicated pissed him off.
“I see. Thank you.” He pulled a dart from his off hand and stepped up to the line, throwing one as he passed the next into position, like chambering a bullet. One bull. Two bulls. Three bulls. Perfect aim. He turned to Satou, who was giving the board a bewildered look. “Your turn.”
Satou turned to him, blank-faced. “Shouldn't you be going for triple twenties?”
“Huh?”
“You're going for bulls. If you make three of them, you get a hundred fifty. But if you make three triple twenties, you get a hundred eighty. We're playing 701, so that makes the difference between a possible round four finish and a forced round five finish. You're putting it all on me, but your aim’s better than mine, so wouldn't it be better to rely on your own skill?” Her expression didn't change and her arms didn't move from her sides. It was as if she was a robot, reciting from a script.
The eye twitch returned. Satou was the most irritating person he had ever met. He did his best to control his expression. “That's... true, Satou-san. I hadn't considered that.”
Satou stared up at him blithely. The fact she was a head and a half shorter than him only pissed him off more. “Maybe next time.” She stepped forward to the line. Her first throw landed squarely in the center of the triple 20 segment. Her second, a little off the mark, but still within the lines. Her third throw, which she hesitated on for nearly ten seconds, went slightly wide, landing her a single twenty instead. 140 points — below his score for the last round. Goro couldn’t help but puff out his chest a bit. She could talk all she wanted, but she still couldn’t measure up to him.
“See?” Satou turned to him, an embarrassed smile on her face. “It'd be better if I left the final round to the expert.” She gestured to him. That was right, he was the expert. And she'd do well to remember that.
...Not that he was trying to impress her.
Satou, sitting across from him, pondered the menu. She’d been doing so for far too long.
“What?” she said, not looking up. “You’re staring, man.”
“I can recommend something if you’re having trouble deciding, Satou-san.” Goro put on his cornball TV smile.
Satou shrugged and nodded, closing the menu.
“I find myself partial to the sponge with the dark chocolate glaze, if you’re a fan of richer flavors.” Perhaps it was sexist to assume a woman would prefer sweet flavors over complex ones. Well, Satou’s womanhood was contextual, anyway. He doubted she’d pay much mind to it. “I may go for a caramel glaze today. I’m just in that sort of mood.”
Satou nodded, and when the waiter arrived, she ordered the one he’d recommended. Oddly obedient for a phantom thief. Maybe it was some kind of ploy. Though that’d imply she knew he was investigating her... Or maybe that she knew even more than that. Had he slipped somewhere, let on that he knew more than he showed? Did she already know that he could access the Metaverse?
“This is pretty good,” Satou mumbled, her mouth full of cake. Okay, maybe she wasn’t a genius.
“Hey, isn’t that Akechi-kun?” A voice from the street said, not modulating its volume in the least. He wouldn’t turn to look, but from the sound of it, it was a high school girl. Yet again, the universe had conspired to make him look like a fool.
“No way!” a different (though no less annoying) voice half-yelled. “Hey, who’s that he’s with? Is it a girl?” Oh, this was somehow even worse.
“Uh-oh. Looks like I’ve been spotted.” Goro sighed.
“And me.” Satou turned her face away from the street.
The unsubtle voice from the street — the first one — piped up again. “Whoa, it does look like a girl! If that’s really Akechi-kun, do you think...”
“I should go.” Goro stood from his chair. This was irritating, but the meeting had served its purpose — he just needed to keep himself in Satou’s life long enough to stab her in the back. “You should stay here for a while instead of following. I’ll pay the bill next time we meet.”
Satou shook her head. “I can pay.” How charitable of her.
Turning away from the street, he scratched his head. “It’s a shame I don’t have glasses like you. Maybe I would have been able to get out of this situation.” There was a short silence, and then Satou stood from her chair. “Hey, didn’t I just say—”
“Hold still a sec.” Satou pulled the glasses off her face and pushed them onto him, nearly poking him in the eye. Goro, for some reason, decided not to resist. “Hmm...” Satou beheld him, looking oddly calculating without the glasses on her face. “Okay, I’m gonna mess up your hair.”
“Wha—” He didn’t even have time to say anything before both of Satou’s hands were on his head, mussing his artfully unkempt hair (it’d taken months to find a way to make it look like he didn’t care about it). After a few eternal seconds, she released his cranium and stood back. Apparently satisfied, she gave him a thumbs-up and sat back down, gesturing to his chair.
Goro sat. Maybe he was oddly obedient as well.
The pair of high-school girls approached furtively. They must have thought themselves stealthy. “Hey, do you really think that’s Akechi-kun?”
“Now that I get a better look, he’s kinda sloppy...” The pair of girls shrugged and walked off. Goro sighed. Maybe he ought to get a pair of glasses after all.
Satou stared at him, eyes cold. She did look a tad more threatening without the glasses — her gaze was unusually piercing. As the girls left earshot, she piped up. “Easy.”
“I can’t believe you actually did that.” Goro said, handing the glasses back. “I suppose I’d better learn to watch what I say around you.” He wasn’t sure what she’d done to his hair, but luckily it wasn’t too difficult to fix.
“You looked good.” Satou didn’t appear to be joking, but he could never tell with her.
“Yes, well, that aside...” Goro sighed. “Still, thank you for the quick thinking, Satou-san.”
Satou nodded. “Maybe I can dress you up some more next time.”
Oh, no. Definitely not. Goro chuckled good-naturedly. “I hope you’re not being serious.”
“I’m thinking a pleated skirt, maybe a low-cut blouse... Some hair pins...” Satou continued, not taking notice of him.
“I hope you’re not being serious.” Goro felt his face grow red. Getting dressed up by Satou sounded horrifying, and he would do nearly anything to avoid it. Well, if it was the only way to ensure she’d stay in his control, maybe, but in any other situation... no.
“Hey, no harm in a little crossdressing. You learn a lot of things about yourself.” Satou shrugged. “That was my experience, anyway.”
Goro wasn't sure how to respond to that. Usually, what TV Akechi-kun would say was very obvious — stay inoffensive, give as little information as possible, play up the boyish charm. Unfortunately, the typical, “inoffensive” reactions to crossdressing ranged from, uh, hysterical laughter to open disgust? Neither of which would work here, for obvious reasons.
Well, he could just act a sycophant and agree with her — though it felt like that path would end with him wearing a skirt, an outcome he desperately wanted to avoid. And besides, the rapport he'd been constructing with Satou was based around them having cordial disagreements on politically fraught topics...
Though this was different than the Phantom Thieves, of course — the Phantom Thieves were a recent development, not to mention an ideological pursuit. The disagreement “Akechi-kun” had with them came mostly down to their “unknown” methods, the questionable legality of their actions, and the essential thing, a general societal unease with the idea of well-known people adored by the public being cruel, self-serving little toads.
Goro didn't really care about any of these things. His disgust towards the Phantom Thieves was more related to the childish zeal of their stupid politics — shaping the world through individual change was their express goal, and they were terrible at it, because something like that would never work, not as long as Masayoshi Shido stood behind it all. And, frankly, with the way he was building up political momentum, it was possible that even if they did eventually change his heart, it wouldn't stop him.
It was more than a little disquieting. Fortunately enough, Goro had a much more succinct solution to Masayoshi Shido in mind. Though somehow he doubted the Phantom Thieves would agree.
All that aside, crossdressing was not an issue they could agree to disagree on — since what Satou was doing on that front was less of an ideological pursuit and more of a way of life. “Disagreeing” with it would be tantamount to disagreeing with who she was as a person — and Satou would probably react poorly to that.
So, what was “Akechi-kun” to say? Well, simple. He would express confusion. Act like he'd never thought about it before. Maybe he'd even act like he thought Satou’d been a woman from birth — it wasn't like he'd said anything to contradict that.
Oh, that was funny. Goro barely kept himself from cracking a smile.
“You've crossdressed before, Satou-san?” Goro asked, looking as innocent as he possibly could.
Satou looked at him like he was insane. This was definitely part of his plan and he didn't mind looking like an idiot at all. “A few times.” She chose her words carefully, looking him directly in the eye.
Goro suppressed the urge to laugh. “Really? I can't imagine you as a man.”
“Yeah, me neither.” Satou’s expression didn't change. Her poker face was remarkable.
Without the context of him leading her on with the intention of eventually killing her and her friends, it almost felt like they were sharing a joke — like they could both acknowledge the absurdity of this situation. If only — then maybe she wouldn't have to die after all. “Well, regardless, I don't think I'll be crossdressing anytime soon. Sorry to disappoint.”
“Shame.” Satou stared into his eyes. “I think you'd make a pretty girl.”
Goro laughed nervously. “Well, th-that’s neither here nor there. I suspect that sort of thing would have a rather negative effect on my public image.”
Satou’s gaze pointed past him, as if she was lost in thought. “...’Detective Princess' does have a ring to it, though.”
Goro’s head spun slightly. What in the world was Satou on about? The joke wasn't funny anymore. “Satou-san —”
“‘Akechi-chan,’” Satou intoned in an imitation of a TV presenter's energetic babble, “‘word is, you've solved over one hundred cases! But is there room in that busy life of yours for a boy... ?”
Goro choked on his coffee. “Satou-san, I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure is a very interesting... fantasy, but —”
“‘Oh, no, ahaha,’” — the impression had changed to a truly unconvincing version of him — “‘I’m afraid I simply don't have the time for things of that manner, busy as I am with the Phantom Thieves case —”
Goro forced out a laugh. “That’s too much, Satou-san. You’re going to give people ideas.”
Satou blinked at him, staring into his eyes with a curious look on her face.
“A-anyway, we’ve gotten off track — and our coffee’s gone cold. Maybe we should order some more,” Goro said, trying desperately to latch onto any other line of conversation. Despite that, Satou’s pointed gaze didn’t waver. Somehow, it felt like she knew something. Like that look alone was saying “I know you’re not who you say you are.” Even the glasses couldn’t hide it.
The conversation stalled. Even when Satou spoke up again, it was only in her terse, guarded tone. They sipped their cold coffee in nominal silence until Goro found an excuse to leave.
The conversation echoed in Goro’s mind as he entered his austere, tiny apartment. Satou’s icy gaze had left a mark, a cold feeling deep in his stomach like he was missing something very important.
...Well, still best to call her.
Sitting down on his bed, Goro pulled out his phone and called Satou. It only rang twice before she picked up. “Hello,” he said. “It’s a shame our discussion was interrupted today... I was rather enjoying having a breather with you.”
Satou was silent.
Goro continued unabated. “But you certainly surprised me today. I can’t believe we got out of that with such a basic trick. It was an interesting experience, but... I definitely don’t want to go through that ordeal ever again... I saw firsthand what happens when I’m too careless with my words around you.” That came out harsher than he meant it to.
Satou was silent for quite a long time. He almost thought her bag (or her cat) had answered instead of her, but eventually he heard her clear her throat. “Akechi,” she said.
The lack of honorific threw him a little, but he answered evenly. “Yes?”
“I’m going to be honest with you.”
What? Honest about what? The Phantom Thieves? What was he meant to do if she just admitted to it right now? “About what, Satou-san?”
“I’m transgender.” Ohhhh. That. Okay, that made more sense. “I thought you knew, so I never mentioned it, but what you said today...” She trailed off.
“I see.” Goro sniffed. Well, the answer to this one was easy. “That makes sense. Thank you for telling me.”
Satou was silent again.
“I don’t see you any differently, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Goro blinked, suddenly realizing what Satou was getting at. “Though — I should clarify, my interest in you has always been purely platonic, so if you’re worried that I —”
“Oh, thank God.” Satou sighed. “Okay, that’s what I wanted to hear. Thanks, ‘Detective Princess.’ Text me whenever.”
“Hey, that’s not —”
Dial tone. Satou had hung up on him.
Goro leaned back and let himself fall onto his immaculately made bed. God, she pissed him off.
Goro had been surprised at how easily the Phantom Thieves had accepted his stipulations — that he be allowed to join their operations, and that they cease operating entirely after this. He had expected more pushback, though of course they couldn't have refused, not if they wanted their identities to remain secret.
It was all going pretty much the way he’d predicted. Shido knew about this part of the plan. It was the simplest thing — get Satou caught on the escape after Niijima’s heart was changed, have her taken into police custody, then after the cursory questioning, kill her and her guard with the guard’s gun. The rest would take care of itself, thanks to Shido throwing his political weight around.
Shido was, as always, a truly awful boss. Akechi had called Satou a young woman one time and Shido had given him an icy glare before explaining, in a ten-minute-long rant, that Satou was legally a man, and men wouldn’t be allowed to go around masquerading as women in his perfect nation — but at least it was a pleasant opportunity to zone out and imagine how Shido’s corpse would look. His backwards view on the world was hilarious, frankly. As if a man so confused and paranoid could lead any nation to greatness.
As he sipped his coffee — surprisingly good, considering Satou made it — he pondered where this would end. Once Shido was dead, what then? Could he really just return to his normal life, continue playing the part of Detective Prince? Well, he supposed he’d have to, at least for now. The rest of his life, he’d figure out later.
Satou snapped her fingers in front of his face. She was so irritating. “Akechi-kun.”
“Ah — yes, Satou-san?” He gave her his cornball grin, which she turned her nose up at. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
“I was asking what you thought of the coffee. Sojiro’s been teaching me.” Satou was drying a cup with a towel — very much looking the part of a barista.
“Oh, it’s quite good. I was wondering if there was some kind of special method.” Akechi pretended to stare into the cup, as if attempting to glean its secrets.
“Sorry, bud. Leblanc secret.” Satou mimed locking her mouth and throwing away the key.
Goro laughed quietly. “I figured.”
It was silent for a while. Satou finished drying the cup and put it away, then leaned against the counter, looking at her phone.
“Say, Satou-san...”
Satou turned her head halfway to look at him sideways.
“I’m curious. Did you always know you were transgender? I hear an awful lot on the news and such, and I’m never certain how much stock to put in such things...”
Satou turned around fully and leaned over the counter at him, studying his face. “I was eleven, so no.”
“Eleven? That’s only... five years ago?”
“Yep. Five years.”
“Sorry if this is an invasive question, but...”
Satou rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I get enough of ‘em. Go on.”
“I thought elective surgeries for transgender people were difficult to acquire for minors.”
“Yeah, they are.” Satou gestured to her body. “None of this is surgery. I haven’t had any surgeries.”
Goro blinked. “Wait, really? How do you —”
“Medication. I’m on puberty blockers first off, then later on I got on estrogen supplements.” Satou counted on her fingers, as if enumerating her grocery list. “Basically, the puberty blockers prevent guy puberty from starting, and the estrogen makes girl puberty happen. If I’d realized after puberty started for me, instead of the puberty blockers, I’d be on a testosterone suppressant too — spironolactone or bicalutamide or something like that.” She rattled it off like she knew it by heart, which she probably did.
“So, you look... like you do... without any surgery at all.” Goro hadn’t expected that. Medication could bridge the gap between the sexes so easily?
“Yep.” Satou nodded. “I mean, as soon as I can, I’m gonna go straight for the surgeries, obviously, but right now it’s not so bad. That all you wanted to ask?”
“So, you mean to say that anyone could just... take medication daily and change their wardrobe and just... pass themselves off as another gender?” It still kind of boggled his mind.
“Uh, not... always? I mean, results vary. I got pretty lucky, and lots of people still call me a man.” Satou shrugged. “But... I dunno. I feel like it’s worth it. Because even when everything is awful, even if it’s because I’m trans, I’m still a girl. That means I’m always a little happy.”
“Huh.” Goro shook his head slightly. “That’s surprising, Satou-san. I didn’t know... most of that. Thank you for the information.”
Satou nodded, then stepped away and turned back to the sink in the kitchen. She really was a fount of information. What a strange person. So she had never had any surgeries at all, her appearance was just the effects of five years of medication. Her life had been even easier than he had figured it.
Under the counter, Goro tightened his hand into a fist. Satou’s life... despite all appearances, it had been so easy. She had gone through life without suffering, surrounded by people who cared for her. Had he been in her place, he would have made use of the advantages she’d been given, instead of throwing it all away on some pointless, spur-of-the-moment act. Satou was an idiot.
Goro dwelt on the matter for much longer than he wanted to. For some reason, the freezing doubt in his stomach wouldn't go away. Satou was interesting, wasn't she? She clearly had at least a few thoughts in her head — she had just come to a different conclusion than he had. Had their positions been switched... would he have...
No. No, absolutely not. Had Satou been in his position, she would have wallowed in his shameful origins, tossed from home to home until she was an adult, then settled for a life of miserable obscurity.
Had he been in Satou’s place, raised by parents who loved him, who were willing to acknowledge him, give him the assistance he needed... Who'd stand up for him the way they’d stood up for her... Well, he wouldn't have needed to make such an effort to become the successful, widely beloved person he was today. Life was easy for her — her every desire fulfilled, people falling over themselves to please her at every turn. Nobody felt that way about him — at least, not the person he really was.
If he had been transgender, like she was, what would the reaction have been? Would his mother have accepted it? Almost certainly not. Would anyone else? Of course not. He'd have been branded a difficult child, ignored or sent away. Even his adoring public would turn on him in an instant if it got out. Satou had a group of close friends who would accept her no matter how politically inconvenient her identity was. Who did Goro have? Nobody.
It was irritating, but that stung a little. He had chosen a path, and Satou was living its opposite. Each had pros and cons, to be sure...
But he had a very simple solution to prove his path was superior. After all, how could her choice be correct if it ended in her untimely death?
It was this thought that was at the forefront of his mind as he strode down the long hallway to the interrogation room where Satou was held. It’d gone exactly the way he expected — Satou had been captured on the escape. The rest would be a cakewalk.
The guard standing by the door looked nervous. Little did he know. As Goro approached the door, he fidgeted slightly and turned to the man. “May I ask that you accompany me? Going in unarmed to interrogate a murderer makes me uncomfortable.” The guard nodded and unlocked the door, and Goro followed him inside.
Satou sat behind a metal table in the dimly lit room, face dirty, hair even more of a mess than usual. There was a noticeable bruise across her left cheek, like she'd been struck. Despite all this, and a slightly addled look in her eyes (she had probably been drugged), she met his gaze with no fear. That was admirable, he supposed. Or she still didn't get it, and thought he was here to rescue her.
As the guard took his place by the table, Goro snatched the gun from his holster and quickly attached the silencer he'd hidden in his coat, firing two shots into the guard's chest before he had time to do anything except turn around. As the guard slumped to the floor, he turned his eyes to Satou, who was sitting there, unmoved. “I owe you for all of this. Thanks.”
Satou didn't move, holding his gaze. She was sitting up perfectly straight, as if she was trying to prove how much decorum she had.
“That's right,” Goro said, “you and your little friends were vital to our plan. And now, it will be completed.” He was putting on a show for Shido, too — he hadn't ruled out the idea that he might acquire the footage from this room somehow. “Your popularity truly was quite stunning. That only made using you all the more worthwhile.”
As the smoke dissipated from his gun’s barrel, he adjusted his gloves, turning towards Satou. “Have you finally pieced it all together?”
Satou continued to glare at him silently. He supposed that meant she had.
Stepping up to the table, he leveled the pistol at Satou’s forehead. Despite her steely expression, he knew she was afraid. How could she not be? He couldn't help but smile. He was better than her, and this proved it. “Case closed... This is how your ‘justice’ ends.”
When he pulled the trigger, Satou’s eyes widened, presumably as the betrayal finally reached her brain. After the sound's short echo ceased, the perfect hole in the center of her forehead began to leak blood down her face and chin, draining into the collar of her uniform. It seemed for a moment like she would slump backwards into her chair, but she toppled forward onto the table instead, blood spattering around the place her head landed.
Goro gave Satou’s lifeless head a few pokes with the silencer for his own satisfaction, then removed it and slipped the gun into her hand. A suicide. He wondered if the media would call it tragic.
Putting the silencer back into his coat, he exited the room at his leisure, continuing down the hallway back to the elevator. Satou was dead. All too easy.
...Satou wasn’t dead.
He had no idea how she’d escaped from that , but the Phantom Thieves were in Shido’s Palace right now. The call he’d just gotten from Shido confirmed it. He’d been even more paranoid than usual — on the border of panic, despite being so close to his victory. That could only mean that his mind was being tampered with — and who could it be other than the Phantom Thieves?
Cursory research he’d undertaken months ago had revealed the Metaverse coordinates of Shido’s Palace, so it was no matter to get there — though the train was taking what felt like hours to get to the correct station. There was no guarantee the Phantom Thieves were in there at this exact moment, but he had a feeling. It was after school, but before any of them would have to be home, which was the time they normally operated. If he could catch them... Well, that would come later. If they changed Shido’s heart, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to bring his plan to fruition. He couldn’t allow that. Every one of the Phantom Thieves would have to die today.
Starting with Satou.
He entered Shido’s Palace without even checking if anyone was watching. Followed the trail of destruction. It wasn’t hard to find the Phantom Thieves — they were hiding their tracks from the guards, not from other intruders. He found them in the ship’s engine room, clearly recovering from their last fight. He was pondering how best to reveal himself when Satou twitched and turned to look directly at him. Somehow, she’d sensed his presence. Impressive. No point in hiding, then.
Goro leapt down to the floor. Level with the group now, he approached Satou. “Long time no see.”
“You!?” Sakamato sputtered. The mere concept of him being here had almost certainly addled the poor idiot’s brain.
“Why’s he here!?” the Isshiki girl shouted — well, Sakura girl, but... eh, same difference.
Goro shook his head and tutted. “I’m impressed you managed to deceive me. It seems I underestimated your abilities. You truly are interesting. Quiet when the situation calls for it, yet possessing the courage and determination to take action.” He stared into Satou’s eyes behind the mask. “Under different circumstances, we could have been great rivals... or perhaps even friends.”
Satou’s face didn’t twitch. She showed no emotion whatsoever — that was another strength of hers. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Despite her lack of expression, her tone conveyed more than enough contempt. Exactly what he would have said.
Goro laughed. “How wonderful! You don’t allow yourself to be enslaved by such things as human relations or past selves...” That was her power, wasn’t it. To leave behind what she’d once been and become something new. She’d done it as an eleven-year-old, and what she’d grown into afterwards had made her happy. If she had lived through this year, he wondered, would she have changed into something else entirely? Something else that’d fulfill her? “And so, your heart is always free. The exact opposite of mine. To be honest, I’m envious. I wonder why we couldn’t have met a few years earlier, Satou...”
“Hina.”
“What?”
“Hina. That’s my name. You’ve never said it.” She glared as if daring him.
“Does that really matter so much to you? Recognition? From me? Don’t make me laugh.”
“I just want to make sure that’s the name you remember.”
“Akechi, why are you doing this?” Sae’s sister was definitely one of the less idiotic members of the Phantom Thieves, but even she was blinded by her idealism. “Can’t you see what kind of man Shido is? His Palace —”
“You think I care about Shido, or this country? All of this is so Shido... my father... will acknowledge me. So I can exact revenge upon him.”
“Shido is your father!?” Kitagawa, despite his looks, was nearly as much a moron as Sakamoto.
“I told you before — my mother was in a relationship with a good-for-nothing man. So I’m nothing but a scandal to him. A curse to everyone burdened with me, my mother included. When she died, I was passed from family member to family member. I couldn’t do anything to him — he was too powerful by the time I could walk. But that —” he grinned, remembering it “— is when I learned about this world.”
“Akechi —” Takamaki didn’t have anything of substance to say. Ever. There was no harm in interrupting her.
“Someone or something gave me the chance to exact revenge on Shido! And to burn justice into all the pieces of shit who occupy this world! How is what I do different from what you do!?”
“We’re not murderers!?” Takamaki, as usual, missed the point.
“So what!? Masayoshi Shido is within my grasp at last! Once he rises to power and gives me the acknowledgement I deserve, I’m going to reveal my identity to him and him alone! And then I — the curse, the disgrace — will rule over him! It would have only been a few weeks until my victory, but you had to interfere!” Goro felt righteous fury rise in his throat. “That’s fine, though. I can still win. All I have to do is kill all of you!”
“You think we’ll die that easily?” the tiny cat-mascot said. He was good for nothing at all. “You talk big, but you’re just a little kid throwing a tantrum.”
“Don’t lecture me, you piece of shit.” Goro’s sneer felt like it stretched across his entire face. His contempt for the disgusting little creature could not be put into words. Climbing inside his van body was one of the greatest indignities he’d ever had to endure. “I am going to personally thrust Masayoshi Shido into a living hell. So, Joker, rest easy and die.”
Satou finally spoke up. “Think you can really do it?”
“Yes.” His hands twitched with anticipation. “I’ll do it better than you could ever imagine.” Calling forth a pair of Shadows from the darkness — Shido’s mind was open to him, a show of just how much the old fool trusted him, Goro drew his sword. “You recall the psychosis incidents, don’t you? Can you explain those? Not unless the true culprit has the power to turn people psychotic...” The Phantom Thieves all flinched in surprise. Goro couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s right! It’s my power — one you don’t have! Allow me to show you!”
Goro called forth his Persona — not the one the Phantom Thieves knew, but the one that contained his true power. Its shadowy form blazed behind him, and the Shadows’ eyes blazed with power as their movements became erratic. “Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains on its heart are broken. Better not underestimate these two.” Goro stepped away, to let the two weaklings soften the Phantom Thieves up, and to watch for any vulnerabilities in their defense.
Of course, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when Satou and her cohorts — it seemed like the male members of the Phantom Thieves were mainly behind-the-lines support, an odd management decision — tore the two weaklings apart in moments. Two against four was hardly a fair fight, especially when the two were so base. Oh, well. It seemed he’d have to do this himself. He stepped up to the fight. “Of course, I wasn’t expecting those two to actually kill you. I wouldn’t want the one who deceived me and escaped death to feel neglected.” Satou didn’t react, but it was truly hilarious how she still sought his approval. “I wouldn’t miss the chance to tear you apart with my own hands!”
Satou didn’t respond. Good. Better to die in silence.
But, unfortunately, it seemed the Phantom Thieves had a different strategy for dealing with single enemies than for dealing with multiples. All of a sudden, the walls came down. His attacks would be blocked or deflected, and his defenses would be torn away. Satou gave quiet orders, leading the charge with a thousand tiny strikes, none risking enough to punish her for them. No matter how much he tore at the opposition, sending burst after burst of fire and light at them, they wouldn’t go down, at least not long enough for him to capitalize. Even after he pulled out his other Persona’s power, it couldn’t bring them all down.
It was only after he was fully exhausted, on his knees from the onslaught, that their attacks ceased. “Damn it!”
“So it was his Persona...” the cat-thing said.
“That power... came from his heart?” Niijima was in disbelief.
God, they were all so — they acted like the heroes in some children’s story. They weren’t even going to finish him off!? “I’ll kill you...” He gasped, trying to pull himself to his feet. “You’re all gonna die!”
“Stop it already!” Takamaki shouted. “You’re fighting the wrong people! We both hate the same guy!”
“This ain’t about Shido’s bullshit! You’re your own person!” Sakamoto sounded out of breath. Why was he out of breath? He hadn’t even been fighting.
“I was thinking about that fake Medjed you guys made up. It was the worst trap, but... if not for that, I wouldn’t be here right now.” The Sakura girl was barely loud enough to be heard over the sound of machinery. “Um, so basically...” she raised her voice. “It doesn’t matter where you start over!”
“And...” the cat-thing’s voice rang out, as if the other idealistic screeds weren’t bad enough. “You don’t really hate Joker, do you? That smile before we fought... Isn’t that how you really feel?”
What!? Of course he hated Satou. But if he had met her just a little earlier... If he really had met her then... Then he wouldn’t be the monster he was right now. If only she had taught him what she’d learned — the path to becoming someone else, to forgetting the things that had once dragged her down...
The mascot spoke again. “Follow your true feelings!” No. They thought this was a matter of self-esteem!? That the shape of his being could be fixed with a two-minute pep talk!? Someone needed to show them what the world was really like as they bled on the ground. Someone needed to destroy them. “Even if you think people hate you or don’t want you around, that’s —”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Goro pounded the floor, struggling to his feet. “Teammates!? Friends!? To hell with that! Why am I inferior to you?” He glared at Satou accusingly. “I was extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image, so someone would want me around!” Feeling tears of anger rise to the surface, he covered his face to make sure nobody would see his momentary weakness. “I am an ace detective... A celebrity! But you... You’re just some criminal trash living in an attic! So how!? How does someone like you have things I don’t!? How can such a worthless piece of trash be more special than me!?” His voice grew hoarse from screaming. Satou should have taken the role society had pushed her into —a delinquent piece of trash with no future — but without even seeming to try, she’d become someone people cared about, who people wanted to be around, without strings attached. With so little effort, she’d achieved the life he desired, and what did that mean for him!? That his effort was pointless? That he was somehow intrinsically worse than her!?
Satou’s eyes were wide. “You need to stop.” Her tone was concerned, but her words were dismissive. She really thought he was a problem to be solved. Like she thought of everyone.
“This argument is meaningless!” As the rage in his chest boiled over, a surge of power ran down his spine. The Thieves must have seen it too, because they all stepped back.
“What was that!?” Niijima gasped. “You were responsible for the mental shutdowns, Akechi...” Niijima sounded almost shocked. Had he really not managed to get that across? Good it was cleared up, then. Maybe they’d go for the throat next time.
“Oh, this is great...” Goro chuckled. “I’m surprised. This is actually a first for me. I might even have to try my hardest against you.” His power could go further than he’d shown. And even... “You know... I just came up with a fun little idea. I wonder how far I can go with this...” He turned to Satou, eyes ablaze. “You’re right — I don’t give a damn about Shido’s acknowledgment... All I care about now is killing all of you — to prove I’m better than you!”
Readying himself, Goro clenched his twitching fists to keep them in place. “Here,” he said, drawing himself to his full height, “I’ll show you... who I really am.” Gathering all the power he could from his mind, he screamed as loudly as he could. “Come, Loki!”
Power burst from him like a hurricane. Loki manifested over him, wreathed in flames. The Thieves’ panicked shouts only gave him more strength as he drew his true form to the surface. “Don’t make me laugh! Justice? Righteous!? Keep that shit to yourselves!” Feeling the power surge through all his nerves, he doubled over in agony. “You and your teammates piss me off! You’re going down... I’ll destroy you... Go down with me!” With every bit of his strength, he pulled Loki’s power to its breaking point... and targeted it at himself. As he let loose everything he had, every neuron aflame, he felt a strange sense of calm. Nothing that happened from here on was his responsibility. He could just ride the wave of burning hate swelling within him, and whether they died or he did, it would be over. It would all be over.
Goro’s body cackled, reeling backwards as power surged through it. “Now, let’s see you drop dead one at a time, in front of your precious friends!” Goro wasn’t saying any of this. This wasn’t him doing these things. He was sitting back and watching. Simple.
Goro’s body, hate boiling off of it, leapt upon the Phantom Thieves, shouting out promises of painful death for every last one of them. Goro’s mind, however, sat back and let his body do what it wished. Even as the Phantom Thieves formed up, defending each other, healing one another, he didn’t see fit to intervene. They whittled his body down and down, its power dissolving bit by bit. He didn’t have teammates to fall back on, and they did. It was as simple as that. It was only a matter of minutes, and Satou smashed the hilt of her knife into his mask, shattering it and sending his body toppling to the floor... and his mind back into control of it. A few agonizing moments passed, but Goro realized they weren’t approaching. They weren’t going to finish him off? Not even now?
As Goro struggled to lift himself onto his knees, Sakamoto spoke up solemnly. “You ready to call it quits?”
“I know.” Goro was tired. “I’ve had enough.” He caught Satou’s gaze for a moment. Of course she was convincing, too. In all respects, she looked like any other pretty high school girl. If what she had said was true, not everyone could pull that off. “You’re so lucky.” And her friends, too... they all knew who she really was, they loved her not in spite of it but because of it... “Lucky to be surrounded... by teammates who acknowledge you... And once Shido confesses his crimes, you’ll all be heroes.”
Satou sighed quietly. She was disappointed. She had every right to be. He was a failure.
“As for me, people will find out my past deductions were just charade. My fame and trust will vanish.” He chuckled bitterly, holding back tears.
“I see,” Morgana said. “So you were turning people psychotic, then solving the cases yourself. And you did that by joining forces with Shido.”
Goro laughed. It was true. It sounded so stupid when he said it like that. It was all fake. He was all fake. Nothing about him was real. He was nothing. “In the end... I couldn’t be special...”
“Dude, you’re more than special,” Ryuji said.
“It pains me to admit, but you did outsmart us and outfight us. We only won because we teamed up.” Makoto sounded genuine. “I was honestly envious of your natural ability. It was frustrating to see how much my sister trusted you...”
“I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did to my father.” Haru Okumura, who had been largely silent so far, finally spoke. It was her he had wronged the most. “...But I sympathize with you. I understand wanting to get back at the adults who took from you.”
“But even with the power to fulfill your desires, you only chased your own self-benefit.” Yusuke was admonishing him. And worse, he was right.
Futaba spoke up, timid as always. “If you’ve got multiple Personas, maybe you have the same kinda power as Joker’s. But you trusted no one, so you only got two — one for your lies, one for your hate. But you thought that was enough, right? That part I totally get.”
Goro studied the floor, listening to each of the Phantom Thieves tell him, with perfect accuracy, the mistakes he had made. And they were stupid — so if they could see it, why couldn’t he? Not until now, when he had ruined everything? They were too kind to kill him after this was done — so he would be abandoned, left to roam the world alone, perhaps even sent to prison after all was said and done.
“All right, let’s go back and get that callin’ card ready.” Ryuji was speaking to Satou. “We’re gonna take Shido down. What’re you gonna do?”
“It’d be a problem if you kept getting in our way.” Ann sounded apologetic, but here came the kicker. Were they going to kill him? Trap him in the Metaverse? “Wanna come along and help us settle things?”
Wait, what? Seriously? Goro looked up at the Phantom Thieves. Not one of them seemed to be disputing this. They were seriously all okay with him coming along? He’d killed the parents of a quarter of the team. Really!? “...Are you all idiots? You should get rid of me if you don’t want me getting in your way.”
Not one of the Phantom Thieves moved a muscle. Not even Satou. They were serious.
“You all are truly beyond my comprehension.” They were... kind. Even to him, even after all this. Goro was about to try to stand when he saw Satou’s eyes widen and focus on something to his right. He turned, only to see...
Himself. Another Goro Akechi, this one in full Detective Prince style. What.
“Akechi?” Ryuji’s voice said.
“Another one?” Yusuke gasped. “Wait, is he—”
“That’s...” Morgana sounded alarmed. “Shido’s cognitive version of Akechi!”
The other Goro chuckled and raised a pistol, pointing it down at him. There was something disgusting about hearing his voice come out of someone else’s face. Behind him, the Thieves gasped. The other Goro turned his dead eyes to them and spoke. “I’ll deal with the rest of you later.” It was a grim impression. This was how Shido saw him? Goro gasped, trying not to reckon with this. “Captain Shido’s orders... He has no need for losers. Well, this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway.”
“What!?” No, that — that couldn’t be right. Because that would mean —
“Did you truly believe you’d be spared after all the murders you undertook? Don’t tell me... Were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?” This wasn’t — He wouldn’t say these things. Was this puppet just saying the things Shido had told him to say? Is that what Shido thought of him? “Oh, by the way, the captain says it’s time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns.”
“What the hell, man!?” Ryuji stomped the metal floor. “That bastard’s the one who put him up to it!”
Goro laughed bitterly, rising to his feet. “I see. I was wondering how he’d protect himself... if I used my power to tear through his Palace. Turns out you’re how. So he’s making a puppet kill me... Sounds like something he’d do.”
“That’s right.” said the puppet dully. “I’ll do anything. But look at yourself... you’re the true puppet.” Seeing Goro flinch, the cognitive version of him stretched into a caricature. “You wanted to be acknowledged, didn’t you? To be loved? You’ve been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning.”
“You little...” Ryuji growled.
“So this is how Shido thinks of Goro Akechi?” Makoto gasped. “It’s... it’s too horrible!”
“It’s still not too late!” Haru shouted. “We can change his heart together! Even if he’s your father... No, because he’s your father!”
The puppet turned to the Thieves, its expression stretching ever more. “What’s all this nagging about? Want me to take care of you first!?” Behind him, Goro heard the telltale sound of Shadows bursting from the cognitive world’s boundary. An idle threat. The Thieves could take them any day. But with a gun to his head... “You know what? I’ll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, you might delay his death.”
“Damn you...” Ryuji must have had a hard time not pulling his Persona out as soon as enemies appeared. His hands were twitching like he was ready to beat someone.
“You guys are all about doing things for others, aren’t you?” The other Goro grinned so widely it seemed like his face would snap in half. “Oh, that’s just the same for me. I’m going to take all the blame for our captain. I’ll die for him too.”
“This is what Shido thinks of Akechi-kun, even after making him help with the murders!?” Makoto seemed baffled by the true depths of human iniquity. She might’ve been the most idealistic of them all, actually.
“Here, I’ll give you one last chance,” the puppet intoned. “Shoot them.”
Seriously? Shido really thought of him like that. And he’d let that paranoid old moron manipulate him into doing his dirty work. He’d let him invent a flat, simple version of Goro Akechi — and he’d let him make that version real. He couldn’t help but laugh. “I was such a fool.” He drew his pistol and pointed it squarely at Satou, hoping to communicate with his gaze what he was going to do. He wasn’t going to shoot her. He was going to prove to Shido, once and for all, that he was nothing like this stupid toy. Even if it was childish, even if it was just spite... he couldn’t let an insult like this go.
Satou’s expression didn’t change. Hopefully that meant she knew where he was going with this.
“Yes... That’s the you our captain wishes to see.” The puppet was simple, flat, an anthropomorphization of the idea Masayoshi Shido had of Goro — a simple little toady who couldn’t tell when he was being manipulated... Which was what made this so easy.
Nothing could change what he had done. He had lied, murdered, done anything and everything. He had plunged to the lowest moral echelon a person of his age could reach. But what he did from now on... That was up to him. “Don’t misunderstand.” He shook his head slowly, hoping to convey a simple message to Satou — don’t move. Taking a deep breath in, Goro imagined the movement he’d take next. He didn’t have the time to move his legs, so he’d have to twist around where he stood. “You’re the one who’s going to disappear!” In an instant, Goro twisted his stance, pointing his pistol squarely at the puppet, and pulled the trigger. The puppet got off a shot, too, but luckily it was only in his ribs. If only he’d had just a little bit of power left, he could’ve torn all of these Shadows to shreds, too, but as is... Goro aimed again, this time at the emergency seal panel on the opposite side of the room. As his bullet struck true, the glass shattered and, as the automated alarm played, the partition wall sealed the two sides of the room off from one another — Goro, the puppet, and the Shadows on one side, the Phantom Thieves on the other. As the Thieves clamored on the other side, Goro leaned into the partition wall. “Hurry up — and go.”
“You fool!” Yusuke’s voice echoed from the other side. “Are you trying to get yourself killed!?”
“The real fools... are you guys. You should have just abandoned me here a long time ago... You would have all perished... if you had tried to face these and protect me...” He coughed, the wound in his ribs stinging badly. “L-Let’s make a deal, okay? You won’t say no, will you?”
“Why at a time like this!?” Yusuke shouted.
“Change Shido’s heart... in my stead... End his crimes. Please!” The pain in his ribs was radiating through his entire torso now. He could feel the blood seep out of it and run down his stomach and leg.
Satou didn’t answer for a moment, but she spoke up, loud and clear, in a voice he’d never heard her speak in before. “I promise.” He wasn’t sure what that voice meant. It didn’t sound ingenuine, but... what was she saying, really? Was it regret? Pity? ...Sadness?
“...Thank you, Hina.” If there was any time to say her real name, it was now.
“You... bastard...” the other Goro groaned, a wound square in the center of his belly. Holding his wound, the puppet raised his gun.
Goro followed suit, raising himself to his full height as best he could and leveling his pistol at the thing’s head. “So, my final enemy is a puppet version of myself...”
Hina was an idiot. But she was happy. Why was she happy?
She had friends and comrades. But before that — before she had come to Tokyo at all — she was the person she wanted to be — she was Hina Satou. Any other name for her was wrong or defunct.
She had created a new self out of whole cloth, not just with the help of others, but with her own will. That was what had seen her through, even when the whole world told her she was a criminal, a good-for-nothing piece of trash, a man.
How did she do that? Was it the power of the wild card? Was that her special power?
Surely not. There had to be a simpler explanation, one he had missed, one he could have taken at some point along this long line of mistakes.
Even when she was beaten down, when the world was against her, when everything seemed to be conspiring to make her existence a living hell... she was always a little happy. Because no matter what, she was a girl.
...Because she let herself have that source of happiness. Because she had found a fundamental truth about herself, and rebuilt her life around it.
He had missed that, whatever that was. She would live her life, always a little happy, and he would...
He envied her. He really did. If he had had her life... If he had been like her... He could have been like her. He could have been as happy as her. If only he’d...
If only he’d... what?
...If only he’d what?
There was a hard barrier in his mind, preventing him from taking that final step. Because beyond it lay darkness. The unknown. An answer he couldn’t see until he crossed the threshold.
...Maybe it would make this hurt even more. Almost certainly, it would. It would mean knowing what he’d missed. Knowing what could have filled that emptiness he’d been trying so hard to fill with empty praise and false acknowledgement.
But it would mean knowing. It would mean having the truth.
And a detective never shied away from the truth.
If only he’d...
“I...!”
A gunshot rang out. The other Goro had fired.
But so had she.