In a matter of hours, she and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had already put their plan into action. She, Yusuke, and Futaba sneaked into the interrogation room Akira would be 'murdered' in and confirmed that the cognition reached the room without altering it's appearance. Ann and Ryuji worked together to deal with the cognition Akechi while Makoto went back home to inform her sister about the calling card she 'found' in their mail. The empty briefcase was also set in place.

Their next step would begin tomorrow: Defeat Sae's Shadow and allow Akira to be captured. 

So far, what they needed to do was complete. All they had to do now was wait for the next day to come. After all the tiring events they went through, the Phantom Thieves parted ways to return home. For some odd reason, Akira wanted to accompany Shiina (Morgana was lounging about back in Leblanc). 

"I never really got to ask, but you and Akechi were close, weren't you?" Akira murmured beside her as they stepped out of the subway underground. 

"We—" She winced before nodding hesitantly. "In a way, yeah..." 

"I figured, since he allowed you into his home more than once." He said. He swallowed thickly. "...Are you okay?" 

"Yes..." She said carefully, lying through her teeth. "The rest of you guys never really trusted Akechi, did you...?" 

He shook his head. "None of us trusted him to a degree." 

"Oh..." Great, now she felt even dumber. "How did you even know to have Futaba wire his phone?" 

He began explaining, "Well, I actually met Akechi last year. Ann, Ryuji and I were on a field trip at this television place and he was there for a live interview. On our break, we stayed out in this hallway so we could freely talk to Morgana. Morgana suggested that we go to this pancake place and that was when Akechi slipped up. He came to us, mentioning that he heard someone talk about pancakes." 

"He was able to understand Morgana..." She said softly. She could've laughed had it not been for the pain she was feeling. His diabolical schemes were foiled because of his love for pancakes. Hilarious. 

He nodded. "Exactly. And during the school fair, he said that he entered the Metaverse a few months ago. He lied." 

"So you had Futaba mess with his phone to find out his true motives." She concluded. 

"I didn't think his plan would be this screwed up..." He muttered under his breath. Suddenly a large shadow befell the both of them, followed by the immense heat that did more to warm their bodies. They felt like they were going to melt. 

It felt too familiar to Shiina, who whirled around the second she felt it. Her face contorted to a deep frown. The day just couldn't get any worse. 

"Endeavor." She acknowledged. 

Endeavor didn't look too pleased to see her either. "You," he said the word like it was poison in his lips. "I think I remember Fuyumi putting you under a strict curfew." 

She scoffed. "Like you care about my curfew." 

Endeavor's eyes swept over to Akira, whose stomach twisted at the sight of his eyes. They looked so much like Shiina's, but they—ironically—lacked any sense of warmth. They were cold and unforgiving, nothing at all like her lovely bright cerulean eyes. Akira hated just looking at them, and he hated himself for comparing them to Shiina's. 

"So this is why you've been out so late," Endeavor lips curled up into a sneer. "Whoring around with no good delinquents." 

Shiina's teeth gnashed together. "Repeat that again?" She asked lowly. He didn't just say that. He fucking didn't—

"Don't think I don't recognize you, scum." Endeavor glowered down at Akira, whose usual aloof exterior had twisted into utter abhorrence. Akira was pissed and he was trying his best to contain it. It wouldn't do him any good to get into a fight with the Number Two hero, but damn it, Endeavor just knew how to piss people off. 

The flaming bastard continued, "You're that Quirkless criminal Shujin Academy took in. You were arrested for assault, correct? Humph..." He drew his attention back to his youngest daughter. "The company you keep... Unacceptable. Were you not raised right?" 

"Funny you should ask that," Akira finally spoke up. "Considering the fact you never bothered to raise her at all. Though, I should be grateful. I'm sure she would turn out to be just as horrible as you if you were the one 'caring' for her." He spat out the word 'caring', knowing damn well that word wasn't in the bastard's vocabulary. 

Endeavor's eyes widened, his face turning just as red as his hair. "You—!" 

Akira swiftly took Shiina's hand in his and turned away, continuing their path to her house. "—Have fun patrolling, Endeavor-san." He said in a pleasant tone, looking over his shoulder to give the man a devious smirk before turning away. 

The pair turned a corner. 

"Thanks." Shiina breathed out in relief. "Thank you," she repeated. "For—for all of that."

"I'll do it again in a heartbeat." He promised firmly, tightening his grip of her hand. He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's funny though. I never expected my first meeting with a Pro Hero to go like that. Then again, it was Endeavor so who cares." 

For the first time since finding out about Akechi's betrayal, she smiled genuinely. "You'd make a good fucking hero, Akira." 

— ❤ —

An insanely tired looking man covered in bandages stared up at the suited official standing before him. "There's at least 20 Pros already in on this case, what's the point of having me included?" 

"Your Quirk, Eraserhead-san," the other man said patiently. "We don't know anything about these Phantom Thieves. What their Quirks are, how many members there are, or how they operate. But it's clear how dangerous they are, no? They're able to permanently change a person's character, going so far as to make them admit to all the crimes they've committed and genuinely feel regret for it. And also, their most dangerous Quirk: the Quirk to kill a person without a single trace. Without even needing to be near the victim. Without a single warning. Your Quirk can be used to cancel theirs. We need you on this operation, Eraserhead-san." 

A woman piped up, "I understand that you're still recovering from the injuries you sustained from the USJ attack, but we would really appreciate it if you offered your assistance. The Phantom Thieves are currently Japan's biggest threat right now." 

"I'm aware of that," Eraserhead grunted. "But what I want to know is why the top two heroes aren't included in this list." 

The pair exchanged looks. The woman answered: "Ah, well, one of our detectives was the one who arranged this list. Akechi Goro. For some odd reason, he requested that All Might not be involved. He was also very adamant that Endeavor stayed out of it as well despite him offering his help." 

Eraserhead made another uncaring grunt. "Fine then. I'll join the operation." 

— ❤ —

"Are you okay?" Shouto asked his younger sister gently. 

Shiina looked up from the breakfast meal Fuyumi made for them. "Oh, uh, I'm fine, why?" 

He frowned, clearly not believing her. "It's just that you look... sad." He remembering seeing his sister come home last night. She looked absolutely miserable, like someone had reached in and ripped her heart right out of her chest. She had gone straight to her room and didn't come out, not even for dinner. Shouto had passed by to check on her and he swore he heard her crying silently to herself... 

She tried not to swallow so nervously. "Oh, well... I just got back the results from my math test and I only got one problem right. I've been feeling like an idiot because of that." She had never been great with math so it was a pretty believable lie. As much as she wanted to vent out how betrayed she felt, there was nobody for her to go to. She never told any of her friends about the moment she shared with Akechi, about the time he told her about his past. She couldn't just go up to them—go up to Haru—and say 'oh no, I feel so betrayed because I was actually really close to Akechi 'cause we have similar daddy issues!'. 

Shouto quieted down after that. She wasn't sure if he fell silent because he bought her lie or not, but she was too deep in thought to care. 

When the twins finished their breakfast, they left their house and headed to the subway station. There was a silence between them, and for once, Shouto didn't like it. There was never any silence between them. Shiina always found something to talk about, from irrelevant topics like her favorite lipstick shade to more serious topics like the justness of the Phantom Thieves. 

Shouto pursed his lips. Shiina was crying last night, he was sure of it. Did someone hurt her? 

He opened his mouth. "Imouto—" 

He was cut off by a sound of her phone buzzing. He sighed in defeat when she whipped it out, eyes plastered onto the screen. He turned away, staring off at the street sullenly. 

[Futaba: I checked to make sure there would be no Pros to worry about tonight, but turns out we were wrong]

[Ann: Theres gonna PROS there too?!] 

[Who are they?]

[Futaba: Hold on, I'm sending a pic rn]

Several seconds later, Futaba messaged a picture of her laptop screen. Shiina made sure Shouto wasn't looking before tapping on the picture and zooming closely on the names. It was a list of all the Pro Heroes that would be coming with the police to arrest the Phantom Thieves tonight. It was in alphabetical order and only showed their hero names rather their real ones. Much to her horror, there were over twenty Pros on the list. 

She skimmed down the names until she finally reached the E's. There were only two names there. 

Edgeshot

Eraserhead

No Endeavor. 

[Ryuji: Don't see Endeavor's name so thats gotta be good at least]

[thank god. I've been so worried about the thought of my dad being there tonight] 

[Makoto: The Pros are nothing to worry about. Let's not mind them. As long as everything goes according to plan. Is everyone ready?]

[Haru: I admit, I'm a little nervous]

[Same here]

[Akira: It's ok we're all nervous]

[Akira: Akechi's been informed that we're going to the courthouse at 6, right?]

[Makoto: Yes, I've already told him]

Seeing Akechi's name made Shiina bite her lip. She still couldn't believe how foolish and blind she was. How could she fall for his act so easily? Because he shared his story with her and it just happened to be similar to her own? 

"Bullshit. It was probably all bullshit anyways." She mumbled lowly. 

"What's bullshit?" Shouto asked, and she was reminded of the fact that he was standing right next to her. 

"O-oh, uh, nothing, nii-chan!" 

— ❤ —

They were back at the High Limit Lobby and had just crossed the scale bridge. Currently, they were all standing behind the large double doors that would lead them to the treasure. 

"You all ready?" Akira asked everyone sternly. "I won't be surprised if we end up having a major battle once we go passed these doors." 

Akechi, who was standing beside an uncomfortable Shiina, smiled in determination. "Don't worry, Joker. I believe I stand for the group when I saw that we've been waiting for this." 

Oh we sure have, Akira thought darkly, forcing a grin to form over his lips. He nodded his head and silently opened the doors. 

"Huh?! Where's the Treasure?!" Ryuji shouted, seeing the empty pedestal where the Treasure should've been. 

A distorted chuckle surrounded them. "It seems you came, just as I had planned." 

Morgana's eyes bugged out. "As she planned...?!" 

"No... Was the Treasure put on display to lure us here?!" Yusuke said angrily. 

"So that's why we could faintly see it's shape..." Haru murmured. 

"First off, allow me to compliment you. I never expected you would be able to make it this far..." Sae trailed off. 

"We would much rather have the treasure than your words of praise. Where did you hide it?" Akechi demanded calmly. 

The group turned their attention to the second floor, where a bunch of whirs and crank sounds were heard. A large, vault-shaped door whirled around, sliding upwards to show a new pathway. 

"Come. We shall put an end to this once and for all." 

Shiina cursed in annoyance. "How long is she going to keep toying with us...?" 

"This'll be the last time," Futaba replied. "Come on guys, let's go!" 

They dashed up the stairs and were led towards an elevator. After making double sure that everyone was ready, they travelled to what could possibly be the highest floor and stepped out. They entered what appeared to be a life-sized roulette wheel. In front of them was a large golden screen that displayed Sae's smug face. They sprung forward as they elevator sunk back to the floor. 

"What kind of game will it be this time?" Akechi asked. "No matter what you bring out, we will emerge victorious." 

"You're making a grave mistake if you think you have me cornered." She said loftily. "I only guided you here because this place allows me to fight to my heart's content." 

"Sis..." Makoto trailed off, pained. 

"When my father died in the line of duty, I hated his killer from the bottom of my heart." Sae said, expressing genuine sadness for only a moment before her face hardened into a vicious glare. "Dying to uphold justice sounds virtuous, but the ones left behind have to clean up the mess! Can you imagine the hardships I had to endure?!" 

"Perhaps I had overestimated her. I thought her reasoning would have been more noble somehow." Akechi mused.

"She's lost control..." Futaba stated. 

"This is wrong..." Haru said softly. 

"Justice cannot yield to evil! I must win, no matter what!" She shrieked. 

"This is nothing more than self-righteousness..." Akechi sighed. 

Sae smiled. "All we need to do to determine who is right... is battle. Now, why don't we begin?" 

She snapped her fingers and instantly, the light-up covers over each number of the roulette wheel slid off and she disappeared from the screen. 

They didn't know where she was until she heard her voice right behind them. "A clash of brute strength is simply uncalled for on this stage." 

"No more coins or playin' games! We ain't followin' your damn rules!" Ryuji shouted. 

"Oh you will. There is no room for negotiation. You will know soon enough." As she spoke, her figure flashed between her Shadow self and the monster she truly was. It was frightening to watch. 

Makoto stepped back. "What was that?!" 

Sae spread her arms out. "Now... come at me!" 

Makoto clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. Akechi stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Shiina knew that the action only made Makoto feel worse. 

"You'll save her, right?" He asked. 

She nodded. 

"Alright everyone, be on alert!" Morgana called out. 

Futaba entered Prometheus as everyone summoned their melee weapons. The fight finally broke out, but what was odd was the fact that Sae had yet to turn into a Shadow monster. She was a helluva lot weaker in this form, so why didn't she transform already? 

The screen behind Sae suddenly lit up, the words 'Bet HP' flashed brightly on it. On cue, the roulette wheel began to spin. Shiina paid no mind to it before she had Tullia attack her with curse magic. 

As soon as the dark attack hit, Shiina felt an immeasurable amount of pain strike her body. Something had attacked her from above. Crying out, she collapsed to her knees as Tullia faded away behind her. 

"Can you not read, or are you really all brawn and no brain?" Sae taunted, laughing cruelly as Shiina struggled to get back up. She felt like she was dying! 

"Diablo!" Akechi surged forward and placed both hands on her shoulder, oblivious to the way she flinched upon his touch. His Persona, Robin Hood, quickly used Samarecarm on her and instantly, she felt better again. 

Akechi helped her back up to her feet. "The screen said something about betting our HP, as in our health points. I'm guessing that if we attack her while the wheel is spinning, our health will drastically dwindle." 

"Oh." She said dumbly. "Right. S-sorry." She avoided looking him in the eye. 

The wheel was still spinning. "Let us play a game of roulette. The stakes will be... our lives." Sae purred, eying Shiina with smug satisfaction. "Of course, acts of violence are forbidden here. One must follow the rules." 

"Would've been nice to know beforehand," Shiina muttered as Ryuji tugged her away from Akechi. 

Futaba's voice rang from the inside of Prometheus. "We already told you, there's no way we're gonna follow your rules anymore!" 

Sae shrugged. "That's fine by me. Such troublesome people will just face the penalty like your girl over there." She smirked. "Those who cannot follow rules are not to be tolerated. That is simply how society operates." 

"I advise that we refrain from attacking her while the wheel is spinning." Akechi said to all of them. 

As much as she hated it, Shiina nodded in agreement. "I felt like I was about to pass out after I hit her. Looks like we have no choice but to wait it out." 

"I'll just buff us all up then." Futaba supplied them with additional buffs to their attacks and defenses. 

Sae watched on in amusement. "You will predict which pocket the ball will fall into. Now, the time has come for our first round. Choose where you will place your bet!" 

Morgana just scoffed and mumbled to the team, "I'm almost positive she's going to try and cheat, but even if we bring that up, she'd just ignore us. We should go along with the game for now and try to gain evidence on her methods of cheating." 

Everyone looked at Akira expectantly. "...A black pocket." He announced. 

She smirked deviously. "Let's see." 

The ball rolled around, almost landing inside a black pocket only to fall into a red one. Immediately, the word 'LOSE' flashed underneath them and they were hit with a strong wave of magic. Luckily, it wasn't as strong as the previous hit Shiina took so everyone was still standing. Sae, however, seemed to recover whatever health she lost. 

"Did you see that?" Akira muttered, eyes focused on Sae. 

"See what?" Ann whispered back. 

"The ball was over the black pocket but it rolled into the red one. I saw a small gleam. There was a glass lid." He informed them. 

"Let's catch her in the act so she can't talk her way out of it! Have someone snipe the pocket when that glass lid appears!" Futaba instructed. "Leader, you're in charge of choosing who's gonna be the sniper!" 

"Akechi." Akira said almost automatically. 

The brunette smirked. "Leave it to me, I won't miss my mark." 

"Roulette time!" Sae called out, and the screen flashed 'Bet Money'. The wheel spun again, and when Akechi noticed her distracted state, he leapt off the wheel and landed on the upper leveled sides. 

"Dude, why the hell did you pick him?!" Ryuji hissed angrily. 

"Just trust me on this." Akira said. 

"Remember, don't attack." Haru warned. 

"Right, I'll heal us up." Makoto nodded, her Persona getting to work. 

"The sniper is in their designation spot. All that's left is to wait for the next roulette spin." Futaba stated. 

Right away, Sae announced that it was time to bet. 

"Pockets 1 through 12." Akira announced. 

She chuckled. "Hopefully your prediction will be correct this time." Behind her, Akechi readied his gun. The wheel slowed down to a stop, the ball just hovering over Akira's predicted spot but before it could slip into another pocket, Akechi successfully shot through the glass lid. 

"WH-WHAT?!" Sae screamed. 

"Everyone!" Futaba called out. 

"Right!" Quickly, they surrounded the fallen woman and aimed their guns at her. 

"What was that about fair and square?! You were totally cheating!" Futaba accused. Sae said nothing. "You coward! What're you so quiet for?! Say something!" 

"SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUP!" Wisps of black rapidly engulfed her body and everyone stepped back as a massive Shadow appeared at her spot. 

"Oh hell..." Shiina croaked, gaping at the gigantic blade the Shadow was sporting. Not to mention the other gigantic weapon in hand. Shiina was pretty sure both of them were taller than her and she (along with Ann) was the tallest girl in the group. 

"S-sis?!" Makoto choked, staring at the literal monster her sister became in utter horror. 

"Cheating?! Unfair?! Silence! This is MY world!" Sae screeched, and Shiina even felt her hair blow back from the volume. Sae banged her weapons together, creating a cacophony of sounds. "If you want a fair fight then to hell with the game! I'll crush you by force. Fair and square, just as you like!" 

Makoto felt like collapsing. "This... is my sister's true nature?! No..." 

Sae let out a roar before swinging her blade down, striking Haru across the arm. 

"Haru!" Makoto cried out, running to her aid. 

"Shit." Shiina cursed, watching blood practically spew from the long cut down the length of the smaller girl's arm. She looked back to see the Shadow aiming its gun at her. 

Double shit. She thought before diving to the side. She managed to dodge just in time, but when the bullets hit the side of the wheel, it set off a strong blast to blow her away. She rolled around and when she stopped, she felt like throwing up all over again. 

"A machine gun, you've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Ryuji cried out, pelting it with bullets while Ann attacked it with balls of flame. 

"Tullia!" Shiina cried out, and Tullia appeared to cast Dormina on the raging Shadow. 

"Nice one! It's asleep guys, go for it!" Futaba exclaimed. 

The group didn't wast any time to shoot at it, either with bullets or various magic attacks, but Dormina could only last for so long. The onslaught of attacks must have woken her up and with a ear-piercing shriek, she rose back to her feet, deflecting the bullets with a wave of her sword. 

"Nice try!" She shouted. "No matter how many there are, you won't interfere with my victory!" Then, she set her sights on Shiina, who was the only one still within the wheel. With a roar, she raised her blade and ran for the red haired girl. 

Shiina bent low and effortlessly dodged to the side as Sae brought her sword down. The floors were reduced to rubble, small pieces smacking lightly against her back and as she sunk her claws into Sae's arm. She turned away as black gunk spilled out. Swiftly she moved around the Shadow, rapidly clawing at every opened inch of skin before hopping out of the way and joining everyone else on the outer edge. 

"You've gotten faster." Akira noted with a hint of pride. 

"Thanks for noticing," she grinned. 

"I told you, sis," Makoto began. "I'll always be on your side. That's why I'm going to bring you to your senses!" 

"WHAT DOES MY LITTLE SISTER KNOW?!" She readied her machine gun, aiming straight at Makoto and began blasting away. Makoto ran around the length of the wheel, the bullets following after her. When nothing hit, she jumped high into the air, spinning around and letting her bullets fly. 

"Diablo!" Haru reached the girl, Astarte erecting a shield just in time to protect the both of them. 

"Careful," Futaba warned, floating above Akechi and Akira who she created a shield for. "She's a lot more powerful than our previous enemies!" 

Sae landed back down with the loud thud. 

"Remember how you felt when you decided to become a prosecutor! You brought light to evils which couldn't be judged by law!" Makoto cried out, trying to appeal to her sister's senses. She dashed forward, barely ducking as Sae tried to chop her in half with her sword. During that, she summoned Anat and blasted her back with Nuclear magic while Morgana attacked from behind with Garudyne and effectively burning her as well. 

"There was nothing wrong with that!" Makoto breathed out, dodging another swing. "The Phantom Thieves are doing the same!" 

Yusuke and Ryuji ran around either side of Sae. Ryuji blasted her with multiple electric attacks and quickly hid behind a sturdy pillar as she shot out a barrage of bullets. Yusuke sneaked around from behind and froze Sae's feet to the floor. 

"But these aggressive investigations..." Makoto continued, watching as Shiina practically threw herself at Sae's head and began jabbing at her face. "Twisting the truth for your own gain... Try to remember how you used to be!" 

Shiina jumped off her target, allowing Makoto to take over and delivering a powerful punch to her sister's face. 

"SHUT UP!" She yelled, trying to swat her away. 

"I like the old cool and calm Sae better than this one." Akechi chuckled, stepping out from behind a pillar. "Robin Hood!" The bright Persona appeared and notched his arrow. 

Sae moved to blast him away with more bullets but Akira dropped down from Futaba's Prometheus. He aimed his gun at her face and pulling the trigger. By now, the ice had thawed away. Smoke covered her spot as she flinched back, her aim lowering and giving Robin Hood a chance to attack. 

Akechi nodded in thanks as Robin Hood released his arrow, the arrow of light stabbing deep into her thigh. She grunted in pain, falling down on one knee. 

"Alright! All out attack!" Morgana ordered. They each called out their Personas, striking her down with their strongest attacks. The onrush of attacks caused a massive wave of dust and rubble to cover the entirety of the battle field. Shiina instinctively raised her arms, to cover her face but didn't once lower her guard. She strained her ears, listening in for any movement. 

But there was nothing. 

As the dust cleared out, she saw the Shadow slowly fall to its face. Defeated. Slowly, the real Shadow Sae returned, dropping to her knees. Makoto rushed forward and kneeled in front of her. 

"Sis...!" 

Akechi frowned at her actions. "That's only a Shadow. Why are you so..." 

"Quiet!" Ann hissed, making him step back. 

"...Sorry." 

"We will go grab the Treasure." Yusuke said, he and Ryuji leaving. Shiina stole a glance at Akechi who didn't look like he was going to step in and join them. Good, they couldn't have him finding out about the empty briefcase they set up. 

"Makoto..." Sae said softly. 

"I don't think it's wrong to bring light to evils which can't be judged by law." Makoto began. "That's all the Phantom Thieves have been trying to do too. But these aggressive investigations? Twisting the truth for you own personal gain...?" She shook her head. "Please... You have to think back to the feelings you had when you first wanted to be a prosecutor. Think about your justice, sis." 

"My justice..." 

"Try to remember how you used to be..." 

"How I..." 

"Niijima-san... She's just like my father." Haru spoke up. "What caused them to change like this...?" 

"Hm... Even though their own desires were the cause, succumbing to such distorted thoughts is strange..." Akechi mused. "Is there another reason they don't know of?" 

Suddenly, Yusuke and Ryuji turned with the empty briefcase in hand. "We found it!" Yusuke exclaimed. 

Akechi smiled. "The investigation will now be able to proceed. The suspicious against you will be lifted as well. This deal we made... was a great experience for me." 

Shiina tried her damnedest to not scowl at the smile on his face. How could one fake a smile so expertly? It made her wonder how many people he deceived. 

Akechi chuckled. "To think that I, a detective, would act alongside the Phantom Thieves..." 

"Want to continue that?" Akira asked. 

He shook his head. "By no means. This shall be the end of our working together. That was part of our promise. You haven't forgotten, have you?" 

Akira smiled, nodding his head. 

"Alright, we don't need to stay here any longer!" Morgana announced. He turned to Makoto with concern. "Are you okay?" 

She nodded, rising to her feet. "I am. Let's go." 

On cue, Futaba suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?! Enemy readings! When did they...?! They're gathering outside!" 

The Pros and the police are here already. Shiina thought, heart pounding. She sent a worried look towards Akira. Any time now... 

"For real?! The hell's goin' on?!" Ryuji watched as several screens materialized in front of Futaba. 

"Look at those numbers...!" Yusuke gasped. 

"A-are those Shadows?" Shiina asked, playing along. 

Morgana frowned. "We defeated the Palace ruler and even stole the Treasure, yet the Shadows are still restless... It doesn't make any sense... What's going on here?" 

"There are more coming?! This'll be dangerous if we don't do something...!" Futaba bit her lip. 

"We need to go now! Those guys in black suits are almost here. We'll be done for if we get surrounded!" Morgana ordered. 

Makoto shook her head. "A team this large would be discovered immediately. We had best split up for our escape..." She trailed off. "Although, we'll need someone to act as decoy... No, that's too dangerous." 

"Go, everyone." Akira decided. 

"Joker?!" Makoto gaped at him. "Are you planning on distracting them by yourself?!" 

"Let him do it, Queen." Ryuji said. "He's quiet, but once his mind's made up, he's not gonna take no for an answer." He stepped forward and handed the Treasure over to him. "...I'm sure you ain't gonna die. It's you we're talkin' about here." 

"Please don't do anything reckless, okay?" Haru fretted. 

"I'll never forgive you if you don't make it back." Ann said sternly. 

"You better stay safe!" Shiina smiled nervously. 

"We still haven't fulfilled our deal, remember?" Morgana said. 

"Even more are coming!" Futaba warned. 

"This truly is a painfully reluctant parting...!" Yusuke whispered. 

"It seems we had best hurry." Akechi said. 

Makoto nodded uneasily. "...We'll see you later." 

— ❤ —

While Akira was as quiet as a mouse, his alter ego, Joker, was not. So far he managed to break through several doors, dropped a few massive ceiling lights, and completely shattered a twenty meter long mosaic window. 

But hey, at least everyone's eyes were on him. 

Once he made it outside, he was immediately blinded by a bunch of lights and was also deafened by the police sirens. 

It's like a whole army... He noted, sprinting away. They even had the SWAT team and everything! At the front row were the Pro Heroes, who immediately made chase. He could recognize several figures. Present Mic, Snipe, Vlad King, Best Jeanist, Midnight, Kamui Woods—and holy shit, is that Edgeshot?! 

All these famous heroes, running after him. 

Akira let a cocky chuckle slip through. 

He spotted a bright red ladder placed against the wall and jumped high to grab it. He knew he was supposed to let himself be captured, but why not have a little fun first? Somehow he managed to evade Best Jeanist's thin threads as he climbed and made it up to the top. 

The second he got to his feet, he was instantly met with—a mummy? 

The mummy swiftly moved forward, the scarf around his neck whipping out to grab him. 

Guess this is the end of it, he thought, letting the scarf wrap around his upper body before he was jerked down, his temple meeting with a knee.