บท 104: The Teacher and The Student.
[Wait!] Futaba's voice echoed just as they were about to start their heist. [There is something wrong with that painting.]
Futaba's warning came just in time, causing them all to freeze in their places. Tension filled the air as they awaited her analysis. Moments later, Futaba's curse cut through the silence.
[Damn it, the painting there is a fake. Let me try to find the real one…]
Ren's eyes narrowed as he saw Madarame standing before a covered painting. The man's vigilant gaze darted from place to place, a slight smirk playing on his lips. It made sense that someone who lived by copying and stealing art would use a decoy to protect his treasure. Fortunately, Futaba detected the trick in time.
[The real painting is in a dangerous place,] Futaba continued. [That room is packed with countless paintings and shadows. If you go there, you could be swarmed.]
The warning shifted the mood for the Thieves; they would have to choose between one trap and the other.
As Ren weighed their options, inspiration struck. A smile crept across his face as he addressed the group.
"We're going to take the bait."
The thieves let out a few confused murmurs, but it all settled down once Ren continued.
"The shadows in those paintings hate Madarame as much as they hate us," he explained. "This trap isn't just for us; it's for him too. If we use that to our advantage, we can stick to our plan, though we'll need to tweak it slightly."
His mind raced with possibilities, each leading to a similar risky path. But they were prepared for this. With a collective nod, the group agreed to the revised plan. Yusuke, Mona, and himself would infiltrate the room with the real painting, steal it, and prepare for their escape.
Meanwhile, Shiho, Ryuji, and Ann would ensure the escape route was clear, while Makoto would create a distraction to divert attention. Futaba, on the other hand, would keep an eye on everything and inform them if anything went wrong.
The odds of avoiding a confrontation were slim, but the more advantageous their position before the fight, the better their chances of success.
With determined nods, the group split up and headed on their respective paths. Ren's team soon arrived at a peculiar room. It appeared to be an ordinary wall adorned with a painted door, but as Ren reached out, the door became real, revealing a hidden entrance.
The room inside was a magnificent space that seemed to stretch infinitely, its walls and ceilings covered with countless paintings. However, as Ren activated his Third Eye, he realized the room's size was an illusion. The space was cleverly painted to look massive, but in reality, it was no larger than a warehouse.
Without Ren's ability, they might have wandered aimlessly, but his skill guided them through the deceptive space until they found a small, unassuming wooden door. It looked out of place amidst the museum's grandeur, yet it held their objective.
They opened the door cautiously and were taken aback by what they saw. It was a recreation of Yusuke's old room, the one he had destroyed before leaving. At the center of the room sat a singular painting: The Sayuri.
[Watch out! Madarame is making his move! He just jumped into the painting! And all of the guards are following him.] Futaba's urgent voice called out. Just as she spoke, countless shadows began to emerge from the golden room behind them.
"Madarame," Yusuke muttered, his expression hardening as he saw his former mentor.
"Yusuke? Is that you? Ha! I knew it. I knew you'd come back. You wouldn't betray me after all I've done for you." Madarame's expression twisted into a vicious grin as he chuckled. "All this trouble for a stupid painting. Do you even know how much it's going to cost to fix up that room?"
Tension thickened in the air as Yusuke stepped forward, his mask bursting into golden flames as Goemon materialized behind him.
"Sensei, I have admired you all my life. It hurts me to say this but today you stop. There will be no more stolen art, no more fake Sayuri's. I will stop you with my own hands.." Yusuke's voice was filled with emotion, but Madarame cut him off with a mocking laugh.
"What is this? Some sort of drama? Yusuke, my boy, why don't you just shut up and come to me? I have a gift for you back at home."
Yusuke hesitated, his expression pained. He turned to Ren, his eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and determination.
"Joker, I know this goes against the plan, but could I ask for permission to fight my master? Even now, I still hold affection for him. So I want to defeat him, artist to artist, teacher to student." His voice trembled with the weight of his words, practically begging him for permission.
"Please." Yusuke begged one last time as he saw Ren's hesitation.
Ren paused, his mind racing with possibilities. Seeing the determination and pain in Yusuke's eyes, he nodded, tossing the golden star to him.
"I've got your back if that's what you want," Ren said, stepping beside Yusuke. He then turned to Mona. "Mona, I'll leave the treasure to you. Are you up for the mission?"
Mona grinned mischievously and nodded.
"I'm quite hard to catch, so don't worry about me." He picked up the painting and strapped it to his back.
[Joker… I don't know about this…] Futaba warned with concern.
"Guide Mona through the escape route. The moments things look bad, we will follow." Ren ordered.
[Are you sure?] Futaba asked with some hesitation.
"More than anything," Ren answered, and that was enough for Futaba to understand that he wasn't messing around. As she nodded to herself, she instantly began to guide Morgana.
[Jump through the painting with the island. There will be shadows, so be ready. You should be able to escape by jumping into the painting near the middle.]
"Aye!" Mona shouted before dashing out of the room and leaping into the painting.
"Wait!" Madarame shouted before commanding the guards around him to chase after him.
The guards immediately moved, chasing Mona down, leaving Ren, Yusuke, and Madarame alone.
As Mona landed on the island, shadows surrounded him. His eyes steeled with determination, and he summoned Zorro, who unleashed a powerful gust of wind. The gust propelled Mona into the air, allowing him to maneuver swiftly through the shadows. The idea had come to him during their last battle with the Will Seed guard.
Landing in the forest, Mona continued flinging himself through the air, evading the transforming shadows. His goal was clear, and his resolve unwavering. He reached the painting near the middle of the island and jumped through, landing beside Shiho, Ryuji, and Ann.
"Danger! Shadows incoming!" Mona shouted as he jumped back, alerting his teammates. Shadows began pouring out, but the group acted swiftly. Shiho used her abilities to confuse the enemies while Ann and Mona worked together, burning the shadows to ashes. Ryuji charged through those resistant to fire, smashing them with brute force.
The once quiet museum erupted into chaos as countless shadows swarmed them. Thanks to their teamwork and the fact that the shadows were all emerging from a single painting, they managed to gradually reduce their numbers.
Escape was impossible, with shadows attacking from behind and the narrow, cluttered halls making maneuvering MonaBus practically impossible. The team's relentless defense was their only hope.
Their ability to fight without fear of drawing more shadows was due to Makoto, who had drawn most of the palace's attention. Riding Johanna, her Persona, she roared through the palace, creating a cacophony that echoed through the halls. She dodged and weaved through displays, maintaining a speed that kept her just out of reach but not so fast that the shadows would lose interest.
She was driving unlike she ever had, sliding and drifting through the halls barely dodging the attacks behind her. At any moment, she could escape if it became too much, but that would mean leaving the rest of the team to be surrounded.
All of this was orchestrated by Futaba, who tracked the shadows' positions and guided Makoto through safe paths, ensuring she wouldn't get trapped. Her voice was a constant presence in Makoto's ear, providing critical updates and directions.
[Left here, Queen! Another group incoming from the right!]
Makoto swerved left, narrowly avoiding a barrage of attacks. She pushed Johanna to its limits, the engine's roar a constant reminder of the danger she was in. Despite the risk, Makoto's focus never wavered.
— — —
Meanwhile, back with Yusuke and Ren, Madarame stood with an air of arrogant confidence. Taking a few steps back, he opened his arms wide, gesturing to the paintings surrounding them.
"Surrender now, and I won't have to let you die. We can return to how things used to be, teacher and student."
Yusuke shook his head, letting out a sigh as he raised his sword.
"No, Madarame. This ends now."
Madarame's smile vanished, replaced by a twisted expression of anger.
"Very well. It seems I will have to find myself another student."
In an instant, Madarame's body transformed. His appearance morphed into something out of a painting, his skin like canvas, his golden robe replaced with a patchwork of drawn figures. He wielded a gigantic brush dripping with black ink.
With a swift stroke, he slashed the air in front of him. The room shimmered, the walls, floor, and ceiling melting into vibrant hues, transforming the space into a living painting.
"Witness the true power of MY art!" Madarame's voice echoed, reverberating off the animated canvases. The once-solid ground beneath Yusuke and Ren's feet became an undulating wave of colors and patterns, making it difficult to maintain their balance.
Yusuke reached for the star, but Ren quickly reminded him.
"We only have one try. We need to be sure it will work."
Sneering, Madarame dipped his brush into an ethereal palette floating in mid-air. With a flourish, he painted a monstrous figure in the air. The creature, a grotesque blend of various mythological beasts, roared to life and leapt from the canvas, landing with a thud before the two Phantom Thieves.
"Let's see how you handle my creations," Madarame taunted, his voice dripping with malice.
"King Frost!" Ren called out, summoning the gigantic snowman Persona.
With a wave of his wand, King Frost unleashed a blast of ice, striking the painted monster and causing parts of it to freeze.
"Hee-ho!" King Frost shouted as countless Jack Frosts appeared around him, bombarding the creature with more ice and coating it in a thick layer of frost.
Seeing his opening, Yusuke called forth Goemon, who struck the frozen beast with his massive pipe, shattering it into pieces. The room was flooded with a wave of vibrant paint.
Madarame hadn't remained idle during the battle. With each swing of his brush, he summoned countless vines that tried to ensnare them. Yusuke and Ren reacted swiftly, dodging the attacks. Yusuke slashed at the vines with his sword, cutting down those that came too close.
"We need to take out Madarame directly!" Ren shouted, summoning Power to slash at the vines approaching with his spear. He leaped out of the way as another vine tried to ensnare him.
"I agree. Once we get close, we strike!" Yusuke shouted back, only to feel a shadowy arm grab him from the floor. The paint from the exploded monster had brought countless paintings to life, and now shadowy arms burst from the floor and walls, reaching for anything or anyone.
Madarame, seeing the chaos, laughed maniacally. With another flourish of his brush, the entire room rippled and transformed into a snowstorm. The freezing cold bit at their skin, and just as Yusuke prepared to attack, a painted version of himself appeared, lunging at him.
Yusuke quickly parried the initial attack from his clone, their blades clashing with a metallic ring. The clone's movements were eerily precise, mimicking Yusuke's own fighting style perfectly.
"An imitation? You think this can stop me?" Yusuke taunted, though he knew better than to underestimate Madarame's creations.
To his surprise, a clone of Goemon appeared, swinging its pipe down to crush him. The real Goemon materialized and parried the strike, creating a window for Yusuke to counterattack. He struck the clone, splattering the painting as he continued his charge toward Madarame.
Meanwhile, Ren faced his own clone. The doppelgänger fought viciously, swinging its dagger without care for its own life. This recklessness gave Ren an opening. He summoned Power again and struck the clone with Hamaon. Golden papers surrounded the clone, bursting with light before the painting turned to ash.
Both Ren and Yusuke pressed forward through the blizzard, their determination unwavering.
"Madarame! This is it!" Yusuke shouted in anger.
Countless painted wolves charged at them, but they had closed the distance. Yusuke pulled out the golden star, his desire clear in his mind.
"Showtime," Yusuke declared, his voice filled with anger and determination.
The moment he spoke, the entire snowfield was consumed by darkness. Shadows trapped inside the paintings used their own bodies to fuel the power of the star. As the shadows escaped their canvases, they were drawn into the star, feeding the growing darkness.
The darkness enveloped Madarame, rendering him helpless as Ren and Yusuke transformed the battlefield. The painted wolves, once fierce and imposing, dissolved into the black void, their forms unraveling like threads pulled from a tapestry.
Madarame, trapped in the consuming darkness, looked on in horror.
"No! This can't be happening!" he screamed, his voice echoing in the void.
Ren's mask burst, transforming into a glowing theater mask. His golden eyes, visible through the slits, burned with intensity. Vanishing into the darkness, Ren reappeared above Madarame. With a flick of his wrist, countless strings emerged from his fingers, attaching themselves to Madarame. The strings tightened with the movement of Ren's fingers, immobilizing the palace ruler.
Yusuke, his brush blazing with golden flames, began to create strokes of brilliant light in the air. Each stroke carved through the darkness, leaving trails of radiant energy that combined into intricate patterns and symbols. The sheer artistry of his movements was mesmerizing, a stark contrast to the sinister control Ren exerted over Madarame.
"Do you see now, Sensei?" Yusuke's voice was calm yet filled with deep resolve. "True art is born from the heart, not from the manipulation and exploitation of others."
Madarame's eyes widened in fear and realization.
"No... this can't be how it ends!" he cried out, desperately trying to raise his brush. But the strings yanked it from his grasp, leaving him defenseless.
Ren's expression remained unreadable behind his mask, but his voice boomed across the void.
"Your time of deception and theft is over, Madarame. This is your punishment."
As Yusuke's golden brush continued its ethereal dance, the patterns he painted began to take form. They materialized into a grand, majestic painting, depicting a powerful scene of retribution and justice. The painting glowed with an inner light, illuminating the darkness.
From the radiant strokes of light, a colossal figure began to emerge, a serene and imposing Buddha. Its tranquil expression contrasted sharply with the impending justice it was about to deliver. The Buddha's presence filled the space with a sense of awe and inevitability.
The figure's eyes opened slowly, gazing down at Madarame with a mix of compassion and stern judgment. The Buddha's enormous hand, formed from the same golden light, began to move with deliberate grace. Its sheer size and power made it clear that escape was impossible.
"For my mother, for all the students you've wronged, for all the art you've stolen," Yusuke declared, his voice steady and resolute. "This is the last time you hurt others for your art."
Madarame struggled to move, but Ren's strings held him in place. He could only watch as the Buddha's hand descended upon him. The hand crashed down, bursting into golden flames that illuminated the void. The intense light shattered the darkness, revealing Madarame lying prone on the floor, surrounded by spilled paint.
"It was… beautiful," Madarame murmured, having reverted to his usual shadow self.
Lying in shock, he felt his whole body fill with pain. The sensation jolted him back to reality as he saw Yusuke grab him by the golden robe.
"Yusuke!" Madarame exclaimed, his voice desperate. "You... you don't get it. You have talent; you have creativity. You don't know what it's like seeing everyone but you succeed."
Yusuke's grip tightened, his eyes a mix of anger and sorrow.
"You used to inspire me, Sensei. I admired you. But you turned art into a weapon, a means to exploit and control. That's not what true art is about."
Madarame's eyes widened with desperation, searching for any hint of mercy in his former student's gaze.
"But Yusuke, I had no choice! The world is harsh. Without those methods, I would have been nothing."
"And because of that, you thought it was right to crush others' dreams, to steal their work and claim it as your own? I saw you let my mother die. I heard your thoughts. There is no excuse for what you have done."
Yusuke released Madarame, letting him slump back onto the paint-stained floor.
"You could have chosen differently. You could have nurtured your students, helped them grow. Instead, you chose to destroy them."
Madarame's expression turned to one of fear as he clung to Yusuke.
"Please, Yusuke," he pleaded, his voice trembling. "Give me another chance. I can change, I swear."
Yusuke looked down at him, his expression hardening.
"You will have to face the consequences of your actions. Maybe then, you will truly understand the weight of what you've done. I want you to confess to the world. Tell them about all the damage you have caused. Let everyone hear from your own mouth that you are nothing but a liar."
Madarame looked dejected, but he nodded nonetheless.
"Yusuke… I…" he began, but Yusuke turned away, unwilling to hear his final words.
Ren gave one final glance at the fallen Madarame before running after Yusuke. The Palace was starting to collapse, signaling their need to escape. Thankfully, Futaba had planned for this.
The path she had mapped for Makoto not only drew attention away from Mona's group but also cleared the way for Ren and Yusuke to escape.
Running through the disintegrating halls, they finally arrived at the courtyard, where Mona was already waiting in helicopter form, ready to take off at any moment. The sound of Makoto's roaring engine echoed as she sped toward them, Johanna's tires screeching against the ground.
"Get in!" Mona shouted, his voice barely audible over the noise of the collapsing palace.
The group leaped into the helicopter, their hearts pounding. As they lifted off, the palace began to fall apart beneath them, debris crashing to the ground in a chaotic scene.
Makoto, the last to board, jumped perfectly, landing inside just as the helicopter began to lift. Leaving the hundreds of shadows chasing her behind. The palace's final remnants crumbled into nothingness, disappearing from sight as they soared higher.
~A/N~
(Hopefully, ya'll enjoy the fight and the chapter. Not gonna lie; I am happy to be out of the Madarame arc. This whole palace took up a bunch of my creative juices, so I am happy to get a little break before the next one. Gonna focus on the confidants for a bit now.
Feedback is always welcome, and also drop a comment since I love to read them and they always motivate me! See ya.)
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