Chương 82: The Intermission - Goro Akechi.
(I'm trying out something a little different for this chap. It's probably not going to happen too often, if at all unless you guys like it. Though I would probably do it with different characters.)
— — —
Opening his eyes, Akechi rose from his bed at precisely the same time as every other morning. He moved through his organized home, each step a mirror of yesterday's routine.
As he moved about, the subtle presence of a blue butterfly seemed to follow. Flitting through the room in brief, almost unnoticed moments, it was a silent witness to his every action. The strange insect had been following Goro for a long time now, and by now, he had learned to ignore it.
After showering and dressing in his usual meticulously chosen outfit, he adjusted his tie in front of the mirror. His face was the picture of indifference, revealing not an ounce of emotion.
His eyes bore traces of fatigue, yet his expression remained unchanged as he finished grooming himself. He proceeded to the living room, where he turned on the TV to catch the morning news while preparing his breakfast.
[The Phantom Thieves have suddenly gained another burst of popularity as rumors of the requests left on their site…]
"Took them long enough..." he murmured, his tone flat as he began to eat. From a hidden drawer, he retrieved a notepad, browsing through a list of names.
"Okumura would be the logical choice, given his daughter's connection to their school. Yet, it's unlikely they could breach his defenses at their current level... Nijima might be an intriguing option, though I doubt her sister would be too willing to mess with her heart..."
His gaze lingered on the list, where several names were underlined:
Ishida Mamoru, Hospital, Cold Storage.
Yaeko Amane, Tokyo Dome, Concert.
Ichiryusai Madarame, Shack, Museum.
"Hmm… I am betting it is one of these ones..." he mused, his voice devoid of any real curiosity. He switched off the TV and prepared to leave for work, ensuring his practiced smile was in place before leaving his house.
Yet, just as he was about to leave, his phone rang.
"This is Akechi." His response was measured, but a slight frown creased his forehead, betraying a hint of annoyance and anger.
"No, the task remains unfinished," he stated flatly.
The voice on the other end raised in volume, though it soon moderated.
"They lack shadows in Mementos, indicating the awakening of their Personas. No shadows means no job." Akechi analyzed, his voice betraying no surprise.
The caller continued for a while, and Akechi listened intently before responding again.
"It's conceivable that the Phantom Thieves accessed the Metaverse through assistance from the Kirijo Group, which would explain the absence of their shadows. Shirogane sure was forthcoming about her support of them." he speculated.
After a brief pause, he concluded the call with a firm assertion.
"No, I have yet to discover who the members of the Phantom Thieves are. Rest assured, you will be the first to know once I do." With those words, he hung up the phone.
Akechi arrived at the prosecutor's office with his practiced smile firmly in place. Greeting his colleagues with the same polished charm, he settled into the routine of his day job, which involved poring over case files as they continued their investigation of the Thieves. Each interaction was a carefully choreographed performance, yet beneath the surface, he felt an overwhelming sense of boredom.
Seated at his desk, Akechi found himself absently tapping his finger against the surface, the act betraying his fatigue. It was exhausting to feign ignorance, to sift through endless documents, and to orchestrate delays in the investigation wherever possible.
His thoughts began to drift aimlessly when suddenly, a cup of coffee appeared before him.
"You look like you could use this," Sae Nijima observed, placing the coffee on his desk. "Any breakthroughs?"
Shaking his head, Akechi summoned a smile, though it never quite reached his eyes.
"Unfortunately, everything leads back to the beginning. It's quite the enigma."
Sae couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she said.
"Well, don't push yourself too hard; you can leave that part to me. Let me know if you find anything," she advised before starting to walk away.
"Of course," Akechi responded, his tone effortlessly smooth. He glanced at her, walking away, but his ears had barely registered the words. He was performing mechanically, his actions devoid of genuine interest.
As the hours passed and his workday concluded, Akechi allowed a deep sigh to escape him as he massaged his shoulders.
"I wonder…" he muttered, his voice lost in the ambient noise of the office as he made his way out.
Driven by a desire to escape the dullness of his routine, Akechi decided to head to Leblanc, seeking refuge in the one diversion that managed to distract him from the monotony: his game with the leader of the Phantom Thieves.
Following the events in Kamoshida's palace and his subsequent change of heart, Akechi quickly discerned that this was not something normal but a deliberate manipulation using the Metaverse to alter cognition.
The fact that it had been Kamoshida, someone who was technically working under their group, meant that he had to be vigilant if he didn't want his plan to fall apart. So, he began to look into what had happened not long before Kamoshida's change, which led him to one person, Ren Amamiya.
Based on his findings, Akechi surmised that Ren was orchestrating these events from behind the scenes. He recalled how Ren had boldly confronted Kamoshida, all while recording the encounter on his phone. He knowingly ran in there to take a beating just to damage Kamoshida's cognition and distortion.
After that, he recognized Ren as someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He saw a bit of himself in Ren, a recognition that both intrigued and unsettled him.
In his spare moments, Akechi found himself tracking the activities of the group. It was evident that Ren had been recruiting allies for their excursions into the Metaverse, a strategy Akechi found somewhat disappointing. Although Ren had the intellect to orchestrate their plans, he lacked the confidence to act solo. To Akechi, relying on teammates seemed like a limitation rather than a strength.
Instead of focusing on his own development, Ren spent his time socializing and venturing into Mementos with his friends, striving to ensure they all advanced together. Akechi mused that Ren could have progressed much further on his own.
Just when Akechi was ready to dismiss him, Ren made a bold move that recaptured his interest: he dived headfirst into the lion's den, transforming himself into an ally within enemy lines.
The fortress that was Kaneshiro's bank was reduced to a mere plaything by Ren's clever manipulation. With little more than a few words and a disarming smile, Ren had navigated past most obstacles, even coaxing the palace ruler to reveal his treasure. Akechi found this genuinely entertaining and amusing.
Their chance meeting at the Penguin Sniper Club seemed almost destined. Observing Ren's expression during their encounter, Akechi realized that Ren was unwittingly playing the same game, though he was unaware of their shared stakes.
They were two sides of the same coin, both scarred by the same adversary, their lives irrevocably altered for the worse. Yet here they were, engaging in a quiet battle of wits with one another. Even after being blindsided by some of the things Ren had mentioned, Ren should not have won their game of billiards, yet he did.
Somehow, Akechi felt as if he had lost that interaction in more ways than one, an exhilarating yet frustrating notion.
Soon after, the entirety of Japan was plastered with billboards promoting the Phantom Thieves, vowing to deliver justice to the people. It was a ridiculous claim, yet it began to make sense to Akechi following their second encounter.
They had played a game discussing their respective visions of justice, cautiously probing each other's convictions.
Then, the television broadcasts were overtaken, and small animations played that illuminated Ren's intentions. He was attempting to manipulate the collective unconscious through grand public spectacles. Ren, too, recognized the potential power of the other world and aimed to harness the people's will to bend it to his desires.
As long as their paths do not intersect directly in the future, they can continue their respective game. Akechi would see his version of justice realized, and Ren could continue to enchant the rest of Japan with his theatrical displays.
For now, Akechi chose to keep the identities of the Thieves under wraps. There was no need to disclose them to his superiors unless they directly interfered with his own meticulous plans. And if he ever needed it, he could use the Thieves as a tool in order to complete his mission. If it came to it, he was ready to step in and eliminate them too.
Upon entering Leblanc, Akechi was greeted by the sight of Ren behind the counter, who was expertly serving coffee to patrons.
"Ah, Ren, what a surprise to see you here. I didn't expect you to work at a cafe." Akechi said with a genuine, playful smile.
"Akechi? Well, come on, take a seat. The first drink is on the house; just don't tell the boss." Ren said, his eyes suddenly glowing brighter with a mischievous spark as he gestured to an open stool at the coffee bar.
Taking the offered seat, Akechi observed Ren closely, his own smile mirroring the mischievousness in Ren's demeanor.
"Well, since we happened to cross paths, how about we play another game?" Akechi proposed his tone light yet carrying an undercurrent of challenge.
~Confidants~
Yaldabaoth (The Fool) Rank 0 [Reversed]
Kuon Ichinose (The Priestess) Rank 0 [Reversed]
Hikari Akechi (The Empress) Rank 8 [Deceased]
Masayoshi Shido (The Emperor) Rank 0 [Broken]
SIU Director (The Hierophant) Rank 0 [Broken]
Jyun Owada (The Chariot) Rank 0 [Broken]
Ren Amamiya (The Justice) Rank 3
Wakaba Isshiki (The Hermit) Rank 0 [Deceased]
Geneva (The Strength) Rank 0
Junya Kaneshiro (The Devil) Rank 0 [Broken]
Kunikazu Okumura (The Tower) Rank 0 [Broken]
The Antisocial Force (The Moon) Rank 0 [Reversed]
Akira Konoe (The Sun) Rank 0 [Broken]
Sae Nijima (The Judgment) Rank 0
… Rank 0
… Rank 0
… Rank 0
… Rank 0
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