Chương 88: The Museum of Vanity
(4k words lol enjoy.)
When Chihaya got him his reading last night, she pulled out four different cards. The order of which was The Five of Cups, The Reversed Emperor, The Tower, and The Star.
Yet when Ren asked for an interpretation, Chihaya said that the meaning should become clear in due time. However she felt as if the reading was not entirely directed towards his future, but the future of someone close to him, which is why she struggled to fully grasp the meaning.
With her words, Ren left to go home in preparation for diving into the Madarame's distortion.
— — —
Arriving at the Palace, the Phantom Thieves were struck by the opulence before them. What once was a dilapidated house now stood as a shining golden museum. The architecture had morphed into a surreal, almost labyrinthine stack of golden cubes, each adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to pulse subtly as if breathing with artistic life.
The Thieves stood amidst a crowd bathed in the golden light from towering fixtures, the collective voices melding into a reverent chorus that sung praises of Madarame's genius. Each spectator awaited their turn to step closer to the heart of this gilded wonder.
"Unbelievable..." Ann muttered under her breath, her eyes wide as they took in the scale of the building.
"Think he's compensating for something?" Ren joked, a playful smirk appearing on his face.
"His art, you mean?" Makoto turned to him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I've read from the rumors that he's been struggling with artist's block for quite some time."
"That's..." Ryuji started, stifling a chuckle. "Yeah, that's probably what he meant."
"Hm, that's odd." Futaba mused, adjusting the visor over her eyes. Summoning her persona, she hopped into it and began her analysis.
[There are peculiar readings from the Palace. It's usually clear if something unusual is happening, but the map seems partially scrambled, with countless paths leading back to the same place.]
As the group tried to digest Futaba's findings, Shiho pointed out.
"Hey, notice all the windows? Couldn't we sneak through one and break in that way?"
"Yeah, we could even use the Mona helicopter to fly into one of the upper windows. The higher we go, the closer we should be to the treasure, right?" Ryuji suggested before Futaba interjected.
[No, the windows are giving off strange readings. They should lead inside, but it's almost like they open into their own little worlds. If we break through, I'm not sure where we'll end up.]
"I see," Ren said, activating his third eye skill to peer through the windows, noting the odd blue light each window emitted. "In that case, we should avoid the windows for now. Remember, this is just a reconnaissance run; we're not exploring the entire Palace today, so we don't need to venture too far."
With a plan forming, the Thieves circled the outskirts of the Palace, eventually splitting into two groups as they discovered separate openings—a window left ajar and a lightly guarded service door. Their hearts pounded with the thrill of the heist ahead, each step forward cloaked in the shadow of the towering golden museum.
— — —
As the cool night air brushed against their faces, Ren, Futaba, and Ann slipped through the service door, silhouetted against the moonlight. The room they entered seemed to distort reality, with walls that bent inward before snapping back, as if breathing.
"Watch your step," Ren advised quietly, his eyes carefully tracking the unsettling movements of their surroundings. The floor, though seemingly solid, rippled with each step as though they were treading on the surface of a disturbed pond.
The room's lighting flickered weakly, casting an unsettling glow over the golden walls adorned with dark, twisting patterns that seemed to pulse with life.
Futaba summoned her persona and began to analyze the room. Though curiously, her persona became practically transparent now that they were in possible danger. Hiding her from the eyes of any shadows around, though if they looked closely, they might still be able to see the strange outline of her persona.
After a few moments of analysis, Futaba spoke up with some caution.
[There's something off about this place. Enemy signatures keep popping up and vanishing. Watch out near the paintings.]
She paused briefly before adding.
[This whole area's a maze. Some paths just lead to dead ends, like parts of the map are just missing. But I've got enough clear sections to navigate us through this chaos]
As the group ventured deeper into the room, they saw countless paintings, each slowly changing as they looked at it. Each painting went from a slightly flawed piece of art into a pure masterpiece. However, afterward, they lacked a piece of their essence.
Drawn to one such piece, Ann spoke up.
"Look at this," she observed, her voice a blend of wonder and concern. "It starts as something so raw and genuine... then transforms into something completely different. It's more polished, but less... real."
Continuing her analysis, Futaba was able to discover the meaning behind the paintings.
[These originals are by his students,] she deduced. [And the 'improved' versions? Those are Madarame's recreations. He's not merely copying them; he's stealing their emotions and stories. I can see it all through Necronomicon.]
As Ren activated his third-eye skill, his eyes began to glow subtly. Strangely, he noticed countless peculiar movements within the paintings and observed that their solid texture had altered to resemble something more fluid, like water.
Ren took cautious steps closer to the painting, ready for any surprises, before a shadowy arm suddenly extended and swiped at him. From it, countless more arms surged forth, grasping, eager to drag anything, or anyone, into the canvas with them. But all the arms could reach was the air.
[So that's what's been causing the weird readings.] Futaba noted with surprise. [There are shadows inside each of the paintings, but they only show up on the radar when they attempt to break out. This also explains the weird readings I got from the Palace; if the paintings can act like a doorway to another location, no wonder I see so many paths.]
As Ren's eyes analyzed the shadows, desperately trying to drag him in, he couldn't help but ask.
"These shadows, they aren't normal, are they?" It was a strange feeling, but he could tell they were different for some reason, almost as if they were feral animals.
Futaba went quiet for a moment before speaking up.
[You're right; these shadows are unlike the others. They aren't tethered to the Palace's central will. They look like they will attack anything in their path, even Madarame. Or well, maybe especially Madarame.]
Ren analyzed the strange shadows that had retreated back into the painting before he let out a chuckle.
"So Mr. Perfect Teacher also knows that a good portion of his students hate him."
It was strange to see a part of the Palace that was actually hostile to the ruler. Still, if Madarame was aware of the former students who kept trying to expose him and ruin his reputation online, it would only make sense that a part of that fear would manifest into the Metaverse.
As they walked through, Ren couldn't help but let out a strange expression as he crouched down and touched the floor, feeling an extremely faint connection with it. It was a brief connection that almost went unnoticed, but from it, he could learn a small piece of information.
"He is afraid of this room. A place like this would usually be hidden away as far as possible from the treasure or in a safe and contained room in the depths of the Palace, so it's weird for it to be so close to the entrance…." Ren muttered, not entirely sure as to the explanation.
As they continued to move through, they noticed that the room seemed to pulse with a silent rhythm, the air slightly heavy thanks to all of the hostile shadows waiting to pounce on the next unsuspecting victim.
"Every one of these pieces, all of the shadows…" Ann whispered, her eyes reflecting the shifting images, "Each one represents a stolen dream."
Ann's expression was somewhat heavy as she looked at all of the twisting artworks.
"It's weird, but I can also feel the anguish from the paintings. I have never really been an art kind of person, but standing so close to it, I can feel just how much everyone trapped inside is hurting."
After a few more minutes of exploring without finding anything new, Ren looked up at Futaba.
"What's the best way out of here?"
Futaba's eyes focused on the map in front of her as she began to figure out the best route forward, trying to sort through the countless paths her persona was detecting. If this were a normal Palace she would be able to navigate without issue, but the countless paintings lining the walls were overwhelming her mapping capabilities.
[I've got a route. There are some security lasers up ahead, but I should be able to take care of them.] she confirmed, her voice echoing slightly in the stillness.
—- — —
As Makoto, Mona, Ryuji, and Shiho quietly slipped through another open window, they found themselves in a dimly lit corridor leading to a smaller, more secluded display room. Despite its darkness and sense of abandonment, paintings adorned every wall.
Makoto surveyed the seemingly empty room. Before anyone could take a step further, she raised her arm, halting the rest of the thieves. Her instincts screamed that danger lurked close by.
Dipping into her pouch, she retrieved a smoke bomb crafted by Ren. With a press of a button, smoke began to billow softly, filling the space.
The expanding smoke soon unveiled a series of previously invisible lasers that had been surrounding them without them noticing.
"Mona," Makoto commanded sharply. With a determined nod, the small, agile cat started navigating through the smoke. His movements were swift and precise, expertly weaving through the lasers.
Moments later, the sound of electric buzzes filled the air as the lasers deactivated one by one.
As the smoke cleared, Mona returned to the group, a sly grin spreading across his face. His tail flicked contentedly as he announced.
"Area's secure. We've got about 30 minutes before the lasers reactivate. Let's make it count." he said as he carefully put away a small item Ren had crafted into his pouch.
Ren had spent some time researching with Futaba to find different items that would work thanks to the collective unconscious. One of them was a small prototype that could overwhelm a security system from a very popular show. It might not work on more advanced systems, but the Museum did not have the highest level of security.
Exploring the now safe room, the group encountered countless portraits depicting individuals of various ages.
"Toda Yasunari, aged 24," Shiho announced, scrutinizing one of the paintings.
"Ishibashi Tomohiko, aged 34," Ryuji added, eyeing another.
As they continued to survey the cleared area, a look of realization dawned on Makoto.
"I recognize this name… I did some digging before we came here. One of his students, Mitsui Sozui..." She paused, pointing at a painting that bore a striking resemblance to a profile picture she had seen. "All these portraits...they must be his former students."
The chilling realization prompted further inspection from the group. Shiho was the first one to voice her unease.
"It's like he's showcasing them as trophies. Their expressions are void of emotion... It's eerily similar to the distortion we saw in Kamoshida's castle with those paintings of my volleyball team…." Her tone was tinged with disgust.
"For real..." Ryuji muttered under his breath, deep in thought.
As they observed the paintings, the group noticed subtle shifts in the images. Some depicted the person within at different stages of their lives, while others remained nearly static. However, they couldn't entirely understand the reason for the changes with just the paintings.
"It's kind of odd for this place to look so abandoned and empty, no?" Mona mused, his voice echoing slightly in the empty space. "With the crowd outside, you'd think this place would be buzzing."
Makoto, with her eyes narrowed in thought, responded after a moment of silence.
"It's because they abandoned him. This place feels so empty...maybe he doesn't want outsiders to see what became of his students. Or perhaps he's just too stubborn to let any real people in here."
Having gathered enough information, Makoto cautiously approached the doorway, scanning for any hidden dangers. She signaled Mona, guiding him to lead the way into the next room. Since he was the most stealthy out of the group, he served as a scout and was able to disable most of the traps along the way.
As they methodically cleared each room, they soon encountered a few guards. Preferring to avoid drawing too much attention at the moment, Makoto instructed Mona to slip into the shadows and create a distraction, allowing them to bypass the guards unnoticed.
The abandoned sections of the museum all looked the same, with endless portraits of Madarame's students lining the walls. It was astonishing how many students he had apparently taught. If not for the rumors of him stealing their work, they might have admired his dedication to teaching.
Wandering through the dark, forlorn hallways, Makoto stopped abruptly at the sight of two familiar paintings.
"Ren… and Shiho…" she uttered, taken aback.
"But how… we never studied under…" Shiho started, her surprise turning to realization. "The art class..."
Recalling the details, Shiho continued.
"It was strange; they asked us to hand in our paintings at the end. I didn't think much of it at the time since I was...distracted. But later, when I tried to get my painting back, the museum said it was kept for a young artists' showcase they do every few months."
"He's even stealing art from folks just droppin' in for class. But, like, why, though? It ain't like most of those people are actually that good at art. No offense." Ryuji asked his expression a mix of confusion and frustration.
"The rumor I read suggested he's hit a major artist's block, so maybe he's using even the fresh faces to spark some new ideas. He's got the skills to crank out masterpieces; he just lacks the original ideas." Makoto explained thoughtfully.
Then, after thinking for a moment, she shook her head.
"No, even then, it would take a lot of effort to improve a painting from a casual artist… Maybe he actually sees everyone who takes the classes he offers through his students as technically also being one of his students. Since I haven't met him personally, I can't say that I fully understand him."
Absorbing this insight, the group pressed forward until a faint glow caught their attention. The light stood out starkly against the surrounding darkness and neglect.
As they drew nearer, Shiho was the first to recognize the subject of the illuminated painting: Yusuke Kitagawa. This particular section, faintly lit by a flickering bulb, displayed Yusuke's life from infancy to the present, showcasing just how much time he had spent under Madarame's tutelage.
"This is so messed up." Shiho muttered, a note of distress coloring her voice. "So the other paintings were changing because that's how long they spent with Madarame."
As the group observed the flickering light above, Makoto spoke up.
"This one must be the only one that is still on because Yusuke is still living with him. But I don't see why it should be flickering like that. From what Ren told me, he should have absolute devotion to Madarame."
The group looked at the flickering light with questioning eyes before Shiho's expression shifted to one of realization.
"Oh…."
— — —
As the trio maneuvered through the Palace, Futaba's timely analysis alerted them to nearby guards. With a swift, shadow-like movement, Ren snuck up behind them. Summoning Tartuffe, he surprised a guard, who was soon engulfed by him and vanished into ashes just moments later after being consumed.
"Wow…" Ann remarked, clearly impressed as she watched Ren neutralize the guard with minimal noise. "Since when have you been able to do that?"
After dispatching the guard, Ren turned to her, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"I'm not sure myself... After spotting that first shadow, I felt the instinct right of how to do it. It seems to work on the weaker ones if I catch them by surprise. But as we go deeper, I expect they'll resist and be able to break free to fight back."
Before they could continue, they heard Futaba's voice in their head.
[Guard approaching; he'll be here in thirty seconds.]
Quickly responding, Ren and Ann exchanged a determined nod as they began their plan. With no good places to hide, Ren deployed his grappling hook to the ceiling, securing a quick escape route.
As the guard approached, he noticed Ann, who was feigning deep interest in one of the paintings.
"This art… Madarame is truly a genius…" Ann declared, adopting a tone of nobility with a slight foreign accent to add credibility to her disguise.
The guard, startled by her presence, raised his baton, yet as he saw her, he hesitated.
"Miss, I'm sorry, but the museum is currently closed to all guests. I'm going to have to escort you out."
"Oh, I am so sorry," Ann responded with feigned confusion and a charming giggle. "I saw an open door and assumed it was the entrance. I'm not familiar with how things are done in this country. I just had to see Madarame's artwork up close."
Her performance effectively disarmed the guard, his suspicions momentarily eased by her convincingly innocent act.
Just as the guard relaxed and reached to escort Ann out, Ren dropped from the ceiling, swiftly subduing him. He summoned Tartuffe, who enveloped and consumed the guard in an instant.
Ann couldn't help but chuckle as she caught Ren's teasing smile.
"What? It worked, didn't it?" she said, her cheeks coloring slightly. "I was just practicing the character I was given for the movie, so that's why I had the accent."
With an appreciative nod, Ren performed a theatrical bow and then posed a playful question to Ann.
"In that case, my lovely lady, would you care to fool some more shadows with me?"
"Why, of course. I would be delighted to share the stage with you once again," Ann replied in a melodramatic tone, her laughter light and genuine.
Just then, Futaba's voice cut through their playful exchange, bringing them back to the task at hand.
[Heads up, there's a group of guards just ahead, so be prepared for anything.]
— — —
Makoto surveyed the guards' patrol pattern with intense focus.
"If we alert one, the others will come running to assist," Makoto cautioned, turning to Morgana. "There's a small room nearby where we can lure them in. It should allow us to handle them quietly without drawing too much attention."
Morgana nodded and discreetly moved towards the door, making a loud noise inside of it in order to catch the guards' attention. Curious, the guards hurried toward the room to investigate.
"Ryuji, you cover the right side; I'll handle the left. Shiho, keep watch for any additional guards. If more show up, use the smoke bombs to create a diversion," she instructed firmly.
With a synchronized nod, they executed their plan. They ambushed the shadows in the confined space, quickly shutting the door behind them. Despite some muffled sounds of struggle, their careful preparation ensured no other shadows were alerted to their presence.
Once the room was clear, they exited into a central hall that resembled the entrance of a bank, complete with a reception desk. They spotted a shimmering object nearby.
"A chest?" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise. "These are showing up in Palaces now?"
Approaching the chest, they opened it to discover a European shortsword and a small cutlass, each emitting a strange glow. Morgana claimed the cutlass while Shiho took the shortsword.
However, their celebration was cut short by distant footsteps. They tensed, readying themselves, as Makoto noticed a guard's silhouette walking alongside Ann. Just as they braced for a confrontation, Futaba's voice rang through their heads.
[No more guards in the area. You can drop the disguise.]
Before their eyes, the guard burst into blue flames and transformed back into Ren, who quickly rejoined the group with Ann next to him.
"Damn, dude, I forgot you could do that," Ryuji said, lowering his metal bat.
"It's pretty tiring, so I tend to avoid using it unless it's actually necessary," Ren said as he stretched slightly.
"There was a group of guards, but I managed to distract them while he picked them off," Ann added proudly. "A few were stronger than others, so he had to 'escort' me out to avoid drawing in too much attention."
As the two groups reconvened, they shared their discoveries from each side of the Palace. Once updated, they proceeded through a door to encounter a grand, golden statue depicting a spiral ladder crowded with figures that appeared to be in mourning.
"The infinite spring…" Makoto read aloud from the plaque. "A conglomerate work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own funds. These individuals must offer their ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living."
The statue clearly symbolized how Madarame exploited his students in order to create ideas for his art.
"So not only does he have that twisted room, but he flaunts this statue, too…" Ann remarked, her voice tinged with anger. "I thought he'd be ashamed of plagiarizing ideas judging by how that other room looked like, but... he's actually proud of it."
Shiho frowned deeply as she processed the statue's meaning, then turned to Ren with concern.
"Hey… Ren… Do you think Yusuke's painting could also be at risk of being stolen?"
Ren thought for a moment as realization crossed his eyes.
"I see… I should have seen this coming…" Ren muttered as he remembered the reading Chihaya had given him the day before.
A reading that first signified loss, followed by a lack of structure and authority, which then led to upheaval and change, finalized by the hope and newfound purpose that the star brought.
'Newfound purpose…' Ren mused, then addressed the group, his tone serious.
"I usually prefer to wait before inviting someone new to the team, especially when we're waiting on Takemi. But how would you all feel about the possibility of inviting someone else to join us?"
~A/N~
(Lemme know what you think of the double thieves perspective. For this one, I showed the different styles of infiltration. While Ren is a "trickster" and tends to use charisma and deception to sneak further in, Makoto is more analytical. Carefully planning and analyzing the situation before coming up with a plan to push forward.
I hadn't noticed it before, but for Kaneshiro and Kamoshida, Ren mostly spoke/acted his way through. It failed at first with Kamoshida's castle because the guards were devoted, but he certainly did try to rizz them up. He also basically fooled his way down the bank, talking his way into each security room and then ambushing them when their guards were lowered.
Also, some people asked before if he got the perks from confidant ranks or nah, and though I said he did, here is the first showcase of it in the Metaverse. Shoutout to Ryuji, rank 7 lol.)
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