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Chapter Text

It wasn't often that Josuke Higashikata left Morioh. It was his home after all, and he felt it was his duty to keep it safe in memory of his long-deceased grandfather. But out of all the scumbags that he and his friends took out like yesterday's trash, he held a special hatred for serial killers. So when news topics about a mysterious figure known only as Kira were reporting him killing dozens across the world, Josuke immediately joined the local chat rooms who were outraged at these blatant acts of murder. Granted it was mostly against criminals, but there was no proof that these criminals were truly guilty. Especially in Japan, which had a higher conviction rate than any other country.

Before long, it was starting to become clear that Kira had some sort of supernatural power. Josuke didn't know if it was a Stand, or magic, or if he had help from some metaphysical reality, but the type didn't matter. It was the specifics that mattered. And before long, the world had started to silently narrow in on a small neighborhood in Tokyo. So now here Josuke was, and sitting in the car next to him was his sixteen-year-old son, Jogo. The current year was 2017, and it was clear whoever Kira was, he greatly underestimated the scope of the internet. Jogo read off everything that was being discussed on the Discord servers.

"Guy sounds a complete sociopath," he noted, "And all the evidence is leading to one student. Light Yagami, the son of the police chief heading up the Kira Task Force in Tokyo."

Josuke nodded.

"L's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, but to be honest thousands of people across the world have narrowed in on this guy even faster, so he's not the most efficient. You remember the bike helmets?"

"Yeah, but are we okay with this?," Jogo asked, "I kinda like to keep my hairstyle."

Like his father, Jogo had gravitated towards an out-of-the-ordinary hairstyle, an old greaser look in this case a la John Travolta.

As they drove up to the Yagami household, Jogo noticed a dim light in the upper window.

"It looks like Light's home," he noted.

He closed his eyes.

"Cosmic Mind!"

His Stand appeared nearby. It looked like a streamlined spacesuit with rocket fins on a cone-shaped head, and glowing orange eyes. On each of its limbs was a circle, cross, square, and triangle.

"Activate Camera!," Jogo said.

Cosmic Mind held out its left hand, manifesting a giant camera which Jogo looked through.

"I see him writing on something. Wait... He just turned a page. I think he's keeping a journal of some kind."

He then narrowed his eyes.

"He's got something with him... Humanoid, black, and demonic-looking."

"A Stand?," Josuke asked.

Jogo shook his head.

"No, the Camera can't detect any sort of Stand energy coming off of Light or the creature. I'm thinking it's a spirit of some kind. Might be vulnerable to Stand attacks. You said once that Rohan could affect a ghost with his Stand, right?"

Josuke nodded.

"Koichi, Yukako, and your mom all corroborated that story, as did Reimi herself. So if this is some sort of lesser deity or phantom, we should be able to hurt it. Let's move in."

The father and son duo stepped out, Josuke revealing his own Stand, Crazy Diamond.

In a secret location, a lone male figure stood in front of several others. He was dressed in a priest uniform, and behind him floated a giant mannequin figure with 108 spherical holes in its body, most of them filled with orbs that each had a numeral marked on it.

"Greetings to each of you, whom I have chosen," the man said, "I am Father Roche. And you have all been granted special abilities by the grace of my Stand."

One figure, shadowed, stood with a humanoid insect with its thorax resembling a cape. Father Roche nodded to it.

"Number 01, Infection Buzz King."

Another had an incredibly thin humanoid jester.

"Number 007, Lucky Straight."

A third had a floating satellite that resembling a five-petal flower.

"Number 009, Dyson Sphere."

Another figure had a winged insect with piston-like limbs.

"Number 002, Ninja Shadow Mosquito."

There was figure with a quadrupedal figure with a long neck that had four wings coming off the sides of it.

"Number 008, Heraldic King Genom-Heritage."

Another figure had a silver and black cicada monster.

"Number 003, Cicada King."

A figure in the back had a giant humanoid that looked to be made of rock.

"Number 006, Chronomaly Atlandis."

A final figure had a jellyfish creature with two halve horizontally.

"Number 004, Stealth Kragen."

"It seems odd that the first eight of us would be missing a number in between," Number 001 noted.

"I was just about to go and seek out a good candidate for Number 005," Father Roche explained, "But as I do, remember this. That if you truly possess a will for evolution, those powers will evolve... And become yours."

He walked out of the room. It had been years since he heard about Pucci's death. And now with the defeat of both the Steering Committee and SEELE, he felt confidant enough to begin his own plans to carry on the will of DIO.

'This shall be a day to remember. I wonder how many I'll be able to create before I use up all the spheres. No matter... They will become the foundation.'

Light found himself completely caught off-guard as the two figures jumped him on his way to school. Ryuk, the Shinigami who had given him the Death Note, had spotted the car, but Light thought it was only some plain-clothes officers. Turns out it was a couple of vigilantes. Light had some fighting skills, but these guys seemed so fast their attacks came out of nowhere.

'Damn it!,' Light thought as he started running, 'Things weren't supposed to go like this! Who even are these guys!?'

As it happened, they were Josuke and Jogo. Josuke picked up the small notebook, which read "Death Note" on the cover.

"I'll investigate this," he said to Jogo, "Get after Light."

Jogo nodded.

"Activate Wheel!"

A small Segway appeared on Cosmic Mind's left leg, increasing its mobility as Jogo seemed to float across the street, racing after Light.

Light managed to duck into a nearby alley, where he bumped into a male figure. He looked up, seeing Father Roche.

"So you are the one known as Kira." He grinned. "I could use someone of your mentality. Egoist!"

He brought forth his Stand. Light couldn't see the Stand itself, but he could see the floating spheres. Thinking this man was a danger for knowing who he was, Light tried to get up, only to feel extremely heavy, like time itself was moving at a snail's pace. He could still perceive at a normal speed, however.

"There's no need to be concerned," Father Roche assured him, "I offer you a chance to escape the danger you are in. I will give you one of these spheres. They will grant a special power. And if you have the will to evolve, then that power can become yours permanently."

Light heard the sound of an engine moving at a normal speed. Whoever was chasing him wasn't affected by this slowdown.

"Fine," he said.

Father Roche nodded.

"Then I grant you use of Number 005, Doom Chimera Dragon."

The sphere marked with a numeral five entered Light, emerging from his back as a winged serpent dragon with a feathered body and skeletal underbelly. Light suddenly found he could move normally again. Father Roche ducked out of sight, but wound up dropping a mysterious file as he did. Light then noticed Jogo moving up, but gasped when he saw the form of his Stand. Jogo must have realized, narrowing his eyes under his helmet. He took his helmet off.

"You didn't have a Stand before, and the only means of awakening one are either contained or destroyed. So how did you get that?"

"Let's just say I gained a new benefactor," Light said cryptically, "Doom Chimera Dragon!"

The dragon launched a stream of flames from its mouth.

"Activate Shield!"

Cosmic Mind manifested a shield resembling the underbelly of spaceship on its left arm, which blocked the blast. Light cackled.

"This power is intense. It might be even better than the Death Note. I can truly become a god with this power!"

Jogo scoffed.

"Don't act so cocky. If you weren't so blinded by power, you'd realize that attack didn't even phase me. I've had my Stand ever since I was born... And I have sixteen years more experience than you. Cosmic Mind!"

His Stand readied itself before making an attack, easily nailing the dragon, causing Light serious pain.

"You feel that?," Jogo said, "When a Stand gets damaged, nine times out of ten the user takes damage too. Now the same could be said for me, but my defenses are a bit above you."

Light took a quick look at the dragon next to him, noting the wings.

"Well I bet you can't fly."

He leapt into the air, the dragon letting him take off into the sky. Jogo scoffed.

"Activate Rocket!"

A small rocket appeared on Cosmic Mind's right arm and immediately started ignition, letting Jogo jet into the sky at incredible speed. Down below, Josuke had caught up and found the strange file that was dropped earlier. Light realized Jogo was following him, but figured he was more maneuverable. It took a bit of doing, but he was able to lose Jogo inside a nearby warehouse. However, he found himself greeted by eight other figures, each of whom had their own Stand-like being.

"Greetings," said Number 001, "Welcome to the fold, Number 005."

In a small building, twelve individuals were meeting. One of them addressed the others.

"My friends, as we speak the one I was telling you about is selecting his followers. The rules are simple... Whichever of us defeats the most followers is the winner of this little contest, and shall earn this."

He held up a diary.

"This contains a certain formula designed to ascend a Stand to its highest evolution. If you don't want to use it, that's fine. The formula is rather complicated and might draw unwanted attention. That said, you may still want it for the simple fact that you don't want others to have it."

"What happens if there's a tie?," one of the figures asked, "Or if someone else takes these guys out before we can."

"If that happens, the tie will be broken by whomever has the lower numerical denomination," the first figure said, "But that doesn't mean those lower down can slack off. After all, you never know how many victories another contestant might have under his belt. Our mediator will keep track of how many each of us has, so no fudging the numbers. Now then, shall we proceed?"

The others all walked out at different times, ready to get started on their little game.

Meanwhile, Josuke had shown Jogo the file that was dropped, containing a list of all the different pseudo-Stands that someone intended on giving out to individuals they thought might have Stand potential. Already a bunch of them were attacking in Tokyo, and Josuke and Jogo were dealing with two. One was Number 034, Terror-Byte, a mechanical scorpion. The other was Number 012, Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja, a male humanoid with red flowing hair and red armor. After knocking his opponent around for a while, Jogo wound up fighting against another figure, this one with Number 066, Master Key Beetle, a golden stag beetle with an cross-style key for a horn.

Finally, the entire group of pseudo-Stand users left, managing to find Father Roche.

"We need to deal with those two," Number 012 noted.

"I know where they live," Father Roche said, "But it will not be an easy ride. Everyone pack your things. We're heading for Morioh."

Light, who was in the back, looked concerned. He'd heard plenty of bizarre stories coming out of Morioh, and if that's where these two interlopers were from, there was a good chance there were more to deal with.

"But at least it'll give me a chance to lose the police in Tokyo," he muttered.

A few days later, back in Morioh, Jogo explained what he experienced to his friends.

"The source of the pseudo-Stands could force time to slow down," he noted, "But only non-Stand users would be affected. This also included anyone who had one of the pseudo-Stands."

Jogo's friends included his girlfriend Tsukuyomi Hirose, also known as Luna, Kengo Yamashita, Yuki Jojima, Miu Kazashiro, Jingu Kaizo, whom everyone called JK, Shun Daimonji, Tomoko Nozama, and Ryusei Sakuta. Each of them were Stand users, and all of them went to Grape Hill High School.

"Come to think of it," JK said, "News on the local rumor mill is that sudden slowdowns have been happening in Morioh. Looks like your mystery group decided to move in."

He pulled up the site on his phone.

"Someone's been attacking certain individuals, specifically those that like to work out. Some have disappeared, others have been found marked with red on their skin."

Kengo looked sullen.

"What's the problem?," Luna asked.

"This means we'll have to start using our Stands," Kengo explained, "I don't really like mine."

"It's not like it's the same as his," Shun pointed out, "Sure it looks the same, but it functions differently."

Kengo nodded.

"All right. Let's go check it out."

As it happened, there was already a recent attack to check out. Police were already on the scene, and from the sounds of it they were already thinking it was some kind of attempted murder. Luna then spotted something flying above the scene.

"Look, it's Dad's Stand."

Said Stand was Echoes, the Stand of Koichi Hirose. Koichi and his wife Yukako were Luna's parents, just as Josuke and Pinkie were Jogo's parents.

"Four victims in as many days," one officer muttered to his partner, "And all with the same experience of everything just... Slowing down."

Near the scene, Jogo noticed a piece of paper scrap that seemed to have come off of something.

Echoes then yelled out in Koichi's voice, "Everyone watch out! The one responsible is still around!"

Sure enough, everything started slowing down for everyone but the group of friends. A young man started walking through the slowed time with ease, catching Jogo's attention.

"Hey, you," he called out, "How can you move so easily?"

The man turned to Jogo and raised an eyebrow.

"You as well? But you aren't one of the Numbers. No matter, perhaps I can use you to further my evolution."

Behind him manifested a cat girl dressed in black that had the appearance of doll. Jogo saw a twenty-nine on its body.

"Number 029, Mannequin Cat. So you're one of the ones from that night. A shard of Egoist."

The man approached Jogo, but then got intercepted by Kengo, who had called his Stand.

"Killer Queen!"

Indeed, Kengo's Stand was one similar to Yoshikage Kira. Small surprise since Kengo was both Kira's biological son and his reincarnation, Kira having died in between the time Kengo was conceived and the time his fetus was infused with blood. However, this version of Killer Queen had some important differences. It didn't have access to Sheer Heart Attack or Bites The Dust, and instead of turning objects into bombs to erase enemies, it created explosions in the air with its fists, the explosions creating a visible impact on whatever they hit. The harder the hit, the more deadly the explosion. JK then moved in with his own Stand, a humanoid figure with turntables on its left arm.

"Pump Up The Volume!"

The figure manipulated the turntables with its right arm, creating sonic vibrations that stunned the man and dulled his senses. Luna then moved in.

"Fly Me To The Moon!"

A miniature moon appeared over her head, as did a female figure dressed in a darker blue that matched Luna's dyed hair. The figure pointed to the moon, shifting its phases, the growing shadows making the man feel colder. Jogo then leapt into the air.

"Cosmic Mind! Activate Drill!"

A large drill appeared on Cosmic Mind's left leg, which started rotating as Jogo made a flying kick at Mannequin Cat, striking it and doing damage. The man quickly ran off before he could take anymore damage.

Back at the Higashikata home, Josuke showed a picture of the guy from before to Pinkie and Jogo.

"Looks like Granddad's name still holds a lot of weight," Josuke noted, "The police force was willing to clue me in on who this guy is. His name is Masuda Nobuo, a regular fitness junkie. That Stand he had was similar to Light's. A sort of pseudo-Stand, a shard of a much stronger Stand."

"He must be trying to train it a little more," Jogo noted, "He spoke about wanting to make it evolve."

"Maybe he thinks if he works hard enough, it'll give him a real Stand," Pinkie suggested.

"That's certainly possible," Josuke admitted, "Some of the group he was part of did have Stand energy, but others didn't, even with these shards fused to them. Jogo, did you sense the same energy with Masuda?"

"Didn't get a clear enough look," Jogo said, shaking his head, "My friends wailed on him and he bolted before we could really get a clear idea of him. I'll start checking out the local gyms. If he is after people working out, that's where he'll be staking out."

Josuke noticed a familiar look in his son's eyes. A certain sense of justice that was common to their bloodline. From his point of view, Josuke could see the same star-shaped birthmark on Jogo's neck.

In the eighteen years since the summer of 1999, Morioh had developed even further. While the simple country atmosphere hadn't faded, the town now had more modern conveniences. In addition, the only radio tower still left standing was the one used as a home by Toyohiro Kanedaichi. So it was no surprise that there were now several gyms in the area. Jogo and Luna soon spotted Masuda as he was tailing a jogger who was coming out of one such gym, just across the street from Aya's beauty parlor. They managed to intercept Masuda just as he was attacking the jogger using the slowdown effect. He grunted at the sight of the two.

"I had a feeling I'd get interrupted again. Luckily, I brought a few new friends!"

Two more people jumped out and attacked with two more shards. One was Number 042, Galaxy Tomahawk, a stealth bomber with a whip-like tail. The other was Number 088, Gimmick Puppet of Leo, a humanoid robot with a lion's head and dressed in robes. The young couple leapt out of the way.

"So there's more," Luna said.

"This is gonna be a serious fight," Jogo noted, "But this is the sort of action a Higashikata... No... A Joestar is prepared for!"

Masuda looked confused.

"Joestar?"

"Didn't you know?," Jogo said with a cocky grin, "My grandfather is Joseph Joestar!"

That got the trio to step back in shock as Jogo readied his Stand.

"Cosmic Mind!"

He leapt at Masuda, while Luna rushed at the two others.

"Fly Me To The Moon!"

Her Stand waved its arm as it manipulated the artificial moon to strike at the duo, sending them flying. Meanwhile Jogo and Masuda were trading their own blows.

"Activate Fire!"

Cosmic Mind turned bright red and gained a special spray gun that could dispense both water and fire, roasting the pseudo-Stand. The other two noticed their boss in trouble and moved to help, only for Luna to tag in as the couple traded partners. Jogo dodged a few attacks before readying another mode.

"Activate Elek!"

Cosmic Mind shifted from red to gold, and became charged with electrical energy which it launched at the duo. Masuda was launched at the duo.

"Jogo!," Luna called out, "Time to finish it!"

Jogo nodded.

"Let's go! Activate Rocket and Drill! Cosmic Mind!"

He leapt into the air as Cosmic Mind equipped both the rocket and drill, coming down hard with a spinning drill kick. Masuda managed to get away in time, but Numbers 42 and 88 weren't so lucky, the assault causing cracks to run along their pseudo-Stands before breaking up altogether, the spheres that made them shattering on the ground. The couple returned to the man who was attacked, grateful to see he was recovering. However, they also noticed a small silver scrap near where he had been attacked. Jogo looked at it with interest.

"The man attacked earlier had a similar scrap piece near his body," he noted.

"Think it's a clue?," Luna asked.

Jogo nodded.

"There has to be a connection. Some of the people attacked were never found. Looks like Morioh just found itself smack-dab in the middle of another bizarre mystery. And this one might be even crazier than when our parents were fighting back in 1999."

Masuda found himself back at the warehouse the group of shard users was using as a hideout. It was still in use by a company owned by Father Roche, so the police would ignore it.

"Having trouble?," came a male voice.

Masuda turned to find Shinzo Hiroi, one the first people selected.

"Number 002," Masuda noted.

"Not just a number anymore," Shinzo clarified.

He revealed a large humanoid figure, crimson red with two large horns curved upward and a heart motif on its body.

"The shard I was given has mutated," he explained, "It's now a true Stand. I call it... Kickstart My Heart!"

He pointed to Masuda.

"And you have the same potential. I understood when I felt my Stand awaken. Only those of us who have the potential to gain a Stand will obtain one from these shards. Before long, you'll find yourself gaining a power all your own, instead of having to rely on Father Roche."

Masuda looked shocked, but he did feel that power slowly growing within him.

"And what about those kids? They've clearly been at this for longer than we have."

"Indeed," Shinzo admitted, "Despite being younger than us, they are clearly our superiors. We will have to watch our step, as we try to gather as many Stands as we can... From the 108 shards Father Roche has dispatched."

Chapter Text

Out in Osaka, a casino on the outskirts was suddenly in an uproar as security alerts started going off. Up above, patrons could spot a mysterious figure in a black suit and jacket, a silver bird mask over his face and a large briefcase under his arm. This was the legendary Phantom Thief Joker, Lord of Crime and Emperor of Thieves. And he had just made his latest heist.

'Now's your best chance to escape,' came the voice of Alibaba, his primary online cracker, 'Violet will be meeting you on the way out.'

"Got it," Joker replied, "We'll head for the extraction point."

He began leaping across the ceiling ornaments one by one, until a group of guards appeared on an upper door.

"There he is!," one called out, drawing his gun.

Another stopped.

"Won't work! Don't you know Joker's primary skill!?"

Joker smirked as he took advantage of their arguing to run for a different door at the other end of the casino, only to find some of the guards turning slightly monstrous, with masks that almost looked like they were melted.

"Well that's new," Joker admitted.

One guard leapt down behind him and pulled off his mask.

"Sacrificial Pyrekeeper!"

A blinding flame surrounded the man's face as a strange humanoid bull with a mechanical serpent's tail appeared.

"And that's very new," Joker admitted, "Luckily I have power of my own. W Boiled Xtreme!"

A few quick slashes from Joker's powerful shadow-based Stand and the guard's strange familiar was knocked to the ground, leaving him unable to stop Joker as he ran for the exit higher up.

'Violet's almost there,' Alibaba said, 'Was that a Stand that guy was using?'

"Didn't feel like it," Joker noted, "Not the same energy. It felt more like it was tied to the very casino we're in."

He carefully made his way through the halls, dodging guards as he did. He soon found a walkway above him, which he quickly grappled to. However, he quickly found himself surrounded by guards. Luckily, that's when Violet made herself known with a thrown rapier right into one of the guards' chest, dodging the rest of their attacks using her gymnastic skills while retaliating using her rifle. Two of them quickly ripped off their masks.

"Arrogant Vulture!"

"Cruel Leopard!"

They summoned a magenta-colored vulture with royal jewelry and a serpent's tail and a humanoid leopard wearing a cape and carrying twin swords.

"More of these peculiar familiars," Violet noted, "Are they just demons in the end? We know that gods exist, so why not the opposite?"

'Why not discuss the finer points of metaphysics in a safer location?,' Alibaba suggested.

"Oh, right," Violet said sheepishly, "Be the One!"

Her light-based Stand activated and unleashed a blinding light, stunning the two familiars and letting the twin thieves unleash their total might, Violet landing with a quick rhythmic gymnastics routine.

"BEAUTY IS DEVOTION!"

"Okay," Joker said, "That clears out our path for the extraction."

With no other guards, the duo was able to smash their way out of a stained-glass window on an upper level of the casino. However, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by police. A commissioner came out of a squad car with a bull horn.

"Give it up, Joker and Violet! You can't escape from this many officers!"

Joker and Violet looked at each other and grinned.

"You forget," Joker said, "I'm the guy who took Lupin the Third's title."

In a flash of light and shadow, the two thieves leapt away to a distant roof, leaving the police stunned.

"I did try to warn you," Goro Akechi said from inside the car, "Joker wouldn't be my rival if he could be captured by such mundane tactics."

He noted the target of Phantom Thief Joker's latest heist, Gorillaz bassist Murdoc Niccals, being led out in cuffs. Then to everyone's shock, the casino disappeared the second it was evacuated. Joker and Violet noticed this too.

"We have too many questions regarding this place," Joker noted as he held up their latest prize, The Glittering Plumage, the last of the Joestar Collection.

The mysterious casino owner contacted another individual.

"It looks like we'll have to move forward with the plan. I've already amassed the capital needed to set myself up in Shibuya."

'Excellent,' the figure on the monitor said, 'We have sequestered ourselves within every facet of society within Shibuya. Our grandmaster will be most pleased. Let us proceed with setting up our power base. By this time next year, no one will be able to stop us...'

A grin could be seen on the figure as the video cut out.

Deep inside the mystical ream known only as the Velvet Room, Igor drummed his fingers on the table.

"And so the wheel of fate continues to turn. As bizarre actions occur within the small town of Morioh once more, the Trickster and his allies proceed on their own path. A conspiracy unknowingly marches the world to ruin, but they will soon find that ruin is not this world's destiny. Joker, Violet, soon you will be aided by friends new and old."

He clasped his hands together, eagerly awaiting the journey's beginning.

April 9

Joker and Violet were now in their civilian identities, Ren Amamiya and Sumire Yoshizawa respectively. They were riding the train into Shibuya, one of the main centers of Tokyo, hoping to get more information regarding the strange disappearing casino and the mysterious familiar used by its guards. Alibaba had made arrangements for them to be enrolled at the local Shujin Academy, as well as setting them up with a friend of Ren's parents. The man and his family lived in Yongen-Jaya, owning a small cafe along the backstreets.

"The man's name is Sojiro Sakura," Ren noted, "And his cafe is called Leblanc. How poetic, that's the name of the author who embellished Arsene Lupin I's exploits."

They found the cafe soon enough, just in time to overhear a news report about a public transit bus caught driving down the opposing lane with customers still inside. Sitting at the bar was a middle-aged man wearing a striped apron and checking the paper with pencil in hand, clearly doing the crossword.

"Down is... The name of a shellfish used in pearl farming..."

"Oyster," Ren said, getting the man's attention.

"Oh," the man realized, "I forgot that was today."

He saw off his last customers, an elderly couple who had just finished paying, then turned to the younger duo.

"You must be Ren and Sumire. I'm Sojiro Sakura. Unfortunately, I only have one guest room at my house, but I was able to improvise."

He brought them up to a dusty attic.

"Ren, this'll be your place. Sorry for the dust, but all this was kinda last minute so I didn't have time to clean it up."

"Not a problem," Ren assured him, "I can handle the cleaning."

"That's a relief," Sojiro said, "My wife is out right now getting groceries for the cafe, and cleaning's not really my strong suit. Sumire, my house is on the next block over. Can't miss it, it's the only one there. My daughter Futaba should be able to answer the door. She already knows you're coming."

"I can't wait to meet her," Sumire said.

Sojiro nodded.

"Now that living arrangements are established, we'll be going to Shujin tomorrow."

He and Sumire left, and Ren got to work cleaning the attic. It took until evening to finish. By the time he was done, he was pooped and flopped onto the bed to get to sleep.

Meanwhile, two teenage girls were also setting themselves up in an apartment in the city.

"I can't believe we have to stay in Japan for a whole year," one said.

"I can," the other replied, "It's not uncommon for my family to have to move at a moment's notice because of Mom getting transferred for some reason. It's part of her job. Besides..."

She held out a peculiar oval brooch with butterfly wings and put it on, the wings disappearing.

"We still have these if we think there might be trouble in the city."

The other girl got out a brooch shaped like peacock feathers, the colors muting when she put it on.

Ren's mind wandered due to his shadow powers, soon slipping into the Velvet Room.

"It is good to see you again, Joker," came Igor's warm yet cool voice.

Ren looked around, observing the familiar sight of the blue guild hall. He took a seat as a small young woman approached.

"What happened to Margaret?," Ren asked, "Last I heard of her was in Inaba."

"She has chosen to stay there," Igor explained, "In her place I have hired her younger sister Lavenza."

Lavenza curtsied.

"It is an honor, Trickster. By now, I'm sure you're curious about the strange events surrounding your last great caper."

"You don't know the half of it," Ren noted, "And yet you might know more than I do."

"I know that casino was anything but natural," Igor agreed, "I do not know how the owner could draw forth power from the sea of souls, but it matters not. However, we'll have to leave further conversation for later. The night wanes, and you are soon to awaken."

April 10

The next day, Ren and Sumire were driven to the Aoyama district, where Shujin was located. They were also introduced to Sojiro's wife, Wakaba. Shujin seemed like a basic enough school, perhaps a little different from Francois Dupont. Especially the fact that Sumire had to join her own learning year, which was one behind Ren, instead of being allowed to learn a year ahead due to her academic level being higher than normal. The rather large principal, Akashi Kobayakawa, nodded with satisfaction as the paperwork was finished.

"Your work with the Speedwagon Foundation precedes you," he noted, "As does Miss Yoshizawa's gymnastic feats. Actually, your twin sister is also enrolled here."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Sumire said, "It's been a while since I've seen Kasumi."

"The two of us have been globetrotting for the better part of a year," Ren explained.

"Well, that knowledge will likely help you during your studies," said Sadayo Kawakami, Ren's assigned homeroom teacher and the school's language teacher.

Kobayakawa nodded.

"I was a bit concerned regarding the state of our school after the disappearance of our star pupil, Light Yagami. But with our other major students and five talented transfers, I feel more at ease. It's likely for the best, regardless. Rumors online pegged Mister Yagami as the prime suspect in the Kira murders."

"If we're all done here," Wakaba said, "My husband and I have a cafe to get back to."

"Ah yes, of course," Kobayakawa said, "Thank you for your time. Mister Amamiya, Miss Yoshizawa, we'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Later Kawakami was walking through the campus with her boyfriend, Suguru Kamoshida the PE teacher.

"I heard four of those transfers went to a notable middle school in Paris," Kamoshida noted, "This school's getting more famous by the day. Makes me wonder if I really need to put that much work in for the volleyball team."

"Look on the bright side," Kawakami said, "At least you can focus more on the upcoming tournament. With Suzui as your starter, winning should be easy."

Not far away, another individual dressed in a suit smirked.

"Soon this entire school will be under my control. My forces are in place. And my Stand is strong."

Behind him appeared a king-like humanoid is full regal armor, a cape around its neck and a sword in hand.

"Now's the time to set our plans into motion," the man said, "And Kamoshida shall be the sacrificial scapegoat as we lay out our schemes. Now... My Castle Stands!"

Before his eyes, an overlay in the form of a castle was created. Overlays are basically pocket dimensions that can be created by certain powers. They can either be visible or invisible, accessible to all or only to a few, depending on what the creator wants. But supernatural beings, Stand users for example, can always access them, if they know what to look for. That was an oversight this individual did not know about, and it would soon cost him big time, even as he entered his castle to address his eager subjects about the conquest they were soon to embark on.

Sojiro sighed.

"Traffic's not moving at all."

"Hope the trains work at least," Sumire said.

'A subway train has derailed,' came a news report, 'Severely affecting the timetable across all of...'

"You had to tempt fate," Wakaba quipped.

"I'm sure this isn't Sumire's fault," Ren pointed out, "But with so many traffic accidents, I can't help but feel concerned."

Sumire nodded.

"Kasumi mentioned barely escaped a car accident just last month. She noted that the driver seemed to have black ooze gushing from his mouth."

"That's been something happening with all the recent accidents," Sojiro noted, "Experts are suspecting a supernatural element is in play."

Ren wondered if it was a Stand user's work.

Back at the cafe, Sojiro handed Ren a journal.

"Just a little something to regulate your schedule. I find it helps with keeping track of anything and everything important in my life."

Ren nodded.

"I'll make good use of it."

"Just remember to transfer from Yongen-Jaya to Aoyama-Itchome during your train ride tomorrow," Sojiro reminded, "You should probably get some sleep. I'm gonna close up the cafe for the night."

Ren nodded, and changed for sleep. Tomorrow was when things would get bizarre.

April 11

The next morning Sojiro offered the couple his special curry for breakfast. Ren was a little skeptical at first, until he had his first bite. The plate was empty half a minute later.

"That was delicious," Sumire said, "Well, we should get going."

After reaching the Shibuya, the duo headed for the transfer line to Aoyama-Itchome. However, they got caught up in a sudden rainstorm without any umbrellas.

"Good grief," a young man said as he came up alongside them, "Just my luck on today of all days."

Ren noticed the guy had blonde hair, likely dyed. Just then, a car pulled up, Kamoshida opening the door.

"You kids need a lift to the school?"

Seeing the blonde boy get in without issue, Ren and Sumire accepted the offer.

"So, you two guys new?," the blond kid asked.

"You didn't hear, Sakamoto?," Kamoshida said, "These are the new transfers, Ren Amamiya and Sumire Yoshizawa. I don't think we've met yet. Name's Suguru Kamoshida, Shujin's PE teacher."

"Weren't you on Japan's volleyball team during the last Olympics?," Sumire asked, "Won the gold medal, too."

"That's me," Kamoshida said, "And this here is Shujin's star track runner, Ryuji Sakamoto."

"Sup," Ryuji said.

'Everything is proceeding as we have intended,' the mysterious figure said to the school individual, 'Your overlay is already drawing them in?'

"With the testing done in Osaka, we have perfected how our overlays can affect reality," the man said, "And the best part... None can enter without our permission."

'Don't be so sure,' the mysterious figure warned, 'Our testing proved that forces of the supernatural can interfere if they know what they are looking for.'

"There can't possibly be such forces at Shujin," the man said dismissively, "I would have known about it by now."

Indeed, Ren and Sumire had already had their Stands out trying to get a sense of what sort of supernatural happening might be occurring at the school. This caused something bizarre to happen as Kamoshida pulled up to what appeared to be a large castle instead.

"This can't be right," he said, "Did I take a wrong turn?"

He checked his GPS, but it confirmed they were at Shujin's address. The students exited the car to check it out.

"Hey!," Kamoshida called out, "Be careful! Things could be dangerous inside!"

He gasped when the great hall of the castle seemed to shift with that of Shujin's lobby.

"A dimensional overlay?," Ren muttered.

Just then, an armored soldier wearing a stoic mask approached with sword and shield in hand.

"Dude," Ryuji said, "I get the feeling this ain't just cosplay."

Just then, a large net dropped down on the four of them as more armored soldiers appeared, dragging the group away to a dungeon further down.

The guys got tossed into one cell while Sumire got tossed in with two other girls.

"Sumire?," called out a familiar voice.

Sumire looked up, and was greeted with a very familiar Italian girl.

"Lila!"

She looked over and found another familiar face.

"Zoe! What are you two doing in Japan?"

"Mom got a temporary transfer," Lila explained, "Just for the year."

"And my dad is doing a long-term joint project with Toei," Zoe added.

"We wound up here when our Kwamis detected the overlay," Lila explained, Nooroo and Duusu making themselves known.

"It seems to have encompassed the entire school," Nooroo said, "And it's drawing in people's mental energy."

"Yeah," Duusu said, "And to top it all off, it has the same energy as a Stand."

"Do we know who's behind it?," Ren asked from the next cell.

"The guards mentioned a teacher's aid named Toshiro Ishishiro," Lila explained.

"That bastard's behind this!?," Kamoshida called out.

"Ishishiro's rather notorious around the school," Ryuji explained, "He's been caught sabotaging a few teachers in hopes of taking their place. And recently... Kamoshida's been his latest target. Every time Ishishiro's taken over coaching, the volleyball team's come home with unnatural bruises."

"If this is his way of escalating things...," Kamoshida said with a clenched fist, "Then I need to find a way to protect my team."

Lila and Nooroo looked at each other and smirked. Lila then moved back to where Kamoshida would have less chance of seeing her.

"Nooroo! Dark Wings Rise!"

Zoe and Sumire smirked as Lila transformed into the Miraculous Transmission Hero of the Butterfly, Monarch. Monarch tapped her cane and caused brilliant white butterfly to emerge from it. This was an Akuma, and the holder of the Butterfly Miraculous could use them to grant normal people superpowers. Kamoshida gasped as the Akuma hit his gym whistle, his face suddenly overlain with a butterfly insignia.

"I can sense your need to protect your students," Monarch said, "If you accept this Akuma, you will gain the power needed."

Kamoshida's face grew determined.

"Gladly!"

"Then unleash your might, Spike King!," Monarch called out.

Kamoshida glowed brilliant as his normal gym clothes were transmuted into a superhero outfit, a large SK emblazoned on the chest. Ren, Sumire, and Zoe also took the chance to transform.

"Duusu! Spread My Feathers!"

"W Boiled Xtreme! Reign in the Shadows!"

"Be the One! Shine Your Light!"

Zoe became Hera's Eye, the Miraculous Emotion Hero of the Peacock. Spike King quickly smashed down the cell door, catching the attention of a guard.

"What!? How did you break out so easily!? Crypt-Dwelling Pyromaniac!"

He tore off his mask and summoned a Jack-o'-Lantern with wizard regalia and carrying an actual lantern.

"Get the girls out," Joker said, "I'll handle this overgrown gourd."

Sure enough, by the time Spike King had torn the cell door off, the guard was knocked out on the ground.

"We should find a way out of here," Spike King said, "It's likely we're really late for school by now."

Ryuji freaked.

"Oh shit, that's right! I think we already missed first bell!"

The group quickly moved through the dungeon, leaping across broken bridges and fallen cages to cross the stream flowing through it, as well as crawling through a hole between cells. A spiral staircase led them up to a higher floor.

"I thought this would be an exit," Ryuji admitted, "How far down does this go?"

"I can see a drawbridge up ahead," Hera's Eye said, "But how do we activate it?"

"Hey, is someone out there?," came a young boy's voice.

The voice came from a cell, where some tiny black humanoid creature with a large head, cat ears, and cat-like limbs was waving for help.

"What is this?," Violet asked.

"Well, I'm a cat," the creature said, "At least normally. But I happen to be a Stand user, and part of my power let's me take on this form. I was checking this place out when I got caught. Care to help me out? The key's just up there."

Joker got the key and used it to free the creature.

"You got a name?," Monarch asked.

"Just call me Morgana," the cat said, "Here, let me help get the bridge down."

He walked over to a familiar bust of Ishishiro and pulled the jaw down. The jaw must have been connected to a mechanism because it caused the entire drawbridge to lower.

"That's one way to get it down," Spike King said.

Just then, the guard from before came up behind them.

"You're not getting away this time!"

He summoned his familiar as another guard appeared as well.

"Shit, the prisoners are escaping! Bedside Brute!"

He summoned a thin, male demon with a pointed nose and wearing a sharp codpiece.

"These familiars seem to be vulnerable to certain types of elemental affinities," Morgana noted, "Let me show you, using the power of my Stand! Anything Goes! Ride Like the Wind!"

He called forth a whirlwind that revealed a barrel-chested man in a black suit, his right hand bearing a rapier.

"My Stand grants me minor shape-shifting powers and full wind manipulation," Morgana bragged, "Observe its effects on that overgrown Halloween decoration!"

Sure enough, the wind-based attack dealt severe damage. Violet soon found something similar when she used Be The One against the Incubus. Both guards were soon laid out flat.

"At this rate we should get back before school lets out," Spike King noted.

As they reached another drawbridge, it suddenly lowered, revealing another guard.

"What!? The prisoners are escaping! Beguiling Girl!"

A tiny young woman with fairy wings wearing a blue leotard and thigh-high boots appeared.

"Allow me to try my hand," Joker offered, "W Boiled Xtreme!"

The shadow-based attack easily floored both familiar and guard, letting the group move up out of the dungeon and into the grand hall.

"Okay, there should be an exit this way," Morgana said, leading the group to a room across the hall.

Joker easily spotted what Morgana was talking about.

"That ventilation shaft in the wall."

Morgana nodded.

"It should let you exit the overlay without issue. And now that you know it exists, you shouldn't have to worry about slipping through unintentionally."

"There's a lot I'm going to need explained," Ryuji said, "How do you guys have Stands, for starters? And what's up with Kamoshida?"

Joker was surprised.

"Wait... You have a Stand too?"

"Well, yeah, actually," Ryuji admitted.

Joker nodded.

"Alright, I'll explain everything later. But first we need to get back and find out how we're going to explain our absence."

Meanwhile, SIU Director Masumi Ishida was going over the report regarding the subway incident.

"Once again we have a case of an individual being afflicted with some sort of mental degradation. Speedwagon is helping to investigate possible supernatural origins... But with how bizarre our world is just under the surface, isolating the cause will take time. Time we may not have."

He folded his arms as he leaned back.

"I wonder what he thinks about all this. Or perhaps... He's already investigating..."

Kamoshida was able to smooth out the situation, which was good since the incident in the overlay had caused them to miss just about half the school day.

"It would have been nice for time to have slowed down or something while we were in there," Ryuji noted, "But nope, had to move as normal. At least this is staying off the permanent record."

"Let's just get inside," Ren said, "Before anything crazier happens. And hey, meet me on the roof after class. I'll explain everything there."

Ryuji nodded.

'I warned you that this was possible,' the figure said to Ishishiro.

"The Stand users and magic wielders I could understand," Ishishiro said, "But Kamoshida is just an ordinary human. How could have he have slipped in?"

'He must have wound up piggybacking on the others,' the figure suggested, 'Though his strange transformation... That is something that is clearly not his own power. We must keep on an eye on him to see if it happens again, and if it can be turned to our advantage somehow...'

A lot of the students didn't know what to make of Ren being so late on his first day. Many thought he was just that confident, or egotistical, regarding his academic skills. Kawakami ultimately had Ren take the vacant seat behind a girl with platinum blonde hair, who went by the name Ann Takamaki. The girl seemed to have a chip on her shoulder, which made Ren curious.

"Alright, class," Kawakami said, "Let's not forget that the volleyball rally's in two days. Our team has been having some issues, so they'll really need our support."

Later, as promised, Ren met Ryuji on the roof to explain a few things. Ryuji felt his head explode from the info dump.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You're the legendary Phantom Thief Joker, known the world over as the Lord of Crime and recently entitled Emperor of Thieves. Sumire is your partner Violet, also a Phantom Thief. Monarch and Hera's Eye are both Miraculous holders who gain their powers from tiny god creatures. And in Monarch's case, she can empower people with special abilities, which is what happened to Kamoshida. And on top of all this some douchebag is using a dimensional overlay to take over the school by targeting teachers he dislikes?"

"I'm surprised you didn't bring up the talking cat," Ren added.

"Pfft," Ryuji spurted dismissively, "For a Stand user a talking cat's as weird as a car accident. Sure it doesn't happen often, but it's the sort of thing you can accept as possible. Speaking of which, we should be able to return to that place, right? Inside the overlay?"

"Now that we know what to look for," Ren agreed, "But I don't think Kamoshida will be joining us a second time. He'll be more busy protecting the school from the outside. According to Lila, his power set ticks most of the Superman boxes save for heat vision."

"Well, sneaking around is more of a thief's thing," Ryuji noted, "Anyway, let's meet up tomorrow after school."

That night, as Ren slept, he slipped into the Velvet Room again.

"It seems we have more pieces of the puzzle," Igor noted, "But just like when a child starts with the edge of a jigsaw, we are only seeing the outline."

"There seems to be a terrible conspiracy covering the city," Lavenza added, "The school is but the lowest rung of the ladder. And soon, you may find yourself needing to cut out each rung in turn."

"So Ishishiro isn't working alone," Ren realized, "I wonder if he'll be willing to share anything about his cohorts. We'll find out tomorrow."

April 12

As Ren and Sumire got on the train, they caught sight of a familiar ponytail.

"Oh, it's Kasumi," Sumire realized.

While on the train, Kasumi tried to give up her for an elderly woman. When a rather rude young man tried to take advantage, Kasumi forced him back.

"I don't recall offering you my seat, mister," she reprimanded.

"Sis can get real passionate about social justice," Sumire noted, "She's not as fanatical as some bloggers, but she does believe in helping the less fortunate."

"I can see that," Ren said, noticing Kasumi had the man in a headlock.

Later, Ren had class with Saizo Ushimaru, the social studies teacher.

"You all look like you were spoiled growing up," he stated, "Can't wait to see who disappoints me most this year. A certain dictionary defines a year as a period of 365 disappointments. If that sounds like a satire on cynicism, well you're not far off. The book is called The Devil's Dictionary, written by Ambrose Bierce, and the title is just as satirical as the work it belongs to. Amamiya, you've read plenty of English literature, yes? What does the Devil's Dictionary define as the chief factor in the progress of the human race?"

"Villains," Ren replied.

"Good answer," Ushimaru said, "The specific term used is malefactors, but villains would definitely be included as such. And in a way, the author has a point. Whenever villains show up to spread chaos and strife, heroes show up in response to empower mankind to fight against it, thus improving humanity's progress. It should also be noted that villains and criminals can be two different things. For example, Phantom Thief Joker is a criminal but not a villain, whilst many of his targets are definitely villains. Not that we have room for either in this classroom. Understood?"

Ren hid a smirk.

Outside the classroom, Ren spotted Ishishiro attempting to harass Ann, only to get told off by Kamoshida as he passed by.

 "I trust you remember that teachers are the stewards of the student body," Kamoshida warned, "Not their rulers or wardens."

Ren noticed Kamoshida's whistle was still glowing due to being possessed by the Akuma. Meaning Kamoshida could change into Spike King whenever he needed, so long as the whistle remained undamaged.

Ren met with Ryuji, Sumire, Lila, and Zoe outside the school.

"Okay," Ren said, "Let's think on how we got into the overlay before."

"Me and Duusu were just looking out for any potential dangers," Nooroo noted.

"In our case," Sumire said, "We were trying to find energies similar to the vanishing casino in Osaka."

"And me and Kamoshida got dragged along for the ride," Ryuji realized, "But now that we can pinpoint it, we should be able to enter whenever."

Sure enough, focusing their energies drew them into the overlay. The four heroes transformed immediately. Morgana spotted them as well.

"I see you guys decided to come back."

"There's still some questions we want answered regarding Ishishiro," Hera's Eye explained.

"Oh yeah, that guy," Morgana said, "I know about him. He's been real mad since our escape yesterday. He's been torturing the prisoners something fierce."

"We need to get a closer look," Ryuji said, "Find out if this overlay is really affecting people in the real world."

Morgana nodded.

"I can allow that. Just follow me and we'll head down."

They started retracing their steps until they found a familiar guard patrolling.

"From here it doesn't look like he can see us," Morgana noted, "We should be able to ambush him from behind."

Once the guard was knocked out, the group moved ahead. Ryuji then noticed something something.

"Hey, last time most of these cages and cells were full, but now it looks like they've been emptied."

"They likely got transferred down," Morgana suggested.

He then heard something.

"Guard patrol! Quick, in here!"

He ushered the group through a transparent door, which led into a small room.

"These spots are where the overlay anchors into reality," Morgana explained, "The guards can't see the doors leading to these rooms, so I call them safe rooms."

"So how did you get in here in the first place?," Ryuji asked.

"Well, I awoke to my Stand just a month ago," Morgana explained, "It triggered when I almost got run over by a car. Since then I've been trying to find others like me, which is how I slipped into this world in the first place. But I wasn't used to fighting, so I wound up getting caught. Which is when you guys found me. Hang on... I think the patrols are moving on. We should be able to proceed."

Sure enough, the guards had just finished talking about the training hall further into the dungeon.

"Let's be careful," Morgana said, "If we get spotted too often, the guards will alert Ishishiro, and he'll be able to force us out of the overlay. That door there should take us to the training hall."

The halls soon revealed more enemies.

"Great," Joker said, "We'll have to resort to firearms if we hope to get through."

Ryuji was surprised at the model guns Joker and Violet pulled out.

"Oh, I got something like that," Morgana said, pulling out a slingshot alongside his longsword.

"Dude, what are those models gonna do?," Ryuji asked.

Before an answer could be made, two guards came out. One of them summoned a new familiar called Gallows-Flower, a plant root with arms, legs, and a face.

"Just watch," Joker said, channeling his Stand's power to fire off bullets from the toy gun.

"Oh, now I get the trick," Ryuji said as the guards went down.

They continued to move up further, finding another guard.

"This is a good time to show a special ability," Joker noted, "W Boiled Xtreme!"

The guard was knocked flat, letting the five heroes rush him in a flurry of blows. Joker landed and adjusted his gloves.

"THE SHOW'S OVER!"

"Man, that was awesome to watch!," Ryuji said.

"Don't you have a Stand too?," Violet pointed out.

"Yeah, but I don't like starting fights," Ryuji admitted, "It's brought my mom too much trouble. Anyway, this looks like the training hall."

'Training hall' proved to be a misnomer, and was really more about the guards beating the crap out of the 'slaves'.

"Are we sure these are just mental projection?," Hera's Eye asked.

"They are," Morgana assured her, "The ones in reality are feeling it, though. Like a waking dream."

Ryuji clenched his fist.

"This is such bullshit! We've gotta find a way to stop this!"

"For now let's see if we can identify the victims," Joker suggested, "We'll talk to them directly tomorrow."

The more Ryuji saw the torment, the angrier he got. When the team went back up, they got ambushed by a guard and a captain.

"You've had your way your way here for too long!," the captain called out, "Ishishiro is the king here, and you worthless rodents shall be put to the sword! War-Hungry Horseman!"

"Dirty Two-Horned Beast!"

The guard called in a dark horse with two curved horns, whilst the captain called on a red armored warrior astride a mighty steed.

"I've had about enough!," Ryuji called out, "I'm not the sort to start fights, but I will be the one to finish 'em! Switch On! Strike Like Thunder!"

Lighting erupted from Ryuji's body, and suddenly he was donning a biker gang outfit, complete with skull mask and yellow gloves. The skeletal pirate Stand, standing atop a ship, crackling with electric energy, an arm cannon aimed and ready.

"What is that!?," the guard said.

"Looks like linking with those familiars lets you see my Stand," Ryuji noted, "Now you'll see its shocking skills! With extra emphasis on the SHOCK!"

Switch On's arm cannon fired an electric blast, taking out the captain and knocking out the guard, setting him up to be taken out with an all-out assault. Ryuji did a sudden face plant as he landed, but quickly recovered before flashing a rocker hand sign.

"FREAKIN' BORING!"

"Now would be a good time to get out of here," Morgana decided, "Before Ishishiro himself decides he wants to make an appearance."

The group nodded and hurried out.

The girls headed off for their homes, whilst Morgana took to wandering. As for Ryuji and Ren, they decided to get some food at a local beef bowl shop. They mostly shared stories about their histories, and Ren learned that Ryuji was much like himself, a respectable individual hiding a more dangerous side. Though perhaps with a little less pride and a little more wrath.

"So we start talking with everyone tomorrow," Ren noted.

"Yup," Ryuji said, "One way or another we'll find a weakness that we can use to take out Ishishiro..."

Meanwhile Ann was sitting with her best friend, Shiho Suzui. Suzui was on the volleyball, and was suffering from odd injuries ever since a few days ago.

"The doctors aren't sure what's going on," Shiho noted, "But I've been getting terrible dreams about a man standing over me. I think you can guess the implications."

"Did he happen to look like Ishishiro?," Ann asked, "Cuz he's been trying to proposition me like a common prostitute for a while now."

Shiho shrugged.

"I can never see his face. Anyway, I should get to practice."

Ryuji: So it turns out my phone got uploaded with something called an "Overlay Navigator".

Violet: I've got it too. By the way, you need to change your username. We have codenames, so you need to get one.

Ryuji changed his name to Skull.

Skull: How's that? I named it after my mask.

Joker: Better. But yeah, I also got the navigator. I think I know where it came from. I'll be asking about it tonight.

Monarch: Who are you talking about?

Joker: Just my primary informant.

Ren took to sleep and found himself drifting into the Velvet Room.

"It seem you are forming quite the team," Igor noted, "You will need to gather such allies if you hope to overcome this conspiracy. In particular, it would help if you can find Stand users much like yourselves. For example."

He held up a red card with the name "Pillager of Twilight" on it.

"I managed to use my own Stand, Bleeding Secrets, to steal a portion of the familiar energy from our foes. I can create innumerable cards for this purpose. They can steal almost anything written on them... Including Stand energy."

"As in the source of the overlays," Ren noted.

"Indeed," Igor said, "To clarify, it cannot actually steal a Stand. That is interconnected with one's mind and soul, and is thus far too entwined with their life force. To steal it would mean stealing their life. However, it can render a Stand dormant."

"You are certain to find more allies that share your sense of justice," Lavenza said, "And willingness to bend the rules to see that justice done. That is why you were given the special Overlay Navigator, making it easier to traverse the landscape."

"You will understand it's capabilities quickly," Igor noted, "But for now, our talks must go on hold. You are soon to awaken in the real world, after all."

April 13

It was the day of the volleyball rally. Kamoshida was leading the team against a team of teachers, including Ishishiro. Ryuji noticed Ishishiro trying to aim a spike right at Mishima, a classmate of Ren's, only for Kamoshida to intercept it.

"I'll thank you not to make such obvious attempts to send my team to the hospital."

Ishishiro shrugged.

"Sorry about that. I'll aim differently next time."

"And by that he means he won't make it obvious," Ryuji noted.

Ren nodded.

"The game should be letting up for a bit, now's our chance to talk to the team members."

For the most part, they had the same thing to say regarding their strange injuries, cropping up seemingly out of nowhere. They each had visions of a mysterious individual, claiming to be Kamoshida, attacking them.

"If this keeps up they may start to believe Kamoshida was responsible," Ryuji noted.

"It's pretty strange that we're seeing anything," Mishima said as he came over, "Most times when Ishishiro targets a teacher, their students don't see anything. Heck, I can somehow see clearer than most, actually making out Ishishiro's face. Suzui's getting it worse than the others..."

Ren and Ryuji looked at each other in concern.

April 14

"It felt even worse last night," Shiho said.

"Has anything been really happening?," Ann asked.

"No, thank god," Shiho said, "The doctor said everything's still normal down there. Well, save for some minor tearing due to my volleyball training, but that's normal. What's not normal is everything else. Honestly, I feel like crap when I wake up. At this rate I'll have to be pulled from my starting spot on the team."

"Don't talk like that!," Ann reprimanded, "I'll find out what Ishishiro is trying to pull... Mark my words..."

Later Morgana found the team as they gathered in the courtyard. He approached in his cat form, though the fact that he could talk surprised them at first.

"How are you able to talk?," Ryuji asked.

"My Stand lets me translate my words into something humans can understand," Morgana explained, "And don't worry about being overheard. Due to my wind manipulation I can block out certain sounds via a limited vacuum. If I wanted to go further I could also render us invisible due to light refraction."

"It might still be dangerous for us to be seen all at once down here," Ren noted, "Let's head for the roof instead. Morgana, you can ride in my bag. Just... Watch the textbooks."

"I'll be careful," Morgana promised.

Once at the roof, Morgana explained a few things.

"So, I did some searching and overheard that Ishishiro has positioned himself in front of the core of the overlay. If we can somehow take that out, we should be able to stop his schemes."

"I may have just the solution for that," Ren said, "But first we'll confirm the core's location, and secure an infiltration route to get to it."

"Sounds like we have a game plan," Sumire said.

On the way home, Sumire happened to run into Ann.

"Oh, hey there," Ann said, "You're that new girl, right? Kasumi?"

"That's my twin sister," Sumire said, "I'm Sumire. Kasumi doesn't wear glasses, and her hair is darker."

Ann giggled.

"My bad."

They got to talking at the local Big Bang Burger.

"Yeah, Ishishiro's been harassing both of us," Ann admitted, "I just want to take my Stand and burn him to ashes! But that won't solve anything. It'll just make him look the victim."

She sighed.

"I just wish there was some way to deal with him..."

Sumire smiled.

"Actually... There might just be..."

Chapter Text

Over the years, Morioh had started to grow slowly, but it still remained the sleepy little town it always was. Well, except for the morning radio show.

'Good morning, Morioh-cho! This is your host, Kai Harada, here to bring all the latest news from the grapevine. Word is that some unexplainable heaviness is coming over people in the city, and in the midst of it all, some people are even disappearing. Police have a few leads to go on, but for now are stumped as to the nature of these kidnapping. Let's hope this doesn't turn out to be anything like that nightmare Summer of 1999.'

Jogo and his friends were listening in on the radio.

"You ever if wonder Harada has a Stand of his own?," JK asked, "He always seems to foreshadow when a Stand attack is about to happen."

"I'm sure it's just good info from rumors on the street," Kengo pointed out, "Stands may be invisible to normal people, but their effects aren't."

"I wonder what happened to Masuda," Yuki said.

Jogo shook his head.

"I couldn't say. He ran when his two buddies were taken out. But he'll be back, especially if he wants to complete his so-called evolution."

Meanwhile, a young couple was getting on bus heading for Morioh. Their names were Yukiteru Amano and Yuno Gasai. In the back of the bus was a man named Takao Hiyama, a former high school teacher who tried his hand at serial killing, only to get caught by a vigilante before he could even claim his first victim. He had ultimately been arrested for assault, attempted murder, and carrying a blade over a certain length. However, he had finally served out his sentence, just in time to take part in something interesting. What no one on the bus knew, was that these three people were about to add to the Stand energy that pervaded Morioh.

The group of friends walked home from Tonio's restaurant.

"What happened to those pieces of scrap you found?," Luna asked Jogo.

"I gave them to my dad," Jogo replied, "He's going to see if his Stand can repair the items to their original form to find out what they were. They might be a clue as to what Masuda was doing to those people. Sure, some got those red pigments on their skin, but some have flat out disappeared."

He thought back to his actions against Masuda. He had been quick to jump in, perhaps the first time he had tackled anything resembling a supernatural entity without his dad to help him.

'Maybe it's my turn for destiny...'

"Excuse me," came a young woman's voice.

The group turned to see a girl with light pink hair. Jogo blinked, thinking on how much the girl reminded him of his mom.

"My boyfriend Yuki and I were looking for a place to eat," the girl said.

The others looked at Yuki.

"Please tell me that's short for something," she said.

The girl chuckled nervously.

"Oh, sorry for the confusion. His full name is Yukiteru Amano, but me and all his friends call him Yuki."

Ryusei sighed.

"Anyway, if you take the road we were coming from you'll reach Tonio Trussardi's. It's a great place for Italian, or just for what ails ya."

"Neat," the girl, "I'm Yuno Gasai by the way."

As Yuno hurried off to talk to her boyfriend, Tomoko said, "Maybe we should see if Hayato has anything."

Meanwhile, Shinzo had used his new Stand to knock around a couple of local punks and take their car, hoping to drive over to meet a friend he had made among the group at a local cafe. The bookish-looking young man with auburn hair and wearing a green suit adjusted his glasses.

"I hear Number 029 is close to mutating," he said.

"Indeed, Mitsu," Shinzo said, "Already some of us are gaining the power."

Mitsuharu Kineta formerly held Number 003, Cicada King, but this shard had mutated around the same time Shinzo's had.

"Unfortunately two of the shards were destroyed," Shinzo said, "Seems they didn't have the potential. A shame really."

Mitsuharu adjusted his glasses and looked at a nearby tablet being operated by another customer, who become confused at the sudden app appearing.

"I have a trace on him. It looks like his shard is about to mutate. I wonder what Father Roche thinks of some of his shards being destroyed."

"Apparently he doesn't care," Shinzo replied, "He said his Stand gets stronger as the shards are used up, as if removing unnecessary pieces of itself. Though he's hoping to make as many Stand users as possible. Says he wants to resurrect the cult of DIO. Whoever that is."

"We have it," Jogo said, "This is what Dad showed me when he repaired the scrap pieces."

He showed the group the two packets.

"One is for cold medicine packing, and the other is for an allergy pill blister pack."

The others realized what this meant.

"So the victims marked in red were likely all undergoing medication," Kengo realized, "They weren't attempted murder victims, in fact he never intended to kill them. He was just marking them to make sure he didn't accidentally come back to them."

Jogo nodded.

"He's trying to find the toughest and strongest to learn from, as part of trying to achieve some sort of evolution. And I think I know what he's aiming for."

Once the police were informed of the angle that the people marked in red were just leftovers, they started focusing on the missing people. Lucky, this time they could be found, with evidence leading to an amusement park that was closed down for the day. Jogo and his friends soon reached the area, where they found the missing people passed out around the merry-go-round.

"Come to take those people back?," came Masuda's voice.

The group turned to see him, with Mannequin Cat seeming to smoke.

"I honestly don't mind," Masuda said, "Turns out I never needed them. I was destined for this power regardless. Could have saved a lot of people a lot of trouble."

"What's happening to Mannequin Cat?," Kengo asked.

"It's not Mannequin Cat anymore," Masuda explained, "This form is being shed, as what was once a shard becomes a true Stand. Now let me introduce... Big Iron!"

The form of Mannequin Cat fell away, revealing a ball of light that morphed into a humanoid figure with purple skin and an iron-like appearance. Masuda took a boxing stance.

"Hope you're ready, because I need to get my Stand up to fighting shape! And I see the perfect training opponents right in front of me!"

"He's fully awakened," Mitsuharu said excitedly.

Shinzo smirked as he stood up.

"Then let's go say hello. Kickstart My Heart!"

As his Stand manifested, Mitsuharu also stood up.

"Ego Brain!"

He manifested a humanoid figure dressed in scholar robes and with an enlarged headpiece that showed a diagram of a human brain. The two started walking out of the cafe, intent on meeting their new ally. Meanwhile Father Roche was watching from afar.

"One by one they are tested. How many will succeed, I wonder? I look forward to discovering the final number."

Masuda was joined by two other individuals. One of the had Number 093, Utopia Kaiser, a black-robed humanoid with six silver wings. The other had Number 071, Rebarian Shark, a blue sea serpent with large fins that resembling wings. However, Number 071 got attacked by a man in a black trench coat. He tried to retaliate by blasting the man with water, only for it to have no effect.

"Nice try," the man said, "Name's Takao Hiyama. And no offense, but I'm here to destroy your shard. This coat you see is actually my Stand... Third Antares!"

The group got stunned when Yuno suddenly leapt out of nowhere, summing an older copy of herself in white robes.

"Happy Fate!"

The figure generated an energy field as Yuno seemed to concentrate. A rippling wave seemed to slice through a lot of objects, including Number 093. However, with the exception of Number 093, all of the objects returned to normal a second later. A young man then walked up to Masuda, glowing with Stand energy.

"Walk With Confidence!"

A older version of the guy dressed in black robes appeared and raised its hand. As Masuda found himself dodging four different attack that looked to be made of earth, wind, fire, and water. Yuno smiled.

"Yuki!"

"That's Yukiteru?," Luna asked.

"I don't know who these guys are," Shun said, "But they're interfering with our investigation. Jogo, you're the leader, how do you wanna split this up?"

Jogo thought for a second.

"Well, we won't be having Yuki fight Yukiteru."

Yuno got surprised when her attack was interrupted by Tomoko and Ryusei, both of them calling on their Stands.

"Evanescence!"

"Shooting Star!"

A female figure resembling a classic fantasy mage and a humanoid figure in glittering armor with a helmet that resembled a meteor appeared. Yuno directed her reality wave at them, but Tomoko just smiled as the waves completely missed her and Ryusei, hitting nearby pillars instead. Yuno was shocked.

"What just happened?"

"I altered fate," Tomoko explained, "With the power of Evanescence. It can predict the immediate future with an amazing degree of accuracy, and then rewrite fate if it's unfavorable for me or someone I care about."

"My power's a bit more direct," Ryusei said with a grin, "Shooting Star!"

Yuno found herself having to dodge and slice several meteors that came streaking at her, all of them crafted by Shooting Star's hands. Meanwhile, Number 071 was confronted by Shun.

"Pigskin!"

A giant robot that resembled an American football player appeared, which rushed at Number 071 so fast the shard was destroyed before it the user could even realize what was happening. Number 093 was confronted by Yuki.

She smiled as she called out, "Split Personality!"

To Number 093's surprise, Yuki divided into two beings, the second being dressed in black and sporting a more rough-looking smile. Yuki herself was now dressed in white and sporting her usual cheerful smile. As the two Yukis struck at Number 093, Miu came running in, before leaping into the air, a blonde-haired female figure dressed in blue leaping along with her.

"The Boom!"

As she spun in the air, energy seemed to swirl around her, before she slammed her leg into Utopia Kaiser, breaking it apart. Takao moved in, only get himself smacked around thanks to Luna's Stand, the miniature moon proving more than his Stand could handle.

"Fly Me To The Moon!"

Luna shifted the moon to its gibbous phase, causing a gravity pull that pinned down Takao.

"Now just stay there while my boyfriend deals out some justice," Luna said with a smirk.

Jogo was getting into a three-way battle against Masuda and Yukiteru, which quickly split off as Kengo stepped in just when it looked like Masuda would get a sucker punch in.

"Killer Queen!"

Big Iron stumbled as Killer Queen nailed it in the arm, damaging it, though Kengo had to shake his hand from the sting. Yukiteru lifted his arms in a crossed manner.

"Walk With Confidence!"

Several chunks of concrete erupted from the ground and got launched at Jogo.

"Cosmic Mind! Activate Shield and Chain Array!"

The Shield appeared on Cosmic Mind's left arm while a spiked ball and chain appeared attached to its right. Using the shield to block the stones, Cosmic Mind swung the chain around, forcing Yukiteru to dodge. Yukiteru manifested a flame in his hands and launched it, but Jogo was ready.

"Activate Water!"

A giant faucet appeared on Cosmic Mind's left leg, which it lifted to create a torrent of water to douse the flames.

"JoJo!," Kengo called out, "Quit playing around and let's deal with the real threat!"

Jogo nodded.

"Got it. One second. Activate Radar and Launcher!"

The shield was swapped out for a large radar scanner, while a rocket launcher appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg. Jogo pointed the radar at Yukiteru for a few seconds before firing off the rockets, causing Yukiteru to dodge out of the way. He then focused his attention on Masuda.

"Activate N Magnet and S Magnet!"

Twin magnets of different poles surrounded Cosmic Mind, before decking it out in a larger armored form, equipped with a magnetic rail gun.

"Destroying a Stand is harder than those shards," Jogo noted, "But this attack should still render Masuda unconscious enough to capture. And with your disposition Speedwagon's special jail may not be necessary. Cosmic Mind!"

Cosmic Mind fired its rail gun, blasting Big Iron and knocking both it and Masuda back and causing Masuda to get knocked out. Takao scoffed as he was released from Luna's effect.

"Well, he did say there would be interference."

He started to walk off.

"You think we're letting someone who looks like a serial killer walk free in this town?," Shun demanded.

Takao laughed.

"I tried my hand at serial killing and was busted before I could even claim my first kill. After that I don't have much of a killer instinct. My Stand can't even hurt anything that's not another Stand. Don't worry, if it doesn't involve the contest we don't intend to cause trouble in this town."

That left the group confused. Nearby Yukiteru was helping Yuno up.

"Guess we're all down five," he noted.

"These guys are good," Yuno admitted, "We'll have to pick up the pace if we hope to get even one win in."

They hurried off before the group could notice them.

Nearby, Shinzo and Mitsuharu noticed the defeat of Masuda.

"This should have been impossible," Mitsuharu noted, "Masuda's Stand was a tough and versatile one. How could anyone have beaten him?"

"I got the impression from the more professional Stand users in this town," Shinzo explained, "Most of them have been at this for longer than us, and they're used to dealing with Stand-based threats. We'll have to warn the others to be careful as they try to master their Stands. After all..."

He pointed to the nearby Angelo Stone.

"The price for causing serious trouble with one's Stand in this town is a steep one."

Meanwhile, JK had gotten sidetracked by a sudden scream near the convenience store. He was shocked to see several translucent figures coming out of the walls of the buildings.

"I know the Ghost Alley is in this area," he said in shock, "But this is ridiculous!"

He then spotted a woman getting attacked by a lone figure.

"Pain Gainer!"

A cartoonish green spider appeared and wrapped the woman up in a web. JK gasped.

"Number 084 from the file... I need to tell the others about this. But first a quick distraction. Pump Up The Volume!"

Number 084 held his ears in pain as JK's Stand launched a sonic pulse meant to deafen. The figure looked around, but no one was there. JK had grabbed the woman and made his quick escape once the distraction was set off.

Chapter Text

April 15

It was early morning, and Ren was listening as Ushimaru did a lecture on the government and its facets.

"The three branches of government are the legislative, represented by the National Diet, the executive, represented by the Cabinet, and the judiciary, represented by the Supreme Court. This division of power provides a system of checks and balances, ensuring that no one branch becomes unstoppable."

"You actually listen to stuff like this?," Morgana said, poking his head out of the desk.

"It's called education," Ren whispered, "And try to keep your voice down. I'll catch flak for bringing a cat to school."

Just then, a sudden commotion was heard outside. Ann gasped in horror, and Ren soon realized why. Shiho was standing on the edge of the roof, a glassy look in her eyes. It was plain that she was intending to jump. Or perhaps something was coercing her, since her body language indicated she was hesitant. As Shiho suddenly fell, a blurred shape raced across the courtyard, catching her before she could hit the ground. As Shiho felt herself come to her senses, she realized it had been Spike King. Kamoshida had spotted the supposed suicide attempt and activated his Akuma to stop it. Ann quickly rushed out to help her friend.

"Ann!," Shiho said, getting up.

"What were you thinking!?," Ann said, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't think I was," Shiho admitted, "All I know is I was seeing some sort of castle, and that man from my nightmares trying to corner me. I didn't realize how high up I was... Until I was already falling."

"You seem unhurt," Spike King said, "I'm just glad you weren't really intending to end your life."

Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered, including Ren and his team.

"This has got to be Ishishiro's work," Ryuji said.

"He's escalating," Zoe noted, "We need to put a stop to him quick."

"I overheard some of the teachers," Lila said, "They intend on making a full internal inquiry during the next board meeting on May 2. Ishishiro will likely be building his case against Kamoshida during that time. So the sooner we take him out, the better."

The group didn't know that Ann and Shiho were listening in.

"Are they planning something against Ishishiro?," Shiho wondered.

"He is the one behind all this," Ann noted, "Maybe we can follow them and help out somehow. But we have to do it quietly."

Shiho nodded. She wasn't about to forgive anyone who would so casually trick her into killing herself.

The team transformed as they entered the overlay.

"We'll need a codename for our feline friend," Monarch noted.

"How about something simple?," Skull suggested, "Like... Mona. It's short and easy to remember."

"Mona's fine," Morgana agreed, "So Joker, Violet, you two are the veterans here. What's the call?"

"We pretty thoroughly examined the dungeons," Violet noted, "I doubt the overlay's core is in there."

Joker nodded.

"Our first priority should be to map out the overlay. We'll start with the upper floors. There was another door opposite the one leading to our entry point, so we'll try that one."

Inside the grand hall Ishishiro was addressing his guards.

"I want constant patrols throughout the castle grounds!," he ordered, "Our little stunt is bound to have caught those thieves' attention, meaning they'll be trying to infiltrate my castle. Keep them away from the core at all costs!"

The door the thieves wanted to go through had a guard inside, holding Beguiling Girl as his familiar. However, Joker quickly took out one of the cards given to him by Igor and used it to swipe the familiar. Hera's Eye then had a brainstorm.

"Hey, do you have any more of those cards?"

"Just this one," Joker said, holding out the card for Pillager of Twilight.

"That'll do," Hera's Eye said.

"What do you plan on doing?," Skull asked.

"Hera's Eye's Miraculous can create Sentimonsters," Violet explained, "Perhaps we can use that to fight fire with fire."

She took the card for Beguiling Girl as Hera's Eye launched Amoks, energy-imbued feathers, to transform the two cards, creating Arsene and Pixie. Just then, another guard appeared with Dirty Two-Horned Beast, only for Joker to swipe it as well and turn it into Bicorn. In the next room were two more guards. Joker swiped Crypt-Dwelling Pyromaniac from the first and turned it into Jack-o'-Lantern. The second had Gallows-Flower, which was turned into Mandrake. Soon enough the group reached another safe room.

"Looks like we can rest here for a bit," Joker said.

"Thank god," Skull said, "I think I need to train a bit more. I've never had to use my Stand for battle. Up until recently I just used it to give my legs a boost."

Meanwhile, Ann and Shiho had found themselves in the overlay thanks to Ann's Stand.

"Whoa...," Ann said, "I was trying to find Ryuji's Stand signature, but I didn't expect this..."

"This is the castle from all those weird visions...," Shiho realized.

Just then, several of the guards approached.

"Looks like we have some new intruders," one of them said, "Take them to the interrogation chamber. Perhaps they can tell us a thing or two regarding our mysterious group of thieves."

"Oh, crap baskets...," Ann muttered as the guards closed in.

It didn't take long for news of the abduction to reach the team's ears. Mona went out to investigate. When he came back, he was frantic.

"Those two girls from your school! Ann and Shiho! They got captured by the guards just outside!"

"How did they get inside the overlay!?," Violet asked.

"Well, Ann does have a Stand of her own," Skull explained, "We were friends during middle school, so I know all about it. Ann can control flames and temperature. And we know from Kamoshida that normal people can get dragged inside an overlay when someone supernatural enters. So given all that..."

Joker nodded.

"We'd better go help them."

They found the interrogation room just off to the side of the hall they recently passed. Ann and Shiho were shackled to a wall with guards all around, including one captain. Ishishiro was also there, dressed as a king. He spotted the team soon enough

"It's those thieves! I knew they were involved with these two!"

"Don't misread the situation," Skull said, "They came here independently."

"Our king has had his fill toying with these two," the captain explained, "He now has all he needs to take over the school and fulfill his every desire. Starting with the high school girls of Shujin."

"He WHAT!?," Ann called out.

She and Shiho were now trembling with rage. Monarch could sense the feeling of righteous fury within Shiho.

"Strange... I shouldn't be able to make another Champion right now... And yet..."

She released an Akuma from her cane, much to her surprise, and it flew into Shiho's hair tie.

"Since you're so eager to loose your venom on this enemy of women, I'll let you have that power. But you must only use this power to protect."

Shiho nodded.

"Not a problem."

Monarch smirked.

"Then be reborn, Nemesis! Strike from the shadows in defense of the innocent!"

As Shiho glowed bright, the guards protected their eyes, only to be shocked when she seemed to vanish. She soon appeared one of them, now dressed in a kunoichi garb, chain in hand. Before the guard knew what was happening he was already tied up.

"You're not keeping me out of this one!," Ann declared, "Life is Showtime! Burn and Blaze!"

Ann erupted in a brilliant red fire. When it subsided, she was now dressed in a red catsuit with a cat mask over her face. Her Stand was a violet-skinned woman in a fancy dress straight out of an opera, holding two men with valentine heads by a set of chains. The captain acted quickly.

"Ambassador of Filth!"

He called his familiar, a large purple demon sitting on a toilet.

"Okay," Nemesis said, "That's gross."

"I'll handle it," Ann assured, "Life is Showtime!"

The blazing fire knocked the big demon to the ground, letting the group wipe out the captain in a flurry. Ann landed with a quick twirl.

"OMG! WE ARE SO AWESOME!"

Ishishiro growled.

"Very well. If you truly want to leave this castle so badly!"

He immediately dispelled the overlay, leaving the team right at Shujin's front entrance.

"Looks like Ishishiro can dispel his overlay anytime he wants," Morgana said, "This complicates matters."

Shiho went home whilst Ann continued to talk with the group.

"So that's what all this is about," Ann said, "To think I'd get to meet the real Phantom Thief Joker."

She giggled.

"Me and Shiho used to crush on him so hard back when he first appeared."

Sumire defensively hugged Ren's arm.

"Right, taken," Ann acknowledged, "Not to worry, I don't steal other girls' boyfriends. That said, I would like to join your group. Shiho will be protecting the girls at school on the outside, but until Ishishiro is dealt with, this won't stop."

"Her Stand is a strong one," Morgana noted, "I don't see any harm in letting her join."

"And with her skills as a model," Sumire added, "She could be the perfect Mata Hari, distracting guards and seducing her way into enemy fortifications. All she needs is a codename."

Ann thought about it for a moment.

"Ooh, how about Panther? I mean, my thief outfit is kinda based around Catwoman."

Ren nodded.

"Panther is it."

The group shared contact information.

"For now we'll operate from the school rooftop," Ren said, "I have a more permanent hideout in the works, but it's still being renovated."

Sojiro was a little surprised to find Ren bring home a cat. He allowed Ren to keep Morgana, so long as he was kept in the bag whilst down in the cafe.

"He seems a little strict," Morgana noted as he finished off the food Sojiro brought.

"He's running a restaurant," Ren pointed out, "He can't afford to have cat hair all over the place. I'd recommend you use your Stand to handle any shedding."

Morgana nodded.

"Yeah, good idea. Speaking of which, I picked up a trick or two since awakening my Stand. I happen to know a few secrets for crafting infiltration tools."

Ren rubbed his chin.

"That sounds like a useful trait. You're like the team's technician in that regard."

April 16

The group met up on the roof after classes left out.

"Ushimaru tried throwing chalk at Ren," Ann said, "He actually dodged out of the way."

"That's just him showing off," Sumire said, "Ren can turn intangible, so normally a piece of chalk wouldn't be such a threat."

"So," Ryuji said, "We heading into the overlay?"

"Not just yet," Ren said, "First we need to get reliable suppliers for medicine and weapons. In the case of the later, some sort of airsoft shop would be best."

Ryuji was using bludgeons and shotguns, whilst Ann had whips and SMGs.

"I think I know a place where we can pick up medicine," Morgana said, "There's a back-alley doctor in Yongen-Jaya. She makes all her own medications. And it's likely she won't ask questions."

"I think I know an airsoft shop that can also stay quiet," Ryuji said, "They sell all kinds of models and update their stock regularly."

"Okay," Ren said, "Ryuji, start by looking up that shop. Me and Sumire will speak with the doctor and see if we can't get any medicines for the infiltration."

The woman dressed like a punk but it was clear she knew what she was doing. She also had a license to make her own formulas for medicine. She was a little skeptical about why they needed it, but decided not to pry. On the way out, a man in a business uniform barged in. Curious, Ren and Sumire listened at the door.

"I know you made that wonder medicine, Takemi!," the man said, "Are you trying to put me out of business!?"

"I'm trying to save lives," Takemi pointed out, "Unlike you. How many patients have you lost now?"

"Laugh it up," the man warned, "But before long you'll find the name 'Tae Takemi' forever barred from the medical world!"

"Wonder medicine?," Sumire asked, "We'll have to look into that."

April 17

As Ryuji led Ren to the airsoft shop, they happened to pass by a middle-aged man giving speeches just outside the subway.

"He sounds like a political advocate," Ren noted, "I've always tried to stay away from politics."

The place Ryuji found was on Central Street, a shop called Untouchable. The surly manager was willing to sell when he heard they were looking for realistic models.

"Just a few ground rules," he said, "Don't go pointing 'em at other people. And keep 'em in a bag while you're outside. Also, I don't buy model guns from other stores. Can't reliably resell them due to possible aftermarket mods. But any other models or scrap are fair game for trade."

Ren nodded.

"Yeah, sounds fair. My friends have a few preferences in mind."

Ren got back just as Sojiro was seeing out the last customer of the evening, in a rather curt manner, after getting into a debate over the recent accidents.

"Rather rude of you," the man said as he left, "You should change your attitude if you want more customers."

"You always treat customers like that?," Ren asked.

"Only the ones that get in my face about matters I have no interest in," Sojiro clarified, "I'm here to run a cafe, not chat about politics and zany conspiracy theories. Besides, I get enough customers to support my family. My daughter makes sure of that."

Upstairs, Ren cleaned off the work desk and followed Morgana's instructions, making a lockpick with ease.

"Looks like we're ready to tackle Ishishiro's castle whenever."

April 18

Sumire watched as Kasumi was speaking with Kamoshida.

"So Ishishiro's been bothering you?," Kamoshida asked, "Listen, I'd like to make sure this problem is nipped in the bud. Especially after what happened with Suzui. If you think he's getting too close for comfort, speak with Kawakami. The school trusts her more than me right now. And if for whatever reason you get any sort of nightmares, request time off from school. I'll make sure Kobayakawa will grant it. He and Kawakami are probably the only people who still trust me right now."

"Thanks for the advice, Mister Kamoshida," Kasumi said.

Sumire started to get concerned.

Violet: We need to act soon. I fear Ishishiro might be targeting my sister.

Joker: The board meeting's on May 2. We should finalize our plan before then.

Panther: By the way, Monarch gave me this card that's glowing purple.

Skull: Oh yeah, that's one of the familiar cards. Those cards come from a Stand that can steal anything the cards touch.

Monarch: Hera's Eye placed one of her Amoks in it, so now it can create a Sentimonster based on the energy the card stole.

Hera's Eye: Speaking of which, is there any place that sells peanuts? Duusu's craving some right now.

Panther: Who's Duusu?

Joker: Duusu is Hera's Eye's Kwami. The source of her power.

Skull: What the eff's a Kwami?

Violet: Tiny god creature. Peacock in Duusu's case. Monarch has a butterfly one named Nooroo. I'll stop by later with the goods.

Joker: Yeah, Violet's handling all of our supply chains. She's basically the team smuggler.

Skull: Sweet. I guess that makes me the hired muscle.

Violet: So we have until May 2 to make our move. We should aim to complete the infiltration by April 29. Until then, we should take some time to prepare.

After school, Ren stopped by the library to borrow a book called The Great Thief. He then headed back to the clinic to speak with Takemi. She was a little suspicious when he brought up her "special" medicine, but then noticed Ren's aura.

"Wait... Are you a Stand user?"

Ren raised an eyebrow, then called out W Boiled Xtreme.

"I see," Takemi said.

She summoned a humanoid female with spiked armor coverings over large parts of her body, including her privates.

"This here is Panacea," Takemi explained, "The compound secreted from her spikes is the key to my special medicine, enhancing its effects. That said, a medicine needs to have an effect to begin with. Which is why I hope you can help me with something."

"What exactly?," Ren asked.

"I've been trying to perfect a certain medicine that never reached completion," Takemi explained, "I not only need funding to do my research, but willing participants to partake in clinical trails to make sure it works."

"I see," Ren said, "My friends and I might be able to help, but..."

He explained about what his friends were doing. Takemi nodded.

"Yes, I think I can cooperate. To be honest, I don't have much else to turn to after... Well, it's not important."

After a quick early trial, Ren was sent home. Well, after he got up from passing out due to the extreme smell. That evening, he found a crossword and decided to try it.

"Down 1, Grade... Down 2, Exam... Down 3, Teach..."

He looked at the final word.

"And finally, Across 1 is how school years are divided. Obviously the answer is Semesters."

"Wow, you must know quite a bit already," Morgana noted, "Speaking of which, we should do something about the junk in the attic."

Ren nodded and got to finishing cleaning around the attic, finding a potted plant to decorate the room, and two books to read, Social Thought and Yongen Walker 04. He also found an old CRT TV, and a nice potted plant to decorate the room. After that he went to sleep.

April 19

Morning saw Ren in class with Kazuo Hiruta, the biology teacher.

"I'm sure everyone must be shocked at what happened with Miss Suzui, and relieved that she was saved. I can't say for certain what she was thinking, for everyone views the world differently. Take a look at this diagram."

He showed a diagram of a V-shape pointing to the right from the students' perspective, and two lines, one close to the opening, the other closer to the point.

"Mister Amamiya," Hiruta said, "Can you tell me which of these lines is the longer one?"

"Neither," Ren replied, "They're the same length."

"Exceptional skills," Hiruta complimented, "Your eyes must be more capable than most at perceiving the truth."

He drew horizontal lines across the diagram to prove Ren's statement.

"This is an example of an optical illusion. Some people can see past it, while others cannot. In the same way the world as we see it is not necessarily how the world is. We just process visual information with our brain. This is the very essence of cognition."

"I doubt even Stand users can perceive the entire truth of the world," Morgana noted, "It all comes down to cognition."

Back at Leblanc, Ren set up a small exercise kit for the room.

"We'll set up a video call to get the whole gang in shape," Ren decided.

"Not a bad idea," Morgana admitted, "Compared to you and Sumire, me, Ryuji, and Ann are pretty much amateurs. Both physically and with our Stands."

After that, Ren read a bit of The Great Thief while sitting at the cafe's counter.

April 20

Ren managed to get a seat on the bus, and used the time to finish reading The Great Thief.

"The Lupin family sure seems to practically define what it means to be a gentleman thief," Morgana noted.

"I wouldn't call Lupin the Third much of a gentleman," Ren noted, "But this story certainly does his grandfather justice. I should know."

He gave a knowing smirk. While at school, he traded in the book he finished for another called Pirate Legend.

April 21

After school, Ren went to the local second-hand store and bought a used DVD player to hook up to his CRT. He then went to the DVD rental store on Central Street and signed up for their annual membership, using it to rent a season of The X-Files. He watched some of it with Morgana.

"I've heard that aliens have recently been visiting Earth," Morgana noted, "Let's hope some species aren't as bone-chilling as the ones in this show. Maybe we should save the rest of the season for another day."

Chapter Text

In a dark warehouse, a lone figure met with Shinzo and Mitsuharu.

"I feel something happening," the figure said, "The shard I was given has started to change."

Behind him manifested an armored cavalryman astride its steed. This was Number 010, Illumiknight. And it was starting to show cracks. Shinzo smiled.

"You have the potential... Your shard is beginning to mutate. In mere moments it will become a true Stand all your own."

The figure looked at the shard as its original form soon crumbled away, revealing a humanoid figure covered in artist tools.

Elsewhere, JK was telling the others about the attempted abduction.

"There's been a lot of these kidnappings going around lately," Luna noted, "All of them young women. And there's another connection, all of them have apparently modeled for a big time artist who's currently visiting Morioh."

She held out the flyer. Jogo looked at it.

"Kazuhiro Asaya... He's that Avant garde painter who prefers doing portraits, correct?"

Luna nodded.

"The area in which Number 084 attacked was right around the area in which Kazuhiro is hosting his current gallery. We should take a look."

Kazuhiro definitely seemed an amiable sort.

"I definitely remember each of these women," he admitted, "Then again, since I display my work prominently, it's hard for me to forget a face. It's strange though, all of them were seen leaving my temporary studio safely, by several people no less."

Jogo looked at the portraits. Most of the women were missing, but something about this made him think Kazuhiro wasn't responsible. Maybe it was the fact that both his mom Pinkie, and Luna's mom Yukako were among the portraits, and neither of them were missing.

"How do you make these portraits so fast?," Shun asked.

Kazuhiro chuckled.

"That, my young friend, is a trade secret. After all, I need to get myself a head start before one of Madarame's pupils starts to find his rising star and climb to the top of the art world. If someone were to learn my secret..."

He shrugged.

"Well, I can't have them potentially copying it."

"Do you know of anyone in your circle who might be behind this?," Miu asked.

Kazuhiro tapped his chin.

"Well... One of my own apprentices is always following some of the women I've painted. And he always returns the next day with a big smile on his face. Though there have been a few exceptions. Yesterday, for example, he came in complaining of an earache."

That got JK's attention.

"Yesterday when I was making that rescue, I used Pump Up The Volume on the would-be kidnapper," JK explained to his friends, "If this apprentice was coming in complaining of an earache, then he's someone to look into."

Nearby Kazuhiro was going out for a walk, when he suddenly had to dodge some large rocks being thrown at him. The group looked to see Yukiteru standing there.

"Kazuhiro Asaya," he said, "You have been identified as Number 010. Now I'm here to defeat you."

The group was shocked.

"He's one of the shard carriers!?," Yuki called out.

Kazuhiro shook his head.

"Your information is slightly out of date. My shard has already evolved, as have I. Paint it Black!"

The humanoid Stand with the art tools appeared behind him. Paint it Black manifested a glob of paint and shot it at Yukiteru, shattering one of the rocks he had created. Yukiteru kept dodging as Kazuhiro created more. He then noticed a nearby chimney and directed his Stand to target it, causing it to crumble into pigments before reforming above Yukiteru, causing him to roll out of the way before using his own Stand to grab the object and try flinging it back at Kazuhiro. The back and forth scene made Jogo sigh.

"We can't have them tearing up the landscape like that... Come on guys! Activate Wheel and Rocket!"

He raced forward using Cosmic Mind's wheel attachment, using it to catch Yukiteru off-guard and start fighting him. Kazuhiro tried to get away, only to get blindsided as Shun tackled him with Pigskin. Kazuhiro scoffed before launching a few exploding paint globs, only to get surprised as Pigskin easily tanked them. Seeing the two enemies getting too riled up, Jogo decided to take things up a notch.

"JK! Get set up!"

JK gave the thumbs up.

"Pump Up The Volume!"

"Activate Beat!"

A sub-woofer appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg, which along with Pump Up The Volume started creating a sound wave that resonated on a level that caused both Yukiteru and Kazuhiro to cover their ears to try avoid the intense pain, forcing them both to run for it. The group joined up again.

"So Kazuhiro is actually one of the Numbers we're looking for?," Luna asked.

"Number 010, Illumiknight," Jogo noted, "Yukiteru said that was Kazuhiro's number. Clearly Kazuhiro had Stand potential, causing that shard to mutate and become a true Stand."

Meanwhile, Shinzo and Mitsuharu were chasing after a bank robber. The man immediately turned around.

"Finisher the Strong Arm!"

He manifested a red horned humanoid with large arms that tried to punch the duo. Shinzo halted for a moment.

"Kickstart My Heart!"

His Stand appeared and immediately blocked the punch. As the robber looked dumbfounded, Shinzo shook his head.

"You should know better than this, Number 051. We do not have these powers because we are superior to normal people. And even if we were, taking to bank robbery is not exactly something a supposedly superior being would stoop to."

Number 051 tried to attack again, only to get completely paralyzed.

"Ego Brain!," Mitsuharu called out, his Stand injecting a few spikes into the Number.

One was for injecting his Stand's neurotoxin to contain him, the other was an antidote so that he wouldn't die.

"So," Mitsuharu said to his friend, "What shall we do with him?"

"I think we should let him reflect on his actions," Shinzo replied, "We have enough to be concerned with thanks to the local Stand users, but now we have a few new 'friends' from out of town actively seeking to eliminate us. At least, that's what both Masuda and Kazuhiro mentioned."

"Speaking of which," Mitsuharu said, "Masuda was arrested for multiple kidnapping cases, correct? I heard he turned himself in after getting beaten by a young man named Jogo Higashikata."

Shinzo looked interested.

"Higashikata? Word on the street is that's the family name of the man who sealed a dangerous serial killer inside the stone I was showing you. I think said hero's first name was... Josuke."

Mitsuharu nodded.

"I traced the local records. Jogo is Josuke's son with his wife Diane Higashikata. Nice woman, if a little odd. Judging from her picture, I can see why people refer to her as..."

He chuckled.

"Pinkie Pie."

Shinzo couldn't help but laugh.

"Anyway, we'll need to warn our other friends about this recent development."

Later, the group was at the home of the apprentice Kazuhiro mentioned. As the man in question walked out, JK snapped his fingers.

"That's the guy! I saw him as he was trying to kidnap someone while all those ghosts were around."

Jogo nodded.

"The ghosts must have been caused by Kazuhiro's Stand somehow. Perhaps an after-effect of his Stand ability. Let's deal with this guy, then see if we can't question Kazuhiro later."

He and Luna leapt out to confront the man, who panicked.

"Shit... Pain Gainer!"

The cartoon spider appeared and tried to web up the duo. Jogo chuckled.

"Not good enough. Activate Scissors!"

A pair of scissors manifested on Cosmic Mind's right arm, which easily cut through the web.

"So you're the one behind the kidnappings," Luna noted.

"It was the only way I could keep up!," Number 084 insisted, "Kazuhiro was able to use his power to mimic the image of anyone he wanted and place it on canvas. This tended to cause afterimages to appear in a certain light. I thought I could use that to mask my actions, and maybe even frame him so I could get ahead! He never appreciated my art..."

"Can't say I much care for it either," Luna quipped, "Fly Me To The Moon!"

She shifted her Stand's moon to its crescent phase, launching several blades that struck at Number 84.

"Activate Claw!"

Jogo caused a clawed gauntlet to appear on his Stand right arm, which he used to slash through the pseudo-Stand.

"One more for good measure!," he said, "Activate Stamper!"

A giant stamp device appeared and Cosmic Mind's left leg, which it smashed right into Pain Gainer. The stamp suddenly exploded, causing the shard severe damage, before Luna finished it off by having her Stand launch its moon right into the fragmenting body. Nearby, Takao watched as the group dragged the hapless man off to the police.

"Lost another one... We'll have to pick up the pace if we hope to win this contest..."

Chapter Text

April 22

"You're going to finish up that DVD?," Morgana asked as Ren popped in The X-Files.

"Yeah, this way we can get it over with and move on to another DVD," Ren explained.

"Well, at least watching it makes me feel bolder," Morgana admitted.

April 23

Class picked up the next day with Gendo Inui, the history teacher.

"Kamoshida was certainly in his element the other day at the volleyball rally. But Ishishiro seemed to have been disrespecting the sport. Sports in general have been regarded as sacred since ancient times, though some just prefer to win. For example, Emperor Nero, the only Roman emperor to have participated in the Olympics. So between music, theater, and chariot racing, which sport did Nero win? Mister Amamiya, do you know the answer?"

"All of them," Ren replied.

"Yes, that's right," Inui said, "Of course, all of the competitions were rigged in his favor. As a result of such selfish actions, and a bit of a lecherous side, Nero became infamous as a despot. Recently his reign has been reevaluated, but there's no denying that he was lacking in the sportsmanship department. Not unlike Ishishiro, now that I think about it. Both of them should have taken a page out of Kamoshida's book!"

"Well," Morgana said, "Ishishiro will have plenty of time to read where he's going."

Later Ren bought returned the old DVD and got one for Medium. Takemi had wanted to do a follow-up regarding the clinic trial. As the trial was finished, an officer suddenly barged into the clinic.

"So you ARE here," he said in an arrogant tone.

"I thought I made this clear," Takemi said, "If you want to investigate me, you need to show me a warrant."

The officer scoffed.

"I'm here because of a report we received that this clinic was making illegal substances. I'll need to see a detailed statement of medical expenses and full medical records."

He smirked.

"I bet you didn't have enough time to hide anything incriminating."

"Here," Takemi said, handing him the full documentation, "As you can see, I've only had six patients today, with this kid being the last. And all medication is fully under legal practices."

The officer deflated as he read the documents.

"B-But... Wait, what is this kid in for!?"

"It's a standard clinic trial," Ren explained, "I've already signed all the paperwork, and I have my guardian's consent."

The officer sighed.

"Good damn harassers wasting my time. And with the Plague of all people..."

He stormed out.

"Yeesh," Ren said, "Someone doesn't want you practicing."

"It was probably Chief of Staff Oyamada," Takemi noted, "That man just won't let things be. I've already gotten out of his hair, but he..."

She sighed.

"Nevermind. It's a story for another time. Let's just say I've made some bad mistakes in the past. It's a miracle I can even keep a small-town clinic like this. Anyway, it looks like this trial is done. I'll finish up with the data and then we can move onto the next. I'm glad you have such a diverse set of friends. Makes things go much faster."

April 24

Since it was a Sunday, the school was empty as the team met on the roof for the infiltration.

"This is when things get real," Ren said, "We're doing this infiltration all at once to save time. Things are gonna get crazy, so I hope you're all ready. Don't worry, me and Sumire will show you the ropes as we proceed."

Once the team entered the overlay, they were greeted by Lavenza.

"My master would like to speak with you all," she said as she created a doorway to the Velvet Room.

Skull looked about the place.

"Swank interior. What is this place?"

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor said, "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those that have entered into a contract may enter. And that contract can take many forms. I brought you here to discuss a method by which the source of the strange overlays can be drained. Lavenza has already started her search energies."

He revealed a card for Joyful Magatama, which created Saki Mitama.

"Use them well as you proceed through the overlay. Remember, Joker, your superior senses are your greatest asset as a phantom thief."

Using their elemental forms, the team fast traveled to the safe room they hit earlier, letting them move further into the overlay. Joker explained a few tips on dealing with guards as they went. In one room, a large partition was barred off in the center. Once the right pulleys, attached to ram busts, were pulled, it revealed a table with a map.

"This looks like a map of the overlay," Violet noted, "Or at least half of it. It should help us navigate further inside."

As they leapt over a series of chandeliers in the entrance hall, they found ways to unlock earlier doors that had been barred from one side. Additionally, they found a high window that led down to the entrance via a series of boxes, marking a secondary infiltration point. The halls just ahead had a few guards. One had Apprentice in a Jug, a small blue imp stuck in a golden jar that became Agathion. Another had Hunting Puss in Boots, a bipedal cat dressed like a musketeer that became Cait Sith. The last has Troublesome Housemaid, a woman with light green skin dressed like a medieval maid that become Silky.

The dining room past them had a complex series of pulleys and bars, but Joker was able to track the footprints in the ground to find which ones to pull to get them through. Eventually the team came across a collapsed staircase.

"How do we get up this?," Hera's Eye wondered.

"Here," Violet said, "Use these."

She passed around several wrist-mounted grappling hooks, letting the group fly up using a ram bust on the staircase's railing. Up ahead was a series of reading rooms with a few guards. One had Brutal Cavalryman, a grey-armored horseman with a trident that become Berith. Another had Mad Marsh Horse, a horse with bullrushes for a mane and no hind legs that became Kelpie. That last was the guard with Bedside Brute, which was turned into Incubus. The rooms also had a series of books that looked important.

"The Slave Book, the Queen Book," Panther noted, "The... Beefcake Book? Does Ishishiro have envy issues?"

Inside the library, Joker found the King Book. The King, Queen, and Slave books all opened up to reveal a hidden room with the rest of the map and a large pendant.

"The door leading on had an inactive pulley with an indentation beneath it," Mona noted, "I'll bet this goes into that indentation."

The door led into a large cathedral, with a statue glorifying Ishishiro as a king. A guard captain stood at the far end.

"I've been waiting for you thieves! Now you'll suffer the holy might of the soldiers of this castle! Heavenly Punisher!"

He conjured an armored warrior with white wings carrying a sword. The team struck at him until Mona made a finishing blow, landing in a swivel chair with a cigar in hand.

"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"

The team moved on past the cathedral, where Monarch sensed something on a balcony nearby.

"Hey, that door. I think there's something pulsing. It feels like my Miraculous is been fed more energy."

The balcony had a door with a mysterious seed growing out of a small plant, shaped like a deformed skull. It was clearly radiating magical energy.

"So this is why," Monarch said, "Normally I can only empower one Champion at a time, but back then I was able to empower a second. This seed must have been leaking enough energy for that to be possible. If we get more seeds, I can probably make even more Champions at once."

With the seed collected, the team reached a tall tower. Around the exterior was a room with the second Magic Seed. The interior, however, was bizarre. The landscape seemed to ignore gravity in the most conventional sense. Luckily, it was still possible to proceed along solid ground. An elevator in the middle of the tower led down to a small dungeon space with a door guarded by one of the captains.

"This energy source is keeping the overlay connected to Mementos!," he declared, "You won't be getting past me to steal it! Torn King of Desires!"

To his shock, he wound up summoning a slime-like being with a phallic head.

"Whoops... I meant to say throbbing..."

"KILL IT WITH FIRE!," the girls screamed as Panther blasted the creature with all her flames, knocking out the captain in the process.

The guys shuddered before moving to claim the final Magic Seed. Back up the tower, the team found a guard with Twilight Prostitute, a female demon with bat wings dressed in a black leotard and thigh-high boots who became Succubus. Another guard had Zealous Messenger, a woman with white wings wearing only bondage straps that became Angel. Also here was the guard with Heavenly Punisher, which was changed into Archangel. The next level had walls that forced the path to a spiked pit, with the only walkway being protected by swinging scythes.

"This statue seems to have a lever in its jaw to shut them down," Violet noted, "But it looks like it needs a key. The eyeholes are empty."

"We've compromised the majority of the security here," Mona said, "If there was a hidden room with the keys, we'd have run into it by now. I'm willing to bet one of the guard captains in the tower has them."

Sure enough, the captain with the War-Hungry Horseman was down below, carrying the eye-like keys on him. Once he was dealt with, the team was able to retrieve the keys and stop the swinging scythes, letting them move on. They finally reached the top, finding the large doors leading to the throne room.

"These doors are held fast," Skull noted, "How are we getting up?"

"What about this?," Hera's Eye asked.

She pointed to a nearby statue of a female torso and upper legs, the rear end jutting out for a perfect makeshift platform.

"Are we really climbing the butt statue?," Panther asked flatly.

"It's the only way inside," Mona pointed out, "Let's go."

The upper level led to a large treasure room, with a golden crown sitting on a shelf.

"There it is," Skull said, "We taking it?"

"Not just yet," Joker said, "Sure, we could take right now... But where's the fun in that? If we steal this, we steal it in true phantom thief style. We're going to warn Ishishiro first."

Skull got excited.

"You mean like, with a calling card? Ah man, I'm so gonna enjoy this."

"We'll send the calling card tomorrow," Joker said, "Everyone get ready."

As the team left, Lavenza approached.

"Thanks to your effort I was able to obtain a few more aspects that were hidden. Here is what I was able to find."

She handed over two more cards, one for Serpent-Tailed Turtle, which created Genbu, and one for Vigorous Magatama, which created Kushi Mitama.

That evening, Sojiro wanted to talk with Ren.

"I don't know if you know this, but my daughter Futaba is big on the internet. Right now she keeps bragging about the work of Phantom Thief Joker. Now I don't want to alarm you, but... I happen to know that you're a Stand user like me."

"I thought I felt a familiar energy," Ren said.

Sojiro nodded.

"From there I could tell about your double-life. Don't worry, I'll keep it secret. But, I would like some help around the cafe when you're in-between jobs. In exchange, I'd be willing to teach you my secrets on brewing coffee."

"Ah, now we're talking," Ren said, "Coffee happens to be a hobby of mine."

"Funnily enough, it's a passion of my own as well," Sojiro said, "To the point where I spawned this beauty."

He manifested a robot dressed as cafe owner.

"This is Soul Kitchen," Sojiro explained, "It creates a substance that I can infuse into anything I cook or brew, which will invigorate the consumer. That's why my cafe specializes in coffee and curry, where it's harder to notice. Not that I skimp on the quality. Serve a customer bad food and you can kiss the payment goodbye. So I'll be holding you to a high standard."

Ren nodded in understanding.

April 25

Ren managed to get a seat on the bus, so he started reading Pirate Legend. Later was class with Kawakami.

"I've been reading your essays, and they're honestly rather sloppy! Saying 'I could care less' indicates that you still have some care left to give! The proper phrase is 'I COULDN'T care less'! It seems a lot of phrases these days are being used contrary to their original meaning. Like the phrase 'My country, right or wrong.' Miss Takamaki, can you tell me how the meaning of the phrase changed?"

Ann freaked out.

"Crap," she muttered, "I don't know politics."

"The phrase currently means that you unquestioningly support your country," Ren whispered, "But it originally meant that you have a duty to correct it."

"Thanks," Ann said, and she relayed the answer.

"Yes, that's correct," Kawakami said, "The phrase was originally meant to inspire people to take responsibility for keeping their country on the right path. The second part of the quote is, 'And if wrong to be set right'. Sadly in these modern times it's used to justify blind support instead of fixing social issues..."

"Good thing there's people like us to correct them," Morgana noted.

Later the group met on the roof.

"Right now is our best chance to send Ishishiro our calling card," Ren said, "Lila, Zoe, you two are technically not Phantom Thieves so..."

"It's fine," Lila assured him, "Marinette would kill me if she found out I got a sudden rap sheet with the police. But the sight of a calling card is bound to raise the school's hopes that they can get out from under Ishishiro's thumb. In that regard..."

Ren nodded.

"When a Stand user becomes Akumatized, their Stand goes Requiem. And we have five users. Lila, I'll leave it up to you to find the right Champion."

April 26

The school was abuzz that morning as the bulletin boards were practically buried in Joker's trademark calling cards.

"No way," one girl said, "Phantom Thief Joker's targeting the school?"

"It says the target is Ishishiro," a boy said, "Guess he found out how shitty that bastard is. But what's with these other names?"

Kamoshida happened to spot the calling cards.

"Toshiro Ishishiro, we are the Phantom Thieves Joker, Violet, Mona, Skull, and Panther. Today we will steal the castle's crown from your possession. Are they talking about that overlay...?"

Ishishiro was none too happy about the card and was speaking with Kobayakawa.

"Can't you call the police on this!?," he demanded, "Even if it's just a prank, there's still bound to be at least one law broken!"

"I've already contacted them," Kobayakawa assured him, "But if it is just a prank you're certainly making a big deal of this. After all, what could Phantom Thief Joker and his team possibly have on you?"

Kobayakawa's tone made it clear to Ishishiro that the principal wasn't on his side.

"Fine," he muttered, "I'll handle it myself..."

Once he stormed out, Kobayakawa took out a glass jar with an Akuma inside it.

"Monarch wanted me to use this once the calling card was noticed."

He released the Akuma and it flew into his computer.

'Are you ready, Principal Kobayakawa?,' came Monarch's voice, 'We'll be needing your help to deal with Ishishiro.'

"If it means getting this school back on the right track," Kobayakawa said, "I'll do anything in my power to help."

'Then let's give you a little more power!,' Monarch announced, 'Unleash your new form, Centralizer!'

Kobayakawa's whole office glowed with energy, turning into a massive secret base, with him as the central computer.

"Now empowering Monarch!," he called out in a digital voice.

Empowered into Royal Monarch, she unleashed several Akumas, enhancing Hera's Eye, and boosting Joker, Violet, Mona, Skull, and Panther into their Requiem stages, their costumes changing to reflect their new Stands. Anything Goes Requiem was slimmer with wings attached to its ankles, its new power boosting Mona's speed and letting him communicate telepathically with the others. Switch On Requiem looked like a humanoid monkey riding on a cloud and carrying a large staff. Skull suddenly felt like nothing could kill him, and his leaping ability increased to the point where he could practically fly, as well as shift forms in an instant. Life is Showtime Requiem gave Panther access to a myriad of spells, and resembled a black witch with vicious dog heads chained to her wrists.

"Now that we're powered up," Violet said, "Let's take Ishishiro down."

They quickly warped to the safe room just outside the throne room. As it turned out, Ishishiro was waiting inside.

"Welcome, Phantom Thieves! So good to finally meet you in person! I was sure what happened with our agent in Osaka was just a fluke, but it seems you can still penetrate into our overlays."

"So you're with the casino owner in Osaka?," Joker asked, "I'm a little surprised."

"Oh, there's a whole network of us," Ishishiro explained, "Not that you'll be meeting any more of them! My Castle Stands! Show them your true might!"

Sitting on the throne was a large king statue that could move of its own accord.

"That must be his Stand's physical form," Mona realized, "And look at the crown. It's the same one we're after."

My Castle Stands brandished its giant sword.

'Skull, go for the crown,' Mona said using his new power.

'You sure?,' Skull asked.

'Your new power is best suited to this,' Mona assured him, 'We'll keep Ishishiro busy down here.'

The giant statue swung its blade to try and stop Skull. But as it did, a feather flew out of Joker's pocket.

"The feather from the Eagle Miraculous!," he realized, "It if Liberates Skull while he's Akumatized..."

The feather embedded itself in Skull's shotgun, fueling his strength even more.

"I feel the energy! Let's go... Heaven's Own!"

His Stand seemed to explode in an electrical burst, only to be reformed as a skeletal warrior riding a cruise liner. With electrical energy crackling through his body, Skill leapt up to the upper floor and smirked. There was a chandelier right over the statue. Focusing, he forced Ishishiro to remain still, his body paralyzed with electricity. With another great leap, Skull struck the crown off the king statue, sending both crashing to the floor. Mona then picked up the crown.

"Man, glad I ran into you guys. I never would have gotten this far on my own."

Ishishiro was also knocked to the floor.

"No! Without the core I can't maintain the overlay! It'll all disappear!"

Outside, the arriving police were shocked at the flickering castle. They spotted the Phantom Thieves, minus Monarch and Hera's Eye, on the roof. They were gone before any officers could set foot up there. However, Ishishiro was found inside his office, with all the evidence needed to convict him of multiple crimes.

"By the time the board meeting rolls around," Ren said, "Ishishiro's hold on the school will fall. In the meantime we should lay low."

The group nodded and headed home. Before Ren turned in for the evening, he watched a little bit of Medium.

April 27

That morning saw Ren in class with Chisa Usami, the math teacher.

"We've been getting a lot of strange occurrences lately, what with the bizarre traffic accidents and the incident with Ishishiro here at school. Actually, math can have some unusual aspects to it as well. Take this diagram for instance."

She showed a diagram of random shapes.

"It's said that you only need a few colors in order to paint a diagram such as this so that adjacent colors are clearly separated. Mister Amamiya, can you name the theorem named after this number?"

"The four color theorem," Ren replied.

"Very good," Usami said, "I suppose it is common sense to think of this answer."

She showed the same diagram, now colored according to the theorem.

"This theorem suggests that any flat image, even a map of the world, can be painted using only four colors. And this principle has been applied since ancient times. But it's still a theory in the end, and difficult to prove with any degree of consistency."

"In the end not even Stand users like ourselves can solve all the world's mysteries," Morgana noted.

The gang got together during lunch.

"Ishishiro's been officially arrested," Ryuji noted, "Before long they'll be holding the trial."

"The police found plenty of evidence of his numerous crimes," Lila said, "It'll be a guilty verdict for sure."

"Not like that matters here in Japan," Ann pointed out, "Our country has a 99% conviction rate. Which isn't necessarily a good thing. Though in this case it comes in handy."

Ren was taking the time to have another clinical trial with Takemi. Just as they were finishing, Takemi got a call.

"Takemi Medical Clinic of Internal Medicine. How may I help you?"

She listened for a bit.

"An emergency? But we're not a designated hospital. Huh? Yes, I said Takemi. Why... Ah!? How rude, hanging up on a lady like that."

"What was that all about?," Ren asked.

"Oh, I guess he called a wrong number," Takemi replied, "That was an ambulance driver looking for a transfer location, but all the designated hospitals are full. Guy must have been new if he accidentally called a general practitioner... But it seems he knew of my reputation. You remember the officer from the other day?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Ren admitted, "Why are you known as the Plague?"

"It was because of a grave medical error I supposedly committed back in my old job at a university hospital," Takemi explained, "As a result, I've been blacklisted by the larger medical community. Of course, I was never convicted of any wrongdoing."

"Well, I haven't had anything serious happen to me," Ren noted, "So I doubt you're as bad as people make you out to be."

Takemi smiled.

"Thanks. Now if I could just find out who keeps leaking information about my medications. I know it's not these guys..."

Ren returned to the cafe and decided to try a little of the crossword.

"Across 1, Bud... Across 2, Spring... Down 2, Picnic... And finally Down 1, hanami or cherry something viewing. Blossom, of course."

He finished off the evening by watching the rest of Medium.

April 28

Ren returned his old DVD and rented out MacGyver. He also swapped out books at the school library to get Zorro, the Outlaw.

"Now here's a book I can get into," Morgana said as Ren read it while at home, "Truly the picture of the quintessential gentleman."

Chapter Text

Josuke was heading to his wife's workplace when he was stopped by the appearance of Takao. Takao brandished the knife that was part of his Stand.

"So what's the deal here?," Josuke asked.

"You and your family are interfering with an important game," Takao explained, "This is a warning to butt out."

Josuke scoffed.

"Buddy, when you and other Stand users start causing trouble in Morioh, you'd better be prepared for us to butt in."

Takao didn't heed him.

"Look, this is a very delicate matter, and contrary to all appearances I'm not here to kill anyone. So why don't you go back to the hairstylist and come back when you're serious?"

Josuke's eye twitched.

"You got something to say about my awesome hair...?"

Takao chuckled.

"Awesome? Get with it, buddy. That hairstyle went out of style in the seventies. It's way too outdated."

The next thing he knew, he got decked in the face by Josuke's Crazy Diamond.

"You must not have done too much research!," Josuke called out, "Otherwise you would have known that I absolutely HATE IT... When people insult my hair. Don't worry, I'll be sure to fix you up after I'm done wailing on your ass. Crazy Diamond!"

"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"

Takao felt, if nothing else, he was getting a good chance to test out Third Antares's defensive capabilities.

"Well, we took out Number 084," Miu said, "But there's still no sign of the girls that were kidnapped."

"Actually, he may not have kidnapped all of them," JK clarified, "Old Man Kobayashi used The Lock on the guy, and it turns out he only kidnapped a third of the girls that have gone missing. He also found something else. Turns out when Asaya's Stand is used on a non-Stand user, they pass out temporarily. I heard Okuyasu asked Shigechi to send Harvest out to look for the other girls."

"So Asaya tries to use his Stand to create even better artwork," Jogo summarized, "Some of them pass out. He fears having them driven home or to a hospital would expose his Stand and his creation method..."

"And so he passes blame onto a worthless apprentice," Ryusei continued, "Knowing he's actually guilty of kidnapping several other girls."

"Does it always get this crazy in the city?," Miu asked, "I mean, I know Morioh is basically Stand Central Station, but..."

"Actually, things are pretty crazy in Tokyo, too," JK said, getting out his notebook, "The other day a news blurb online mentioned a Stand user that could create a castle overlay was arrested for conspiracy after terrorizing Shujin Academy. Word is he received a calling card from the legendary Phantom Thief Joker and his partner Violet. And apparently they've picked up several new partners."

Meanwhile, Kazuhiro was approaching Tonio's, a well-known Italian restaurant in the area. Also there were Shinzo and Mitsuharu, who were overseeing a fourth man, whom Kazuhiro recognized as Yasuyuki Hirose, a well-known Japanese comedian. Yasuyuki was Number 023, Lancelot, Dark Knight of the Underworld, an animated suit of armor wearing a scarf. And it was already crumbling, soon breaking away to reveal a more hulking form with hammers for hands.

"Congratulations!," Kazuhiro said as he approached, "It looks like you were able to obtain a Stand."

Yasuyuki smiled as the group entered the restaurant.

"So I hear some of the ones who aren't able to evolve are causing havoc trying to force an evolution," he said.

"Unfortunately," Mitsuharu said, "Some of the ones that do evolve cause problems as well... Kazuhiro."

"Hey now," Kazuhiro replied, "I had to do something to make sure those girls were taken care of while they recovered. I admit it's basically kidnapping, but I do have an idea in mind to explain it all once they wake up. It's not like I intend to hurt them or anything."

"Besides," Shinzo said, "There is plausible deniability."

He pointed to the pink-haired waitress. It was Pinkie Pie, who had started working at Tonio's after graduating from college.

"That's a interesting thing," Kazuhiro said, "She and a couple other girls I've painted didn't pass out. I've no idea why."

"Don't you know?," Mitsuharu chimed in, "Those women are actually Stand users. My guess is that it gives them a little more energy to work with. They probably still felt tired, but not enough to think anything was wrong. Just tread carefully, Kazuhiro. We not only have local Stand users to be concerned with, but this new group that seems intent on hunting us."

Little did they know, Pinkie had been listening in using Smile's toon powers.

In the local precinct, Koichi was using Echoes to listen in a conversation between two officers, Masumi Nishijima, and his superior Keigo Kurusu.

"Are you sure that little diary can help you find him?," Masumi asked.

"Trust me," Keigo said, "Running For Your Life can easily predict the actions of anyone who has committed a crime, no matter how small, so long as I am on the investigation team. That's why I asked for permission first."

Koichi narrowed his eyes.

"Act 1..."

Echoes in its Act 1 form clung to the ceiling in order to remain hidden. If Keigo was a Stand user the normal "peer over their shoulder" trick would only get him spotted. Luckily, Keigo was proudly displaying the information, which Koichi relayed to Shigechi.

Jogo got word of where the girls were being kept and headed there with Ryusei. However, they wound up getting stopped by a series of explosions.

"Activate Shield!"

Jogo called out Cosmic Mind and used the shield on its left arm to stop the worst of the explosions.

"Good grief, who's setting off bombs!?," Ryusei demanded, "Shooting Star!"

His Stand emerged and fired off several meteors, aimed right at where the explosions were coming from. A young woman with long, dark hair and an eyepatch over her left eye rolled out of the way.

"That was too perfect of a dodge," Ryusei noted, "Almost like you knew exactly where I would shoot."

Jogo rushed in.

"Activate Chainsaw!"

A chainsaw attachment appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg, which it swung down to attack. The woman smiled.

"Reject!"

Just before the attack could connect, the woman deftly dodged out of the way.

"So just who are you?," Ryusei asked.

"The name's Minene Uryu," the woman said, "A former mercenary of Fenrir."

She raised a grenade launcher.

"That launcher...," Jogo muttered, "Activate Camera!"

Cosmic Mind's Camera attachment activated, scanning the grenade launcher.

"Ryusei, that launcher is emitting Stand energy," Jogo said in shock.

"It must be part of her Stand," Ryusei realized.

Minene smirked.

"This is a sub-stand called Brilliant Imitation. Allow me to demonstrate!"

She fired off a few shots, which the two guys dodged. Ryusei noticed something.

"The blasts aren't affecting anything."

"That's because you two aren't the target!," Minene clarified, "You just happened to get out of the way before the blast hit!"

She aimed again, Jogo narrowing his eyes.

"Activate Hopping!"

A pogo stick appeared on Cosmic Mind's left leg, letting Jogo leap out of the way of the projectile.

"Activate Winch!," Jogo called out, manifesting a winch arm on his Stand's left arm.

The winch wrapped around Minene, surprising her. With her arms tied down, Jogo was able to attack with his chainsaw attachment, knocking Minene aside.

"That's the secret to her Stand," he realized, "It can't predict anything that isn't an attack, and can be overwhelmed. Ryusei! Pour it on!"

"Got it!," Ryusei replied, "Shooting Star!"

"Cosmic Mind! Activate Launcher!"

The sudden attack from all angles left Minene scrambling to escape.

'Perceptive little bastards to figure out my weaknesses without me telling them...'

Minene had been trying to slow the strongest members of the New Morioh Warriors, but she had underestimated the group as a whole. The others were confronting Kazuhiro about his kidnappings. This led to a misunderstanding about the teens being involved with the so-called "Shard Hunters" and Kazuhiro has attacked.

"Pump Up The Volume!"

JK used his Stand to stun Kazuhiro in place, while Miu moved in to attack with The Boom. Kazuhiro fought back with Paint It Black's powers, but he was one against several and soon got overwhelmed. Yasuyuki watched as his buddy surrendered himself to the police.

"Looks like we really are dealing with two different groups," he said, "The ones from Morioh were working together, while the ones from out of town are fighting each other."

Shinzo walked up to him.

"These Shard Hunters act like we're some sort of sport game. But what's their end goal? And how many are there? If I had to chose, I'd prefer to have to fight the New Morioh Warriors. They at least show honor in protecting their home. By the way, Number 005 has been trying to find access to the police evidence locker."

Yasuyuki groaned.

"All that supernatural power and he still only wants that notebook? It's no wonder he can't evolve. We might as well leave him to the locals."

Chapter Text

April 29

Showa Day. The local movie theater on Central Street was showing Slumdog Millionaire, so Ren decided to watch it. Morgana was watching with him.

"That kid has a lot of guts to stand up to the police like that," he noted.

"And he's not even in this for the money," Ren pointed out, "He just wants to find the woman he loves."

When Ren returned that evening he decided to finish up Zorro, the Outlaw.

April 30

Ren managed to get a seat on the train and used the time to read some of Social Thought. He then had early class with Diane Chouno, the English teacher.

"So how's everyone doing? These days, you're expected to know colloquial English, right down to the idioms. So for this class you should forget that you're Japanese and pretend like you're a foreigner. Being able to swap out that mask is important. Mister Amamiya, you've spent time abroad. What would I be referring to if I ask the question, 'Are you a wunderkind?'"

"A prodigy," Ren replied.

"Impressive," Chouno said, "With a quick answer like that, I'd say you definitely are one. Wunderkind literally means 'wonder child'. Other words, a youth of uncommon talent. By the way, 'talent' comes from the Greek word 'talanton', a type of currency referenced in the Bible. It was said that the more skilled a servant was, the more coins they would receive from God. Overtime the idea of talent changed to the point where it's now applied to celebrities."

"Interesting idea," Morgana said, "Stand users are said to have the power of gods. We certainly are talented."

Ren returned his book to pick The Alluring Dancer from the library. Later at the clinic, Ren and Takemi were surprised when a father and daughter came in, the daughter looking particularly unwell.

"So why bring her here?," Takemi asked, "Don't you have another doctor to take care of her?"

"It hasn't been helping," the father explained, "She was diagnosed with bronchitis, but the medicine she was prescribed hasn't been working. Her fever hasn't gone down, and she's losing weight due to lack of appetite."

"That's a serious issue," Takemi admitted, "But I don't have the facilities to examine her here. You're better off going to a bigger hospital."

"We already have been!," the father called out, "This big university hospital in East Shinjuku! But they keep insisting it's just persistent bronchitis!"

Takemi raised an eyebrow.

"Really now? Would your doctor happen to be some famous bigwig who performs exams like he's on an assembly line?"

"Yes, and it's been frustrating," the father said, "I've heard that this place specializes in herbal medicine that's not available on the open market."

The little girl started coughing hoarsely.

"Doctor... My chest hurts..."

"Just relax," Ren assured her, "Doctor Takemi will help."

"Way to put me on the spot...," Takemi said, "But alright, let's see what we have."

As she examined the girl, she noticed something.

"No signs of swelling common to bronchitis. Idiots, that should have been the first sign that this was something else altogether..."

She made a quick call to another doctor. After a few words and nods, she turned to Ren.

"I need some help administering this medicine. There's a shelf near the reception desk. I need the contents from the second drawer. Bring them into the exam room while I get started. Also get the beaker with the red label from the fridge, a towel, wash basin, and a measuring... Spoon... Oh you gotta be kidding."

Ren smirked, since W Boiled Xtreme had already been collecting said items. Naturally the father and daughter couldn't see it, but Takemi could. After a few minutes, the girl was starting to feel much healthier.

"The real problem was a unique strain of an infectious disease. Because most of the symptoms mimic bronchitis it's easy to mistake the two unless you pay attention and are extremely thorough with the examination. For now her symptoms are suppressed, so we'll have to make adjustments as her condition improves. By the way, that doctor's name... Would it happen to be Oyamada?"

The father was surprised.

"Well, yes. How did you know that?"

"I'm familiar with him," Takemi said, "I'll waive the fee for this visit, to compensate for the trouble you went through."

Ren noticed her smile.

"You seem happy."

"I kinda feel like I just put Oyamada in his place," Takemi admitted, "Another reason I waived the fee for this visit."

"Thank you, Doctor," the girl said, "So, can I go to school again?"

"Not until you start eating more," Takemi insisted, "You need to get your strength back."

That evening Ren decided to finish reading Social Thought.

May 1

After class Ren stopped by the school library, picking up Pirate Legend to read later. He also picked up some plant food for the potted plant. Afterwards, he got into some exercises with Ryuji. The two took to training at the courtyard at school.

"I feel like I gotta keep my body in better shape than ever before," Ryuji said, "It's not just about running for time. We're gonna be making some crazy moves, aren't we?"

"Oh, yeah," Ren said, "I'll be counting you. Our work tends to be physically demanding."

After some knee lift sprints, the duo felt themselves worn out.

"Whew...," Ryuji muttered, "I may have shaved a second or two off my best time..."

He stood up.

"You know, Ishishiro also tried harassing our team's coach. He got him briefly suspended and took over. But I wound up putting a stop to that. And it started when he brought up my parents..."

"Your parents?," Ren asked.

"It's really just me and my mom," Ryuji explained, "Back when Dad was around, all he'd do was drink. Sometimes he'd even beat me or Mom. Somehow Ishishiro found out and told the whole team. I just lost it and slugged him."

"How'd you get away with it?," Ren asked.

"The school decided that it was Ishishiro's fault for provoking me," Ryuji explained, "It helped that Kamoshida had found evidence that Ishishiro had framed our old coach. Come to think of it... That may be why Ishishiro was targeting him."

Ren nodded, and they finished up their training, going home exhausted. Ren rested up in his room while watching some of MacGyver.

May 2

Kobayakawa addressed the assembled students.

"I'd rather not waste your time before Golden Week, so I'll keep this brief. First off, I'd like to assure all of you that Miss Shiho Suzui has no lasting injuries from her fall, and would also like to remind you that what occurred was not a suicide attempt. As for Mister Ishishiro, he has been arrested on numerous charges involving manipulating the school, its faculty, and most importantly its students. It is my hope that everyone can move past this incident into a brighter future. But please, do not forget anything that has transpired. That is all."

The gang joined up on the roof, the crown in a small bag.

"Check it out," Ryuji said, "This crown is worth a good thirty-thousand yen!"

"That's nothing," Sumire said, "One time me and Ren got at least sixty million from a job. But thirty-thousand is a good starting point for newcomers."

"And we can likely sell off the crown at Untouchable," Ren suggested, "After which I suggest we use the money to celebrate."

"I actually have a place in mind," Ann said, "Me and Shiho have been wanting to go there for a while now."

Ren nodded.

"I'll finalize the sale while Ann makes the reservations. We'll have the celebration on Children's Day."

"If it's where I think it is, I can help," Lila offered, "And I'll be able to get Morgana in as well. They have an excellent fish selection. Fatty tuna, fresh salmon, raw scallops..."

"You had me at 'fatty tuna'!," Morgana said excitedly.

That evening Ren amused himself with the crossword.

"Down 1, Goose... Across 2, Hour... Across 3, Egg... Down 2, Gate... And for Across 1, time for a trip, something week. The answer there is Golden."

May 3

Constitution Memorial Day. Ren didn't get a chance to sell off the crown since Sojiro needed help around the cafe. However, Ren was able to mention the plans they made.

"I should be able to handle things tomorrow," Sojiro said, "So you can get the money then."

He then noticed the news was featuring the arrest of Ishishiro and the calling card sent to him.

"You get any information about that casino you and Sumire were investigating?"

"Only that Ishishiro was connected to him through a larger conspiracy," Ren admitted.

"Well, all I can offer is support," Sojiro said, "Since unlike you, my Stand is useless for combat."

May 4

Greenery Day. As Ren walked out to sell off the crown, a young woman entered the cafe.

"One house blend, please."

"Coming right up," Sojiro said.

He noticed the woman had a calling card in her hand.

"Isn't that one of Joker's classic calling cards? I heard he recently targeted a corrupt teacher's aid at Shujin Academy."

"Stealing from criminals is Joker's whole MO," the woman noted, "According to my partner Akechi he's never once deviated from this pattern. But there's still some unanswered questions. If you can believe it, the responding officers thought they saw a castle briefly before Joker and his team were spotted."

Sojiro shrugged.

"Well there's a lot of strange things about this world..."

The shop owner at Untouchable, Munehisa Iwai, looked over the crown.

"Yeah, this is worth thirty-thousand yen easy. I won't ask where you got it, but..."

He looked at the clock.

"Maybe you could do me a favor in exchange."

He handed Ren a bag. Ren instantly understood, having spotted the detectives just outside. The more vulgar of the two detectives tried to stop Ren as he left, but the more stern one reminded him that they were supposed to be investigating Iwai, not his customers. Ren soon realized why the police might be investigating Iwai, since the model gun in the bag was the most realistic he'd ever seen.

Ann called Ren once he got home.

'Hey, I got the reservation set up. Lila was a big help in that regard. Turns out having a mom who's a minor diplomat goes a long way. It's the big buffet at the Hilton here in Shibuya.'

"Sounds like everything's set for tomorrow," Ren said, "I just finished selling off the crown, so we got the money. And when we're done, I'll introduce our more permanent headquarters. Trust me, this doesn't end with Ishishiro."

May 5

It was now Children' Day, and the team was enjoying their time at the Hilton buffet. Ann and Zoe were going through the desserts, Ryuji was enjoying the meat dishes, and Lila was digging into the pasta. Ren and Sumire had a more balanced plate of rice, fish, meat, and dessert.

"So check it out," Ryuji said, "It turns out someone's found out who's been brainwashing people into making fools out of themselves. They set it all up on this."

He showed a new website on his phone.

"The Phantom Aficionado Website?," Ann asked.

Ren checked it out.

"This is a lot more elaborate then the average Phantom Thief Joker fan site. It looks like it's set up so that people can ask Joker and his Phantom Thieves for help."

Morgana was helping himself to a plate of raw and grilled fish.

"Well you know, we did help a lot of people dealing with Ishishiro. And I'm sure Joker and Violet helped plenty of people in the past."

"Ren mentioned it over the phone last night," Ann said, "This doesn't end with Ishishiro. You guys mentioned that vanishing casino, yeah? Maybe that was another overlay."

"This site could help us find information on the organization Ishishiro works for," Sumire noted.

Ren nodded.

"Let's finish our celebration, then I'll show you the place I have picked out."

Meanwhile, Masayoshi Shido was also at the Hilton speaking with his aids.

"The police report was accurate?"

"Yes, sir," one of the aids said, "Akechi confirmed it when the calling card was found."

Shido nodded.

"So they're making their move, and we still only have scant details regarding them... If not for Phantom Thief Joker's timely intervention we may have lost the education sector. He and his new allies ought to be commended."

"They likely would be if they weren't wanted criminals," the aid noted, "Still, the people treat them as heroes."

"That's because they are," Shido pointed out, "After all, they protect the innocent."

"With Ishishiro removed," the mysterious figure noted, "We'll need to work harder in other sectors."

'Not to worry,' a figure on the monitor said, 'I'm already setting things up with Madarame. My overlay is in place, far out where I doubt the Phantom Thieves will think to look.'

"And if they do you might be screwed," the mysterious figure pointed out, "Joker has broken into museum's before."

'I've set up my core deep inside the tightest security,' the man assured him, 'Trust me, before long we'll control the entire art community!'

Ann and Ryuji gasped in awe at the expansive hideout.

"Welcome to the Thieves' Den," Ren said, "This will be the hideout of our gang from now on. Only the five of us know its location. Not even Lila and Zoe were told. They're superheroes, not thieves."

Ryuji nodded.

"So, since we're a gang, we got a special name?"

"Yep," Sumire said, "From now on, we'll be called Strike Back. We'll assemble here whenever we get a new job."

That evening, Ren found himself in the Velvet Room again.

"Looks like you've assembled quite the team," Igor noted, "But you'll need more allies if you hope to stand against the forces trying to take control of the country."

"Have you learned anything?," Ren asked.

Igor nodded.

"The central figure seems to be a man named Akira Tetsuressha. He is the one giving out familiars to various individuals, then hiring them to bodyguard the others within their overlays. I don't know what his next move will be, but I'm sure you will discover it soon. But for now, you should return to the waking world. There is much work to do."

Chapter Text

Luna was coming to visit her father at the police station only to overhear a sudden arguing coming from two people, one of the superior officers and a young man her own age with light auburn hair.

"I don't care what sort of expert you think you are!," the officer barked, "This is our jurisdiction, and we're gonna be the ones who capture Phantom Thief Joker!"

"I'm telling you, this isn't the work of Joker," the young man said, "Not only would he aim higher than stealing some sort of notebook, but he always sign his cards, and he only steals from criminals. Not to mention this suggests only one thief will be performing the heist, but Joker has Violet, and more recently three other allies."

"We're not so backwoods as to not hear the news," the officer retorted, "We know Joker once used a ploy like this to steal from two countries simultaneously."

"That would still imply there is another item he plans to steal," the young man shot back, "Yet only one calling card was sent."

Luna spotted her father Koichi, who was sighing.

"What's going on here?," she asked.

"Oh hey, Luna," Koichi said, "This young man is Goro Akechi, a teenage detective and Stand user who's nationally recognized as the rival of Phantom Thief Joker."

"The Phantom Thief Joker?," Luna asked, "Here in Morioh?"

Koichi shrugged.

"Who knows? He and his new gang did send a calling card to Shujin Academy in Tokyo a few days ago, and Goro thinks that they won't be making another move for a while. But the officer... Well, just have a look at the calling card."

Luna took the card and read it.

"Today I, the Phantom Thief, will steal the Death Note from the Morioh police precinct. This I do in the name of justice."

Luna frowned.

"I've heard of Phantom Thief Joker online, but this is nothing like his previous calling cards. Plus, what's this Death Note the guy wants to steal?"

"It was brought in by Josuke and Jogo after they were tracking down Kira," Koichi explained, "It has a bunch of names written in it, all of them criminals confirmed dead. The front cover has instructions written on the inside that suggest it can be used to kill. We haven't checked it, and in fact another detective who showed up shortly after it was brought in suggested we burn it. That order was already carried out."

"Which is why I believe Goro is correct in thinking that isn't the real Phantom Thief Joker," came another, deeper male voice.

Into the room walked a lanky young man with a pale complexion and unkempt dark hair.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is L."

Goro nodded the turned to Koichi.

"Detective Hirose, this is L Lawliet, a prominent British detective. He had been called in investigate the Kira case, which as you should be aware was cut short with the discovery of the Death Note."

"But we never found Kira himself," L pointed out, "Although the Higashikatas found a viable suspect, that suspect, one Light Yagami, is currently in the wind. All profiling suggests that Light is in fact Kira, and it's possible the Death Note might have been his weapon of choice. If so, this could be him trying to get it back. Futile now, as it turns out."

Nearby, Shinzo and Mitsuharu found Light.

"You're really going through with this?," Mitsuharu asked, "You already had a chance to use a power for good, and you blew it."

Light glowered.

"I WAS using that power for good! I was killing off the worst criminals society had ever seen!"

Shinzo chuckled.

"And how many of them were actual criminals? Given Japan's conviction rate of just over 99%, false verdicts are most definitely a possibility."

Light scoffed as he summoned Doom Chimera Dragon to fly off.

"We'll see who has the right of it..."

Mitsuharu shook his head.

"So blind to how the world works. I can't believe Father Roche offered him a shard."

"He saw potential in him," Shinzo reminded his friend, "But I will admit, it's clear that he isn't living up to that potential. Right now we're able to hold our numbers against the two factions against us, but if Light continues to act so recklessly, I'm afraid we'll start to fall behind."

Mitsuharu nodded.

"Perhaps it's for the best. We can leave him to the police once the local Stand users deal with him. In the meantime, we have other friends we need to look after."

Jogo looked at a copy of the Shujin calling card and compared it to the one delivered to the police.

"There's definitely reason to believe a copycat. But I thought the Phantom Thieves only consisted of Joker and Violet."

"They clearly started a recruitment drive," Goro explained, "This video leaked to the internet confirms the existence of the other three."

He showed the photo to Jogo. Jogo nodded.

"Gotcha. You know, I gotta say I do think Light Yagami really is the guy behind this. He managed to escape before we could apprehend him."

"Do you know where he could be hiding?," Goro asked.

Just then, a tiny black and yellow creature appeared on the nearby railing.

"Ah, Harvest," Jogo said, "Good timing."

He picked up the small scrap of folded paper in the tiny Stand's compartment. Once unfolded, it revealed an address.

"This is where Shigechi found Light hiding," Jogo explained, "His Stand, Harvest, contains five hundred bodies that can go anywhere and are capable of picking up small objects. Weak individually, but they pack a punch if they gang up on someone. Shigechi mostly uses them to pick up spare change lost around the city. He tends to rake in fifty thousand yen a day, all nice and legal."

Goro whistled, impressed.

"Suddenly my ability to rend spatial reality sounds lame by comparison."

Jogo laughed.

"There's a reason he's considered the strongest Stand user in Morioh. Mom, Dad, and Okuyasu had to get clever to be able to beat him. Well, right now we have a dangerous criminal to apprehend. That is if you don't mind a little local help."

Goro nodded.

"I could always use a little backup. Especially since you know the area better than I do. And your Stand is apparently pretty strong in its own right."

The duo hurried out, Goro contacting the police as he did so.

Light was pouring over his blueprints for the police precinct.

"Just a few more details and I'll..."

He jerked his head up having heard something. He carefully walked out of the room, only to have to dodge as arrows came flying in. Goro had entered the room and taken higher platform, while Jogo was down below.

"Activate Stealth and Hammer!"

A small device appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg while a large hammer appeared on its left arm. Both of them vanished briefly, just long enough to ambush Light and whack him upside the head. Light quickly recovered.

"Doom Chimera Dragon!"

"Activate Shield!"

Jogo put up his Stand's shield to block the incoming flames.

"Break the Chain!"

Goro fired off several arrows from his Stand, visual representations of his power to rend space. Light rolled out of the way, but breaking off his attack gave Jogo an opening.

"Activate Hand and Magic Hand!"

A crane-like claw appeared on Cosmic Mind's right arm, while a smaller hand-like device appeared on its right leg, both of them grabbing Light.

"Now Goro!," Jogo called out.

"Break the Chain!," Goro called out, his Stand firing rapidly at the shard until it completely shattered.

As Light called out in fury, Jogo punched him out.

Shinzo watched from afar as Light was hauled away in cuffs.

"It's as we expected. True justice is not a matter of black and white. It's about what one feels is right."

"That would explain why you voted on this new website that cropped up recently," Mitsuharu said with a chuckled.

He showed his tablet, which showed a page called the Phantom Aficionado Website.

"I guess you could say I empathize with the Phantom Thieves," Shinzo admitted, "They break away from their simple lives to be something better, and hopefully better others. I used to be a simple salaryman before I was found by Father Roche."

"I used to work for an IT company," Mitsuharu noted, "We all come from different backgrounds in the end."

"I can't believe you had a cool adventure without us," JK said as Jogo recounted his story.

"I can't believe the son of the Japanese police chief would commit such mass murder," Miu said in shock.

"Sometimes people wear a mask to hide their true feelings," Jogo pointed out, "Jung referred to such masks as a persona."

"Do you think the Phantom Thieves will ever try anything in Morioh?," Kengo asked, "They have their own website now, so it's possible more people might ask them to steal things."

Jogo shrugged.

"Who can really say?"

Chapter Text

May 6

Ren listened intently as Kawakami discussed the concept of having different sides to one's personality, and how it differed from multiple personality disorder. Later, Strike Back gathered to check out the Phantom Aficionado Website, or Phan-Site for short.

"Information's already streaming in," Ryuji noted, "And look. There's even a poll question. 'Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves?' Right now it's only sitting on six percent."

"That's honestly higher than I expected," Ren admitted, "I guess people are jaded after the Kira incident. But if a whole internet working together can expose a supernatural serial killer, maybe they can expose a supernatural conspiracy."

Meanwhile, Kobayakawa was speaking with the student council president, Makoto Niijima.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, thank you for coming," Kobayakawa said, "I'm sure you're aware of the recent incident involving Ishishiro. Now I would have thought this matter would have ended with his arrest, but the school board is under pressure to find the Phantom Thieves. Apparently the police are convinced they are students here at Shujin."

"Is that possible?," Makoto asked, "I mean, Phantom Thief Joker has been active for a while prior to this incident."

"Yes, my thoughts exactly," Kobayakawa admitted, "But the commissioner's logic is that these newcomers only showed up for this one job. He seems to believe that they, at least, might be from Shujin. Honestly, I'd rather not bother the student body with this, but I'm under obligation to at least make a token investigation. I'm not expecting miracles, mind you. Police have tried for months to catch the Lord of Crime himself, but Joker has constantly eluded capture, even against supernatural investigators. Just look into for a bit."

Makoto nodded.

"I'll do what I can, Principal."

Later, Ren was approached by Yuuki Mishima.

"Hey. So, have seen the Phantom Aficionado Website?"

"Yeah," Ren said.

He then noticed Mishima was exuding a familiar energy.

"You're a Stand user?"

"Yep," Mishima replied, "It's how I got the site up so fast. The Call, that's my Stand's name, is the reason the rest of the volleyball team wasn't fully affected by Ishishiro's overlay. But if you're a Stand user too... Does that mean you're Phantom Thief Joker...?"

"Keep it down," Ren replied, "But yes. If you're gonna help us out, you need to keep a secret. And our team name is Strike Back."

Mishima nodded.

"Got it. I'll update the poll question."

Ren headed to the clinic. While the clinical trial was going on, Takemi was sighing.

"Something bugging you?," Ren asked.

"I've been getting more calls from that family," Takemi explained, "It's been getting me stressed."

"Aren't you glad you have more patients?," Ren asked, confused.

"I was honestly happy just being a medical pariah," Takemi clarified, "It gave me time to perfect the medicine I was working on."

"Yeah, about that," Ren said, "I'm having trouble believing that medical error was your fault."

"Well, technically it wasn't," Takemi admitted, "See, up until a while ago I was part of a medical team researching Crawford-Ende's disease, a rare genetic disorder wherein certain cells start indiscriminately attacking other cells throughout the body. Once it reaches the muscles, the patient starts to slowly die…"

Ren realized what she was getting at. Once the disease reached the heart, which was one giant muscle, it was all over.

"As you can imagine with a disease so rare," Takemi continued, "Research has been slow because there aren't many cases to investigate. My team reached the final stage of production, but all of a sudden I was taken off the team."

Ren was shocked.

"But why?"

"The Chief Director, Oyamada, wanted to push forward the medicine on a young patient with Crawford-Ende's, named Miwa," Takemi explained, "I guess he wanted the fame for discovering a new medicine. He ignored my warning that the medicine being in the final production stage wasn't the same as it being complete. Sure enough, when the incomplete medicine was applied, it triggered a bad reaction and Miwa lapsed into critical condition. Trying to maintain his position, Oyamada made me into a scapegoat. And here I am."

"That medicine…," Ren noted.

"You realized it, yes?," Takemi said, "It's the same one from that incident. It was already at a stage where human testing was viable."

"How did you get the money for the research?," Ren asked.

"I'm not completely out of resources," Takemi said with a smirk, "Not everybody bought Oyamada's story, so in spite of my blacklisting there are still other doctors and investors willing to lend me their support. That's why I was never concerned about having so few patients, or Oyamada's numerous threats. My only concern is getting this medicine completed before Miwa…"

She grew silent, and Ren realized what she really wanted. To save the life she was prevented from saving before.

As Ren walked into the cafe, Sojiro tossed him a key.

"That's the key to this place," he explained, "I can't keep waiting every night for you to come home. Just don't go setting any fires."

Now able to explore outside Yongen-Jaya at night, Ren headed for the bookstore and bought one called Medjed Menace to read back at the cafe.

May 7

"Exams start this Wednesday," Kawakami said, "I hope you've all been studying. Anyway, today we'll be looking over The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Widely theorized as either Japan's oldest story, or the world's oldest science fiction story. But in my opinion, it's Japan's oldest story about a terrible woman. Princess Kaguya demands absurd tasks and fancy gifts from her suitors before just running off for the moon. Some men lose their fortunes, and some suffer humiliation. This type of woman is typically referred to as a 'femme fatale'. Mister Amamiya, can you give the literal translation of this phrase?"

"Fatal woman," Ren replied.

"Very good," Kawakami replied, "The phrase comes from French, but can describe women from all cultures, such as Morgan le Fay, Queen Salome, and Carmen. Real life examples exist as well, such as former thief Fujiko Mine, Rebecca Rossellini, and even Phantom Thief Violet. Anyway, keep in mind that you won't pass exams from just a single night of studying. Take your time and make sure you understand the material."

"I wonder how Sumire would feel being referred to as a femme fatale," Morgana said, "I think Ann could also qualify."

The team met up at their hideout after school.

"Hey, did you hear?," Ryuji said, "Niijima is on the warpath."

"Who?," Sumire asked.

"The student council president," Ann explained, "Makoto Niijima. We'll need to give her a wide birth. She's a Stand user like us, so if she spots our energy signature she'll zero in on us. Apparently she's been asked to investigate the Phantom Thieves."

"We picked a good time to switch hideouts," Ryuji said, "She's labeled the roof as off-limits to students without permission."

"We've dodged worse than a student council president," Sumire said.

"Don't underestimate her," Morgana warned, "I overheard the other students talking about how her sister is a high-ranking prosecutor."

"For now let's focus on the real issue at hand," Ren suggested, "Mishima set up the Phan-Site to accept minor requests. Serious situations only. Here's a good one. A woman who's ex has been stalking her. Guy by the name of Natsuhiko Nakanohara."

"Think he's with the conspiracy?," Ryuji asked.

"I kinda doubt it," Ann pointed out.

"Rather, I think he's being brainwashed by the conspiracy," Ren clarified.

"You get some info from Igor?," Sumire asked.

Ren nodded.

"He's pinpointed an overlay created by one Akira Tetsuressha."

"I think I know the place," Morgana said, "I stumbled across it when I first awakened my Stand. It's a deep subway network referred to as Legion of Monsters. People drawn into it can have their hearts completely changed. If we can infiltrate Legion of Monsters, we should be able to change them back."

Ren nodded.

"Nakanohara is a teller at city hall, so he should be a good starting point. Morgana, where's the entrance to the overlay?"

"At the subway entrance in Shibuya's Station Square," Morgana replied, "I already scoped out the first couple of floors, so I can guide you."

The team contacted Monarch and Hera's Eye before diving into the overlay.

"I had Mishima send the calling card on the Phan-Site itself," Joker said.

He showed the calling card.

"Natsuhiko Nakanohara, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. Today we will steal the Qimranut from your possession."

"The Qimranut is a goat statue Nakanohara received in the mail prior to his change," Joker explained.

"The statue should be connected to Tetsuressha's Stand physically," Mona noted, "We just need to find it here."

"But this place is so vast," Monarch pointed out, "How are we gonna find it quickly?"

"Easy," Mona said, "As it happens, I was watching My Neighbor Totoro last night and got some inspiration. Anything Goes!"

He quickly transformed into a van large enough for twelve people.

"Sweet," Skull said, "Now you can drive us around the overlay."

"Not quite," Mona clarified, "I still need someone to drive me."

"I might as well," Joker said, "I only have a motorcycle license, but that still gives me driving experience."

The guards down in the subway were rather bland, only taking the form of walking black masses with bird masks. The one they encountered had the familiar Viscid Rotting Meat, a blob of matter with a large mouth and red eyes that was changed into Slime. In an out-of-the-way section of the overlay, the team spotted the statue. The second Joker reached his hand out to it, he felt himself reach out of the overlay. He nodded.

"Thought so. The real statue can be accessed from here."

He grabbed the statue from its location, feeling a sudden shift in the overlay.

"I think that may have worked," Violet said.

"There should be a door further down," Morgana said, "It was locked when I first found it but now..."

They found the door, and sure enough it turned out to have been unlocked.

"This must be because we took out Ishishiro," Skull suggested.

"Most likely," Joker said, "Let's head back for now."

On the way up, the team ran into a familiar child.

"Jose?," Violet asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's Joker and Violet," Jose said, "I heard about this overlay, so I wanted to check it out. The Stand user in charge of it is very incompatible with you, so that means I can alter his Stand to give you an advantage."

Joker nodded.

"That'll come in handy. Hopefully we can count on your Stand helping us out?"

Jose nodded.

"Yep. Always."

Back in reality, Ren explained about Jose's Stand, Wish Upon A Star, and how it could unite the powers of two compatible Stand users.

"We'll be needing that power if we hope to reach the core of Tetsuressha's overlay. We take that out, we take out the whole conspiracy."

"But first we have to get through exams...," Ann muttered, "I'm still struggling in math."

"English is killing me," Ryuji admitted, "Heck, people say my Japanese needs work too."

None of them noticed the young man in the distance who seemed to be observing Ann. Ren finished reading Medjed Menace before falling asleep.

May 8

The next day Ren and Mishima hung out a the local diner.

"So I was able to confirm that Nakanohara stopped stalking his ex," Mishima said, "When he spoke with the police, he said he couldn't believe that he would do something so horrible."

"It turns out the statue he received had a portion of Legion of Monsters's energy," Ren explained, "It was affecting his mind. There's bound to be plenty of people like that. Think you can help find them?"

"Leave it to me," Mishima assured him, "Thanks to The Call, I've got my ear to the internet."

When Ren got home, he started helping Sojiro at the cafe.

"This is the house special," Sojiro said, "A good combination of coffee and curry. The recipe is a trade secret, only known to family and employees."

"Well, that's simple," Ren said, "Since I'm really the only employee here."

Just then the bell rang to signal someone entering. Sojiro was about to greet the man, only to scowl instead.

"Oh, it's you. Didn't me and Wakaba tell you to leave us alone?"

The gave a friendly smile, but Ren could easily sense the venom behind it.

"Hey now, I'm just here for a cordial visit. Heard you opened up a little shop here and wanted to check it out."

"Then either place an order or get out," Sojiro said curtly.

"No need for such for vitriol," the man said, "Especially towards family. Anyway, I just moved into the neighborhood, so maybe I'll stop by again."

And with that, he walked out.

"That guy seemed suspicious," Ren noted, "I've seen his type before."

Sojiro nodded.

"Best keep an eye out for him, but in the meantime let's get back to your brewing lessons."

May 9

Mishima: Got some info about a bully here at Shujin. His name's Daisuke Takanashi. I was able to confirm that he has a statue just like Nakanohara.

The team was assembled at the hideout.

"I was able to confirm that Takanashi is more than the average bully," Ren said, "He's actually taken to blackmailing his targets."

"Should we get him right now?," Ann asked.

"Not necessarily," Sumire said, "Ishishiro became aware of our repeated infiltration of his overlay. Tetsuressha might be the same. Let's get at least a second request like Takanashi's before we start delving."

"We can send out the calling card via the internet first, though," Ren said, holding up his phone.

"Daisuke Takanashi, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal Le Mat from your possession."

Takemi sighed as she saw off an elderly woman who had dropped her handkerchief at the clinic.

"Something bothering you?," Ren asked as he approached, "I know you just wanted to develop your medicine, but you can't tell me you're not happy being a beloved doctor again."

"Well," Takemi said, "I will admit it's a nice feeling, but I never really thought the life of a local doctor was for me after what happened. The problem is some of these customers come to me with weird requests. Just the other day I got a request for a 'cold-buster'. Even I'm not that good. And someone wanted to me to do a consultation on a cat."

"I'm not touching that one," Morgana muttered.

Takemi sighed.

"I just wanted to keep my head down until I was done with that medicine, so I could use it to prove I wasn't really responsible for the medical error. Now I'm concerned how things will turn out. That said…"

She smiled.

"It is good to be able to help people again. And the extra cash can only help. I might be able to expand my stock while I'm working. Oh, speaking of which, we need to catch up on testing. I've managed to go through all the data, but there's still a few more adjustments I need to work on."

Ren nodded as he entered the clinic.

May 10

Early morning had class with Inui.

"Exams start tomorrow, so I hope you're all prepared. Now, picking up from last time, the end of the Heian period marks the rise of the samurai, which I'm sure you've all been waiting for. The Tale of the Heike describes it as a period when all that was great would fall from grace. Oftentimes the heroes of yesterday would be struck down as rebels of the present. By the way, sympathizing with the weak is known as the 'magistrate's patronage'. The term comes from Minamoto no Yoshitsune's official position. Mister Amamiya, do you remember what period Yoshitsune was active in?"

"The Heian period," Ren replied.

"Good to see you're paying attention," Inui said, "During this period Yoshitsune supported his brother Yoritomo, only to be driven out and ultimately executed. This in spite of Yoshitsune's contributions in defeating the Taira. These days, Yoshitsune's status as a hero has been reinstated, albeit with a tragic angle to it. Today it's not uncommon for people to side with the underdogs opposing those with overwhelming power."

"I can see that," Morgana admitted, "It's like, if I don't root for them, who will?"

After school, Ren met with Ann at a local diner.

"So how's Shiho been doing?," Ren asked.

"She's almost completely recovered," Ann replied, "But now she's made a habit of patrolling the subways as Nemesis, catching gropers in the act and turning them over to the police. I'd be concerned about her missing volleyball practice, but..."

"But Spike King has been making his own rounds," Ren noted.

"We need to try and improve ourselves too," Ann noted, "You and Sumire have had months to improve your Stands, but me and Ryuji have only used ours for fighting recently. We're still just rookies right now."

"You'll catch up," Ren assured her.

That evening Ren sat down to do some of the crossword.

"Down 1, Gloom... Down 2, Blight... Down 3, Ache... And finally Across 1, what are the May Blues? Malaise."

May 11

"Check this out," Lila said as she read the bulletin board.

"A mandatory school assembly on Friday?," Sumire asked.

"What kind of bullshit is this?," Ryuji asked, "Why they gotta pull this during exam week?"

"I overheard it from the teachers," Ren said, "They're bringing in a guidance councilor to help students affected by Ishishiro's actions. Anyway, we should get to our exams."

Ren found the questions easy to understand.

"You seem to be breezing through this," Morgana noted, "Guess all that spare time studying paid off."

May 12

"A lot of the other students have been talking about Strike Back's actions," Ann noted.

"It does feel like the atmosphere is less oppressive," Zoe noted, "Like a big knot got pulled apart from deep inside the school."

"Once exams are over we should keep an eye on the Phan-Site," Ryuji suggested, "More people might be making suggestions about who the Shadows should target."

"Well, for now you should focus on your exams," Morgana pointed out, "After all, tomorrow is for another day."

Chapter Text

A local food truck was driving through Morioh. He was just minding his own business when a sudden slowdown effect occurred, causing him to nearly wipeout. It ended quickly and he was able to stop in time.

As he got out of his car he asked, "What was that?"

Just then, the effect happened again, this time more prolonged. Yasuyuki approached the truck along with his two comedy buddies Hiromi Yasuda and Akihiro Kurokawa. Yasuyuki sniffed the air and smiled.

"This is it, guys! That rotten stuff we found earlier! Find it and dispose of it!"

"Got it HIRO," Hiromi said, "Hey, care to get us an opening with that cool new Stand you got?"

Yasuyuki laughed.

"Well, since you asked so nicely... Instant Crush!"

His Stand emerged and smashed open the back of the truck, after which Akihiro hopped inside. Yasuyuki then approached the driver.

"You have any idea the dangerous stuff you've been carting?"

The driver freaked out.

"Please... Someone help!"

"Killer Queen!"

Kengo's voice rang out as a sudden explosion rocked the air, knocking into Instant Crush and tossing Yasuyuki aside. That got Hiromi and Akihiro's attention. Kengo landed on the ground, with Jogo and Shun coming up behind him.

"So you're the guys that have been attacking food trucks in Morioh," Jogo said, "Real shame, you guys are an awesome comedy group."

"So it's the New Morioh Warriors," Yasuyuki noted, "Kuro-chan, Dancho, deal with the Killer Queen and footballer. I've got the Joestar."

"Got it HIRO," Hiromi said, "Dugares the Timeless!"

He summoned a birdman dressed in dark Renaissance clothes. Akihiro followed suit.

"Master of Blades!"

He summoned a masked assassin in blue Arabian garb.

"Numbers 060 and 074," Jogo noted, "Yasuyuki must have wanted his buddies in on this."

"I got the assassin," Kengo said.

He turned to Shun.

"Think you got the birdie?"

Shun smirked.

"Leave it to me. Pigskin!"

Hiromi got blindsided as Shun's Stand slammed into Dugares the Timeless, knocking him aside. Master of Blades tried to launch a few daggers, but Killer Queen was able to punch them right of the air, the minor explosions ruining the blades. Meanwhile Jogo was tangling with Yasuyuki.

"Activate Stamper!"

The stamp device tagged Instant Crush, causing a powerful explosion that sent it reeling.

"Looks like extreme power can crack through that armor," Jogo noted.

"It's not just for defense," Yasuyuki pointed out.

Instant Crush swung its hammer arm, nailing Cosmic Mind and sending it and Jogo flying back. Jogo wiped away a bit of blood.

"Not a bad shot. But it takes more than that to keep a Joestar down. Activate Rocket and Drill!"

Cosmic Mind launched up into the air before coming down, its drill leg slamming into Instant Crush hard. Yasuyuki was thrown back by the force.

"HIRO!," the two comedy buddies called out.

They rushed over to him.

"I'm fine," Yasuyuki assured them, "But we ain't winning this one. Kuro-chan, get us out of here."

Akihiro nodded.

"Master of Blades!"

His shard threw down a smoke pellet, letting them escape quickly. Shun grumbled.

"They managed to escape. What were they even doing here?"

"Koichi said these guys were seen attacking a lot of food trucks," Jogo said as he helped the driver up, "You okay?"

The driver nodded.

"Yes, thank you."

He then noticed the debris from the attack was gone.

"Driver's fine, Dad," Jogo said.

Josuke walked out from the truck.

"Your truck should be good as new. Drive safe now."

The driver nodded, still a little shaken. What he didn't know was that Crazy Diamond was holding a peculiar canister behind Josuke's back.

Koichi explained the situation with Luna and Yukako at dinner that evening.

"The reason we were able to predict the attack is because of Public Security," he said, "They were able to find a pattern in the attacks, even though supposedly the trio were attacking at random."

"I don't get it though," Yukako said, "So far all of the crimes committed by the shard bearers who evolved into Stand users has been minor and incidental."

"That's the thing that confuses me too," Koichi admitted, "When we questioned the other food truck drivers, they said the trio only bought food from them and nothing else. Tamami even confirmed it. The Lock showed none of them were lying."

"So how did the trucks blow up then?," Luna asked, "From what Jogo saw, Instant Crush doesn't have the ability to cause such a serious explosion. Not even hitting the gas tank would do that unless there were serious sparks flying."

"The gas tank wasn't hit to begin with," Koichi noted, "It's always been the truck bed that got blown up."

"Have you spoken with the company the last driver worked for?," Yukako asked, "I'm sure he might have some ideas."

"We were going to get into that tomorrow," Koichi said, "Josuke and Okuyasu were coming with me."

The next day, Yasuyuki and his friends were enjoying some lunch when Shinzo and Mitsuharu showed up.

"Did you find what you were looking for?," Mitsuharu asked.

"Yes and no," Yasuyuki said, "We found one of the trucks, but we got ambushed by the New Morioh Warriors before could get at it. I finally found out which trucks were hauling the stuff, though."

Mitsuharu nodded.

"I'll hack the delivery routes and let you know where each one is. You're doing a good service with your Stand, trying to protect the city. Some Stand users wouldn't do that."

"We have these powers for a reason, right?," Yasuyuki said, "I'm the kinda guy that likes peace, but what this company is doing is far from peaceful. What's the saying from that one American comic book...?"

"Oh, I know this one!," Akihiro called out.

He made a dramatic pose.

"With great power... Comes great responsibility..."

"Ah, that's the one!," Yasuyuki said in excitement.

Shinzo chuckled.

"It's a wonder how your two friends haven't evolved yet. They certainly have the right mindset to be Stand users. Then again... Perhaps too many of the wrong people have the potential."

"Did you run into that other group yet?," Mitsuharu asked.

Yasuyuki shook his head.

"We've been pretty lucky in that regard."

Koichi, Josuke, and Okuyasu met with the president of the health food company, Type-R Health. The president, Kuromachi, shook Koichi's hand.

"Honestly, I don't know why this is happening," Kuromachi said, tearing up, "We're a simple health food and supplement company..."

Koichi looked to where Tamami was in hiding, the short little man shaking his head.

"Well, the culprit was a big guy," Josuke noted, "Maybe he was trying to lose weight."

"I thought I was the one among us who made the dumb comments," Okuyasu quipped.

Nearby, Pinkie was driving Jogo and Luna to the scene of another delivery truck. She was listening in on the conversation. Just then, the police radio called in about another truck getting attacked.

"We can't afford to waste time. Smile!"

The car made a speed up by first lurching back in an arc before rushing forward.

"And to think Mom's mentally stable," Jogo muttered to himself.

Just then, Pinkie's car made a sudden stop, causing all three of them to faceplant against the windshield. Standing there was Takeo.

"Kids," Pinkie said, "Get to the truck. I'll handle this guy."

Jogo and Luna hurried out and ran off, Takeo confused at the dust cloud they were kicking up.

"My Stand turns all of Morioh into a toon world," Pinkie explained, "Anyone aware of it can be tuned in. Of course, I can tune them right back out if I need to."

Meanwhile, Jogo and Luna happened across the scene, seeing the truck completely blown open the driver injured on the ground.

"Hang in there," Jogo said, "Cosmic Mind! Activate Medical!"

A first aid kit appeared on Cosmic Mind's left arm, the bandages and injections filled with a special chemical infused with the same cosmic energy Jogo manipulated, to insure faster healing. Luna looked at the truck.

"Hey, Jogo," she said, "Doesn't this truck look more damaged than the ones from Type-R?"

Jogo looked and realized his girlfriend was right.

Meanwhile, the driver from before encountered Yasuyuki and his buddies again.

"Looks like we got a fresh one," Yasuyuki said as he sniffed around, "Boys, crack it open!"

"Got it, HIRO!," Akihiro replied, "Master of Blades!"

His shard used its daggers to pry open the door and get inside, cutting into the back to retrieve a large case.

"Got it! Boss, get ready to smash it!"

Yasuyuki nodded.

"Instant Crush!"

Akihiro came out with a large canister, only to have it grabbed by Cosmic Mind.

"So this is what you were after," Jogo realized, "I get that you wanted to dispose of these, but did you need to go wrecking food trucks to get at it?"

"Hey, it ain't our fault the company is transporting these to sabotage the competition," Yasuyuki retorted, "I'm just using my Stand to wreck the stuff."

Hiromi rushed at Jogo.

"Dugares the Timeless!"

Jogo turned to see the oncoming opponent.

"Activate Freeze!"

A small fridge appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg, opening and hitting Hiromi with a quick blast of cold.

"Activate Giant Foot!"

A large boot replaced the fridge, and Cosmic Mind stamped down on Dugares the Timeless, shattering it for good.

"Dancho!," Akihiro called out.

Yasuyuki hurried over to his downed friend.

"He's okay, Kuro-chan. Just got knocked out from his shard getting destroyed."

Akihiro breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Takeo was getting tossed around by Smile.

"Looks like my son just took out another shard bearer," Pinkie said, "We're down to ninety-nine now."

"Damn it," Takeo said, "At this rate I can't get to the diary."

"Diary?," Pinkie asked, "What diary?"

"The diary of DIO," Takeo explained, "It's the prize for our victory."

Pinkie smirked.

"Well not yours. I think it's time you shed that coat, it is way too warm for the season. Smile!"

"WARAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAI! KEEP SMILING!"

Takeo cried out in pain as Smile smashed through his Stand's defense, knocking him out in the process.

Meanwhile, Jogo and Luna were trying to chase down the other two comedy buddies. However, they got stopped when they got stuck with several pins, getting them paralyzed. Jogo was able to move just enough to spot Mitsuharu approaching.

"Apologies for the stun. Don't worry, you were also injected with a antidote to my neurotoxin. You'll live, but you'll be paralyzed for a few hours."

"You're another one...," Jogo realized, "Aren't you...?"

"I'm Mitsuharu Kineta," Mitsuharu replied, "And this is my Stand, Ego Brain. It used to be Number 003, but I have since evolved."

He knelt over to the duo.

"Tell me... Do you know why it was they Yasuyuki was targeting those trucks?"

"The explosives inside," Jogo said, "We already knew about them. Okuyasu had found them earlier, and we got suspicious."

Mitsuharu looked genuinely impressed.

"I guess I underestimated you."

He started to walk off.

"I realize we're causing a little trouble, but there are some people out there who are worse. Before you continue going after us... I recommend you look into that president's connections."

Jogo quickly turned to Cosmic Mind, which still had Medical active, and used it to heal himself and Luna.

Chapter Text

May 13

"I notice that the overlays have such powerful magic that we don't need to worry about time limits," Zoe said.

"The supernatural energy seems capable of recharging our powers," Nooroo noted, "Just remember that once you leave, if you have used your powers at least once, you will need to recharge us."

Lila nodded.

"I shouldn't have to worry as much, but Zoe is creating more familiars with each trip. Anyway, let's hurry to the exam."

Kobayakawa addressed the students after the exams were done.

"After the incident regarding Ishishiro, the school board has been concerned for the mental well-being of those affected, and has asked us to bring in a professional psychiatrist. To be frank, I thought the idea sound. If you would address the student, Doctor?"

Ren raised an eyebrow at the familiar mop of hair belonging to the guy that walked in.

"That's Takuto Maruki."

"You know him?," Ann asked.

"I was contacted by him as Joker in the time before I met Sumire," Ren explained, "While I was investigating the Dream of Italy."

As the group left the stadium after the assembly, they were approached by Maruki.

"Ah, I thought I felt a familiar energy," he said, "So, Joker, this is what you look like under the mask."

Ren realized Maruki was radiating Stand energy, something that didn't happen the last time they met.

"Did you run into a Stand arrow?," Ren asked.

"Well, no," Maruki said, "My Stand just kinda... Appeared while visiting my girlfriend in the hospital a few months ago."

He manifested a tentacled creature with a golden mask resembling a human face.

"This is Over Quartzer," Maruki said, "It can rewind a person's memories to help them face trauma from an outside perspective. It worked wonders on Rumi."

"Is it really that easy?," Ann asked.

"Well, it is a little more involved," Maruki admitted, "Over Quartzer not only shows them the memories, but offers a guiding hand in coming to terms with it, fueled by my own expertise in psychology. It can even offer a perspective on how things could have gone differently, letting the person understand their own pain. Oh, and the tentacles pack a punch. I know I was only supposed to speak with Ishishiro's victims, but since I'm aware of your actions as Phantom Thieves, I thought it might help if I give you some pointers on mental strength."

"Not a bad deal," Ren suggested, "We'll take you up on that."

Ann had gone first, followed by Sumire. She was surprised as she came out when she bumped into Kasumi.

"Oh, Sis. Did you have an appointment?"

Kasumi nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't want to say anything before, but Ishishiro was starting to target the gymnastics team in preparation for when his victory over Kamoshida. Luckily my Stand let me enter and escape his overlay, but..."

Sumire nodded. Kasumi's Stand wasn't meant for combat, but transport.

"Well, I'm glad you're getting better."

Kasumi nodded with a smile.

"Thanks, Sis."

When Ren visited Maruki, he gave a brief rundown of everything that happened since their last meeting.

"So it all ended with that disappearing casino," Maruki said, "Well, considering Ishishiro could create a castle I doubt you were hallucinating, especially with so many other witnesses. As for me, unlocking my Stand put a new perspective into my research. I've been trying to write a thesis on finding ways to cure mental pain, such as PTSD. Rumi had been suffering from it prior to Over Quartzer awakening."

"And how did you wind up changing perspectives?," Ren asked.

"Well, I originally thought of removing it altogether," Maruki admitted, "But it turns out Rumi needed to remember every bit of her past trauma in order to be truly cured, like how sometimes physical injuries leave scars behind. The trick is to put them in an outside perspective. Now, for me it's easy, since it's how my Stand works. But I've been researching how to apply my Stand's power to real world psychology. As fellow Stand users, I hope that you and the rest of Strike Back can give me some pointers. Stand power comes from the mind, after all."

"Indeed," Ren agreed.

May 14

"Today's the last day of exams," Ryuji said, "And... At least I won't be failing. But I really struggled on some of the courses."

"I actually did pretty well," Sumire said.

"I pretty much aced it," Ren admitted, "By the way, where's Ann?"

Ann walked up with Lila and Zoe.

"Hey, guys," Ann said, "Well, I think I did better than I was expecting."

"My only difficulty was in understanding the kanji," Lila admitted, "I can speak Japanese fluently, along with English, French, German, Chinese, and of course Italian, but reading it is another story."

Ann turned around and started scanning the subway.

"Something wrong?," Morgana asked.

"I've been getting this feeling like someone's been following me for the last week," Ann replied, "I think they're here now."

"I am feeling some strong emotions directed towards Ann," Lila noted.

The group nodded to each other. Ren, Sumire, and Ryuji used their Stands to zip ahead in elemental form. Zoe and Lila walked on ahead. Morgana hid in Ann's bag as she walked up the escalator.

"He's still following us," Morgana whispered.

"You gotta be kidding me," Ann muttered, "Who is this guy?"

She stood in an agreed upon spot and waited as the figure approached, only to get blocked the rest of the group. However, they were surprised when it turned out to be a blue-haired boy their age.

"Are you sure this is the guy?," Ryuji asked.

"Is something wrong?," the boy asked.

"That's what I wanna know!," Ann called out, "I spotted you following me from the train!"

"Ah, my apologies," the boy said, "I saw you from Sensei's car and couldn't help chasing after you."

He got really close.

"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time! Please..."

Ann started to get flustered.

"Please...?"

The boy waved his arm in a flourish.

"Won't you be my next art model!?"

The entire group face-faulted.

"Wait, you're an artist?," Sumire asked.

"Indeed," the boy replied, "I'm a second-year at Kosei High School's fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa, a pupil of Madarame-sensei."

Ren was shocked.

"You mean Ichiryusai Madarame, the famous artist?"

Yusuke nodded.

"Yes, you know of him?"

"I've been to my fair share of art galleries," Ren replied, "Some of which featured him."

Sumire knew pretty much all of those galleries were owned by art thieves, with Joker working to steal back the art. A black car pulled up and the back window rolled down, revealing an elderly man in a kimono.

"Ah, Yusuke. So this is where your passion led you."

"Forgive my sudden impetuousness, Sensei," Yusuke said.

"It's fine," the man said.

"That would be Madarame himself," Sumire explained to the others.

"Oh yeah!," Ann realized, "I remember seeing him on Good Morning, Japan the other day!"

"Yusuke, we need to get going," Madarame said.

"Just a moment," Yusuke said.

He pulled out some tickets from his pocket.

"Here, these are tickets an art exhibition Sensei is hosting to showcase the work of his various students, myself included. I should get going."

He got back in the car next to Madarame. Morgana noted the driver in a business suit, and familiar energy around him.

"Something about that driver is suspicious..."

"So what should we do?," Lila asked.

"Well, I'd like to go," Zoe admitted, "Some of Madarame's work has been featured in the Louvre, so I'd like to see how his students stack up."

"We might as well," Ryuji suggested, "Yusuke did give us free tickets."

"Well, first we should get back to Shujin," Ren said, "We need to finish exams before we even consider going."

Tetsuressha contacted his next subordinate.

"Have you completed your overlay?"

'Yes,' the figure on the monitor said, 'And already most of Madarame's students are being affected. All save for one, his adopted son Kitagawa.'

"Keep an eye on him," Tetsuressha warned, "If he is not feeling the effects so easily there is likely a good reason. You made sure to stay off the beaten path?"

'Oh yes,' the figure assured him, 'Since I'm working for Madarame, I know where his students are staying. There's no way those Phantom Thieves will find it.'

After the exams were over, Ryuji started scanning the Phan-Site.

"Nothing definitive. Just a basic idea that some art students are showing up at school feeling tired and overworked."

"What about the tickets we got?," Ann asked, "That exhibition is tomorrow."

"It is featuring the work of Madarame's students," Sumire noted, "If any of them are being affected it would be beneficial to get some idea of what he's like."

Ren nodded.

"Plus, a true Phantom Thief should have an eye for fine art. Meaning you guys need the experience."

Ryuji nodded.

"Okay, we'll go tomorrow."

Ren decided to end the day finishing up MacGyver.

May 15

The next day the group arrived at the exhibition. Yusuke came out to greet them.

"Ah, thank you all for coming. Come to think of it, I don't believe I caught your names yesterday."

The group introduced themselves.

"I see," Yusuke said, "Miss Takamaki, if you found follow me, most of my works are that part of the exhibit over there."

The rest of the girls went with him, whilst Ren, Ryuji, and Morgana checked out the rest of the exhibit.

"Madarame sure has a lot of pupils, doesn't he?," Ryuji noted, "Hey, look, this one was done by Nakanohara."

Ren looked at the painting, a portrait of a young woman, and saw Nakanohara's name signed on it.

"So Nakanohara has an art hobby on top of working for city hall," Morgana noted, "Oh, there's Madarame in the center of the exhibition."

Madarame was standing with the driver from earlier. On the column next to them was a gorgeous painting of a woman in red looking lovingly at the baby in her arms. Several reporters were in attendance.

"The works of your students are just captivating," a female interviewer said, "It's clear they learned much from your expertise."

"Thank you," Madarame replied, "Sadly my own well of inspiration dried up long ago, but I was inspired by the last great work of my first student, Nanami Kitagawa, to pass my vast art knowledge to a new generation."

"Kitagawa?," Ryuji noted, "Isn't that Yusuke's last name?"

"The Sayuri is Nanami's love letter to the son she would never have the chance to raise," Madarame continued, "But in raising Yusuke in her stead, I discovered that he shared her talent for art. He and my other students live in a small shack under my name, which is used as an atelier for them to express their artistic creativity. However, due to unfortunate circumstances Yusuke is the only student who could make it for the premier."

Ren noted the suited man had a subtle smirk on his face.

"Wow," Lila said, "I didn't know there were so many types of Japanese art."

"Madarame has his own distinct style," Yusuke noted, "But he simply taught us the basics and let us create as we please."

"Oh!," Ann said, finding a particular painting, "This is the painting I wanted to see in person! And it looks like you made this."

"Yes, a recent work of mine," Yusuke said.

"It feels like a lot of frustration went into this piece," Zoe noted.

"It was painted when my fellow students started falling to maladies whilst I remained unaffected," Yusuke explained, "It all started when Madarame hired his current manager, Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu."

The girls looked at each other in concern.

At the hideout, Ryuji did a search on the Phan-Site for Kinmyujiamu.

"Yeah, some people noted that Kinmyujiamu just sort of... Forced himself into the manager's position. Not illegally mind you, he just declared his own art expertise with a painting he did himself called the Golden Labyrinth."

"And it was afterward that the students started feeling unwell," Sumire noted.

"Except for Yusuke," Morgana added, "Now, I did recognize Kinmyujiamu as the driver from yesterday, and he was radiating with a familiar Stand energy. But could Yusuke also possess a Stand?"

"Maybe," Ren said, "We know that Mishima was able to avoid serious damage from Ishishiro's overlay due to his own Stand."

"Maybe we can ask him in person," Ann suggested, "Yusuke gave me the address for Madarame's shack. It seems he's real intent on me being his next model."

"And while we're there we can check for an overlay," Sumire said.

"Yeah, that's where it would likely be," Lila noted, "After all, all of Madarame's students live there."

May 16

Ren was a little surprised to see Maruki teaching a class that morning.

"So thanks to the school I'm able to give lectures about how mental health and perception can affect you. Don't worry, I don't intend to stress anyone out. It's mostly going to be some simple ideas that can really get you thinking about how the mind and body are linked. Thing is, what's going on in your mind can actually affect your body. In some cases, it can even heal the body. Mister Amamiya, do you know what we call the phenomenon where believing in a treatment's power can improve your condition?"

"The placebo effect," Ren replied.

"Precisely," Maruki replied, "Now, some people point out that placebos don't actually have curative properties, but that's only from a chemical perspective. From a mental perspective, it can actually make you feel better. On the other hand, if you don't trust in the medicine to begin with, it can make you feel worse. That's referred to as a nocebo. That's just one way in which the mind affects the body."

Morgan looked thoughtful.

"My shapeshifting is based on my perspective. I wonder what would happen if I understood enough about humans..."

On the train to Yusuke's address, Ann talked with Lila.

"So, Sumire told me about the previous holder of the Butterfly Miraculous and how his costume was basically supervillain-like. But yours looks nothing like that."

"The transformation is different from person to person," Nooroo explained, "Gabriel wanted to act the villain, so his transformation made him look like one."

"But in my case," Lila said, "It's based off the mafia heroes I grew up admiring in my native Italy."

"Oh yeah," Ann realized, "You would have been a baby when Giorno Giovanna took over Passione. Under his leadership Passione turned into true protectors of the community."

"Yep," Lila said, "They've got the trust of both the police and politicians, and work hard to make sure that trust isn't misplaced."

"In my case I'm channeling a little of my half-sister, Chloe," Zoe explained, "And her hero form of Queen Bee."

Yusuke was a little surprised to see the group outside the door to the shack, their Stands on full display.

"I didn't realize you were all Stand users."

"Not the two of us," Zoe clarified, indicating herself and Lila, "We have other abilities."

"Given that you're a Stand user as well," Morgana said, "We were wondering if you've seen anything strange about the shack."

"Actually yes," Yusuke admitted, "Naturally I suspected Kinmyujiamu to be behind the torment of my fellow students. I thought he might have some sort of ability and tried to feel it out with my Stand. Imagine my surprise to see the shack turn into a museum."

"A museum?," Ann asked.

Yusuke nodded.

"I spotted Kinmyujiamu speaking with some masked guards inside, referring to the museum as Wax Museum, likely the name of his Stand. I haven't attempted a repeat entry in case I raised Kinmyujiamu's suspicions."

"We might be able to check it out instead," Ren offered.

Yusuke nodded.

"Please do. I'm not confidant enough in my skills to use my Stand for combat."

The group moved away from the shack a bit.

"Okay," Ren said, "Time to transform!"

"Duusu! Spread My Feathers!"

"Nooroo! Dark Wings Rise!"

"Life is Showtime! Burn and Blaze!"

"Switch On! Strike Like Thunder!"

"Anything Goes! Ride Like the Wind!"

"Be The One! Shine Your Light!"

"W Boiled Xtreme! Reign in the Shadows!"

As they transformed, the overlay shifted into view.

"Whoa, it really is a museum," Skull said, "That's like Phantom Thieving 101."

"I have broken into the odd museum during my time," Joker admitted, "Usually privates ones owned by corrupt art moguls or con men."

Violet nodded.

"Yeah, we even infiltrated a frozen castle once."

Mona took a look around the parking lot.

"Place looks largely quiet. I think Kinmyujiamu hasn't realized we entered his overlay. We may have a chance to take a look around."

They used a truck parked right up against a low point in the wall to sneak through the outer garden and up to an open skylight.

"How are we getting down here?," Panther asked, "We need to have a way to climb out."

"Leave that to me," Mona said, "I am the team technician after all."

He got out a length of rope and tide one end off on the handle of the skylight. Inside, they spotted several paintings of people, which seemed to be moving slightly.

"Check it out," Monarch said, "I think these are the mental forms of Madarame's students. Kinmyujiamu drew them in here and sealed them in paintings."

As they moved through the halls, they spotted a pamphlet for the museum, which included part of the map.

"Well, this is helpful," Joker said.

"Hey, guys," Hera's Eye said, "Look at this."

Inside the main lobby was a large statue of Kinmyujiamu, declaring himself shogun of the art world. Joker read the inscription.

"He intends to discredit Madarame by making it look like he abuses his students and steals ideas from them. We'd better let Yusuke know about this."

"I can accept his offer to model," Panther suggested, "It'd be the perfect cover."

Joker nodded.

"Okay, we'll contact him tomorrow."

May 17

Yusuke invited the group over the next day. Morgana walked around the shack while Yusuke was busy at the canvas.

"Wow, he's really into this," Zoe noted, seeing Yusuke engrossed in his artwork, "I've seen Paris street artists that don't get this zoned out while painting."

After a bit, Yusuke.

"Alright, Miss Takamaki. I'm done with the modeling aspect. You can relax now."

"Wow," Ann said, impressed, "I didn't think it'd be so short."

"When inspiration hits me this hard," Yusuke said, "The work just seems to flow from my brush. Sensei often notes that if I had been born just a year later, I could have become Hope's Peak Academy's Ultimate Artist after the graduation of Angie Yonaga."

Ren nodded.

"Listen, we found something regarding Kinmyujiamu inside his overlay."

Yusuke tapped his chin as Ren explained everything.

"I feared as much... Kinmyujiamu seemed irritated by something last night."

He finished his brush strokes and revealed the painting, a full body shot of Ann with an aura resembling a jungle cat.

"Ooh, that's striking," Ann said.

Meanwhile, Morgana had spotted a locked door with a distinct pattern on it, with a man arguing inside.

"What do you mean there are signs of break-in!? Kitagawa has been here all day yesterday! The only other people I could think of would be..."

The voice went silent.

"Hmm...," Morgana muttered, "I'd better warn the others of trouble..."

"You really think Kinmyujiamu might have figured us out?," Lila asked.

The group was now just outside the shack.

"I don't think he's figured out our identities," Morgana clarified, "But in all likelihood he has realized that we managed to infiltrate his overlay. And since Wax Museum can alter the overlay however he pleases, we can expect updated security once we return."

"Excuse me," a woman said as she approached.

The woman had a camera around her neck.

"Can we help you?," Ann asked.

"I was just curious since you seem to be hanging around Madarame's atelier," the woman said, "But there's a rumor that his current manager, Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu, has targeted and nearly ruined several prominent artists in a number of cities across Japan. It's even been speculated that the Golden Labyrinth, his crowning achievement, is a stolen or plagiarized piece."

"We haven't really heard anything like that while here," Ryuji admitted.

"I see," the woman said.

She handed Ren a business card.

"Well, let me know if you do hear anything. I happen to be a prominent journalist."

She walked off, leaving the group curious.

That evening, Ren got a call from Mishima.

'So check it out, one of the people who got changed by Tetsuressha's influence returned to a normal state of mind and wants an audience with the Shadows. He wants their help in saving his peer group.'

"What's his name?," Ren asked.

'Nakanohara,' Mishima replied, 'He mentioned that he suddenly came to his senses after a cursed statue he was sold got stolen.'

"Okay," Ren said, "We'll meet up with him."

He read some of The Alluring Dancer before going to bed.

May 18

Nakanohara looked nervous as he entered a secluded part of the Underground Walkway.

"You wanted to speak with us?," Joker said as he appeared, nearly freaking out Nakanohara.

"Oh... Yeah. You see, in addition to working for city hall I have a passion for art. Imagine my joy when I was picked up as a student for Ichiryusai Madarame himself. It was great at first... Until Kinmyujiamu entered the picture. Me and my fellow students wound up with night terrors and... One student even keeled over dead..."

Joker grimaced.

"One day I was approached by a man named Ishishiro," Nakanohara continued, "He offered me a 'statue of protection' for a small fee. My ex thought it was cute, so I thought I had no reason to refuse. That's when the problems happened. I stopped my art career, started abusing my ex, and turned to stalking her when she dumped me. But that all abruptly ended shortly after I found your calling card online, and later noticed that statue had been stolen. I've seen Kinmyujiamu selling off a few of those statues, so I know he's up to no good."

Joker nodded.

"You want to help. I think we can arrange that."

Monarch appeared as well, an Akuma in her hands.

"This butterfly is called an Akuma. With it I can deputize you into a powerful Champion. If you accept this power, you must use it only to serve the greater good."

Nakanohara didn't hesitate.

"Very well. If I can help Yusuke and the others, and prevent another death, I'll do it."

Monarch smiled, and Akuma flew into Nakanohara's glasses.

"Then I hereby deputize you as Yokai, with the power to generate and control gem shards!"

Nakanohara transformed, gaining a large white coat and hannya mask.

Ren bought a few more books from the bookstore, Vogue, Tidying the Heart, Hachiko's Story, and The Art of Charm. He also traded in the DVD he rented for Beverly Hills, 90210. Ren then joined Takemi for another clinical trial, when the same man he saw earlier in the year showed up.

"So you are still working here," the man said with a snarl.

Takemi scoffed.

"Oyamada, to what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

"I heard you stole one of my patients," Oyamada said, "A girl with bronchitis."

"My records show no such patient," Takemi retorted, "The only little girl I examined had a serious bacterial infection, rather rare at that. Some of the symptoms did resemble bronchitis, but a thorough examination showed the differences."

Ren smirked when he saw Oyamada's grip on his briefcase tighten.

"I recommend you vacate this office. We can insure that you get sued for harassment if you keep pressing this issue."

Oyamada scoffed.

"You sure you want to do that? Do you even know who this woman is?"

"She's told me her history," Ren said, "Both versions of it, in fact. And you come off looking more like a plague than she does."

Oyamada growled.

"You really shouldn’t bother anymore. I heard that poor girl Miwa died the other day."

Takemi's eyes went wide.

"So that's your new angle?," Ren asked, "You sure to want to go that far? We have ways of getting the facts, after all. So why not just walk out now?"

Oyamada frowned.

"Fine, but this isn't over."

Takemi shook her head.

"Thanks for the backup. But if he's right…"

"So what if he is?," Ren pointed out, "You could always finish the medicine for the next person who winds up like Miwa."

Takemi realized Sumire had a point.

"I see… I hadn't considered that. Now that I think about it, Oyamada was likely trying to get me to stop so I couldn't disprove his earlier assertions. Of course, I'll need to look into Miwa's condition just to make sure. Still… Something seemed off about Oyamada. Anyway, it looks like we're done for today. Hopefully I can still finish this… If not for Miwa, then for the next one like her."

Once back at the cafe Ren sat down for the crossword.

"Across 1, Dali... Across 2, Louvre... Across 3, Mural... And finally Down 1, where art is shown off and sold. Gallery."

He then applied for a job at the Ore no Beko beef bowl shop and worked there for a quick shift.

May 19

Inui was holding classes that morning.

"Come to think of it, Madarame is holding an exhibition of his students' work right now. I remember seeing Madarame's works from his prime, and his interviews show he's a charming fellow. Most artists tend to be the eccentric sort, so a person like Madarame is truly rare. Mister Amamiya, you seem like you have an eye for the arts. There's a particular ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period who is said to have moved residence over a hundred times. Do you know his name?"

"Hokusai Katsushika," Ren replied.

"Indeed," Inui said, "And not only did Hokusai change his residence, he had a habit of changing his name. At least thirty times, in fact. His sole interest was in the arts, so he stayed in poverty and only wore tattered clothes. All master artists, whether past or present, tend to put art above fame. Madarame was the same before he took to teaching instead."

"Must be why his students just live in a shack," Morgana noted, "But if Kinmyujiamu isn't stopped, Madarame will be remembered for a different reason."

Just at the entrance, Joker spotted Lavenza outside the door to the Velvet Room.

"You have already made great strides in protecting this world, Trickster," she noted, "And to that end, I would like to offer the full service of my own Stand, Dead Man. It takes the form of various execution devices that can manipulate Stand energy, such as the guillotines used to fuse familiars. At first I could only do two at a time, but now I feel as though I can do more. Please, continue to steal Tetsuressha's aspects, that I may continue to strengthen my own Stand."

Inside the museum, the group noticed a snag.

"They've set up infrared lasers," Violet noticed, "But we're in luck. There's a gap we can duck under."

The guards now wandering the exhibits were dressed as typical museum security guards, albeit wearing valentine masks. The first one had Night-Walking Warrior, a short humanoid with wrinkled skin, no hands or feet, and carrying a boomerang that became Mokoi. Another had Girl of the Hanging Tree, a fairy in a Chinese dress that became Hua Po. A third had Waterside Nymph, an Indian girl with blue skin that became Apsaras. The hallway just in front of the main lobby was now full of lasers, but the thieves were easily able to grapple through it, Yokai using his crystals to leap through. On the other side, Joker hit a button to unseal a door leading back to the skylight. Yokai took brief note of the statue depicting Kinmyujiamu's intentions as the group moved past it to the hall beyond.

"Do we know where we're going?"

Skull pulled out their map.

"Right around this point. There should be another map right around here that'll let us figure out where the center is."

One of the guards past that point had Rooftop Lion, a goofy looking lion with a beard that was changed into Shiisaa. Another guard had Bringer of Misfortune, a large humanoid figure made out of paper that became Shiki-Ouji. The next room over had a guard with Leafy Old Man, a tiny old man carrying a large leaf over his head that became Koropokguru. Soon enough the group passed by a golden vase on a pedestal.

"Ooh, this looks so valuable," Mona said.

He hopped onto the pedestal, only to set off a security alert.

"Get back!," Joker warned.

The group scattered, separated by a massive laser grid. Joker and Violet were one side of the hall. Monarch, Hera's Eye, and Yokai were stuck on the opposite end. Panther, Skull, and Mona had gotten isolated by the lasers, with Mona in the middle.

"We need to get them out," Violet said.

Joker spotted a way past the glass partition on Panther's side. In the small alcove was a button, which Joker pressed to lower the glass and get Panther free. This also let them regroup with Monarch and her team. On the other side was a button behind a painting, letting the group free Skull. Nearby was a vent leading to the control room, but the controls for the laser grid needed a password. Luckily, two guards were talking nearby.

"So I was asked to change the code for the laser grid," one said, "I went with 'hello'. Read it upside down and you get 07734."

The password worked, letting the group free Mona.

"I found out why this vase is so important," Mona said.

He broke the vase, releasing a large blue diamond with a ghost coming out of it. Joker quickly applied one of Igor's cards, labeled as Precious Pink, to swipe it.

"Good find. That's the familiar Regent."

The next room was blocked by lasers, so the team leapt through a low part of the nearby wall. Skull freaked when he saw what looked like a hole in the floor, but then realized a guard was walking over it no problem.

"A forced perspective painting," Yokai realized, "One of the other students would use tricks like this to hide funny things in his own art pieces."

The next exhibition room had an electric barrier trap set up, but luckily Joker was able to find the button to shut it down higher up. Plus, the rafters in the room lead the group to a new Magic Seed. Just past it was a heavy laser barrier with no way to shut it off.

"Great," Hera's Eye said, "Now what?"

Mona checked out a nearby sign.

"It says this can only be shut down from the other side. And I recognize that pattern beyond it. There was a room just like that at the shack."

"That's Kinmyujiamu's personal quarters," Yokai noted.

"We enter from there," Panther said, "Then we should come out beyond the barrier. And we can shut it down."

Joker nodded.

"Let's head out for now and plan our next move."

"Yusuke is letting us return tomorrow," Ann said, "Under the pretense of making a new piece. Kinmyujiamu will be at the exhibition all day, so he won't notice us sneaking in."

"We can use that time to deal with the security barrier," Ren said, "Once it's down we shouldn't have any further issues."

That evening, Ren noticed a game show was on the cafe TV. The question being asked was which of the following, unconsenting cutting of hair or using noise to cause distress, was considered bodily harm.

"Causing noise," Ren noted, "It disrupts the body's functions, which is what constitutes bodily harm in the first place. Physical contact has nothing to do with it. On the other hand, hair grows back, and most of the hair is dead cells to begin with, so unconsenting cutting of hair would fall more under the purview of assault."

"You seem to know a lot about law," Morgana noted.

"I'm a Speedwagon intern," Ren explained, "And part of the group I work with is involved with criminal investigation."

He ended the evening finishing up The Alluring Dancer.

Chapter Text

Luna woke up realizing she was inside a hospital.

"Great... I've fallen victim to the unfamiliar ceiling trope..."

As she got up, she found herself glomped by her mom.

"Oh, sweetie!," Yukako said, "I was so worried you weren't going to wake up!"

Luna looked around and realized the room was filled hair, and Yukako's hair had turned temporarily white.

"Getting stressed out again?," Luna said.

Yukako blushed as she let her daughter go.

"When I heard someone had attacked you, Love Deluxe kind of went a little berserk... Not to worry, though. Your father saw it coming and he made sure he was out of the room."

Luna chuckled nervously, having been told about the checkered history Koichi and Yukako shared.

"Where's Jogo?"

"Oh, he's already been awake for some time," Yukako said, pointing to Jogo's bed where Josuke was working on healing him.

"Mitsuharu's Stand really kicks like a mule," he noted, "Luckily I was able to stay conscious long enough to get us some first aid using my own Stand."

Luna nodded.

"So what about the Type-R president? Is he being brought in?"

"About that," Josuke said, "It turns out we have a minor complication..."

Meanwhile, Yasuyuki was getting concerned.

"We keep taking out the trucks carrying the stuff, but there's always still more. And with Hiromi's shard destroyed, we're short on manpower. Who is even making this stuff?"

"I did overhear something when Mitsuharu saved our behinds," Akihiro said, "Something about the president of Type-R being responsible for creating the liquid explosives."

Yasuyuki smiled.

"Perfect. We'll go to the company and wipe out the whole operation. I only want the president getting hurt, though. Kuro-chan, make use of your shard to chase the other workers out."

Akihiro nodded.

"Got it, HIRO."

"The superintendent of Public Security wants our division butting out of Type-R's business," Koichi explained, "Claiming it has nothing to do with Stand-related incidents."

"That's bullshit!," Okuyasu called out, "That Stand user was targeting Type-R and knew all about the sabotage, so of course it's related!"

"How are we supposed to continue investigating if we're getting roadblocked?," Jogo asked.

Josuke realized something.

"Come to think about it, you guys were brought to the hospital by the driver you saved earlier. He looked like he had something he wanted to say but couldn't open his mouth. I think I know someone who can get that information without issue."

Meanwhile, the Type-R president was smugly coming into his company HQ.

"If we keep this up, soon enough we can even make a move on Okumura Foods..."

He then realized his entire company building was empty.

"Where is everyone?"

"I had them scared off," Yasuyuki said as he came in, "So you're the one wrecking all my favorite food trucks, huh?"

He walked over, Instant Crush already active.

"Don't get me wrong, this isn't about the food. It's about the friends I made speaking with those delivery drivers. A lot of them got hurt because of you."

Before the president could argue, Yasuyuki lifted him off the ground.

"And you might have trouble getting help thanks to that cousin you have who's superintendent of Public Security. Probably would have better to let yourself get arrested. You might still have a company left afterward!"

Akihiro ran over.

"We gotta hurry, bro! The place is gonna blow!"

The president freaked out as Yasuyuki dragged him out of the building just as the place exploded, Akihiro having used his shard to detonate all the liquid explosives. Yasuyuki turned to the president.

"And now it's your turn... Where's this stuff getting produced at!?"

Meanwhile, Josuke had convinced Rohan to use Heaven's Door on Ichikawa Yuuzo, the driver who had helped Jogo and Luna.

"We're looking for the most recent pages, yes?," Rohan asked, "Ah, here we are. Seems he felt guilty about the explosive smuggling. Kuromachi had plans to ruin all other food competitors so that his health foods would be more widely accepted. And it seems the superintendent of Public Security is his cousin..."

Jogo slammed his fist into his palm.

"So that's what's going on here!"

"It shouldn't take much to find that evidence and convince the rest of the precinct to turn against him," Koichi said.

"We have a sudden emergency!," Shun said as he and Miu hurried over.

"There's been a slowdown incident at the Type-R factory," Miu explained, "It's Yasuyuki again, with his remaining buddy."

"We need to get going," Jogo said, "Good luck, Koichi."

Koichi nodded as the four of them rushed off.

Along the way, they soon ran into Yukiteru.

"You again," Jogo said, "Guys, get going. I'll handle this."

The trio nodded and hurried off.

"Why get in our way?," Yukiteru asked, "We just want to finish this and gain the diary. Then... I'll be sure to destroy it."

"I don't know what diary you're talking about," Jogo said, "But you intend to kill Yasuyuki, and for what? Just because he happens to be connected to Father Roche? Sure he's causing some trouble, but at the same time he truly wants to help keep the peace here. It's not his fault explosives are involved. If anyone's a serious danger here, it's you!"

Yukiteru closed his eyes.

"Looks like we can't see eye to eye. Walk With Confidence!"

He summoned forth four spheres of elemental energy.

"I'm getting tired of these shenanigans," Jogo said, "And I have no time to waste here. Cosmic Mind! Activate... Cosmic!"

Cosmic Mind turned a brilliant blue and manifested a rocket on a handle in its right hand. It then pulled on a secondary handle, revealing a blade inside the rocket.

"I've thrown off all limiters!," Jogo said, "That's how serious I am!"

He had Cosmic Mind slice at Yuki, easily breaking through the spheres as Yukiteru tried to fire back. Soon enough, Cosmic Mind had opened a wormhole in space, and then grabbed Yuki.

"Don't worry," Jogo said, "This will only send you back to your hotel. Sayonara!"

Yukiteru cried out as Cosmic Mind shoved him into the wormhole.

"Now for the real problem."

Meanwhile at the Type-R factory, Yasuyuki and Akihiro were tangling with the other three Warriors.

"Fly Me To The Moon!," Luna called out, the moon from her Stand placed in the crescent phase, striking at Master of Blades until it exploded, destroying the shard core.

"Kuro-chan!," Yasuyuki called out.

He started to get angry as he approached Luna.

"You're gonna get it now!"

"Cosmic Mind!"

Jogo came leaping in, Cosmic Mind still in its Cosmic mode. The sword struck Instant Crush, slashing through it and knocking it aside.

"That power...," Yasuyuki muttered.

"It's impressive isn't it?," Jogo said, "But it's also highly destructive. So I only break it out sparingly."

Yasuyuki smiled.

"Now this is the sort of opponent I wanna test my power against! Instant Crush!"

The two Stands clashed over and over, Instant Crush's strength letting it keep up. However, Cosmic Mind was quickly proving to be the superior power.

"Time to end it right here!," Jogo called out, "Cosmic Mind!"

A ring of energy appeared around Cosmic Mind, which turned into a series of hard punches that targeted Instant Crush.

"UCHU KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Instant Crush was slammed into the nearby rubble it had created from destroying the production plant, knocking Yasuyuki out.

"Jeez, Jogo," Miu said, "Why don't you do that more often?"

Jogo laughed.

"I have no idea! But it felt great! Maybe I should consider using that power more often! I think I'm getting better at controlling it!"

Nearby, a young man was photographing the incident.

"This is perfect," he muttered to himself, "At this rate, my skills will evolve...!"

He watched as the police brought Yasuyuki to a police car.

"This is sure to make all the headlines," the young man said.

Chapter Text

May 20

"Here it is," Yusuke said.

"I've never actually been inside before," Madarame admitted, "But Yusuke has... Several times in fact."

Yusuke demonstrated by freezing the lock with a touch, causing it to break off.

"My Stand can control cold temperatures. With enough focus I can freeze something to absolute zero."

Madarame was shocked at what he found inside the office.

"I'd been concerned with how nonchalant Kinmyujiamu was about my students, but... Wait... Where did your friends go?"

Yusuke looked around to find they were the only ones in the room.

"They must have slipped into the overlay," he realized.

The team found themselves back in the room with the barrier, which was now shut down.

"Okay," Joker said, "Let's hurry through and shut it down permanently."

A minor complication came up in the form of a local guard.

"They got through the security!? Damn it... Kinmyujiamu will fire us if anything happens... Night Chimera!"

He summoned a large ape with tiger legs, a snake for a tail, and a lion's mane.

"I got this," Panther said, "Life is Showtime!"

A flurry of flames surrounded the guard, letting Panther knock him out easy.

Madarame heard the door to the shack open.

"Damn... Kinmyujiamu must had decided to come here. It could be bad if he discovers us."

Yusuke thought for a moment, then nodded.

"There's only one place we can hide."

He grabbed his sensei and quickly felt out the overlay.

Strike Back had just finished shutting down the security when they dropped in, literally. Mona quickly caught Madarame using a light tornado, whist Yusuke wound up landing on Panther, his head resting right on her boobs. He got up quickly.

"My deepest apologies! I had no intention of landing there!"

"Well, at least you had plenty of cushion," Panther joked, easing Yusuke's tension.

"This makes things complicated," Hera's Eye noted.

"Yeah, we'd better get them out of here," Skull said, "If we take the front entrance it should dodge whatever they were running from."

The trip out was a somber one, Madarame heartbroken at how Kinmyujiamu was treating his students. Unfortunately, several guards blocked their way out.

"You won't be escaping so easily!," a captain said as he approached, "Kinmyujiamu has plans for you two!"

"Plans that involve wrecking the dreams and future of my precious students, it seems!," Madarame growled, his sorrow turning to anger.

"You don't know the half of it," Kinmyujiamu said as he approached, looking like an imperial shogun, "Once I've conquered the art world, I'll have all the authority I need to propel my desires to their fullest."

"I always there was something wicked about you!," Yusuke called out, "But I never imagined that this would be how low your vanity could sink! This wretched, gaudy, tacky, garish museum? Sounds perfect for a man like you! And I can no longer it idle as you does what you please! Just Live More! Freeze Solid!"

Ice and snow surrounded him, forming a jumpsuit with high collar, boots, a fox mask over his face, and a fox tail clipped to his belt alongside a katana and machine gun. His Stand was a kabuki samurai carrying Japanese smoking pipe called a kisaru.

"Madarame!," Monarch called out, "I can sense your need to help your students! If you will allow me, I can give you the power to do so!"

"By all means!," Madarame agreed.

Monarch called forth a new Akuma.

"Then I empower you as Ukiyo-e Guardian, with the ability to manipulate ink and paint to your will!"

The Akuma merged into Madarame's hairpin, and he glowed bright before changing into a kabuki-style warrior modeled after the very art style he was named after. Yusuke stamped the ground as Just Live More froze the guards behind the group, Ukiyo-e Guardian pinning the ones in front with a mass of ink.

"A breathtaking sight," Yusuke said, "Imitations they be, but together they make a fine spectacle. Though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known... Abominations are fated to perish!"

"Damn it!," the captain said as one of his subordinates approached, "We can't let them reach Kinmyujiamu! Embittered Blacksmith!"

He summoned a one-legged blacksmith with an iron mask over its face.

"Foolish Monk!"

The subordinate guard summoned a small tengu dressed as a monk.

"I'm afraid it's no use," Yusuke said, "You're end is here! Just Live More!"

With an icy blast, both guards were knocked as the team struck as one, Yusuke landing gracefully.

"IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED, GOODYBE!"

"Damn it!," Kinmyujiamu called out, "I won't be letting you rampage here any further!"

He dispelled the overlay, leaving everyone inside the empty shack.

The group brought Yusuke up to speed at a local diner.

"So all that has been happening. To think I would be in the presence of the Lord of Crime himself..."

He nodded.

"In that case, allow me to join you. Now that I know I can use my Stand effectively in battle, I feel it is my duty to aid in your endeavors."

"You want to join the Strike Back?," Sumire asked.

"We could always use another team member," Morgana noted.

Ren nodded.

"Agreed. But you'll need to give yourself a code name."

Yusuke thought for a moment.

"Well that mask certainly looked distinctive. So I shall name myself Fox. As for Kinmyujiamu... From what I saw in his quarters he intends to implement his scheme against Sensei on the final day of the exhibition, June 5. So we must finish our infiltration before then."

That evening Ren started watching some of Beverly Hills, 90210.

May 21

Ren was able to grab a seat and took the time to read some of The Art of Charm. During calls, Usami was giving a lecture about math and art.

"The main method by which mathematics is applied to art is called the Golden Ratio. You can find examples of this ratio in the Mona Lisa and the Parthenon. Here in Japan they have a different ratio used by both artist and architects, known as the silver ratio."

She brought up a comparison diagram, showing the difference between the Parthenon and the pagoda at Horyuji Temple.

"Mister Amamiya, here's a question for you. If the golden ratio is 1:1.618, what is the silver ratio?"

"1:1.414," Ren replied.

Usami nodded.

"Yes, that's correct. As you can see, the silver ratio is closer to a square than the golden ratio. Many believe the reason why the silver ratio is so popular in Japan is because Asians have rounder faces, so they prefer a similar shape. This ratio has been used in both ukiyo-e paintings and the Horyuji Temple. In fact, there’s an example of the silver ratio right on your desks, in the form of the B4-size paper you use in class everyday. Even Japanese mascots have rounder faces, to make them cuter."

"Oh, so that's why people think I'm the mascot for Strike Back," Morgana realized, "I'm learning as much as you, Ren."

After school Ren swapped out library book and picked up The Gallant Rogue. Later, Ann invited Ren to Inokashira Park.

"So what did you want to talk about?," Ren asked.

"It's the modeling group I'm working with,” Ann explained, "There's been some really odd things happening with it. Several of models have shown up late. When questioned they say they got a text saying the times had been changed. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I thought I should bring it up. It's getting annoying for the staff always having to bring in subs. Though oddly enough I started off as a sub for my parents' company."

She crossed her arms.

"My parents are always overseas. I only get to see them around maybe half the year."

"Ouch," Ren said, “Even Ryuji has a better home life than that."

Ann smiled.

"It's fine. It was hard when I was younger, since I still needed a guardian, but now that I'm in high school I can take care of myself. You know, being a Phantom Thief I can't help but be reminded of this one female thief that I admired growing up. She was confidant, sincere, sexy, and determined to be free."

"I'm not sure if I'd call Fujiko Mine 'sincere'," Ren noted.

"I never said she couldn't be deceptive," Ann clarified, "But she always knew what she wanted and she never made any excuses about it. Though I heard after the death of her one-time lover, she dropped out of the thief game."

"Well, you have a new goal to aim for," Ren pointed out, "Her role's pretty much been taken over by Rebecca Rossellini after Lupin's resurrection."

"Then she'd better be ready," Ann said, "Because Phantom Thief Panther's gonna steal her spotlight!"

Working at Ore no Beko that night, Ren was shocked to find multiple customers. Thankfully he was able to keep track of all the orders, but it was quite the hassle.

"You seemed to be having difficulty there," said a man in a suit.

Ren recognized him as the man giving speeches at Station Square.

"Well, the restaurant doesn't have the budget to hire more people."

The man looked thoughtful.

"Employees being overworked is becoming a real problem. I should remember this for my next speech..."

May 22

Ren and Ryuji got back to training behind the school

"It'd be best if we could get the entire team in on this," Ryuji noted, "Things are getting... Kinda tense with the track team, so it'd help if I can blow off some steam."

"What's the problem?," Ren asked.

"They're a little worried I might wind up like my dad," Ryuji explained, "Especially after I slugged Ishishiro. As the team's star runner, anything I do reflects on the whole team. Which would make things really bad if it came out that I became a Phantom Thief... Not that I plan on quitting anytime soon."

Ren chuckled.

"Don't worry. I can help you keep a secret."

Later he found the orator from the beef bowl shop at his usual spot.

"Ah, I remember you," the man said, "You seem to be eager to hear my speeches. Perhaps you can assist me, unofficially of course."

"Sure," Ren said, "I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Toranosuke Yoshida," the man said, "I used to be a member of the Diet... But not anymore... In twenty years I've lost seven straight elections."

Yoshida was good at speaking, but not many people liked to listen, thinking he should focus on his election campaign instead of the worries of the people. Some outright ignored him due to not being affiliated with any sort of political party.

"It's a shame everyone heckles him," Morgana said, "His speeches are moving."

"It might be worth working with him some more," Ren decided, "It'll make negotiations easier while dealing with the overlays."

May 23

Chouno was speaking to her class about the current exhibit.

"I must say, the pupils Madarame selected have a fine eye for art. It makes me wonder if any of them have synesthesia. Ah, you're probably wondering what that word means. It's one of those English words that has its roots in the Greek language. It's a rare condition where your senses cross over, such as seeing music as color. Amamiya, do you know the meaning behind the root words of synesthesia? The root words are syn and aisthesis."

"Together and senses," Ren said, "The whole word basically means senses coming together."

"That's right," Chouno said happily, "Of course, this is a condition that can't be learned. You have to be born with it, much like the Stand users spoken of online. Some famous geniuses throughout history are known to have had synesthesia. Composer Franz Liszt wanted his orchestra to play in purple, and poet Arthur Rimbaud is said to have seen colors in letters. It's amazing how certain geniuses can see the world differently from normal people."

"One could say the same of Stand users," Morgana mused, "Considering the invisible world we live in."

After school, Strike Back assembled to infiltrate Wax Museum.

"Alright," Violet said, "Now, we'll be speeding to the safe room outside the garden."

"Safe room?," Fox asked in confusion.

"Basically an anchor point for the overlay," Panther explained, "The overlay is actually weakest in that location, meaning we can hide out there and rest up."

Fox nodded.

"I see. It's always darkest under the lamppost, as the saying goes. There's one other thing I'm curious about."

He got out the katana and semi-automatic that Joker had gotten for him.

"These are mere models, yes? How are they to be useful in battle?"

"Just channel your Stand power through them," Mona explained, "I remember this one American show called MythBusters that debunked the whole ice bullet myth, but they never took you into account."

Fox chuckled.

"Yes, I believe my ice powers can make the concept of the ice bullet become reality. For it is in belief in our Stands that reality becomes what we want it to be."

The group warped into the garden area, and moved on from there. In the hallways past the security room, Joker found another pamphlet.

"This holds a map of the overlay, yes?," Fox asked.

"It's for anyone entering the overlay," Mona explained, "Whether Kinmyujiamu wants them to or not. He doesn't need it for himself, this is his Stand after all, but his goon squad probably would."

"Rather lax to leave it out in the open then," Fox noted, "After all, we were able to procure a copy without any consequence."

"So long as we don't get his attention, we can do whatever we want in this place," Violet pointed out.

A large gallery was just up ahead, filled with trip lasers and guards patrolling them. One guard had Corpse Bird, a shriveled featherless bird with an onion-like head that created Onmoraki. The second had Mocking Snowman, a white humanoid with a cartoon face and blue winter cap that created Jack Frost. Past the lasers was a guard captain standing in front of a security room.

"We'll likely need to get through him to reach that room," Hera's Eye noted, "And he's likely to be tough."

The group approached, shocking the captain.

"How did they make it past the security? Damn, I can't let them get any further. Monk of the Valley!"

He summoned a blue-skinned monk with bird wings. After he was defeated, the group looked into the security room.

"Another password needed," Joker said, "Some of the nearby guards should know it."

Sure enough, a guard just in the main hallway spoke about using Kinmyujiamu's feet for the password. It turned out to refer to a statue of Kinmyujiamu. On the way there, the guard with Night Chimera was defeated to create Nue. The second guard had Possessing Dog Ghost, a long white dog with a black head that became Inugami. After that the team reached the statue.

"There's a plaque here," Fox noted when he looked at the foot of the statue, "Only one may stand alone in the art world, using his two hands to insure none may rise above him. There's references to numbers in this statement. I suspect the password may be 1120."

Sure enough, the password worked, opening all the security shutters. Just past them was a giant painting that seemed to extend past the floor.

"This is more lifelike than anything I have ever seen," Monarch noted, "It almost feels as if I could enter it."

She pressed his hand on the painting, and it instantly went through.

"I didn't mean that literally! What's going on?"

"I see…," Fox noted, "I should have known this would be possible. This is merely an overlay of reality that doesn't follow all the normal rules. Typical of a Stand."

"Let's see where it leads," Mona said.

The painting led to a second one, and from there an upper ledge leading past the gallery.

The door near their last safe room led into a larger gallery with several paintings on it.

"Paintings are used a lot in this place," Panther noted.

"And some of the frames are empty," Fox added, "They must be the path forward, but we'll need to find out how to move through them."

They started in a painting of a desert, then a shrine gate in the clouds, then exited out through a painting of a tall cliff. A button there revealed a painting of a boat in a storm. Leaping off the boat led to another button that revealed a painting of a tatami room in a forest.

"That's the painting room cleared," Hera's Eye noted, "Let's see what's up ahead."

The next room held a storage area. A female curator here had the familiar Captivating Dancer, a woman dressed in Japanese robes with a fan over her face that created Ame-no-Uzume. A button hidden among the storage units led to a room with another Magic Seed. Past the storage room was a distorted staircase winding like an MC Escher painting.

"Such a vast labyrinth," Fox noted.

"We're likely close to the physical form of Wax Museum," Mona said, "But this place isn't even on the map. We'd better tread carefully."

The sole guard patrolling this area was the one with Foolish Monk, was which used to make Koppa Tengu. The key to solving the labyrinth turned out to be following the images of a painting Kinmyujiamu had made. Eventually, the group found their way out and into the main treasure hall. Behind a set of lasers stood a painting on display.

"Looks like we've found the treasure we're looking for," Panther said.

"I think I can barely make out the piece," Fox said, "It reminds me of an art piece Kinmyujiamu showed Sensei to gain his trust. He called it the Golden Labyrinth. But it had an unusual energy about it."

"If it's the center of Wax Museum," Violet said, "Then perhaps Kinmyujiamu can remove it to show people whenever he pleases. It would be easier for him to do so then Toshiro."

"So what now?," Skull said, "We may have found the center, but there’s no way we're getting those lasers."

"Let's take a look around," Joker suggested, "There should a gap in the security."

A nearby security room had a computer with no password needed. However, of the options, the lasers could only be turned off by Kinmyujiamu, and the power would only turn off for a few seconds before the backup generator kicked in, with the lasers clearly being on a separate system. Only opening the shutters provided any sort of progress. However, a guard had been sent to check the room out.

"So you guys have made it this far! Well now you'll be dealt with here! Hunting Wolf Spirit!"

He manifested an origami wolf that was vaguely reptilian. After beating him, the team followed the path, a nearby vent lead across the rafters to a room with a guard captain.

"Your crime spree ends here, Phantom Thieves!," he declared, "Awakened God!"

He summoned a giant clay doll to attack the team, but they were able to overcome it and force the captain out to claim the final Magic Seed. Flying across the room on their grappling hooks, the team followed the path up. Along the way they caught up with the guard using Hunting Wolf Spirit, snagging it to make Makami. Soon they reached a control room for hanging exhibits. A nearby ladder led to the scaffolding above the painting.

"Hey, there's no lasers above the painting," Skull noted.

"But we can't drop down to steal it," Violet pointed out, "We'd never escape."

"We can use that," Joker suggested, pointing to a nearby crane, "There should be a switch for it back in the control room."

The switch lowered the crane close enough that it could conceivably enter the laser wall without issue, but would be noticed with the lights on.

"I think I have a plan to get us that painting," Joker said, "Now, listen carefully. First, I need Skull and Panther to station themselves at the security room. If there's any guards there, lure them away. Meanwhile, Fox and Violet will tie Mona to the crane. When they give the signal, the team in the security room will hit the lights. Once they're out, I'll lower the crane so Mona can grab it. With any luck, we can lift the crane back up before the lights come back on."

"It's a risky plan," Panther pointed out, "And we'd only get one try."

"Such risks come with being a Phantom Thief," Mona pointed out, "Besides, this is our best chance."

"And we'll be on the outside to power you up for when you confront Kinmyujiamu," Monarch added.

"With that in mind," Fox said, "It would appear we've secured our infiltration route and can send the calling card. Madarame will likely call for a police investigation on Kinmyujiamu once he finds out we've finished. And the first place they'll check is the shack. If we time it right, we can expose him just as the police arrive."

One the way out, Lavenza met with the team.

"Thanks to the number of familiars you are gathering, I am starting to obtain the ability to find more hidden aspects of Legion of Monsters. But we still need to explore further. Here is what I was able to gather so far."

She handed over a card for Chirping Omniglot, which created Suzaku, and Reckless Bull Killer, which created Matador.

"There is one more I should be able to find," Lavenza noted, "But I don't have enough Stand energy from the aspects you have already plundered. We'll need to wait a bit longer."

That evening Ren finished up Beverly Hills, 90210.

May 24

Ren managed to find a seat on the train and used the time to finish The Art of Charm. During homeroom, Kawakami addressed the class.

"The school is going to be participating in a public cleanup campaign next week during the 30th. It will be held at Inokashira Park. Don't worry about bringing lunches, there will be food provided. You will, however, need to wear your gym uniforms during the campaign."

Ren got the group together to send the calling card.

"So this calling card is meant to be different from the ones used by Bleeding Secrets," Yusuke noted inside the hideout.

Ren nodded.

"This one is a more typical calling card, meant as a warning. But we'll be using the Stand-based one to do the actual stealing. This will render the painting physical too, making it possible to sell it off."

"It won't be worth much on the open market," Yusuke noted, "Kinmyujiamu is a mere amateur after all. That said, I expect it might still sell for several ten-thousand yen. I must admit, the idea of sending a calling card is a rather elegant concept."

"I know, right?," Ryuji said, grinning, "It's always my favorite part of this job."

"We already have a nice logo that serves as our symbol," Sumire said, "And we make sure to handle the cards with gloves, and use clippings from newspapers and magazines so that no one can trace the handwriting. And for security cameras, we have Ren's Stand. It can't be picked up by security, after all."

"There's also Lila to boost our Stand power by Akumatizing us," Ann added, "I can't wait to see what sort of power your Requiem provides. You might even get the chance to unleash Heaven on our target."

"It seems all our bases are covered," Yusuke noted, "The only hitch is the uncertain outcome of our plan. But the thrill of it is piquing my artistic curiosity."

That evening, Ren read some of The Gallant Rogue.

May 25

Later that day, Madarame was speaking with one of the staff of the exhibit when Kinmyujiamu stormed through the hall in anger.

"What's with him?," Madarame asked.

"It may have something to do with this," the staff member said, handing Madarame a copy of the calling card, "They were plastered all over the entrance to the department store."

Madarame took the card.

"Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu, we are Strike Back, Joker, Violet, Skull, Mona, Panther, and Fox. Today we will be stealing the Golden Labyrinth from your museum. So it's begun then..."

He furrowed his brow.

"Did the security cameras pick up anyone approach when these appeared?"

"No sir," the staff member said.

"Very well," Madarame said, "Contact the police. I want them to investigate Kinmyujiamu's room at my shack. If he's hiding something, I need to know what that is."

The staff member nodded. Nearby, Yusuke smirked before joining the others.

"It's as I predicted. The police should be approaching the shack within the hour. Kinmyujiamu will already be heading there, giving us the chance we need to confront him."

"Centralizer's been activated," Ren said "Time to Strike Back."

Once Fox was Akumatized, he felt his Stand evolve to Just Live More Requiem, a slimmer form with wild hair and carrying twin swords. He felt the power of a winter storm within his hands, readying him for the fight ahead. Inside Wax Museum, the team took their positions. Panther looked inside the security room.

"Joker was right, there's a guard in there. Think you can outrun him, Skull?"

Skull grinned.

"You're looking at the star of the track team. There's no one that can outrun me once I hit my stride."

He pounded on the door to get the guards attention, leading him on a merry chase as Panther got to the computer. She spotted the signal from Fox.

"Looks like Fox and Violet finished getting Mona hooked up. Time for a new type of light show."

She hit the switch, blacking out the museum. Joker immediately hit the switch, lowering Mona to grab the painting. The team reconvened at the scaffolding as the guards below panicked. Mona was untied and showed the painting to the group.

"That's the Golden Labyrinth alright," Fox said when he saw the painting, "My eyes did not deceive. Now we need to escape with it."

"We'll take that window over there," Joker said.

This lead the group down to the garden in the middle of the museum.

"Quite cunning of you to successfully bypass my security," came Kinmyujiamu's voice.

He approached the group.

"So the Phantom Thieves have added a member. Not that it will matter. I will be succeeding where Toshiro has failed. Wax Museum!"

A giant wall scroll dropped down over the doorway, the painted figure on it emerging from the scroll. Fox scoffed.

"You will be made to pay for endangering my family! The man I call father, and all the students I've come to know as siblings!"

The Liberation from Joker's jacket triggered and hit Fox, causing his Stand to freeze over before cracking free, now dressed in a pink fur jacket with a huge cigar in hand and Elvis-style hair.

"I'll unleash a tundra upon you! Live More for Heaven!"

The very air seemed to turn subzero, freezing the entire museum and stopping the wall scroll cold.

"No!," Kinmyujiamu said as he turned to try and stop the Phantoms Thieves from attacking, but Violet landed in front of him.

"Sorry, but this is the end for you."

Kinmyujiamu covered his eyes as a brilliant light hit them. As he did, Joker got out the second card and struck the painting with it, sucking in the overlay and leaving Kinmyujiamu in his room. By the time he was able to open his eyes, the police had busted in with a search warrant. The chief looked around at Kinmyujiamu's workshop.

"Well well. I didn't know what we would find when Madarame requested this search, but to me it looks like plans to frame him for plagiarism."

As the police lead Kinmyujiamu out, the chief noticed a shadow above them. He turned and gasped.

"The Phantom Thieves! Don't move! You're under arrest!"

"You already hit your captured criminal quota, chief," Joker called back, "As for us, we have what we came for."

Before the police could draw their guns the Phantoms disappeared in their various elements, causing the chief to grit his teeth. He turned to Kinmyujiamu.

"This doesn't leave you off the hook, Kinmyujiamu. Phantom Thieve Joker only targets criminal scumbags like you. We're going to have a long talk down at the station."

The Phantoms reconvened at their hideout. Yusuke was on the phone with several contacts of Madarame.

"Well, the quality of the art definitely bumps up the price," he said, "But it won't be anything jaw-dropping. The highest I could get was sixty-thousand yen, and even that is including the solid-gold frame the painting is contained in. The actual painting is closer twenty-thousand."

"We can sell the frame and painting separately," Ren suggested, "I know a good shop that will buy the frame no questions asked. Yusuke, can you handle the sale of the painting?"

Yusuke nodded.

"So now we simply wait for the exhibit to end. With Kinmyujiamu's arrest, I doubt the investigation will turn out in his favor."

"This team is coming together nicely," Morgana noted, "It's like we're hitting all the regular notes that a true thieving team should have. We have our fearless leader Ren, the procurement agent in Sumire, Ann makes an excellent distraction, Ryuji's the perfect muscle, Yusuke has his art skills if we need forged papers, and then there's my own knowledge of important tools."

"We could do with a few other team members though," Ann noted, "Most of all, I'd like to get a hacker on our side. They'd be essential in today's modern age."

Ren realized it had been some time since they'd heard from Alibaba.

"We'd also need the perfect insider, someone who could act as an informant. And I'd like to get an analyst as well, someone perfect for studying potential targets."

"True," Morgana admitted, "Our team is far from complete, much less perfect. And there's still the rest of Tetsuressha's group to deal with. We don't even know why he's doing all this. But every target we find brings us that much closer to finding out."

Ren ended the evening finishing up The Gallant Rogue.

That evening, as he slept, Ren felt himself slip into the Velvet Room again.

"And so another rung falls from under the villain's ladder," Igor noted, "It may be some time before the next can be found."

"One step at a time," Ren said, "I'd like to stay under the radar before the next real heist."

"Naturally," Igor agreed, "Hopefully we'll begin to understand the truth behind Tetsuressha's organization before long."

May 26

Kawakami was currently lecturing the class.

"I've noticed that some students have a tendency to just copy their answers from things they heard on the internet. That sort of thing constitutes plagiarism and I won’t stand for it. Even years ago, stealing ideas was considered as much a crime as stealing physical possessions. For example, when Maurice Leblanc tried to add a famous detective from another author's book series. Mister Amamiya, do you know the author in question?"

"Arthur Conan Doyle," Ren replied.

"That's correct," Kawakami said, smiling, "Leblanc attempted to use Sir Arthur's character Sherlock Holmes to be pitted against Lupin. It seemed like the perfect concept, the Great Detective versus the Gentleman Thief. But Doyle didn't want his character used without his permission, so he protested to Maurice Leblanc, who wrote of Arsene Lupin. So Leblanc simply renamed the character to be called Herlock Sholmes. A bit lazy, but it got Doyle off his back. These days the two characters are used in other works, but those are classified as homages. In fact, modern fanfiction can also be considered an homage."

"Arsene Lupin, huh?," Morgana said, "I wonder how his grandson is doing these days."

After class, Ren noticed Morgana was concerned.

"Something wrong?"

"Oh, I almost got catnapped earlier," Morgana explained, "Luckily with my Stand I was able to escape, but it was a close call. I just saw this girl with a crazy look in her eye. She was chasing me around and calling me 'snowball'. It was creepy."

"Come to think of it," Ren said, "Some posts on the Phan-Site have mentioned cats getting abducted by someone. So far there's no name, but if this happened around Yongen-Jaya it shouldn't be too hard to find information."

Ren and Ann met up in the park again. Ann smiled when she saw a group of ducks in the nearby lake.

"It's amazing really. Most of Tokyo is practically a sardine can, yet there's still enough room to have lakes where families of ducks can swim to their hearts' content. You know, I've been thinking… It may be time for me to get in better shape."

Ren blinked in surprise. Ann looked as thin as Sumire.

"You're… Out of shape?"

"I realize it's not that obvious," Ann admitted, "I mean, I kinda got blessed by the genetics lottery. But I do have a lot of fat under this frame, which isn't good for a brand new Phantom Thief. Besides, it'll help out when I do my modeling."

"Oh, so you're thinking of doing that full time?," Ren asked.

"It is my claim to fame at Shujin," Ann pointed out, "But there's so many new up and comers, and the business is a grueling one. Besides, I've been curious about the sudden surge of late models, and getting further into the business may be the best way to do that. Up until now, it was just a hobby, but I need to get serious. Besides, that'll give me great practice for my role in Strike Back."

"Looks like you've found a good way to get stronger," Ren noted, "Maybe this will help you master your Stand more, too. It is driven by emotion, after all."

That evening Ren saw the quiz show again. This time the question was whether a confession counted as a "queen" of evidence or "jewel" of evidence.

"The answer is 'queen' of evidence," Ren said confidently, "It's a common expression in law. They used to resort to torture to get a confession, since it's such powerful evidence. But these days that's illegal in multiple countries."

There was also a new crossword to check out.

"Down 1, Sneeze... Across 2, Nose... And Across 1, a type of outdoor allergy is obviously Pollenosis."

Ren still had some time before bed, so he decided to speak with Yoshida again. Yoshida was good at speaking, but unfortunately he was berated by hecklers who were accusing him of smuggling funds and yelling at voters, calling him "No-Good Tora."

"That was awkward," Ren admitted.

"Yes, I always freeze up when that happens," Yoshida admitted, "It goes back twenty years ago. Back then I was part of the National Diet. Part of the 'Kuramoto Children', a group of political prodigies. You might have heard of them and their most infamous member Ishimaru."

Ren couldn't help but wince. Hondo Ishimaru was a failed prime minister candidate, and had backed the Kuramoto Children in an effort to prove his apparent genius in the world of politics.

"My inexperience as both a politician and a human led to a series of scandals," Yoshida continued, "Known to the public as 'No-Good Tora's Three Strikes'. Strike One, I was caught missing a legislative meeting to take a personal vacation. Strike Two, I was accused of embezzling a large sum of money from the party. Strike Three, I called one voter an idiot without thinking. I've been out of politics ever since."

"But you seem to have gained some experience since then," Ren noted, "And you have a talent for getting people to listen."

"The key to that is my Stand," Yoshida admitted, "I noticed you have that same aura, so I feel confident in revealing it to you. It's called The Silent Force, and is embedded in my vocal chords. With enough confidence, my very words can move people to strong emotions that resonate with what I'm trying to say. But these days I'm lacking in the confidence department..."

"Maybe I can help," Ren offered, "And in exchange you can help me learn how to be a better orator."

Yoshida nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a fair deal. Very well. I'm available every Sunday up until elections. I look forward to our continued partnership."

Chapter Text

At a nearby construction site, the same young man who had documented Yasuyuki's arrest was assembling his camera as he whistled "London Bridge is Falling Down". Behind him was the crumbling visage of a floating city atop a giant stone slab. This was Number 033, Chronomaly Machu Mech. However, it wouldn't be for long. It soon finished crumbling, revealing a humanoid figure with a camera lens for an eye.

"Now that Camera is finished mutating," the young man said, "I can make my first major scoop. And the headline will be featuring me… Shunsuke Kusaka. I'll be a bigger headliner than Ichiko Ohya back in her days covering political scandals."

Three days later, Tomoko was looking up information online.

"We've had four buildings collapse in three days."

"All of them occurred in the early morning," Ryusei noted, "Before anyone had even approached the building, let alone entered it. The culprit was clearly aiming to avoid casualties."

"All the sites were owned by Kaishima Construction, yes?," Kengo asked, "Maybe we're looking at someone who holds a grudge."

"Kaishima was under fire a few years ago for shoddy construction work," Tomoko noted, "The story was released by famous photojournalist Ichiko Ohya."

"Maybe she became a shard bearer," Shun suggested, "Then again, there was no slowdown at any of the scenes."

"Slowdown can only be affected by either Egoist or the shards it fuses to others," Jogo pointed out, "Once the shard mutates into a Stand, it loses the ability to affect slowdown. Besides, a year ago Ohya was moved to the entertainment section after her partner disappeared, and she's been in Tokyo for a while trying to get info on Madarame's business partner Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu."

"Whoever's doing this is a real expert of demolition," Kengo noted, "All the buildings collapsed in a manner that would insure they didn't cause collateral damage."

"There's something else too," Tomoko said, "A well known religious sect called the Omekata is coming to Morioh."

"Isn't that the group dedicated to protecting people in need?," Miu asked.

Tomoko nodded.

"The group's leader, Tsubaki Kasugano, is coming in person in order to spread the message of her group to Morioh."

Jogo looked concerned.

"Something's off about this. Tsubaki is a known Stand user. And ever since the sudden slowdown in Tokyo instigated by Father Roche's disciples, more and more Stand users have been coming to Morioh."

Meanwhile, Tsubaki was being driven to Morioh by her closest friend and confidant, Orin Miyashiro.

"Lady Tsubaki, we're almost there. We've just passed the radio tower."

"It's a wonder that thing is still standing after so many years," Tsubaki noted, "Although my Cries of Avici did just pick up someone living on it."

Cries of Avici was the writing scroll Tsubaki always kept with her. It was in fact her Stand, which allowed her to see through the eyes of anyone who was within her Stand's effective range, and carry her voice to those who agreed to follow her.

"How many have the others gotten?," Tsubaki asked.

"I don't think anyone's gotten anything yet," Orin replied, "So far all of the shard bearers have been beaten by local Stand users."

Tsubaki nodded.

"Once my Stand infuses our followers, they will be able to see and attack the shards. The one who began the game assured me that any shard beaten by one of my flock will count as a win for me. And I can spread my power farther than the others."

"Let's hope it's enough," Orin said, "After all, getting to use that formula to make your Stand stronger would give us the means to protect more people."

Another building collapse had been reported, with the same hallmarks as last time.

"Take a look at this," Kengo said, "It looks like something sliced through part of the support beams. That explains why no explosions were heard."

Nearby, Koichi spotted someone with a camera snapping the scene.

"Who's that?," he asked one of the other officers.

"Oh that's Shunsuke Kusaka, a visiting photojournalist," the officer said, "He came out here for a nature documentary and wound up reporting on the building collapses. Speaking of which, we did find evidence that Kaishima didn't learn their lesson. This building would have collapsed days later even if the culprit hadn't struck. And likely during a time when there were people in this building."

As Shunsuke walked out, he was stopped as five people, three men and two women, one of them an albino that looked to be blind, stood in front of him.

"Number 033!," the man said, "I am Yomotsu Hirasaka. For the sake of justice… Your shard shall be shattered!"

Shunsuke sighed.

"Good thing it's not a shard anymore. Camera!"

The figure with the camera eye appeared. Yomotsu's four friends backed up a bit, but Yomotsu didn't.

"It'll be fine. Believe in the power I share with you."

The five of them nodded and stepped back up.

"Ready!," Yomotsu called out.

The five of them placed their hands on their ornate belts, the bucklers of which could come off. There were twin buttons on each side that, when pressed, created a surge of energy that transformed the five people into Sentai-like superheroes. Yomotsu himself was red, the two guys yellow and pink, and the two girls blue and green. Yomotsu led them in a choreographed pose.

"Justice Rangers…"

"Go Twelve!"

Shunsuke looked confused

"But… There are five of you…"

"My Stand is called Justice Rangers Go Twelve because I'm designated as Hunter Twelve," Yomotsu explained, "Now let's fight! Crimson Gauntlets!"

He suddenly donned a set of gauntlets. The others got out their own weapons.

"Sapphire Blade!"

"Citrine Hammer!"

"Emerald Rifle!"

"Rose Whip!"

They immediately rushed at Shunsuke, but they never got close enough.

"Evanescence!"

Tomoko's Stand activated, causing a still-loose beam to break away and slam into the group. Luckily, Yomotsu's Stand gave them all superhuman durability.

"It's dangerous to fight in a demolition zone," she noted.

She then turned to Shunsuke.

"And you… You got here rather fast. Do you know something about this?"

Shunsuke shrugged.

"Not yet… But I'm getting close."

Later Tomoko revealed what she had learned to the others.

"The steel beams making up the foundation got compromised by having entire sections get cut out of them. The precision of the cuts is clear indication of Stand activity."

"We saw that reporter Shunsuke with a Stand," Shun noted.

"But we never saw what it could do," Kengo pointed out, "Yomotsu and his crew were our primary concern to avoid collateral damage."

"Kusaka does seem suspicious regardless," Jogo said as he came in with a newspaper, "Check out the photo he took of the incident."

The group looked and saw it was a perfect shot of the building as it collapsed.

"How did he time this shot?," Miu asked.

Jogo shook his head.

"No idea. But he was at the scene of each demolished building, asking questions of the building staff if there had been any signs of building wear."

He sat down with the group.

"Yomotsu referred to Shunsuke as Number 033. Looks like he was a shard bearer, but had the potential needed to mutate the shard into a Stand. Meaning approaching him will be tricky until we can learn what his Stand ability is."

Elsewhere, Mitsuharu and Shinzo were also reading the paper.

"Shunsuke is making good use of his Stand," Mitsuharu noted.

"It's a little destructive for my tastes," Shinzo said, "It already lead to him being targeted by the hunters."

"So long as he keeps his discipline he should be fine," Mitsuharu assured his friend, "He promised to only bring down those buildings that were already getting close to collapsing unexpectedly. And he only does it when he knows the buildings are going to be empty. Still, if he is caught… I hope he can still make the headlines like he wanted, instead of being the headline."

Early the next morning, Shunsuke was setting up his camera as usual.

"Camera!"

His Stand appeared.

"Gonna try and take out the building from way over here?," came Jogo's voice.

Shunsuke whirled around.

"So you figured me out."

"I have a good idea about your Stand power," Jogo said, "You can remove physical objects from existence, yes?"

"It's actually transferring non-living matter to digital film," Shunsuke clarified, "But the effect is the same. Like removing the lower blocks from a Jenga tower. Weaken it enough, and it all comes crumbling down."

"But why go so far for a scoop?," Jogo asked.

Shunsuke shrugged.

"Because Kaishima never learned its lesson. A few years ago me and a friend of mine where investigating rumors that Kaishima was cutting corners in its construction. Kaishima tried to put political pressure on our publishing company to get us to stop, but luckily the higher-ups knew the story would sell, and asked the politicians if they were really comfortable in buildings that could collapse at any moment. Though I will admit to some level of wounded pride, since Ohya wound up scooping me and my best friend while we were busy with the red tape."

He got a picture taken by Camera, had it touch a certain spot on the building. That same spot instantly crumbled from the actual building nearby. Jogo was shocked.

"So this is how you set up those shots!"

"Hard hitting facts certainly keep readers enraptured," Shunsuke said, "But what draws them in is an exciting action shot. To truly excel in this business, you need to be equal parts dedicated and pandering! Camera!"

Camera moved to touch another spot on the photo, but Jogo was quicker to act.

"Activate Pen!"

A large ink pen appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg, which it whipped around, the ink splattering on the photo and rendering it useless.

"Activate Spike!"

A ring of spikes appeared on the left leg, which Jogo used to smash into Camera, knocking it back a few feet.

"Activate Scoop!"

A large shovel appeared on the right arm, which Cosmic Mind dug into the rooftop and flung part of it off, sending Shunsuke flying down. Luckily, he was able to save himself by having Camera cling to the side of the wall, letting him slide down. Jogo leapt off the roof himself.

"Activate Parachute!"

A large triple parachute, like the kind used for rockets, burst out from the left arm, letting Jogo reach the bottom easily. Shunsuke used his Stand to fire off several energy blasts, which Jogo dodged.

"Activate N Magnet and S Magnet!"

Cosmic Mind shifted into its bulkier form just as Camera fired a massive energy beam, which Cosmic Mind countered with a powerful rail cannon. The forces collided and exploded, sending the two Stand users flying. Shunsuke tried to get up, only for Miu to land right on his mid-section.

"The Boom!"

The sudden impact knocked Shunsuke out cold.

While all this was going on, Father Roche ticked off the number of shards that had gone empty on Egoist.

"Ninety-six to go…," he said in delight, "A slow but sure process. Little do these hunters or the New Morioh Warriors know… Every shard that gets destroyed, or mutates into a Stand, brings my own Stand one step closer to its ultimate power."

Indeed, in the spots that once held the shards that had vanished, new growths were forming like expanding muscles.

"Only a few for now," Roche noted, "But I have time. And when I am done… I will have gained a power even greater than that which Enrico Pucci sought."

He gave a light chuckle, which slowly expanded to full-blown laughter.

Chapter Text

May 27

During lunch Ryuji came up to Ren with a big grin on his face. Ren noticed he was holding a flyer.

"Take a look at this," he said, "It was left in my mailbox."

He showed the flyer, which was for a maid service. There was the normal details, cooking and cleaning, but apparently other services were also on the table.

"You're not planning on checking this out, are you?," Ren asked.

"Kinda," Ryuji admitted, "I mean, I'm a little curious about how this service works."

"Are you guys talking about that new maid service?," Mishima asked as he walked up, "If you're planning on calling it, I want in!"

"Dude, I doubt the services go that far," Ryuji pointed out.

"I get that you want to get laid," Ren said, "But girls never go for desperate guys, and ordering a call girl is just sad."

Mishima blushed.

"Come on! It's not like that! I just want to make sure this service isn't some kind of scam, that's all!"

"All right, if you say so," Ren said, "Either way, he's got a point. Someone may have left this for a prank, so we should look into it."

"Easy enough," Ryuji said, "The tenant next door to me moved out recently, and the key is still in the mailbox. The landlord won't care if we grab it and use that address for the call. Let's meet up this evening."

The trio nodded.

After school, Ren decided to take a session with Maruki.

"A lot of the students have been talking with me," Maruki noted, "Mostly about normal stuff high school students tend to worry about. But the ones who really need it have started taking the necessary steps toward recovery."

"Is that so?," Ren said, "Feeling overwhelmed?"

"Thankfully no," Maruki replied, "But I haven't yet managed to get a sense of every student's emotional state. Physical pain is necessary for growth, but what about pain of the heart?"

"Now there's a question for the ages," Ren said, "But for my opinion, if the heart or mind was unable to feel pain, our Stands wouldn't awaken properly. In fact they might even kill us."

"That's true," Maruki admitted, "At the end of the day, even emotional pain can be necessary. Without we don't know how to live our lives, and we can't grow stronger."

That evening, Ren, Ryuji, and Mishima headed for the empty apartment.

"You guys ever hear about Medjed?," Mishima asked.

"That hacktivist group?," Ren asked, "They always posted the actions of Phantom Thief Joker and painted him in a positive light."

"Not lately," Mishima clarified, "In fact, for some reason they've claimed Joker has turned away from justice."

"That's bullshit," Ryuji said, "Why would they change their minds so suddenly? Anyway, we're here."

Like Ryuji said, the apartment was empty. Mishima looked like he was sweating.

"So we're really doing this then?"

"Relax, Mishima," Ryuji said, "If it turns out to be sketchy, or too adult, we can always just bail. After all, we're not even using our own address."

"That's genius, Ryuji," Ren admitted, "So who should make the call? I mean, we don't even know if they'll accept orders from high school students."

"I think you should do it," Ryuji suggested, "You're the most mature looking, so you could pass yourself off as a college student."

Ren nodded and called the number.

'Victoria Maid Service,' came the answer from the other end, 'Who would you like to serve you today?'

"Just send anyone available," Ren replied, and gave the address for the vacant apartment.

'Okay,' the other person said, 'We'll have someone there in twenty minutes.'

"Dude, they really answered," Mishima said in shock, "I hope the number didn't show up in the ID."

"Not to worry," Ren assured him, "I used the private number set up for my former contractor as a Phantom Thief. The number was still good, so I figured it'd be best for this operation."

The trio waited, but were surprised when the maid arrived five minutes early. Ryuji and Mishima headed out to the balcony while Ren turned his back to the door.

"The door's unlocked…," came a vaguely familiar voice that gave Ren a bad feeling.

The maid walked up behind Ren.

“Hello, I'm Becky! I'll be your maid for the evening! Um… Would you be a high school student by any chance?"

"No, I'm in college," Ren replied.

"Really?," Becky said, "Wow, your skin looks so healthy."

"Dude, I can barely see her," came Ryuji's voice.

Becky walked toward the balcony.

"Who's voice is that?"

She looked out, but Ryuji and Mishima had managed to find enough hiding spot just outside the door to escape her notice.

"Well, I guess it was the neighbors," Becky said as she turned around, and both she and Ren gasped.

Staring right at Ren was the face of his homeroom teacher.

"K-Kawakami!?"

"Mister Amamiya!?," Kawakami said in shock.

She frowned.

"Did… You request me specifically?"

Ren shook his head numbly.

"I just asked for whoever was available after finding a flyer in my mailbox. I didn't even know you did this kind of work after school. Uh… Does Kamoshida know?"

"Well, yeah," Kawakami admitted, "But the service doesn't permit those sorts of services, so he's perfectly fine with it. No one else is supposed to know, however. So… Would you mind keeping this a secret?"

"Yeah, sure," Ren replied, still a little shocked by this.

"Thanks," Kawakami replied, "I gotta admit, you set things up well. This isn't really your address, is it?"

She sighed.

"We'll just… Treat this as a cancellation."

She walked out and Ren finally had time to think.

"What just happened? No really, I'm asking."

May 28

Kawakami seemed rather distraught after class, so Ren decided to check in on her. He found her soon enough, getting grilled by Miss Chouno.

"I've heard the other students whispering that Chouno was on the warpath after what happened with Toshiro," Morgana noted, "Guess this proves it."

"I think I know a way to cover for Kawakami," Ren said with a smirk.

He walked on over.

"Excuse me, Miss Kawakami, I had a question to ask about last night's tutoring."

"Huh?," Chouno asked in surprise.

Kawakami decided to roll with it.

"Oh, so you had another question? What about?"

Chouno blinked.

"Oh, so you were helping Amamiya with his tutoring… I'm so sorry I misjudged you. But with what happened with Toshiro… Anyway, I'd better get going. The Literature Club is meeting soon."

Kawakami sighed as Chouno walked off.

"Thanks. Having Suguru know is one thing, but I'd be ridiculed if any of the other teachers found out."

She handed Ren a card.

"Here, the number and address of the service I work for. Try to make sure you won't leave a caller ID."

Ren noted there was a public phone found in Leblanc. Before heading there, he asked around the backstreets of Yongen about a woman possible abducting cats. He soon turned up a name, Ryoko Aino, and had it forwarded to Mishima for targeting.

"Ryoko Aino, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal L'Imperatrice from your possession."

Later Ren joined Ann as she got invited for a photo shoot. Apparently the regular models had not shown up, so Ann and another sub were called in instead. Said other model, a woman named Mika, walked up to Ann.

"It's so nice to meet you," she said, "I may be older, but I hear you have so much more experience."

"I don't know about that," Ann admitted, "I only started getting serious in this business recently."

"Then maybe you have a few tips to share?," Mika asked, "I've been trying to find some green almonds, and I'm getting tired of normal quinoa. Do you think I should maybe boil it?"

"Whoa now," Ann said, "The only thing I have to worry about is getting exercise. My metabolism is so good that I don't really have to worry about what I eat."

Mika blinked, and looked Ann over.

"Yeah… It does look like you don't have to watch what you eat… I gotta admit I'm envious of that. Hold on, you said you were only now getting serious?"

"It's gonna sound lame," Ann admitted, "But with me still being in high school, up until now I've only really seen this as a hobby. But it's still one that connects me to my parents, so when I heard about shenanigans going on, I decided I had to step up."

Mika nodded.

"I see… I mean, I'd normally be annoyed to hear you say you don't take this seriously. But I guess I can understand if you haven't really seen your parents that much. Naturally I've been in this business long enough to know about the Takamakis. Just keep in mind that I'm always serious about modeling."

Ann narrowed her eyes as Mika walked off.

"Something about her seems fishy," she noted.

"You think she might be hiding something?," Ren asked.

"Nothing sinister," Ann admitted, "She definitely takes this work seriously. But she acted like I had just dodged some sort of bullet… We'll need to keep an eye on her."

That evening Ren contacted Kawakami's maid service from the payphone at the cafe. She checked out the state of the attic.

"I'm guessing you don't clean up that much,” she noted, "Oh well, I might as well get started."

Ren got a shock as mechanical arms popped out of a backpack that manifested on her back.

"You're a Stand user!?"

Kawakami blinked.

"Wait… You can see Daft Punk? So does that mean you're a Stand user as well?"

Ren explained a little bit about his history.

"To think," Kawakami said in shock, "I've been harboring Phantom Thief Joker in my own classroom… Well, you're already keeping my secret, so I can keep yours in exchange. In fact, I think I can help you out beyond cleaning up around this place."

"How so?," Ren asked.

Kawakami smirked.

"I can arrange it so you have a little free time in class. But you will have to keep your grades to earn this privilege."

"It's not a bad deal," Ren decided, "I can also call you in regularly to help with the rest of the team at our hideout."

"I could really use the job," Kawakami said, "I'm considered the over the hill for this service. I just wish our clientele was a little older."

As Ren went to bed for the night, he got a text from Ryuji about taking Mishima to Harajuku. Ren sent a reply that he'd be there.

May 29

Takenoko Street in Harajuku was incredibly crowded. Mishima was in the area with Ren, Ryuji, and Ann.

"So why'd you wanna come here?," Ryuji asked.

"I figure a big cultural hub like this will have all kinds of info on international villains," Mishima explained, "Like that guy over there! That eyepatch and sulking face just screams thug."

Ren looked over and found a familiar face.

"Nah, that's just Goro Majima. He left the yakuza years ago. Probably still sulking over the death of his friend Kiryu."

"Besides, this is Harajuku," Ann pointed out, "Outfits that seem weird in other regions are perfectly normal here."

"That explains some of the diclonii in the area," Ryuji noted, "Areas like this where people don't judge are a haven for them."

"Much like the country's gray areas," Ren added, "That's a hot topic in politics these days."

"Gray areas?," Mishima asked.

"Cities where organized crime is overlooked," Ren explained, "So long as no violent crimes spring up, police will turn a blind eye to yakuza activity without needing to be bribed."

That evening Ryuji invited Ren to go see The Dark Knight Rises at the Shibuya theater.

"Man," Ryuji said, "Talk about a nail biter. And to see the very people the Joker derided prove his very theology wrong."

"This is why my code name is based on the trump card and not the harlequin," Ren explained.

May 30

As Ren headed for Inokashira Park, he spotted Kasumi getting harassed by a middle-aged man who clearly didn't know how to take no for an answer. Grunting, Ren adjusted his glasses.

"W Boiled Xtreme..."

The man didn't see the fearsome shadow Stand strike the arm he was using to try and keep Kasumi from leaving. Of course, Kasumi did, since she was a Stand user. The man noticed several people were getting on their phones, likely to call the police, prompting him to run for it.

"Thanks for the help," Kasumi said, "It sucks that my Stand can't defend me the way yours and Sumire's can. Sure I could have used it to flee, but that would draw way too much attention."

Ren remembered how Kasumi's Stand, Elevation, worked. It could create energy streams to defy gravity. But seemingly floating in the air when one was supposed to be a normal high school student was the sort of thing that drew the wrong sort of people.

"Well, thanks for the help," Kasumi said.

"Pretty sure Sumire would have torn apart half the city if she learned you were abducted by a pervert," Ren quipped.

That got the duo laughing as they headed for the big cleanup.

Sumire spotted them as they approached.

"Whoa, Kasumi. You look like you got groped on the bus."

"I almost was," Kasumi said, "Well, sort of. I got hit on by this sleazy middle-aged man while at the station. Luckily Ren spotted us."

"Tell me you got his hand," Ryuji joked.

"And cause a major scene?," Ren joked back, "I would have been late for this by a factor of months."

"At least the weather's nice for this cleanup," Mishima said, "Probably those Kichijoji clean-freaks hung paper dolls all over the place and prayed for clear skies. Speaking of which, it feels like we're the only Stand users here, even though the school has a few more."

"Not quite," Ann said, "Maruki's on the cooking crew. Come to think of it, Ryuji did you have a session with him?"

"Just one," Ryuji clarified, "But it was enough to get a lot of things off my chest. I felt a lot better afterward."

"I've been seeing Maruki for a while now," Kasumi said, "After the close call I had at the beginning of the year."

"Close call?," Ann asked.

"I was nearly in a fatal car accident," Kasumi explained.

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Sumire said, "I didn't realize it affected you so much. You should have told me."

"Good morning, Shujin Academy students and staff," came the voice of Makoto as she got everyone's attention using a megaphone.

"Oh, Niijima's here too," Ryuji said, "Now we just need that girl Okumura along with Kawakami and that's all the Stand users at Shujin."

"Actually, I saw Okumura in the third-year group," Mishima admitted, "Y'know, a lot of the trash here can be used for recycling."

"I overheard that some people might have discarded their wallets," Kasumi added, "Those sorts of things should be reported."

Once the cleanup was complete, the group sat down for some pork miso soup. Most of the students had gone home since they didn't have to hang around anymore.

"That reminds me," Kasumi said, "Sumire mentioned you guys joined her and Ren as Phantom Thieves. I might be able to help out by... Oh."

She spotted a young girl whose balloon started to fly off. With a surprising leap, she managed to catch it, landing with perfect grace. Most of the group was slack-jawed.

"Did I neglect to mention Kasumi is an expert gymnast?," Sumire said with a smirk.

Kasumi came back after giving the girl back her balloon.

"As I was saying, I can use my gymnastics training to help you guys get some better moves. You all need practice if you hope to keep up with my sis and her boyfriend."

Sumire blushed at Kasumi just blurting it out like that.

May 31

Inui was getting into the age of discovery, including the age of pirates.

"While highly romanticized, the life of a pirate was anything but glamorous. Life on the high seas is very dangerous. And while pirates did often obtain wealth from their plunders, they tended to spend it immediately on ship improvements, weapons, and food. And most times they weren't the peg-legged, parrot toting figures of fiction. Mister Amamiya, can you name the historical figure whose appearance became the visual shorthand for pirates?"

"John Silver," Ren replied.

"Yes, correct," Inui said, "Long John Silver is the secondary character from Treasure Island. But he was a fictional character. Now when compared to Captain William Kidd, a real-life pirate, the contrast is obvious. You probably know the story of how Kidd declared that he hid all his treasure in one place during his execution. That said, modern research suggests he didn't actually have that much. Though one such place where Kidd is said to have hidden his treasure is an island of Kyushu."

"For my money it doesn't matter how much Kidd had," Morgana said, "It's real worth is in letting people dream about it."

Later, Ren and Ann met up in the diner.

"I spoke with Shiho about Mika," Ann said, "She just laughed and joked about how Mika might target me next."

She giggled.

"It reminded me of when we first met in middle school. She saw one my drawings and said it looked terrible. And it really was. Yeah it was a mean comment, but it was an honest one and Shiho was the first one not to talk about my looks. Before her, I was just some foreigner to the other students."

"She sounds like a great friend," Ren said.

"Which is why I freaked out when I thought she was trying to commit suicide," Ann replied, "And if I had to, I would have jumped in and helped myself. That's how much she means to me."

There was another crossword for Ren to try that evening.

"Down 1, Nori... Down 2, Ikebana... Across 2, Obi... Across 1, Nihonga or something cultural artwork. Naturally the answer is Japanese."

After that, Ren headed down to Big Bang Burger to take their Big Bang Challenge, a three-level food challenge. While the challenges didn't have to be taken consecutively, each individual challenge had a thirty-minute time limit. With his level of skill, Ren was able to demolish the giant Comet Burger for the first level. With that he was awarded the "title" of Second Mate and the right to take the next part of the challenge at a later time.

June 1

Ryuji wanted to bring Ren to his favorite hangout spot in Ogikubo. It turned out to be a popular ramen shop.

"Me and the team always come out here after practice," Ryuji said, "But this time around... Well... Things are getting tense. And this time the problem isn't me, but rather Nakaoka, the team captain. Lately he hasn't been getting along well with the others."

"You think something might be happening with him?," Ren asked.

"Heck if I know," Ryuji replied, "But I didn't want to come out here alone, so I figured I'd bring my best bud instead."

Ren smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you did. The food's always best close to home."

That evening Ren headed to the bookstore and got two new books, Wise Men's Words and Nightlife Hotspots. The DVD rental had some new titles in as well, so Ren traded his old one for Ugly Betty. Then he spent the night watching some of it.

June 2

The team got together for another dive into Legion of Monsters.

"Mishima has the calling cards sent out for Daisuke Takanashi and Ryoko Aino," Ren said, "We'll likely get to explore a deeper portion of the overlay this time around."

Down in the second level, one of the guards was found with Wavering Tree Spirit, a papery human figure with swirls on its head, which was used to create Kodama. On the third level was a portal leading to Takanashi's home, within which could be seen a statue of a traveler.

"That's Le Mat," Joker said, "Which to translates to 'The Fool'. We still this and Takanashi's bullying will come to an end."

After stealing the statue, the team continued to a rest stop.

"Looks like Jose set up a bunch of stamp posts on the way down," Skull said, "What are they for?"

"Most likely to help charge his Stand," Violet suggested, "With it he can shift the energies of Legion of Monsters to make them favorable to us."

Another guard further down had Piggyback Demon, an imp with a bowl cut that was turned into Obariyon. The sixth level had the portal to Aino's home, where the team could see a statue of an empress. There was some crying being heard.

"Snowball... I'm sorry... I wasn't able to stop you from being run over... But I'll protect every other snowball I see..."

"Now I get it," Mona said, "She was caring for a cat but it died on her. And that statue made her see her precious snowball in every cat on Yongen. Better steal that statue, Joker. It's the only way she'll move on."

Joker nodded and took the statue. Soon enough the team found Jose with enough stamps that he was able to make a shift in the overlay, allowing more useful items to appear. With everything done, the team headed back to reality.

That night, the quiz show was asking which was true about probation, that overseas travel is prohibited or that probation officers are unpaid.

"Probation officers are unpaid," Ren noted, "Probation is meant to encourage rehabilitation, so there's no prohibited actions attached to it other than following the law."

Before retiring, he decided to finish watching Ugly Betty.

Chapter Text

Jogo had been called by Koichi late into the night when a series of fires in the suburban district had been reported. Jogo quickly used Cosmic Mind's Fire ability to snuff out the flames. When the others came in the next morning, he explained what he found.

"There was a sudden surge of slowdown in the area as the fires started," Jogo explained, "This is likely the work of a shard bearer."

Kengo immediately looked at the ruined appliances.

"Burn patterns suggest these were electrical fires. A lot of batteries exploding or cords shorting out."

"The fires were relatively small when I heard about them," Jogo noted.

He then saw two men in black suits walk off, muttering about people nosing about. He and Luna hurried over to talk with them.

"Excuse me. We'd like to ask you some questions."

The two men looked at each other, then suddenly they threw their arms out and a slowdown was triggered. They immediately ran, but they soon realized Jogo and Luna had not been affected. Quickly they hurried through a small construction zone. Jogo gasped, but kept running.

"Activate Hopping!"

He easily bounded over the obstacles and ran into the first guy. The two guys decided to fight back.

"Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark!"

The first guy was Number 037, with a white aquatic creature with six fins and clawed appendages.

"Ragnazero!"

The other guy was Number 103, a humanoid female with clothes that looked like ice. The duo tangled with Jogo and Luna for a while, easily getting their butts kicked, when a guy dressed as a scientist with white hair stepped in.

"Still having problems, I see."

Number 037 looked at him.

"Goro Minami! A little help here!"

Behind Minami appeared a giant black dragon with a white belly. Jogo's eyes widened.

"Number 024, Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon."

"Not for long," Minami said with a chuckle, "For it seems I have the power… To evolve!"

Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon crumbled away, leaving behind a more humanoid figure with tesla coils on its back and power nodes for arms. Jogo observed the new Stand.

"So what is it now?"

"Call it… High Voltage," Minami decided, "A fitting name for its power."

"Then I'll just fight positive with negative!," Jogo decided, "Activate Elek!"

His Stand took on its golden color and electrical powers, letting it go toe-to-toe with High Voltage. As the other two shard bearers tried to get in, they found themselves pinned down by Luna, who used her own Stand to manipulate the nearby gravity.

"Let's get rid of the two distractions! Fly Me To The Moon!"

Her artificial moon shifted phases, releasing the gravity hold. Number 103 was able to get away in time as Luna fired off her crescent blades. Number 037 wasn't so lucky, Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark taking one too many hits and crumbling to nothing. Number 103 hurried over to Minami.

"This is getting too crazy, Boss."

Minami nodded.

"It would seem I have made a serious miscalculation. We'll need to relocate. High Voltage!"

The electric Stand shot out a surging storm that caused Jogo and Luna to put their guard up. They tried to chase after the fleeing shard bearers, only to learn the storm had gotten some construction workers caught in the crossfire, prompting Jogo to render aid using his Medical power.

"Do you think they did that on purpose?," Luna asked.

"I hope not," Jogo said, "Thus far these new Stand users have proven honorable."

At a nearby junkyard, Minami grumbled to himself.

"Something the matter?," Shinzo said as he approached.

"I ran into those New Morioh Warriors," Minami explained, "And lost one of the shard bearers who were with me."

He shook his head.

"Well… At least my experiment is almost complete. Once my Stand fully implements the device, finding individuals with Stand potential should be much easier."

"Good," Shinzo said, "Father Roche doesn't seem to care how many of us there are, but I for one would like only those that will actually use these powers right to be chosen."

"That reminds me," Minami said, "How close is she to evolving?"

Shinzo simply smiled, and Minami noted a certain warmth to the smile.

"Goro Minami," Koichi noted, "A skilled inventor, popular with kids for making fun and accessible toys designed for a variety of ages."

"His new Stand power revolves around electricity," Ryusei noted, "Seems to be a common theme as of late. We still have to track him down, and the other shard bearer he was with."

"We already have Akira Otoishi on it as we speak," Koichi assured him, "Since his Red Hot Chili Pepper can travel via underground electric cables and has a wide range, finding Minami should only be a matter of time."

"But why go to all this trouble for a few fires?," Shun asked.

Jogo shook his head.

"I don't think he intended to start those fires. At the time we confronted him, Minami's shard was just finishing its mutation into a Stand. It's possible that as it neared that completed state, its power started going a little berserk. No, Minami has a different plan in mind. One that's much more suited to his intellect."

"YEOW!," came the howl of a male voice.

Akira burst into the room, his fingers gliding effortlessly over his electric guitar. By the time he was done with his ballad, the entire room was clapping.

"Jail time may have slowed me down…," he said softly, "But my rock and roll spirit has not faded…"

Koichi cleared his throat.

"Did you find Minami and his cohort?"

Akira calmed down as he straightened up.

"Yes, sorry about that."

His Stand, a humanoid lizard made of electricity, appeared next to him.

"Red Hot Chili Pepper was able to track Minami to the scrapyards on the outskirts of the suburban region of Morioh. He's got some kind of electrical device cobbled together. Whatever it is, it's drawing in tremendous amounts of electricity. My Stand felt drained just by getting near it."

"Funny," Jogo said, "My own Stand can use electric powers, but it didn't feel a thing."

Jogo hurried out to the scrapyard with Kengo, and soon found the device. Minami had removed a piece of it, only to get alerted to the duo's presence by Number 103.

"I take it this was what started the electrical fires?," Kengo asked.

"A minor miscalculation on my part," Minami admitted, "I'm grateful you intervened when you did. It was never my intention for people to get hurt because of my mistakes. And as a scientist, I have made many. Ask any science teacher, and they'll tell you scientific theories get proven wrong all the time."

"How is this device draining power?," Jogo asked, "And why wasn't my Stand's electrical abilities affected?"

"Draining electricity is part of High Voltage's power," Minami explained, "It can even disrupt other electric-based Stands. But your Stand doesn't rely solely on electricity, does it Mister Higashikata? With the electricity amplified by your ability to manipulate the very essence of the cosmos, High Voltage was unable to even touch the electric current. As for where that energy is going… Well, let's just say it's a favor to a friend. But not to worry, you'll be finding out before long. Ah, but you're here to deal with us due to the trouble we've caused, correct?"

"Glad to see you understand you the position you're in," Kengo said, as he and Jogo summoned their Stands.

Minami looked at Kengo's.

"The infamous Killer Queen. How interesting. From what I'm told it works somewhat differently than before, but I remember this originally being the Stand of one Yoshikage Kira. But the only way two different people can have the same Stand is if they share the same soul. As in… Reincarnation…"

Kengo breathed deep.

"As I recall… Reimi promised him that he wouldn't be going anywhere peaceful… And my life has been quite turbulent over the years."

He looked up and smiled.

"But I'm not my father… So this turbulent life suits me perfectly! Killer Queen!"

Killer Queen punched at the air in front of both Ragnazero and High Voltage, knocking them both aside. Minami was the first to get up and took a small piece out of the device.

"Our experiment here is complete. Get this to Shinzo, quickly!"

Number 103 nodded and took the device. As he ran off, however, he ran into Jogo.

"You're not going anywhere! At least not with your shard intact! Activate Launcher and Gatling!"

In addition to the rocket launcher, a gatling gun manifested on Cosmic Mind's left leg. The two weapons fired off, quickly damaging Rangazero to the point of breakdown. Number 103 had just enough time to fly off quickly. Meanwhile Kengo was knocking Minami and his Stand around the scrapyard.

"To be honest," Kengo said, "I don't really like that I'm both the son of a serial killer and his reincarnation at the same time. But that's the beauty of nurturing. I guess it's not in my nature to be a killer… Just a fighter. Killer Queen!"

Killer Queen started punching High Voltage in rapid succession.

"BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU BAKU!"

With a final big blast, Minami was knocked unconscious as Kengo cooled down.

"Bakuhatsu!"

Number 103 managed to land at the location where Shinzo and Mitsuharu were staying. He handed off the device just as Ragnazero crumbled away.

"So this is the device Minami came up with," Mitsuharu said, "The one that can contain his Stand's full power."

Shinzo nodded.

"He knew that once his Stand fully manifested, it would cause problems. So he took that into account, and made use of his Stand's true power. Now we can finish the device. And with it, we can find people with Stand potential all over Morioh."

Chapter Text

June 3

Ren got a chance to read on the train again, and started reading Hachiko's Story. In class, Kawakami was true to her word and set things up so the class was a review session, subtly hinting that this was Ren’s chance to slack off. He took advantage by finishing Hachiko's Story. After class he joined Maruki for more mental training.

"I've noticed how dangerous cats can be," Maruki said, "When I tried saving a kitten who got stuck in a tree I wound up getting the scratching of a lifetime."

"You should have come to me," Ren said, "I'm great with cats. Then again, it could just be Morgana."

"But it does put things in perspective," Maruki noted, "Physical wounds can heal easily given time and treatment, but mental wounds take a lot longer. Sometimes years. For all but a select few, seeing a person's heart, as in their center of emotions, is impossible."

"Maybe so," Ren said, "But sometimes those around a person can feel that pain, if they're close enough."

"I hear that," Maruki agreed, "It was the same with me and certain someone I'm close to."

That evening Ren found another crossword to try.

"Across 1, Rembrandt... Down 2, Sketch... Down 3, label for an unparalleled artist is a Master."

After this he swapped out DVDs to rent The Walking Dead. He then made another request for Kawakami. It turned out Daft Punk was designed to grant Kawakami multiple arms to handle various tasks and functions, basically a set of extra limbs that were perfectly articulate, and strong enough to handle any load. Despite this, using the Stand for so long clearly tuckered Kawakami out, and she wound up flopping on the nearby sofa.

"I'm glad you maintain the place, but it's so big I wind up getting exhausted regardless. And no funny ideas!"

"Still spoken for," Ren pointed out, "Why the maid act to begin with?"

Kawakami scoffed.

"There's this couple who keeps demanding money of me for a mistake I made at my last teaching job. They've tried raising the price per week a few times, but they didn't count on me letting Suguru know about it, and he's able to flex a little influence to keep them off my back. Doesn't stop them from wanting more money. And I have no idea what they keep spending it on."

She sighed.

"They go through it way too fast."

This concept got Ren concerned.

June 4

Maruki was speaking with the class again.

"Things are starting to get humid as summer roles around. I thought I could just push through it, but apparently a couple of police officers thought I was suspicious for some reason. This is actually an interesting concept of psychology. People often think that just because something is cute, it must also be nice. Mister Amamiya, do you know the name of this phenomenon?"

"The halo effect," Ren replied.

"Good guess," Maruki said, "That's exactly what it's called. People tend to get distracted by superficial qualities, causing their broader perception to become biased. This makes it harder to make totally objective judgments."

"That makes sense," Morgana admitted, "Some truly terrible people look nice. On the other hand, some people who look like thugs can be decent individuals."

Later, Ryuji showed Ren a new spot where they could train, a gym on Central Street called Protein Lovers.

"This place is perfect," Ryuji said, "It's pay per visit so there's no bullshit contracts, and they've got plenty of equipment."

While inside, Ryuji had a down look about him.

"Something wrong?," Ren asked.

"The track team is getting some new help from this teacher named Yamauchi," Ryuji said, "Problem is, the guy knows nothing about track, and he was basically Ishishiro's toady."

"Guy sounds like an asshole," Ren noted.

Ryuji nodded.

"But for now nothing's really happening. Still, I can't help but be worried."

That evening, Ren requested Kawakami for a special meal delivery service the maid agency was providing. It turned out to be gourmet cup noodles, which tasted similar to the stuff you could get from a restaurant.

"Any changes with those people asking for money?," Ren asked.

Kawakami sighed.

"They've been getting even more relentless as of late. It's like they don't know how hard I'm trying to work, and how hard it is to get money."

"Maybe they're spoiled rich people," Ren suggested, "Those sorts of people can make money in their sleep, so they don't understand how hard some people work just to make minimum wage."

Kawakami shrugged.

"All I know is they never seem satisfied no matter how much I pay them."

"Why do you keep paying them?," Ren asked, "I mean, whatever you did can't be that bad, right?"

Kawakami thought about that.

"I've been thinking about that… And I'm not really sure anymore. And it feels more and more like they don't even remember the real reason for my mistake."

June 5

Goro and Makoto were on opposite ends of the Shibuya crossing when a major TV announcement came on.

'In other news, Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu, business partner to notable Japanese artist Ichiryusai Madarame, was indicted for conspiracy to frame his partner for plagiarism and abuse of his pupils. While several of these pupils noted they had dreams of such abuse, they confirmed that no actual abuse has ever taken place, and the police confirmed that there was no indication of any true criminal activity on Madarame’s part.'

An image of the calling card appeared on the jumbotron.

'However, the police have confirmed the involvement of the infamous Phantom Thief Joker, who apparently sent many copies of this calling card addressed to Kinmyujiamu. The chief of police confirmed Joker had under his arm the very painting mentioned in the calling card and was seen with multiple accomplices. As the chief made an effort to arrest the thieves, they mysteriously disappeared, patrol car dashboard cameras being the only evidence that they were there to begin with.'

Goro narrowed his eyes.

"You don't act without reason, Joker. Why recruit more partners? Violet's been enough up until now. You must be on the trail of a major conspiracy…"

He grimaced.

"I'll need to let Dad know about this. Someone's been targeting the government as of late, and it can be no coincidence that it's happening during an election year. Dad's campaign may be in jeopardy…"

Meanwhile, Makoto was watching the news report with interest.

"These Phantom Thieves certainly know who to target… Could I maybe…?"

She walked off to think about things.

Meanwhile at the hideout, the gang was cheering at the sight of the news displaying their success.

"I'm grateful Sensei will not have to face serious charges," Yusuke said, "And it seems the exhibit was a complete success. Actually, my last piece, which I've named 'Feline Passion' sold for an impressive sum at the conclusion of the exhibit. And I'm looking forward to what inspires my next piece."

"So you'll be sticking with us then?," Morgana asked.

Yusuke nodded.

"To be honest, I feel it would be foolish to stop now. There may be others in danger like my fellow students and my father."

"That reminds me," Sumire said, "I know the Sayuri is your mother's work and was named for her, but I never saw her name on the art."

"That was Madarame's decision," Yusuke explained, "He only ever said that the Sayuri was the last piece of a deceased pupil of his, but never gave their name out prior to the exhibition. And he refused to sell it because he found it too precious. I believe deep down he understood that Mother never painted it for the fame and adoration."

"We should keep our eyes peeled for more potential targets," Morgana noted, "This isn't over by a long shot. We've kicked the legs out from under this organization, but they're only down, not out."

Just as Morgana suspected, Akira was not yet ready to throw it in.

"These Phantom Thieves are growing to be a major concern. We need to make our next job more low-key, so that we can try and escape their notice."

'Leave that to me,' said one of the figures on the monitors, 'I've finally found a viable target. And I have the perfect plan for implicating him. Best of all, the police will be eager for this one. They won't look too closely at evidence aimed at someone already known to be a criminal.'

"Just so long as they don't realize you're falsifying evidence," Akira noted, "Take caution. These Phantom Thieves are not to be underestimated."

At SIU headquarters, Sae tapped her chin.

"That's twice now these Phantom Thieves have targeted someone trying to frame another for serious crimes."

"It's the typical MO of Phantom Thief Joker," the director explained, "You wouldn't know because you weren’t on the case, but Joker will only target criminals. He possesses a strong sense of justice, paradoxical as that sounds. You'll likely be hearing about him and his new team Strike Back more and more as this case continues."

Sae nodded. The news turned to a political address, the man from the Hilton shown on the television.

'The root cause of this travesty is that society as we know it is stalled due to being mired down by the stigmas and traditions of the past. If someone had only spoken up about this incident, we would not have had to rely on a thief to expose the truth.'

"Well, that was fun," Ryuji said, "Hey, Ren, you got time this afternoon?"

"Sure," Ren said, "What were you planning?"

"I got a couple of coupons for a free darts game at a lounge in Kichijoji," Ryuji explained, "But they expire today. We just need to hit the Inogami Line to get there."

"That's outside where your commuter pass takes you," Morgana noted, "Better make sure you can pay the fare."

The place looked completely different from Shibuya, like the entire city was an open market. As the duo checked out the various stores, Makoto was doing her best to try and follow them without looking conspicuous. The lounge Ryuji was looking for was called Penguin Sniper, and it had both darts and billiards. Best of all, high school students could hang out without issue.

"I looked up the rules for the game online last night," Ryuji said, "The game here's called 01. To win you need to get your score down to 0 before your opponent. You lose points based on where the dart lands. Also, you can only win by getting your score down to 0 exactly. You can't be off by even a single point, and you can't have a score in the negative."

"That's a different sort of game," Morgana noted.

"Yeah, it takes a lot more skill than normal," Ren admitted, "It might be nice to get everyone in on this. We could really improve our teamwork by playing this game."

Ren and Ryuji played a game together, feeling their teamwork improve as they successfully won in just five rounds.

Mishima: I just got word in about an old man who flies off the handle at the drop of a hat. Even if you don't hit him, he'll lie down and say you did before suing for damages. I couldn't find a name, but he hangs out near Kichijoji's Harmony Alley. You should find him if you ask around.

After Ren got this message, he went to help Yoshida during his next speech. Yoshida managed to go by without interruption this time.

"Thank you for your help," he said to Ren afterward, "I find the best way to make your words known is to have conviction in them. Perhaps that is why my Stand developed as it did. You know, back before the scandals that ruined my career I was quite the passionate politician. It was during the course of my speeches that my Stand came to awaken."

"Was it very strong then?," Ren asked.

"It was…," Yoshida said sadly, "But after the scandals it began to weaken for a while. But with your help I can feel it start to grow stronger again."

"Here's hoping you can get your normal power back," Ren said, "In the meantime, I'll keep helping you whenever possible."

"Get outta here, No-Good Tora!," called out the heckler from before.

Yoshida froze up for a moment before sighing.

"Still dealing with that old stigma…"

June 6

Makoto was called in the principal's office.

"I wasn't able to find anything yet," Makoto said, "I tried looking into the students most affected by Ishishiro's actions, but so far they seem perfectly normal."

"I didn't think it would be that easy," Kobayakawa admitted, "And now with the incident involving Kinmyujiamu, the school board is letting up regarding thinking that somehow our student body is involved, which takes a load of my shoulders. For now you can suspend your investigation. There are more important matters a student council president should be taking care of."

"Of course," Makoto said, relief in her voice.

Meanwhile, Ryuji was excited to hear some of the other students talking about Strike Back.

"I don't know why they'd call a shack a museum," one student said, "But that painting they stole was apparently something Kinmyujiamu made."

"The Golden Labyrinth, right?," his buddy added, "It must be worth a fortune. A scumbag like him deserves to have it taken from him."

"I heard the police tried to confront the gang known as Strike Back," the first student said, "The guys from the card? And that Phantom Thief Joker is their apparent leader."

"This is actually getting pretty exciting," Ryuji said, "Oh yeah, we have that social studies trip coming up. What did you guys pick?"

"I went with the TV station," Ren said, "Sumire already picked it because her dad works there as a talk show host."

"I went with that too," Ann noted, "It might be interesting."

"I guess I'll go with the same thing," Ryuji said with a nod, "There's supposed to be a kid detective being interviewed during the trip. I'm curious what he thinks about Strike Back. I mean, he's apparently been tracking a notorious thief for months."

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Would his name happen to be Goro Akechi?"

Ryuji nodded. Ren smiled.

"I see… Looks like I made a good choice."

"Wow, what a downpour," Kasumi said.

"Luckily Ren never has to worry about rain," Sumire said, "He just turns intangible and lets the droplets fall through. He claims it feels like taking a warm shower."

The sisters giggled as they shared an umbrella together. Kasumi had forgotten hers, but Sumire was always packing important items.

"So are you ready for the prelims?," Sumire asked.

"Yep," Kasumi said, "But lately the air around the city has been weird. I could be wrong but... I think it may somehow be affecting my Stand. I feel heavier for some reason."

Sumire grew concerned for her sister.

Mishima: I was able to find some info on a Kosei student. Seems she's been sadistically treating this other male student. Got a name for this one too. Hikari Shimizu.

With a name for a new target, the calling card was sent on the Phan-Site.

"Hikari Shimizu, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal the Aiyatsbus from your possession."

After class Ren had another session with Maruki.

"I managed to buy plenty of snacks for sessions," Maruki said, "But as I did I was reminded of an interesting experiment. Scientists had two jars, one with only one cookie, and one with ten. Both were the same types of cookie, yet everyone who partook in the experiment thought the one-cookie container had the better tasting cookie. Weird, right?"

"I guess rarer things have more value to one's psyche," Ren noted.

"It's called the law of scarcity," Maruki explained, "It's a fascinating concept. When we become aware of how rare something is, our cognition changes to make us think it's more desirable. Actually, studies like this have part of my research since before I even awoke my Stand."

Back at Leblanc, Ren was surprised to see Lavenza sitting there.

"Hello, Trickster," she said, "I was getting curious about the world outside the Velvet Room. However, as my appearance might suggest, I am still rather young. I was hoping you might be able to chaperone me."

"Sounds fair," Ren said, "Where did you have in mind?"

"I've been hearing a lot of so-called 'fast food'," Lavenza said, "Especially this one chain in particular known as Big Bang Burger, which supposedly has food that gives one the feeling of being in space. I'd like to see for myself."

Somehow the visit wound up with Lavenza taking up the Big Bang Challenge, and demolition all three levels in just one sitting.

"How big is your stomach?," Ren asked, noting the only reason Lavenza was still thin was due to her not being truly human.

Lavenza gave a surprisingly big burp for someone her size.

"I don't think I'll need to eat for at least another month..."

June 7

As Ren came into school he noticed some of the students talking about a flyer set up in one the hallways.

"I heard the student council president asked this to be set up," one student said, "Could this be about the rumors of that part-time job scam that's been going around?"

"Job scam?," Morgana muttered.

"I think I've heard some grumblings about it while we were walking through Shibuya," Ren noted, "Even Sojiro warned me to be careful. Guess Niijima caught wind of it reaching Shujin."

"This could be serious," Morgana noted, "We should bring it up with the others."

Hiruta was talking to his class.

"A lot of things in this world aren't what they seem. This is especially true of many facets of biology. Certain naming conventions, for example, can throw people off. The world is full of such fake names, one of the most well-known being the Komodo dragon. For a more subtle take on this concept, observe this creature."

He showed a diagram of a red king crab.

"Now while this specimen is called a red king crab, it's not truly a king crab at all. Rather, it's more closely related to the hermit crab. Mister Amamiya, do you know the difference between the two species?"

"The number of legs," Ren replied.

"Yes, that's exactly right," Hiruta said.

He showed a picture of a typical king crab, and the differences were quite obvious.

"As you'll notice, the red king crab has its legs facing backward instead of forward like a typical king crab, and unlike a king crab's five pairs of legs it merely has four pairs. Speaking of crabs in general, the tomalley of a crab isn't actually in its brain, but actually resides in the liver and pancreas. The world is full of such deceptions."

"Kinda reminds me how Mitsuhide was deceiving Madarame," Morgana noted, "And also I just got a sudden craving for crab meat."

The team hung out for a bit of darts at Penguin Sniper. Lila and Zoe were playing their own game, while Strike Back were their opponents. Ann was up first.

"I'm kinda nervous," she said, "We're almost done in the fourth round..."

"Just play like normal," Ren suggested, "Don't overthink it."

Ann nodded, and managed to get a perfect 0 from 301. Yusuke played next.

"My hands are starting to shake," he said as he reached the fourth round.

"Pretend like you're painting," Ren suggested, "Treat the dart like a brush."

Yusuke took a deep breath, and hit a perfect ton 80 for the win.

"Nice," Morgana said, "Our teamwork is really improving."

That evening, Ren did another crossword for a bit.

"Across 1, Badge... Across 2, Speak... And Down 1, held to inform the public. The answer is Conference."

Lavenza then walked inside the cafe.

"Trickster, I heard from the people about a place called a movie theater where people can view the fantasies crafted by others. There's an interesting one showing right now. Would you mind escorting me?"

Unfortunately, it was a special showing of a horror movie, and Lavenza kept screaming from the jump scares and spilling popcorn all over the place as a result.

"How embarrassing...," she muttered, "If my older sisters were to see the state I was in... Margaret would be scolding me while Elizabeth would be teasing me. After laughing her rear off, possibly literally. Still, I had fun."

June 8

Maruki was lecturing the class that morning.

"So apparently a lot of students are choosing the TV studio for their social studies. Honestly, I get concerned about the media riling people up too much. It's like totalitarianism, a governmental structure that unites its people under one ideology and holds authoritarian control over the masses. In theory it brings people together under one ideal, which certainly has its logistical benefits. But in practice it forces ideals on people, assimilating the unwilling. Which is how wars tend to get started. Mister Amamiya, do you know where totalitarianism takes things a step further than authoritarianism?"

"Controlling public thought," Ren replied.

"Well put," Maruki said, "A totalitarian government tries to control culture, morals, and even public thought, typically through mass media. All in an effort to minimize dissidence. In reality, it's important to have a strong sense of self. Differing viewpoints can actually help improve society as a whole."

"Stand users certainly have an advantage in that regard," Morgana noted, "Wielding one requires a strong sense of self."

During lunch, Makoto visited the principal's office.

"I'm afraid it's worse than I thought sir. No sooner did the notice get put up then the student council's office got flooded with anonymous info, most of it from students claiming to be blackmailed for something by a criminal organization."

Kobayakawa's face turned grim.

"So… It has been spreading to Shujin. I've heard the rumors of the job scam targeting high school students. If it's starting to come this... We may have no alternative..."

He looked at his cell phone, and Makoto noticed it featured the Phan-Site.

"Sir, are you really sure about this?"

"They've helped our school before," Kobayakawa said solemnly, "And I fear we may need their help again…"

After school, Kasumi was helping Sumire and Ren improve their flexibility.

"There you go," Kasumi said, "You seem to at least have the basics down."

"Is everything alright?," Ren asked, "You seem kinda down."

"Something's been bothering her as of late," Sumire explained.

"I've been having out of body experiences," Kasumi explained, "Almost like I really died during that car accident. And Elevation's been wavering whenever I try to use it to clear my head."

"That can't be good," Ren said, "If a Stand user can't control their Stand, the power could wind up killing them. I've heard of such cases before. We'll need to work on helping you keep your mentality up."

That evening in Kichijoji, Ren was able to overhear about the old man who was causing problems. The locals even had his name since he was shouting it so much. Apparently his name was Heiji Ono. With the name identified, Ren had the calling card sent.

"Heiji Oni, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal Le Bateleur from your possession."

With that established, Ren got back to his lesson with Sojiro.

"There are three factors that determine the flavor profile of a cup of coffee," Sojiro explained, "Grind, heat, and time. Now the siphons we have here are aimed for a medium-fine grind."

Just then Sojiro's phone went off.

"Hello?"

His eyes went wide.

"You!? How did you get this number!?"

Ren raised an eyebrow as Sojiro argued with the person on the other end before hanging up.

"Trouble?," Ren asked.

"Nothing I can't handle," Sojiro assured him, "But we'll have to cut the lessons short. Make sure to clean up the store before you turn in. And also be sure to shut off the gas."

He chuckled.

"It certainly is nice having someone reliable to help around here. Wakaba has her own work so she can't be here all the time."

He grabbed his jacket and hat and headed out as Ren finished cleaning.

June 9

As it happened, the studio trip was turning out to be a real bummer. Most of the information being told by the tour guide was stuff the group already knew.

"I'm not sure if it'd be better with Yusuke here or not," Ann said with a sigh.

"At least it's not a total loss," Ryuji said with a grin, "Remember the look on that cameraman's face when Sumire's dad showed up and told him off for making guests do manual labor?"

The four of them got a good laugh out of that.

"Seriously," Sumire said, "Even Kawakami was livid when that guy tried to rope Ryuji and Ren into moving those cables."

"Well, what do we wanna do now?," Ann asked, "We get to go straight home from here, but that seems a waste since we normally don't hang around this area much."

"I know a place!," Morgana called out, "I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here!"

"Oh you must mean Dome Town in Suidobashi!," Ryuji exclaimed, "That building was actually a baseball stadium, and along the outside is an amusement park."

"It's got some hardcore rides too," Ann noted, "But none for cats."

Morgana nodded.

"I've been practicing shapeshifting into a human form, but I haven't really mastered it yet… But when I do, I'll be sure to try out these hardcore rides!"

"Looks like we're all set on Dome Town," Ren noted.

"Now there's a voice I've heard before," came a young man's voice.

The group turned to see the brown-haired young man approach. Ren smirked.

"Goro Akechi. It's been a while."

"Wait," Ryuji said, "You know this guy? He's supposed to be a famous detective."

"Ren and I are previous acquaintances," Goro explained, "I'm actually here to do a TV interview in light of the recent arrest of Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello since I recognized your voice. I have a briefing to attend about tomorrow's recording. Enjoy your cake."

"What cake?," Sumire asked.

Goro looked surprised.

"Wasn't one of you talking about delicious pancakes?"

"He heard me!?," Morgana called out.

Goro blinked.

"Oh… A talking cat… I take it he's a Stand user as well?"

Ann looked shocked.

"You're a Stand user?"

“Goro actually knows me from my time interning with the Speedwagon Foundation," Ren explained, "He's been Phantom Thief Joker's greatest rival for months."

Ann and Ryuji looked at Ren in shock.

Later the group was enjoying themselves at Dome Town, in spite of Goro's appearance.

"So we've got ourselves a rival now," Ryuji noted, "Though he's likely building up a team. We do kinda outnumber him, after all."

"Say, Ren," Ann said, "Just how did Goro figure out you and Sumire are Phantom Thieves?"

"By accident," Ren admitted, "I was helping Fujiko Mine save Lupin from this crackpot detective named Akechi Holmes. During the struggle Goro managed to rip my mask off. Most likely he's deduced all your identities as well."

"If he knows who we are," Ryuji said, "I think we can assume he knows about Yusuke's connection to us. Still, it's kinda exciting to have a real Great Detective trying to catch us. Adds an extra layer of challenge to it, especially since he's a Stand user as well."

"Don't underestimate him," Sumire warned, "Ren told me how Goro's Stand can rend apart physical space."

"I've never seen what might happen if our Stands were to come to blows," Ren admitted, "And I'd rather not find out."

That evening, Ren was speaking with Mishima.

"I was able to confirm Takanashi had changed for the better," Mishima said, "But now he's posted on the Phan-Site himself. I'm still looking for info, but it seems he wasn't as top of the food chain as we thought."

"What about that other task?," Ren asked.

"Oh, that woman Aino?," Mishima replied, "She turned herself in, much to the relief of all the cat owners in Yongen. She'll be spending a few months in prison for animal abduction, then promises to make up for it by opening a cat shelter. But this is just the beginning. I'm sure there are lots of people who need Strike Back's help."

"And we'll be counting on you to bring those people to our attention," Ren assured him.

Chapter Text

It had seemed a simple matter at first. Shinji Ikari found himself attacked by twelve Stand users calling themselves the Zodiac assassins. Whatever they were, the crumbled to dust easily under the power of Cruel Angel's Thesis, quite a far cry from the powerful warriors they believed themselves to be. But then they turned up again, and again. As if they were immortal. A massive explosion was heard outside his high school, getting the attention of his fellow pilots. Asuka was distraught by the disappearance of her boyfriend, and could only be consoled by virtue of the fact that her Hamon told her he wasn't dead yet.

"Just what is going on with these Zodiacs?," Kaworu asked, "Where did they even come from?"

Aigis used her computer brain to do a quick search.

"They are a group of twelve warriors themed after the Eastern Zodiac, one for each animal, and each possessing a low-level Stand to compliment their abilities. The real issue is that all twelve are presently under contract outside the country. So why are they here now? And more importantly, who hired them?"

"Could it have been Lorenz Keel?," Rei wondered.

"I doubt he has the influence to hire them from a prison cell," Asuka pointed out.

Lorenz had been formally charged with multiple crimes after the failure of Instrumentality and Adam's healing of the world.

"Maybe it's one final eff you from Lilith," Asuka suggested.

Kaworu shook his head.

"Father assured me that every trace of Lilith is gone. No, there has to be some other explanation."

That's when a call came in from Mari.

'Guys, those Zodiacs are at Zero Point! They've split into four groups of three and are at each of the cardinal directions! They're making some of kind of challenge to the remaining pilots who are with 'that Joestar boy'!'

Asuka raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, this can't be Keel. He never even knew Shinji's connection to the Joestar family. He only knew him as 'the son of the Ikari couple that kept giving him trouble'."

"And Shinji's connection to the Joestar clan is tenuous besides," Kaworu noted, "Yes, he's officially a JoJo, but the only reason he's connected is because his cousin happens to be the son of Joseph Joestar."

"Someone's been looking at the Joestar line," Rei realized, "Very closely at that. We'd better look into this."

The quartet nodded as they headed off.

Meanwhile in Morioh, Jogo had been visited by Goro again, who showed him two distinct calling cards.

"One of these cards matches the normal routine set up by Strike Back," Jogo noted, "But the Phantom Thieves just got done stealing that painting, the Golden Labyrinth. Why would they act again so soon?"

"I believe this may be the reason," Goro said, showing the second calling card.

This one had the twelve symbols of the Western Zodiac all in a circle.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Zodiac assassins," Goro noted, "As it turns out they have counterparts in the Western Zodiac, all of them notorious criminals."

Jogo looked at the two cards.

"They're both for the same item. A competition."

Goro shook his head.

"For Strike Back it's a matter of protection. Go after a treasure some dangerous criminal is after, robbing them of the glory, then dealing with said criminal and returning the object safe and sound. Note the wording on the Phantom Thieves calling card."

Jogo read the card.

"We are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. Tonight we'll be borrowing the Feline Passion. Hold on, isn't that the new portrait done by that up and comer artist Yusuke Kitagawa?"

Goro nodded.

"A prominent pupil of the famous Ichiryusai Madarame. This portrait was featured in a recent gallery Madarame held to celebrate the works of his myriad pupils. In fact, this particular portrait sold for a good three-hundred thousand yen."

Jogo whistled.

"That must be some portrait."

Goro showed a photo taken of the portrait, featuring a young blonde teenager in a casual pose, the image of a jungle cat painted around her like an aura. Jogo whistled in appreciation.

"Just where did he find this girl?"

"I think she's a local high school student," Goro said, "Anyway, given the two groups of thieves are convening tonight, I think it prudent to go looking for them."

The four heroes arrived in Zero Point, each of them taking a direction. It wasn't long before they ran into the Zodiac assassins.

"Well this is interesting," said one warrior dressed a little like a rat, "Looks like we have some new problems. As if the fact that the Joestar kid survived wasn't enough of an issue. Why did we take this job anyway? We still have that other job that wasn't completed."

Another warrior with ox horns drew his blade.

"The one who hired us on this assignment did offer us a surprising amount of gold for our efforts. And we do have a professional duty, after all."

"You guys gonna talk?," Asuka asked, "Or are we gonna dance?"

The four groups of fighters readied themselves.

"Inounoshishi, Warrior of the Boar! Killing Bountifully!"

"Dotsuku, Warrior of the Dog! Killing by Biting!"

"Niwatori, Warrior of the Chicken! Killing by Pecking!"

Facing these three was Kaworu.

"Power of AT Field! Kaworu Nagisa!"

These four were at the south, with the next group over in the east.

"Sharyu, Warrior of the Monkey! Killing Peacefully!"

"Hitsuji, Warrior of the Sheep! Killing Deceptively!"

"Uuma, Warrior of the Horse! Killing Silently!"

Aigis revved herself up.

"Power of Overclock! Aigis Idabashi!"

Up in the north was the next group of warriors along with Asuka.

"Younger Tatsumi Brother, Warrior of the Snake! Killing for Money!"

"Elder Tatsumi Brother, Warrior of the Dragon! Killing for Money!"

"Usagi, Warrior of the Rabbit! Killing Psychotically!"

"Power of Hamon! Asuka Langley Soryu!"

Finally, there was the group in the west.

"Tora, Warrior of the Tiger! Killing in a Drunken Rage!"

"Ushii, Warrior of the Ox! Killing Systematically!"

"Nezumi, Warrior of the Rat! Killing All!"

"Power of Lightning Mode! Rei Akagi!"

Nearby a large figure smirked as the fight proceeded.

"They should be nothing without their Joestar ally."

He started to chuckle, only to stop when he heard something impact the ground behind him. He turned and gasped, as it was Shinji who had landed.

"Power of Cruel Angel's Thesis! Shinji Ikari!"

"But how!?," the figure asked in shock, "You're supposed to be the weakest of the Joestars!"

"In terms of weakest Stand I think either George or Giorno might be in that category," Shinji admitted, "But my Cruel Angel's Thesis is actually one of the strongest Stands out there!"

The figure grinned.

"We'll see how strong it is… Motley Crew!"

While this was going on, Goro gave Jogo a few files on the Zodiac criminals as they were driven to the spot where the Feline Passion was held.

"Valkyrie Gotou. Capricorn. A demolitions expert wanted for multiple cases of illegal arms possession."

"Just to clarify," Jogo said, "None of these criminals are Stand users?"

Goro nodded.

"They just happen to have supernatural abilities of another nature."

He kept the files coming.

"Thomas B Tholls. Aquarius. A wanted arsonist. Ironically, he can control various forms of liquid."

He flipped to the next file.

"Fuji Nocturne. Pisces. A skilled doctor… Who uses her medical practice for murder."

Jogo grimaced as Goro handed him the next file.

"Meland Sherry. Aries. A war criminal who would often use the bodies of enemies to provide warm clothing for soldiers fighting for her country. She's a talented hypnotist, though it's been proven to be ineffective against Stand users."

He got out the next file.

"Luke Michael. Taurus. She kidnaps babies mistaking them for her own, but she always returns them when they grow up."

"Sounds disturbing," Jogo noted, "You'd think she'd realize by now where she's going wrong."

Goro got out another file.

"W2222 and M2222. Gemini. Products of an illegal super soldier program. The program was meant to produce a solitary superior soldier, so despite their competence they are considered a failure. They are wanted for the theft of a nuclear submarine and a military aircraft carrier… Simultaneously."

He got the next file.

"Caesar Caesar. Cancer. Wanted for treason in two different countries that he was originally negotiating with. Against each other, of course."

The next one looked like a general.

"Dandy Lion," Goro said, "Sign of Leo. A former military commander wanted for forcing his unit to commit perfidy."

Jogo looked confused.

"A form of deception," Goro explained, "One side in a battle acts in good faith to their enemy, only to break their promise when the enemy's guard is down."

Jogo nodded as Goro handed him the next file.

"Andy Almull. Virgo. Despite the dress that is a man. He's wanted for numerous counts of forgery, serving elderly rich men, waiting for them to die, then forging the will to make himself the beneficiary."

"At least he has the decency to wait," Jogo noted, "Who's the next guy?"

"Aaron Smith," Goro replied, "Libra. A judge that many claim is even worse than Gallerian Marlon. He was removed from his position for multiple accounts of obstruction of justice."

He got out the next file.

"Skull Pyon. Scorpio. Not much is known about him, except that he has tried to take the identities of several people."

He then got out the last file.

"And finally we has Sashitari Usuki. Sagittarius. Wanted for the assassination attempt of several prominent officials, all with the use of a simple bow and arrow."

Soon enough the car reached the museum where the painting was. As expected, there were officers everywhere. One officer noticed Goro.

"There seems to be a complication. Even though confirmation of the Zodiac criminals was received earlier, there's also a confirmed report that they were captured by Speedwagon operatives the day before the calling card was issued."

Goro looked shocked.

"Then who sent the calling card?"

That answer came in the form of twelve bodies hitting the ground and dissolving. Spotlights hit the top of the museum to see the six members of Strike Back engaged in combat with three people, before said three leapt to the ground with the thief wearing a bird mask.

"Joker!," Goro called out.

"Good to see you again, Akechi," the man named Joker replied, "Forgive the shock. These were nothing more than copies created by a Stand, hired by these three."

The three individuals grouped together.

"We are the Shadow Thieves! Here to surpass all others!"

The first Shadow Thief did a pose.

"Number 014! Greedy Sarameya!"

He summoned a three-headed hound wrapped in flame. The next one followed suit.

"Number 020! Giga-Brilliant!"

He summoned an ant-like creature with blade-like wings. The last one also posed.

"Number 061! Volcasaurus!"

He summoned a giant dinosaur with stone-like skin and red-hot spikes. Jogo realized what was going on.

"They're shard bearers."

"Shard what now?," Joker asked.

"People who have been fused with shards from a Stand called Egoist," Jogo noted, "They share the Stand's ability to slow down time, but it only effects non-Stand users."

"Fortunately!," came the voice of Yomotsu, "My teammates are similarly unaffected!"

He and his crew turned up on the roof.

"My goal here is the shard bearers," he said, "But I don't mind tangling with notorious Phantom Thieves in the name of justice."

The skull-masked thief, appropriately named Skull, cracked his knuckles.

"Bring it!"

Yomotsu and his team activated their bucklers.

"Justice Rangers…"

"Go Twelve!"

Down below, Goro saw what was happening.

"Is that vigilante going to interfere?"

"My team can handle him," Joker assured him, "And we already have the Feline Passion in a safe place. Let's remove these so-called thieves first before returning it."

Joker swiped a finger across his mask.

"Phantom Leader, Joker of the Shadow! Stealing Covertly!"

"Master Investigator! Break the Chain, Goro Akechi!"

"The Eleventh JoJo! Jogo Higashikata!"

Joker moved to strike at Number 061, Goro moved against Number 020, and Jogo attacked Number 014. The flaming dog managed to launch Jogo into the air, but that didn't really help.

"Activate Gyro!"

A helicopter blade appeared on his Stand's left arm, letting him stop in midair.

"Activate Flash!"

A large flashlight appeared on its right arm, shining a blinding light that stunned the shard bearer. Meanwhile, Joker was slicing through Volcasaurus's hard skin, causing it to back up with each slice. Giga-Brilliant tried to dodge as Goro fired on it. Soon all three shard bearers were backed into a corner.

"Activate Rocket and Drill!," Jogo called out.

Both utilities fired up.

"Cosmic Mind!"

"Break the Chain!"

"W Boiled Xtreme!"

The three powerful Stands ploughed through the shards, destroying them easily. Up above, the other Phantom Thieves were dealing with Yomotsu and his group.

"Anything Goes!"

"Just Live More!"

"Be The One!"

"Life is Showtime!"

"Switch On!"

As Yomotsu and his group were knocked off the roof in a flurry of elemental attacks, Joker rejoined his team as they flew off, leaving the Feline Passion wrapped up in front of one of the cop cars. Goro finished cuffing the three would-be Shadow Thieves.

"Damn it…," their leader said, "That prince-like guy Barbro said this would be easy…"

Jogo looked shocked.

"That's the villain Uncle George defeated! What is he doing out of the alter verse!?"

The thieves tried to clam up, only to freak out when Goro caused three arrows to land within inches of their crotches.

"Talk now!"

The three of them nodded.

Barbro felt more of the additional copies he had created crumble.

"You certainly learned a lot in the last few years," Shinji noted, "Enough to make your copies talk and even look normal. But they're still weaker than the genuine article."

Barbro growled.

"Let's see if numbers can succeed where quality fails!"

Before he could move, however, a bluish portal appeared. And out of it stepped Jogo.

"Hey, Shinji, been a while."

Shinji smiled.

"Well if it isn't my favorite nephew."

"Damn it all," Barbro said, "I was supposed to only deal with one Joestar at a time."

"I really only barely qualify as a Joestar," Shinji pointed out.

He pointed to the star on his neck.

"This mark? Just a tattoo. I don't share Joestar blood. It's just that I happen to be the cousin of an actual Joestar."

Barbro looked confused.

"Basically my grandmother is his aunt," Jogo explained, "You spent all this time starting off on not only one of the strongest JoJos, but someone who is basically from a branch family."

Barbro growled.

"All those years of training my Stand. Getting in contact with the few allies I still had outside captivity… And you just throw it all in my face! You will pay for this insult! Motley Crew!"

Several copies appeared, only to get cut down by Cosmic Mind, which was in its unlocked state.

"Shall we take care of this guy?," Jogo asked.

"I think George wouldn't mind," Shinji said with a grin.

"Cruel Angel's Thesis!"

"Cosmic Mind!"

Barbro and his Stand found themselves pummeled again and again.

"DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME DAME!"

"UCHU KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Barbro got knocked flat by duel attack, his Stand disappearing.

George Joestar III showed up to where Barbro was being held by Speedwagon officials, driving his motorcycle.

"Well well," he said when he saw Barbro, "Guess wounded pride lasts, doesn't it, Barbro?"

Barbro remained silent.

"You were probably better off in the dungeons at E-Rantel," George noted, "See, Speedwagon has recently developed a new type of prison designed to hold Stand users. This time, you won't get to train your Stand."

Barbro looked surprised. George pointed at the cuffs.

"Even those cuffs are made of the material in question. Now if you'll excuse me, Brother, Starlight and I have some official business to deal with in the Holy Kingdom."

Barbro hung his head as he was lead off.

Mitsuharu and Shinzo watched the news about Barbro's arrest. Having heard the entire story, Mitsuharu frowned.

"There's no way Father Roche isn't behind this. He's trying to accelerate the rate at which the shards are destroyed."

"It would be in his best interest," Shinzo noted, "I wouldn't put it past him to go as far as destroying shards that are clearly not going to mutate. Let's hope Minami's invention works. More numbers against Father Roche would be greatly appreciated."

"At least we have one less hunter coming after us," Mitsuharu noted, "Honestly, I'd rather fight the New Morioh Warriors."

Shinzo laughed.

"Now there's an idea. I think I'll challenge Jogo to a proper fight."

Chapter Text

June 10

Goro was speaking with the hosts of a popular talk show, Strike Back watching in the crowd.

"So, Akechi," the female host said, "Is there a particular case on your mind right now?"

"As a matter of fact there is," Goro replied, "It concerns the recent arrest of Kinmyujiamu."

"I thought as much," the male host said, "I knew the talk of this Phantom Thief gang calling themselves Strike Back has reached your ears."

Goro chuckled.

"I've actually been tracking Phantom Thief Joker since before he started operating in Tokyo. And yes, as many people are starting to suspect, he has only ever stolen from criminals, such as when he and his new gang stole Kinmyujiamu's prized painting, the Golden Labyrinth."

"Why do you think Joker started building a personal team all of sudden?," the female host wondered.

"Well he is the Lord of Crime," Goro pointed out, "I'm honestly surprised it took him this long to build his own dedicated circle of teammates, people closer than just allies."

"So, Akechi," the male host said, "What are your thoughts on these justice-oriented thieves?"

"If I had to give them an analogy," Goro replied, "I would compare it to if I met Santa Claus. On the one hand, my duty as a detective would have me arrest Santa for breaking and entering, but the human side of me would understand that he's not doing so maliciously and is trying to offer good kids a reward for their efforts. It's the same with Strike Back. I truly believe they stand for justice, but there's no denying they have committed a number of lesser crimes."

"Is that why the police haven't been focused on them as much?," the female host asked.

Goro nodded.

"Yes. The criminals that Strike Back steals from are guilty of far more serious crimes, so while myself or the police will try to arrest the Phantom Thieves should we catch a glimpse of them, we also make sure to arrest the criminals left behind since they are the bigger offenders."

The female host stood up.

"Now, let's get some opinions from the audience."

The team got surprised when she chose to offer the mic to Ren.

"So, what would your thoughts on Strike Back be?"

"To be honest," Ren said, "I also think they stand for justice. And while it is true that taking the law in one's own hands is illegal, and they do steal possessions from their targets, one can't deny that they have exposed some very dangerous criminals."

Goro nodded.

"My sentiments exactly. And I hope they continue to act in a manner that serves justice, though I will be hot on their trail should they stray from that path…"

Ren smirked, and the others knew why. They were secretly challenging each other. Unseen by most, W Boiled Xtreme appeared behind Ren, while behind Goro manifested a pure white humanoid male with a feather mask and carrying a large bow.

'Break the Chain,' Ren thought, 'Goro's Stand.'

The evening Ren called Kawakami again.

"Thanks," she said, "I've been needing to get more shifts in. I tried talking to my boss but he says he prioritizes 'younger' maids."

"What does age have to with cleaning?," Ren asked.

"Right?," Kawakami replied, "And I look good for my age, after all. Maybe I'm just trying too hard. Any time I try to act cutesy it comes off as weird. And I should know… I practice in front of the mirror… Speaking of which, I should get started."

"Are those people still trying to extort more money?," Sumire asked.

"Nah, they backed off on raising the price," Kawakami said, "But they still want payments on time. It's getting annoying. I just wish someone could do something about them."

June 11

During lunch, the gang got together.

"I heard Makoto has been taking in numerous requests from the student body," Ryuji said, "And there was a request on the Phan-Site asking for help against that rumored job scam. From the wording, I'm betting it was Principal Kobayakawa."

"Why would he want Strike Back's help?," Ann asked.

"We helped out the school when Ishishiro was terrorizing it, right?," Sumire noted, "The principal probably felt overwhelmed hearing how many students were ensnared. This could lead us to another member of the organization. We'll have to keep on eye on this request."

Ren nodded.

"Let's make sure Yusuke knows about this."

After school, the group met up with Yusuke.

"In spite of Goro making it plain that he intends to arrest us given the chance," he noted, "His glowing praise regarding our actions towards justice have generated quite the positive buzz on the Phan-Site. But there's little information about this job scam. Plenty of rumors, but nothing concrete. A name would certainly be helpful."

"We can let information roll in a little," Morgana said, "For right now we need to have our celebration after our recent victory."

"Let's make it a little more laid-back," Ren suggested, "The attic at the cafe where I live has a portable stove, perfect for hot pot. And with the money we made selling off the Golden Labyrinth, we can have quite the selection of ingredients."

That evening, Makoto and her sister Sae were having dinner together. On the TV was the talk show featuring Goro.

"You're working with him, right, Sis?," Makoto asked.

Sae nodded.

"Yes. He's a good partner to work with. He's actually a Stand user like we are."

"And probably like Dad was…," Makoto muttered.

She looked at Sae.

"Hey… Do you think Dad would have worked with Strike Back?"

"If it meant capturing a more dangerous criminal?," Sae replied, "Yes. He absolutely would have. Of course, they would have had to earn his trust first."

That got Makoto thinking.

The group finished off their hot pot. As they did, Ren explained a bit about how he and Sumire got involved with each other as Phantom Thieves.

"Basically I was there the night the Joestar Collection was stolen. I met up with Igor shortly afterward and he inspired to take the role of a Phantom Thief to steal the collection back."

"He met up with me by accident during another heist," Sumire said, "He was infiltrating a police precinct where a corrupt SWAT captain had one of the collection pieces. On a whim I helped him deal with the corrupt officer and we just sort of fell in together. Before long we even started falling in love."

"That sounds so romantic," Ann said, "Two mysterious thieves joining forces on a whirlwind tour."

"Did you ever have to leave Japan to find some of these treasures?," Yusuke asked.

"All the time," Ren admitted, "And I've tangled with plenty of notorious thieves as I did so. Especially a long stint in Paris, which is how we fell in with Lila, Zoe, and their fellow Miraculous holders. Even the infamous Lupin the Third."

Ryuji gave a whistle of appreciation.

"That's top tier right there."

"Come to think about it," Sumire said, "The last piece of the collection we stole was found in that casino. And given how it disappeared after we left…"

"You think it might be an overlay-based Stand?," Yusuke asked, "Like the ones used by Ishishiro and Kinmyujiamu?"

"I never did find the ones who stole the collection in the first place," Ren admitted, "Only the criminals they were sold to. And if the organization we're targeting are the ringleaders... They may have stolen the collection to keep the Joestar family mired down trying to locate it."

That night as he slept, Ren found himself back in the Velvet Room.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Igor admitted, "And from what I've been seeing, I believe you may be onto something. It can be no coincidence that the last piece of the collection you had been hunting was found in a building owned by a member of the organization that threatens Tokyo."

"And Tetsuressha masterminded the whole thing," Ren noted.

"Hmm, I wonder about that," Igor said, "We're not even entirely sure if he is really in charge, or if he is simply another piece of the puzzle, with someone else behind him. But perhaps we'll find out in time. Until then, you should continue to look into this job scam that's been talked about."

June 12

Makoto was at cram school and wound up running into Goro.

"Oh," Goro said, "You're Sae's sister, correct?"

"Oh yeah," Makoto said, "I saw you on TV. Tell me something… Why pursue Strike Back while still believing in their justice?"

"Justice is a rather subjective concept," Goro admitted, "It's never black and white, and it's far from synonymous with law. Especially here in Japan, you can't expect justice to be commonplace in the current court system. That's why I believe in the Phantom Thieves and their justice, because they can do what police are forbidden to do in pursuit of true evils. That said, I look forward to the day when I can finally catch them."

Makoto smirked.

"You're enjoying this far too much."

"That's because I happen to be good friends with Phantom Thief Joker," Goro admitted, "In fact, our relationship with each other is similar to that of Koichi Zenigata and Arsene Lupin III. The next generation, if you will. To be honest, Makoto, you strike me as the sort of person who could fit very neatly on both sides, either a Great Detective or a Phantom Thief."

He walked off.

"Funny he should mention that…," Makoto muttered, "Because I have been considering…"

Mishima: I found some info regarding that post Takanashi sent in. Seems he's been getting bullied into bullying others. He didn't send a name but the guy apparently goes to our school. You should be able to find out by asking around.

Later that day, Ann got an invite from Mika to take part in a photo shoot at Asakusa. However, Mika was in for a surprise when Ann and her friends showed up.

"You're refusing the shoot?"

"I'm still trying to figure out what being a model really is," Ann pointed out, "Let's face it, you originally looked up to me as a senior, but I think we both know I only got as far as I did coasting on connections and natural looks. But after hearing from some of the others how hard you've been working, I've decided amateur hour is over."

She started to walk off.

"We'll be facing off before long, but only when I'm really ready. And, word of advice. Removing people from the job just because they don't live up to your standard is no way to get ahead in this business."

Mika blinked, then smirked.

"I underestimated her…"

Ann then met up with Ren in Shibuya.

"What made you think Mika was responsible for the false rescheduling?," Ren asked.

"Mika's been way too popular lately," Ann pointed out, "She's been in way more photo shoots than she really should. It was really only a hunch, so I had Mishima look into it. Turns out she didn't hide her tracks well, even using her own phone to send the messages, though she did disguise the emails as coming from the agency. However, sooner or later the agency will get wise to her tricks, which will hopefully remind her that this business is all about hard work under any circumstance."

That evening, Ren was helping out Yoshida again as he made his public speeches.

"You'll never secure votes talking like that," called one member of the crowd.

Yoshida turned and his eyes widened.

"Matsushita!"

The man known as Matsushita gave a warm smile. Yoshida introduced him to Ren.

"So he's helping you then," Matsushita said, "I assume Yoshida's told you about the Kuramoto Children, yes?"

"Yeah," Ren said, "And he explained about the mistakes he made in his past."

Matsushita nodded.

"To be honest, only the second of his 'strikes' is in question. He was implicated in the embezzlement, but there was no hard proof he was ever involved. I for one never believed he was involved. Someone made him a scapegoat. But to be honest, the whole thing was humbling for all of us involved with the Kuramoto Children. We were excited to get into politics, but the truth is we had no experience."

"It's true," Yoshida admitted, "We only got elected because we were backed by powerful Diet members. Most of us never got elected for a second term. But Matsushita, you were able to double-down and get re-elected years later, correct?"

Matsushita nodded.

"I decided to drop my wrestling career and take a course in political science. It helped me understand where I was going wrong, and I was able to campaign again, and this time get elected on my own merits. Of course, I'm still not as passionate as Yoshida here. He's been working hardest out of all of us who hoped to change our image and actually make something of this government."

He began to walk off.

"I hope your spirit never fades, Yoshida. You've become an inspiration to the rest of us."

Yoshida nodded.

"Thank you… Old friend…"

June 13

Hiruta was addressing the class in another lecture.

"We're halfway through June, the only month with no holidays. And the rainy season brings its own problems. Acid rain is still a threat in certain parts of the country. Here's something interesting to note. When washing your hair with dissolved copper, the color changes. Mister Amamiya, do you know what color the hair becomes?"

"Green," Ren replied.

"Exactly," Hiruta said, "Using magnesium will turn your hair white, and rust will turn it red. However, acid rain can't melt down gold or silver. You're better off using bronze if you want to dye your hair gold. That said, I'd recommend a weaker acid to melt the metals if you plan on using this to save money visiting a hair salon. Acid rain is no joke. London once had acid rain on the same level as stomach acid. More than four thousand people died horribly as a result."

"Jeez," Morgana said, "Someone needs to do something about the environment."

After class, Ren was called to the student council office, where Makoto was waiting for him.

"I'm told you're part of the Phan-Site," Makoto explained, "I'm sure by now you've heard of the request to deal with the job scam that been going around."

"So it's more than a rumor," Ren noted, "Do you have any idea who might be behind it?"

Makoto shook her head.

"Unfortunately, while students are willing to anonymously admit they are being targeted, I can't get any information beyond that. I was hoping to get in touch with Strike Back to ask them directly."

Ren got a call on his phone.

"One second, it's the site team."

Makoto nodded. Ren answered the call, which was from Ryuji.

"Try to keep it down, I'm in the student council office."

'Dude, what for?,' Ryuji asked.

"She just wanted to meet with Strike Back if possible. It's about the rumored job scam."

'Gotcha,' Ryuji replied.

After a few seconds of silence, he started talking again.

'Okay, the others are alright with it. Let's arrange for the student council president to meet Strike Back tomorrow.'

Ren nodded. He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Makoto.

"Come to this address tomorrow," he explained, "You'll be able to meet Strike Back."

Makoto nodded.

That evening, Ren joined Goro for billiards at Penguin Sniper.

"You ever tried playing before?," Goro asked, "I've been hoping to find someone to play against."

"Never been much of a pool shark," Ren admitted, "Though I am a fast learner."

Goro went first, and wound up getting a break ace.

"Oops... That was too fast of a game. Let's start over. It'd be no fun if we had to stop so suddenly."

After a longer game, Ren noticed something.

"Say, Goro... I couldn't help but notice you're using your right hand. During your break ace you used your left, and that time you ripped my mask off you also used your left hand."

Goro was surprised.

"I didn't think you'd notice that. But yes, my left hand is my dominant."

"Seems I need to improve," Ren admitted, "While I've been a step ahead of you in our private lives, here in this hall I'm falling behind despite you not using your dominant hand."

"I'll be waiting until then," Goro said, "And once you beat me using my right hand, then I'll come at you with my true ability."

June 14

Makoto didn't know what she was expecting when she approached the address, but the very student she was just talking to, as well as Ryuji, Sumire, Ann, and Yusuke, plus a cat, was not it.

"Is this some sort of prank?"

"No prank," Ryuji said, "You're looking at Strike Back unmasked."

"You asked for our help," Morgana clarified, "So we're choosing to trust you."

Makoto blinked.

"Did that cat just talk?"

"It's just like you said Sumire," Ren said.

Sumire nodded.

"I saw you back during the cleanup at Inokashira. Your temper flared up a little at some of the students who were lazing about and it looked like you were exuding energy, but none of the students noticed."

Makoto sighed.

"I see… So you're all Stand users as well. In that case, I think I can trust you."

She sat down.

"I'm sure by now you've heard of the phishing scam that's been hitting juveniles around Tokyo. As of yet I don't have any real leads, save for a possible connection to a yakuza family. Said family has been on the police's radar, but they haven't really done anything truly criminal for years. So it's hard to say for sure if they're involved or not. All I know is whoever is responsible is operating in Shibuya."

Ren nodded.

"I see. We'll start checking out the school, ask around. Maybe try to find something online."

Makoto smiled as she got up to leave.

"Thanks. I'm really trying to help out my fellow students."

Meanwhile, Tetsuressha was talking with an individual on the monitor.

"You've certainly progressed farther than I expected. Are you sure the evidence can be linked to that yakuza boss?"

'I've made sure of it, chief,' the figure said, 'Once I instigate the raid on that little club, we can elevate our status within the police department. Then we'll make our move on Strike Back.'

"If they're not already onto you," Akira noted.

'No chance of that,' the figure said, 'The mistake Ishishiro and Kinmyujiamu made was targeting honest people that were beloved by the community. But there's no way Strike Back will help a dangerous criminal.'

Back at the hideout, Yusuke turned to Ren.

"Anyway, back to what we were discussing before. I was planning on my next major piece. The motif is meant to reflect the inner heart of humanity, but I'm not sure where to start with that. Everyone's heart is different after all. Sensei suggested I go out and learn about the world around me. That's certainly a good idea, but I know little of the outside world beyond the shack I call my home. So I was hoping you would all assist me in this matter."

"Sure," Ren agreed, "But let's keep our priorities straight. We'll check the online forums, see if there's anyone who stands out."

That evening Ren met with Mishima at a local diner.

"I've been trying to look more into this burglary ring," Mishima said, "They target restaurants after they close and have been ruining a lot of businesses. You're staying at a cafe, right? Maybe you could set up a trap there?"

"Absolutely not," Ren said, "Sojiro would throw me out on my rear if the trap failed. Isn't there anything that can help target the ringleader?"

"I did find one post that might help," Mishima admitted, "A student whose older brother has been physically abusing him. And he always comes home with tons of cash. He suspects this brother might be involved in criminal activity. I'll try and get more details for you."

June 15

Ren got a chance to read some of Wise Men's Words while on the train. In class, Ushimaru looked annoyed.

"So when I handed a bill over at a convenience store, they told me they don't take foreign currency. And I gave them a genuine Japanese bank note. It's like young people these days don't recognize Hirobumi Ito. Here's a quiz to make sure you can handle shouldering this country's economy in the future. Mister Amamiya, between paper bills and coins, which is issued by the government?"

"Coins," Ren replied.

"That's right," Ushimaru said, "Paper bills are actually handled by the Bank of Japan. Of course, the government used to issue both bills and coins. But the ability to make as much money as they wanted sent the economy into chaos, hence why the Bank of Japan was created in the first place. The government is still allowed to issue coins since they don't impact the economy as much. It goes to show that you can't trust a moron to look after your finances. You can barely count on them to handle your pocket change."

"Now that's just cynical," Morgana quipped, "But there is such a thing as too much money."

Mishima: Just got another potential target. A student here works at a convenience store, and just recently 50,000 yen went missing from the register. The manager blamed the student, but I know him. He's the most honest guy out there. So I looked into the manager, and it turned out there's rumors that he's been stealing the money. Makes sense, he's the only one who checks it. Guy's name is Nozomi Odo.

With that another calling card was issued.

"Nozomi Odo, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal L'Empereur from your possession."

Ryuji had managed to get a hit on a student named Iida, who was in Ren and Ann's class. Ann turned on the acting skills and managed to get Iida to slip the name Nishiyama.

"I know that name," Mishima said, "He's in Ryuji's class, and is good friends with Iida. I think he's in the library right now."

Ren nodded and went to the library to talk with Nishiyama. Once he learned what was going on, Nishiyama was willing to talk.

"Yeah, me and Iida met this real shady guy on Central Street. He talked about an easy part-time job that only took ten minutes and involved transporting a small envelope to a coin locker at the train station. I didn't go for it, but Iida did. Next thing I know he's flush with cash, but he starts it spending it fast."

Ren scratched his chin.

"What are you thinking, Ren?," Morgana asked.

"A quick and easy job that takes only ten minutes and involves transporting small envelopes?," Ren reiterated, "I think we may be dealing with a drug smuggling operation."

Morgana nodded.

"I think you're right. It fits all the criteria, not to mention you can be arrested just for possession. And these guys are doing this in broad daylight. Let's talk to Iida about this."

Once confronted with the knowledge that he was roped into being a drug smuggler, Iida sang like a canary.

"After I did just one job I got threatening emails. They were blackmailing me with evidence that I was committing a crime. I swear I had no idea there were drugs in those envelopes until I was told after the fact."

That evening, Kawakami was talking with Ren.

"So here's the thing. Back at my old teaching job, I was pushed into tutoring this so-called problem child named Takase. However, as I got to know him, I realized he wasn't really a problem child. His parents had died and some relatives took him in, but made him take numerous part-time jobs to cover living expenses."

Ren's eyes went wide.

"That's just brutal..."

Kawakami nodded.

"I was starting to help him get his grades better, but then rumors circulated that I was favoring him, so the principal told me to stop or he'd take me off the tutoring."

She sighed in regret.

"I was so scared of losing my job that I agreed. Next thing I hear, he had died in a car accident. His relatives said he'd been depressed because of what I told him and threatened to sue the school board. I wouldn't have been charged with anything, but the school could have closed down. In hindsight, it might have been better to call them on their bluff, since I wound up changing schools anyway. That's why I was so surprised when Miss Chouno was alright with me 'tutoring' Ren. I didn't think anyone at Shujin would be okay with that."

"You mean the rest of the faculty knows about this?," Ren asked.

Kawakami nodded.

"Oh yeah, they did a thorough background check. Kobayakawa even made it clear that he would ensure the same thing wouldn't happen, and that I was free to tutor whoever I wanted. Of course, I didn't bother out of fear of the past."

She chuckled.

"I never thought I'd wind up sharing this knowledge with my students. It's like I'm getting more comfortable in this setting. Tell ya what, I'll see what I can do to get you more free time."

She started yawning.

"Damn… I'm getting overworked… I should find a way to get some rest… Anyway, thanks for the request."

June 16

Sure enough, Kawakami set things up so that Ushimaru would be absent from his class for an extended period, long enough for Ren to finish reading Wise Men's Words. After school, the group split up to check out Shibuya. There were a couple of yakuza goons hanging around, but they were just offering high school students good deals on market items, at cheaper prices no less.

"This looks more like money laundering," Morgana noted, "I doubt we'll find what we need here."

Luckily, the local homeless population was very talkative, speaking about certain individuals who were speaking in code phrases around Central Street. As it happened, one such man approached Ren. Makoto watched as Ren spoke with the guy, trying to get details while giving him a critical look. Once the man left, apparently disappointed, Makoto approached.

"So you were watching us?," Ren asked.

"I wanted to make sure there was no trouble," Makoto clarified, "But that guy… Sis has been with the team investigating that yakuza group. And that guy just now was kicked out for selling drugs to minors. Apparently the local crime boss models his business dealings after the Passione gang in Naples, Italy, so he doesn't tolerate drug usage. I managed to look it up online."

"So someone else is behind the drug smuggling," Morgana noted, "And he's using disgraced yakuza members to frame the crime boss."

"But why though…?," Ren wondered, "I'll need to talk to the others about this."

That evening Ren decided to do a bit of the crossword.

"Down 1, Closet... Down 2, Design... And Across 1, changes with the season. Sound like Wardrobe."

Lavenza then showed up as Ren finished.

"Trickster, I was hoping you would help me train at this facility the people are calling a gym. I'm a little concerned my body is too frail to be a proper guardian of power."

Lavenza did have some trouble with the training equipment, though she did think the gym uniform she was given by Margaret was cute. She then noticed Ren blazing on the treadmill, pumping several dozen pounds on the bench press without using his Stand, and performing a perfect dragon-style martial arts routine on the training dummy.

"No wonder you're the Trickster," she said, "You must work out all the time."

"Stand power is fighting spirit," Ren pointed out, "It's important to keep focus."

Chapter Text

The Higashikata family was having dinner at home.

"I notice we never invite Grandma to these evenings," Jogo noted.

"She shares a first name with one of your school friends," Pinkie explained, "Don't ask me how, but that would get confusing for people."

Jogo looked at his dad.

"Are you really gonna question your mom's logic on this?," Josuke asked.

"Good point," Jogo said with a reserved sigh.

Just then, all the lights in the area went out, flickering on and off before going out completely. A sudden light bulb appeared over Pinkie's head, allowing for illumination.

"I love having a cartoon for a Stand power," she said, "In the meantime, looks like the plot decided to kick in."

Koichi checked in on Minami.

"All of our other friends who can control electricity have alibis," he noted, "That only leaves you. Though I was confused as to how you could pull it off from a holding cell. And then I remembered something I encountered back in my high school days."

"Sheer Heart Attack," Minami realized, "I've heard the stories of Yoshikage Kira."

"Not just him either," Koichi clarified, "But also Polpo's Black Sabbath in Naples. Both of them had something in common… They were independent Stands, capable of moving on their own with only programmed instructions. Limited intelligence, but a lot of power to back it up."

Minami smiled.

"It's true. High Voltage is also independent. Even now it's finishing the experiment I intended."

He leaned forward.

"It's a device based on one from a book I wrote called Unholy Night. Have you read it?"

"A group of revolutionaries creates the means to steal electricity from an entire city," Koichi noted, "Including cars, backup generators, anything that was powered by electrical energy."

"The concept is the same," Minami admitted, "But I specifically altered this device so that it wouldn't drain electricity from vital areas, such as hospitals. I worked on that novel with a criminal psychologist named Koya Nishihori. I'm sure you've heard of him from the news reports."

"Got arrested last year for committing copycat crimes," Koichi noted, "He was arrested when he tried to mimic Phantom Thief Joker."

"He was brilliant when it came to figuring out criminals," Minami said with a nod, "But as it turns out, not so good when it comes to actually committing crimes. However, there may be an issue. I can still see through my Stand, much like I'm viewing a live documentary. And High Voltage sees members of the Omekata group approaching. If it cannot complete its task, then the whole city really will experience an Unholy Night."

Koichi leaned towards Minami.

"What is this device for?"

"They want to find more people with Stand potential?," Jogo asked.

'Even without their Stand active, those with Stand potential have greater than average neural activity,' Koichi explained over the phone, 'The device could be used to find anyone in Morioh with that potential, then take the shards from Egoist and pop 'em in.'

Meanwhile, on the same road, Shinzo was speaking to someone on his own phone.

"I know, Number 001. Her evolution is almost complete. And I'm on route now to stop the Omekata from destroying the device and potentially plunging all of Morioh into chaos."

He and Jogo wound up running into each other. Shinzo recognized Jogo first.

"Talk about coincidence. I don't believe we've been formally introduced. Shinzo Hiroi, formally Number 002."

"That's that one more crossed off the list…," Jogo muttered, "So why are you here?"

"I had been intending to confront you to see how my power stacked up to yours," Shinzo admitted, "But perhaps now's not the time. One of the hunters is trying to attack Minami while he works on his device."

"So Tsubaki is one of the twelve hunters," Jogo realized, "I might have guessed. I think this is right around the time Mom would say, 'Damn you, plot.'"

Shinzo raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything further as he lead Jogo to where the device was.

Koichi had gotten the word out to every Stand user friendly to the group, and they were confronting the Omekata. This was causing confusion in Tsubaki's Stand, since her attention was getting focused everywhere. Jogo hurried up to the roof of the electric plant were High Voltage was putting the finishing touches on the device.

"You really think this is gonna be enough for ninety or so Stand users?," he asked Shinzo.

"From what I understand Morioh is like Stand Central Station," Shinzo explained, "Even Joseph Joestar can't get a good bead on anyone specific in this place."

Jojo nodded.

"Yeah, Grandpa tried once when he was looking for my dad. Got a dangerous serial killer instead."

"I assume you're talking about the one sealed inside the Angelo Stone," Shinzo said with a chuckle.

"Dad has quite the temper," Jogo noted, "Just don't insult his hair."

Shinzo laughed.

"Wouldn't if I wanted to. I actually like his style. Even since my Stand awakened I felt liberated from my old salaryman job. I even managed to find the girl of my dreams."

Jogo nodded.

"Good for you."

He looked down and noticed that even the Stand users that had evolved from shard bearers were there, save for Minami who was still serving a minor sentence. Several Omekata managed to get on the roof. Jogo immediately went into action.

"Activate Smoke and Aero!"

A smoke machine appeared on Cosmic Mind's right leg, while a vacuum machine appeared on its left, working in reverse to blow the smoke even further out.

"Cosmic Mind!"

"Kickstart My Heart!"

Jogo and Shinzo activated their Stands and started knocking around the group members.

"Activate Elek!"

Cosmic Mind shifted forms and swung its baton around, accidentally hitting Kickstart My Heart.

"Oh crap! Sorry, Shinzo!," Jogo called out.

He then noticed Shinzo was only slightly phased.

"Don't be… Now I can fight a little harder!"

The burning red Stand tossed several Omekata.

"Kickstart My Heart grows stronger as it fights," Shinzo explained, "And it can grow even stronger by absorbing heat. That electric jolt definitely damaged it, but it was able to absorb the heat and damage to increase its strength just a little bit."

After several moments of fighting, High Voltage finished with the device. Several suburbs got hit with the resulting blackout, but other than that the city's electricity seemed to be intact.

"That should be enough," Shinzo said as the Omekata retreated, "Time will tell if this plan will work. Father Roche doesn't seem to be all that interested in making more Stand users. He's clearly intending something else entirely."

"You don't trust him," Jogo realized.

Shinzo nodded.

"None of us do, save those that have yet to evolve."

He began to walk off.

"Perhaps next time we will have our fight, but until then I need to check in with my friends. Ciao."

Mitsuharu welcomed Shinzo back.

"She's just about ready. Her shard is already starting to crack."

He nodded over to a young woman named Misuzu Hatori. Behind her was Dyson Sphere, already starting to crumble apart. It soon fell apart, replaced by a vaguely humanoid female colored white with red accents.

"I did it!," Misuzu said excitedly, "Shinzo, I did it!"

She and Shinzo hugged.

"I told you that you could pull it off," Shinzo said, "If that idiot teacher of yours could see you now…"

Mitsuharu cleared his throat.

"If you're both done making me look like a third wheel… Misuzu, I believe you should chose a name for your Stand."

Misuzu nodded.

"I've already thought of one… The Medic."

A few days later, Koichi was in a police conference.

"As of late, several high profile rich men with possible ties to criminal activity have been assaulted," the chief said, "In every case evidence of slowdown was present."

"Sounds like someone has a vigilante streak," Koichi noted, "If there's slowdown, the possibility of shard bearers is there. There are only ninety of them left, including the ones that have evolved but not been contained. How many were attacking at once?"

"Just one," the chief replied, "And every time he was corralled and reprimanded by an African-American man who appears to speak fluent Japanese. This man could walk normally in the slowdown, suggesting he is possibly either a shard bearer or Stand user."

'Maybe both,' Koichi thought.

Jogo and Yuki looked through the houses of one of the victims.

"This place looks kinda familiar," she said.

"That's because it used to belong to Yoshikage Kira," Jogo explained, "It was the Kira family's ancestral home. But after the death of Yoshikage and his father Yoshihiro, it was put up for auction. Hanamura, the victim we're investigating, was the one that bought it."

He looked at the shelf.

"Nice to see he cleaned up the blood and fingernails…"

"Blood from what?," Yuki asked.

"According to my dad," Jogo explained, "Yoshihiro would hide the bodies from his son's serial killer life before getting a Stand arrow from Enya Geil, which rendered such actions unnecessary. What's left of those early bodies were eventually found and buried. But no one's sure if we got them all."

"And the ones Kira killed when he got his Stand were never found," Yuki said sadly.

Jogo nodded.

"Anyway, I'm not sure what Koichi expects us to find. Feeling out slowdown isn't like tracking one of those overlays the Phantom Thieves have been delving into."

"Speaking of which," Yuki said, "I saw Goro on a talk show the other day. Strangely, one of the audience members he spoke to had a Stand that looked a lot like W Boiled Xtreme, Joker's Stand."

"Must have been Joker's civilian guise," Jogo reasoned, "Even with the mask just covering his eyes most people wouldn't recognize him, and only a Stand user would be able to see W Boiled Xtreme."

Suddenly, the duo found themselves hit by a slowdown, their Stands keeping them active.

"What the heck!?," a middle-aged man's voice said.

The duo ran out to see the man in question.

"Is that the shard bearer?," Yuki asked.

"One of them," came another voice, with a slight accent.

The duo turned around to see an African-American. Jogo gasped.

"Hey! That's the actor Bernard Ackah! He played the human forms of the Phantom Caitsith in Kamen Rider Wizard and the Gunman Roidmude in Kamen Rider Drive!"

"Funny you should mention Gunman…," Bernard said with a smirk.

A blue serpentine dragon with six finned wings appeared behind him.

"That's Number 017!," Yuki called out, "Leviathan Dragon!"

Jogo noticed cracks running along the shard.

"Not for long it isn't. Looks like Bernard has Stand potential."

Sure enough, Leviathan Dragon crumbled away, leaving a robotic humanoid with a cowboy motif.

"As I was saying," Bernard said, "It's funny you should mention my former role as the Gunman Roidmude. Because I was thinking of naming my new Stand… Gunman!"

Gunman lifted twin magnums and started firing.

"Split Personality!"

Yuki split herself as one of the bullets started to reach her, allowing her to dodge out of the way. Jogo noticed the bullet phased through the wall behind her without harming anything.

"Guess hiding's a no-go," Yuki muttered.

"If it's a shoot-out you want," Jogo said, "Let's try something more advanced. Activate Gatling!"

Bernard quickly got out of the way as the gatling gun went off, grabbing the other guy as he did.

"And this is why I told you not to try covering your tracks! That only makes things worse!"

"What'll we do!?," the man said, panicking.

"We get out of here," Bernard said simply, "Gunman!"

His Stand started using covering fire to let the two escape.

"Think the other guy was a shard bearer?," Yuki asked as she pulled herself back together.

Jogo nodded.

"I think so. But we didn't get a chance to see his shard."

As the duo raced through the Morioh, the guy with Bernard was clotheslined by a pure white figure with angel wings. Jogo and Yuki stopped to look as a young man with white hair stepped into view.

"Are you another of the hunters?," Jogo demanded.

"No," the young man clarified, "I am here to stop that foolish game by taking out as many shards as I can. My name is Aru Akise. And this is Song of a Certain Truth. It generates a melody that let's me divine the truth of whatever I'm seeking, such as where the suspect of the recent attacks is fleeing."

The older man grunted.

"Heraldry Patriarch!"

He summoned a floating blue crystal surrounded by a sharp sickle, Number 018. He charged at Aru, only to get smacked around by Cosmic Mind.

"Can't let you have all the fun," Jogo pointed out.

Aru laughed.

"Goro mentioned you were a master Stand user."

"You know Goro then," Yuki said.

Aru nodded.

"We're both detectives, and he asked me to come out here to give you guys a hand since he was too busy with the Strike Back case. Since my girlfriend Tsubaki is involved I obliged him."

Heraldry Patriarch was showing signs of damage, until a warm light surrounded Number 018, healing up the cracks. Misuzu approached, The Medic emitting the light.

"Now what?," Jogo asked.

"She was the bearer of Dyson Sphere," Aru explained, "Looks like she evolved."

"And I intend to make it harder for anyone to destroy more shards," Misuzu replied, "Thanks to The Medic's power."

The three of them hurried off, The Medic leaving flower petals as a distraction. Aru started to chase them, but Jogo held him back.

"We'll run into them again. You know that theory about how Stand users are drawn to each other? It started here in Morioh."

Sure enough, Jogo and Yuki were later able to confront Bernard as he and Number 018 were arguing about another possible attack. Jogo quickly confronted Bernard, who activated Gunman to attack.

"Activate Shield!"

Jogo put up the special shield of Cosmic Mind, which let him deflect the bullets. Meanwhile, Yuki stopped Number 018 from escaping.

"Split Personality!"

Yuki and her copy, charged with Stand energy, quickly bombarded Heraldry Patriarch, eventually decimating it. Jogo, meanwhile, had managed to overpower Bernard and Gunman using the Gatling attachment, finally knocking him out. Aru soon arrived.

"You guys got here faster than I did."

"Mom used her Stand to get eyes all over the city," Jogo explained, "After that I just warped us here using the Cosmic attachment."

Aru nodded.

"This leaves eighty-eight shards not contained. Or destroyed. Bernard will likely get off due to trying to stop Number 018."

"It's still miles to go before we can sleep," Yuki noted, "And those hunters are still making trouble. We know there are still ten of them out there, having already arrested two."

Aru closed his eyes.

"And some of them are people I'm rather close to. This is not gonna be an easy assignment."

Chapter Text

June 17

The gang decided to get together at a karaoke bar. Ann frowned at the bad singing next door.

"Man they're really awful."

"Indeed," Yusuke said, "Then again, I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, so I'm in no position to judge."

"What about that new death metal star, Ibuki Mioda?," Ryuji asked, "I hear she's the Former Ultimate Musician of Hope's Peak Academy, so skilled she could carry a tune in a bucket full of holes with no handle or bottom."

That got the group laughing.

"In all seriousness," Sumire said, "Why would someone try to frame a crime boss?"

"The only reason I can think of," Yusuke replied, "Is that they are trying to get involved with the police. We may be dealing with another organization member."

"You do hear about dirty cops planting drugs just to bust someone for something they never did," Ryuji noted, "Of course, if this crime boss is so careful about how his business is run, I'd be willing to bet he knows who's targeting him."

"But how can we find him?," Ann asked.

"I think I know someone who can help in that regard," Ren said, "Remember the journalist who met us at Madarame's place?"

"Ah, I believe I know the one you're talking about," Yusuke said, "She has often stopped by to interview Sensei."

"Probably how she heard about Kinmyujiamu's actions," Sumire noted.

Ren got out the business card.

"Her name's Ichiko Ohya, and she works for Maiasa Newspaper."

Yusuke's eyes widened.

"That's a major publication. She's bound to have some good intel."

"And she'd be eager to give information to Strike Back," Morgana noted, "In exchange for a few interviews, of course."

Ren smirked.

"I think we can arrange that. I'll send her an email. Hopefully she'll get back to us soon."

Ann answered the service phone.

"Hey, they say our time's almost up. Do we wanna extend it?"

"Nah," Ryuji said, "We came here for happy hour, and it's almost up. We have a plan now, so I say we pay our tab and bail."

The group agreed, and finished their drinks before heading for the front desk.

That evening Kawakami came in to clean the attic, but her health was looking worse.

"Are you doing alright?," Ren asked.

"I've been getting more shifts to try and meet the payments," Kawakami explained, "The Takases have been demanding more payments since they can't succeed in getting more money per payment. I thought taking more shifts wouldn't be a big deal with Daft Punk's help but…"

"That's the thing many Stand users forget," Ren noted, "Our physical bodies are always our biggest weak point, no matter how invincible our Stands might be. You should get some rest before your next job."

Kawakami nodded before flopping down on the sofa, leaving Ren concerned for her well-being.

June 18

Mishima: Good news. It turns out the one who sent the post about his brother's abuse goes to Yusuke's school. Thanks to that we were able to get the guy's name. It's Kazuya Makigami, and I confirmed he's involved with the burglary ring.

Ren nodded when he got the name and had the calling card posted on the website.

"Kazuya Makigami, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal Le Chariot from your possession."

At the school gate, Ren overheard Takanashi getting threatened by another bully with tapes of him of stealing. The guy actually gave his name as Yoshimori Sakoda, giving Ren what he needed to issue another calling card.

"Yoshimori Sakoda, we are the Phantom Thief gang Strike Back. We will steal La Papesse from your possession."

With that done, Ren stopped by the second-hand shop and bought an old-fashioned Famidrive. It even came with Star Force.

Later Joker and Fox entered Legion of Monsters to give the later some idea of what it was like.

"Interesting," Fox said, "The beauty of the heart gave rise to Sayuri because of Mother's love for me. Yet Stands are also connected to the heart in a way, and from this it's clear that Tetsuressha has a very ugly heart indeed… I think I can make this duality the centerpiece of my next art project, but I'll need to understand more of both sides before I can begin."

He turned to Joker.

"I must say, this place is certainly fueling my artistic inspiration."

Just then, Joker got an email from Ohya.

"Looks like she took the bait," he said, "She wants to meet at the Crossroads Bar in Shinjuku."

"That's outside our commuter pass," Fox noted, "We'll have to pay a fare. We'll also need to change into more causal clothes so we don't stick out too much."

Joker nodded.

"I'll contact the others. We meet at the Shibuya terminal in ten minutes. From there we'll take the train to Shinjuku. Let's hope Ohya has the information we're looking for."

Getting to the Crossroads Bar without getting talked to every other minute was a real drag. However, one young woman working as a fortune teller caught Ren's eye, as she seemed to glow with energy as she poured over her tarot cards. Finally, the group reached the bar, where a rather large woman who might have been a transvestite was working behind the bar.

"Welcome," she said, "So, any of you old enough to drink?"

"They're with me Lala-chan," Ohya explained.

She was sitting at the bar having a glass, and Ren suspected it wasn't her first one. The group explained the situation.

"Ah-ha, I thought something was odd," Ohya said, "See, I happen to be a Stand user myself. And I heard a rumor that the incidents with Ishishiro and Kinmyujiamu were Stand related. As I was looking for anything similar in Shibuya, I suddenly found the area going dark, and right overhead was a giant bank, flying like some kind of UFO."

"That sounds like an overlay, alright," Ryuji noted.

"As for the crime boss you're looking for," Ohya said, "Guy's name is Junya Kaneshiro. He's an amiable sort, so long as you don't do anything that he hates. People selling drugs, rich fat cats putting down hard workers… Things like that."

"Almost sounds like a kindred spirit," Morgana said, "We should have a talk with him. As the Phantom Thieves, of course."

The group nodded in agreement, offering her a chance to interview Mishima in exchange for the info. Ren finished off the evening watching some of The Walking Dead.

June 19

The group stood at the center of Shibuya and focused on nearby Stand energy. Just like Ohya said, the entire area became cloaked in darkness, as if a sickening night had fallen. The mental version of the people were changed into walking ATMs, and a giant flying bank could be seen overhead.

"The side of the bank says 'Money for Nothing'," Fox noted, "Most likely the name of the Stand. Not that it helps us without the Stand user's name."

"I'm sure Kaneshiro will know it," Joker assured him, "I remember some of his subordinates doing money laundering in Central Street and slipped them a card with a private number I've used in the past. He's already answered and agreed to a meeting. For now let's head back out."

Ren spent the rest of the evening finishing up The Walking Dead.

That evening, Makoto was having dinner with her sister.

"You seem a little glum," Sae asked, "What's on your mind?"

Makoto sighed.

"Do you ever feel like you've hit a brick wall when the law won't let you pursue justice?"

"All the time," Sae admitted, "Laws are there to keep order in society, but sometimes it's not enough. But that's beauty of Stand users like us."

She gave Makoto a warm smile.

"Sometimes you have to go a little outside the law to insure justice gets done."

Makoto nodded.

'I guess that settles it. My mind's made up now…'

June 20

That morning saw the class being lectured by Usami.

"Lately Strike Back has been all that's been on the news. With how much they've stolen, one has to wonder if they're sitting on a major gold stockpile. Speaking of valuable metals, certain minor metals can have they're own value due to being used in electronics. You likely have such metals right in your pockets or purses. Miss Takamaki, can you give me an example of such metals?"

Ann freaked out.

"Ah man, what could she be talking about?"

"Smartphones," Ren whispered to her.

Ann relayed the answer.

"Yes, exactly," Usami said, "A lot minor metals are excavated from China. In fact, 90% of all minor metals used in Japan are imported. A lot of recyclable trash holds such metals, which could make a junkyard as valuable as a gold stash."

"Well it's not like we're gonna steal from a junkyard," Morgana muttered.

Kaneshiro was hanging out with his gang and his girlfriend, when another gang member entered.

"Boss, Strike Back arrived just like they said."

Kaneshiro nodded.

"Alright, let 'em in."

Strike Back was already in costume, just in case anyone besides Kaneshiro's men were watching. As they sat down, Kaneshiro smiled.

"So, the famous Phantom Thief Joker. Your reputation precedes you. I'd offer a drink, but you look kinda underage under those masks. Then again this club does has regular soda…"

"We'll save it for another time," Joker said, "Word on the street is you know anyone who's been doing dirty on the streets. We speak of the rumored phishing scam. We've done some digging and have found that drug smuggling is involved."

"Even worse," Skull said, "Former members of your own gang are involved."

Kaneshiro grunted in annoyance.

"So those bastards haven't learned their lesson, have they? This is why I kicked them out in the first place. Then again, if he's the one behind it…"

"He?," Violet asked.

"Nagisa Haganegiinko," Kaneshiro explained, "A recent addition to the police force looking to make a name for himself in the worst way possible."

He crossed his legs.

"Now I respect cops despite being in the criminal business myself, but that's because most cops in Shibuya are good, honest folk. The kind that remind me of my father. Yeah they've tried pinning crimes on me in the past, I am a criminal after all, but it's always been for crimes that I've actually committed. Luckily I've trained my men well. But Haganegiinko is different… He's been trying to get me busted for horrible crimes I wouldn't even dream of committing. This whole drug scam sounds like his latest ploy. Worse still, he's planning a major raid in three weeks. Once that raid hits on July 9, it won't just be my gang in trouble, half of Shibuya will suffer. And I've made it my goal to protect this neighborhood where the police can't."

"It lines up with what we've suspected," Fox noted, "The arrest and conviction of a criminal no one else could possibly touch would put Nagisa high up in the police force. Tell me, are there any Stand users on your payroll? And if so, have they seen any unusual energy surrounding Haganegiinko?"

"I have managed to hire a few lower-level Stand users," Kaneshiro admitted, "And yes, they have noticed the same energy surrounding Haganegiinko. They've even heard him calling out the phrase 'Money for Nothing' before vanishing. They managed to follow him into some of illusion."

"A dimensional overlay," Panther clarified, "So it seems Haganegiinko is our next target."

"Be careful," Kaneshiro said, "My boys got a bad feeling from that place."

Makoto was outside the club when Strike Back came out. Lila and Zoe were with her.

"Were you following us?," Mona asked.

"I kinda got worried when I saw you get in a car with some known yakuza," Makoto explained.

"And we were getting annoyed that we've been getting left out for a while," Zoe admitted.

"We were only tapping Kaneshiro for information only he could provide," Fox clarified, "He was very forthcoming."

They explained what Kaneshiro had told them.

"Ah, Phantom Thief business," Lila realized, "No wonder you left us out."

"Kaneshiro may be a criminal," Makoto said, "But trying to arrest him for a crime he never committed is far from justice."

She nodded.

"Let me in on this. Don't worry, I have a Stand of my own, so I won't hold you back."

The group looked at each other.

"Well," Violet said, "It couldn't hurt to bring her along."

The group entered into the overlay. Makoto gasped when she saw the flying bank.

"How are we going to get up there?"

"Leave that to me," Mona assured her, "Anything Goes!"

His Stand appeared and whipped up a strong whirlwind, enough to lift the entire group up to the bank. Of course, once they got up there, it started to lower and drop a walkway where several ATMs came walking up.

"What irony," Fox noted, "Though this must mean Haganegiinko has found a few more potential victims."

"For right now let's case the place," Joker suggested, "We can decide what to do once we have a good idea of the layout."

Zoe and Lila nodded to each other.

"Nooroo! Dark Wings Rise!"

"Duusu! Spread My Feathers!"

With the two girls transformed, the team entered the building. The place seemed pretty typical for a bank, letting the Phantoms slip in through their various vectors, Makoto using some form of energy. They managed to find a reception room, where Haganegiinko, dressed as a bank president, was speaking with several mental figures.

"Be sure to remember this," he said, "That it was Kaneshiro who put you up to this. He can't protect you, but I can."

"This is just disgusting," Makoto muttered.

The group was preparing to leave when a voice was heard.

"Did you think I wouldn't hear that little outburst?"

The group whirled around to see Haganegiinko approaching with a couple of security guards in swat gear. One of them triggered his familiar.

"Chivalrous Fiend!"

"Raging Water Demon!"

The first guard conjured a red-skinned horned demon with tusks, the second a purple-skinned demon wearing gray robes.

"So Strike Back has managed to find me out," Haganegiinko noted, "I'll bet Kaneshiro put you up to this. Such criminal scum always works together in the end."

"You're even worse scum then they are," Makoto retorted, "I could understand using underhanded methods to get proof of actual crimes, but made up ones?"

Haganegiinko shrugged.

"Okay, fair enough. But there's no denying the police force is useful to us. We were also trying to get into the prosecutor's office, but rising star Niijima is making it difficult."

Makoto smirked.

"That's my Sis for you. Our family has always believed in justice, and we each have our own ways to get it. Dad was a police officer, Sis is a prosecutor. But as for me…"

Energy flared up around her.

"It looks like I'll have to turn to stealing from criminal scum like you to get my justice across. Surprise Drive! Unleash Energy!"

A flash a brilliant blue energy surrounded her, creating a black and grey costume with spiked shoulder pads, silver gloves, and an iron faceplate over her eyes. But it was what she was riding that shocked the group. It was a brilliant blue motorcycle with a serene face on the front, the engine sounding like tinkling glass.

"Dude!," Skull called out, "Is that for real!?"

"I've heard of Stands that attach to vehicles and enhance them," Violet said, "But never a Stand that actually was a vehicle on its own."

Makoto smirked.

"That's only the tip of the reactor. Let's see just how strong these guys really are. Let's go… Surprise Drive!"

She raced forward, making a U-turn that caused searing energy to strike the two pseudo-Stands, knocking them aside for an ultimate attack. Makoto dropped down for a quick pose.

"JUSTICE HAS PREVAILED!"

"That's not good," Haganegiinko admitted, "I'll have to retreat, but know that my Money for Nothing has stronger security than you've ever seen."

And with that, the overlay vanished, leaving Strike Back in a nearby alley.

They decided to debrief Makoto at the hideout.

"I see. So that's what's been going on."

"You mentioned your sister is a prosecutor," Yusuke noted.

Makoto nodded.

"Sae Niijima is one of the best prosecutors in the country. And right now she's looking into the attacks on public transit and other local cultures. Recently things have been spreading. Hackers have been running rampant, restaurants are under fire, and politicians are getting involved in scandal after scandal. Luckily Sis is also a Stand user, so if she knew where to look she could easily find the overlays. I don't have the authority she does, so this may be my only way to help her find justice. Though she'd flip if she learned I actually wanted to be a Phantom Thief."

"We'd certainly be glad to have you," Morgana said, "I was hoping to get a hacker as our next team member, but we've also been needing a skilled analyst. And you definitely fit the bill. Plus your Stand was so strong just now."

"Yeah, but what was the energy?," Ann asked.

"Oh, that's nuclear energy," Makoto explained, "Surprise Drive can create nuclear energy by splitting nearby atoms and amplify it. Without the radiation of course."

"Even without radiation, the energy is quite damaging," Ren noted, "You'll definitely be an asset to the team."

Makoto smiled.

"Thanks. That said, I'm a little embarrassed by how I acted just now."

"You mean how you went all Miss Post-Apocalyptic Rider?," Ryuji asked.

"Don't make me leave tire marks on your face," Makoto quipped.

That got the group laughing.

"I wouldn't worry about your attitude," Ren said, "Honestly, I think there's something in the DNA of all Stand users that makes them act like chuunibyou. Heck, there's a salaryman in Morioh who's a Stand user. But he goes all ham when he wants to defend his family."

"I guess that explains my personality," Morgana admitted, "After all, I'm supposed to be a just a cat, yet here I am acting like I'm on the same level as you guys."

"Technically you are," Ryuji admitted, "I mean, you're pretty smart for a cat."

Morgana grinned.

"Well you're pretty smart for an ape."

That got the group laughing all over again. That evening, Ren played some of Star Force.

June 21

After class, Ren swapped out DVDs to rent ER. Ren was going to talk to Ryuji about finding a good place to train when heard angry shouts coming from the track team's training ground and found Ryuji standing between Nakaoka and Takeishi.

"What's going on here?," Ren asked.

"Takeishi and some of the others are accusing Nakaoka of spreading rumors about the other team members," Ryuji explained.

"Why are you even defending him, Sakamoto?," Takeishi asked, "He's known about your dad too."

"Yeah, but unlike you guys I've moved past that," Ryuji pointed out, "And the whole school's aware that I'm nothing like my deadbeat dad."

"What kind of team turns on each other on a dime like this?," Ren demanded, "Who told you these idiotic rumors?"

"It was Yamauchi," Takeishi explained, "He told me everything."

"And you're actually believing that?," Ren pointed out, "You're acting no better than those bullies who were hired by Ishishiro."

That caused Takeishi to wince. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll drop it for now. But I'll be talking to the coach about this, Nakaoka."

Nakaoka shook his head as the others left.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Sakamoto. They were threatening to kick me from the team. I don't know if you know this, but Takeishi got named the team captain."

"That's bizarre," Ren noted, "I mean, he's not as good a runner as Ryuji. Why wasn't Ryuji named team captain?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Nakaoka agreed, "After Ikeda graduated, we all thought Sakamoto was a shoe-in for the new team captain, but Yamauchi insisted it be Takeishi."

"Something's off about this," Ryuji said, "I've heard that Yamauchi's been called out on drinking on school grounds before, and even now he still goes drinking at a local monjayaki restaurant. I'll have to look into this."

"He'd recognize you easily," Ren pointed out.

"True," Ryuji admitted, "But you haven't been here long enough to be recognizable so easily. I'll let you know when I have the place."

Ren went back to Shinjuku and found a bookstore, getting The Craft of Cinema and Game Secrets. He then decided to try the bathhouse in Yongen.

June 22

Ann was working hard at the gym, giving herself as much of a full-body workout as she could. Ren and Ryuji were with her.

"This is honestly the hardest I've ever seen you work," Ryuji noted.

"If I'm going to be serious about being a model," Ann said, "Then I need to work hard. Which reminds me... I was with Yusuke earlier, and he seemed to be looking at me in a different sort of way."

"Think maybe he's gaining a crush?," Ren wondered.

"Well, I'll leave that for him to reveal," Ann decided, "But he does seem like my type..."

That evening Ren worked on another crossword.

"Down 1, Euro... Down 2, Wallet... Across 2, ATM... Across 1, exchanged all over the world. Currency."

Ren then headed for Shinjuku to speak with the fortune teller that seemed to exude Stand energy. He soon spotted the woman in question.

"Oh, hello there," the woman said, "Would you like your fortune told?"

"It can't hurt," Ren said as he sat down.

The woman nodded.

"My name is Chihaya Mifune by the way. So what is your name?"

"Ren Amamiya," Ren replied.

Chihaya nodded.

"Now let's see what we have here."

Ren spotted Chihaya's hands glowing as she laid out the cards.

"Doesn't look like I'll need to change this one…," she muttered.

She flipped the cards over.

"Seems you'll be having good luck with money in the near future. You'll find five-thousand offered to you at your house."

Suddenly her eyes widened.

"There's something else… A shared fate… With me…? Anyway, you should hurry home without any detours."

Ren grew concerned about Chihaya's words.

Back at Leblanc, Sojiro had a cheerful look on his face.

"So, Ren, how's your pocket change?"

"Why do you ask?," Ren replied.

Sojiro chuckled.

"Here."

Ren's eyes widened as Sojiro handed him five-thousand yen.

"I got a lucky break at the lotto earlier today," Sojiro explained, "Thought I'd split some of my winnings before taking the family out to dinner to celebrate."

As he walked out, Morgana looked amazed.

"So she really can see the future. We'll need to talk to her about this."

June 23

Ren got a chance to read on the train again, so he chose to read The Craft of Cinema. Later, Inui was lecturing the class.

"Seeing the rainy seasons reminds me of something regarding the teru teru bozu. Surprisingly, it was originally female. One theory states that it came from a Chinese paper doll of a girl called the Sao Ching Niang. But when it came to Japan, they interpreted it as a monk praying for sunny weather, so it became male. It's not uncommon for figures throughout history to have their genders swapped for political or religious regions. For example..."

He showed a picture of the Priestess tarot card.

"Supposedly this picture is meant to be based off a woman named Joan. Mister Amamiya, do you know what this woman's position was?"

"A pope," Ren replied.

"Very good," Inui said, "Pope Joan was said to be a significant figure from the medieval era. She was also known as Johanna, and was said to be the pope of Rome, despite the fact that women couldn't be priests. Some religious individuals even thought of her as an anti-church symbol. The legend goes she was a cross-dressing girl who was brought from Athens to Rome. Her wisdom was so great that she was soon elevated to pope by the people. However, when her true gender was discovered she was stoned to death and she was stricken from the history books."

"That's stupid," Morgana said, "If a woman can do the same job as a man, what does it matter?"

That afternoon, Ren saw that Yusuke was working on a dark piece on a nearby canvas.

"Is that your piece?," Ann asked.

"The foundation of it," Yusuke clarified, "Even in it's present form it is not yet complete. This piece is meant to represent the duality of the heart, but as it is it only represents the uglier side. I plan on finding references to the lighter side starting at a public exhibition set to last for the next few months, which is excepting pieces from amateur artists to be judged. While there I do have some other pieces to display, based on our adventures thus far."

"Sounds wonderful," Ren replied, "I'll be sure to join you."

"Of course," Yusuke said, "I'll let you know when the exhibition starts."

Skull: Check it out. There's been a major article regarding Strike Back. And it was written by that reporter Ohya.

Fox: It's really well-written. If we could somehow make use of this...

Joker: We know she's a Stand user. Perhaps her Stand can somehow help us manipulate the security in the overlays.

Violet: Not a bad idea. If the Stand users behind the overlays consider us to powerful to stop, their security-level will drop.

The quiz show that evening asked whether paying a machine fake money or ordering food without money counted as fraud.

"Ordering food without money," Ren noted, "That constitutes deception, which is the basis for fraud in the first place. Using fake money on a machine is actually larceny."

Ren then returned to Shinjuku and told Chihaya about how her fortune came true.

"Ah, I thought as much. But I'm curious about what that earlier fortune meant about our fates being the same…"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Could you perhaps be…?"

She placed a small stone on the table.

"This is what's known as a Holy Stone," she whispered to Ren, "They've been going around for some time now. Supposedly they have the power to revert fate, but only the ones sold by me work, and for good reason. You'll understand if you agree to buy one, but keep in mind they're one-hundred thousand yen apiece."

Ren decided to buy it, but noted Chihaya said they were very fragile.

Fragile was an understatement, as Ren was able to make the stone crack on his work table.

"It's just rock salt!," Morgana realized.

"Chihaya said only the ones sold by her work," Ren noted, "And when she told my fortune she muttered something about my future not needing to change."

"You think it has something to do with her Stand power?," Morgana asked, "We should ask her about this. If these are being sold by more than her, then some sort of scam is clearly afoot."

Chapter Text

Inside the hotel room his parents had rented, young Reisuke Hojo cheered as he got the magazine out of the package.

"Finally! This month's Televi-kun! I wonder what exciting new action will be announced!"

However, his face fell as he saw the interior, which was nothing more than crayon drawings not unlike what he liked to do.

"This isn't a Televi-kun at all! It's more like a Tevile-kun! Who on Earth could have made these stupid bootlegs!?"

The same thing was happening all over Morioh, prompting Jogo and Aru to take action.

"Someone's been committing felony misdemeanors like this for last few days," Aru noted, "It's getting real annoying, and the police can't seem to find anything."

"Can your Stand pick it out?," Jogo asked.

"I think so," Aru replied, "I was at least able to find out where the bootlegs are coming from."

They soon reached the warehouse of the company that was supposedly making the bootlegs.

"Keep your Stand out," Jogo suggested, "We don't know who or what might be behind this."

He spotted a set of crates and used the scissors from Cosmic Mind to get it open. He quickly skimmed through the Televi-kun magazines and found the same drawings.

"This is it alright," he said to Aru, "The so-called Tevile-kun magazines. No better than a kid's drawing."

"You calling my art sloppy?," came a male voice, as a man in a suit appeared from the shadows, "Those who can't understand my copied magazines… Deserve punishment!"

The familiar feeling of slowdown hit, but of course neither Stand user was affected, surprising the man.

"Sorry, but we're Stand users," Aru clarified, "But that makes you a shard bearer."

The man scoffed.

"Guess I'll just beat you with firepower. Dreadnought Dreadnoid!"

He summoned a silver battleship with orange highlights.

"Number 027," Jogo noted, "Guess we'll be crossing you off the list soon enough. You're going to pay for wrecking the dreams of children all across Japan. Just be glad my cousin Jotaro isn't here. He really takes his tokusatsu seriously."

"Not to mention all the other minor crimes you've been committing across Morioh," Aru pointed out.

Number 027 laughed.

"Something so easy. People only ever see the surface of things. I've been able to make a mint from my copied magazines. And I don't plan on stopping now!"

Dreadnaught Dreadnoid fired its cannons, causing smoke to fill the room. By the time it was gone, Number 027 had disappeared.

"Damn," Aru muttered.

"We'll find him again," Jogo said, "We know his face. I'll take a quick trip to Aya's parlor so she can make us a sketch."

Aru looked confused.

"You're getting a composite sketch from a beauty parlor?"

"Aya Tsuji has a Stand named Cinderella," Jogo explained, "It can shift around facial features. All we need is a dummy head to practice on."

Aru nodded in understanding.

"I was wondering how her business worked."

"It's one of Morioh's wonders," Jogo said with a grin, "Heck, Yukako works there because she owes Aya. It was because of her that Yukako's relationship with Koichi got kickstarted. If not for that, Luna might not have been born."

Aya carefully listened to Jogo as he described the man's features. Luckily, he hadn't been wearing sunglasses or anything of the sort.

"How are you going to find him in thirty minutes?," Yukako asked.

"They won't have a time limit with this," Aya clarified, "When Cinderella is used on an inanimate object like this, the effect is permanent."