Chapter 40: Saving Akane

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~Normal POV

Zenkichi nodded in understanding listening to Akira's little explanation of how their team works; they were back in reality in his bar hideout. He was actually glad to know these kids were so organized they had their own list of laws to guide them. "That's a pretty fair set of rules."

"If you ever forget any of them, I assure you, we won't," Akira added.

"So... how does this change of heart thing work- for you guys?"

"Normally, we start by securing an infiltration route- a path to the stolen Desires- then we send the calling card to warn the Monarch about the heist." Futaba explained. "But since Akane's Jail is so recent it doesn't have any stolen Desires yet! It doesn't even have a birdcage, or a Trauma Cell. So, for this instance alone, we just charge through, find Akane, and talk her down."

"And we can do all that today," Makoto added, reassuringly. "We'll rescue Akane in no time, all you have to do is follow our lead. And you don't have to worry about getting brainwashed anymore."

"Oh, why's that?"

"Simply put, a Persona protects your heart from ever being distorted. That's also what our outfits are for." Makoto answered, "We don't wear them by choice- they're like special armor that represent your image of your 'inner rebel,' and they keep us from being affected by the Metaverse's distortions. That's why we've been safe from getting turned into mindless zombies this whole time."

"Huh..." Zenkichi said, curiously. "I wondered how you were getting around that so easily."

"How are you feeling now," Haru asked.

Zenkichi smiled. "I'm alright; a little rest goes a long way with me. If you're all ready, let's get going."

~...

Traversing the rest of the Jail was a little disorienting. The place was bigger than it seemed, but they'd made it in the end. Zenkichi took well to being a Phantom Thief. He wasn't as agile as everyone else, due to his age, but he made up for it with raw strength that rounded the team out nicely. Though he was confused at first by seeing Akira's special powers, he chose not to question him on it further. (Not that he could have gotten much of an answer anyway, even Akira didn't know everything about his own powers.)

They found Akane at the very end of the Jail. In reality, this would have been where the heart of the shrine was located. In all honesty, despite the circumstances, this might have been the nicest Jail they'd seen yet. The atmosphere was strangely serene and the scenery was simply beautiful. Even if it was also a monument to the Phantom Thieves- with their logo scattered about everywhere. They approached Akane's throne; she didn't look surprised by their entrance.

"I've been waiting for you imposters... Yeah, even you." Akane said, disdainfully, gesturing to Zenkichi. "I'm gonna end you all right here. After that, it's payback time for the guy who killed my mom!"

"Akane, please listen! I'm done running away! I will catch the villain who killed your mother without fail! I swear it on Aoi's name! So please, give this up already!"

"How can I trust a word you say?!" Akane scoffed. "All adults do is lie... Even if there are bad people in the world, they just pretend they don't exist. And the Phantom Thieves came along, shattering lies and leaving truth in their wake! But now...!"

"Hear me out, Akane-chan." Makoto said, "I'm sure you've noticed, too, but Zenkichi is just as torn up over losing your mother. All he could do was fight the pain the best way he knew how! But because of how painful your experience was, you didn't want to accept his solution."

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