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The room was dark, save for the faint light filtering through the blinds. The clock read 2:17 AM. Perfect timing.
Kaede blinked the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, her heart already pounding with anticipation. She had planned for this. Everything was set.
Swinging her legs out of bed, Kaede moved with quiet precision, her senses already heightened. She'd spent basically the whole day plotting, scouring her thoughts for anything that could give the Phantom Thieves an edge. And now, it was finally time to act.
She crossed the room swiftly, pulling her backpack from the corner. She had packed it in advance: gloves, a compact flashlight, a lockpick set Shuichi had slipped her, and, just in case, one of her old conductor's batons, slim but reassuring in her grip.
The plan was simple enough: meet with Kyoko and the others, get in, gather intel on Matsuda, and get out. But Kaede couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that nothing about this heist was going to be easy.
It rarely ever was, Metaverse be damned.
But this was her plan, and she was certain that even if the Ultimate Neurologist turned out to not be the target the Thieves were after, she was almost certain that he knew SOMETHING. More than he let on.
Kaede took a deep breath, adjusting the bag's strap over her shoulder. Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her, resolute.
"Suck it up, Akamatsu," she said to herself, "You're a Phantom Thief. Thief like you mean it."
She could hear faint footsteps down the hallway, but they passed without pause. It was too late for anyone to question her movements, but she couldn't risk slipping up. Pulling her hood over her head, Kaede double-checked her supplies. She had to be ready for whatever she might find.
Silently, she slipped out the door and into the shadows of the academy, her mind already racing ahead to the heist. Yasuke Matsuda had something hidden, and Kaede intended to find out exactly what.
Despair Searching - Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Kaede moved out of the dorm room, and through the school's quiet grounds, her footsteps barely a whisper on the floor. The academy was always buzzing with activity and wonder, but now, it was eerily still, the oppressive silence only amplifying the tension in her chest.
Every shadow seemed to stretch and shift as she crept toward the meeting point, her mind already running through the plan.
It had to go smoothly. There wasn't room for mistakes tonight.
As she reached the edge of the Matsuda's building, she spotted them in the dim light. Makoto, Shuichi, and Kyoko, their figures partially obscured by the shadow of the adjacent building. Kaede quickened her pace, her heart settling slightly now that she wasn't alone. Monomi, who pranced on Kyoko's shoulder, nodded and was the first to speak.
"You're on time," she said, her voice calm, composed as ever. Makoto and Shuichi gave her small smiles of greeting, though both wore the same worried expressions Kaede had been trying to push aside.
"Everything clear?" Kaede whispered as she joined them, eyes darting around for any signs of movement. Kyoko nodded again, then stepped forward.
"Alright, listen up. Matsuda's lab is on the south side of the building. Security is minimal, and from what I can tell, the security office in the building is unmanned at this hour, but there are cameras, which is why we're taking a less direct route. Kaede and I will sneak in through the fire escape/maintenance door. We'll avoid detection, get the intel, and be out in under ten minutes. Got it?"
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Phantom Thieves of Hope - A Danganronpa X Persona 5 Story.
Fanfiction"Makoto Naegi is the Ultimate Lucky Student as the esteemed school of Hope's Peak Academy. Now beginning his second year with little to no problems, Makoto's life is turned upside down when he discovers a cognitive realm known as the Metaverse. Thro...
