Phantom Thieves of Hope - A Danganronpa X Persona 5 Story.

Chapter 91: Matters Most

Beautiful Morning - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

"Can I just say something?" Komaru asked as she and the other Phantom Thieves gathered around the horigotatsu, resting her face on it. "I'm super-duper hoping that we don't have to do any more Steering Committee Palaces after this because CHRIST, this one SUCKS!"

The air in the Thieves' Den hummed with a mix of frustration and fatigue. Makoto leaned back, running a hand through his hair.

"You're right...We're only a day or two in, and the whole place is already so awful," he sighed, glancing around the room at his teammates. "It feels like everything in there is designed to slow us down."

"That's putting it lightly, Naegi," Toko, seated cross-legged with Monomi perched on her lap, scowled in agreement. "It's like the whole place is a maze of conveyor belts and smog. I swear, if I have to see one more assembly line, I'm going to lose it."

"But we're making progress, right? I know it's difficult, but we can't give up hope! The Phantom Thieves never give up hope!" Monomi tried to lift the mood with her usual optimism.

"Fair, but for the record," Hajime shrugged, suddenly turning a lethal glare onto the rabbit, "if you say one more time that our target is just behind that set of doors when it clearly fucking isn't, I'm going to toss you in the smelter."

"Uwawa!? Y-You wouldn't ACTUALLY!? W-Would you?" Monomi panicked.

"What kind of person even designs a Palace like that?" Komaru, now sprawled out on the floor next to the bed, groaned dramatically. "We've had creepy theaters, nightmarish casinos, but a factory? It's just so...dreary. And those shadows that keep popping up out of those big crates...They're like roaches! We get rid of one, and three more show up!"

"It's not just that. Everything in there is rigid, like the place itself is trying to keep us locked into a routine," Hajime added, crossing his arms. "Even the puzzles we solve feel like we're being forced to move in a straight line, with no room to think outside the box."

"I don't like it. There's no creativity in it. It's all gears and machines, like they stripped out anything that makes a game fun," Chiaki, half-asleep on a nearby beanbag, let out a yawn. "And those conveyor belts...ugh, I still feel dizzy."

"It matches what we know about the Palace ruler, though. Someone who sees everything as a means to an end...turning people into cogs in his machine. That factory imagery...it makes sense," Shuichi noted, looking up at the ceiling. "But still, I agree; understanding it doesn't make it any less aggravating to navigate."

"It feels like we're being turned into workers ourselves, just trying to keep up with the flow of everything," Kaede said, tapping her fingers on the table, her brow furrowed. "And the air's so thick...It's like I can barely breathe when we're inside."

"Well, if nothing else, at least we're struggling together. And we've always found a way through Palaces before, even the toughest ones," Makoto glanced around at his friends, then offered a small smile. "So, let's think of it as just another puzzle to solve. If we keep our heads together, we'll get through this factory...and make sure Ashikawa sees just how wrong he is."

As the complaints died down, the atmosphere in the Thieves' Den gradually shifted to a more relaxed one. The team began chatting about lighter topics, like speculating on what treasures the Palace might hold or wondering if they'd finally get a break after their latest heist.

Toko, though, kept her eyes on Komaru, who was quietly focused on her phone. Peeking over her shoulder, she could see Komaru's face was set in a frown, her thumb scrolling through a familiar app: the PhanSite.