Part 53: 6/19-6/20: Makoto, Makoto, Makoto

Part 52: 6/19-6/20: Makoto, Makoto, Makoto



Music: Wicked Plan



Let’s just forget that ever happened, please.

What’re you talking about?
...Nothing! Just start it up, Yusuke.



All we need now are the two other keywords: what he thinks of as his Palace, and where it is. But we don’t have any clues other than people falling victim around here… We’ll just have to try whatever keywords we can come up with.

It’s really strange from a narrative standpoint that we haven’t even met this dude and we’re already trying to pick his brain to find his palace, so we’re just aimlessly guessing.

Urgh, that’s gonna be impossible… How many buildings do you think there are in Shibuya?
No complaining.
If we can figure out what the Palace is, we may be able to guess where it is by association.
Hmmm… It’s prolly somewhere he’s got complete control over… Maybe a garden?



He likes money, so… what about a money bath? I’ve seen people online with things like that!
No candidates found.
No… Not even close. How about it, Maaku? Can you think of anything?



I see...



Candidate found.
OK… That’s a hit! So, he thinks of somewhere in this city as his own bank!
I thought it’d be something less realistic. That’s all it is, huh?
Now then, what location would Kaneshiro think of as his bank?
If we’re talkin’ about a place where he keeps his cash, maybe his own hideout?
How about… a real bank?
His cognition wouldn’t be distorted in that case.
Dammit, we ain’t gettin’ anywhere...
This may be difficult to explain… but doesn’t it seem we’re thinking a little too inside the box? Palaces emanate a passionate madness… It feels as though we’re missing that aspect.
The hell’re you talkin’ about…?
This Palace is a bank for someone who extorts money with criminal acts. It’s something more...
But what other ways can we think about it…? Oh, could it mean a place you withdraw money?
Hold on! Do you think it might have something to do with the victims? He’s taking money from his victims’ wallets, right? That means his bank is wherever they are!
That’s terrible… but you may just be right.




Wait a second…! ...I have a hit.
Huh…? Wait, what? D-Did I say something right…?
The place that Kaneshiro thinks of as a bank is… “All of Shibuya.”

Congrats, Ryuji, you were accidentally smart.

What!? Like… the entire city?
I see. That’s certainly where his victims are… It turns out he really is a terrible criminal.
But wait, is it OK for us to go into the Palace right out of a crowd like this?
Eh, nobody notices if a piece of trash disappears from a trash can. This ain’t any different.
In that case… Let’s go.

Why are we trusting Ryuji on matters of discretion?

Beginning navigation.



Music: Disquiet



What are those...?



Huh, walking ATMs. It’s like a really shitty episode of Black Mirror.

Walking ATMs… That must be his cognition of people. So this is what Kaneshiro considers a “bank”...
I never thought it would be the entire district. Look around us… The distortion is affecting the whole of Shibuya.
Huh? Whaddya mean?
Ohhh, that’s right! Even when we were in the castle and the museum, the city outside looked normal.
He sees everyone in Shibuya as his patron.
No surprise for a mafia boss.
It’s best we focus on finding Kaneshiro’s location and stealing his Treasure as soon as possible.
Yeah, his hideout’s gotta be somewhere around here. Let’s go look for it.



Walking down the distorted Central Street brings us to a few new leads.




Excuse me, can we--
Ah! P-Please forgive me!



I-I don’t have any more, please! I’m telling you, not even one yen!
Whoa, cool it. We’re not tryin’ to mug you or anything.
Please, I don’t want to end up like the others…!
Were you assaulted?
*shriek*
There’s no doubt he’s a victim, but he can’t even hold a goddamn conversation… Let’s try someone else.

Further down the street...




What the hell...
I don’t think we can talk to any of the ones here...



That would appear to be the case, but there is nobody we can speak to, let alone a bank anywhere… Let us try checking around the station once more. We may have overlooked something important.

Back towards the station...




It’s no use… It’s all over… I’ll end up just like them...



Can’t you tell…? I’ve fallen… fallen so far… From a place where Kaneshiro leaves no tracks...
Hm, what could that mean…?
Hey, you gotta tell us a little more than--
I’m… too tired… Please… let me rest...



The ATMan collapses to the ground. You like that name? I just came up with it. They should pay me to name Doctor Who villains.

...I don’t think he can speak any more. Kaneshiro leaves no tracks…? Does he mean that literally, or could it be figurative?
Hey, why don’t we go over all the intel we have now?



Wait a second… They’ve “fallen” from a place that Kaneshiro doesn’t leave any tracks…? Could that mean… they were actually thrown down from somewhere high up?
What, y’mean like a skyscraper? Uhhh, there ain’t any of them around here, I don’t think...



W-Wait…! What’s that!?

Music: Desire




Up in the air… No wonder we couldn’t find it.
“Kaneshiro doesn’t leave any tracks,” huh…? Figures it’d be floating.



No… just a car.
You’re useless! C’mon, don’t you have some kinda secret gadget or something!?
Shut it! I’m not some robot cat! I mean, I’m not a cat at all!
This may be the limit of what we can do today.
We gotta find a way to get up there…
Let’s think about it some more tomorrow, OK?
All right, we should get out of here for now! Run for it!

Why are we running? Beats me!

Music: Beneath the Mask




It’s that woman who reeks of alcohol…



All right. I have a bit of advice for you. It’s about that Kaneshiro guy. He’s more dangerous than I thought! The police haven’t tracked him down, so I dug a little deeper… Turns out he has some real shady connections. I won’t say any more than that.
Shady connections...
He’s not someone a teenager like you should mess with. You should really back off, OK? Well, that’s all I wanted to say. See you!
Proving our justice isn’t going to be easy… We’d better discuss this with everyone tomorrow.



What a pain. I’m sure the police are tired of this guy, too.

Yeah, I’m sure they hate being physically unable to get near him due to his flying sky bank. That must really suck for them.

That reminds me, the home shopping program is airing today… You wanna check out the TV?



Here’s what we’ve got for you today! 20 boxes of Mental Floss! Floss with these and you’ll magically remember things you never knew!
It’s true, I always think about all sorts of random things while I’m just flossing my teeth.
>Order for 1980 yen



Music: Days of Sisters



About those Phantom Thieves, I mean. If Dad were still alive… Sorry, I… I shouldn’t bring this up while we’re eating.
It’s OK. Keep going.
I just wonder if he would’ve been on their side… That’s all...



Um…

That’s not--
You don’t have to do a single thing, and you’re provided with food, clothes, a home…

Uh, wow, OK…

I’ve had no time to think on such ridiculous thoughts. Would Dad have been happy with them? I don’t care. He died upholding some lofty sense of righteousness, leaving all his responsibilities on us.

This is kind of a lot.

A-All I was trying to say was--
Isn’t it about time you grew up and acknowledged our situation!?




HOLY SHIT






*pant* Sorry, that was uncalled for. I’m just… really tired. ...I’ll be eating dinner out from tomorrow on.
…...

There’s two important parts of this: Sae decides to start avoiding Makoto, yeah, which has just got to rub it in. But also, hilariously, right after saying this: Sae goes right back to eating. Sae’s not just a complete asshole, she doesn’t understand anything about human interaction.




Are we out of luck…?
It’s no fair his Palace is up in the sky...
If only we could contact the real Kaneshiro… ...Hm?

Music: Disquiet



Nothing in particular. I just saw you all together here.
That so?
You seem to be having quite a bit of trouble.
So you’re here to check up on us? You may be the student council president, but when it comes to what we do, you’re useless.



Useless…?



All you do is eat away at my life.

Nice job, Ann! Pour some salt right in that festering wound!



Just stay on your high horse and watch. Or do you wanna eavesdrop, since you’re so good at it?
…...




That is what you were just discussing, weren’t you? It seemed you just needed to find out where he is.



Hey, you don’t gotta answer her honestly!





What was that?
Fine. I’ll help you meet Kaneshiro.

Huh?



What exactly is she planning on doing?
She had a dead-serious look in her eyes...
Does this mean she has an idea as to where Kaneshiro may be?
I highly doubt that.
I didn’t like her stern face…



Hrrgh! What is up with her!?







Just stay on the phone and listen. Make sure you record the call as well.
Huh? Who is it?



What?
That idiot…! What’s she doin’!?
I heard I could find someone named Kaneshiro if I came to Central Street.
Central Street!
She’s being too rash!




He’s blackmailing the students of Shujin Academy, is he not? Tell him if he doesn’t want me talking to the police about it, he’d better agree to meet with me.



Oh no.

Music: Tension



You better be taking me to Kaneshiro.



This is going real bad.




Hey, wasn’t that--
It’s the guys that messed with us the other day! So they were connected to Kaneshiro!
She still on!?



Where are we going?
I guess we can’t do anythin’ to her if she’s Kaneshiro-san’s customer.
Hey, I asked a question here. Where are we going?

You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?

We gotta go after them!







Ryuji steps into the road.



DUDE

Ryuji!
Hurry up and get in!



You know what happens to anyone who snaps at me, don’t you?

Here's a video of this dude’s voice, because holy shit it’s so weird and great.

Music: Tension





Niijima-san!
What the hell’d you do to her!?
Ohh, I get it.



Also great: his facial expressions.



Holy moly…!
That bag you saw the other day—the crocodile one. How much was it?
About three million?

Kaneshiro takes a large stack of bills out of the briefcase and offers it to the woman.



Better thank those guys.
What…?
I’m royally pissed right now. Can you tell? You know how spending money relieves stress? It’s you goddamn brats sniffing around like dogs and barging in here like you own the joint…! See this empty space? I’m so pissed that now there’s a three million yen gap here. It pisses me off even more if I don’t fill it up. I’m a perfectionist. So, good luck.
What is that supposed to mean?



Come on, you all look so tense. I think I’ll call it… “Debauchery of Minors at a Club.” So, can I send this to your school?
That’s--
Oh, damn, I got booze and cigs in the shot! Maybe some drugs too?



I feed on dumbshits like you. …Understand, pretty little student council president? Now listen up. Run your mouth to the police, and I’ll break all of you, starting with your families. I want to give you the usual month, but well, you have such a large group here… Three weeks. Bring three million yen by then. No less. Summer bonuses are around the corner, you know? It’ll be easy if you beg your mommies and daddies.

Oh man, the guy we’re targeting for his history of blackmail is blackmailing us! Who could have possibly predicted this?

*laughing*
Now get out of my sight. I’m about to have some fun.
What!? To hell with that!
Don’t bother with him. Makoto’s safety is more important right now.



Three weeks for three million yen… Things have taken a serious turn for the worse...

So, to recap: We can’t get into the Palace, we’re being blackmailed again, and talking to Kaneshiro has given us no new information. With seemingly no avenues left to explore, #Millennials might be done for! I’d say “wow, short game” but my save has like thirty hours on it at this point. See how we escape this mess—or don’t—next time!