Part 72: 7/19-7/20: Alibaba And The Phantom Thieves

Part 70: 7/19-7/20: Alibaba And The Phantom Thieves



Anon: im staying out of this shit
Anon: Medjed must be bored too
Anon: both are crossing the line

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)




They target corporations doing shady business and cause chaos. The subway company’s server thing? That was Medjed, trying to find out who caused the train accident.
So, they’re good guys?
Some liken them to digital Robin Hoods… But they snoop through emails and destroy data. They’re no better than criminals.



They dare call themselves heroes after attacking those companies? Pfft.

Oh, won’t someone think of the poor corporations?

They’re fighting Medjed next!? The Phantom Thieves are amazing!
I don’t wanna hear about justice from some shady hackers.
I don’t care what happens, as long as it’s interesting!

Anon: Hang in there you guys! ;w;
Anon: They’re gonna do it, right?
Anon: can phantom thieves win?
Anon: When are they gonna react?
Anon: whoever wins is just!

The just one is the winner, eh? Get off the internet, Kakyoin.

Anon: they’re both shit.

Rude.



How’d you do?
Damn… I’m dead...
I wish I could get in the top ten… People look at smart students differently.
I wonder what score I got… I’m in the top ten!
Whoa! Everyone’s gonna have their eyes on you now!

Maaku gains Charm +3.

Charm is the reward for doing well on exams in Persona 5, whereas previously it was Social Link points with your classmates. P5 does some work to distance many (but not all) of its links from a school context, so getting Confidant points wouldn’t really make sense.

Music: Wicked Plan



Hey, it’s not my fault my scores suck, right?




Anyways, there’s something more important here! Mishima...
You want to ask me something about the internet, right?

“No, Ryuji, it’s not a series of tubes.”

Yup. I’m gonna be straight with you here—do you know who Medjed is?
You weren’t kidding about being direct. Well, I suppose the news about Medjed and the Phantom Thieves has caused quite the commotion… They started out as hackers of justice, but now they only look out for their own self-interests. ...That’s all I know. They were the group I texted Hamiru about yesterday.
I see…
Nobody’s sure who actually belongs to Medjed. Well, it looks like things’ll be exciting this summer. It’ll be the Phantom Thieves’ world debut, no?
Dude...
Don’t worry, I’ll be rooting for the Phantom Thieves. I’ll get the forum mobilized as well. Now if we’re done talking here, I really must be going. I’ll see you guys later.





I tried asking my sister, but it seemed as though she didn’t know very much about them. She doesn’t specialize in cybercrime, after all.

“And then she yelled at me for no reason. All in all, it was an average Monday night.”

I tried looking into them too, but I didn’t come up with anything. There are really just no leads.
Hm, our opponent is truly elusive.



Medjed, hm…? It seems like we won’t be able to deal with them by ourselves…

Music: So Boring



We will be holding an emergency assembly on Monday the 25th. Please come to school that day.



The students begin to groan and chatter.

Settle down! We’ve has many strange incidents: the psychotic breakdowns, students being dragged into crime rings… Hence, Principal Kobayakawa has instructed all teachers to caution the student body. This is inconvenient for us too, you know? Having to find things to warn you about so suddenly...



I’m not sure. No matter how hard I look online, all I find are just unreliable rumors.
They have carried out corporate terrorism, yet they still manage to elude arrest somehow.



Yeah… We don’t even know whether it’s a single individual or a large conglomerate of people. And even if we do manage to get a lead, what do we do from there?
Damn, this stuff’s really not going so good… That’s prolly why my exams’re going to shit too.
You know those are two separate things, right?



Mwehehe… Clues on Medjed, huh…?

Music: Tokyo Daylight



Placing in the top ten has changed some things about our perception around school… for today at least.









Even if they’re going to keep avoiding us, it’s nice to see them awestruck by our brainpower.



Akechi-kun was saying those hackers showed up again because of the Phantom Thieves.
Hackers and Phantom Thieves sound like something out of a manga though. It’s funny if you think about it. I wonder who’d win in a fight. A lot of people online are getting excited over all this.



If there’s anything you’d like to know, ask away. Consider it the newspaper club’s special service.



There’s excitement over the Phantom Thieves, but there’s also a lot of talk about summer plans. Some students are studying like mad for their college entrance exams, so their summer won’t be as relaxed.



Ah, it’d be a major scoop if I knew. Secret identities are definitely front page material. The mass media knows it’d be major news too. Shujin Academy will likely draw attention again.



There’s been all this excitement over the Phantom Thieves. You hear a lot about them too, right? Now that they’ve crushed the mafia, everyone is waiting for their next move.



*raises eyebrows*

I’ve… got my newspaper club activities. There’s plenty to do with all these incidents going on. I’m hoping I can attract new members if I write up some really good articles.

No, I was… oh, never mind.



He’s still saying the Phantom Thieves are dangerous, right? That loner must not have any friends.
Hey, now. Don’t say that. Everyone’s allowed to have their own opinion. But he does seem too smart to be in high school. You could be right about him being lonely.
Well, I guess I’m glad that I’m stupid then. Hahaha!



Do you think the Phantom Thieves are a danger to society? Send us your opinions by email or fax.
Phantom Thieves…? They’re not real. There’s no way people like that are real.



And thanks to the internet, now everyone knows the police were just full of talk.
Now that the police have lost face, the mass media will swing over to the Phantom Thieves. Phantom Thieves, huh? Looks like things’ll get pretty busy for us soon.

I couldn't get portraits of these clowns due to the fixed camera angle so here, have an amazing stock photo and also Jeff Winger.




We can’t do it when it rains though, since we’ll be outside… Come during the day for your fortune and at night for the test.

Chihaya’s contacted us to say that we can actually talk to her during the day now (as long as it isn’t raining), which is handy (and, in fact, necessary) for some of her fortune readings. Her Confidant is still only available at night, though.



...Um, if you’re available, I’d like to talk to you about Eiko.
>Hang out with her
Thank goodness. I have a small favor to ask you… Let’s get a drink before we talk.

Music: Wicked Plan



Wait, a host? I’ve played enough Yakuza to know how skeevy that sounds.

I guess he, um… hit on her one day after her shift, and that was that. Since then he’s the only thing she’ll talk about. She even sent me a picture of their date at Destinyland.




For now it seems he hasn’t forced her to spend any money at his club, but I’m still nervous… Beyond that, he calls her his “princess” and constantly tells her how special she is. It makes me sick to my stomach. But Eiko refuses to listen to me. She said the idea that all hosts are bad people is outdated…

But the idea that all people willing to date high schoolers are bad people is very much not so.

She even said she was shocked to be getting advice from someone who would “totally flunk a test about love.”





S-Sorry about that. I’m probably just being biased towards him. I mean, I don’t have any proof that he’s untrustworthy… But that’s why I want to meet him and find out for myself what kind of person he really is. And… if it’s not too much to ask, I’d like you to accompany me on this excursion as well.



This time, um… you’ll have to play the role of my boyfriend.



I was born ready!



I think if I have a boyfriend, Eiko might be more inclined to listen to me. To tell you the truth… I actually already made plans with her and her boyfriend for a double date. S-Sorry. But it’s just going to be at a diner. Nothing particularly fancy, I promise.
*nods*
Thank you! You’re a tremendous help. I’m so glad you agreed to this. I don’t know who else I’d have asked if you had said no...
I can sense Makoto’s trust in me...



Eiko… I hope she’s not getting herself wrapped up in anything dangerous.

Says the Phantom Thief.

But just in case, I’ll try looking for some info on that host. Well, see you later.

Music: Beneath the Mask




Did you find anything?
As you know, Medjed is a god that appears in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
Huh?
Its name apparently means “the smiter.” It seems nobody is actually sure that Medjed is a real name. On top of that, almost everything else about him is unknown. Even his form is unattainable. An unseen god that flies through the sky and shoots from his eyes… He truly is an elusive being.
Dude.
Everything about his existence is shrouded in mystery.
Wait.
Fundamentally speaking, ancient Egyptian art always depicted gods drawn in a side profile.



I hope that information was at least somewhat useful.

It was… something, all right.

Indeed it was.
Should I look into it more?
That’s enough, thank you.
So, we still don’t have any tangible clues...

For reference, Medjed looks like this:



What the hell.



In the past few years, the damage they have caused has grown to several hundred billion yen. Even this year, there have been several cyber attacks attributed to Medjed.
What a mysterious group… Just what is their goal?



Did they just declare war? I wonder if the Phantom Thieves stand a chance against Medjed...
The Phantom Thieves got this! They got this shit, m’dude! Onward toward victory!
Uh… Yeah, sure. Anyways, we got finals, so we gotta get home.



How did that happen!? Does this have to do with all that news lately?
When I’m on the internet, these peculiar screens keep popping up. And I get these weird bills...
Whoa there… Did you click some shady links on a porn site!?




Bring it on! We’re not done with these tests yet! I’m actually doing a reading for a client right now, so please stay and watch...

Music: What’s Going On?



This is your first time coming to my stand, yes?
Y-Yeah, um… A colleague of mine recommended you. He said you can help fix my problems… Is that right?
Of course! Fate is… absolute…

As Chihaya says this, she looks over at Maaku.

S-So, um, the thing is… I’m engaged to be married. Next spring, I’ll be trying the knot with a friend I’ve had since all the way back in preschool...



So, what’s worrying you? Is it perhaps the date of the ceremony, or perhaps the location of your honeymoon?
O-Oh, um… No, it’s not like that. The problem is… I’m not entirely sure we’ll be able to get married. The truth is, the president of one of our major business partners has offered me her daughter’s hand...
Ah… So this is what it means to be weighed down by societal obligations...
Do, um… Do you think it would be bad if I declined that president’s offer…? Haha… Hahaha...
Please relax. The divine power will bring us your answer!



My… it seems you will face financial ruin if you decline…
N-No… Does this mean breaking off my engagement is the only option…?
Um, Hamiru-san? This may be a good time to demonstrate your powers. This man is bound by the fetters of societal obligation… How should he move forward?



Oh, that’s a wonderful suggestion! Though I guess anyone could have come up with that answer… Incidentally, what would you say to make him choose his childhood friend…?



Thieves…? She’s not a child.
W-Wait, you really think someone else would try to go after her…!? Huh… I guess guys would line up to date such an amazing girl… Well, I’m not going to let that happen! The only one who can make her happy is me! I was a fool for hesitating, even for a moment…! I… I’m going to marry her! Thank you so much!

Aww.

It’s happened again…

You know, Chihaya’s still kind of a butt. That said, I could really get behind another seven ranks of wacky fortune-changing hijinks courtesy of Mifune and Hamiru.



I had questioned your powers, but this is the third time… I have no choice… I must accept that fate can, in fact, be changed. You’ve proven that to me. And as a sign of thanks for showing me the truth… I’ll provide a special fortune service for you from now on!
I can sense Chihaya’s intense motivation...



Money Reading is a skill that I’ve never used but is obviously incredibly useful. For 5,000 yen, we can increase the amount of money we gain from battles for the rest of the day. This is, no shit, incredibly lopsided in our favor. I haven’t been able to find any stats on the percentage increase, but I don’t think it’s 50% because that would be fucking absurd. Even if it’s like 10%, it’s well worth it to spend the cash every time we head into a Palace or Mementos, as long as it’s not raining. Edit: Apparently it is, in fact, obscenely high, but only applies to battles finished by All-out Attacks for whatever reason. If this is documented anywhere in the game, I've never seen it. Still, it's fucking amazing.

You know, I never thought it was possible to change destiny… Are you perhaps… a psychic?



If I was psychic, I’d probably have been able to see through your shitty Holy Stone scam.

...Actually, no. Such powerful people do not exist in this world. You may oversee changes in fate, but purposefully altering one’s destiny is… impossible. That is why I’ll forever be a monster...




M-My, it’s gotten so late! I should start packing up for today. I’ll see you next time! Farewell.



Music: Aria of the Soul




To think you would relax under such circumstances. Either you’re quite bold… or quite foolish.
One with an “unseen” form, hm? It seems you’ve been targeted by troublesome company.





*chuckle* I’ve been enjoying this endless dispute over “justice.” However, it will soon come to an end—and through the appearance of an unexpected force, of all things. Engaging with formidable enemies is also part of your rehabilitation. I ask that you overcome this. After all, you must hone your powers… and become a magnificent thief...



Anon: yeah, yeah, it’s all a setup
Anon: It’s just like Akechi said!
Anon: is medjed worse than mafia?
Anon: can phantom thieves win?

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)



I didn’t think Medjed would pounce on the Phantom Thieves. Interesting things keep happening this year. The influence of #Millennials knows no bounds… I underestimated it, honestly. I wonder what the public thinks of this. Are they entertained? Or perhaps inconvenienced?




A luxury for the uninvolved. I know they mean no ill intent. So this is what the public thinks… ...Whoops, I don’t have time for a conversation. My attendance has been poor due to interviews lately. Thank you for your valuable opinion. I’ll see you around.



Which of them will come out on top? They’re both just criminals pretending to be heroes.
If you ask me, Medjed causes way more trouble. They attack every company they set their sights on.

I don’t know, from what you’re saying they sound like fine anticapitalists to me!

I see… Well, I just hope something happens soon. But you gotta tell me—who do you think will win?




Music: Desire



I am the one they call Alibaba. I want to ask you something. You’re a phantom thief, aren’t you? Can you really steal hearts?
Who is this? Why does he know that you’re a phantom thief? Is one of our teammates pulling a prank on you?
There is someone whose heart I would like you to steal. But I’m not asking for charity. Let’s make a deal. You wish to know about Medjed, correct? I can give you information on them if the change of heart is successful. If you so desire, I can take care of them as well. Do you believe in my skills? I can track down their accounts, just as I have with yours. But this is all I can prove at the moment. I’ve prepared the necessary tool on my end. Look forward to it.
Shouldn’t you respond to it?
How should I respond…?



Maaku tries to respond, but...



Hm? You can’t reply back? I don’t know what this is about, but we should probably let everyone know about this...

Music: Suspicion



Seems so...
How were we found out?
He may have traced our chat log...
How careless of us…
But how would he have known all these details with just that…?

Uh, we’ve been pretty fuckin’ cavalier about discussing Phantom Thieves business via text, Makoto.

Do you think that there is another cause?
Yeah. I’m not sure why, but that’s the feeling I get.
Hey, is it that easy to look at someone’s chat log?
I don’t know much about it myself, but… it’s probably not impossible, I think?
How’s it done?
Maybe they extracted our phones’ data…?
Why’s Maaku getting an error when he tries to reply?
Perhaps the receiving end doesn’t exist?



Don’t ask me everything. I told you that I don’t know much about it.
Wait. Might this be what is referred to as hacking?



I don’t get high tech stuff! What does this all mean?
An unknown hacker contacted us!
I see. I don’t really get it.
Then, is this person Medjed?
I doubt it, considering he says he wants to “deal” with them. That is, only if we take his words for face value.
True...
Hey… Wouldn’t it be great if we got this guy on our side?
But we know nothing about his identity at all. We can’t trust him.
I don’t think it’s a bad deal though...
Even if Alibaba turns out to be a criminal? I am not helping anyone of that sort.
Oh, right. That wouldn’t be good...
The “I’ve prepared the necessary tool” part makes no sense either.
Could this just be a prank?
He knows an awful lot for it to be a prank.
If he knows who we are, won’t we get caught?
No. If he wanted to report us, I think he would’ve done it already.
He must have some sort of objective of his own. He did offer us a deal, after all. I’m certain he’ll contact us again.
There’s no telling when he’ll do so though… It’d be best if we stay together. If something happens, we can act at once.
Yeah. So, somewhere we can wait and hide for long hours...
How about Leblanc?
*nods*

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)





Hey there, Chief. What’s so important that you didn’t notice the bell ringing and five people walking in?




Good evening. We were thinking about putting together plans for our summer.
Hm? Is that a new face I see?
It’s nice to meet you. My name is Makoto Niijima. I hope we’re not being a bother.
She’s our student council president.
Niijima…?
Is something wrong?
...Nah, it’s nothing. A student council president, eh? I’m stunned. I hope he’s not causing you too much trouble. I’m Sojiro Sakura, but everyone just calls me Boss.

That’s weird, because I don’t think I’ve heard that nickname once!



This old man’ll get going and leave you kids be. All right, the store’s all yours.

Music: Suspicion



Just moments ago, a new message has been released on their website. They have announced their victory over the Phantom Thieves. Medjed also warns any Japanese citizens who praised the Phantom Thieves to stop doing so. We will report any further actions by Medjed as they arrive.



Oh, come on! It’s in English!
Let me see… “The Phantom Thieves remain silent at our question. This proves that we are just. People of Japan, wake up. You must not worship the Phantom Thieves.”
What!? That’s bullshit!
Keep listening.
“We will discipline any who worship them. The punishment is the confiscation of possessions. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil.” ...That’s what it says.
What does that all mean!?
They’re saying that they’ll target sympathizers of the Phantom Thieves.
Confiscation of possessions, hm…?
Perhaps bank accounts or personal information… Either way, it won’t be anything pleasant.
Why the hell are we being singled out?
Perhaps all they care about is labeling the Phantom Thieves as crooks. That all this wouldn’t have happened had the Phantom Thieves not existed.
That’s complete bullshit.
Talk about a troublesome organization that we’ve been targeted by…
Isn’t there anything we can do?
It’s certain we can’t do anything about this on our own…



Well, it’s probably none of your business, Ryuji. As far as you know, it’s from my parents, whatever the hell they’re doing.

We don’t need any more trouble.

You know what? Fair.

It’s rare for you to get something like this.

All right, fine you nosy bastards, I’ll open it.




Music: Disquiet



Anything else in there!? Who’s this from anyway?
There’s no stamp on it. Someone must’ve directly dropped it into the mailbox here…
Could it have been Alibaba…?
That reminds me, he did mention something about preparing the “necessary tool”… Don’t tell me… Is this what he was talking about!?
What the hell’s goin’ on here…?
All we can do at the moment is wait for Alibaba’s orders. Let’s brace ourselves and stand by… in case anything comes up.
Oh dear...

Music: Beneath the Mask




“The showdown between the just Phantom Thieves and the global organization Medjed is here!” Reactions have been great too. Everyone is really engaged. So far, most of the comments have been pro-Phantom Thieves. Most likely because of what happened in the Kaneshiro case. Those on the other side say Medjed are “hackers of justice.” But there’s nothing resembling justice in what they do. Someday, I want the whole site to be filled with pro-Thieves comments. I’m looking forward to when that day finally arrives.
He can look forward to whatever he wants, but we have no means of striking back against Medjed. We’re gonna be in deep trouble if we don’t do something...



What the hell’s going on?



“The Phantom Thieves remain silent at our question. This proves that we are just. People of Japan, wake up. You must not worship the Phantom Thieves. We will discipline any who worship them. The punishment is the confiscation of possessions. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil.”
They’re just acting without even waiting for us to respond! What are they planning to do?



Well, we’re totally fucked and out of options, so I guess we’re going to hand our fate to this mysterious Alibaba character in the start of what’s probably my pick for strongest arc in the game. Next time, we’ll hopefully get to the bottom of this!