Chapter Text
"Our target is Masaki Nagayasu. Team ace of the Osaka Leopards. According to rumor, he–"
"Why do we have to talk about all this again? We got our evidence!" Ryuji kicked idly in his seat. "The asshat's been fixin' all his matches! He's trying to look like some crazy comeback story to build his rep."
Makoto half-glared at the interruption. "It's important to go over everything we know before we make our move, you know. But yes. He's been rigging his baseball games to garner favor and sympathy... and, most likely, money."
"I have to admit, it's almost a beautiful con," Yusuke mused. "For matches to play out in such specific, emotion-invoking ways... It requires impressively precise play on his part. A scam such as this could be seen as its own sort of art, wouldn't you say? But it's not the sort of art we can tolerate."
"We're all in?" Morgana nodded firmly, and the motion was echoed around the table. "Then how are we doing this? Joker?"
Ren closed his eyes, thinking it through.
"I think we should go big."
The group split at the parking lot. With well-wishes and such done, the five headed out, away from the crowds to find a vacant area they could use to slip into the Metaverse, and the remaining three made their way toward the Osaka stadium.
"You know, the three of us are a good fit for this!" Ann giggled. "Don't we kinda look like a group of teenage sports fans?"
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just find our seats, alright?"
"Woah, animosity here, huh?" Futaba dashed in front of Ryuji, walking backwards to face him. "Oracle's detecting an untold story! Do share."
"Hell no."
She shrugged– "Suit yourself"– and turned back around... only to freeze on the spot.
"Ohh, thaaaaatisalotofpeople."
It sure was. A swarm around the concession stands, a throng going up stairs and a matching one coming down, and several patches of people here and there. It all made for a cacophony of voices and crushed music blared from speakers.
"What, didja think no one comes to these things? This is major leagues, man, not some little league with parents in the stands."
Ann took her hand swiftly. "Don't worry. We have a suite to ourselves, so we won't be dealing with all this."
"Rrriiiggghhhttt..."
And Futaba was silent for the trip up to the Okumura suite. Ryuji was constantly grumbling about something, and as Ann was casting about for a thought to drown him out, she had to wonder if everyone else's infiltration was going as well as theirs.
Had they any choice in their plan, 'gladiatorial combat' would not have been on the list. Unfortunately, they were never able to secure a safe room closer than this to the Treasure, and so passing through the arena– wide open– was their only option.
Noir wasn't complaining.
"There's something so wonderful about such a wild, lawless battle!" Milady's piercing blast tore through an oncoming brute with abandon.
Joker raised an eyebrow. He thought he might finally be used to Noir's odd bloodlust, but now and again he found himself at a loss for words. But this wasn't the time to be distracted. Valkyrie charged forth, bringing an extra-powerful assault on a rival rider.
"It's almost scary how good he is!" Mona gapsed, eyes wide, Joker's Persona volleying another Shadow into the air with its lances as it disintegrated.
"Stay focused, Mona." Queen and Johanna swept past a group of the beasts, leaving a nuclear blast in her wake. "If any get through to you, you need to defend yourself!"
"I- I know that!" He glared around, Zorro at his back(?), holding his position in the center and keeping his senses sharp for support.
Meanwhile, Fox.
"Combat can indeed be a graceful art! Today, my art is your demise!" Beautiful trees of ice sprouted from the earth around him, only to burst and shatter, spreading their frost to the surrounding demons as he and his Persona struck elegant poses.
"You stay focused too, Fox!" Zorro threw a lucky punch at a stray survivor of Goemon's show. "Don't get too caught up in the aesthetic! We're clearing this place out efficiently, first and foremost!"
Joker grinned quietly to himself. It's always nice to see a team fall into sync.
"Someone remind me why we actually gotta be at the game..."
"You idiot! We explained the whole plan, and you still weren't paying attention?"
"I thought I was gonna be one of the people in the Palace! I wasn't paying attention to what the plan was for people in the real world!"
"That still would've been important to know, even if you were!"
Futaba had tuned the bickering out a long time ago. Seriously, what was Ren thinking to put those two together for all this? They were the worst pair. At least the game was finally starting, and so she could watch the pitchers pitch and the batters bat, and the...
...Yeah, she barely knew what was going on. It's not like she was much of a sports freak, other than the occasional arcade-y sports game, but even she knew that barely counted. But she did know to keep her focus on uniform 23.
"There you are, Nagayasu... Leading with a power play, are we?"
She snickered darkly as she watched. Thanks to her award-winning– well, warrant-winning, at least– network infiltration skills, she'd found out the exact script for today. An early lead leading to a deficit, only for the team's ace to bring out his famous "Comeback Hero" personality to win in a nail-biter of a farce. Futaba hummed idly to herself. She didn't mind spoiling herself on the outcome, since she didn't care for baseball anyway. Besides, she had a last-second plot twist in store that would shock even Nagayasu himself.
A roar of the crowd made her wince– she'd spaced out, and Nagayasu must have made his play. She shook her head in an over-exaggerated way. Shake it off, shake it off, you're better than this, you're not better than this, oh god you're at a freaking baseball stadium and there's people everywhere–
She turned to check on Ann and Ryuji, hoping they weren't too busy to lend a little emotional help (not that she was expecting much), but something caught her eye as she turned.
None other than Goro Akechi a few boxes down. And by the time Futaba locked eyes with him, she knew it was already too late. He smiled, retreating and headed out the back door of his suite.
"Umm, guys," she said nervously as she turned to the others. "Incoming nuisance. We're gonna have to fight our own boss."
"What do you hope to accomplish?!"
A proud, booming voice resounded through the arena, and the crowd roared at its arrival. Joker and his entourage, cleared of the Shadow onslaught, turned to face the far end.
"Nagayasu's Shadow." Fox lifted his head, staring down the side of his nose at those golden eyes. "We meet again."
The spry young upstart of the real world may have been fairly handsome in Joker's opinion, but his other self was the usual mockery. Armored, spiked shoulder pads; an extravagant gladiator helm; exaggerated muscles that may have been fake even by Shadow standards... and the hallmark yellow eyes, of course.
"Answer my question! What is your goal in being so insistent on dying by my hand?" he boasted, thrusting his chest forward.
Queen stepped forth. "We won't be dying here."
"You cannot bribe us as you do your other challengers!" Noir nodded fiercely. "We won't give in!"
"Very well!" the Shadow roared. "If you won't make the fight exciting... then I'll make your defeat ruthless!"
Joker moved a foot forward.
"You've got that backwards."
Nagayasu let out a horrifying roar and kicked off the ground, soaring through the air to close the distance. As he did, his form began to change, expanding to a much larger size, arms and legs thickening, his roaring voice deepening, and everyone followed Joker's signal to fall back only just in time. The newly hulking beast slammed into the ground, creating a crater on the spot they once stood.
"This is my arena! I am its champion! No one will claim my title from meeeeee!"
"And again you are mistaken. We will be taking the title of champion, and your Treasure with it." Fox cast Goemon forth swiftly, aggressively, and struck across Nagayasu's face.
In an instant, Joker felt an odd sensation come over him, and before he could voice his newfound concern, it happened. As though pulled by an invisible cord, he flew backwards through the air, landing a considerable distance away– a graceless somersault was all that kept him from hitting the ground in a heap. He quickly glanced around the arena, pinpointing his comrades– Queen, Mona, and Noir had suffered the same fate, but Fox had somehow kept his position.
One roaring laugh from Nagayasu told Joker the most important part of all this– that it was to the beast's plan.
"If you wish to challenge a champion, you must meet him in single combat, fool." A grin unfurled beneath yellow eyes, piercing the fox beneath them. "You have volunteered yourself. Let the challenge begin."