At long last, the highly anticipated infiltration had arrived!
For the first time ever, the complete Phantom Thieves lineup stood together outside Kamoshida's Palace.
Taking in the impressive sight of his teammates, Rinto was overwhelmed with emotion.
Himself, Ann Takamaki, Ryuji Sakamoto, Morgana, plus the Yoshizawa sisters—the Phantom Thieves had already grown to six members!
Just a week ago, he'd been fighting alone, never daring to dream of such a luxurious moment.
Seeing Rinto so moved he could hardly speak, Ryuji grew bashful.
"C'mon, Leader, don't cry," he chuckled, throwing a friendly arm around Rinto's shoulder.
Even Morgana wore an understanding expression, patting Rinto's leg reassuringly.
Nearby, the three girls formed a little circle, whispering among themselves as they glanced at the boys.
Ann tilted her head curiously. "Is it really something worth getting this emotional about? Just how desperately did Rinto-kun want friends, anyway?"
"Well, you see… Senpai's just like this." Sumire puffed her cheeks in a pretend-complaint, clearly eager to brag about her boyfriend (which she certainly was).
"Even though Senpai's reliable in everything he does, incredibly cool, capable, gentle, and caring—in short, the most perfect man alive—he's actually really sensitive inside. He even thought about quitting the Phantom Thief business entirely because being alone was too painful."
"And he never tells anyone anything, either!" Kasumi chimed in. "If we hadn't accidentally discovered his secret, he'd have kept hiding it forever. Imagine, he was carrying so many burdens alone without a single person he could open up to—such a tragic loner, right? It's adorable~! Doesn't it just make you want to lock him away and brainwash him into a pet who thinks only of you?"
Sumire and Ann enthusiastically agreed. "Totally~!"
The trio of girls joined hands, jumping and squealing excitedly.
Their piercing voices quickly drew distasteful glances from the adjacent male group (well, two guys and a cat), who quietly stepped a little further away.
Aware of how close the twins were to Rinto, Ryuji sympathetically patted his shoulder:
"Leader, you've got it rough, huh? Don't worry, man—I've got your back for life. If you ever need somewhere to crash, come to my place anytime. Mom and I will welcome you with open arms!"
"Thanks, Ryuji." Rinto smiled warmly.
Sometimes, an all-guy space was truly a comfort.
The two friends bumped fists, understanding each other perfectly without words.
From there, the six-person team carefully began exploring the Palace, prioritizing getting comfortable with each other's skills and abilities.
Unlike Sumire's Palace, Kamoshida's had existed for several years, vast and deep enough to present a significantly greater challenge.
Fortunately, the group wasn't in a hurry. For now, everyone focused on discovering their potential and mastering their Personas.
After careful observation, Rinto came to a preliminary conclusion:
"Ryuji, Kasumi, and Sumire—you all have Personas specializing in specific elemental affinities, but each of you also excels in physical attacks. Especially you, Ryuji—you're clearly best suited for frontline combat."
"Oh yeah! You mean the vanguard guy, right? That's exactly my style!"
The enthusiastic, punkish fighter eagerly swung his makeshift pipe, charging straight into clusters of Shadows alongside his Persona, smashing through them energetically.
Once someone awakened a Persona, their physical capabilities in the Metaverse were significantly enhanced, gaining nearly superhuman agility and strength.
Each person's boost differed; Ryuji's was notably strength-oriented, while Kasumi and Sumire excelled in speed and agility, mirroring their real-world gymnastics talents.
The twins especially demonstrated perfect synergy, communicating effortlessly without words, moving in dazzling unison like a perfectly choreographed gymnastics routine.
"You know what?" Kasumi's eyes sparkled excitedly. "This is actually perfect for training! Our enhanced agility here lets us practice moves we could never attempt safely in reality! And we never have to worry about injury or stamina—it's amazing!"
"Sumire, how about we start training here from now on? Maybe even bring Coach here and help her awaken a Persona—our progress would skyrocket!"
Sumire sighed gently. "Calm down, Kasumi. I understand the excitement, but we shouldn't casually involve more people. Six Phantom Thieves feels like enough already."
Rinto fully agreed with Sumire's reasoning.
Expanding their secret any further could drastically increase risks. So far, everyone had only gotten involved due to unavoidable circumstances.
Rinto still hadn't fully figured out the Metaverse Navigation App's distribution method and hoped defeating Kamoshida would stop it from spreading further.
"By the way, Leader—have you still not gotten the Navigation App yet?"
After burning nearby Shadows to cinders, Ann turned toward Rinto inquisitively.
Among the team, Ann's Persona wielded formidable firepower, second only to Rinto's Eros. Though her physical boost wasn't huge, her magical attacks were incredibly strong.
Rinto shook his head in response:
"Nope, still nothing. I check my phone daily, but the app hasn't appeared."
Unlike Kasumi, who'd intentionally hidden her possession of the app earlier, Rinto genuinely didn't have it. He was confused about its distribution logic—if hostility toward Kamoshida triggered it, Rinto should've had it ages ago, considering how often he'd openly clashed with the teacher.
Still, he wasn't too concerned.
"We'll figure it out once we clear this Palace. Morgana, I'm counting on you to support everyone."
"Leave it to me!" Morgana proudly announced.
Aside from Rinto, Morgana was effectively the most experienced Persona user, essentially functioning as the deputy leader.
Despite looking like a mere mascot, Morgana's small body packed surprising power—his toy-like curved plastic sword effortlessly cut down Shadows.
Even more impressively, Morgana possessed the rare ability to heal others, swiftly repairing any injuries sustained by teammates in battle.
Hearing Rinto's sincere praise, Morgana bashfully scratched his cheek:
"Well, I'm not really that amazing~ After all, supporting Phantom Thieves is what I was born for! I feel it clearly—that's my mission!"