Phantom Echoes in the Shattered Metaverse

Queen

The intel said the black-market cognition chips would be here tonight.

Queen

(Three years after the Metaverse collapsed, yet illegal tech keeps surfacing...)

Rise

Makoto, I'm detecting encrypted chatter. Multiple heat signatures approaching.

Kasumi

(I won't let anyone exploit the Metaverse's remnants... not again.)

Makoto

Ladies, you're out of your jurisdiction. These chips belong to my client.

Queen

Yuuki Makoto, you're under arrest for trafficking cognition tech!

Rise

(His cognition signature... it's identical to the Phantom Thieves' leader...)

Makoto

Check your facts, detective. The real criminal mastermind is still among you.

Kasumi

(That voice... Senpai? But that's impossible...)

Queen

(The ceiling’s coming down—Rise is still in the open—)

Rise

(I can’t see—Makoto—where—)

Queen

(Reach her—now—)

Rise

(Warm—she’s warm—alive—)

Queen

I’ve got you.

Rise

Don’t let go—don’t you dare let go.

Kasumi

(They’re together—when did—what about the chips—)

Makoto

(Let them cling to each other—tomorrow the city will burn.)

Makoto

Detective Niijima, you finally caught me alone. No backup, no witnesses.

Queen

Three years. Three years of cognition tech flooding the streets, and every trail leads back to you.

Makoto

The Phantom Thieves disbanded, but their techniques live on. I'm just... continuing the legacy.

Makoto

(She doesn't realize I've already hacked the room's audio. Rise is listening from the van.)

Queen

Legacy? You turned our methods into weapons! People are getting hurt!

Makoto

(Time to drop the bomb.)

Makoto

The real Phantom Thief leader never left. They've been working inside the police force this whole time.

Queen

(No... he's lying... but how does he know about—)

Rise

(Makoto's heartbeat spiked... she's not denying it...)

Makoto

Thanks for the keycode, Detective. Tell your girlfriend in the van I said hello.

Makoto

(The lockdown seals them inside—perfect. Time to collect my prize.)

Rise

Phantom Thieves encrypted channel—everyone, we have a traitor in badges.

Queen

(Can't let him reach the evidence locker—those chips contain everyone's stolen cognition data.)

Makoto

(Rise's voiceprint gave me the override. Every officer's Persona data will be mine.)

Kasumi

Makoto! He's heading for the basement servers!

Queen

(Empty... the chips are gone. But the access log shows—)

Rise

(The traitor isn't Makoto... the access logs show my login. He's been using my credentials.)

Makoto

Thanks for the promotion, Rise. Detective Kujikawa has such a nice ring to it.