#devil summoner akechi goro vs the phantom thieves

[siderealscribblings]

Let me tell you, it was hard to decide what to draw because there are so many scenes in the fic to draw, and I love so much of them. So, I ended up deciding to draw something from the most recent chapter. Also a fun little meme. I hope you like it!

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Yoooo this is so cool! I love your take on Sumire's uniform (kinda in line with the P3 SEES garb) and the rendition of Joker is 100% what I envisioned when writing this

Thank you so much! Glad that you're digging this fic so much that you decided to draw. Is it cool if I link this in the author's notes?

[ao3feed-p5-boyslove]

by siderealSandman

As junior Devil Summoner and apprentice to the 27th Kuzunoha Raidou, Akechi Goro is tasked with keeping order between the humans of Tokyo and the demonic interlopers that cross over from the Metaverse, a vast network of interlocking demonic planes that lies just out of sight of modern Japan.

But when a powerful new group of demons starts targeting unpunished sinners, forcing them to repent publicly for their crimes and leaving garish calling cards behind, Goro finds himself drawn into a world where the lines between justice and injustice, human and demon, become blurred.

Words: 4546, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Persona 5, Persona 4, Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei Series

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira, Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Suzui Shiho, Mishima Yuuki, Morgana, Narukami Yu, Kirijo Mitsuru, Shirogane Naoto, Tatsumi Kanji, Satonaka Chie, Amagi Yukiko, Togo Hifumi

Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Phantom Thieves of Hearts/Phantom Thieves of Hearts

Additional Tags: Devil Summoner AU, Shin Megami Tensei Universe, demon hunter AU, Canon-Typical Violence, Buck-Wild Fight Scenes, Shameless Yakuza Ripoffs, Demifiend AU, Side Pairing: Yu/Yosuke, Side Pairing: Naoto/Kanji, Side Pairing: Rise Kujikawa/Everyone, pansexual characters, Polyamory, Action, Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Linked Soundtrack, Side Pairing: Polythieves, Queerplatonic Relationships, The Phantom Thieves are...Something

[siderealscribblings]

Devil Summoner Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves

Canto III: Devils in the Details

S.E.E.S. Kyoto - Training Hall Kyoto, Japan 5:05 a.m. 

The sound of steel thwacking against wood could be heard from across the base and Sanada Akihiko knew there was no other place his commander could be at such an ungodly hour.

The traditional design of S.E.E.S.' master headquarters had changed little in the two hundred years since the Order of Yatagarasu was founded. Tokugawa Ietsugu had surpassed his legendary ancestor by uniting hundreds of secretive demon hunting clans under the banner of the Shogunate. While S.E.E.S. had long since outgrown the humble devil hunter roots and rebranded itself as a modern paramilitary organization, its history was on full display in the old capitol building.

“Akihiko-senpai?” Akihiko’s head turned as a young brown-haired man jogged up behind him, still dressed in a sweatshirt and warmup joggers from his morning run. A pale shiba inu nipped at his heels, jogging ahead and nuzzling Akihiko’s hand as he reached out to pet him. 

“Have we heard from Tokyo yet?” Amada Ken panted, tugging his earbuds out and stowing them in his pocket. 

“Just heard from Shirogane; looks like things went as smoothly as could be expected,” Akihiko said, scratching Koromaru behind the ears. 

“Niijima-san is alive then?” Ken asked. “What about-” 

“Yoshizawa is fine,” Akihiko said with a crooked smile. “Akechi too but I guess you don’t care that much about him .” 

“C’mon, don’t make me sound heartless,” Ken sighed, looking around and dropping his voice to a whisper as he leaned closer to Akihiko. “ Is it true that we had Fiends break through the barrier last night?” 

“Still trying to sort that out; I wouldn’t put too much stock in the reports coming out of Tokyo until we can get down there and figure out what the hell Narukami's people are doing,” Akihiko sighed, leading Ken towards the training hall at the far side of the base. 

Cold morning dew hung on the trees lining the open courtyard, breath coming in clouds from Kirijo Mitsuru’s mouth as her Polish saber thwacked against wooden training dummies, cutting deep grooves in the battered oak. Her hair was bound in a tight bun, scarred arms left bare as her sword glinted in the morning sunlight. If the chill bothered her, she made no complaint; Mitsuru darkly joked that she got all her crying out when she was ten. 

Given all that she had endured when she was ten (and all that she had endured since ), Akihiko wouldn’t begrudge her the odd tear every now and then. 

The only other figure in the courtyard sat perched on a wooden railing along the side, a cup of coffee in one hand and beanie shoved over an unruly mop of brown hair. His eyebrows raised in greeting as Akihiko and Ken slid on each side of him, tearing a chunk off a bun croissant and tossing it to the dog at Ken’s feet. 

“What a fucking mess…” Aragaki Shinjiro grumbled, sipping his caramel latte with a wince. “Way too early to deal with these unholy monsters.” 

“The Phantom Thieves or the Board of Directors?” Akihiko chuckled. 

“It’s never too early to take a bite out of a demon but it’s cruel to make us deal with Chairman Shithead before the sun’s even warm,” Shinjiro sighed, breath clouding in front of his face. 

“He called?” Akihiko asked. 

“Called, texted, emailed; the geezer even sent us a fucking fax when we weren’t prompt enough with our replies,” Shinjiro grumbled. “Of course, Mitsuru ain’t tripping over herself to indulge his curiosity which has only got his non-existent hair in a knot.” 

“The Board can wait until I’ve finished my workout,” Mitsuru called from across the courtyard, saber biting into the dummy’s wooden neck. “The way things are going, I don’t think the Chairman will begrudge me brushing up on my swordwork.” 

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[siderealscribblings]

Hello! I have come to yell about the Devil Summoner Goro Akechi fic, 1 it’s really good, makes my brain light up in so many ways, absolutely love it, most recent chapter? Chef’s kiss, amazing. 2, the linked soundtrack, love it, listened to music I never thought I would listen to because of it and they rock.

You defied people to figure out the common thread of that playlist, I’m coming at you with my theory, it’s either an overall thread of perception or relationship. As in like, with yourself, your job, the people around you and/or the world. Like, with everything you’ve presented so far in the fic and the playlist, I feel like that may be the way it is? I’m just lobbing my theory and thoughts your way.

Also while I’m here, thoughts on potentially, maybe, getting fanart for your fics?

Thank you! Making playlists for my fics is the point of no-return when it comes to brainrot because it's the point where I start thinking about it in my day to day life.

A LOT of the tracks on that playlist are tracks I play when writing certain scenes or songs I intend to use as soundtracks for certain moments (I can tell you Pledge of the Demon and Phantom of Franklin Avenue will be prominent fight music tracks). Some are image songs/'character vibes (Goro has Sweating Bullets and Confess as prominent tracks) and some are just outright ship music tracks (Heart is Full and Cult of Dionysus being prominent Polythieves tracks and I Really Wanna Stay at Your House being the AkeShu anthem for this story.)

As for Fanart, ALWAYS appreciated!

[siderealscribblings]

Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves

Canto III: Visiting Hours

Goro always wondered when he would finally go stark raving mad . 

He had hoped that he would at least make Captain before his delicate mental state cracked like an egg in a tumble dryer; at least then he could hide his growing delusions and paranoia behind his subordinates until he could retire. But the Madness Fairy apparently decided to pay him an early visit in the form of his arch-nemesis crawling out of the walls and stringing him up with webs of shadowy tendrils. Insanity was, ironically, the most sane explanation for what he was experiencing; that, or he had to contend with the fact that everything he knew about the world was wrong (again). 

"You seriously couldn't stay put for ten— Goro, stop moving— minutes? " Joker sighed, tightening the shadowy tendrils holding Goro's wrists to the wall. "I have watched demons break their necks on these things trying to get out of them."

“You broke their necks, dear,” Fox corrected.  

“All the same, I— stop moving— don’t want there to be any necks snapped accidentally,” Joker grunted, bracing his arms around Goro’s chest and squeezing. “Hold… still , you stubborn little shit .” 

"This is not happening," Goro muttered to himself, pointedly ignoring the Fox demon that descended the stairs. “Not happening…wake up wake up wake up .” 

"I hear denial is an early stage of grief," Fox sighed. "I just hope we can get to acceptance before he pulls a muscle." 

Not real; he's not speaking to me, Goro reminded himself, struggling against the psychosomatic shadow tentacles that definitely weren’t restraining him. He was not in a Metaverse bubble, demons couldn’t manifest without a bubble, therefore he was not being shaken down by Joker and his pet fox. This was just a regular, run-of-the-mill mental breakdown fueled by two hours of sleep, shitty billiards lounge food, six energy drinks, and eight bars of chocolate. 

Nothing more, he promised himself; nothing more . 

"Don't you know that being a detective means shutting your eyes to the obvious and stubbornly holding on to your version of the truth no matter what the evidence says?" Joker chuckled, craning his neck around to catch Goro's eye. Pinned against the wall, Joker's breath lapped against his neck, an oddly ticklish sensation that interrupted Goro's insistence that this wasn't real. 

Maybe they opened a bubble on me when they killed the lights, Goro thought, trying to rationalize how Joker's hands gripping his shirt could be a figment of his imagination. It felt solid enough, but touch was a sense that could be fooled as easily as sight or smell. Once a demon was in your mind, it could make you experience anything .

"Sorry to drop in like this, but you have a nasty habit of not doing what I tell you to do," Joker clucked as Fox wordlessly opened Goro's jacket and fished his kuda holster out. "Unless you broke out because you want to help us-" 

"Fuck off," Goro growled, not sure if he was trying to shake off a demon or banish a delusion of his own invention. 

"You don't even know what we want," Fox clucked, spinning a kuda around on his finger and dodging Goro's foot as he lashed out wildly. "It might even be the same thing you want." 

"I want you both to die violently ," Goro said. "Judging by the fact that you keep pissing me off, that seems to be your goal as well.” 

"Nobody is dying here tonight," Joker said. "Not you, not us, not Yoshizawa, and especially not Prosecutor Niijima." 

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[siderealscribblings]

Devil Summoner Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves

Canto II: Conning Chaos

Oracle’s Nest - The Thieves Den Mementos, the Metaverse

"How...did we screw up...this badly?!"

For all of Oracle's considerable genius, even she struggled to figure out how they had screwed the Inugami to such astronomical proportions.  "L-L-Let me see if I can piece this together. We spent floods of magatsuhi-” 

“Yes...” Joker sighed. 

“Hacked into every TV station in Japan-” 

“Yes...” Queen said, rubbing her arm sheepishly

“Took over the airwaves twice to brag about how cool and sexy and powerful we are just to draw S.E.E.S.' attention to a guy who isn't even dead like we said he was?!” Oracle concluded, running a hand through her hair. "Oh, wait, Madarame is also part of the Wax Museum of Dead Perverts, so he's probably escaping the city as we speak with the help of his evil masters. Did I miss anything?!"

"Well…w-we're still cool and sexy and...and powerful," Panther muttered, tail dejectedly drooping on the floor. 

"Aaaaand the magatsuhi farm is starting to pick up the pace!" Skull added. "So...not all bad?" 

"And I found this cup that we need!" Noir supplied, holding the violet-shaped cup up in the air like it was the key to solving all their problems. 

"...dare I ask why?" Fox asked. 

"Oh...I don't know!" Noir said confidently, squinting at the cup as she turned it over in her hands. "Yet. I just get a funny feeling that we're going to need it at some point, so I guess we'll find out." 

“And I get a funny feeling that we are going to lose all credibility as demonic masterminds when we tell Yoshizawa that she has to check our work! ” Oracle said. "The second we tell her about Kamoshida's dead mud-doll-" 

"You have to stop calling them that," Joker sighed. 

"-she is going to know that we're not the princes of hell that we said we were!" Oracle hissed. 

"Hey, we curbstomped Baal," Skull pouted. "If that don't make us princes of hell, I don't know what will." 

“Is telling her the best strategy?” Queen asked, picking at a thread on her purloined shorts as she leaned against Oracle’s desk. “We’re lying to her about a hundred things already; what’s one more?”

“Normally I’d agree, but someone needs to check that body,” Joker said, hands kneading the back of Oracle’s chair anxiously. “And they need to know that Madarame may be ready to disappear after faking his own suicide like Kamoshida may have; the last thing we need is to lose track of them.” 

“Great; again, how would you like to start that conversation?” Oracle said, spinning her chair around and looking at her partners for inspiration. “Preferably in a way that doesn’t get us laughed out of Japan for counting our rapists before they hanged.” 

“Can weeeeeeee…uhhhh…send another card?” Skull suggested after racking his brain for a few moments. “Dear S.E.E.S., I’m still alive, hahahahaha, love Kamoshida.” 

“Given their habit of intercepting our mail, I’m not sure it would reach the right people in time,” Joker sighed, running a hand through his messy black curls. 

"We could…try and contact Goro directly?" Fox suggested. 

"Oh, hi detective, I know you think I'm trying to kill you, but you really need to trust me when I say that-owowow, why are you killing me?!" Joker sighed. "What else?” 

“Break into the morgue and check ourselves?” Panther suggested. “Or just blow open the morgue and make them look at the bodies more carefully?”

"Blow open a morgue?" Queen echoed. 

"What?" Panther huffed. "They're all dead in there anyway!" 

"Do you want the bloody JSDF coming after us as well?!" Fox said. 

"Like the JSDF can even hang with us at this point," Skull huffed, predictably backing his oldest partner in crime, no matter how dumb Panther's idea was. "What are you worried about; we're basically gods!" 

“Aren’t they planning on cutting Kamoshida open already?” Noir asked, cutting in before the bickering could get out of hand. “Wouldn’t they immediately know something was fishy when they found mud instead of fleshy stuff?” 

“Autopsies for suicides are rare,” Queen said, chewing on her thumbnail. “According to the authorities upstairs, Kamoshida took his own life because of guilt; only S.E.E.S. understands the connection he had to the Metaverse.” 

“Which is why we need someone from S.E.E.S. to take a look,” Joker said. “And unless Goro suddenly feels cooperative -” 

He paused for a chorus of derisive snorts. 

“-we are going to have to make contact with our newest little mole and get her to check on Kamoshida for us,” Joker concluded. “So…how do you convince someone with absolutely no reason to trust us to…well, trust us.” 

“If we could do that, we would be on Step 30 of our master plan instead of Step 3,” Queen said, chewing the corner of her lip. “We could always…compel her.” 

The room fell silent, each thief trading uneasy glances with each other before glancing at Panther. 

“We could,” Panther said, lips pressed together and looking to Joker for orders. “That doesn’t exactly make us trustworthy, though.” 

“And you don’t want to do that,” Joker said. 

“I haven’t wanted to do a lot of things we’ve had to do to survive,” Panther chuckled bitterly. “And I still don’t want to start charming people but…I’d do it if you asked.” 

Joker was aware of the weight Panther left in his hands; she would, even if it would cut up what remained of her soul to do so. All of them had compromised themselves in small ways, but there were still lines to cross; still atrocities to regret in the name of survival. 

“Let’s...let's not use the nuclear option just yet,” Joker said. “We can try convincing her first. How hard would it be to get Yoshizawa on the line?” 

“Psst!” A small window appeared in the corner of one of Oracle’s monitors with Yoshizawa’s face pressed up against the camera of her laptop. “Pick up, it’s Yoshizawa!” 

"Well…shit , that was easy,” Skull said.

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[siderealscribblings]

do you have any trivia/headcanons for our mr. dorky detective and his totally-evil-and-sexy-clown entourage?

DO I?

Put under the cut because this is gonna stretch everyone's dash to infinity otherwise.

Akechi Goro

Image Song: Confess by Divide Music

Gun nut; absolute firearm enthusiast/borderline fetishist 

Middling artistic talent but keeps trying for some reason

Cannot sleep unless absolutely encased in body pillows 

Hates: Dental chairs, the ocean, worms, mochi, Maruki

Likes sweets to a degree that is unusual for most Japanese men 

Intelligent but easily baited into behaving emotionally

Bisexual trash fire

Yoshizawa Sumire

Image Song: Rebel Yell Cinematic Version

College gymnast (COULD HAVE GONE PRO IF SHE HADN'T JOINED S.E.E.S)

Looks meek as hell but cannot be budged once she's decided on a course of action

Last Yoshizawa living 

Likes gardening, tacky romance novels/video games, gardening

Hates: Bitter chocolate, duck meat, dark liquors

Killer poker face; a menace at cards

Received the same combat training her sister received but hasn't used it as much

The Phantom Thieves (In General)

Image Song: The Cult of Dionysus

Co-dependent as fuck

It would take a week to explain how their tangled web of relationships interact with one another

Attached in a way that would unnerve most people

Will roast one another but turn downright murderous if someone outside their clique thinks they can get away with the same

Body Count numbers in the thousands

Strong individually but each Thief multiplies their teammates' power

Low-level emotive senses; can easily discern their teammates emotions 

Low-level psychic connection; can sense each other's vibes

Clingy as fuck; will gravitate towards one another if left to their own devices

Can share pain/pleasure/other basic sensations

Can control their elemental abilities to let out as little or as much as they please

Joker

Image Song: Red Right Hand (Nick Cage and the Bad Seeds)

Team Role: Gang Leader, A-Team leader, strategist, greaseman, lockpicker, seductress

Magic: Eiha, Physical skills

McNally Official Lockpicking Skills

Supernaturally stealthy

Knife pervert

Never shuts up

Ships his partners

Actively seeks out alliances with other demons/manikins 

Is thought by most demons to be a loud-mouthed idiot; this is entirely by design

Workaholic and relentlessly ambitious when it comes to bettering his gang's fortunes

Service-Top/persistent tease

Queen

Image Song: Lion (Saint Mesa)

Team Role: Underboss, consigliere, B-Team leader, enforcer, strategist

Magic: Frei, Physical, Healing

Barehanded brawler

Anxious as all hell and will make it your problem if you try and hurt what's hers

Questions the hell out of Joker privately but unwaveringly backs him up in public

Plays "bad cop" to Panther's "good cop" 

Guarded and suspicious of everyone that crosses her path 

Bottom as hell/wants to be taken care of

Panther

Image Song: Theme of Scanty & Kneesocks

Team Role: Social terrorist, seductress, chief medic, demolitions 

Magic, Agi, Charm, Healing 

Can unbutton someone's shirt with her whip without drawing blood (and has) 

Worst shot on the team

Purrs like a cat when pleased

Also bites like a cat for shits and giggles

Queen's emotional support animal 

Skull's demo team partner 

The Most Top/uses Charm recreationally 

Skull

Image Song: I Am Electric 

Team Role: Grunt, brute strength, frontline fighter, tank, demolition

Magic: Zio, Physical, minor minor healing skills picked up from Panther

Uses a bat but skilled at dealing damage with random garbage he finds on the street 

Gets hurt the most, gets hurt the worst, is the only one happy to have it that way

Face of a pitbull, soul of a golden retriever 

Team Mom tendencies 

Switch/does what Panther tells him to do

Fox

Image Song: Kirisute Gomen

Team Role: Hunter, frontline fighter, ranged fighter, art forger

Magic: Bufu, physical

Goemon level swordmaster

Looks intimidating; usually just spacing out and thinking about something unrelated when people think he's giving them the evil eye

Oracle's parallel play buddy

Most gifted hunter; frequently brings home magatsuhi for the others to feast on

Gymnast physique/fox-ears and tail

Shell-shocked

Switch, but downright feral about it

Oracle

Image Song: West Side Lane

Team Role: Technical god, hackerman, jester 

Magic: Support skills, short-ranged teleportation, area control

Gremlin master; sends artificially-sapient programs into systems to do her work for her

Can hack your pregnancy test using a calculator 

Barely understands how her own abilities work but seems to be able to bullshit her way through most technical systems

Funds mortal world enterprises through credit card fraud, embezzlement, and devising predatory gacha games 

Was kidnapped briefly by Baal resulting in the slaughter of several thousand demons and the complete collapse of the Yosuga faction as her team fought to get her back

Actually the most powerful member of the team but isn't aware of the extent of her abilities yet

Colossal Brat

Noir

Image Song: Play Violin - Frenchcore

Team Role: Psychic Support, demo team captain, precog

Magic: Psio, support

Just happy to be here :) 

Perfectly sane, thanks for asking :)

Completely dispassionate in fights, despite the carnage she's capable of

Brutally, brutally honest and barely attempts to lie

Pre-emotive; can't see the future but gets strong feelings about things 

Soft dom

[siderealscribblings]

There were twelve demons in the bar and Kasumi only had eleven silver bullets. 

She carried a stock of lead rounds as backup but those were only good for distractions; demons would spit them out like bee stings and only be angrier when they finally caught up to her. So if things went wrong and Kuzunoha’s connection didn’t guarantee her safety, she would have to pick her targets carefully. The Incubus by the door would have to go; he had been leering at her since she entered and if things were going to get ugly, she was going to take him out first. After that, she would have to get choosy and hope she could get out before the next phase shift. 

Breathe, she reminded herself, pretending to drink her cloudy gin as she quietly scanned the patrons in the mirror above the bar. None of them were staring but they kept stealing looks at her, only to be scared off by a glare from the bar matron. The Nyx that ran the bar might have been a fallen scrap of a Fiend eight years dead, but she was strong enough to keep anyone from making a mess of her bar. 

“You got another thirty minutes before the phase shift,” Nyx muttered. “I think they stiffed you, kid.” 

“I’m in no rush,” Kasumi said, swirling her drink around her glass. She knew they would be coming; she had spotted two figures matching her contacts’ descriptions following her to the bar. They were watching…she just had to wait for them to reveal themselves. 

“Suit yourself…you know what happens to your people when they get stuck on this side,” Nyx said, bending down to grab a bottle from under the bar. “The ones that don’t die end up a little-” 

“Strange,” a voice whispered over Kasumi’s shoulder. Her instincts moved faster than her fear, pistol sliding out of its holster and jamming under the demon’s neck before she properly saw him. Unfortunately, the demon she didn’t see was just as quick on the draw, and Sumire found herself holding a dark-haired male demon at gunpoint while a brunette held a cocked revolver to her temple. 

“We are off to a very rocky start,” Joker said, unphased by the steel pressing against his windpipe. 

“Shit!” Nyx hissed, the other demons flinching as they all seemed to notice the gun-toting demons at the same time. “Where the fuck did you come from?” 

“Through that vent I told you to patch three weeks ago,” Joker said as Queen relieved Kasumi of her firearm. “Security in this place is seriously going to hell…how about you go fix it and give us a second to talk to our little stalker here?” 

“You’re the ones who have been stalking me,” Kasumi said, studying the strange lines on the demons’ faces. Their outfits were garish and the tattoos on their skin pulsed with otherworldly light, yet Kasumi was surprised at how human these Phantom Thieves looked. Nyx was the most human demon she had seen and even she was seven feet tall and purple. 

“Well, when someone told us that an agent from S.E.E.S. wanted to make contact, we couldn’t help but be curious,” Joker said, raising his wrist to his mouth. “Skull, anything outside?” 

“No one I can see; I don’t think she’s got backup,” his earpiece chirped. 

“We agreed to meet here alone… I at least kept my word,” Kasumi said, hands raised as Queen roughly checked her for more weapons. 

“That was your first mistake,” Queen said, nodding at Joker. “She’s clean.” 

“She’s with S.E.E.S.; I doubt she’s clean,” Joker said, leaning back against the bar as the last of the demons filed out. “Okay, you wanted to meet with us; Nyx said you wouldn’t take ‘leave us the fuck alone’ for an answer, so here we are. Why don’t you explain to me why you’re dumb enough to stalk the guys who took out Baal and press them when they turn you down?” 

Start from the beginning...

[siderealscribblings]

I’ve started rereading Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs The Phantom Thieves and it has me laughing just like when I first read it. Also just the whole, *waves hand* everything that comes after it just adds to the fun of it. Falling in love with your interpretation of the characters all over again, and their banter.

Also most recent chapter was just, gosh, I love it when you switch between the perspective of conversations, I already commented but still. Here’s the second kudos, I’m sure I’ll be handing over more in the future.

Hold up, it’s me, the one from earlier today going through the reread of the P5 Demifiend/Devil Summoner AU and I am squinting, so hard, possibly a little more, at Maruki due to what was said in the most recent chapter compared to what he said earlier. About Akechi’s mom. What the fuck is the government/SEES’s records management team doing or have possibly been given?

Also goddamn your foreshadowing is so good, I am eating this up

Glad you're along for the ride so far! This has to be one of my more indulgent pieces so finding other people who like it is a treat.

As far as Goro’s records go, records can and have been fudged or outright fabricated in a lot of ways and Goro who has been suffering from persistent mental fatigue has not had the gumption to do some digging. But suffice to say Goro isn't the only one being lied to or Naoto wouldn't have sent Kasumi to investigate the Phantom Thieves.

[siderealscribblings]

Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves Solo Work

With a snap of energy, the demon that claimed to be Kurusu Akira re-appeared in the middle of an empty stone room, the glowing runes that dotted the walls dimming as they completed their task. With a sigh, he let the glamor concealing his appearance fall away, his gray eyes melting into their usual yellow and black. Crimson lines streaked across Joker's face once again, and even his messy mop of black hair seemed to grow even more untamed as he returned to the demon world.

"I'm baaaaa~ck!" Joker called into the palace, his voice echoing off the bare stone walls. Closing his eyes, he reached out through the tangled bond they shared to see who was home. Queen and Noir were nowhere near; more than likely, they had disappeared on a hunting trip as soon as the topside team returned. Oracle was back where she belonged, perched in her nest high above the main lounge with Fox's energy pulse nearby. No doubt he was sleeping off his little display of power on Oracle's futon while she worked; even Joker had been astounded to see reality itself bend to Fox's will with just a flick of his wrist. But all that effort couldn't have come cheap; as strong as they had become recently, they were still getting a feel for their new abilities.

Gonna have to check in on him when he wakes up; don't want him crashing on us, Joker thought, following the sound of Panther's irritated whining into the lounge that had once been Baal's throne-room.

"Ugh, you're such a little cheater!" Panther squealed.

"Naaaah, you just suck right now, dude," Skull teased, nudging her in the ribs. The couch they inherited from Baal was big enough for giants to sit on, yet Panther and Skull were both pressed into one of the corners as tightly as they could manage. Their armor and masks were nowhere to be seen, and outside of a pair of shorts on Skull and a stolen red t-shirt on Panther, they clearly didn’t bother dressing much after they returned. Bare legs dangled off the edge of the massive sofa as they engrossed themselves in a pair of recently stolen handheld video game consoles, occasionally kicking each other as they jockeyed for first place.

"I swear to god, I will slap you if you hit me with another shell!" Panther growled, elbowing Skull in his stomach as his cart zipped past hers.

"Go ahead and slap me now then," Skull laughed. "I'm nailing your ass the second you pass me and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Even if Panther looked like she was one bad lap away from tackling Skull, her lips were fighting a losing battle against a smile; a sight that Joker always took a moment to enjoy. He had gone literal years without seeing them smile; years of tight jaws, creased brows, and endless tears as they fought day and night just to survive. So when he caught them smiling now, he made a point of capturing the moment in his memory as best he could. He wanted to remember the shriek of petty rage as Panther lost and the absolute lack of grace Skull showed in victory. Part of him dreaded the day when those smiles would disappear again; in hell, such a day was never far away. That was why stupid, pointless, selfish moments like these were worth more than gold to Joker; brief pauses between life or death struggles where they could just be again.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh, does that make three wins in a row?" Skull jeered, watching as Panther's face darkened to match her crimson shirt. "I think that makes three wins in a- ooph!"

Panther pounced on him with a yowl, tackling him to the couch and raining ineffective smacks against his chest and arms.

"You . Are. Such. A. Dick . Some. Times!" Panther hissed, punctuating each word with a smack.

"Hey hey hey, hate the game; not the player!" Skull cackled, shielding himself from Panther's vicious assault. "Or maybe you could just take the time to git-mmph!"

Panther slammed a pillow over his head, muffling the end of his sentence.

"Finish that sentence, and I'm gonna- hey!" Panther shrieked as Skull grabbed the backs of her thighs and pitched her back onto the couch, now wrestling her down against the cushions.

"You're gonna what, hellcat?" Skull teased, his cheek smooshed against Panther's palm as she shoved his face away. "C'mon; threaten me properly~"

Shaking his head, Joker banished his usual mask and coat ensemble with a snap of his fingers, leaving him in a loose gray tank top and black shorts that Panther had been good enough to steal for him.

"Are you two behaving yourselves in here?" Joker asked, hand sliding along the sofa as he walked behind them.

"Nope!" They answered in unison.  

"Good," Joker said, dragging his fingers through Skull's short, spiky hair. "Keep up the bad work; we have a very sinister reputation to uphold."

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Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves (Chapters 1-3)

Rating: M (Canon Typical Violence, language, references to sexual assault) Pairings: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Side Polythieves Tags: Devil Summoner AU, SMT/Persona Mashup, Adventure=Mystery>Romance 

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In a perfect world, neither human nor demon would stray from their side of the border.

Greedy humans wouldn’t use esoteric magic to summon and bind demonic slaves, rapacious demons wouldn’t stray over the fence to steal life-essence from unwitting human victims. We would all live in perfect harmony, braiding each others’ hair, and singing songs of peace and love while unwashed hippies strummed out of tune acoustic guitars.

In a perfect world, there would be no need for Devil Summoners. There would be no need for a great, sprawling government conspiracy designed to keep humanity safe from the denizens of hell and maintain order between our worlds.

Thankfully, the world is far from perfect; if it was, Akechi Goro would be out of a job.

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Ao3 wrapped! Question 1 and 3

How many words have you written this year?

189,428 between Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves and the extended universe and The Games of Divinity

3. What work are you most proud of?

I'm pretty proud of both Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves because it's 100% the Shit I Personally Like (messy bisexual polyamory, Devil May Cry action scenes, soulmate shit and bitchy main characters). It's the one fic I'm dedicated to writing as 100% id as much as possible so I'm happy people connect with it.

Also very proud of the Games of Divinity because it started as a hee hee haha one-shot I was convinced would get totally drowned out but I'm happy that it's also connecting with people.

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Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves Chapter 5

"Drop it…"

From her position on the floor, Sumire heard Goro snarl an order at the demons that surrounded him. She couldn't see much where she was, face pressed against the grimy floorboards and holding Morgana's bag tight against her chest. Only that Goro was badly outnumbered.

" Senpai, what do we do?!" Sumire hissed to Morgana.  

" Remain calm and wait for an opening," Morgana hissed. " We'll need to escape at the first opportunity; we're in no position to start a fight!"

Tell that to Akechi, Sumire thought. For someone who was staring down enough firepower to occupy a small country, he looked calmer than she thought he would. There was a wide, wild look in his eye and she didn't miss the way his hand trembled as it gripped the gun jammed under Joker's throat, but considering he was still standing he was doing better than she would have done in his shoes.

"You really don't have the leverage you think you do, detective," Joker sighed, the glint in his eye and sparkling grin never diminishing, even as Goro held a gun to his throat. "What kind of rounds does that even take? Nine millimeter? I'm a little offended."

"Shut up," Goro snarled, turning his attention to the other thieves. "Unless you want to find out what a frei spell feels like blasted into your neck at point blank range, I would tell your flunkies to put the guns down!"

The grin seemed to flicker for the first time, irritation flashing across Joker's eyes. "A point of order; they're not my flunkies."

"What are they, pets? Slaves?" Goro sniffed, eyeing the demons warily as he scanned for an escape route. If he made it upstairs, he could toss Yoshizawa out the window and jump after her…but the Phantom Thieves would have to be actively stupid to not cover the street outside. And they weren't stupid ; if they were, Akechi would have to grapple with the fact that he was outfoxed by a gang of morons.

Joker let out a breath, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the other demons. "That's an interesting question; we're actually still trying to stick a label on it, but why don't you think of them as my…partners."

"Partners ," Goro snorted.

"What's funny about that?"

"Demons don't do partnerships," Goro said. "Or friendships, or families, or any other relationship that would imply equality . Every greenhorn straight out of the Academy knows that demons only think in terms of domination and submission."

"You probably don't mean the fun kind, huh?" The demon in the skull mask snickered.

"I assure you, the fun kind is the only kind I'm interested in, Goro," Joker said, earning a snicker from a handful of demons over Goro's shoulder.

"Akechi- san , thank you," Goro snarled, detesting the way his name sounded on the demon's lips. "I make it a habit of not getting familiar with demons."

He was talking too much; Kuzunoha always chided him for that. Too open, too expressive; too willing to rise to a demon's bait just to prove he was stronger than they were.  Akechi was warned that one day, he was going to be so busy talking that he wouldn't notice something critical until it was too late.

Akechi's finger slipped on the trigger as Joker twisted, jamming his palm into the butt of the gun and sending it shooting into the ceiling. Yoshizawa muffled a shriek as a white hot round ripped through the ceiling inches from her face, streaking off and detonating with a distant thump as the contained spell was released in a blinding white flash. Akechi whipped his gun back around, catching Joker under the throat just as a long, black pistol aimed squarely between his eyes. The other demons were even faster, flanking him before he even realized what was happening and pressing their weapons into his back, sides, and stomach.

"For someone who doesn't want to get familiar with demons, you're certainly getting close with us ," Joker chuckled, pressing the tip of his pistol against Akechi's twitching temple.

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Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves Chapter 14: Suffer for Your Art

The Residence of Madarame Ichiryusai Akasaka, Tokyo

"Madarame-san? It's Officer Yoshizawa with the Cyber Security Task Force…are you home?"

Sumire's knuckles ached from rapping on the door so much without answer. The longer she and Shiho stood on the stoop, waiting to be allowed inside, the more she had to pretend to ignore the flurry of questions coming from reporters over her shoulder.

"Miss, have you spoken with Madarame-san?"

"What is his reaction to the Sayuri's change?"

"Is this disappearance part of the exhibit? Did Madarame-san plan this in advance?"

"Are the Phantom Thieves responsible for this?"

"Remain calm," Morgana purred from the backpack on her shoulder. "You don't have to give them an answer."

"I know," Sumire muttered, trying to ignore the flashing camera lights coming over her shoulder. "Can't the police move them back a little?"

"There's no room on the street," Shiho sighed, slamming her palm hard on the door. "Madarame-san, our colleague is meeting with the prosecutor to determine how to proceed with this case; he will either give her your explanation for the Sayuri's transformation or ours !"

"What's our explanation?" Sumire whispered.

"That's for Madarame to worry about," Shiho said, perking up as the locks clicked open. "See?"

A slim, dark-haired teenager stuck his face through the crack in the door, carefully hanging in the shadows to avoid the lenses of the cameras. "A-Apologies…sensei isn't feeling well enough to answer the door at the moment."

"We can come in if that's easier," Sumire suggested, offering her badge. "But I'm afraid this is official business; your master's painting has been defaced, and-"

"Sensei is already aware of that," the boy mumbled, eyes trained on the stoop beneath Sumire's feet. "H-His lawyers are reviewing his statement; please be patient as we…as we consult our counsel."

Those aren't his words, Sumire thought, trying to see into the darkness of the house behind him. Someone told him to say that…

"Put me down," Morgana whispered from the bag. "I have an idea."

"We have reason to believe the Phantom Thieves will make another move tonight ," Sumire lied, lowering her backpack to the ground behind Shiho's legs. "If there is any information your sensei can give us; anything to suggest why he was targeted like this-"

"Thank you for your work, officer," the boy mumbled, moving to close the door. "W-We will make our statement when we are ready…"

"Wait." Shiho's hand slammed on the door as it started to close, badly startling the boy in the process. "Look at me for a second."

The boy's jaw quivered, and for the first time Sumire noticed how tired he looked. The skin on his fingers was puffy, red, and cracked where it wasn't completely stained with white paint. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could work up the courage, he slammed and locked the door again.

"...he's scared of something," Shiho said with absolute certainty.

"How can you tell?" Sumire asked.

"I know what scared kids look like," Shiho said softly. "Something or someone is terrifying him…and he feels like he can't even ask for help."

Something seemed to lend weight to Shiho's theory; something that concerned Sumire but not quite enough to ask about it. As she bent down to pick up her sack, she found it curiously several pounds lighter.

Where did he...no, he didn't.

"That old painter is really gonna make us get that warrant, isn't he?" Shiho sighed.

"Maybe we won't need it," Sumire said, nodding at a cafe across the street. "Let's get some tea while we wait."

"For what, Madarame to have a change of heart?" Shiho asked.

"No…for Morgana-senpai to finish his investigation," Sumire murmured, glancing back at the house behind her.

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Devil Summoner Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves Chapter Eight Step into the Spotlight

S.E.E.S. Tokyo

8th floor - Office Suites

Someone had started to scrape the name “Yoshizawa” off the door before someone relayed the message that another Yoshizawa was moving in, so a lazy “Yo” was all that could be read on the door. The faint traces of her sister's name could still be seen etched in the glass, one of the last lingering remains of Yoshizawa Kasumi. The door to the office swung open on creaky hinges, the smell of bleach and pine-scented furniture cleaner stinging Sumire's nose as the Human Resources Director ushered her inside.

"The rest of your sister's things are in that box," Amagi Yukiko said quietly as Sumire flicked the lights on. All the warm touches of home Kasumi would have brought to her office were gone, stuffed into a cardboard box and tucked off to one side of a simple wooden desk.

"She spoke of you often," Yukiko said, rubbing her arm as she fumbled for conversation. "She was very happy that you didn't follow her into the field."

If you didn't want me to fight, Kasumi, you shouldn't have died, Sumire thought bitterly.  "Thank you Amagi-san…was there a jewelry box Kasumi kept in the office? I looked for it in her personal effects at her apartment and couldn't find it…it belonged to our mother."

"I think I remember something like that...let me see," Yukiko said, rifling through the box for a moment before producing a polished rosewood box stamped with two doves holding an olive branch. "Yes, I remember this...I don't think your sister kept any jewelry in here, unfortunately-"

"No, it's just a box," Sumire said, taking the box from Yukiko as quickly as she thought she could get away with. "Silly to be so worried about it, but...I feel like it's the last thing I have left of my family."

Sumire trailed off, eyes downcast and hoping that Yukiko would feel badly enough for her to leave her in peace with the antique. Her melancholy expression seemed to do the job, as Yukiko backed towards the door with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry…your sister was loved by everyone she met," Yukiko said with a small bow. "I'll let you get settled in."

Sumire nodded, turning away as the door closed behind her. She waited until she heard Yukiko's heels clicking down the hall before cracking the box open and feeling along the underside of the lid. The box did belong to their mother, but sentimentality was the last thing on Sumire's mind. It was an antique box that used to belong to a member of La Resistance during the Second World War; useful, for a lot of things, including-

She found the latch she was looking for, pressing the thin little bolt to the left and twisting a rivet on the other side. The lid clicked and a small secret compartment separated from the lid. When they were girls, they pretended they were Parisian freedom fighters passing secret coded messages back and forth under the Occupiers' (their parents) noses. Now, it seemed their games had grown up with them as a slender slip of paper fell out of the secret compartment. Fingers trembling, Sumire reached down and unfolded the square, heart skipping as she recognized Kasumi's neat script.

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Devil Summoner: Akechi Goro vs the Phantom Thieves (Chapter 4)

Rating: M 

Pairings: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Polythieves 

Tags: Devil Summoner AU, SMT/Persona Mashup, Adventure, Mystery, Romance

The door beneath them swung open on creaky hinges and Goro fell silent as he heard boots on the dingy tiles below. Raising a finger to his lips, he pressed Sumire back into the corner, leaning around the railing to get a look at who had arrived. For a moment, he thought he was looking at another human…and then he turned his head and Goro's fleeting hope was dashed. Bright yellow eyes swept the empty bar as the man (or what appeared to be a man), surveyed his surroundings. A black coat trailed like a shadow behind him, his own shadow flickering as the light from Kagutsuchi streamed through the door. A white and black mask, much like a superhero's disguise, hid half his face; his mouth was just about the only part of him Goro could see, crooked into a smirk as he looked around.  

And then there were the tattoos. Glowing, black and red lines streaked across his pale skin. They disappeared under his mask and down beneath the collar of his jacket, pulsing with every breath he took. A brand like that marked him as otherworldly; there was no chance he was one of Hanamura's agents.

"Goro...I-I sense something bad down there," Morgana whispered. "We need to get out of here!"

"I know you're here…" a low, male voice called out into the open bar. "Detective Akechi Goro and Yoshizawa Kasumi of the Japanese government's Spectral Examination and Eradication Squad…we've had our eye on you since you arrived in Kaitul."

"Told you," Loki hissed, until Goro jammed the muzzle of his weapon under Loki's chin.

"Quiet," Goro said, glaring at Loki and Morgana.

"If we wanted to harm either of you, we would have done so already," the demon called, scanning the bottom floor for any sign of them. "And no harm is going to come to you so long as you do exactly as I say."  

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