Led by Yae Sakura, the shrine miko, Ren and Hare quickly left the Yae Village area, arriving at the secluded rear mountain, rarely visited by people, and reached the Yae Shrine situated at its peak.
Passing through the vibrant red wooden torii gate and climbing the long, narrow mountain path steps, Ren sensed the slender figure standing before the Yae Shrine's main entrance even before he officially arrived.
"The phantom thief with the black bird-beak mask... actually exists, and is really here! As expected of Joker, did you predict even this?!"
Watching the figure in front of the Yae Shrine turn around at the sound of their approaching footsteps – a graceful young woman clad in a form-fitting violet-black evening gown, wearing a black bird-beak mask adorned with two violet bird tail feathers, revealing only the lower half of her delicate, fair face, her white hair tied in a practical ponytail, and her eyes as blue as the sky – Hare, following behind Ren, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in slight surprise.
Then, she looked at the silent Ren beside her with admiration, once again struck by his astonishing intelligence network. Even World Serpent, which possessed the world's largest collection of records concerning the Previous Era, had incomplete documentation on the enigmatic Herrscher of Corruption. Moreover, the available information was extremely vague.
Yet, Ren could accurately describe the Herrscher of Corruption's attire and, with Miko Yae Sakura's help, successfully locate the Herrscher before she could move to another location!
Because the enemy they faced this time was the Previous Era's Herrscher of Corruption, Hare refrained from using her information transcription ability on the white-haired girl with the mask in the distance. She feared being counter-corrupted by the Herrscher through the ability's connection.
However, even without using the ability, just by sensing the terrifyingly deep aura emanating from the white-haired, braided girl, Hare could confidently identify it as a Herrscher's signature. The chilling waves of corrosion subtly radiating from the girl were identical to the corrosive reaction Hare had previously detected on the berserk Imaginary Construct Shadows!
"..."
Faced with Hare's words filled with admiration and awe, Ren, the one who had initiated the search for the black-masked individual in this Palace, remained silent for a long time, gazing intently at the white-haired girl whose natural beauty couldn't be concealed even by the half-mask.
—Wait, sis, who are you?
Where's the Akechi Goro I was looking for? Where's my big pancake guy? How did he suddenly turn into a girl?!
A violet-black, form-fitting dress, a black half-mask decorated with purple tail feathers... This was undeniably, unmistakably, a phantom thief outfit. But Ren genuinely didn't recognize this unfamiliar female phantom thief.
So, sis, which new character from Persona 5 A, B, C, D, E, F, or G are you?
"How surprising! Can such a desolate, remote Far Eastern village truly guide two phantom thieves to the same place one after another? Such a wondrous coincidence, it feels almost like a fated encounter!"
As if drawn by some inexplicable attraction between phantom thieves, the white-haired girl wearing the black bird-beak mask faced the three strangers slowly approaching the shrine from the steps below. Her eyes immediately locked onto Ren's figure, positioned between the two beautiful girls.
Seeing the distinctively phantom-thief-styled black feathered coat Ren wore, and the white bird mask covering half his face, a strong sense of novelty flickered in the white-haired girl's blue eyes. Her speaking style was quite theatrical, carrying a clearly deliberate, put-on air. An uninformed observer might even think she was rehearsing lines for a play.
"However—relentlessly pursuing a lady is hardly gentlemanly conduct, wouldn't you agree, mysterious phantom thief known as Joker~~~~?"
The white-haired girl with the black mask had also heard Hare's earlier words to Ren. Thus, she knew Ren was searching for her and was aware of his phantom thief codename.
"Ah, but as fellow phantom thieves, reciprocity is essential! It would be impolite not to offer my own name... My name is Violet, Phantom Thief Violet!"
As if suddenly remembering something, the white-haired girl's delicate lips curved into an alluring smile. She placed a slender hand lightly over her chest, took a small step back, and gave Ren a slight curtsy as a greeting. The entire movement was smooth, fluid, and aesthetically pleasing, exuding a practiced elegance ingrained like that of nobility.
"Could it be that Mr. Joker also covets the Treasure? Is that why you pursue this little lady so relentlessly, attempting to snatch the Treasure from Violet's grasp?"
After her graceful, noble-like curtsy, Phantom Thief Violet slowly straightened up, inquiring of Ren in a deliberately slow, measured tone.
Only then did Ren notice that the white-haired girl calling herself Phantom Thief Violet was holding a small black box in her other hand.
"The Treasure? You've already sent the Calling Card and stolen the Treasure?!"
Hearing Phantom Thief Violet mention the word "Treasure," Ren couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment, instinctively blurting out the question to the white-haired girl.
Once the Treasure was stolen, the entire Palace would begin to collapse, completely disintegrating before long. And the Will Seeds Ren hadn't even begun collecting would be scattered randomly somewhere within Mementos along with the Palace's collapse. This was undoubtedly unacceptable to Ren; searching for lost Will Seeds in Mementos was like finding a needle in a haystack – hellishly difficult.
"C-Calling Card? Ah, well—"
Faced with Ren's question, the girl calling herself Phantom Thief Violet suddenly gasped, her small cherry-like mouth slightly agape. Not only did she start stuttering, but her tone instantly became normal, her inner turmoil and shyness causing her to forget the pretentious manner of speech she was supposed to maintain.
"I-Indeed, sending a Calling Card before stealing the Treasure is part of a phantom thief's aesthetic! But circumstances dictate actions! Sometimes, it's perfectly reasonable to proceed without sending a Calling Card beforehand!"
Phantom Thief Violet coughed several times, awkwardly switching back from her normal speaking voice to the affected phantom thief tone. However, this time, her voice clearly carried an easily detectable note of embarrassment. And the flawless lower half of her face, uncovered by the black bird-beak mask – smooth and fair like a peeled egg – was flushed with an unmissable blush.
Anyone could see at a glance that this white-haired girl was bluffing, lacking both reason and confidence.