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Chapter Text

The casino’s bright lights and bright colors all commanded the attention of all who passed amongst the dark, gray landscape. Music and laughs of triumph echoed in the halls. The scent of wine and rich foods wafted down the halls, calling to all who passed. It was bright and lively, but the people inside were wary, despite the wealth of distractions around them. Something was wrong.

            Above their heads, a figure carrying a briefcase jumped onto the grand, sparkling chandelier, as silent as the grave. The figure straightened and walked to the edge, smirking at all the people below. The figure was tall, with long unruly black hair tied in a short, tight braid, and wearing a long coat. She wore red gloves, a shocking contrast to their otherwise subdued and dark attire. The other peculiar thing about the figure’s appearance was a white and black half-mask that covered her eyes. The mask appeared to not have any means of adhering to the figure’s face, yet the mask stayed firmly in place, almost flexing with her face.

            The figure stayed too long and someone below noticed her, crying out and pointing. Still smiling and anticipating the thrill of the chase, she darted off over the ceiling decorations, not as silent as before, but with far less noise than possible. Below her, people panicked and ran for the exits, while men in suits swarmed the halls, trying to grab the young thief. Her attention was barely on those below her, as she listened to the communications channel.

            Despite the danger she was in and all the mistakes she was making, the thief wore a smile. She rarely felt as alive as she did while she ran, jumped, flipped, and tumbled across the decorations. The chase was something she relished every chance she had. She landed gracefully on the balcony just as the doors burst open, revealing several men in suits who then charged at her.

            The thief, still smirking, jumped gracefully up into the air, her knife seeming to appear in her hand. The men in suits contorted into something inhuman as the thief ripped their masks off and stabbed. Three shots rang out and the inhuman figures convulsed and dissolved into nothingness.

The thief, without missing a beat, barreled for the door, tucking the gun and knife into pockets under her coat. She darted through the corridors, checking around corners before she passed. She stopped before the security room, listening to those inside.

“She’s got to be around here somewhere. Close all exits.”

Pleased with the new, but predictable information, the thief kept going, darting into back halls of the casino. Through the thief’s communications channel, she could hear the chatter of her allies. In her ear, one of her team coached the others through the casino.

The thief ran through the halls, darting from hiding place to hiding place. Stopping when men in suits paced the halls. Too many guards. Another way. There must be. The thief caught sight of the catwalk above her. A smirk spread across the thief’s face as she readied the device hidden up her sleeve.

The thief twirled on her heel dramatically, only for a grappling hook to shoot out of her sleeve. The claw-like hook grabbed the side of the catwalk and the thief flew. As elegant as a raven, the thief swung under the catwalk and twisted in mid-air, flipping backwards onto the catwalk.

The thief straightened up, the grappling hook retracting into the device up her sleeve. The moment the grappling hook was secure, the thief took off into the next room, only to slide to a stop as countless inhuman beings burst into existence around her.

The thief glanced behind her, calculating, as the inhuman forms closed in around her. In her ear, one of her team tried to help, but had nothing.

The thief’s heart skipped a beat as another, dressed with black with hair of the brightest red hair stepped under the floodlights. Her black coat was long and blew back behind her and she wore red gloves, exactly like the thief’s own attire.

The mysterious girl drew a sword of silver, a rapier, staring at the surrounded thief before her.

“I’ll end this right now.” Her voice was clear as she walked and raised her rapier. The inhuman beings stared, unsure of what to do. The mysterious girl was not their target.

In a single fluid movement, the mysterious girl threw the rapier, embedding it almost hilt-deep in the inhuman being behind the thief. With that provocation, the beings charged her, carrying bats and metal pipes.

The mysterious girl danced, there was no other word for it. She danced past their blows, flipping and twisting with such grace that it seemed almost natural when she drew and fired the gun through the beings around her. The beings dissolved into nothingness as the mysterious girl landed next to the thief.

“My weak self relied on you so much…” The mysterious girl admitted. She turned and kicked her rapier up and out of the being that hadn’t moved after she threw her rapier into it originally. “That ends today.” She twirled elegantly and caught the rapier out of the air.

“Let’s do this, Senpai!”

A smirk settled on the thief’s lips at the acquisition of a new ally. She pulled her own knife out while the mysterious girl wielded her silver sword. Together, the red-haired girl and the black-haired thief danced with a sense of elegance and speed that made the beings seem like clumsy toddlers.

The thief drew her handgun while the mysterious girl drew her rifle, wielding it in only one hand. Together, they flipped through the air, nailing the closest beings in the center of their masks, destroying them.

The thief and the girl landed directly in front of the last two beings and, in perfect synchronization, they stabbed their melee weapons into the chests of the last two beings. The beings dissolved and the mysterious girl turned to the thief.

“I think: that’s the last of them?” She asked.

In the thief’s ear, the navigator warned of more incoming enemies.

“More are coming.” The thief warned her mysterious companion.

“Please go.” The mysterious girl gestured to the passage. “I’m going to make it harder for them to track you down.” A little smile appeared on her face. “You still have something you need to do as a phantom thief, right?”

The thief nodded, returning the smile.

“Then I won’t stop you.” The mysterious girl turned. “Since I’m not a member of the Phantom Thieves, I’m in no position to interfere.” She ran and leapt, climbing up into the rafters. “However, please don’t forget the promise we made, ok?”

The mysterious girl ran off and the thief suppressed a sad smile. Regardless of any promise, the thief had a job to do.

And failure wasn’t an option.

The thief ran, checking down a hallway for enemies. She bolted down the hall and towards the stairs. Her steps were not silent as enemies heard her climbing up the stairs. The thief kept running and bursted through a door onto the balcony.

Before her, the gargantuan stained glass windows sparkled from across the room. Through the communication channel, she heard her navigator relaying the security information to her.

“There’s no where to run!” The thief turned, seeing three men in suits aiming guns at her. “Don’t move.”

The thief exhaled a little sigh before jumping onto the railing, running to the windows. She risked a glance back, smirking at the men, who remained stunned by her audacity.

“See ya.” She covered her face and jumped straight through the giant stained-glass window, the sound of broken glass echoing in the building. She twisted and flipped, landing safely on the ground below, not a single scratch on her. She straightened up; pleased with her performance when distressingly bright floodlights turned on, illuminating the thief for all to see.

“Capture him!” More officers and cruisers than the thief had ever seen in her life stood before her and every officer carried a firearm that pointed at her. The thief spun, running along the building while the lights followed her. She jumped, grabbing the fire escape above her and hauling herself up.

“Halt!” She froze, staring at the officers above her. A shotgun aimed straight at her face. Cold fear and realization seeped into her as the butt of the gun above her came down on her face.

The thief cried out, falling into the crowd of police beneath her. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she struggled, countless hands grabbing her coat, arms, legs, and body. She gasped as she was punched in the gut, knocking the wind out of her. It was not long before her face hit the cold asphalt as her arms were secured forcibly behind her.

“Suspect secured!” One of the officers reported. The thief, in her limited vision, saw the officers part for another. A set of expensive shoes came into her line of sight and she looked up as best she could while she was forced into the ground.

“Didn’t expect to find some kid. A girl too, huh? That’s surprising.” The voice was male and seemed uninterested, like the apprehension of the thief was an everyday occurrence.

The man kneeled down and reached for the thief’s shaggy head. “You have your teammate to thank for this.” He grabbed her by the formerly tidy braid and lifted. “You were sold out.”

The thief gasped in disbelief. Sold out? By her teammates? Impossible! The man dropped her head onto the cold ground and stood up, turning away. The thief struggled against the officers holding her down.

“Suspect confirmed!” The officer said. “Cuff her!”

There was a snap and the metal was around her wrists once again.

            Mug shots and the fingerprinting the thief provided a name for her as well as a prior record. The thief was Akira Kurusu, seventeen years old, a second-year at Shujin Academy, accused of assault several months prior, and currently on probation.

            Mere hours later, Akira was slumped over in a chair. Handcuffs kept her somewhat upright in the hard chair, but her head was hanging as if she was unconscious. At her feet were several empty syringes and every bit of exposed skin sported a bruise or other laceration. Her messy braid had come undone completely and the elastic was now on the ground. Her thick, tangled hair obscured her bruised and battered face.

            Three men in suits stood before the unconscious Akira. They had no pity for her.

“Guess the drug was too strong…” One lamented.

“Wake her up.” Another voice ordered. Immediately, a bucket of water was thrown over her, jolting Akira awake.

Akira shook her head lightly, trying to get the water off as it dripped down her hair and into her shirt. Slowly, the room came into focus. It was gray and cold, and the three men glared at her. A camera was affixed the wall too.

“No dozing off.” One of the men ordered as Akira tried to remember what was going on. It was then she felt the handcuffs behind her and tugged at them violently, despite the painful bruising and cuts she felt around her wrists.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” The man in the middle addressed her. Akira looked up in time to see a twisted smile on the man’s lips.

“Give it up!” He cried, kicking Akira. Akira grunted as she was thrown out of the chair and across the floor. Her head swam and she threatened to pass out as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Come on, cooperate.” The man stepped on the side of her head, forcing her against the metal floor. She glared at up as he rubbed his shoe against her head, steadily applying more pressure. “Or what, you want another shot?”

Akira’s glare slipped downwards as she fixed her gaze on the camera on the wall. Without her glasses, it was merely a slight discoloration that drew her attention. The man followed, glancing at the camera.

“Huh? What about the camera?” He asked, before turning back to Akira. He removed his foot and squatted beside her.

“Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?” He grabbed her by her still-dripping hair and hauled her up to his face.

Hate. Akira finally remembered the name of what she was feeling. “Of course not…” Her voice was raspy and quiet. She remembered enough to understand she had been taken into custody. Everyone was an enemy.

“So you’re not as stupid as you look.” The man threw her back onto the ground. “There are no laws here to protect criminals like you!” The man kicked Akira in the gut with all the force he could muster.

Akira choked, curling up to protect her torso. She coughed and wheezed, trying to breathe. She was partially glad she hadn’t eaten anything or else she would have thrown it all up then. Though a small petty part of her wished she could at least vomit on the expensive shoes of the man who interrogated her.

The man walked back to one of the others who held out a clipboard as Akira continued to cough and wheeze.

“Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons… Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works.” The man read, looking down at Akira. “To think all those crimes were led by a little girl like this… And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it… Huh?”

Akira blinked, trying to break through her mental fogbank. She was… enjoying it? She couldn’t remember. Her mind wasn’t clear and nothing made sense aside from the pain all over her body.

The man shook his head. “…You should know your place.”

He gestured with his head and the two other men approached. They grabbed Akira roughly and removed the handcuffs. They hauled her upright and threw her backwards. Free of her shackles, she rubbed her wrists, wincing as she felt the bruises and semi-dried blood. She stayed on the ground, still unsure of her balance.

“Sign here.” A clipboard was pushed into her line of vision. “It’s a confession under your name.”

Confession. That word broke the mental fogbank for a moment, and Akira hit it aside. No. Bad. Not want.

“I see.” The man straightened up. Abruptly, he stamped on Akira’s leg, digging his heel in the tender flesh. Akira inhaled sharply, a squeak issuing from her throat, and grabbed her leg, unable to move as the man put most of his weight on her.

“I need your hand to sign this, but I don’t care if you lose a leg.” The man smirked at her before removing his foot. He handed her the clipboard, which, this time, she took.

The man withdrew a pen from his jacket. “Don’t expect to walk out of here in one piece. We’re going to make you understand one must take full responsibility for their actions.” He threatened before Akira took the pen.

The man backed off as Akira focused on the clipboard. Her hand felt clumsy and infantile as she signed Akira Kurusu on the bottom line. She handed it back and readied herself for another round of interrogation.

Akira shook. She had been dragged and thrown in a chair in front of a table. More drugs were in her system and she struggled to remember what she had to do. She had to do something, but what was it? She hurt so much and her mind was so muddy. She dimly registered voices outside the room. She barely moved when the door opened and someone sat opposite her.

“…I didn’t expect it would be you.” The voice was familiar and Akira’s gaze flicked upwards. A woman with silver hair, sharp red eyes, and pearly white earrings sat opposite Akira. The woman wore a dark gray pristine suit and perfect make-up and had an aura of accomplishment and refinement. A citrus perfume wafted off the woman. Akira knew this woman as surely as she knew her name. Where though? Who was this woman? Sae Niijima. Akira’s muddied mind supplied the name.

“You’ll be answering my questions this time.” Sae said matter-of-factly. Her eyes narrowed at the lack of movement or acknowledgement from Akira. She caught sight of the empty syringes on the floor.

“Those bastards…” She hissed before refocusing on Akira. “Can you hear me? It seems you’ve been through a lot.”

Akira nodded slowly. For some reason, she was sure that Sae was not going to hurt her. Sae was important.

“Almost anything can happen here… and I can’t stop them.” Akira nodded again to show Sae she was coherent. More pain was going to come. That was obvious.

Sae continued. “That’s why I need you to answer me honestly. I don’t have much time either. What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident?” Akira kept staring at the table as Sae spoke, trying to form the words to explain, but her tongue felt thick and clumsy.

“I didn’t think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn’t assemble a case for prosecution.” Sae’s tone was businesslike, but something inside Akira recoiled at the word “prosecution”. Memories were attached to it, but the fog in her mind was too thick. She couldn’t remember.

“It’s because I couldn’t figure out the method behind it.”

“Why do you want to know?” Akira’s voice was hoarse and quiet, but Sae heard it clearly.

“This isn’t an issue of whether or not it can be used in court.” Court. Another bad word.

“I need to know. This is my case, after all.” Akira blinked. Despite the use of several words that held bad associations, something in Sae’s tone was familiar. It was understandable, relatable almost. Ownership. Responsibility. Slowly the fog in Akira’s mind seemed to recede somewhat. Sae noticed too.

“It seems you’re coherent.”

Akira’s breath escaped in the barest imitation of a laugh as her ribs protested the use.

Sae, undeterred, kept talking. “When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal another’s heart? Now, tell me your account of everything. …Start from the very beginning.”

Akira touched her forehead, trying to dig deep into her muddied mind. A crystal clear chime sounded and Akira lifted her head. The colors of the world seemed to mute and a patch of something shining flew through the air. A blue butterfly took form and, while dripping sparkling dust, flew in front of Akira. Unable to tear her eyes away, Akira followed the butterfly as it flew upwards and around her head, still scattering the sparkling dust. The world around her remained muted as a familiar voice spoke in her mind.

“You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you… I beg you, please overcome this game… and save the world… The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds-the truth that you and your friends grasped.”

Friends? Akira searched for a face. A name. Something to attach to the fierce protectiveness that she felt inside. It stayed tantalizingly out of her mental reach.

“It all began that day… when the game was started half a year ago… For the sake of your world’s future… as well as your own… you must remember…” The butterfly’s dust fell on Akira’s face and she began speaking, recounting her tale to Sae.

Chapter Text

Rumors. Murmurs. Gossip. Reputations. God, Akira hated them. They were inescapable, but she still hated them. The train gossip, though annoying, was better than what she had been listening to for the last month.

I hear she tried to kill someone. Akira tried to push the memories away, but they persisted. The damn rumors started as early as the day she had to empty her locker.

She’s a crazy bitch. I knew she wasn’t to be trusted. I heard she’s a druggie and she attacked the guy to get money. Really? Now that you say it, she always seemed to be a little off. Think she trades sex for money?

“Next station: Shibuya.” The pleasant female voice said over the intercom. “This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines.”

Akira glanced at the map and schedule, before sighing and looking down.

Unwillingly, a memory flashed in her mind. Cries and pleading for help. Someone grabbing another. Anger burning in Akira. The sensation of the man’s jacket under her fingertips as she yanked him away. The scent of alcohol on his person. The metallic scent of blood when he stood. It poured down his face as he tried to stem the bleeding with his hands. His voice echoed in Akira’s mind.

“Damn brat… I’ll sue!” Akira could still feel the echoes of the police’s unfriendly hands on her, dragging her off.

Akira shook her head. It was done. Thinking about it would not help her. She adjusted her glasses, trying to clear her mind.

“What? Are you for real? A mental shutdown?” Gossip was inescapable, but at least this wasn’t about her. Akira focused on two girls wearing high school uniforms, listening to their conversation.

“It’s the truth!” One insisted, filled with morbid glee.

“To a person though? That’s gotta be a joke.” The second girl dismissed easily. “You really love all that occult stuff, don’t you?” The two laughed together.

Akira emerged into the fresh air, removing her phone from her pocket. She tugged the scrap of paper out and typed the address into the navigation app. She finally looked up at the unknown city around her.

Talk about overstimulation. She thought to herself, standing still in the crowd.

Countless people swarmed around, talking, laughing, arguing, texting, and walking. Some carried bags and others carried beverages. The noises of the passing trains could be heard in the distance and cars were just as loud. Advertisements, both auditory and visual, were everywhere, trying to grab her attention. Everything about this city seemed to scream: “Look at me!”

A beep from her phone broke Akira out of the spell. A new app? Akira furrowed her brow as it took residence in the middle of her navigation map and expanded, covering everything.

Seriously? I do not have time for this. Akira tapped it, trying to delete the strange app, but her phone refused to respond. She kept tapping it, annoyed at the app and the constant noise around her. Would it kill anyone to shut up?

Just as the thought formed, an unearthly silence filled the air. Akira glanced up, momentarily forgetting the phone. Cold fear gripped her as the world ceased all movement. People slowed to a stop as if someone had pressed a pause button. They were frozen in mid-walk, mid-expression, mid-action, mid-everything. Birds in the middle of taking off stayed suspended in the air. No cars or trains moved. The advertisements were still and silent. The city, so lively moments before, was as silent as the grave.

“No.” Akira spun on her heel, breathing fast. There had to be someone, anyone, somewhere that was not frozen. Her breath came in short gasps as the silence and stillness persisted.

A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye, made her turn and fix on the only moving thing she could see.

Blue flames, tall as a small building, flickered and danced in the middle of the square. The flames swirled and danced until a vaguely human form took shape. Akira had no idea what was going on, but she did know that whatever was in the flames was dangerous. Very dangerous. Red flames appeared framing a demonic face and suddenly all Akira could see was her own face in the flames.

Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone and the world was back to normal. People resumed walking and talking to each other. The train’s horn went off as it entered the station. Cars’ engines rumbled as drivers swore at each other. Advertisements resumed their cheery endorsements. All was as it should be.

Akira returned her attention to her phone and dragged the app into the garbage. Whatever just happened, she did not want to repeat it.

The backstreets of Yongen-Jaya were cramped and cluttered, but it was blissfully empty of people compared to Shibuya. Whispers of the mental shutdowns and accidents were just as predominate conversation topic in the backstreets as they were in Shibuya.

Ignoring that, Akira stared at the name written in the note app of her phone: Sojiro Sakura. Unfortunately, her navigation app wouldn’t get her to Sojiro’s house, so she needed to search the old-fashioned way.

Akira’s throat tightened when she saw a cop on the corner. No, Akira. You have done nothing wrong. The cop has no reason to stop you. She talked to herself.

A few minutes of wandering proved fruitful when Akira stumbled upon a house labeled “Sakura”. She rang the doorbell and waited.

“You looking for Boss?” A voice startled Akira. A deliveryman stood off to the side; his delivery van behind him. He gestured to Sojiro’s house.

“Boss is usually at his café at this time.” The deliveryman went on.

“Thank you.” Akira said politely. She rounded the corner, purposely out of sight of both the deliveryman and the officer. A café? Hadn’t she found one earlier? Where was it again? By the clinic? Or was it the bathhouse?

Regardless, Akira had to pass the officer again, despite her panicking heart. She poked around the backstreets until she found a shabby-looking café. Leblanc: Coffee & Curry it read off the awning.

Here we go. Akira took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The scent of coffee filled her nose as she stepped in. The first thing that caught her attention was a TV news report. The reporter was recounting the story that the gossips on the train were talking about on the train.

“A public transit bus was driven down the opposing lane with its customers still in it!” The TV reporter held the attention of the elderly couple who occupied a booth. A bearded man wearing an apron sat at the bar, reading the paper. From his murmurs it was clear he was doing the crossword.

“Vertical is… the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…” The bearded man murmured as the elderly couple discussed the news. Akira stayed by the door, feeling very awkward and out of place. She shifted uncomfortably, waiting to be noticed.

The bearded man glanced up and took in Akira’s school uniform. “…Oh, right.” He said, folding the paper. “They did say that was today.”

The elderly customers, sensing the change in atmosphere, stood up. “We’ll be heading out, Boss. Money’s on the table.”

“Thanks for coming.” The bearded man’s attention shifted to his customers.

“We’ll see you next time.” The elderly couple shuffled out, still chatting about the events on the news. Akira swallowed and squared herself, but the man spoke first.

He groaned. “…Four hours and just a single cup of Joe.” He griped before refocusing on Akira. “So, you’re Akira? I thought you’d be a boy.”

“Are you Sojiro Sakura?” Akira asked, ignoring the comment.

“Yeah, I’m Sojiro Sakura. You’ll be in my custody for the next year.” He looked Akira over. “I wondered what sort of delinquent would show up, but you’re the one, huh?” He scratched his head. “Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and-“ He cut himself off. “Well, not that that matters… Follow me.”

Sojiro led to the back of the shop where a set of narrow and steep stairs was hidden. Upstairs was a single room that spanned the entire top floor of the café.

“This is your room.” Sojiro turned. The room was dark, dusty, and cluttered. “I’ll at least give you sheets for the bed.”

A small metal bedframe and an old mattress sat in the far corner of the room, hidden behind a shelf of countless books with dust an inch thick. Akira shifted the bag on her shoulder, not voicing any of the comments in her head.

“You look like you want to say something.” Sojiro observed. His tone was almost daring her to complain.

The trial and Akira’s experience at juvie taught her to hold her tongue. “It’s…big.” She said truthfully.

“It’s up to you to clean it.” Sojiro explained, knowing the subtext, but seeming not to care. “I’ll be leaving after I lock up each day.”

Akira blinked in surprise. “You’re leaving me alone at night?” She spoke before she could stop herself.

Sojiro’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, you’ll be alone at night, but don’t do anything stupid. I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble. Now then… I got the gist of your situation.” He crossed his arms. “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?”

Akira bit her tongue and nodded, concentrating on the pain in her mouth instead of the anger triggered by his words.

“That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?”

Akira bit down on her tongue harder and nodded again.

“And now that you’ve got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school.” Sojiro went on as Akira dug her nails into her palm. “The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved.” Akira dug her nails deeper into her palms as well as continued biting her tongue as Sojiro spoke again.

“In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass.” Sojiro’s tone changed to warning. “It’s best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted.”

Akira’s anger fizzled away and she relaxed, feeling defeated at the reminder of the timeframe. “A whole year…” She glanced briefly around the room as she spoke.

“Your sentence lasts until next spring, so you’re stuck here until then.” Sojiro crossed his arms again. “Cause any problems, and you’ll be sent straight to juvie, got that?”

Akira nodded, recalling the experience of juvie. She didn’t want to go back.

“We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow.”

“But tomorrow is Sunday.” Akira protested.

“We need to introduce ourselves properly to the staff. There’s rarely a place that’ll accept someone like you, you know…. What a waste of my Sunday…” Sojiro lamented.

“Your “luggage” arrived earlier: I left them over there.” He gestured to the box in the center of the room that was significantly less dusty than everything else. Considering his job done, Sojiro returned to the café downstairs, leaving Akira alone in the dusty attic.

Hours later, Akira was very glad she was not allergic to dust. She had dragged several buckets of water up the stairs and scrubbed the floors once she had hauled the miscellaneous junk into a single corner of the room. Her shoved her own “luggage”, as Sojiro called it, on one of the shelves. The room was far from clean, but at least Akira could get from the stairs to her newly made bed without running into anything.

“Wow.” Sojiro had ascended the stairs and glanced around the room. “I heard noises downstairs, but I didn’t think you were actually cleaning.”

Akira straightened up, her back cracking in protest. “Is that a problem?”

“Nah, it figures a girl like you would want to keep her room tidy like this.” Sojiro waved his hand dismissively. “Why don’t you head off to bed? You don’t have anything else to do, right? I’m locking up soon.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira sat on her bed, staring at the ground.

“I won’t be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, you got that?” Sojiro warned.

“Yes, sir.” Akira said in the same dead tone.

Sojiro shifted uncomfortably. “Well, uh, good night.”

“Good night.”

Akira sat on her bed, listening to Sojiro shut and lock the door. She was now alone.

“Just a year.” Akira told herself as she changed into her pajamas. “Just a year.” She lay down on her bed. “Only a year.”

Akira stared at the ceiling over her bed, trying to ignore the swirling memories and thoughts in her head. Arrest…Trial….Criminal record… She rubbed her forehead as she heard the man’s voice in her head again. “Damn brat…I’ll sue!”

“I couldn’t just ignore that.” She spoke aloud to the empty room as she revisited the memory again.

Chapter Text

Akira, please pick up some milk on the way home. The text message from her mother spurred Akira to leave her friend’s house early. She had to get to the market before it closed. It was a quiet evening and Akira strolled without fear. She had lived here her whole life; she knew exactly where she was.

Then the voices came. “Just get in the car!” “Stop it!” “Get in there, now!” “No! Let go of me!”

Without pausing to think, Akira took off in a sprint. A man and a woman were arguing, but every single instinct in her was screaming that this was wrong. Something worse was going on.

“How dare you cross me!”

“Stop it! Let me go!”

Akira skidded to a stop before when the two people came into view. A man was grabbing a woman who struggled against him.

“No!” The woman struggled.

“Don’t give me that shit.” The man’s words slurred together.

“Ow! Please, stop…!” The woman’s shirt was semi-unbuttoned and her pleas were getting frantic.

“Tch… what a waste of time.” The drunken man ranted as Akira silently approached, gathering her courage. “You think you’re worth causing me trouble? Huh?”

“I-I’ll call the police!” The woman threatened in a high voice.

The drunken man chuckled. “Call them if you want! The police are my bitches. They’re not gonna take you seriously.”

“No! Stop!” The woman’s voice made it so Akira couldn’t take it anymore.

“Leave her alone!” Akira stepped forward threateningly. In the distance, police sirens sounded.

“You dumb bitch.” The man swore at the woman before turning to Akira. “You called the cops, you nosy brat? Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country! Get lost, kid.” He added dangerously.

“Leave her alone.” Akira said in her best mimic of the same dangerous tone the man used.

“Tch.” The drunken man turned back to the woman. “This is because you’re too damn slow. Get in the car!”

A cheerful tune jolted Akira out of her memories and she reached for her vibrating phone. Who could be calling her?

“What the-?” Akira sat up, staring at her phone. The app that looked like an eye was back and taken up residence between two of Akira’s mindless games.

“I deleted you.” She told the pulsating app firmly. “Good-bye.” She dragged the app to the trash again.

Akira was then hit with such a wave of exhaustion. Her phone slipped from between her fingers and she fell back onto her bed, sleeping before she even hit the pillow.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Akira’s eyes flew open and she stared at the ceiling above her in confusion. The walls were dark blue and elegant, but a chain hanging from it marred the beauty. Where was she? Why was there the sound of water dripping? Where were her glasses? Why could she see so clearly? She sat up, hearing the sounds of chains rattling. Her heart all but stopped when she saw the manacles on her wrists.

Akira sat on the side of the bed, putting her hand to her forehead. This couldn’t be real. No. She was just having a bad dream. The hard, metal bed structure underneath her wasn’t real. The toilet off to her left wasn’t real. The chains on her weren’t real. The torn, striped clothing clinging to her body wasn’t real.

“This isn’t real.” She murmured to herself.

A laugh caught her attention and Akira looked towards the light. A heavy jail cell door that was covered in more chains than necessary was off to her right. Outside it, a young girl stepped into view.

Akira stood up and approached cautiously. In eerie synchronization, the girl and another similar-looking girl stepped sideways into Akira’s view. The one on the left had an eye patch with a v-pattern covering her left eye and her silvery-white hair was in a long braid. She had a stern expression on her face. The one on the right had an identical eye patch on her right eye and her silvery-white hair was in two buns. She was smiling, smirking really. They both wore identical uniforms that looked like they belonged to a prison warden. Their unnerving yellow eyes were fixed on Akira.

Akira took a step forward and stumbled slightly. She glanced down to find a heavy iron ball shackled to her left ankle.

Fear seeped into Akira’s body as she slowly stepped forward, dragging the ball with her. She gripped the bars, feeling the imperfections in the metal beneath her fingertips. This was far too real to be a dream.

The twin girls turned and Akira gasped.

“Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room.” A man with an impossibly long nose, bloodshot eyes, and pointed ears smiled eerily at her. He wore a simple black suit complete with gloves and sat behind an elegant desk in the center of the room.

Rage replaced Akira’s fear as she gripped the cell bars. She pulled on them uselessly. This man had no right to hold her here.

“So you’ve come to, Inmate.” The girl on the right observed.

“The you in reality is currently fast asleep.” The girl on the left reported. “You are only experiencing this as a dream.”

“This doesn’t feel like a dream.” Akira retorted. Her voice was dangerously quiet.

The girl on the right glared at Akira, while the girl on the left merely glanced at her. Neither spoke.

“Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” The man spoke in grandiose tones, all while smiling creepily at Akira in the cell. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a “contract” may enter.”

Contract? Akira stared at the lock on the cell door. When had I signed a contract?

“My name is Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well.” Igor tapped his fingers on the elegant desk. “I have summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well.”

“Let me out!” Akira cried, yanking on the bars.

“Silence, Inmate!” The girl on the right slammed a baton on the bars and Akira recoiled from the bars, a twinge of fear in her.

Igor snickered. “Still, this is a surprise…” He glanced around the other empty cells curiously. “The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such.” He fixed his bloodshot eyes on Akira’s seething form. “You truly are a “prisoner” of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Akira cried out exasperated, grabbing the bars again. “What is this shit?”

“Be quiet, Inmate!” The girl with the baton hit the bars again, forcing Akira back.

“Such insolence.” The other girl lamented.

“It means the end to everything.” Igor’s speech continued as if he Akira never spoke. “However there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be “rehabilitated.” Rehabilitated toward freedom… That is your only means to avoid ruin… Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

Akira, not eager to anger the girl with the baton, swallowed her anger and tried to focus on understanding what the bizarre man lectured about. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Igor raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t decline, hm? Very well, that is enough. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.”

At that moment, the two girls stepped and spun in perfect synchrony back to face Akira.

“Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others.” Igor waved his hand, gesturing to the two girls. “To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here.”

“Wardens?” Akira repeated faintly, glancing between the twin girls.

“Huh, try and struggle as hard as you like.” Caroline scoffed.

“The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators.” Justine, unlike Caroline, carried a clipboard with papers on it. Akira thought that Justine would friendlier than Caroline until she spoke again.

“That is, if you remain obedient.” Justine’s stare never wavered from Akira’s face.

“I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion.” Igor spoke as the two turned back to him. “Now then, it seems the night is waning… It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…”

Igor gestured to the ceiling and an alarm blared above their heads. Akira glanced upwards, but there was nothing there to sound the alarm.

“Time’s up!” Caroline announced. “Now hurry up and go back to sleep!”

“What is going on? Who are you people?” Akira demanded, grabbing the bars. The world around her dissolved into darkness and she knew no more.

Chapter Text

Ruin… Rehabilitation… What does that even mean? Akira kept going over the dream in her mind, as she got dressed. It couldn’t have been real. Could it? It had felt so real. Determined to put it out of her mind, she resolved to concentrate on her day instead of the dream.

The Shujin Academy uniform consisted of a white button-down shirt, a black blazer, and a plaid skirt. Akira also wore her black leggings under it for easier movement. She also just didn’t like skirts.

“You up?” Sojiro called as he ascended the stairs.

“Yes.” Akira grabbed a brush and ruthlessly pulled it through her shaggy bedhead.

Sojiro watched as Akira bullied her hair into something that resembled a hairstyle. “Come on.” He said when she had stopped. “Let’s go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira straightened up and grabbed her bag.

“Shujin is in the Aoyama district. We’re driving there today, but afterwards you’ll take the train. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let’s go.” Sojiro turned away. “Although you’re pretty young for who I usually allow in my passenger seat.” He muttered. Akira ignored the comment and followed.

Car rides are the worst experience when one is trying to avoid a conversation with another. Akira stared out the window, content in the silence until Sojiro broke it.

“Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right?” He glanced at her.

Akira raised an eyebrow at his reflection in the window.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care what happens to you.” He said gruffly. “Just don’t cause me any trouble.” He fixed his gaze back on the road.

Akira couldn’t get over the fact that the principal looked like vanilla pudding that had been shaped into a man and stuffed in a suit. It was a chore to keep her face neutral as Sojiro signed the appropriate papers.

“To reiterate, just so we’re clear, you will be immediately expelled if you cause any problems.” The Vanilla Pudding threatened.

“Yes, sir.” Akira responded politely.

“Honestly, I hesitated on accepting someone like you, but there were some circumstances on our side…” The Vanilla Pudding went on. “You might have done a variety of things in hiding in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you are thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Vanilla Pudding gestured to the tired-looking woman on his left. “This is the teacher in charge of your class.”

“I’m Sadayo Kawakami.” She introduced herself. She held out a little card. “Here’s your student ID.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Akira took the ID and slipped it into her pocket. She decided to ignore the colorful flyer and Kawakami’s odd behavior with it. Akira had enough issues without it.

Kawakami seemed to wince at the “ma’am” comment, but kept speaking. “Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by any chance you cause any problems, I won’t be able to protect you at all.” Kawakami turned to the Vanilla Pudding. “…That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?”

“She is responsible for all her actions.” The Vanilla Pudding, Kobayakawa, confirmed.

Kawakami lowered her voice. “But really though, why me…? There should’ve been better candidates.”

The Vanilla Pudding sighed. “It was a sudden transfer, and your class was the only one that had an opening.”

Sojiro, impatient to leave, interrupted. “If you’re done explaining things, mind if we get going? I got a store to get back to.”

The Vanilla Pudding regained his authoritative tone as he addressed Sojiro. “Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her cause any trouble outside…”

“Well, I’ll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation she’s in.” Sojiro spoke as if Akira was not in the room or if she was too young to understand the conversation.

Kawakami focused on Akira. “Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I’ll show you to your classroom.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.” Akira was careful to keep her tone neutral and free of sarcasm.

“They’re treating you like some kind of nuisance…” Sojiro admitted as the two walked out and down the hall.

And you’re not? Akira thought sarcastically.

He exhaled. “I guess that’s what it means to have a criminal record.” He glanced at Akira. “Turns out your past follows you wherever you go.”

“It does.” Akira nodded, dejectedly.

Sojiro seemed to think he was sympathizing too much with his young ward because he spoke again. “By the way… if you get expelled now, I won’t hesitate to kick you out. Got it?”

Akira swallowed her retort and instead nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Come on, we’re heading home.”

The car ride was even more painful on the way back due to traffic and Sojiro’s constant griping. Inevitably, his anger would focus on Akira. She just had to wait.

At least no one will know what happened at Shujin. The teachers will, but none of the students will. There would be other stupid rumors, but nothing about my record. Akira consoled herself. I could completely start fresh. They won’t know.

The Vanilla Pudding clearly didn’t like her, but Kawakami seemed unsure. She didn’t hate Akira, more so bothered that she had to deal with someone like Akira. That meant that if Akira kept her nose clean, Kawakami might even like her before graduation.

Well, none of them are going to help you. Akira told herself. Kawakami, Sojiro, and the principal all said that if you behave, you’ll be fine. Behave. Don’t cause trouble. Keep your head down and keep walking forward.

“Traffic’s not moving at all…” Sojiro tapped his fingers impatiently on the wheel. “You’re taking the train starting tomorrow!” He barked.

“Yes, sir.” Akira’s soft voice seemed to defuse some of Sojiro’s irritation.

“…So, how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?” Sojiro watched her from the corner of his eyes.

Akira shrugged. “I will manage.” She said simply, still looking out the window.

“Don’t screw this up. Re-enrollment is rare for people like you.” Sojiro reminded her. “And it’s not like anyone will be sympathetic with you.”

Akira shifted uncomfortably, but Sojiro didn’t notice.

“…If that’s what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too…” He muttered to himself. “What a troublesome kid I’ve taken in…”

Akira finally looked at Sojiro, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Why did you take me in?”

Sojiro’s fingers tensed on the wheel for a moment. “I was asked to do it, and I just…” He hesitated for a moment. “I just… happened to agree with it.” His demeanor shifted to something more gruff and distant. “Besides, I have already been paid.”

“Oh.” Akira turned back to the window. Figures.

Feeling the oppressive silence, Sojiro tapped the radio and a newscaster’s voice filled the small car.

“Again, a subway has derailed at Shibuya Station, greatly affecting the timetable all across the-“

Sojiro hit the button again, shutting it off. “Another accident? Explains the traffic. Those have been happening a lot lately.”

Akira ignored him. The accidents seemed so distant from her. She had her own problems to deal with.

“Tch, at this rate I won’t be able to open the café today.” Sojiro growled at the standstill traffic.

Akira adjusted her glasses and said nothing. She would not apologize for this. Sojiro was being paid to keep her; he could afford a single day without business without complaining, she thought savagely.

“Oh, I got something for you.” Akira jerked around, looking at him in surprise as Sojiro reached behind them. “Here.” He threw a cheaply made little black leather-bound book into Akira’s lap.

Akira picked it up, running her fingers over the spine and flipping through the blank pages. “What’s this for?”

“It’s a diary. Make sure you write in it.” Sojiro said authoritatively, returning his attention to the road. “You may be under probation, but there’s no special limitations on what you do in particular. Besides following the law, that is. That being said, I am obligated to report on you, which is why I’m having you record your daily activities.”

“So, you intend to use a girl’s diary as a means of reporting to the probation officer?” Akira asked, flipping through the blank pages. Her tone made it hard to determine if she was joking or not.

Sojiro glared at her. “Don’t write anything unnecessary, alright?”

“Yes, sir.” Akira dropped the sarcasm and returned to her deferring tone.

A cheery tune interrupted the two of them and Sojiro withdrew his phone. He answered it with a sideways glance at Akira. Intrigued, Akira watched him.

“Hey, what’s up?” He spoke gently and with far more kindness than he had ever used with Akira. “…I’m almost home. Give me… thirty minutes, alright?” Silence. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there before you know it.” He smiled reassuringly as if the person on the phone could see him. “…Uh-huh, I’ll see you soon.” He hung up and refocused on Akira.

“I’m dropping you off quickly at the café and locking up when I do.” Sojiro informed her, his tone returning to normal. “You’ll be alone every night at the shop, but don’t get any ideas. If the store gets messed up or something goes missing, I will not hesitate handing you over to the cops.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira sighed.

Akira bended backwards into bridge position as she repeated her mantra in her mind. Behave. Calm. Don’t let anyone know. Be demure. Step aside. Her back cracked as she straightened up. The good thing about her room was that it was big enough for her to stretch and exercise.

“Just a year, Aki. We can do this. We can endure.” Akira told herself as she settled into a push-up position. “I can do this.”

It was only when her body had screamed in pain and sweat dripped from her limbs that Akira allowed herself to get into bed. She still needed to double-check the train lines that would get her to Shujin.

Akira found more and more news about the subway accident on the subway website. 80 people injured and the photographs were …startling to say the least. How could something like that happen? The sympathetic part of Akira was trying to not think about the injuries and death toll from an accident of this level. The pragmatic part of Akira knew that this was going to change the train schedule and cause delays.

Maybe I should just download the train schedule app. Akira thought, exiting out of the news and photographs. She flicked through her apps and then froze when she saw a familiar pulsating app.

“Stay deleted!” Akira said firmly, dragging the strange eye app to the trash. She opened settings and rebooted her phone. If it was a virus, she wanted to get rid of it.

Chapter Text

Akira was dressed and ready to go early. She didn’t want to get lost or be late. Sojiro was already downstairs, getting ready to open the café.

“Leaving?” Sojiro asked, glancing over.

“Yes, sir.” Akira’s shaggy hair was down today and all over her shoulders.

“Here, you’d better eat something before you go.” Sojiro placed a plate of steaming curry on the bar. “Finish it before my customers arrive.”

Akira blinked at the sudden kindness. “Um, thank you.” She slid into the chair and took a bite. “This is incredible.” She couldn’t stop herself as she devoured the entire plateful.

“Now, off to school with you.” Sojiro said as he picked up the plate.

“Yes, sir. Thank you for the meal.” Akira’s tone, for the first time, was earnest.

Sojiro froze for a moment. “Don’t be late.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira, feeling significantly better after something that delicious, hurried out the door.

Her walk to Yogen-Jaya station was easy and pretty uneventful. The ride in the subway was not pleasant. Far more people than could fit in the car were crammed in. Akira hugged her bag to her chest and listened to the constant stream of voices and the news showing the accident all over again all the way to Shibuya.

Akira had never been so glad to get off a train. Shibuya was crowded and countless people were harassing train workers about the accidents. Protesters were lined up everywhere, shouting, demanding someone take responsibility and change something so it wouldn’t happen again.

After stumbling around for a few minutes, Akira found the Ginza Line that she needed to get to Shujin. The train ride to Aoyama-Itchome was just as cramped as the ride to Shibuya, but it was thankfully shorter.

I have to do this everyday? Akira thought, getting off the train and up the stairs. And it’s raining, just my luck!

Akira ran and took refuge under a nearby awning. Perhaps she could just run from awning to awning? Or would it just be better if she sprinted for the school at full tilt? She didn’t exactly remember where the school was though. Akira glanced at her phone for the directions and her eyes widened.

The app was back and sitting in the middle of her map. It opened itself and took up the entire screen.

Damn thing! Why won’t you stop?? Akira griped to herself as someone joined her under the awning.

Beside her, a perfectly beautiful girl stood, thick light blonde hair framing her delicate face. She, like Akira, wore a plaid skirt and the black blazer, but she had red leggings and a white sweatshirt underneath her blazer. Sensing someone looking at her, the girl’s light blue eyes met Akira’s dark brown. The girl smiled lightly and turned forward, watching the rain.

A car suddenly pulled up in front of them and the window rolled down. A man with curly dark hair wearing an exercise suit leaned out.

“Good morning.” He smiled charmingly. “You want me to give you a ride to school? You’re going to be late.”

“Um, sure.” The blonde smiled and approached. “Thank you.”

The man looked to Akira, still smiling. “Do you need a ride too?”

A sense of uneasiness settled over Akira. A strange man offering her a ride in an unfamiliar city? Like hell she was getting in that car.

“No, thank you.” She donned a pleasant false smile, but focused on the man and the girl, committing their faces to memory just in case. For a split-second before the window rolled back up, Akira saw the girl’s smile dissolve into an expression of fear and worry. The car drove off, leaving Akira under the awning, wondering if she should call someone.

Akira then heard rapid footsteps and a boy with dyed blond hair skidded to a stop before her.

“Dammit.” He hissed. “Screw that pervy teacher.”

“Pervy teacher?” Akira asked, hoping she misheard. Though she didn’t realize it, her phone record her voice.

The blond turned. He had short, spikey hair, dark brown eyes and horrible posture. He wore a T-shirt under his uniform blazer and looked Akira over.

“…What do you want?” The blond boy asked threateningly.

Akira raised an eyebrow and didn’t move. No way was she going to be intimidated before she even got to school, much less by a blond punk.

“You plannin’ on rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?”

Akira blinked, her irritation replaced with surprise. She was definitely not expecting a question like that. “What do you mean?”

The blond seemed surprised. “Huh? In the car just now. It was Kamoshida.” He pointed down the road the car had disappeared down. “He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is-the king of a castle? Don’t you agree?”

Akira cocked her head slightly. This guy clearly just hated the man from earlier. “The king of a castle?” She repeated, staring down the road the car had traveled down. Who was that man?

The blond furrowed his brow. “Are you for real? You really don’t know Kamoshida? You’re from Shujin, aren’t you? I mean: you’re wearing the uniform.”

“I’m a transfer.” Akira explained. “A second-year.”

“Oh, no wonder you don’t know him. We’re the same grade then.” The blond boy explained. He glanced backwards. “The rain ain’t too bad. We better hurry up, or we’ll be late.”

The blond boy turned when Akira, out of nowhere, started feeling light-headed. Her vision swam for a moment and she grabbed her head, trying to steady herself.

“Uuugh, my head hurts…” The blond boy groaned, hovering beside the edge of the awning. “Dammit… I wanna go home…”

“Let me interrupt.” Sae’s abrupt words jolted Akira back to her current situation.

Akira shut her mouth as her body kept shaking. Was the chair beneath her actually moving? She kept her eyes on Sae, despite her trembling hands and shoulders.

“There was a terrible subway accident that day, you know. I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the psychotic breakdown incidents.” Sae waited for Akira to respond.

“…I’ve heard of them.” Akira’s scratchy voice was soft and noncommittal.

Sae exhaled and leaned forward. “One of the victims was a teacher from your school. On that day… were you still an “ordinary” student?”

Akira’s brow furrowed the mental fog returning. “What do you mean?”

Sae sat back in her chair, thinking. “…Let me change the question. You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?”

“Yes.” Akira nodded.

Sae went on. “An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city… That’s what it should’ve been. What happened around that time? Tell me everything-truthfully.”

The blond boy was heading to Shujin, so, after a moment, Akira followed him. Her phone was still infected with the stupid reappearing app, so she needed directions anyway. He turned down an alleyway, splashing in the puddles without noticing. The walls were towering on either side and rain pooled all over the ground. The blond boy walked purposely, ignoring the rain dripping down into the alleyway. Akira held her bag close, uncomfortable with the small spaces. Was there any place in this city that didn’t feel like a prison? A prickle on the back of Akira’s neck made her stop and turn down the empty alleyway. Was she being followed or something?

“Wha-?” The blond boy’s voice carried backwards. Akira jogged up next to him, stopping in surprise.

“Whoa…” Akira gasped.

The two students stood before a European-style castle, nestled among the normal building. Towering stone columns were on either side of the lowered drawbridge and beyond it, gigantic stone towers and pillars stood as if they had been there fore years. Strange castle aside, the far more bizarre thing was the pink sky over it. Sunrise was hours ago; how was everything tinted pink?

“We didn’t… come the wrong way though…” The blond boy glanced back down the alleyway. “Yeah, this should be right…” He nodded the sign clearly proclaiming the building was “Shujin Academy”.

“What’s goin’ on here…?” The blond boy seemed as confused as Akira. “I guess we’ll just have to go and ask.”

Inside the castle, the walls were covered in heavy, bright red drapes and golden candlesticks were mounted on the walls. It had ornate, glittering chandeliers hanging every couple feet from the ceiling. The carpet beneath Akira’s feet was thick and plush. It was clearly very expensive. The entire castle had some sort of bizarre pinkish glow and everything reeked of cologne with the occasional spurt of perfume.

“Argh, this is foul.” Akira covered her nose, glancing around the gaudy interior.

“This can’t be the school.” The blond craned his neck with his nose covered, looking high and low for something familiar. “But we came the right way. The hell? Where is the school?”

“Where are we?” Akira asked, slowly going nose blind to the smell.

“This should be the school. I don’t know what happened.” The blond kept glancing around as if that would reveal what was wrong. He pulled out his phone.

“The hell? No service? Where’d we end up…?” Blondie tucked his phone in his pocket. “The sign was for the school, yeah?”

Akira nodded. This place positively oozed expensive furniture and the pinkish aura just felt wrong. It was not uncommon for Akira to feel out of place in expensive buildings, but this was on a new level. She felt like if she breathed incorrectly something bad was going to happen.

“You saw it too! So, what’s going on?” Blondie asked as Akira shrugged.

The two jumped as heavy metallic footsteps echoed down the hall. A person wearing full armor and carrying a sword and shield approached the two of them. His face seemed to be covered by a solid blue mask.

“Geez, you freaked me out…” Blondie seemed pleased that there was someone else. “Who’re you? You a student?”

Akira swallowed and shifted slightly, grabbing her bag handle uncomfortably. Something was wrong.

“Um, excuse me?” She tried to speak to the blond boy.

“Man, your costume’s impressive… Is that armor real?” Blondie walked fearlessly up to the person, staring at the armor. “C’mon, don’t just stand there. Say somethin’.”

Akira swallowed and stared at the knight-person, while glancing furtively towards the exit.

A second knight, dressed identically to the first, walked forward, standing beside the first.

Blondie stepped backwards. “…H-Hey, what’s goin’ on?” He finally seemed to be feeling the same uneasiness that Akira was feeling.

“Guy.” Akira said sharply. “We need to leave now.” Blondie glanced back at her for a moment.

“This shit’s real.” He realized as the knight advanced. “C-Calm down! Time out, man!” He tried to speak calmly.

Akira jumped forward and grabbed Blondie’s wrists, tugging him back to the entrance. The two skidded to a stop as two more knights blocked their way.

“Ugh, what’s with these guys?” Blondie pulled himself free from Akira and stared between the knights trapping them. A loud bang and a cry made Akira jump.

Blondie was on his hands and knees. One of the knights had slammed his shield into him, knocking him to the ground.

“You’re going to break my bones, dammit!” Blondie clutched his side. “The hell you think you’re- Argh!” The butt of the guard’s sword came down on Blondie’s head and he went silent and still.

“No!” Akira ran to his side, scrambling to find a pulse. “Oh, thank goodness.” She exhaled feeling the steady pulse beneath her fingers.

“What should we do with her?” One of the knights spoke and gestured to Akira who was crouched and tense. The voice was strange and unlike any human voice. The closest comparison that Akira could make was distorted by electronic means.

Still clutching Blondie’s wrist, Akira considered her options. Her exit route was blocked and she couldn’t leave Blondie unconscious here. What should she do? What could she do against four fully armored and armed people?

“We’ll take her with the boy and inform the king. He will pass judgment!” Another knight confirmed. Without warning, one of the knights advanced, slamming the butt of their sword on Akira head and her world went dark.

Chapter Text

Akira’s dreams were sweet. She was home, and everything was okay. She had her room and her friends and her family. Her parents were proud of her and her friends all wanted to see her. She could hear something in the distance: a voice.

“Hey…” Akira ignored the voice. Why did it call her? She was safe, comfortable, and warm. She was home.

“Hey, wake up!”

The hell? Akira wasn’t warm or comfortable. Goosebumps covered her arms and she lying on a piece of wood. Her eyes slowly opened and a face came into view. The blond boy who never introduced himself was kneeling next to her, concern all over his face.

Akira groaned, sitting up and clutching her aching head. Everything seemed to reek of sewage including the chains that hung off old, damp, uneven, stone walls. Nondescript barrels sat in the corner and Akira had been lying on a low wooden table with a burlap covering. One of the walls was a metal grate and door. Once again, Akira found herself in a cell. She was glad there were no chains on her body and she still wore her uniform.

“You all right?” Blondie asked, standing up.

“Yeah, you?” Akira remained seated, rubbing her aching head.

“Yeah.” He stared at the cell bars. “Looks like this ain’t no dream…” He kicked the ground. “Ugh, what’s goin’ on!?”

He ran to the bars, grabbing them and shaking. “Hey, let us outta here!” His yells echoed through the stone hallways. “I know there’s someone out there!”

“Dammit, where are we!?” Blondie returned to Akira. “Is this some kinda TV set?”

A blood-chilling scream echoed and Akira stood up in surprise, her hips cracking in protest. It sounded distant, but it was most definitely a human scream. The scream was long, sustained, and last for far longer than it should.

“Th-The hell was that just now…?” Blondie and Akira ran to the bars, trying to see where the scream came from.

The outside of the cell reminded Akira of old sewage ways. Everything was uneven stone with those strange barrels and water of debatable sanitation tumbled down the rocks.

“You’re shittin’ me, right…?” Blondie now actually seemed afraid. “This is real bad…!”

“We need to find a way out.” Akira ordered, startling Blondie. “Help me.”

The two moved the barrels, carefully inspecting flaws or damage in the walls or the cell door that they could use to escape. They tugged on the chains maybe for use as weapons, but they were secured to the wall. The table-bed thing that Akira woke up on was bolted to the floor and unmovable.

Blondie’s anxiety manifested itself as never-ending stream of chatter. “There has to be a way out, right? Come on, come on! Maybe we could hide when the guards show up? No, that’s stupid. Maybe we could… Dammit, this makes no freaking sense!”

Akira tapped the stones, looking for any sort of weakness or anything, but found nothing.

“Huh, you hear that?” Blondie turned back to the cell door.

Heavy footsteps echoed and two identical knights stood before them.

“Be glad your punishment has been decided upon.” The knight spoke in the strange altered voice. “Your charge is “unlawful entry”. Thus, you will be sentenced to death.”

“Say what?” Blondie asked in shock.

“No one’s allowed to do what they please in my castle.” A new voice spoke. A new person, different from the knights, stepped forward.

Akira wished that she could wash her eyeballs out with bleach. Before her, stood a tall man with black hair. That was the normal part. He wore a heart-pattern, fur-lined cape over his shoulders that cut off at the knees. Her bare, hairy legs were visible under the cape, begging the question: was he wearing anything under that cape? A gold-colored dinky-looking crown sat, lopsided, on his head. His eyes were impossibly, inhumanly yellow and were wide with satisfaction.

“Huh?” Blondie stared at the face of the man as he gripped the bars. “Is that you, Kamoshida?”

“Kamoshida?” Akira questioned. Hadn’t she heard that name earlier?

“I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it’d be you, Sakamoto…” The yellow-eyed Kamoshida seemed intrigued. He smirked. “Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven’t learned your lesson at all, huh?”

The yellow-eyed Kamoshida fixed his gaze on Akira, sweeping over her as if she was a piece of meat. “And you brought a girl? How’d you threaten her to come with you? There’s no way you could ever get a girl.” He leered at her.

“This ain’t funny, you asshole!” Blondie, or Sakamoto as the yellow-eyed Kamoshida called him, shook the bars threateningly.

“Is that how you speak to a king?” Kamoshida’s eyes fixed on Sakamoto with utter distaste. “It seems you don’t understand the position you’re in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me - the king.”

Kamoshida smirked and put his hand to his chin, revealing that he was only wearing a pink Speedo underneath that cape. Akira was so horrified that she barely heard what Kamoshida said:

“The punishment for that is death.”

Kamoshida swung his arm wide, showing off his mostly-naked body. “It’s time for an execution! Take him out! Do not harm the young lady.”

“S-Stop it!” Sakamoto recoiled from the bars with Akira.

The three knights, while bearing their weapons, unlocked the door, forcing Akira and Sakamoto against opposing walls. Kamoshida followed into the cell, grinning wickedly.

“Goddammit!” Sakamoto’s voice shook as the knights approached him. “Hragh!” He charged, hitting one of the knights onto his back.

“I ain’t down for this shit!” He looked at Akira. “C’mon, we’re outta here!”

Sakamoto’s bravado was short-lived as another knight slammed the butt of his sword into Sakamoto’s gut.

“Nnngh… Owww…” Sakamoto fell to his knees, clutching his gut. His breathing was shallow and rapid.

“NO!” Akira grabbed one of the knight’s swords arms, trying to pull him away from Sakamoto.

“Just go! Get outta here…! These guys are serious!” Sakamoto groaned.

“Oh?” Kamoshida’s eyes lingered on Akira’s breasts and hips as he addressed to her. “Going to run and leave your little boyfriend? How heartless are you?”

“She ain’t my girlfriend. Hell, she ain’t my friend!” Sakamoto declared. He stared at Akira, pleading. “C’mon! Hurry up and go!”

“What’s the matter?” Kamoshida spoke in a baby voice to Akira. “Are you too scared to run away? Or are you hypnotized my perfect physique?” He flexed. “Just stay there and let me finish this pathetic piece of scum. Then we’ll have a little fun.”

Akira was forced against the wall at sword-point. Sakamoto was held upright by two of the knights.

Kamoshida’s face twisted into a smile as he punched Sakamoto in the gut. “Take this! Lowly scum!” He added insults with every injury he inflicted on Sakamoto. Sakamoto groaned, taking punch after punch to his gut and face.

“Useless pest!” He swung down on Sakamoto’s head and he fell out of the grip of the knights onto the ground.

Kamoshida spat, utter disgust and disdain in his expression as Sakamoto lay on the ground.
“…Hmph. Where’d your energy from earlier go?” One of the knight lifted and tossed Sakamoto across the cell.

“A peasant like you isn’t worth beating.” Kamoshida affirmed. “I’ll have you killed right now.”

“STOP IT!” Akira screamed at him. “Leave him alone!”

Kamoshida turned, smiling at her lazily. “I like a girl with fire.” He stepped closer to her and gripped her face, slowly caressing her cheek. “You’re sure as hell not some beauty, but you and I could-“

Akira spat in his face before he could finish. It did not take a genius to know what Kamoshida was implying and Akira wanted no part with this entitled, sexual ass.

“You little bitch…” He wiped his face slowly, staring her in the eyes for the first time as he did. “That look in your eyes irritates me!”

Kamoshida’s kick shoved Akira backwards and into the wall. She slid down, hitting the ground.

“Hold her there… After the peasant, I’ll deal with her.” Kamoshida turned back to Sakamoto.

“No!” Akira lunged forward, only to be grabbed by two knights and thrown back against the wall.

“No, I don’t want to die.” Sakamoto whimpered as Kamoshida laughed.

Akira struggled against the knights. No, she couldn’t let him die. The laughter abruptly faded away and the world lost all color. A young-sounding voice sounded in Akira’s head.

“This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none.” A sparkling blue and white butterfly fluttered in front of Akira. “But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…”

The butterfly disappeared in a flash of light and the world reverted back to normal. Kamoshida was laughing, standing over Sakamoto.

What’s the matter…? Are you simply going to watch? A new voice, full of power and confidence echoed in Akira’s mind. It was different than the young voice. This new voice was somehow familiar.

Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Akira’s breathing became shallow. Was your previous decision a mistake then?

The image of the woman who condemned Akira that night all those months ago flashed in her mind. The man’s outraged yell and subsequent threat. The police’s rough hands on her body as they dragged her off. The looks of shame from her parents and teachers. The fear from her ex-friends as she cleaned her locker. The distrust from all the parole officers. The sheer animosity from complete strangers.

“Like hell it was…” Akira muttered, purest rage spiking through her body. She had not been wrong and she did not regret what she did, no matter how much shit she had gone through because of it. No matter what shame people tried to make her feel, she had been right.

One of the knights hauled Sakamoto up by the neck, ready to impale him.

Akira struggled in the knights’ grip. No way in hell was she going to stand aside and let him die.

Very well… I have heeded your resolve. The voice echoed in Akira’s mind and pain shot through her body and up into her skull. Tears streaming down her face, Akira screamed and convulsed. A nail had been driven into her head, she was sure of it and something kept pushing it deeper and deeper.

Vow to me. The voice was the only thing reaching Akira through the pain as she screamed her throat raw, tears and sweat running into her mouth and down her cheeks.

I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage!

The nail drove itself deeper into her head and her scream echoed around her. Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!

The pain ebbed, leaving only cold rage and certainty. She would not let that man have his way. She would save Sakamoto, whatever it took, no matter the cost to herself.

Kamoshida, ignoring Akira’s screams, pointed at Sakamoto. “Execute him!” He ordered.

“That’s enough.” Akira’s voice was low, firm, and dangerous, completely alien from her screams and protests. It was the voice of someone resolute and dangerous.

Kamoshida turned. “What was that…?” Sakamoto was dropped in a heap on the ground.

“You desire punishment now? I will break you, slave, and you will beg for my forgiveness!” Kamoshida backhanded Akira: her glasses thrown to the ground by the force of the hit.

Two knights grabbed Akira, slamming her against the wall. Her eyes were shut and her body was limp as the two spears at her neck held her in place. Though Kamoshida taunted her and ordered his guards to beat her and cut her, the voices were distant and seemed unimportant, as if they belonged something inconsequential, like a bug.

Then she felt something click inside her and her eyes flew open. She was powerful and they were not. She could destroy them.

At that realization, winds whipped around her in the stagnant, putrid cell, forcing the heavy knights away from her. Sakamoto fell to the ground, pressed against the back wall, his eyes squeezed shut. Kamoshida was beside him, terror written all over his face.

As abruptly as they began, the winds ceased and Akira’s face felt hot. Something clung on her face, slowly heating itself. Curious, she reached up, feeling the heavy fabric on her face. A mask? But how was it on her face? Where did it come from? Akira grabbed it. Somehow she knew that it had to come off. It heat was growing more and more intense and her breathing was stifled as if something was settling on her throat, cutting her breath short. This mask was the cause. She needed it off.

Blood spurted as she dragged the mask off, flecking the ground and walls near her. Skin, nerves, and muscles came off with the mask and her already raw voice screamed as every nerve and fragile skin was torn off with the mask, but it was gloriously liberating. Every single drop of blood, torn nerve, severed muscle, and ripped skin felt as though some sort of invisible chain was falling off her. Every lie she uttered to defend herself, every falsehood she had been forced to accept as the truth when she knew it was not, every time she had to show respect to someone who insulted her; it all fell away from her. She tore the lies that had been forced on her. Akira welcomed the pain as she tore half of her face off.

Akira’s eyes turned bright gold and she smiled wider than she had had in months, blood still dripping down her face. Her entire body seemed to hum with power as blue fire, the same as she had seen only days ago, engulfed her.

A laugh, different from Akira’s own, echoed as the flames traveled down her arms and torso. The knights and Kamoshida recoiled, staring at the column in horror. The blue flames dawned a face, demonic and gleeful over what had been Akira’s only moments before.

The flames rose, leaving Akira behind whose eyes still glowed gold, a wicked grin on her lips. The flames solidified behind her into a humanoid form. A demon with a fiery face and horns straightened up, wearing a red overcoat and ruff, red pants and high-heeled shoes. Black, shifting wings formed behind the dapper-looking demon. Chains swirled around both demon and girl that they then threw off, ready to use their newfound power.

The knights flew back, hitting the walls of the cell as Akira’s power swirled and danced. They were nothing to her. Kamoshida, so cocky before, cowered before her, scrambling to the door.

“Wha…What the…?” There was fear in Sakamoto’s eyes as Akira tasted the sensation of pure power, grinning like a madwoman.

The voice from Akira’s mind spoke, now out loud for all to hear. “I am the pillager of twilight- “Arsène”!” She cried out as Sakamoto stared in awe.

“What the…?” Sakamoto repeated as Akira examined her newly gloved hands with vague interest.

“I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you.” Arsène addressed Akira. “If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis.”

“Give me your power.” Akira had no qualms about this request. The deal had already been struck and her mind was made up.

“Hmph, very well.” Arsène nodded.

“Who the hell are you…!?” Kamoshida demanded. “Guards! Kill her!”

The knights stood, suddenly exploding into some kind of liquid only to reveal two small creatures with Jack-O-Lanterns for faces.

“You’ll learn the true strength of my men!” Kamoshida cried as the pumpkin creatures advanced.

“Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power… and unleash it!” Arsène ordered as Akira felt a burning hate inside her.

Ever since the trial, Akira had learned to beat back her rage and hate, her frustration and overall disgust of people who abused their power. She learned to control it and hide it. Now it was her power and it was unable to be contained.

A knife formed in her hands and Arsène’s power flooded her being.

“Eiha!” She yelled as the dark magic flowed from her through Arsène and into one of the pumpkin creatures.

“Swing your blade!” Arsène cried as Akira jumped, slashing the other pumpkin creature swiftly.

“This power of mine is yours!” Arsène proclaimed. “Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart’s content!” She dissolved into flames, reforming as the mask on Akira’s face.

Both of the pumpkin creatures flew forward, swiping at Akira, hitting her in the side. The pain was muted, so all it did was spur Akira to fight harder. Dark magic from Arsène and her knife made quick work of the pumpkin creatures.

“What…?” Sakamoto spoke and finally Akira broke out of her power high. “What was that just now…?”

Akira stared at her arms and down her body. She was no longer in a school uniform, but instead in a black fitted top, black fitted pants, high-heeled buckled boots, and a long black coat. She had red gloves on and the strange half-mask was affixed to her face. She felt fantastic.

“You little…!” Kamoshida stormed over only to have Sakamoto barrel straight into him, knocking him to the ground.

“You like that, you son of a bitch!?” Sakamoto taunted.

“Get the key!” Akira cried, pointing to the ring on the floor.

“This?” Sakamoto grabbed the silver ring off the ground.

“Come on!” Akira grabbed his arm and hurried out the still-open cell door.

“Okay, it’s locked.” Sakamoto secured the door.

“Damn you!” Kamoshida managed to get to his feet and grabbed the bars.

“Hey…!” Sakamoto ignored him. “What was that just now…!? And… your clothes…!” He gestured to Akira’s attire.

At that moment, the blue flames rushed around her once again and she was wearing her school uniform again. Akira put her hands to her face. How did she get her glasses back? Weren’t they in the cell?

“Whoa, it went back to normal…!?” Sakamoto blinked. Kamoshida yanked on the bars, reminded the two of his presence and they jumped.

“You bastards!” He spat.

“God, this’s effin’ nuts!” Sakamoto lamented for a moment. “Anyways, let’s scram! You lead the way!”

Akira nodded and took off towards the right. Sakamoto lobbed the key ring into the water, and followed after Akira.

“Goddamn thieves…!” Kamoshida yelled profanities and promises of death and disembowelment into the sewers. “After them! Don’t let them escape!”

Sakamoto stuck close to Akira, with only minimal commentary. Since this place was a sewer, they had to go up, Akira reasoned. Thankful for her relatively good sense of direction as well as a little trial and error, Akira managed to get the two of them away from Kamoshida’s yells.

“What are all these empty cells for?” Sakamoto asked as they passed the tenth one. He and Akira stopped before a wall of metal bars that had a single locked door in front of them.

“Start looking for a way around.” Akira tugged on the newest barrier before them. “’Cause we don’t have keys and this is the only way out.”

“I kinda wish I didn’t chuck ‘em.” Sakamoto scratched the back of his head.

“Doesn’t matter now. We’re not going back.” Akira touched the stones beside the bars. “Look for something.”

“Uh, yeah.” Sakamoto grabbed the bars and started pulling, trying to muscle his way through.

Akira straightened up, staring at the cell next to the wall. It was open. None of the other cells were open. She stepped into the cell and then knew why it was not in use. Part of the wall was crumbling away.

“Hey!” Akira kneeled beside the hole. “This leads to the other side!”

“For real? Nice!” Sakamoto kneeled next to her.

“I’ll go first.” Akira said, crawling inside. “Follow me.”

It was dusty and filled with rubble, but it was short. Akira stood up and dusted herself off.

“You through?” Sakamoto called.

“Yeah, come on.” Akira looked through and saw Sakamoto wasn’t inside. “Come on, you’re not claustrophobic, are you?”

“Claustro-what?” Sakamoto asked as he crawled inside and through the gritty tunnel. “I was making sure I didn’t accidentally look up your skirt.” He said, getting up on the other side.

“Oh…” Akira blinked. “Thank you.” She gestured forward. “Let’s get going.”

The two darted across the bridges and around the empty cells. They froze at the sound of footsteps and crouched behind some barrels as the knights marched in front of them.

Akira tapped Sakamoto’s shoulder and they crept back the way the knights had come. Surely there was an exit where they had just come from.

“They’re lookin’ for us, aren’t they?” Sakamoto whispered.

“Yeah.” Akira exhaled as they went through the passage. They clamored up the stairs as quickly and as quietly as they could, only to find more cells at the top.

“You got to be jokin’. What the hell is this place?” Sakamoto complained, staring up and around the new hall. It looked like the one they had just gotten out of, except they found people, kids their own age, locked up.

“So we did hear screamin’.” Sakamoto stared at the other inmates. “Are they ok?”

Akira stared at them. They seemed injured, but alive. “Come on.”

Sakamoto stared at the cells as they passed. “A volleyball?” He questioned as Akira led the way forward. He also scrutinized the faces of the other inmates. They stopped before a drawbridge that was impassable.

“It’s a dead end.” Sakamoto said unnecessarily. “Dammit, what do we do now?”

“…Hey, you there.” A new voice spoke and Sakamoto and Akira jumped, desperately looking for the source.

“Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Over here!” The voice called. It seemed to come from the final cell. Cautiously, the two approached, finding a bizarre cat-creature locked inside.

It was about two feet tall, had a very round head, giant blue eyes, black fur, a yellow scarf, and two brown pouches on its hips. It stood on its hind legs; its front paws gripping the cell bars.

“What is this thing!?” Sakamoto’s voice rose an octave.

“You’re not soldiers of this castle, right!?” The cat-creature asked urgently. “Get me out of here! Look!” It pointed to the wall beside Akira. “The key’s right there!”

“We’re trying to get the hell out of here…!” Sakamoto spat at the cat. “I mean: you obviously look like an enemy too!”

“I’m locked up here, so how can I be your enemy!?” The cat countered. “Help me out!”

“Quiet.” Akira hissed. She spoke before she could stop herself. “A cat?” She asked softly.

“I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I’ll make you regret it!” The cat-like creature threatened.

The sound of footsteps echoed, sending Akira’s heart into overdrive.

“They’re catchin’ up already…!” Sakamoto hissed at her. He tugged his phone out. “Shit, there’s still no service. Ain’t there any way to contact someone outside!? How the hell do we get out…!?”

“Hey!” The cat-like creature spoke up. “You want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I’ll take you there. You don’t want to get caught and executed, right?”

The cat creature was clearly trying to bargain. It certainly didn’t want to die and it didn’t seem loyal to Kamoshida.

“What do you think?” Sakamoto asked Akira.

“We don’t have much choice.” Akira turned back to the cat creature. “You’d better not be lying.” She threatened, grabbing the key.

The cat creature pranced out, looking incredibly smug. “Ahhhh… Freedom tastes so great…”

“Now, where’s the exit, you monster cat!?” Sakamoto demanded.

“Don’t call me a cat! I am Morgana!” The cat creature proclaimed.

“Great, now both of you shut up before we’re found.” Akira hissed.

Morgana looked at her. “You’re a lady…” He realized.

Akira just stared at him, utterly flabbergasted. “Is this really the time?”

“Uh, yeah.” Morgana ran to the raised bridge and pointed to the Kamoshida sculpture. “Frizzy Hair, tug the jaw!”

The jaw moved like a lever and the bridge lowered, making a path forward. Without hesitating, Akira sprinted forward with Sakamoto and Morgana beside her.

A knight emerged from a neighboring hall in front of them and the blue flames engulfed Akira again.

“Ah, shit! Shit…. Shit, it’s them!” Sakamoto fell backwards and scrambled away. Akira stepped in front of him, drawing her knife from her pocket.

“Tch… You amateur!” Morgana jumped over Sakamoto and stood beside Akira. “Stay still!” He ordered Sakamoto.

Morgana pointed at Akira. “Hey you, you can fight, right? Let’s go!” He jumped forward. “Come… ZORRO!”

Chapter Text

Morgana’s creature was humanoid with a broad chest, huge mustache, and a sword. Morgana himself wielded a cutlass sword with wicked accuracy and moved like, well, a cat.

“Nice, Frizzy Hair! Take down that shadow!” Morgana praised as Akira cast another curse spell on the pumpkin-head shadow and smiling demonic shadow.

“Watch this!” Morgana cast a wind spell, while Akira followed up with a slash of her knife.

“Not bad. Your Persona’s pretty powerful.” Morgana tucked his cutlass out of sight.

“Persona?” Sakamoto repeated, standing up behind Akira. “Y’mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?”

“Yes.” Morgana explained proudly. “You saw how Frizzy Hair here ripped off her mask when she summoned it, right? Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that…”

The blue fire interrupted and Akira was wearing her normal clothes again. She adjusted her glasses and refocused on Morgana.

“Feel like explaining that?” Akira inquired, tucking her hands into her pockets.

Morgana put a paw to his chin. “It looks like you don’t have full control over your power yet.” He gestured to her skirt and leggings. “The transformation shouldn’t normally dissolve like that. After all-“

“Rrgh! That’s enough! This crap doesn’t make any sense!” Sakamoto rubbed his head angrily.

“Can’t you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie!?” Morgana retorted irritably.

“Don’t call me Blondie! My name’s Ryuji!” Ryuji spat.

“Shush!” Akira hissed, hearing more footsteps.

“She’s right. Follow me!” Morgana took off, with Akira and Ryuji in tow behind him.

When the shadow knights came by, the three pressed themselves flat against the walls or behind barrels, waiting for them to pass. Several times, Akira’s heart seemed to try to escape her chest and she was sure the shadows would hear it. The power high that she felt seemed to have gone with the blue flames. She acutely felt the fact she was a teenager with no weapon to defend herself. A quick glance at Ryuji proved that he was feeling the same. Whenever they caught each other’s eyes. Akira smiled reassuringly as best she could. At least one of them should have some confidence. Morgana’s large blue eyes were fixed on the shadow knight.

“Hey.” Ryuji whispered to Akira. “Look.”

From behind the leaky barrels they were using to hide, Ryuji pointed at an occupied cell across the hall. A young man wearing oddly bright-colored clothes, in contrast to the dank dungeon, lay flat on the ground of the cell. He seemed injured.

“Don’t those clothes look familiar?” Ryuji asked.

“No.” Akira whispered back.

“Dammit! I’m too flustered! I can’t remember a damn thing!” Ryuji grabbed his head.

“Come on, let’s go!” Morgana sprang from the hiding place.

“Hold on, dammit!” Ryuji retorted.

“What is it? We need to go!” Morgana skidded to a stop, glaring at Ryuji.

Ryuji gestured to the imprisoned boy. “But who are these people?”

“Do you really think you have the time to worry about other people right now!?” Morgana hissed, waving his arms impatiently. “Besides, they’re-“

“There they are!” A shadow shouted, running towards the group.

“Shit.” Akira hissed through her teeth as the blue flames came back. She pulled her dagger out of her trench coat.

“I’m glad you stick to your guns.” Morgana drew his cutlass while smirking. The shadow exploded and became a fairy-like being that buzzed forward, like an obnoxious insect.

Akira spun out of the way, slashing at the shadow as it passed her. Arsène heeded her call and together they cast dark magic, destroying the shadow with minimal assistance from Morgana.

“Come on!” Morgana hissed as Akira reverted again back to her normal clothes.

“We can’t just leave ‘em!” Ryuji protested.

“They’re not- We don’t- ugh.” Morgana took a deep breath. “Look, I’m going. If you don’t want to follow, be my guest!”

“Come on.” Akira said quietly.

“Dammit!” Ryuji chased after Morgana and Akira, away from the other inmates.

“We’re almost there!” Morgana promised, running up yet another set of stairs and into a room that Akira finally recognized. It was the hall that she and Ryuji had entered originally and met those shadows that locked them up. Morgana didn’t hesitate in the hall and darted down a hallway that Akira hadn’t noticed earlier.

“In here!” Morgana pounced into the adjacent room with Akira and Ryuji behind him.

“Finally.” Ryuji glanced around the room. “Wait, what do you mean? They’re no windows! Did you trick us, you jerk?”

“Ugh. Amateur.” Morgana griped. “This is the most basic of basics.”

“That?” Akira pointed to the large ventilation shaft that caught her attention.

Morgana purred. “At least you aren’t a moron! Yes, now go!”

“Metallic mesh, eh?” Ryuji muttered. He vaulted up the bookshelf up to the vent and tore the mesh off. That was the good news. The bad news was that the force required to yank off the mesh sent Ryuji tumbling down to the floor with a resounding crash.

“Crap!” Morgana stared at the door while Akira pulled the mesh off Ryuji. “You moron!”

“Shuddup!” Ryuji retorted, getting to his feet. “The mesh is off, isn’t it?”

“Yes, so now go!” Morgana gestured to the clear exit route.

“What about you?” Akira asked as Ryuji climbed the bookcase again.

Morgana waved his paw dismissively. “I still have stuff to do here. Go.”

“Good luck and thank you.” Akira hoisted herself up and into the vent after Ryuji.

Morgana tapped his paw against his chin. “She’s got manners as well as some power. She could be useful. Blondie too I suppose.” He mused after they had left.

Akira and Ryuji gasped for breath, hands on their knees. The moment they had emerged from the shaft, they had run away from the castle with all the energy they could muster.

“Did we make it…?” Ryuji asked after recovering his breath.

Akira took out her phone. “You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.” A pleasant voice informed her. She checked the service and saw it was back.

“Returned…?” The two repeated in confusion. They exchanged looks.

“…Does that mean we got away?” Ryuji questioned.

“I guess.” Akira shrugged and tucked the phone back into her pocket.

Ryuji exhaled and rubbed his head. “I dunno what to think anymore…” He turned to Akira. “What was all that anyways…? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! The hell’s goin’ on!?”

Akira waited patiently for Ryuji to calm down. For some reason, she felt back to normal, calm and collected. Her rage was back in check and she felt no sense of the power high she had had when fighting. She was, for lack of a better term, back to normal. Then a voice sent her heart into overdrive.

“What’s with the yelling?” Two police officers approached Akira and Ryuji.
“Are you students of Shujin?” Ryuji and Akira exchanged glances. “Cutting classes, are we?”

“Huh? No!” Ryuji retaliated immediately. “We were tryin’ to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!”

Akira inwardly groaned, but kept her face neutral.

“…What?” The officer sighed. “Hand over your bag. You better not be doing any drugs.”

Akira’s heart skipped a beat. If they saw her ID in her bag, they might check background. No way that would end well for her. Calm. Breathe. She thought to herself. She needed an excuse. Her mind scrambled for a moment, but Ryuji saved her.

“Why would you think that!?” He demanded.

The second officer looked at Akira. “Are you his girlfriend? Are you two sneaking off for a date?”

“No.” Akira’s tone was firm.

“A friend then. Get to class and take him with you.” The second officer ordered.

“Like I’m tryin’ to say…! I don’t know what’s goin’ on either!” Ryuji protested.

The first officer, who seemed to be rather annoyed at Ryuji, addressed him condescendingly. “We passed by Shujin on our way here. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. If you spout any more nonsense, I’ll contact your school. Is that what you want?”

Ryuji turned to Akira for some back up. “C’mon, say somethin’!”

Akira addressed the police officers respectfully: her emotions in check. “We’ll be sure to get to class now. Thank you, sirs.”

“Uh, that’s not what I meant…”Akira turned and grabbed Ryuji’s arm, dragging him back the way they came, despite his protests.

“Hey, what are you-?” Ryuji tried to break free as Akira dragged him.

“Shut up.” Akira whispered to him. “Just walk with me. Wait ‘til we’re out of view of the cops.”

They stepped into an alleyway. Ryuji crossed his arms and waited.

“Whatever just happened was not normal. What cop will believe us? Let’s just get to the school and see if it’s back to normal. If not, we’ll… figure something out.” Akira turned to go and Ryuji followed her back the way they came.

The two stood before the entrance of Shujin Academy. All was normal. There was no castle. No bizarre pinkish aura or knights at all. The school stood as it had the day before, normal and unchanged.

“Is this for real…?” Ryuji’s brow was furrowed in confusion and disbelief. “I’m sure we came the same way… What’s goin’ on here…?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you.” An adult walked out of the entrance and crossed his arms. With his crisp suit and disapproving expression, he looked like a guidance counselor.

The counselor went on. “We received a call from the police.”

“That damn cop snitched on us after all!” Ryuji muttered.

The counselor and Ryuji seemed to be familiar with each other. The counselor glanced at Akira. “It’s rare not to see you alone. Where were you roaming around until this time?”

“Uhh… a ca- a castle?” Ryuji clearly sucked at thinking up excuses. Was it not obvious to keep quiet on the thing that sounded like they had been doing drugs?

“So, you have no intention of giving an honest answer?” At least the counselor didn’t think they had been doing drugs.

“What’s this about a “castle”?” A new and familiar voice spoke. A tall, athletic man with black hair stepped forward. Akira swallowed her trepidation and shock, glad that at least this time, the man was clothed.

“Kamoshida!?” Ryuji didn’t hide his surprise nearly as well as Akira.

“You seem so carefree, Sakamoto.” Kamoshida addressed Ryuji in a peculiar tone. It was calculated to antagonize Ryuji. “Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team.”

Ryuji took the bait. “Shaddup! It’s your fault that-“

“How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida!” The counselor’s absolute rage startled Akira. Was Kamoshida that important?

The counselor took a deep breath. “…There’s not much leeway left for you, you know?”

“He’s the one that provoked me!” Ryuji jabbed a finger in Kamoshida’s direction.

“Do you really want to be expelled!?” The counselor threatened, the rage showing again. “In any case, you’ll have to explain yourself! Follow me!”

“What!? This is bullshit!”

Though Akira felt bad that Ryuji got in trouble, she was selfishly glad that Ryuji was so easily riled up. His anger and obvious previous offenses might keep the counselor off her back. She couldn’t hope for everyone to ignore it, but she might get a lighter punishment while they concentrated on Ryuji, especially if he was less cooperative than her.

“Come now. I should have been more considerate, too. Let’s just say that we were both to blame.” Kamoshida plastered on a smile that made Akira’s skin crawl.

“Well, if you say so…” The counselor sighed. “Still you’re coming with me. It’s undeniable that you’re extremely late.”

“Fine…” Ryuji relented.

“And who are you, young lady?” Kamoshida finally seemed to notice Akira. “Surely you aren’t Sakamoto’s girlfriend.”

“She’s the new transfer.” The counselor explained, staring at Akira with a narrowed, distrustful gaze. “Akira Kurusu.”

Ryuji and the counselor then entered the school. Before entering, Ryuji glared at Kamoshida and then followed the counselor.

Akira walked up the stairs, not meeting Kamoshida’s eyes. “I thought you were a boy.”

“I’m not.” Akira kept her expression neutral as she addressed the teacher. Internally, her heart hammered in her chest. She sent a silent prayer that he would not recognize her.

“…Have we met somewhere?” Kamoshida scrutinized her face.

Akira swallowed, finally meeting his eyes. “I do not think so.”

Kamoshida’s eyes widened in recognition and Akira’s throat went dry. “I saw you by the station earlier.” He smiled charmingly. “…Well, I’ll overlook this just for today, Kurusu, but remember, if you cause any trouble and you’ll be in trouble.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why don’t you come see me after class? I think I can help you adjust to your new life at Shujin.” Kamoshida’s tone reminded Akira of the smell of that castle: sickly sweet and utterly disgusting.

“I must be on my way to class, sir.” Akira said respectfully.

“Yes. Ms. Kawakami must be tired of waiting. She’s in the faculty office. Do you know where that is?” Kamoshida asked, smiling warmly at her.

“Yes, sir.” Akira could feel the man’s gaze on her as she entered. He was not safe. He was as safe as the man that accused Akira of assault had been.

“The school turned into a castle? A talking cat?” Sae inquired. Her tone was dubious. “Are you hallucinating from an overdose? I won’t put up with you if you’re simply joking around.”

Akira made the noise that sounded something like a laugh as Sae checked her watch. She seemed pressed for time.

“I’m going to have you continue the story.” Sae pulled a thick file out of her briefcase. “The one who received a “calling card” from the Phantom Thieves was an Olympic medalist… An alumnus from Shujin Academy- the PE teacher Suguru Kamoshida.” She pushed a picture forward into Akira’s line of sight.

Phantom Thieves. A rush of pleasure enveloped Akira. It was a good phrase, but the photo triggered disgust and hate. There was something more than just what she had spoken of. Another, much stronger, reason why she hated Kamoshida. What was it?

Sae noticed Akira’s expression. “It’s true that what he did were deplorable crimes from… indulging his desire. He confessed to it all.” Satisfaction. A small smile settled on Akira’s cracked lips.

“But there should’ve been no connection between the two of you since you had just transferred. Why did you target him?”

Akira focused on the photograph. Hate. Rage. Disgust. Why though? What was the reason? Her muddied mind refused to release the answer.

“I’ll tell you later.” When I remember.

“That’s unacceptable!” Sae leapt to her feet, yelling. “Try to recall it once again…!” She ordered, still towering over Akira’s shaking form.

Chapter Text

Of course it was Akira’s luck that something like whatever that castle was would happen on her first day. She left LeBlanc early, just so she wouldn’t be late. She didn’t want trouble from the teachers.

Lateness aside, why couldn’t she have gotten here during a class? Why during lunch? Hell, the whispers were starting as she walked in. A disgruntled, middle-aged male teacher approached her.

“You’re the new transfer? Late on your first day.” His tone was disapproving. “Do you like causing trouble for the school?”

“I got lost.” Akira pushed her glasses up her nose. It wasn’t much of an excuse, but it was all she had.

“Hmph, excuses are useless. Do you even want to be reformed? I bet this is a good sign of what you’ll be like here.” The teacher turned down the hallway, briskly walking off.

You try nearly being killed and then talk to me about being late. Akira permitted a moment of glaring before turning in the other direction.

“I hear he’s got all sorts of dangerous stuff in his bag.” A snippet of conversation made Akira stop dead in her tracks.

Was that about me? Akira’s heart kicked into overdrive. Sure, they said “he”, but most people assumed if one committed assault that person was a boy. I mean: people here had thought she was a boy before: Kamoshida, the Vanilla Pudding, Kawakami. Hell, even Sojiro thought she had been a guy.

No, she was being ridiculous and paranoid. She was a minor. Her records were sealed. She pressed on, ignoring the talk of a criminal coming to school: her heart still panicking in her chest.

“Isn’t the criminal a girl? Isn’t that her?”

“She’s gotten into all sorts of bad stuff.”

“Drugs? Prostitution?”

“All that, and assault.”

“I heard he’s a super problem child and no other school will take him.”

“You really think it’s a girl? Is that her?”

Akira’s breathing was calm, her face was blank, and she seemed unperturbed as she climbed the stairs to the second floor. The gossip and rumors were false. She would not let the lies bother her. Even if they did bother her, she would not let anyone know they bothered her.

“They really allow criminal into high school? I don’t want to go to school with someone like that.” A male student was chatting with his friend at the top of the stairs.

“Is he still a called a criminal if he’s underage? I guess all that matters is he’s dangerous.” The second student pondered.

“No, the criminal’s a girl.”

“Seriously? I heard it was assault, right? Even if she is a girl, she must be really scary-looking.”

“They should kick her out already. It sounds like she’s a bomb waiting to go off.”

Akira passed them without a second glance. She didn’t need to listen. Something had happened about her record and she needed to stay calm.

“Drinking, smoking, theft. I heard she’s done it all.” The whispers followed her down the hall.

“That’s her, isn’t it?”

The faculty office had more than a few teachers milling around chatting and eating, but Kawakami was at her desk. Akira took a breath and walked over.

“Unbelievable.” Kawakami sighed before addressing Akira. “Being over half a day late on your first day…? Can you explain yourself?”

“I got lost.” Akira repeated. She might as well stick to a single excuse than make multiple.

“I highly doubt you got lost this long, even if you are from the country.” Irritation leaked into her voice for the first time. “That accident might have messed with the train schedule, but that’s no excuse. Will you pull yourself together? You were given fair warning yesterday.”

Warning, right. Every single person is threatening me to stay in line. Akira’s anger never appeared on her face. “Yes, ma’am.”

Kawakami winced again at the address of “ma’am”, but continued on. “More importantly, I heard you were caught along with that Sakamoto-kun?”

A flare of protectiveness burned inside. “He helped me.” She spoke stiffly, defiance just barely leaking in her tone.

Kawakami shook her head. “Don’t get involved with him, OK? He’s nothing but trouble. He wasn’t like that when he was devoting his time to track and field, though…” Her gaze fell to the floor.

Kawakami shook her head and stood. “Anyway. Break’s almost over. Classes will end after fifth period today because of the subway accident. I’ll have you introduce yourself when class resumes. Follow me.”

Kawakami walked easily through the flood of students. Very few greeted her, mostly people gossiped about the criminal of debatable gender coming to school. The rumors were expected, what was surprising was Kawakami’s lack of warning about introducing herself.

Kawakami stopped in the hall, turning to her following student.

I had to think that. Akira exhaled, straightening up.

“By the way, when you introduce yourself… Be serious about it even if you’re lying to the class, OK? Do not say anything unnecessary.”

Yes, please lie about who you are, Akira. Even though it seems someone leaked your record! Akira plastered on a fake smile. “Of course, ma’am. I will be discreet.”

Kawakami sighed, and kept walking with Akira following wordlessly. More whispers and the occasional pointing at Akira followed down the hall and into the classroom.

Standing before the class was definitely worse than listening to the gossip and rumors in the hall. In the hall, at least Akira had some semblance of anonymity. Here, they saw her face and knew she was the subject of the rumors.

“Being super late on her first day? She really is insane.”

“I told you the criminal was a girl.”

“She looks normal though… kinda tall, but normal.”

“She might slug us if we look her in the eye…”

“Settle down.” Kawakami addressed everyone and the chatter quieted, but did not disappear. “Well, I’d like to introduce a transfer student: Akira Kurusu. Today, we… had her attend from the afternoon on since she wasn’t feeling well.” She lied through her teeth before addressing Akira. “All right, please say something to the class.”

Akira didn’t have the energy for a smile. “My name is Akira Kurusu. It’s good to meet you.” Her voice was calm, but she was not particularly warm.

“She seems quiet… but I bet when she loses it…”

“I mean: she was arrested for assault, right…?”

Kawakami pointed to a seat next to the window, paying the whispers no mind. “That can be your seat. The open one. Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with her for today?”

Akira didn’t have to strain her ears to hear the groans, complaints, and protests from the other students who would be around her. Without changing her expression, Akira walked to her seat behind the beautiful blonde girl from earlier.

“Lies.” She hissed as Akira passed. Akira shot the blonde girl a single wry look of “prove it”, but sat down.

The single look seemed to be all the other students needed to talk about Akira and the blonde girl.

“Do they know each other? Think they met “working”, if you know what I mean.”

“Seriously? That means she’s cheating on Mr. Kamoshida. Then again, this is Takamaki-san we’re talking about.”

“For real. That side of the room is totally awful.”

Akira felt a slight pang of sympathy for the blonde girl. Rumors and gossip must circle about her as well. Not that it was Akira’s problem. She had plenty to worry about. Best not get involved.

“Now, let’s get class started…” Kawakami began.

Class was exactly as Akira imagined it. Learning, yes, but with a backdrop of people whispering behind her back. It didn’t help that Akira kept thinking about the castle, the cat creature, Morgana, and that sense of power she had felt with those clothes on. How right it felt when she struck the contract with Arsène. Was it all real? It felt so real, but how could it be?

Finally remember me? Akira froze, her pencil suspended over her paper. Sweat dripped down her face.

What? Who?

I am thou and thou art I. I am Arsène. You heard me speak before, why are you so surprised now?

Akira swallowed, glancing around the room. Everyone was normal, not hearing the other voice that seemed to be in her mind.

Why have you not said anything until now? Akira dared think.

Arsène seemed to chuckle. You hid your rage and true self. It seemed prudent I should stay quiet in your mind, but I thought you might need a little reminder that everything that happened was real. Our contract is real. Morgana is real. What you did was real.

I am hallucinating. Akira told herself.

You don’t really believe that. Arsène retorted. I will remain silent, but you did need a reminder about how real our bond and contract is. Arsène went silent and Akira tried to concentrate on her lessons.

It was a relief to walk out of the classroom. Arsène had stayed silent the entire day, but that did not change her general anxiety of the whole situation. They an abrupt rush of pain hit Akira’s mind and the school around her seemed to swim and become a familiar-looking castle.

Huh?

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Kawakami’s voice jolted Akira back to reality. The pain receded to a dull throb and the hallway was once again a hallway.

“Is this a school?” Akira had to make sure. Something was wrong, either with herself or with the world and she didn’t know which was more frightening.

Kawakami sighed. “Are you sure you’re OK?”

Akira shook her head. “Yeah.” No, I’m not.

Kawakami rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Also… it seems like people are already talking about you, but I’m not the one who told them.” She looked at the ground. “I can’t even catch a break… Why do I have to deal with this?” She lamented for only a moment before resuming her conversation with Akira.

“You should head straight home without stopping anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry.” Akira exhaled as Kawakami talked. Great, one more thing on top of this already crazy day. She thought to herself.

Kawakami hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Oh, and about Sakamoto-kun, don’t get involved-“ She cut herself off as the blond approached the two.

“Speak of the devil…” Kawakami crossed her arms. “What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes today.”

Ryuji groaned. “It was nothin’.” He growled, not meeting her eyes.

Kawakami put her hands on her hips. “And you haven’t dyed your hair back to black either…”

“Sorry ‘bout that.” He retorted sarcastically. He turned and walked by Akira, whispering as he passed. “I’ll be waitin’ on the rooftop.” He was gone without waiting for a response.

“See? That’s why I don’t want you getting involved, understand?” Kawakami sighed and walked off, leaving Akira to make a choice.

It’s not like it really is a choice. Arsène whispered in Akira’s mind. Are you actually going to walk away from him after everything that has happened?

The fact that he remembers everything that happened there means I’m not entirely crazy, despite the fact I am talking to you. Akira pushed her glasses up her nose as two familiar people came up the stairs.

The Vanilla Pudding and Kamoshida stopped at the top of the stairs, still engaged in conversation. Akira pretended to be preoccupied with the student handbook she had sitting in her bag as she settled nearby, listening.

“Why can’t she join any clubs or teams? How did her record leak out as well?” Kamoshida’s tone was respectful, but Akira knew there was something more to it.

“I don’t know how the students got wind of her record, but I do know that her presence would unnerve the other students. I doubt any of the clubs would let her in. She’s certainly allowed to try out for sports teams, but I doubt she has the capabilities or that she would be accepted by the team.” The Vanilla Pudding explained.

“I think that encouraging her to try out for teams would be beneficial. She’s already been associating with Sakamoto. We don’t want her rehabilitation to be destroyed by him.” Kamoshida’s condescending tone made Akira grip the handbook until her knuckles were white. “Think how beneficial for the school’s reputation it would be if we had the student with a criminal record contribute something to the school and prove Shujin rehabilitated her.”

The Vanilla Pudding nodded. “Yes, of course, Kamoshida-kun. That sounds very promising for the school, as well as Kurusu. Her previous school record did mention she was an athlete, but I don’t remember what she played. Do you have a recommendation, Kamoshida-kun?”

“I think that the volleyball team is the only option. The track team is all but dead, and we have no other team worthy of note.” Kamoshida degraded the other teams without a second thought.

“Are you sure? You’re our star, we don’t want her to ruin your team right before nationals.” The Vanilla Pudding sounded like an overly doting grandfather.

“Don’t worry. My team is perfect.” Kamoshida reassured him. “Do I have your permission to recruit Kurusu?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, sir.” Kamoshida and the Vanilla Pudding departed, leaving Akira still holding the student handbook.

Akira shut it with a snap, shoving it into her bag. Ryuji was on the roof; maybe she could talk about that little conversation as well as that castle-thing.

Kamoshida intended to recruit her. The very idea sent shivers of revulsion through her. The image of Kamoshida she had seen in the castle was stuck in her brain. Everything about the man sent warning signals all through her. For once, Akira was fiercely glad that she had her record and everyone knew.

Everyone avoided her as if she had some horribly infectious disease. No one stopped her or spoke to her. She did notice that an unusually large amount of students were sporting bruises and bandages as well as other medical supplies. Though vaguely curious, she dismissed it as she ascended the stairs, ignoring, as always, the whispers and rumors.

Chapter Text

The roof was, predictably, upstairs. The doors were labeled with warnings about not going out onto it, but the door was unlocked.

The roof had several planting beds that didn’t appear in use. Several old, half-broken desks were collected on one side. Ryuji sat at one of the old folding chairs, leaning backwards lazily. His brow was creased in thought, but he glanced up at Akira when she walked out and sat on one of the desks.

“There you are.” He said impatiently. “Sorry for calling you up here like this.”

Akira shrugged, crossing her arms. She waited.

“I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like “don’t get involved with him”, huh?” Ryuji wore a self-deprecating smile.

“She said that you were a troublemaker.”

Ryuji chuckled. “We’re pretty much in the same boat if the rumors are to be believed. Criminal record, huh? Everyone is talking about it. No wonder you were so gutsy.”

Akira put down her bag by the desk and settled more comfortably. There was silence as the two of them thought about the castle.

“…What was all that that happened? You know, how we almost got killed at a castle…” Ryuji hesitated. “It wasn’t a dream… right? You remember it too, yeah?”

“Well, if I didn’t, then why would I have come up to see you when everyone is telling me not to?” Akira tried to make him smile.

Ryuji shook his head, defeat etched on his face as he stared at the ground. “Well, just ‘cause we both remember it doesn’t mean much though.”

There was silence as the two remembered the stench of the cell and the beatings from the guards.

“I mean, even if it was a dream, you saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah… Thanks.” Ryuji nodded, like he was pleased that he said that. “But man, that Kamoshida we saw there… You prolly don’t know about it, but there are some rumors about him.”

“He intends to recruit me for the volleyball team.” Akira informed Ryuji.

“The hell?” Ryuji jumped to his feet. “You can’t! You don’t want to be on any team he coaches! No one says anything against him ‘cause he’s some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals, but he’s a right bastard! You can’t join!”

“I intend to decline. All I can think of when I see him is that Kamoshida from the castle.” Akira shivered. “Gross.”

“The way Kamoshida was king of that castle felt crazy real ‘cause of that…” Ryuji hesitated for a moment. “I wonder if we can go back to that castle again…” He shook his head. “Ugh, forget it! Must’ve all been a dream! It has to be! Sorry to drag you out here like this. That’s all I had to say.”

Akira slid off the desk and stretched, picking up her bag.

“You know, we might be pretty similar.” Ryuji stretched, smiling. “I feel like we’re gonna get along just fine as “troublemakers.” I’m Ryuji Sakamoto. Just Ryuji, alright? You saved my life, you don’t need to add anything else.”

“Akira Kurusu.” Akira smiled at him. She liked his goofy smile and bad posture. He felt authentic. “Just Akira, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Akira.” Ryuji nodded. “I’ll talk to you if I see you around, so don’t ignore me, all right?”

“We’re fellow troublemakers, you’d better not ignore me.” Akira retorted.

Ryuji laughed. “Seeya, Akira.” He walked off, leaving Akira on the roof.

Contrary to what Akira had originally thought about this school, she had made a friend. Through a strange event that was apparently real (according to the voice in her head), yes, but a friend, nonetheless. Ryuji Sakamoto.

Akira couldn’t keep the faint smile off her lips as she rode the train back to Leblanc. The bell chimed pleasantly as she entered and the smile faded once she saw Sojiro’s expression.

“Hey, I got an interesting call from your school today.” His arms were crossed and his tone was irritated. Akira vividly recalled the repeated threats of tossing her out or handing her over to the police. She swallowed her fear and kept her face impassive.

“It’s only your first day and you’re already showing up hours late?” He demanded.

“It was an accident.” Akira admitted honestly. “I had no intention of being late.”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says.” Sojiro’s sarcasm was biting. He took a calming breath. “Look, just behave yourself. Your life’s forfeit if anything happens. You understand the meaning of probation, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“OK, then.” Sojiro’s phone rang, ending the conversation abruptly. His tone was soft and he smiled when he spoke on the phone.

“Hey, how’s it going?” There was a silence in which Akira debated on leaving. “…Yeah, I just closed up shop. I’ll be there in half an hour.” Sojiro then noticed Akira still hovering by the door.

He covered the speaker of the phone, glaring at Akira. “Hey, what’re you standing around for? Go hurry on up to bed.”

Akira rolled her eyes as Sojiro addressed whoever was on the phone in the soft voice. “…No, I just hired a part-timer.”

Once upstairs, Akira dropped her bag and fell facedown on the bed. Her body ached and felt far heavier than it should be. Though she bore no bruises or injuries from her experience in the castle, she could still feel them as if they were there.

Arsène? Feel like explaining that? Akira thought to the being in her head, but Arsène was silent. She rolled over, tugged on her pajamas, and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Akira felt the heavy chains on her wrists and ankles before her eyes opened. She sat up in the ragged prison clothes and rubbed her face.

“About time you’ve come to.” Caroline griped. She hit the cell door with her baton. “On your feet, Inmate!”

“Our master wishes to speak with you. It’s for your own sake that you take his words to heart.” Justine explained as Akira rose and approached the cell door.

“First off, let us celebrate our reunion.” Igor addressed grandly. He raised a shaggy eyebrow. “Oh…? You’ve awakened to your powers, and special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin.”

Akira stared at Igor, her eyes narrowed. “How did you know that? Have you been watching me?”

Igor chuckled, putting his hands together. “When it comes to you, Trickster, I am aware of all you do.”

“That’s creepy.” Akira jumped when Caroline slammed her baton against the cell door.

“Your impudence grows tiresome, Inmate.” Justine reprimanded as Caroline put her baton back down.

“Be grateful that our Master is helping you! You’d better work hard on your rehabilitation, Inmate!” Caroline ordered.

“Fine.” Akira spat at the wardens. She looked to Igor. “You can see what I do and know about my life, great. Why?”

“It’s all for your rehabilitation.” Igor informed her serenely. “There is no need to understand it all for the time being. You will be training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to.”

“What exactly is a Persona?” Akira gingerly took hold of the cell bars, with a careful glance at Caroline.

“Personas are, in other words, a “mask” – an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters.”

“A mask?” Akira repeated touching her face, thinking hard.

“Pay attention inmate!” Caroline snapped, rapping her baton on the ground.

Igor waited for the inmate to return her focus to him. “I have high expectations for you.”

“For what? What do you expect me to do?” Akira asked, exasperated, waving her hands as much as the chains would allow.

Igor waved his hand dismissively. “There is no need to worry. You will learn when the time comes. By the by, have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces.”

“Wait, palaces? Like that castle? What navigator? What is the Metaverse? What do you mean?” Akira demanded. She longed to speak outside this cell, but there was no way they were letting her out.

Igor continued, ignoring Akira’s questions. “I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief.”

“A thief?” Akira repeated softly. What the hell was going on?

Caroline spoke up and Akira’s gaze snapped to her. “The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You’d better take care in using it, Inmate!”

“Devote yourself to your training so that you may become a fine thief.” Justine’s calm tones contrasted Caroline’s cutting ones.

Akira swallowed her questions. Whoever or whatever these guys were, they seemed to think she would figure things out eventually. For now she had to listen and remember to figure out what was happening.

“It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone.” Igor’s tone changed only slightly and Akira thought she heard almost fake sympathy. “Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well.” He nodded. “This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief.”

An abrupt bell sounded through the Velvet Room.

“Hmph, it’s time. Go back and enjoy whatever rest you might have…” Caroline ordered.

Akira’s mind grew foggy and her vision swam. The Velvet Room dissolved.

Akira sat up, drenched in sweat and she could still hear the sounds of the wardens. She grabbed her phone, shutting off the alarm that dragged her out of the Velvet Room.

Hell, was it real? She sat up, kicking her blanket off her sweaty body.

It’s real as I am. Arsène affirmed what Akira was already suspecting.

Oh, great. Akira exhaled. My dreams are telling me to become a thief. Like I didn’t have enough problems.

They’re not dreams. They’re real. Arsène insisted.

Fine. Akira heaved herself out of bed and got dressed. Today she would not be late. Besides, she was going to get an earful about being on time today.

This is unpleasant. Arsène informed Akira when she stuffed herself on the overflowing train car to Shujin. She clutched her bag to her chest, pretending everything was fine and she wasn’t uncomfortable.

You’re telling me. Akira griped, listening to the gossiping people around her. They’re talking about the train accident the other day. She realized.

“What was that conductor thinking, charging into the station at top speed like that?” It sounded like a student, but Akira couldn’t move to see who it was.

“Didn’t you hear? The guy totally lost it.” It sounded like another student. Probably friends on their way to school. “It’s been happening a lot lately.”

Has it? Keeping up with the news hadn’t been a priority for Akira during the arrest and trial.

“All these accidents are because people are suddenly losing their minds, right?” Creepy.

“Well, between the economy sucking and how depressing the news always is, it’s not all that surprising.”

Akira shut her eyes and took a deep breath as the train rolled into the station. Seriously, some people were very, very stupid.

Akira waited in a crowd for the train to arrive. A few people shared the same uniform as Akira, which she took as an indication she was going in the correct direction.

“Look, isn’t that her?” Akira froze when she heard a student say that. She tried to discreetly look at the speaking student. Did she intimidate them away? Did she dare look?

“You mean the one with the red ribbon?” A second student wearing a Shujin uniform nodded to a girl with brilliant red hair that stood at the front of the crowd.

“Uh, I guess so?” The first student said. “She’s so thin… It’s not fair, I’ve got my hair in a ponytail too.”

“Okay, and what’s that got to do with being thin?” The second student asked as the train rolled in.

Akira sighed in relief. Perhaps she wasn’t as obvious as she thought she was. At least outside of the school, Akira had some degree of anonymity. She took some solace in that.

Akira stood on the train; there wasn’t any free seats. Another Shujin student, a girl with brilliant red hair tied in a high ponytail, had snagged the only free one.

“Please, take my seat.” Akira blinked, seeing the red-haired girl speak to an elderly woman on the train. “My station’s coming up.”

“Are you sure?” The elderly woman asked.

The red haired girl smiled warmly and moved, but before the elderly woman could sit, a disgruntled businessman slid into the seat without hesitation.

“Oh, wow, what speed.” The red-haired girl blinked and recovered. “I mean – Excuse me, that seat was for this lady-“

The businessman proceeded to fall asleep in the seat. The red-haired girl looked unsure of what to do.

“Would you like me to ‘wake him up’?” Akira asked without thinking. She was touched by the red-haired girl’s kindness and in her chest burned irritation.

The red-haired girl nodded her thanks. “It’s all right. I can understand his position as well.” She turned apologetically to the elderly woman. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be any help.”

“It’s alright, dearie. Don’t you worry.” The elderly woman reassured her.

The red-haired girl’s face brightened up with an idea. “Please allow me to carry your luggage, at least.”

“Thank you!” The elderly woman spoke earnestly. “Ain’t it heavy, though?”

“Not at all! I train plenty!” The girl spoke cheerily.

I used to be like her. Akira thought, remembering how she was before the trial.

You didn’t do anything wrong, Akira. Arsène reminded her.

Stepping off the train, Akira followed the crowd. She didn’t notice the red-haired girl running to catch up to her.

“Pardon me.” The red haired girl stopped Akira. She bowed formally to Akira. “Thank you so much for earlier.”

Akira, taken aback with the formality, froze up. “I’m …sorry?”

“For speaking up when I offered my seat on the train.” The red-haired girl clarified. “You’re a second-year at Shujin Academy, correct? I’m a first-year there myself. Thanking you totally slipped my mind back on the train, and I didn’t want to be rude to my senpai.”

A part of Akira was happy to be treated like this. She hadn’t been treated like this since before the trial. Another part of her was uncomfortable. It felt like she was lying to this little first-year.

“Please, excuse me!” The red-haired girl gave another short bow before running off.

Akira waited a bit before following the same route out of the train station. She took out her umbrella, put the strange little first-year out of mind, and took special notice of the way the other students were walking. Keeping a safe distance away, she followed, hoping, praying that she wouldn’t end up at that castle again.

Why so worried? We can handle it. Arsène reminded her.

Yes, we probably could, but showing up late did not help my reputation. I can’t screw up today. Akira exhaled a sigh of relief when the school came into sight. It was a school and only a school, not a castle anywhere.

Akira kept an eye out for Ryuji, but didn’t see him on her way in. A few teachers made snide comments about her showing up on time, but it was nothing major. Pretending she didn’t hear them and walking on by seemed to be the best solution. She spotted Kamoshida once and slipped into the neighboring hallway before he could see her.

Akira was in her seat, previewing the material for the day while the others chatted with each other. The blonde girl sat down in front of her again, but Akira ignored her. If the blonde girl did have problems like Akira thought, there was no way the blonde girl wanted to talk to a delinquent.

The classes were the same as yesterday, except the topics were duller. Hell, what kind of teacher was this? He went on and on about rules of society and being a good person. What social studies teacher talks about this? Isn’t there more to the curriculum?

Even during classes, stupid rumors managed to work themselves in. Akira, being a delinquent, was not in the loop about rumors, but people talked and Akira listened. There was the usual blabber about her, but, like all gossip, new things came up. The girl sitting diagonally in front of Akira whispered to her friend about an “incredible first-year”. Akira’s mind when the cute little red-haired first-year. Perhaps she and the incredible first-year were friends.

The boy sitting directly next to Akira whispered to his friend about the really hot honor student and lamented that this class was already full thanks to the delinquent transfer. They glanced at Akira and whispered about the knife she carried in her bag. Akira kept her head down and stared at her paper.

It was a blessing when the bell rang, but only for a moment.

Kamoshida and the blonde girl were talking outside the room. Akira slipped the student handbook out of the bottom of her bag and buried her nose in it, listening to the conversation.

“Takamaki, are you looking for a ride home? Things have pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents.” Kamoshida’s tone made Akira want to shower. It felt slimy and gross.

Takamaki shook her head, her expression downtrodden. “Sorry, I have a photoshoot today. It’s for the special summer issue, so I can’t afford to miss it…” She didn’t look or face Kamoshida; instead she looked at the ground, her body angled towards the door.

“Hey, now…” Akira shivered at the disappointed tone Kamoshida used. “Being a model’s fine and dandy, but don’t work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned you weren’t feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?”

“Lies…” Akira remembered what Takamaki said to her the first time.

“Yes, I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I’ve been too busy… Sorry to worry you.” Takamaki’s lies were told so deadpan and her expression was so sad and defeated.

“You must be lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often. That’s why I asked you out in the first place.” Kamoshida’s tone was reasonable, but his words weren’t. He asked her out? A teacher asked out a student?

Akira turned the page, but nearly froze when she heard her name.

“Hello, Kurusu.” Kamoshida smiled at Akira. Takamaki was walking away as Kamoshida approached Akira.

“Mr. Kamoshida.” Akira nodded at him, turning away, tucking the book into her bag.

“Kurusu, I’d like to see you in my office.” Kamoshida’s tone was perfectly respectable, but Akira could only see the leering face she had met in the castle.

“Have I done something wrong?” Akira turned when she was sure her face would betray no emotion.

“Of course not.” Kamoshida waved his hand dismissively. “I only wish to speak with you. Kurusu, please follow me.”

Seeing no way out of this, Akira followed Kamoshida down the hall and up the stairs. The PE office was large, with Kamoshida’s messy desk and a large case of shiny trophies.

Kamoshida sat down at his desk, smiling at Akira. “Kurusu, I will get straight to the point. I am aware of your prior record, as are all the teachers, but you don’t strike me as a bad kid.”

Akira shifted uncomfortably, recalling all the things at the castle. He didn’t seem to remember. “I’m surprised you think so.”

“I’m sorry your record got leaked, but I think there’s a way I can help you become accepted at Shujin.” Kamoshida gestured to the trophy case. “My volleyball team is the pride and joy of Shujin and I found out that you were an athlete before you incurred your record.”

“I was an ice skater, not a volleyball player.” Akira pointed out. It was true. She had loved ice-skating prior to the incident. She still did.

Kamoshida shook his head. “Still, a sport is a sport.” He stood up. “I’ll be blunt, joining my team can help you get passed your record. I do have influence here, and I can make your time here much more enjoyable.”

There was silence as Kamoshida waited for Akira to think over what he said. A shit-eating grin settled on his face as he thought there was no choice for Akira.

“No.” Akira was firm.

There was a moment of silence as her response sank in.

“What? You do realize I can help you succeed here at Shujin?” Kamoshida’s voice still had a tone of levity, but it had shifted to the tone that he used to talk to Ryuji in front of the counselor. There were undertones of danger and irritation.

“Yes.” Akira’s tone was almost impertinent. “Regardless, my sport is ice skating. I don’t like team sports. Good day, sir.” She left without another word.

You cannot stifle yourself like you have before. Arsène explained the lingering question in Akira’s mind as she trotted down the hallway. Do you remember your contract? Together, our rage was released and it cannot be chained again.

So… I have a lower tolerance for people abusing their power? Akira inquired; almost giddy at the disrespect she had just done to the teacher.

Correct.

Chapter Text

“Yo.” Ryuji got off the wall and walked over to Akira as she emerged from the school.

“Hey.” Akira smiled at him and she heard the gasps of the passing students. Several stared at the two and whispering broke out. Ryuji glared at the passing students, but they didn’t run until Akira glared at them.

A few teachers passed the entrance, all wearing varying expressions of surprise, anger, and resigned acceptance when they saw the troublemaker and the delinquent together. Kamoshida wore an expression of the purest rage that Akira hadn’t seen since the castle.

Akira jerked her head and the two left the view of the school to loiter in the area next to the vending machines. She put her hands into her pocket.

“What’s up?”

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry about that. I didn’t think everyone would get so worked up about us talking. Kamoshida now hates you.”

Akira shrugged. “I also declined his offer about the volleyball team, so, honestly, I don’t think you did much.”

Ryuji snorted and stared at the ground for a moment. “I wanna talk about that castle from yesterday.” He said eventually. “I tried tellin’ myself it was all just a dream… but I couldn’t do it.”

“I know that feeling.” Akira muttered to herself as Arsène laughed in her mind.

“I can’t act like nothing happened. It’s all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all.” Ryuji nodded resolutely. “I wanna find out what’s up with that place, no matter what. And, y’know, you’re the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?”

“Sure, what’s next?” Akira answered without any hesitation.

Ryuji blinked. “Wait, seriously? Just like that?”

“Yeah. What’s next?” Akira repeated.

“I think we should just try and retrace our steps from yesterday.” Ryuji reasoned after recovering from his shock. “In the meantime, you’re walkin’ to the station, right? Let’s go together. Lemme know if you notice any other weird buildings on the way.”

Akira and Ryuji found the awning that they had met under without incident. Their plan was only to retrace their steps and keep an eye out for the massive castle. It couldn’t be that hard to find.

“Huh?” Ryuji stared up at the school with the same confusion he had when they found the castle. Akira glanced back at the alleyway they had followed.

“Didja see somethin’? ‘Cause I didn’t see no castle either…” Ryuji stared at the school with a furrowed brow. “We must’ve made a wrong turn somewhere. Let’s try again.”

“Round 2.” Akira commented.

Ryuji gave a half-smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t mess up this time.”

The two found themselves once again standing in front of the, now empty, Shujin Academy gate, after the second attempt.

“For real…?” Ryuji turned on the spot, staring at the towering buildings. “Is it smaller than we think it is?” He wondered. “What do you think?”

Akira tapped her fingers against her arm. “Did you try looking it up on your phone?” She asked lamely.

Ryuji shook his head. “I already did that. I didn’t see anything like it around here.” Realization dawned on his face. “Phone… Hey, that reminds me – didn’t you have a navigation app thingy on, back then?”

“Navigation?” Akira repeated as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. What had Igor said? Metaverse Navigator?

“There was something that sounded like a phone.” Ryuji looked over her shoulder as she unlocked the phone. “Y’know, didn’t it say stuff like “returned to the real world” or something like that?”

“Maybe?” Akira shrugged, shifting through her apps. She froze, her thumb hovering over the familiar pulsating app.

“What’s that eyeball-lookin’ thing?” Ryuji pointed, still looking over her shoulder.

“I deleted it three times already and rebooted my phone.” Akira’s finger hovered over it.

“Wait, what?” Ryuji raised an eyebrow. “What a weird app…”

“Tell me about it.” Akira, for the first time, tapped the app. It opened showing a search bar and a map. She tapped the search bar.

“It is a navigation app!” Ryuji said excitedly. “Look, there’s even your search history.” He pointed to the suggestion under the search bar.

“Oh, man, I’m such a genius!” Ryuji congratulated himself. “Let’s try usin’ it.” He tapped the suggestion without waiting for Akira’s response.

“Kamoshida… Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle…” The phone spoke in a pleasant female voice. “Beginning navigation.”

“There we go!” Ryuji smiled at Akira. “All we have to do is follow it and-“

The world suddenly turned pink, and Akira glanced around. There was something different about the world around them.

“Huh?” Ryuji didn’t seem to notice the change for a moment. “What the hell?”

In Akira’s hand, the phone screen displayed the eye-insignia and static. A buzzing sounded in Akira’s ears as a jolt of pain went through her head. The surrounding world around them swam and grew blurry, as if someone had taken her glasses. Before them, the school’s image shifted, changing as it had the day before in the hall into the castle that the two had stumbled upon.

Ryuji stared up in awe and Akira swallowed. In the time between her last visit, she had beaten back the memories of this place, but her revulsion of this place came back in full swing.

“Look! It’s the castle from yesterday!” Ryuji’s eyes were wide. He ran forwards, towards the door.

“Ryuji!” Akira hissed, chasing after him. “Ryuji, it isn’t safe!”

Ryuji heaved a sigh of almost relief. “We made it back… That means what happened yesterday was for real too…”

He turned and jumped. “Yeargh! Those clothes…!”

Akira looked down and blinked in surprise. She was wearing the same strange outfit she had been wearing when they escaped. She hadn’t even noticed the change. The red gloves were skin-tight and flexed as easily as her skin. She touched her face, searching for her glasses. Instead, the white and black half mask occupied her face. She could see as clearly as if she was wearing her glasses and the mask just stayed on her face. No strings, wires, or pins held it in place. How did she get in this? The blue flames? When had they appeared?

“That happened last time too, huh!?” Ryuji crossed his arms, thinking. “What’s with that outfit!?”

“Damn, I look good.” Akira stared down at herself. “This feels so good! I’ve never had clothes that feel this good!” She touched her freshly braided hair, her sense of touch as acute as if she wasn’t wearing gloves.

“Seriously? You LIKE it!?” Ryuji asked exasperated and confused.

“I look really cool.” Akira inspected her slightly heeled, buckled boots.

“What’s goin’ on here!? This makes no effin’ sense at all!” Ryuji complained as Akira continued to study her outfit.

“Do you have a mirror? Or a camera? I want to see how I look.” Akira asked, investigating her coat and its various pockets inside. These pockets were huge and deep, better than the pockets on any women’s clothing.

“Will you stop with the clothes!?” Ryuji demanded. “How are you not freakin’ out about this!?”

“Hey!” A familiar voice interrupted. Ryuji jumped and Akira turned, interested. Morgana the bizarre cat creature emerged from behind a column, his eyes narrowed in irritation.

“Stop making a commotion.” Morgana hissed, crossing his arms.

“You!?” Ryuji glared at the small bipedal cat.

Morgana glanced backwards. “The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be… To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape.” He left the question unasked and waited.

Ryuji either ignored the unspoken question or didn’t get it. “What is this place? Is it the school?”

Morgana, happier that Ryuji had quieted some, nodded. “That’s right.”

“But it’s a castle!” Ryuji jabbed his finger at the building beside him.

Morgana, undeterred by Ryuji’s abrupt loudness, kept explaining. “This castle IS the school… But only to this castle’s ruler.”

“The castle’s ruler…?” Ryuji repeated, not understanding.

“I think you called him Kamoshida?” Morgana offered. He swept his arm towards the old European-style castle. “This is how his distorted heart views the school.”

Ryuji shook his head in confusion. “Kamoshida…? Distorted…?” He glanced at Akira who was deep in thought.

“Explain it in a way that makes sense!” Ryuji demanded.

Morgana rolled his eyes. “I shouldn’t have expected a moron to get it…”

“What’d you say!?” Ryuji advanced aggressively. An ear-splitting shriek defused the situation swiftly as all three tensed for an attack.

“What was that?” Ryuji stared at the entrance, his breath shallower than usual.

“It must be the slaves captive here.” Morgana reasoned, as Akira stayed ready for a quick escape if necessary.

“For real!?” Ryuji exhaled. “Oh, shit… It’s for real!” He lamented. “We saw other guys held captive here yesterday… I’m pretty sure they’re from our school.”

“They are?” Akira asked, surprised.

Ryuji nodded. “I recognized the P.E. and volleyball uniforms, plus their faces were familiar. You haven’t seen them, have you?”

Akira shook her head as Morgana spoke up. “They’re mostly likely held captive on Kamoshida’s orders. It’s nothing out of the ordinary; it’s like that every day here.”

“No.” Akira whispered, but Morgana kept going.

“What’s more, you two escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit.” Morgana’s tone conveyed no empathy or any sort of kindness, only cold explanation.

“That son of a bitch…!” Ryuji cried out venomously.

“Ryuji…?” Akira asked. His tone was far angrier than she had heard previously. Was there something more between Ryuji and Kamoshida?

Morgana seemed to notice the venom too. “Ryuji?” He asked, tentatively.

“This is bullshit!” Ryuji declared before he rammed his side into the door. “YOU HEAR ME, KAMOSHIDA?” He yelled, hitting his fist against the locked door.

“Doing that isn’t going to open it, you know.” Morgana pointed out unhelpfully.

“Ryuji.” Akira spoke softly, touching his shoulder.

“Still, it seems you have your reasons.” Morgana said as Ryuji turned, anger still etched all over his face.

“Hey, Monamona!” He shook off Akira’s hand.

“It’s Morgana!” The cat creature retorted irritably.

“Do you know where those voices are comin’ from?”

Morgana blinked, his huge blue eyes wide. “You want me to take you to them?” He crossed his arms, chewing his lip in thought. His gaze flicked to Akira. “…Well, I guess I could guide you there, but only if she comes with us.”

Akira raised an eyebrow at him. “You intended to leave me behind?”

Morgana jumped up, a smile on his face. “It’s settled then!”

“For real? Yeah, thanks, Akira.” Ryuji clapped her on the back, smiling.

Morgana nodded, turning. He glanced back. “All right, let’s do this. Follow me!”

Morgana jumped up to the same vent that they had escaped from. Without hesitation, Akira jumped up and hoisted herself inside easily. She slid through the vent and landed lightly on the ground, waiting for Ryuji and Morgana.

“This was our escape route from last time.” Ryuji murmured as he slid out. Morgana had entered before him and was checking the outside hallway with Akira.

“That’s right. Not bargaining in through the entrance is one of the basics of phantom thievery.” Morgana glanced up at Akira. “You entered well. Have you done this before?”

“Uh, no.” Akira mumbled, recalling what Igor said. He and the wardens wanted to train her as a thief. Was this what he meant? Did she want this?

“How’re we supposed to know that stuff?” Ryuji landed far less elegantly than Morgana or Akira, but it was still reasonably quietly.

“I’ll teach you as we go.” Morgana reassured. “Come on.” He darted out into the hall.

Ryuji grabbed Akira’s arm before she could follow. “Sorry for draggin’ you into this, but I just can’t forgive that bastard Kamoshida doin’ whatever the hell he wants!” His expression softened. “Really though, thanks for comin’ along. I owe you big time!’

“Don’t worry about it.” Akira whispered. She jerked her head towards Morgana. “Come on.”

Akira and Ryuji settled behind Morgana, peering into the entrance hall they had run through earlier.

The castle was the same as it was previously, except it felt, if possible, more dangerous. Maybe it was because Akira now understood more of what this place was. The air still stank of the sickly sweet cologne and perfume and the pinkish tinge of the world seemed to be tempered with a slight little bit of red.

“We’re clear. Come on.” Morgana quietly ran into the entrance hall with Akira and Ryuji behind him.

“This is… where we entered the first time, right?” Ryuji looked to Akira for confirmation who nodded.

Ryuji jumped when the entire room shimmered and became the entrance hall to the school. It was only a moment before it returned to the disgusting, opulent castle.

“What the…?” Ryuji whipped his head around as the room shifted for a second time. “I was seein’ double or something just now…! Was that Shujin!?”

“I’ve told you before. This place is your school.” Morgana remarked irritably. “Regardless, we don’t have the time to stand around. Who knows when a Shadow might show up? Come on, this way!” Morgana darted across the carpet to the same hall that led to the dungeons.

Akira ran after him, feeling the sensation of power that accompanied her clothing change. She could feel Arsène inside her, positively humming with power. She wasn’t looking for a fight exactly, but she was certainly ready for one.

Akira followed Morgana, while checking to make sure Ryuji was following. He would stop to stare at the bizarre architecture, despite the danger they were in. Though she heard no Shadows approaching, Akira made sure Ryuji stayed close just in case. He was tenacious and brave, but he lacked a Persona, or even a weapon.

Morgana led them deep into the dungeons, down a different hallway. The three crouched, peeking around a corner at a patrolling Shadow.

“Damn.” Morgana hissed. “Alright, we’ll need to fight. Pay attention to all I teach you.”

Morgana was a more hands-on teacher, than anything. He would demonstrate and expect Akira to follow through. It was a sink-or-swim teaching method, but Akira definitely swam. Her entire body felt light as she learned to rip-off masks to ambush Shadows, abuse the weakness that all enemies had, and hiding in plain sight. Arsène was a tremendous help in teaching Akira things that Morgana skipped, or explained only briefly.

“Why ain’t anybody here?” Ryuji glanced at the cells that had held people only a day ago. “Dammit, they were here before! Where’d they go!?” He turned to Morgana.

“Quiet down!” Morgana hissed.

“Oh yeah, there were more of ‘em further in too!” Ryuji suddenly remembered, bolting down the hall.

“Ryuji.” Akira hissed, about to run after him.

Morgana grabbed her sleeve. “They might have been transferred already…”

Ryuji abruptly bolted back up the stairs to Akira. “Crap, I can hear footsteps comin’! Lots of ‘em!”

“We can’t be found out.” Akira whispered urgently.

“Yeah, this way!” Morgana jumped over to a strangely shimmery wooden door.

Inside, the general disgust that Akira felt inside the castle seemed to lessen. The room was small and unremarkable, containing only a wooden table and a few chairs, but it felt safer.

“What is this?” Akira inquired as Ryuji bent over to catch his breath.

Morgana leapt onto the table. “This is a safe room. It’s due to the lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler’s control over this area is weak.”

As if on cue, the room shifted to a Shujin classroom, startling Akira and Ryuji.

“Is this a classroom…!?” Ryuji asked incredulously.

“Now do you understand?” Morgana inquired. “This place is another reality that the ruler’s heart projects.”

“This is Kamoshida’s reality…? Shit makes no sense at all!” Ryuji complained.

Morgana jumped up, trying to look at the two humans in the eyes. “One could say it’s a world in which one’s distorted desires have materialized. I call such a place a “Palace”.”

“A Palace?” Ryuji repeated, staring at the ground.

Akira nodded. “Kamoshida sees the school as his castle, so, in this world, it literally is a castle in which he rules. Am I right?”

“Perfectly, Miss-uh, what’s your name?” Morgana shrugged.

Akira blinked. “Oh, yes. Akira Kurusu.”

Morgana smiled genuinely. “Akira then, you understand perfectly.”

“So, because he thinks of it like this, it is?” Ryuji stared upwards for a moment, before punching the wall. “That son of a bitch!” He spat venomously.

“You must really hate this Kamoshida guy.” Morgana observed, putting his tiny paws on his hips.

“Hate doesn’t even cover how I feel.” Ryuji’s tone was low and he slowly enunciated every word. “Everything is that asshole’s fault!” He yelled, jabbing his finger towards the door.

Morgana exhaled, staring at the ground. “I don’t know what happened between you two, but don’t let your emotions get the better of you. His lackeys are everywhere inside.”

Akira recalled the counselor’s anger at Ryuji for yelling at Kamoshida. It wasn’t just in this world that the lackeys were everywhere inside the school. Something must have happened between Kamoshida and Ryuji and now the entire school was against him, if it was truly like this castle. No wonder he was so angry. She stuck her hands into her pocket, and fiddled with her knife mindlessly.

Morgana noticed the slight movement. “You’re curious about your outfit, aren’t you, Akira?”

Akira glanced at it again. “I mean, I look good and feel good in this outfit, but I kinda get engulfed in flames every time I change and it’s never under my control. It just kinda happens. Yeah, so what’s up with it?”

Ryuji nodded, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Yeah, I’m curious as hell about it, too.”

“That’s also because of this world.” Morgana explained.

“More stuff that makes no sense…” Ryuji griped as Akira raised an eyebrow.

“Kamoshida definitely does not see me like this.” Akira asserted. “I look and feel powerful. If everything I think is true about this bastard, I would definitely not be clothed this well.”

Morgana shook his head, crossing his arms. “Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within his Palace; he turned the school into a castle. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that. It’s the image of rebellion that you hold within.”

Akira furrowed her brow as she straightened her gloves. How she viewed rebellion? She remembered all the books that she had read those countless hours in the library as a child about the rogues that saved people. They dressed in black, wore masks, and had swishy capes. She glanced at her long coat. It was sort of a more practical version of a swishy cape.

“Okay, so my vision of a rebel protects me from Kamoshida’s distortion. What’s your guys’ excuse?” Her gaze flicked between Ryuji and Morgana.

“I’m immune.” Morgana said simply.

Ryuji shook his head. “Uuuugh, I’m so fed up with all this! I’m more curious about you than her clothes! What the hell are you anyways!?”

“I’m a human – an honest-to-god human!” Morgana immediately defended himself.

“No, you’re obviously more like a cat!” Ryuji retorted. Akira sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. These two bickered without any provocation.

Morgana bit his lip and cast his gaze downward. “This is, well… It’s because I lost my true form… I think.”

“You think?” Ryuji questioned.

Morgana recovered quickly from his uncertainty. “But I do know how to regain my true form.” He gestured around at the castle. “The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means. Well, I ended up getting caught though…” He winced slightly as he recounted the rest, but once again, recovered quickly. “Besides, I’ve been tortured by Kamoshida too! I’m gonna make him pay for sure!”

Ryuji shook his head at the absurdity of the situation. He and his friend who he met yesterday were consulting with a talking cat creature about how to get rid of an asshole of a gym teacher. That wasn’t even counting that they were in an otherworldly castle that was the cognitive reality of the school of said asshole teacher.

“What is this, a comic book? This is seriously crazy…”

“You’re the one that wanted to find out about this place.” Akira reminded him, smirking. She glanced at the door. “I think the Shadows are gone. Shall we resume our infiltration?”

“I’m counting on you if we run into trouble, okay?” Morgana nodded to Akira. He jumped down off the table.

Ryuji turned to Akira, his questions currently silenced. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna force it all on you, I thought it might help, so…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out something that made Akira’s heart skip a beat.

“I brought this just in case! It’s a model gun though, so it only makes sounds!” Ryuji smiled lopsidedly.

“That’s a toy!” Morgana retorted. Now that Akira had a moment to look at it, she could see the aspects that revealed it was fake. It was exactly as Morgana said; it was a toy.

“But it looks totally real, so it’ll at least fake ‘em out.” Ryuji said confidently. “I brought some medicine too. You know what they say: “Providin’ is pre…something.” Huh? Huh?”

“So, you were planning this from the start…” Morgana realized as Akira smiled lightly, taking the toy gun and the medicine. She slipped both into her pockets.

“Well, fine. Let’s go.” Morgana opened the door and the three crept out.

Chapter Text

Akira, Morgana, and Ryuji hid behind the plentiful barrels, listening to the guards talk and discuss their plans to find the thieves.

“Hm, I thought I just heard something over there… Guess it was my imagination.” One guard dismissed.

“And what of the slaves?” Another guard inquired. Beside Akira, Ryuji inhaled sharply.

“They’re all in the training hall. I’d assume they’re screaming in pain by now.” The other guard asserted. Morgana, Akira, and Ryuji all stiffened at that comment.

“Stay sharp, all of you. His Majesty warned of the escaped thieves. They might return, so stay on guard.” With that warning, the guards dispersed with far more agility and speed than they should’ve had in that heavy armor.

“Training hall.” Akira whispered.

“Know where it is, cat?” Ryuji prodded Morgana in the side.

“I’m not a cat!” He hissed. “Yes, I know where it is. This way!”

Morgana vaulted over the barrels with the two humans behind him. They hurried silently down the stairs, stopping only when they saw the shiny back of a guard. Morgana and Akira locked eyes for a moment. Akira glanced at Ryuji and held up her hand. Ryuji nodded and took a step back while Morgana and Akira crept down towards the guard.

Thanks to Akira’s superior athletic ability in this world, she jumped onto the Shadow’s shoulders and ripped off its mask. The battle was short, but adrenaline-filled as Akira dug her knife into the Shadows and shot curse magic at them. Morgana and Arsène both offered advice for fighting and dodging. The guard was silenced before he could call for help.

Ryuji emerged when only the Shadow had been defeated and dispersed into nothingness. They snuck down a different hallway than the one they escaped from. It was pretty similar to the previous hallway. It was dark, dank, cold, and smelled like the same sickly sweet cologne that the rest of the castle had. There was a different sort of undertone that became more and more pronounced as they descended the moist, uneven, stone stairs. It was the raw scent of fear.

Ryuji and Morgana grabbed Akira who, in her distraction, nearly walked out in front of two guards. The three crouched behind the abundant crates and barrels. Why were there so freaking many of these? They listened to the conversing Shadows.

“Hey, all clear here?” One guard inquired.

“Yes, sir.” The other guard reported. They continued speaking, as if the two planned to be there for a while.

“It doesn’t seem like they’re going to leave.” Akira whispered to her comrades.

“It’ll be impossible sneak past them.” Morgana asserted, peeking around the corner.

“Then, what do we do? Should we try and take ‘em down like before?” Ryuji whispered, leaning over Akira’s shoulder.

Morgana shook his head. “We have a long way to go, so we need to conserve energy.”

“O-Oh.” Ryuji said stiffly. He stepped back from the corner. “Dammit, I wish I could fight… At least, I’d be able to help out a little bit…”

Akira put a hand on his shoulder and smiled slightly, before returning her attention to the guards. There was a brief moment of silence as the three stared at the still-chatting guards.

Akira began to pull everything from her pockets. Maybe they could rig a distraction and run by? It wasn’t much: her knife, the medicine from Ryuji, her glasses cleaning cloth, a pencil, a scrap of paper with the directions for the train, her phone, and the toy gun from earlier.

“What do you have?” Akira whispered to her two comrades. Ryuji pulled out a phone and a sweatband from his pocket, shrugging. Morgana, instead of emptying the pouches he had on each hip, stared at the toy gun. A smile slowly spread across the bandit cat’s face.

“Akira, pick up that gun. I have an idea.” Morgana nodded, a mischievous look on his face.

“But it’s a toy! It doesn’t even shoot pellets!” Ryuji protested in a rather loud whisper as Akira returned the items to her pocket. She weighed the gun in her hand, trying to read Morgana.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure this will work.” Morgana reassured. He nodded to the closest guard. “Akira, rip off its mask.”

Akira shrugged. She was already running around in a magical outfit with a talking cat. Why not go the whole nine yards and try and defeat an enemy with a toy? Embrace her inner magical girl.

“Leave it to me.” Akira slipped the gun into the holster that formed on her belt. She jumped, tearing the mask off the Shadow. The moment it reformed, Akira had the gun in her hand, aiming at the newly reformed Shadow.

Akira stared the fairy-like Shadow and the plant-child Shadow down. She squeezed the trigger and an unmistakable boom sounded. The fairy-like Shadow screeched and hit the ground.

Akira stared at the gun in her hands. This was a toy, but something in it had shifted, just like her clothes.

“That’s it! Keep going!” Morgana pulled out a slingshot that was at least half his size and took aim. Akira kept a steady hand as she shot the Shadows with Morgana besides her. They dissolved into nothingness and Akira tucked the gun in the holster at her belt.

“Okay. Explain as we move.” Akira ordered Morgana as Ryuji emerged from behind the corner.

The explanation was quickly whispered as the three progressed deeper into the dank dungeon, avoiding all the patrolling guards. Ryuji complained about not understanding, but Akira got the picture. Cognition is what mattered in this world; it didn’t matter whose cognition it was.

Morgana’s teachings continued down deeper and deeper into the dungeon, and the screams of pain became louder and clearer. Arsène was mostly silent aside from the little times of coaching in battle.

The three made steady progress down with only a few injuries and Morgana had some sort of healing spell that worked impossibly well. It didn’t restore her energy, but it definitely healed bruises, cuts, and other injuries sustained during her battles.

Akira listened to a door, before opening it into a sort of dining area.

“All right, this is it!” Morgana pointed to a heavy wooden door at the other end of the room. A paper banner, much like one would see at a sports rally, hung above it.

“Kamoshida’s… Training Hall… of Love…? What kinda bullshit is this!?” Ryuji read.

Akira shivered as more screams issued from behind the door. “I’m sure that whatever is behind that door has neither love nor any kind of training. You sure you want to go in?”

“Yeah.” Ryuji scowled at the door as Akira listened for a moment before opening it.

The screams were completely clear now, along with groans and moans of pain. The stench of cologne that permeated the castle had diminished and been replaced with the stench of sweat and fear. It reminded Akira of the cells she and Ryuji had been locked in, minus the sewer smells.

There were no guards, so the three advanced towards the screams. They seemed to be on an observation balcony overlooking some kind of twisted volleyball court. Students in sports uniforms were secured to the net as Shadows, wielding battering rams, hit them on the back. They should’ve snapped like sticks under that sort of torture, but they endured.

“The hell?” Akira swallowed, staring at the spectacle with horror.

“Dammit! This is bullshit!” Ryuji growled. Akira glanced at Morgana. He had said he had been “tortured by Kamoshida too”, what had happened to him?

“How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down!?” Morgana hissed. He was sitting on a barrel, watching the two humans.

Ryuji exhaled. “But this is beyond messed up!” He jabbed a finger towards the sports court. He glanced at the edges of the cell bars. “How do I open this…?”

“Stop it!” A voice startled the intruders. A heavily bandaged boy, #3 according to the jersey, spoke. He was apart from the other boys, as if waiting for his turn to be tortured. His expression was hopeless and filled with despair.

“Leave us alone… It’s useless…” He had bandages covered half his face as well as most of his limbs. He moved gingerly and clutched one of his arms.

“Huh!?” Ryuji sputtered in utter confusion.

Another bandaged boy, #6, approached the door as well. “If we stay obedient, we won’t be executed like you guys! We won’t have the beast set on us!”

Ryuji clutched the bars, staring down the two defeated athletes. “You’re tellin’ me you wanna stay in a place like this!?”

“Wait a minute.” Morgana interrupted. “Were you planning on taking these guys out of here?”

“We can’t just leave ‘em here!” Ryuji retorted as #3 and #6 retreated from the door.

Morgana shook his head. “How stupid can you be?”

“What!?” Ryuji advanced on Morgana, but Morgana was unfazed. Akira only gave Morgana a questioning look.

“These are only humans in Kamoshida’s cognition. They aren’t real humans that have entered from reality. They’re different from you two.” Morgana explained impatiently.

Ryuji blinked cluelessly as Akira bit her lip in thought. She glanced once more at the hurt athletes. “So, they’re like Kamoshida’s idea of the real things?”

“Exactly! It means there’s no point in saving them! They’re different from the real ones in the real world. You could say that these are extremely similar-looking dolls.” Morgana added after seeing Ryuji’s still perplexed expression.

“The hell!? Why’s it gotta be so complicated!?” Ryuji complained. He crossed his arms and his brow creased in thought. “So the school’s a castle, and the students are slaves…” He laughed sourly. “It’s so on point that it makes me laugh. This really is the inside of that asshole’s head!”

Morgana leapt off the barrel and approached the cell bars. He shivered, crossing his arms. “Still, this is horrible. It must mean he treats them as slaves in the real world too.”

“In the real world too?” Ryuji and Akira asked together in shock.

Akira returned her focus to the athletes’ pain and torture. “He wanted to recruit me.” She whispered to herself. I knew he was evil. She thought to herself.

“Wait, I know these guys…” Ryuji realized. He had grasped the bars and scrutinized the imprisoned athletes. “They’re members of the volleyball team – the one Kamoshida coaches for!”

“They must be physically abused every day… There’s no way they’d be so beat up normally.” Morgana reasoned.

Akira remembered the bandaged students she saw before. Was this real? Were they abused?

“They’re going through similar shit in reality!?” Ryuji demanded.

Morgana nodded. “Most likely. I mean, this proves that Kamoshida thinks of them as slaves.”

“So it might be for real…” Ryuji realized. He crossed his arms. “I heard that Kamoshida’s usin’ physical punishment. They’re just rumors, but…” He glanced at Akira. “If they’re true, wouldn’t this be somethin’ to report to the police…?”

Akira swallowed her reply and criticism of the police.

Ryuji withdrew his cell phone and unlocked it. “I’ll use these guys as evidence. If it all goes well, we can take down that asshole Kamoshida!” There was a silence as Ryuji fiddled with the camera app. “…Huh? It’s not workin’!? We can use the navigation app, but the camera’s a no go!?”

“Wait, seriously?” Akira pulled out her own and tapped the screen. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get out of the navigator app. Turning it off, didn’t work at all.

“A navigation app?” Morgana inquired.

“That’s how we got here.” Akira shut the screen off and put her hands in her pocket.

“Do whatever you want, but we’re gonna get caught if we stand around like this. I also didn’t like that “beast” thing they talked about. We need to head back!”

“Hang on a sec!” Ryuji tucked the phone out of sight and gripped the bars firmly. “There’s no other way… I’ll just memorize their faces before goin’ home!”

Akira glanced back the way they came and down the halls beside them. “Currently, we’re clear. Morgana, keep a lookout. Ryuji, be quick.”

“Thanks, Akira.” He took off, stopping before other cells to memorize the abused athletes. Akira followed behind, her hand on her pistol as she walked past more cells. The torture methods varied. Some were on treadmills, with spikes behind them. They cried out for water and begged to be released. Others hung from the ceilings as balls were shot out of cannons onto them. All Akira could hear were screams and crying. She heard the athletes telling Ryuji to leave them alone as he passed.

They aren’t real. Arsène reiterated in her mind.

That doesn’t stop the screams from being horrible. Akira stopped before the hanging torture. This doesn’t even resemble training. This is straight-up violence!

A true monster. Arsène affirmed. A roar sounded through the halls, making dust fall from the rafters.

“Come on.” Akira grabbed Ryuji’s shoulder. “That sounds like that beast they were talking about.”

“Yeah. Let’s go!” They ran back to Morgana who tapped his foot impatiently.

Without speaking, the three ran back, retracing their steps. Guards must have noticed that some Shadows had gone missing and swarmed towards the Training Hall. Others were more wary, making their escape rather difficult.

They avoided fighting through a series of tricks (usually making a noise in one direction and sneaking past when the enemies went to investigate) and acrobatics. Akira climbed into rafters easily and hauled Ryuji up after her. Morgana jumped up with cat-like ability. The three waited for the Shadows to pass beneath them before they descended.

The screams were muted now, but Akira could still hear them, and every so often a roar rang through the castle, making the walls shake. Images of a dragon popped into her mind as the roars continued. What the hell did Kamoshida think of as a dragon?

“There’s the entrance hall.” Akira pointed as the three emerged from the foul-smelling dungeon.

“We’re almost out.” Ryuji smiled at Akira.

“Not yet.” Morgana reminded them.

The three ran into the open entrance hall only to skid to a halt as multiple Shadow Knights and Kamoshida stepped into their line of sight.

Chapter Text

“You knaves again?” Kamoshida looked down at them with disgust. “To think you’d make the same mistake again. You’re hopeless!”

“The school ain’t your castle!” Ryuji growled. “I’ve memorized their faces real good. You’re goin’ down!”

Kamoshida’s expression twisted into a smile. “It seems it’s true when they say “barking dogs seldom bite.” How far the star runner of the track team has fallen.”

“The hell are you gettin’ at!?” Ryuji’s tone was tough, but Akira did not miss the sideways glance at her.

“I speak of the “Track Traitor” who acted in violence, ending his teammates’ dreams. Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your… selfish act.” Kamoshida spoke each work with relish, dragging Ryuji’s shame out into the light.

“Ngh…” Ryuji’s knuckles were white, but he was silent.

“Violence?” Akira couldn’t stop the question. Was Ryuji like her? Branded with an assault charge? Though she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t squash the spark of hope in her chest. Someone like her?

Kamoshida’s face lit up with wicked glee. “What a surprise. Sakamoto, you never told your girlfriend what happened? Nothing at all?” He snickered and then addressed Akira. “He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever.”

“That’s not true!” Ryuji retorted through gritted teeth.

“You poor stupid girl, you’ve come along with this dumb brute and are now going to end up hurt …How unlucky of you.” Kamoshida turned to one of his guards. “Kill all but the girl. Hurt her if she resists. She can still be useful.”

“Ryuji, move!” Akira leapt in front of him with Morgana.

“Goddammit.” Ryuji growled retreating as the Shadows shifted.

“Arsène!” Akira yelled, summoning Arsène. The curse magic hit the nearest Shadow, a two-horned horse, forcing it backwards.

“Zorro!” Morgana cast wind magic on the other.

The two-horned horse charged, but Akira spun out of the way. She slashed at the Shadow as it passed her before summoning Arsène again. Arsène roundhouse kicked the Shadow with her high-heeled boots.

Morgana had whipped out his slingshot and was pegging the other Shadow with a barrage of pellets, doing far more damage than Akira thought possible with a single slingshot. The Shadows screeched and dissolved into nothingness.

“Ugh, useless garbage.” Kamoshida lamented. “Release the beast!” He ordered as a giant roar shook the room.

“The hell?” Ryuji cried, as the roar got closer. The ground shook with each step as something huge came closer.

Akira and Morgana stood back to back, between Ryuji and the Shadows. Kamoshida and his lackeys stood in from of the exit. A curtain, made of heavy red velvet, that covered one of the walls shook and fell away, revealing a heavily chained door.

“This beast is strong, but very stupid. It can take quite a beating, so you all are going to die.” Kamoshida explained as chains fell away and the shaking footsteps got louder.

The heavy doors rolled open, revealing something twice Akira’s height. It was humanoid, but its skin was gray, like stone. It resembled something like a troll, with huge arm muscles and a huge chest and tiny legs. Akira blinked. One leg was broken and the beast was limping heavily.

“KAMOSHIDA!” The beast roared in a voice that was too familiar. In an instant, Akira noticed the torn Shujin sports uniform and the tufts of dyed blond hair.

“Ryuji?” She asked in utter horror.

“The hell? What the hell?” The normal, human Ryuji stepped backwards, closer to Akira and Morgana.

“It’s like those students downstairs!” Morgana explained quickly, drawing his sword. “This is how Kamoshida sees Ryuji! As a stupid beast!”

“You want your freedom, Sakamoto?” Kamoshida addressed the huge brute. “Kill them, and I’ll grant it to you.”

“RAAAAHHH!” The fake Ryuji swung his huge limbs, trying to catch the tiny, fast targets.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Akira muttered dodging as fast as she could. Extremely similar-looking dolls, Morgana had called the abused athletes in the dungeons. If this thing was like that, why was this doll trying to kill them? And why was it huge and barely resembling Ryuji?

Cognition. Arsène spoke in her mind. Kamoshida sees Ryuji as someone who could attack anyone that Kamoshida manipulates him into hating. Belief is powerf- LOOK OUT!

Wha-? The Cognitive Ryuji caught Akira and flung her against a wall. She saw stars and crumpled in a heap, dazed and confused.

“AKIRA!” Morgana yelled, casting wind magic on the Cognitive Ryuji. The real Ryuji was ignored by the horrible twisted version of himself.

Akira’s ears were ringing and everything seemed muted, distant, and blurry, as if she wasn’t wearing her glasses, but Arsène’s voice was firm and clear: Get to Morgana.

Akira dove beneath the Cognitive Ryuji’s flailing arms, tumbling over towards the Morgana-shaped blur. Morgana cast a healing spell as Akira withdrew her gun. Her hands shook as she pegged the monster in the oversized torso. Her pain dispersed and her focus came back along with her hearing and sense.

The Cognitive Ryuji screamed, grabbed the bullet wounds on his chest and arms. Akira rolled and Morgana leapt away as Cognitive Ryuji brought his fist down to smash them.

Akira aimed for his piggy little eyes and let loose three bullets. She missed the eyes, but hit him twice: once on the shoulder and once skimming his forehead. The Cognitive Ryuji roared again, recoiling from the pain and Morgana jumped, stabbing his cutlass into the creature’s eyes.

A pitiful scream echoed through the castle and the Cognitive Ryuji threw Morgana across the room. The giant cognitive being screamed and collapsed, dissolving into nothingness.

Akira struggled to her feet only to have a shield bash her in the back and a heavy metal boot step on her back. Akira glanced back. The golden Shadow captain hefted his weight onto her weary back. Kamoshida himself stepped on Morgana. Both were too tired and injured to get up.

Morgana gritted his teeth. “Rgh… You piece of-“

“Stupid brute.” Kamoshida sneered at the place the Cognitive Ryuji had disappeared from. “So easily manipulated, right?” He raised an eyebrow at the real Ryuji. “Too stupid to think this through. I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn’t that right?”

Ryuji shook his head, his voice cracking. “No…”

“What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly. That’s why you’re so predictable.” Kamoshida simpered. Akira struggled, but the Shadow captain dug the heel of his metal boot deeper into her back.

“How dare you raise your hand at me.” Kamoshida went on. “Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?”

“Wasn’t no practice – it was physical abuse! You just didn’t like our team!” Ryuji yelled, his voice and hands shaking.

“It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me!” Kamoshida declared. “That coach who got fired was hopeless too. Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would’ve settled it with only breaking his star’s leg.”

Broken leg? Like that Ryuji-creature? Akira kept her gaze on Ryuji. He was on his knees, his body shaking; in pain or fear, Akira couldn’t tell. What had happened to him?

“…What?” Ryuji’s voice cracked in surprise.

Kamoshida dug his foot deeper into Morgana’s back, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the cat-like creature. “Do you need me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!”

Ryuji punched the ground. “Dammit… Am I gonna lose again…? Not only can I not run anymore… the track team is gone too ‘cause of this asshole!”

Akira and Morgana glanced at each other. Ryuji’s loathing of this man was clear. Kamoshida had stolen everything from Ryuji: his sport, his team, and labeled him a troublemaker. Just like me. Akira realized.

“Once these two are dealt with, you’re next.” Kamoshida promised. His dug his heel into Morgana’s back again. He winced, staring at Ryuji. The captain dug his metal boot deeper into Akira’s spine, antagonizing the bruises and probable broken bones she had sustained with the battle with the Cognitive Ryuji.

“Ryuji!” Morgana called, but Ryuji was motionless. He looked as defeated as the athletes trapped below.

“Ryuji.” Akira’s voice for the first time was soft and pleading. “Don’t give in.”

Ryuji tensed. “…You’re right.” His said finally. His voice no longer shook, but was a sort of grim realization. “Everything that was important to me was taken by him… I’ll never get ‘em back!”

“Stay there and watch.” Kamoshida ordered. “Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you.” His gaze drifted over Akira. “A waste, really.”

“No… That’s what you are…” Ryuji pushed himself up, his voice clear and firm. It was the voice of someone who made a decision. “All you think about is using people… You’re the real scumbag, Kamoshida!” He yelled. He walked forward, his jaw set, something horrible in his eyes.

Kamoshida glanced around at his men. “What are you doing? Silence him!”

“Stop lookin’ down at me with THAT STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!” Ryuji roared, pointing at Kamoshida.

You made me wait quite a while. Ryuji’s eyes flashed gold and his whole body tensed. He clutched his head, his body ungodly stiff.

“A-aaagh…!” He fell to his knees. His were eyes bloodshot and his breath came out in gasps.

You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. The voice spoke matter-of-factly as Ryuji twisted and screamed. The Shadows, unsure of what to do, stood frozen. Kamoshida’s brow was furrowed in confusion. Akira and Morgana glanced at each other and then back at Ryuji.

Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc…? Ryuji doubled over in pain, twisting and contorting as his nails dug into his own head.

The “other you” who exists within desires it thus… The voice asserted, as tears streamed down his face, mingling with sweat and saliva dripping off his face and body. I am thou, thou art I… There is no turning back! The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!

Ryuji abruptly looked up, staring at Kamoshida. Blue flames ran over his face, a black skull mask materializing on his face.

“Hmph, what can you do?” The Shadow guard seemed unimpressed. He raised his sword over his head. “Cower in fear and watch!”

Ryuji struggled to his feet, clutching at the sides of the mask. He grabbed it and ripped it off along with half of his face, screaming his throat raw. Blue flames engulfed him as he screamed, and the wind whipping around him, forcing Kamoshida and the Shadow Captain off and away from Morgana and Akira.

As abruptly as it began, the wind and flames stopped. Ryuji stood, breathing heavily and a smirk on his face. His clothes had changed into a black collared shirt with a red handkerchief and long black pants with shotgun shells at his belt. Behind him, blue flames and chains swirling around him floated a Persona. It was humanoid skeletal being standing on a 1700s-style wooden sailing ship with a set of graffiti angry eyes and sharp-toothed smile on the bow. The skeletal Persona had crossed swords on his chest and a cannon on his arm, instead of a hook.

Ryuji stared at his yellow-gloved hands in utter glee. “Right on…. Wassup, Persona… This effin’ rocks!”

Morgana and Akira rose, turning to Kamoshida with eager expressions.

“Now that I got this power, it’s time for payback!” Ryuji promised as he stood beside Akira and Morgana. He cracked his knuckles. “Yo, I’m ready! Bring it!”

“Hmph, Don’t mock me you brat!” The Guard Captain yelled transforming into a red-armored knight with a black horse.

Ryuji, still riding his power high, pointed at the Shadow. “Blast him away, Captain Kidd!”

At Ryuji’s command, electricity shot from the sky into the horse-riding shadow. The Shadow roared, summoning the double-horned horses from before. Bicorns. Arsène informed her.

Morgana cast a healing spell on himself and Akira as they readied their weapons. Akira summoned Arsène and cast her curse magic on the two bicorns while Morgana and Ryuji concentrated on the Shadow Captain.

Though Akira and Morgana were tired, Ryuji’s power and energy made up for the two of them. He struck hard and fast, though his enthusiasm sometimes got the better of him and he occasionally missed. Ryuji carried a metal pipe that he used like a bat and he, impossibly, pulled a shotgun from a pocket.

No time to wonder how it was possible, Akira kept the bicorns busy with occasional help from Morgana, but mainly Morgana and Ryuji concentrated on the Captain. The bicorns kept charging at Akira, who just had to jump sideways. They were fast, but they couldn’t turn easily. The Captain was fast, but merely jumping out of the way was not effective due to the mounted rider and his weapon.

Akira jumped out of the way as the two bicorns charged and took out her knife. She jumped onto one’s back and started stabbing the neck. It screamed shrilly and dissolved into nothingness. Akira hit the ground and rolled out of the way as the second bicorn’s charge.

Akira jumped up, her pistol in her hand and let loose every bullet left in her gun. Three bullets: two hits and one miss. The bullets that hit embedded themselves in the bicorn’s butt and upper right leg as it turned to charge Akira again.

While Akira was preoccupied, Ryuji kept summoning Captain Kidd and launching electricity into his enemy. He laughed almost maniacally as he jumped, ran, and fought, swinging the metal pipe. Akira was glad the euphoria was so potent on him. With her and Morgana so depleted in energy, it was everything they needed. Morgana struck when Ryuji was dodging, forcing the Captain to constantly divide his attention.

When Akira and Arsène struck the other bicorn down with a hit from their high-heeled boots, Ryuji whacked the Captain off his horse. Once separated, the horse disintegrated and the Captain lay on the ground, breathing shallowly.

“I… am a …loyal subject of the glorious…. King Kamoshida….” He affirmed, staring at the three that aimed their guns at his face. “So why… have I lost…?”

Ryuji smirked beneath his black skull mask. “It just proves that Kamoshida ain’t anything special.”

The Captain shook and dissolved into shadows.

Exhaustion hit the three of them like a train as they tried to look threatening at Kamoshida. Kamoshida, even though both his guards and his beast were defeated, watched with disinterest.

“How ‘bout that!?” Ryuji yelled, trying to keep from panting.

Morgana glanced at Ryuji with an incredulous smile. “Whoa… So Ryuji had the potential too…”

“Even if you apologize now… I ain’t forgivin’ you!” Ryuji declared.

Kamoshida was unimpressed. “I told you that this is my castle.” He shook his head. “It seems you still don’t understand…” He flicked his hand and footsteps echoed in the empty castle.

Akira tensed, forcing her aching muscles into readiness for a new battle. Instead of a monster, someone suspiciously familiar walked in.

“The hell?” Akira blinked. The blonde girl who sat in front of Akira, Takamaki, dressed in only a pink skimpy bikini, high-heels, and matching kitty ears wrapped her arms around Kamoshida’s shoulders.

“Wh- Takamaki!?” Ryuji sputtered.

“Oh…!” Morgana gasped. “Wha… What a meow-velous and beautiful girl!”

“What’s going on…!?” Ryuji demanded.

Akira shook her head. “That can’t be her. Remember that version of you, Ryuji? It must be like that. Like those athletes in the dungeon. She can’t be real!”

“Yeah.” Ryuji nodded, glancing at Akira. “Yeah. You’re right. But why is she even here!?”

Kamoshida smirked and held the fake Takamaki’s chin. His gaze slipped down to her chest.

“Let go of her, you perv!” Ryuji growled at him.

Kamoshida rolled his eyes, still holding Takamaki’s chin. “You are so stupid. How many times must I tell you until you understand? This is MY castle – a place in which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me.” He turned back to the three of them as Takamaki cuddled up to him. “…That is, everyone besides slow-witted thieves like you.”

“If I needed another reason to hate you.” Akira growled at him. He viewed a minor like that? Hell, the fact that he viewed anyone like that disgusted Akira. It was bad enough he viewed Ryuji as a stupid beast that he could manipulate into attacking people.

“Are you jealous?” Kamoshida inquired. “Well, I’m not surprised. Women aren’t drawn to problematic punks like you.” He glanced at Akira. “Well, at least not the pretty ones. Only the desperate and stupid.”

“Dammit!” Ryuji growled.

“Clean them up this instant!” Kamoshida yelled. From nowhere, Shadows appeared in front of them.

“We’re outnumbered… Let’s scram before we get surrounded!” Morgana stepped backwards towards the other two.

“We’re not gonna do anything and just run!?” Ryuji growled. His hate-filled gaze still on Kamoshida.

“We can’t do anything if we’re dead.” Akira spoke calmly, but she balanced on the balls of her feet, watching the Shadows for any sudden movements.

“Thank god you’ve got a level head.” Morgana shifted his weight slightly.

“Ngh… Fine.” Ryuji relented. He fixed his gaze on Kamoshida. “We’ll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!”

Kamoshida laughed, feeling the thrill of Ryuji’s threat. “I was beginning to get bored of torturing the ones here!” His expression twisted in anticipation and exhilaration. “Come at me whenever you want, if you don’t care about your life!”

“Ignore him. Let’s go!” Morgana glanced back at Ryuji.

“Now.” Akira ordered. She bolted off to the left with Morgana and Ryuji on her heels. The Shadows pursued, but Kamoshida didn’t seem to want to catch the thieves quite yet. He wanted a new thrill of taking on the thieves.

Chapter Text

Akira, Ryuji, and Morgana hid themselves behind a huge column outside the castle entrance. They all panted heavily. Morgana had cast the magic that healed all of their wounds from the battle, but it did nothing to restore their energy. At most, it just made Morgana more tired.

“Anyways.” Ryuji straightened up. He seemed to be the least tired out of all of them. “I don’t remember changin’ into this!” He told Morgana who was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

Akira crossed her arms and looked him up and down. “Y’know, I don’t think I would be into that sort of outfit, but, on you, looks good. Pirate with a more bludgeoning style than explosive-use, yeah? I like it.”

“Uh…” Ryuji looked down at himself and then at Akira. “Sure. Thank you, I think. Then again, it ain’t as bad as yours.”

“Hey!” Akira protested. “I look damn good! Shut up.” She crossed her arms.

“Did you find them!?” A loud voice echoed.

“Quiet!” Morgana hissed as the three tensed and listened. It only took a moment for the Shadows to leave, looking elsewhere. They never saw the entrance point right above the bookshelf? Or did they just think that the thieves were too large to fit?

“So what’s goin’ on? I’m completely lost, man!” Ryuji demanded, finally able to think about other things now they were not in immediate danger.

Morgana crossed his arms and exhaled. “I told you before: When a Persona-user opposes a Palace’s ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It’s to prevent you from being affected by distortions.”

“Why was he unaffected before?” Akira inquired.

Morgana put his paws on his hips. “Well, this is a theory, but I think since there was a Cognitive version of himself here, it took all of the distortion off of the real one.”

“Seriously? That doesn’t seem possible.” Akira crossed her arms and looked at Morgana skeptically.

Morgana shrugged. “It’s just a theory.”

Ryuji ran his yellow-gloved fingers over the mask, ignoring the two’s words. “Is this…? A skull?”

Morgana returned to his explanation. “Your appearance reflects your inner self. It’s the rebel that slumbers within… Not that you’ll get it.” He half-mumbled.

Akira remembered her own ideas about rebels from the books she read growing up. Was that the same of Ryuji?

“Hey, Ryuji, did you read pirate stories when you were a kid?” Akira asked, tucking her hands in her pocket.

“What?’ Ryuji glanced at her. “Uh, yeah, actually. European pirates were the coolest thing when I was a kid.”

Akira nodded. “That’s why. You’re subconscious idea of what a rebel is, is a pirate and mine is a roguish, dapper thief. Make sense?”

“Nope.” Ryuji shook his head.

“Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is.” Morgana said flatly.

“Easy for you to say.” Ryuji grumbled. His eyes suddenly widened and he gasped. “Wait, we’re in deep shit!” He yelled.

“I said: be quiet!” Morgana hissed.

“We might’ve gotten away here, but we’re still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school…” Ryuji realized.

Akira blinked. “I don’t think so, actually. The real Kamoshida didn’t recognize me when we escaped here the first time. He also didn’t say anything when I went to see him in his office. Morgana, is it possible he doesn’t know about this? I mean, you said those people inside weren’t real, is that Kamoshida not real?”

Morgana shook his head. “You’re right that he won’t know, but he’s definitely real. He’s Kamoshida’s Shadow. The true self of Kamoshida, if you will. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed – a side of one’s personality they don’t want to see.” Morgana gestured around. “This is Kamoshida’s cognition of the world and that Shadow Kamoshida is his true self.”

“I don’t get it.” Ryuji shook his head.

Morgana exhaled. “Kamoshida in your world has no idea about what happened here. No one does in reality besides us.”

“…So, we’re OK?”

Morgana crossed his paws. “Yeah. You’re both fine.” He said irritably.

Ryuji’s expression changed into a huge smile that was clear even while he has his black skull mask on. “All right! Now we know that, all we gotta do is-“

“Wait.” Morgana interrupted, wearing a smug expression. “I guided you as promised. It’s your turn to cooperate with me.” He put his paws on his hips. “That’s why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything.”

Akira crossed her arms, stung by the “idiots” comment. “Pardon?”

Ryuji’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Huh? Cooperate?”

“Don’t you remember? I originally came here for an investigation.” Morgana glanced back at the castle for a moment. “I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That’s why we must delve deep into Mementos and-“

“Whoa, hold up.” Ryuji interrupted. “What’re you goin’ on and on about?”

“Yes, do tell.” Akira’s tone was overly friendly. “We never promised to help you, Morgana.”

“Huh?” Morgana jumped. “Don’t tell me… Are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you?” He turned to Akira, addressing her specifically. “Especially you! You’re going to up and leave, even though you’re already part of my master plan!?”

“Am I?” Akira inquired. “Enlighten me about this “master plan”, please.”

Morgana glared at the two. “Is it because I’m not human? Because I’m like a cat? Is that why you’re making a fool of me!?”

“We’re busy!” Ryuji defended.

“You also called us idiots. I’m grateful for all that you taught us, but the fact that you aren’t telling us about your “master plan” besides saying that I’m an integral part of it and insulting us means: I really don’t want to help right now.”

Ryuji, not even fazed by the idiots comment, kneeled down next to Morgana so he was eye-level with him. “Thanks for everything, cat. You’ve got guts, bein’ a cat and all! See ya around!”

“Bye, Morgana.” Akira waved cheerily and the two ran off, away from the castle.

“Hey! What the hell? Ugh, seriously?” Morgana yelled after them. “Why’re you wrapping this up like everything’s all hunky-dory!? Oh, hell no! GET BACK HERE!”

Morgana’s voice faded as Ryuji and Akira stepped back into reality.

“You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.” Akira’s phone said in a pleasant female voice.

Both Akira and Ryuji had their hands on their knees and gasping. The moment the transition had occurred, a wave of exhaustion hit them both. They were in the alleyway right in front of the school.

“Thank god. We’re back.” Ryuji gasped. He was back to wearing his normal school uniform with his yellow T-shirt underneath it. He glanced at Akira who still was gasping. She had expended far more energy than Ryuji.

“I dragged you around a lot, huh?” Ryuji realized. “Sorry, man.”

Akira laughed breathlessly. “It’s fine. Anyway, I’m so much more tired here than I was back at the castle.”

“Me too.” Ryuji admitted. “Man, I’m gonna sleep like a rock when I get home.”

Akira pulled out her phone and checked the time. They had only been gone a few hours, but she was ready to crawl into her bed. She tucked her phone and hands into her pockets.

“But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good!” Ryuji’s enthusiasm returned. “I totally remember the faces of the guys Kamoshida was treatin’ like slaves. Once we make ‘em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done.” A thoughtful look crossed his face. “So… wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?”

“After what I just saw and what we did,” Akira gestured to the school, “like hell I’m walking away.”

A huge smile split Ryuji’s face, causing Akira to smile back. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

Ryuji’s smile faded as soon as it formed and he concentrated on the ground by his foot. “Hey, so… If you’re thinkin’ of layin’ low ‘cause you got a record, I don’t think that’ll help. Everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal.”

Akira’s shoulders fell. “I know. How’d it get out? Only the teachers knew my record.”

“Kamoshida opened his damn mouth!” Ryuji growled.

“How do you know?” Akira had just seen he was a horrible person, but what did he have against Akira specifically? Aside from the rejecting his offer and the castle shenanigans, that is.

Ryuji exhaled. “Only that bastard would. The other teachers wouldn’t want something like that to leak out anyway.”

“True.” Akira recalled the conversations with the Vanilla Pudding and Kawakami. “But he tried to recruit me. Hell, you saw the way he treated me at the castle. He tried to keep me alive almost every time he ordered the Shadows to kill you and Morgana when we were in the castle. It doesn’t make sense to leak my record. Well, now I think he would, because I literally chose you over him, but it was leaked when I came.”

Akira blinked as a realization hit. No one realized she was a girl before she came. The fricking principal didn’t realize she was female when they first met. Every single athlete down in the dungeon had been male. There was a female volleyball team, but none of them were in the dungeons. Takamaki had been in a skimpy bathing suit and cat ears.

“Aw, hell. He thought I was a guy when I first came here.” Akira exhaled, understanding as everything clicked into place.

“What? Dude, you don’t look like a dude.” Ryuji crossed his arms.

“No.” Akira shook her head. “When I first got here, the rumors were confused. Everyone thought I was a guy.” She glanced at Ryuji. “He wouldn’t like me if I was a guy, would he?”

It took only a moment of thought before Ryuji shook his head. “I mean: he probably would hate you as much as me.”

Akira shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips. “I try to be good. I seriously do. I try to, y’know, not stir up trouble, but instead I get an asshole abusing his power.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a club or a student: that asshole just wrecks things he doesn’t agree with.” Ryuji growled. “Just like he did with me!”

Akira recalled the beast from earlier. “He really did a number on you, didn’t he?”

Ryuji’s shoulders slumped. “No one’ll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumors about him getting’ physical might be real.” He jerked his head back towards the school. “And after seein’ Kamoshida’s distorted-heart thing in person, there’s no way I can just sit back!”

Akira snorted softly at Ryuji’s returned enthusiasm. “Well, neither can I. I’m with you.”

“I’m countin’ on you! Don’t worry; I’m hyped about this too!” Ryuji’s smile was clear and familiar.

Ryuji. Akira could see his goofy smile and hear his passionate voice in her ears even though he was nowhere near the cell. Her first friend. The first person brave enough to talk to her since getting that record. God, she missed him. It was almost like a physical ache in her chest. Sae’s gaze narrowed as a distant expression appeared on Akira’s face.

“Kurusu.” Sae’s voice jolted Akira back to her situation. “Acting as a Phantom Thief would’ve been more efficient alone. You could’ve gone about it that way, however, you did not.” Her red eyes bore into Akira’s unstable form. “There are merits to having associates… That’s what you decided.” She leaned forward, her voice rough. “Am I wrong?”

Akira’s body shook with a sort of mirth as well as the drugs in her system. “Sae Niijima.” The silver-haired woman seemed only mildly surprised at Akira’s knowledge of her.

“Yes?” Her tone betrayed her eagerness.

“Sae-san?” Akira asked, cocking her head. That name seemed good. “Sae-san, that is when the voice spoke.”

Sae’s expression tightened, but she remained quiet.

“A voice like I heard in the cell spoke to me.” Akira could still hear the voice in her mind. “I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Chariot Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…”

Sae stared as Akira quoted. It did not seem possible for Akira to quote that perfectly in her drugged state, but yet she did. She suppressed the urge to shiver as Akira’s gaze emptied of emotion and became very serious.

“He is my Chariot.” Akira spoke again. “But I…” She trailed off. Because of Akira’s sluggish mind, she couldn’t remember the others. There were definitely others that she felt fiercely protective of, but Ryuji was the first. To remember, she had to continue the story. She had to remember.

Chapter Text

Akira’s blinked as the voice rang in her ears. What? That wasn’t Arsène. Arsène? She asked silently.

That was not me. I do not know who that was, but it didn’t seem malicious. It sounded familiar. Arsène observed. We’ll think about this later.

Ryuji’s stomach growled and he scratched the back of his head. “Oh, right. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

Akira’s stomach rumbled just as loudly. “Me either.” She shrugged.

“Come on, then. I know a great place to grab a bite.” Ryuji said confidently. “You’re not from the city, right? Just follow me. I mean, I totally gotta hear about your past!”

Akira swallowed uncomfortably as Ryuji bent to pick up his bag. Her past?

“You sure?” She asked, following him out of the alleyway. Students parted the way as the troublemaker and the delinquent walked towards the station.

“Huh? Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” Ryuji asked, confused.

“It isn’t a happy story.” Akira said lamely. It was a poor excuse, but she was worried that Ryuji would just not believe her.

You are being ridiculous. Arsène argued. You and him have been through a life and death experience. You’ve earned his trust and loyalty. Why can’t he earn your trust?

I know! Akira retorted silently. I just… still am worried… So many people I though I could trust just abandoned me.

If he does, well, you don’t have to help him with the Kamoshida thing. Arsène offered.

I can’t just look away from the abuse. Akira’s conviction silenced Arsène as Ryuji kept talking. He went on and on about this restaurant they were going to and how he was going to hear Akira’s entire story.

The two ate ramen on Central Street by Shibuya Station. Akira had relented and relayed what had happened to her. Ryuji could barely contain his outrage.

“WHAT? The hell, man! How much shittier can that asshole get!?” The noodles suspended on Ryuji’s chopsticks fell back into the bowl while he stared at Akira in shock.

“Ease up, Ryuji. I’d rather not have my past yelled to the restaurant.” Akira’s voice was far softer and calmer. She nudged her glasses up her nose and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, sorry.” Ryuji quieted. “So… you left your hometown and… you’re livin’ here now, huh?”

“Yep.” Akira shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage.

“We might be more alike than I originally thought.” Ryuji admitted. He stared ahead, not really looking at anything. “We might be more alike than I originally thought.” He repeated and then took a breath. “You remember that version of me at the castle? You heard Kamoshida about my story.”

“Two people screwed over by someone in power and labeled something unfair.” Akira observed.

Ryuji laughed sourly. “Got that right. We’re both treated like a pain in the ass by people around us, like we don’t belong.” There was silence as the two contemplated what had been said.

“Well, enough of this sob story.” Ryuji slurped up the rest of his ramen. “The place you’re livin’ now is in… Yongen, right? It’s rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill some time before headin’ home.” He gaze fell on Akira’s ramen.

“The hell man, you barely touched your food.” Ryuji picked up some seasoning and threw it on her food.

“Um, what are you doing?” Akira asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You need the extra flavor. Come on, live a little. Besides, I gotta thank you for helpin’ me. Anyways I got your back like you got mine from tomorrow on.” His confidence was infectious and Akira felt the same kind of smile form on her face.

“As long as we do something about Kamoshida, I’m sure we’ll both feel better about bein’ at school.” He asserted. His expression brightened and he tugged his phone out of his pocket. “Oh, yeah. Tell me your number. Chat ID too.”

“Oh yeah.” Akira took her phone out and sent the information to Ryuji.

“Just you wait, Kamoshida…” He growled under his breath. “We’re gonna start right away tomorrow. First, let’s hit up those guys that were kept as slaves. The volleyball rally’s tomorrow, huh? Shit’s recommended by Kamoshida. Makes me wanna gag. But thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon and we can walk around unnoticed.” He shrugged. “Well, I guess we can work out the details tomorrow… C’mon you gotta eat more. There’s tons of ginger here!”

Akira patiently waited as Ryuji seasoned her ramen. He rambled about tastes and seasoning as he doctored Akira’s food.

“Shiho Suzui.” The name sprung to Akira’s lips and she blinked. Where had that name come from?

“Pardon? I was under the impression you were talking about a boy.” Sae’s gaze was narrowed. “Is this another one of your conspirators?”

“No.” The sharpness of Akira’s tone startled both Akira and Sae, but Akira knew she was right.

Akira reached for the file with Kamoshida’s smiling picture and shuffled a few papers. She stared at the picture of Kamoshida as she did.

Hate. Disgust. Rage. That all came over her when she saw that picture. The name “Shiho Suzui” sparked compassion, fear, and pain. The emotions were all connected. Something had happened. Something with Shiho Suzui.

“Stay with me.” Sae spoke loudly and clearly.

“I’m here.” Akira’s raspy voice responded. “What I said will make sense soon.”

“You’re home.” Sojiro observed from his seat at the bar. The newspaper was folded in his lap and there was a pencil in hand.

“Hello.” Akira actually smiled at Sojiro. She was in a good mood after hanging with Ryuji and couldn’t help herself. Her smile quickly disappeared when Sojiro spoke again.

“I take it you actually went to school today?”

“Yes. Call the school if you don’t believe me.” Akira’s defenses had returned and her expression was closed.

“Don’t cop an attitude with me.” He scolded. “Eh, as long as you’re not getting into trouble, it’s fine by me.” He admitted.

Akira moved to go upstairs, but Sojiro spoke again, stopping her:

“I don’t know what you’ve been up to, but trust me, you’ll be gone if you start causing trouble. In case you forgot, your life is not a free one right now.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira had returned to the quiet, respectful tone she donned in previous conversation with Sojiro. She was tired of being threatened.

A pleasant pinging noise startled the two and Akira pulled out her phone. Ryuji had decided to text her already.

Hey, making sure you can see this, right? His icon was yellow and he wore his trademark goofy smile.

Nope. Akira texted him back, unable to resist teasing him.

Haha. I’m gonna be counting on you tomorrow, OK?

Of course. See you tomorrow. Akira’s fingers flew over the on-screen keyboard.

You’re a bro. Welp, seeya tomorrow! Let’s save those guys who’ve been getting abused. You and me. He signed off and Akira shut her phone off, tucking into her pocket.

Sojiro watched with tired expression, as if he dealt with this often. “…Sheesh, are you even listening to me? Just stay away from bad influences, OK?”

“Yes, sir.” Akira walked past him, wanting to escape to her room. She didn’t want to deal with Sojiro right now.

“Hey, I’m gonna head home for the night. I’ll lock the store up. Don’t go wandering out.” Sojiro waited for a response, so Akira nodded and proceeded to her room.

Like she was actually going to try to go out. Her body was heavy and aching. Morgana had healed most of her injuries, but she was so tired from fighting and using magic with Arsène.

Akira changed out of her school uniform and into her loose-fitting pajamas. Her phone buzzed on her bedside table.

That thingy on your phone was some red eyeball icon, right?

The navigator app that sent us to the castle? Yes. Why? Akira bit her lip. Igor had mentioned something about a “Metaverse Navigator” and “bestowing” it to her. Was that the app?

I found it on my phone too… Akira’s throat went dry. Igor had said if she found allies that he would give to them as well. Oh, hell. What had she gotten Ryuji into? Ruin?

I don’t even remember installing it!

Delete it at once. Akira typed.

Why did you tell him that? Arsène inquired, her tone reflecting the same amount of exhaustion Akira was feeling.

“I don’t know what’s up with Igor or Justine or Caroline or that Velvet Room, but I am not getting Ryuji tangled up in this.” Akira retorted out loud, sitting on the edge of her bed.

I already tried! Ryuji’s messages came quickly. He was a very fast texter. I thought it was spam, but then I remembered what you said about the app. What is this thing? Think it’s being downloaded on its own somehow?

Akira exhaled. “Dammit Igor.”

It’s dangerous to use something without knowing what it is. But with it we can go to that weird place, right? Ryuji’s thought process reflected Akira’s own.

Seems like it. Akira typed. Igor gave her the app to train her as a thief, so the world could avoid ruin. Why was that world significant to avoid ruin? Why was being a thief significant in that world?

Basically, it’s gonna depend on how we use it. But first we gotta find evidence for the beatings. I’m counting on you, all right? Don’t go ditching school on me.

Akira laughed sourly. As if anyone would let her skip. Hell, Sojiro would probably toss her out. Exhaustion tugged at her eyelids, so Akira plugged her phone in and curled up in bed.

Akira stared at the blue ceiling over her head, the threadbare clothes making it very hard to ignore the cold bed structure beneath her. The heavy chains weighed her wrists down on her stomach. She didn’t want to get up.

“Up, Inmate!” Caroline hit the door, rattling the chains. Akira hoisted herself up, hobbling over to the door, impeded by the ball and chain.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” Igor greeted her. “I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you. What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?”

“Not really.” Akira sighed. “It’s not fun to wake up in chains, Igor.”

Igor’s expression remained smiling. “Well, you are far calmer this time.”

Akira shrugged too tired to fight like she did previously. “Did you give that app to Ryuji?”

“I told you if others came to your aid, I would grant the Navigator to them as well.” Igor reminded her.

“Why?”

“Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done alone.” Igor replied. “Today, you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven’t you?”

“Still creepy how you know that.” Akira stepped back just in time to avoid Caroline’s baton.

“Inmate!” She cried.

“Such insolence.” Justine lamented.

Ignoring the wardens, Akira spoke to Igor. “I heard a voice when he and talked and it wasn’t Arsène. What was that about?”

“You have entered a deal with your first Confidant. He represents the Chariot arcana. Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You’ve done well.”

Akira raised an eyebrow. Praise? This was new.

“That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength.” Igor explained as Akira snorted. As if anyone would form a superficial relationship with her now.

“In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well.”

Akira’s mirth dissolved. Robbed of places to belong? She recalled Ryuji, labeled “Track Traitor” and ostracized by the students and teachers. There were others she would find? Like her and Ryuji?

“Personas are the strength of heart.” Justine addressed Akira. “The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain.”

“There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn’t.” Caroline added. “You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We’ll change that into power.”

Akira raised an eyebrow. Change a relationship into power? Seriously? Sure, she was trapped in an otherworldly prison in a dream, but this seemed far-fetched.

“Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition.” Igor gave Akira the uncomfortable feeling that he knew she was thinking.

“So, I need to find people.” Akira simplified the words. “Useful people who can do things I can’t and… make a deal with them? Furthermore, they need to be like me? A person robbed of their place to belong?” She narrowed her gaze at Igor. “And I should make a deal with you? Did you have your place of belonging robbed as well?”

“You devote yourself to your rehabilitation and I will have your Confidants’ relationships changed into power.” Igor ignored the second question.

“Very well.” Akira was getting accustomed to Igor ignoring half her questions.

Igor chuckled. “We have a deal then.”

He expects so much of me. Akira’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Fool Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…

“The Fool?” Akira suppressed a chuckle.

“The 22 major arcana that categorize all of the Personas you can acquire or make.” Igor explained as Akira blinked.

“Wait, “acquire” or “make”? I can have others besides Arsène?” Akira gripped the bars. “Arsène is a Fool Persona.” She realized.

“Well, you will understand it all in due time… Continue devoting yourself to you rehabilitation.” Igor’s attention returned to the papers on the desk.

“Now, this conversation’s over!” Caroline declared as the room rang with Akira’s alarm in the real world. “Get lost, Inmate!”

Chapter Text

It was a welcome break for the gossip to focus on the volleyball rally instead of Akira’s delinquency. She, like everyone at school, was supposed to participate in the rally. She had been assigned on the second-year girls’ team while Ryuji had been assigned on the second-year boys’ team.

“So, is this Kamoshida’s chance to show off?” Akira and Ryuji sat side by side at the edge of the gym. No one bothered them or even wanted to be near them, so they conversed without worry of being overheard.

“Yep.” Ryuji nodded to the group playing against the teachers currently. “Wait for it, he’ll do his “famous spike” and win. The cocky bastard always does.”

“So, when can we get out of here?” Akira asked as a young man with bandages on his face and joints hit the volleyball towards the other side.

“Well, my team went earlier, so all we have to do is wait until your team goes.” Ryuji nodded to the list that was taped to the wall by the door.

“Oh, no.” Akira gasped as the bandaged boy was pegged in the face with the volleyball from Kamoshida. While the rest of the gymnasium was occupied with the boy, Akira and Ryuji fixed their gaze on Kamoshida: disgust and pride before it morphed into concern and he ran to the boy’s side.

“Hey, are you OK? Sorry about that.” Kamoshida knelt by the boy. Several students helped him up and over to the nurse’s office.

“My team is next, correct?” Akira questioned Ryuji while glaring at Kamoshida.

“Yeah, give ‘em hell, Akira.” Ryuji smirked as Akira stood up. The teams changed and Akira took the position opposite Kamoshida.

It was true that Akira didn’t play volleyball aside from a couple practices in middle school, but she was still an athlete. She may not have the skill, but she definitely had power and grace on her side.

Breathe. Arsène whispered. The king will fall by our hands.

Akira’s team was not cohesive. That was a disadvantage, but the teacher team had just played another game and they were certainly tired. Kamoshida had stamina, but a little disadvantage in Akira’s favor was better than none.

It soon became clear that Akira was the most dangerous player on her team. She was fast, strong, and utterly ruthless in her returns. A vein slowly began to pop in his neck as Kamoshida missed some of Akira’s returns.

He intends the spike. Arsène warned. You will either look foolish and injured, or you will deal a great blow to his pride.

Time to risk it all. Akira took a breath as Kamoshida jumped. His full force came down on the volleyball and Akira slid into place. The spike hit her two forearms, but she just managed to get it up by the net.

“Get it!” Akira snarled at her teammates, who were staring at her still.

The blonde girl, Takamaki, put her hand out and the ball bounced off, over the net. It hit the ground limply because all the teachers were staring at Akira in shock. She returned Kamoshida’s spike?

The gymnasium erupted in roars, cheering that the students got a point on the teachers and against Kamoshida. Akira gave Takamaki a small smile and nodded her thanks before she walked off the court, watching the bruises bloom over her forearms.

“Nice!” Ryuji jogged up to her. “Did you see the look on Kamoshida’s face?”

“No. Was it good?” Akira crossed her arms, smirking at Ryuji.

“The bastard looked ready to throttle someone.” Ryuji nudged her. “Good job.”

Akira glanced back at her team. They were talking to friends and congratulating each other. None approached Akira for congratulations or, she noticed, Takamaki. Takamaki sat down on the sidelines, twisting the edge of one of her ponytails in her fingers. She was alone.

“Still sticks out… Hasn’t changed a bit.” Ryuji observed to himself.

“Hm?” Akira raised an eyebrow at him.

Ryuji waved it off. “Come on, we can slip out now.”

Ryuji gave Akira a list of names and class years for her to cover in the Classroom Building. He took the Practice Building and courtyard. All it took was a little eavesdropping and looking for the telltale bandages to find the proper people. They also wore their volleyball uniforms.

The first one was a boy from Akira’s own class. Bandages covered his wrists and half his face. He caught sight of Akira approaching.

“What? Are you skipping out on the volleyball rally? I guess I expect it from you, transfer.” His tone would have been biting if it wasn’t so pathetic-sounding. He was terrified even now.

Akira stared at the bandages on his face. “Those injuries look nasty. How’d you get injured?” It was far better to avoid words like “abuse” when talking to victims. They often balked at the term.

“It’s from practice!” The lie came without any hesitation or stuttering. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Akira tucked one strand on unruly hair behind her ear. “I was curious. It’s peculiar to get injuries like that from a simple volleyball practice. Strained muscles, yes, but on the face and requiring that many bandages? Not likely. So what really happened?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! They’re from practice, really!” The volleyball player stuttered.

“Well, if you’re sure, then something horrible must happen to you at practice.” Akira’s mask of curious indifference settled on her face as the volleyball player squirmed. “You seem afraid.”

“I’m not! You are talking complete nonsense!” He tried to sound threatening and stared Akira down.

“I know what goes on at practice. I know it’s abuse.” Akira’s tone was quiet so others would not hear, but the scared volleyball player couldn’t misunderstand.

“You… You know? You have proof?” Akira almost could hear hope in his voice.

She swallowed. “Not yet, that’s what your testimony would be.” She never once broke eye contact, but the boy shook his head.

“This is ridiculous.” He said, fear back in his voice. “Please, leave me alone. You’re really bothering me!” His voice carried, and Akira could hear whispers of people behind them.

“Very well. Good day.” Akira trotted off, pretending nothing was wrong.

Outside the classroom, she sighed and ran her fingers through her tangled mess of hair. It had come loose from her ponytail during her volleyball match, but she hadn’t bothered to fix it. She took out her phone to find the next target.

Third-year. 3-C.

Akira descended to the first floor, ignoring the same old rumors about her. Down the hall, a familiar-looking volleyball player with bandages on both arms and across his face was chatting with a non-volleyball member.

Akira approached as the volleyball player complained about cleaning after the rally. She didn’t even need to speak as the third-year spoke first.

“Whaddya want? You got something to say?”

Akira stared at the bandages on his face like she did before. “How did you get hurt? Those are quite some injuries.”

He hesitated for a moment. “It’s from practice.” Akira opened her mouth to speak, but the other third-year butt in.

“Hey, I know who this girl is. She’s that transfer student that’s dating Sakamoto.” He glared at Akira.

The volleyball player rolled his eyes. “Oh, I get it. You’re trying to snoop on Mr. Kamoshida, right? Look, our volleyball team performs at a national level. Of course our practices are going to be tough.” He spoke matter-of-factly. “Mr. Kamoshida’s just dedicated to training us. Don’t believe everything Sakamoto says.”

Vaguely irritated, Akira raised an eyebrow at him. “Sure it’s not abuse?”

The volleyball player’s eyes darted off towards his friend for a half-second. “D-Don’t talk like you know what goes on at practice!” He stuttered and his voice got higher.

The friend, still glaring at Akira, spoke up. “Hey, we should stop talking to her. What if she loses it and starts attacking us? I heard she even carries a knife around. Who knows what she’s capable of.”

Akira phone buzzed. “For the record,” she took her phone out, “Ryuji and I aren’t an item.” She silently sauntered off, checking her messages as she did.

Ryuji relayed his lack of progress and the next lead: A first-year in class 1-B.

Round 3. Akira thought to herself as she climbed back up the stairs. The first-year had fewer bandages, but he still had them.

“Hello.” Akira spoke kindly, startling the first-year. “Are you on the volleyball team?”

“H-Huh?” He looked unnerved to be addressed by an upperclasswoman. “Y-Yeah… I’m on the volleyball team. Whaddya want?” He tried to sound like the third-year.

“Where did you get those injuries? They look serious.” Akira’s tone was carefully constructed to be politely concerned and almost motherly.

“O-Oh, these…?” The first-year kept stuttering. “I-It, uh… It happened during practice. I mean, everyone on the team’s got injuries like this. Mishima-senpai has it especially bad though… He gets to deal with Mr. Kamoshida’s special coaching…” Fear abruptly showed on his face. “O-Oh, uh… Never mind! Forget I said anything!”

Unwilling to let it just end, Akira kept a look on innocence on her face. “Special coaching?”

The first-year swallowed with difficulty. “P-Please… just stop talking to me… Ask someone else if you wanna know more…”

“Thank you.” Akira walked away as the intercom broadcasted the end of class announcement. She texted Ryuji.

No testimony here, but I got a name: Mishima.

Mishima? Ryuji typed back. Meet me in the courtyard. We’ll talk there.

Akira found a corner of the courtyard with benches and vending machines. She settled on a bench, watching people walk around.

“Hey.” A voice that was most certainly not Ryuji startled Akira into turning around. Takamaki, still in her gym clothes, stepped purposely over to Akira.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Takamaki crossed her arms.

Akira stood up. “Yeah. Takamaki, right? Nice job on getting my pass.”

“Yes. Uh, thanks.” Takamaki nodded, feeling very awkward. “Don’t worry, it’ll be quick. Anyway, what’s with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all… There’s that weird rumor about you too.” Her clear blue eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

Akira raised an eyebrow. “I got lost. Simple as that.”

“Until fourth period?” Takamaki asked skeptically.

Akira shrugged. “I lack a basic sense of direction. I even got lost on the trains. Plus there was that derailment that messed with the schedule.” The lies and deflections came easily to her.

“Whaddya want with her?” Ryuji growled, coming up from behind.

“Right back at you. You’re not even in our class.” Takamaki then furrowed her brow. She glanced between the two. “I seriously doubt the two of you are an item. She’s only been here for three days.”

Ryuji glanced at Akira. “We just… happened to get to know each other.” He said evasively.

“Uh-huh.” Takamaki nodded. “What’re you planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?”

“Huh!?” Ryuji’s face looked guilty, but it quickly turned to suspicion. “…I see. I getcha. You’re all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!” Takamaki retorted.

“If you found out what he’s been doin’ behind your back, you’d dump him right away.” Ryuji narrowed his eyes at her.

True surprise showed on Takamaki’s face. “Behind my back? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ryuji’s expression softened. “You wouldn’t get it.”

Takamaki shook her head. “Anyway, people are already talking about you two.”

“People have been talking about me since before I walked in the door.” Akira shrugged. “It’s nothing new.”

Takamaki cast an irritated look at Akira. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but no one’s gonna help you.” Her expression grew sad and defeated. “I’m warning you, just in case. That’s all.” She walked off without another word.

“Why’s she gotta be so aggressive all the time?” Ryuji complained.

“You know her?”

“Nah, we just went to middle school together. Her name is Ann Takamaki.” Ryuji shook his head. “Anyways, that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Mishima, you said?”

Akira relayed the conversations she had with all the volleyball players. “Who’s Mishima?”

“A second-year in your class. The bandaged one who got hit today. He’s always covered in bruises every time I see him.” Ryuji explained. “Special “coaching” huh? We’d better go find him. Come on.”

Ryuji and Akira jogged to the exit, intending to wait until Mishima inevitably passed by. A boy with short, spikey hair and several bandages on his face and arms came into sight. He walked slowly and his expression was of abject defeat.

“Yo, Mishima. Got a sec?” Ryuji stepped forward. Akira stayed behind him, trying to appear less than threatening.

“Sakamoto?” His expression changed for a moment to surprise. His gaze flicked to Akira and he gasped too. “And the transfer?”

“I have a name, you know.” Akira muttered, her hands in her pockets.

“C’mon, we just wanna chat.” Ryuji tried to sound reassuring, but came off as threatening. “Kamoshida’s been “coaching” you, huh?”

Akira glanced around. Most of the student body was gone and the ones that were still there were too far away to hear. She nudged her glasses up her face before returning her attention to Mishima.

“You sure it’s not just physical abuse?” Ryuji did lack subtlety.

“Certainly not!” Mishima denied, but didn’t look at either Akira or Ryuji as he spoke.

Ryuji crossed his arms. “What’re you talkin’ all polite for? Anyways… We saw him spike you today. Right in the face.”

Mishima shifted uncomfortably as he spoke. “That was just because I’m not good at the sport…” He glanced at Akira. The implication was clear: Not like you.

“Still, that doesn’t explain all the other bruises you’ve got.” Ryuji observed.

“They’re from practice!” Mishima insisted.

Ryuji doggedly kept questioning him. “Is he forcin’ you to keep quiet?”

“That’s…” Mishima hesitated.

“What’s going on here?” Kamoshida himself walked over.

“Just making friends.” Akira shrugged, a false smile on her lips. “Nothing wrong with that, right?”

Kamoshida’s expression tightened just for a moment as he glanced at Akira. He seemed pleased to see the bruises across her arms. “Mishima, isn’t it time for practice?”

Mishima had tensed like a wild animal. He glanced down at the ground. “I-I’m not feeling well today…”

Kamoshida raised an eyebrow. “What? Maybe you’re better off quitting then.” His tone was light, but the undertones of threat were definitely there. “You’re never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice.”

Ryuji rounded on Kamoshida, approaching threateningly. “Didn’t you hear? He ain’t feeling well!”

Kamoshida ignored Ryuji, turning to Mishima. “Well, Mishima? Are you coming to practice or not?”

“…I’ll go.” Mishima’s voice was small and filled with defeat. Akira stared at him feeling only pity. There had to be a reason why he put up with this.

“As for you,” Kamoshida towered over Ryuji, “any more trouble and you’ll be gone from this school for sure.”

“Bastard…” Ryuji muttered.

His gaze flicked to Akira, pure rage and hate etched across his face. “Same goes for you.”

Satisfaction filled Akira. She had finally pissed him off that she wasn’t something worth pursuing. She was something to destroy, not recruit. Her fake smile became taunting.

Kamoshida’s expression, if possible, darkened. “Didn’t the principal tell you to keep in line?”

Akira shrugged, forcing the smile off her face and her expression into something more innocent. “I’m not sure how trying to make friends is crossing a line.”

Kamoshida still glared at her. “Hmph. Just don’t get in the way of my practice. All these unsettling rumors are making the students anxious, after all.”

“That’s your own goddamn fault.” Ryuji retorted.

Kamoshida rolled his eyes. “This won’t get us anywhere.” He turned to Mishima. “Let’s go, Mishima.” He turned away before speaking once again to Ryuji and Akira. “Shujin Academy is a place where those with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students like yourselves don’t have any right to be here. Get with the program!”

“Yes, sir.” Mishima’s demure voice answered.

Satisfied with the response, Kamoshida walked back towards the gymnasium.

“That asshole…” Ryuji breathed. “He’s gonna pay for this!” He promised.

“There’s no point.” Mishima’s voice didn’t shake or waver. It was the sound of grim acceptance.

“Huh!?” Both Akira and Ryuji turned, fully facing Mishima.

Mishima sighed. “Proving that he’s physically abusing us… is meaningless.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Akira’s heart beat very fast. No, he couldn’t mean…

“Everybody knows…” Mishima confirmed Akira’s worst fears. “The principal, our parents… They all know, and they all keep quiet about it.”

“This has gotta be a joke.” Ryuji’s voice cracked in disbelief.

Anger finally broke through Mishima’s fear and grim acceptance. “Don’t be a pain. You don’t understand what I’m going through.” He rounded on Ryuji. “Shouldn’t you of all people know that nothing’s going to help!?”

Ryuji stared at the ground, gritting his teeth. He was silent. Mishima ran after Kamoshida, leaving Akira alone with Ryuji.

Akira blinked, taking a steadying breath. “Do you intend to quit?” Akira asked the same question of Ryuji exactly when Arsène asked Akira.

“No.” Ryuji shook his head. “…I’ll try one more time to persuade the other guys. That’s …all I can do.” He walked off slowly, still processing what he heard.

I can’t let something like this go. Akira informed Arsène. I can’t walk away. I made a promise to you, didn’t I?

Indeed. Arsène responded. Akira returned to the gym and changed out of her clothes. As usual, people avoided her and whispered behind her back, but a few whispered about, instead of her record, her returning on the spike.

Curious, isn’t it? Arsène whispered in her mind. Why do you think the principal and the parents all condone this?

Do they actually? Akira questioned for a moment. Who am I kidding? I know people will look the other way when someone powerful says so! Kamoshida’s just like that man!

What do you intend to do? Arsène inquired as Akira grabbed her bag and hurried out of the school. She checked her phone for the time and train schedule. She slowed her walk to a stop. Her finger hovered over the Metaverse Navigator app. She glanced at the school and then back at the app.

You can go. Arsène reminded her. Just hit the button.

Akira could go. She could go back into the castle and figure out what was going on. Why Igor gave her the app and what he wanted her to do with it. Without it being a mad dash to the exit or having someone on her heels. Maybe something about her dreams would make sense finally. Dare she do it?

Akira shook her head. Not today. I am going home. I have homework and I am tired. She jogged to the train station. Not today.

Chapter Text

Leblanc was reasonably busy, for it, so Akira just went to her room and settled to do homework. Arsène remained silent as Akira wrote, her mind filled with mundane formulas. She didn’t let herself think until she was lying down in her bed, ready to sleep.

I feel kinda bad for ditching Morgana. Akira told Arsène.

He did insult us.

Still. He did help us. Akira argued as she set her phone alarm. She changed the subject. Those guys are abused and people already know. They’re not doing anything! Why? How?

We know this. Arsène reminded her as the familiar memory flashed before her eyes: the woman who betrayed her. Why are you so surprised?

Yeah. Akira laughed sourly to herself as she turned over to sleep. Why am I?

The classes were duller than ever, but something new happened during lunch. She withdrew her lunch from her bag only to find someone standing at her desk.

An older student with lovely short brown hair and intense almost red eyes stared Akira down.

“Akira Kurusu?” Her tone was all business-like and her expression was closed and guarded.

“Yes? And you are?” Akira stood up. She was a good head taller than the red-eyed girl and the red-eyed girl blinked, showing a modicum of surprise.

The red-eyed girl crossed her arms, staring up at Akira’s face without any intimidation. “Makoto Niijima, your student council president.”

“Good to meet you, Niijima-senpai.” Akira noticed the students are her were, quite obviously, listening to the conversation. “Am I in trouble?”

“No.” Niijima said shortly. “Come to the student council room after class today. Don’t be late.” She trotted off, her shoes clicking on the ground.

Akira glanced around the room. The other students quickly busied themselves with their lunches. She picked up her lunch and went to find Ryuji.

“Well, tell me what happens.” Ryuji said after Akira told him who had approached her and the impending engagement. The two had set up on the roof. No one was allowed up there and they talked in complete privacy.

“Yeah.” Akira shrugged and shoved the impending meeting from her mind. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Ryuji swallowed down his food. “Takamaki.” He said after a moment. “She’s close to Kamoshida, but also she’s best friends with a starter: a girl named Suzui.”

“Okay.” Akira nodded. “But would Takamaki listen to us?”

Ryuji shrugged. “I don’t know. I gotta think more about this.”

After school, Akira roamed the hallways on her own. Ryuji had given her a description of the volleyball player Takamaki was friends with. He didn’t come because Akira thought maybe Suzui and Takamaki would be more open to talking to another girl.

Akira thought about loitering outside the gymnasium for Suzui, but worried that Kamoshida would get suspicious. She settled for walking by it several times, hoping to catch Suzui or Takamaki.

“Shouldn’t you be heading to volleyball?” Akira recognized Takamaki’s voice and ducked out of sight, pulling out the handy student handbook and pretending to read.

“Uh-huh…” Suzui’s voice was like Mishima’s, utterly hopeless and filled with despair.

“That bruise above your eye… Is that from practice too?” Takamaki sounded concerned. Akira swallowed down her rage and hatred for Kamoshida.

“Y-Yeah…” Suzui lied.

“Shiho, are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?” Takamaki asked tentatively.

“I’m OK, Ann… Volleyball’s the only thing I can do right…” Shiho admitted softly. A phone went off that Akira gathered was Ann’s. “Shouldn’t you take that?”

“It’s probably just my part-time job… I think.” Ann dismissed.

The phone seemed to prompt Shiho as she said: “I… should get going.”

“Shiho…” Ann herself sounded hopeless as well, but it was out of concern and not abject despair. “…Are you sure you’re OK?”

“Uh-huh…” Shiho’s lies weren’t believable, but she said them anyway. There was only grim acceptance and despair in her voice. Shiho shuffled past Akira and Akira was about to follow when she heard Ann’s voice. It sounded like she was on the phone.

“…Yes?” Ann’s own tone was downtrodden. “Today won’t work… I’m… I’m not feeling so good… Sorry… bye.” She clicked her phone off as she shuffled off past Akira, without glancing at her.

Akira tapped her fingers against the book she still wasn’t reading. What was that about? Regardless, should she follow Ann or Shiho?

Two unfamiliar voices caught Akira’s attention. “Hey, wasn’t that Takamaki?” One asked not-so-quietly.

“Rumor has it she’s dating Kamoshida.” Another responded.

“Seriously?”

“I heard people saw them in his car together.” The second voice repeated the gossip.

“You know… She seems pretty easy, huh? You think I’d have a chance too?” The boy sounded eager.

“C’mon dude, you can’t go after Kamoshida’s bitch!” Disgusted, Akira shoved the book into her bag and went after Shiho. She had been abused judging from the bruise Ann talked about. Maybe she would talk to Akira.

Shiho stood in front of the door to the courtyard on her phone. Akira approached slowly and waited for Shiho to notice her.

“…What?” She glanced at Akira. There was dull recognition in her eyes, but no surprise or fear. Akira wondered if she lacked that because she truly didn’t fear her or if she was so downtrodden she didn’t feel anything.

“Oh…” Dull realization entered her expression. “I’m in the way, aren’t I? Sorry…”

Up close, Akira could see the bruise. It was more that a simple hit from a volleyball. “Oh, my. Are you injured?” She didn’t have to fake her concern for her.

“Huh…?” Shiho expression closed, trying to find her lies. “Um, well…” She finally looked Akira in the eye. “Hm, you don’t look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?”

Seeing no reason to lie, Akira nodded. “I am.”

Shiho shuffled uncomfortably. “Um, this might not be any of my business, but don’t let the rumors get to you, OK…?”

Akira snorted and shrugged. “I’m not bothered. I’ve been listening to this kind of stuff and worse for months.”

The barest trace of a ghost of a happy expression graced Shiho’s face. “I’m glad you’re not bothered.” She turned; fully facing Akira and Akira noticed a sort of tenderness as she moved as if she was more injured than she let on.

“…My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks…” Her expression darkened once again. “Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to drag on like that.”

“Don’t be.” Akira interrupted, smiling warmly. “It’s nice to talk to someone who isn’t scared of me.”

Shiho blinked, but that was her only indication of surprise. “Anyway, I have to go to practice… I’ll see you around.” She shuffled away.

Akira pulled out her phone. She needed to talk to Ryuji.

Ryuji paced irritably in the corner of the courtyard beside the vending machines. “Dammit! What the hell…” He muttered to himself.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Akira inquired.

“Huh? What? Stop with the jokes, Akira!” Ryuji retorted irritably. He took a breath, calming himself slightly. “There’s no one.” His emotions boiled up again and he hit the vending machine closest to him. “All of ‘em kept sayin’ the same shit Mishima was talkin’ about…! Kamoshida had to have told ‘em something!”

Ryuji shook his head. “At this rate… it looks like we’ll have to go to him directly…”

“No!” Akira retorted. “Like hell we can do that! He will just laugh at us and make our lives that much more difficult!”

“Seriously, isn’t there something we can do?” Ryuji demanded. “No way I’m gonna give in like this!”

“Me either.” Akira assured him.

“Can you think of anything?” Ryuji sighed.

“We could spy on the practices, film it, and hand it over to the police.” Akira shrugged as she suggested it.

Ryuji shook his head. “There’s no way we could get up to the windows in the gym and I doubt Kamoshida would like us interrupting the practice.”

“Besides, it’s not like the cops would believe us.” Akira muttered to herself, realizing. The delinquent and the troublemaker versus the beloved teacher? Like anyone would listen to her or Ryuji.

“What do we do…?” Ryuji asked hopelessly.

Akira paced for a moment. “Let’s punish the king.” Arsène and Akira spoke together, though Ryuji could only hear Akira.

“Huh?” Ryuji asked. He blinked and looked over his shoulder for a moment and then shook his head, refocusing on Akira. “You mean the other Kamoshida? I didn’t think of that, but…” He hesitated. “Is there any meaning to-?”

A strange, yet familiar, voice cut him off, startling the two of them. “I finally found you…”

Creepy words aside most of the students had left or were milling around the halls; the courtyard was empty.

“Please tell me you heard that.” Ryuji requested as the two glanced around for the voice.

“Don’t think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you.” A black cat with a yellow scarf jumped up onto the table in front of them.

“That voice…” Ryuji realized, shock coloring his expression. “Is that you, Morgana?”

“How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!” The blue-eyed cat scolded.

“The cat’s talkin’!?” Ryuji’s voice rose an octave as he spoke.

Morgana, it could only be Morgana, turned to him. “I am not a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two!”

“Wait… You came to our world!?” Ryuji asked. “Does that mean you’ve got a phone!?”

Morgana licked his paw to clean his face. “You don’t need one when you’re at my level. I did get pretty lost making my escape though…” He relayed smugly and then admitted.

Akira couldn’t find the words to speak, so she watched dumbly, unsure of what to make of the talking cat in front of her.

“That aside, why are can you talk!? You’re a cat!” Ryuji stated.

“How should I know!?” Morgana retorted, scratching behind his ear.

Ryuji blinked and then looked up at Akira. “You’re hearin’ this too, right…?” He gestured to Morgana.

“Meow?” Akira first instinct was to make a joke.

“Don’t joke like that!” Ryuji jabbed a finger at Morgana. “Please tell me, I’m not hallucinating and that is Morgana!”

“Ease up. I hear him too.” Akira held up her hands in apology.

Morgana continued to wash his face. “You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses.”

“Oh, shaddup.” Ryuji remarked petulantly.

“You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida.” Morgana, even as a cat, wore a light smile on his lips. He glanced at Akira. “You were pretty close just a moment ago.”

Ryuji crossed his arms, irritated. “God, that condescendin’ attitude! This thing’s gotta be Morgana!”

Morgana glared at Ryuji with his unnerving blue eyes. “You were still doubting me!?” He demanded.

“Ack! Quiet down!” Ryuji hissed as people came out into the courtyard. They waited in silence, listening to the teacher and student that walked together.

“We really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this?” The teacher asked. Akira didn’t recognize him, but that was to be expected.

“I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn’t you hear it?” The student asked, glancing around. Akira slid in front of Morgana so the two couldn’t see him.

The teacher sighed. “Make sure you check every nook and cranny around.” The two walked to the other end of the courtyard and Akira turned back to her two friends.

“Meow…?” Ryuji asked, his brow furrowed. “Does that mean only us two can understand what you’re sayin’?”

“Looks like it.” Morgana, now that the danger had passed, returned to washing himself.

“What the hell’ goin’ on…?” Ryuji lamented for only a moment before shaking off his disbelief. “Anyways, what you were talkin’ about earlier… Is it for real?”

Morgana glanced at him irritably. “You’re quite the skeptic for being an idiot.”

Ryuji, either used to being called an idiot or too concentrated on what was going on to notice, continued on. “Hey, tell us more. Then again, this probably ain’t the best place…”

Akira and Ryuji glanced around. The student and teacher were still searching around the courtyard.

Ryuji grabbed Morgana but the scruff of his neck. “Here.” He shoved Morgana towards Akira. “Stick it in your bag for now! It should be just small enough to fit!”

“Ugh, fine.” Akira sat her bag on the table, quickly removing the bulkier items to make room for Morgana.

“Hey! How dare you treat me like-“ Morgana struggled and protested until Ryuji shoved him into Akira’s bag.

“Just be quiet for a little. You can come out when we get to the roof.” Ryuji hissed.

“It’s best we don’t go up together.” Akira remarked. “You go first. Morgana and I will follow in a few. Besides, I need to store these in my locker.” She gestured to the books she had removed from the bag for Morgana.

Morgana struggled in the bag, writhing like a snake. “This is demeaning! I can’t believe you threw me in here!” He pushed himself up onto Akira’s shoulder.

“Bleck, you have too much hair.” He spat out a mouthful of Akira’s hair that he had gotten when he jumped up.

“Alright.” Akira tucked her unruly hair behind her ear. “I need to get to my locker, so please, if anyone comes, duck back in the bag. I’ll try not to jostle it too much.”

Morgana muttered angrily to himself, so Akira took that as a “yes” and returned to her locker before climbing up the stairs, careful to make sure Morgana’s ride was smooth. His incessant whining made her very inclined to shake the bag a little, but Arsène intervened.

You know what he said. He can help with Kamoshida. Arsène reminded her. He might be more forthcoming with information if we treat him well.

He’s still annoying. Akira griped to herself.

Upstairs, Akira found Ryuji pacing and talking to himself.

“-not sure about it. I’ll ask.” Ryuji froze when he saw Akira and Morgana. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Hey.”

“Don’t be so rough with me!” Morgana yowled as he jumped out of the bag onto the ground.

“Enough of that!” Ryuji snapped at the whining. “You said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?”

Morgana’s smug look returned. “Wait, before I tell you anything, I need you two to promise me that you’ll help me regain my true form.”

“What do you mean?” Akira put her hand on Ryuji’s arm to keep him from snapping again at Morgana.

“It’s what I wanted you two to do for me since I helped you get into the castle last time, but since I was mistaken to rely on your good natures, I think we’d better strike a deal.” Morgana recounted everything with a smile on his face, but the passive aggression was unmistakable.

“How do we know that you’re telling the truth?” Ryuji demanded. “How do we know that what your sayin’ will help us?”

Morgana sat down, crossing his front paws. “You two seem to be in a bit of a pickle. You were trying to figure out what to do, right? Do you two have a better idea?”

Akira snorted sourly. “Hitting us where it hurts, huh?” She glanced at Ryuji. “We don’t have much choice.”

“I know.” Ryuji relented. “Fine, cat, we promise to help you get your true form or whatever back in return for helpin’ us take care of Kamoshida.”

Morgana glanced at Akira who faced him squarely. “I promise.”

“Great.” Morgana stretched out. “It has to do with what Akira was talking about earlier. You’ll need to attack his castle.”

“What do you mean…?” Ryuji asked, cluelessly.

Morgana’s smug expression turned to something more helpful and instructive. “That castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn’t realize what happens in there, but it’s deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida.”

Ryuji crossed his arms. “What’d happen?”

“A Palace is a manifestation of a person’s distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more…” Morgana trailed off, waiting for one of them to jump in.

“His desires would go too.” Akira reasoned, tucking her hands into her pockets.

“Precisely! You sure pick up things fast!” Morgana smiled proudly at Akira.

“For real!?” Ryuji stepped back in shock. “H-He’s gonna turn good!?” There was a silence as it sunk in. “But…is that really getting’ back at him?”

Morgana shook his head. “Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However!” He paused dramatically. “Even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain.” He smiled eagerly. “Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he’ll confess them himself!”

“You for real!? That’s possible!?” Ryuji’s voice rose an octave in shock. Akira was struck dumb.

“And since the Palace will no longer exist, he’ll forget what we did there as well.” Morgana explained giddily. “Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won’t even be a trace of our involvement.”

Ryuji laughed. “That’s amazing! You are one incredible cat!”

“True.” Morgana preened. “Except for the cat part!” He retorted.

“So? How do we get rid of the Palace!?” Ryuji inquired eagerly.

“By stealing the Treasure held within.” Morgana explained.

Both Akira and Ryuji’s enthusiasm fizzled away. “Stealing…?”

“…Train you as a most excellent thief…” That’s what Igor said, right? Arsène reminded Akira.

“You’ve agreed to help me, so I’ll definitely teach you.” Morgana sat down, wrapping his black tail around his paws. “One more important thing before I teach you: If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person’s distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love – those sorts of things.”

Uneasiness seeped into Ryuji. “What’re you gettin’ at?”

“If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they’d be no different than someone who has shut down entirely.” Morgana explained seriously. “They may even die if they’re not given proper care. So…” He trailed off.

“They might die…!?” Ryuji growled. Akira’s hands shook in her pockets. Igor wanted to make her a thief to avoid ruin, but she didn’t want to become a murderer.

“Will you listen to everything I have to say first?” Morgana growled back at Ryuji.

“Would their death be our fault…?” Ryuji murmured to himself.

“Aren’t you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?” Morgana retorted.

“Hey…” Ryuji turned to Akira. “What do you think?”

Akira exhaled, her hands stabilizing in her pockets. “I can’t become a murderer.”

“Me either.” Ryuji admitted. “I hate the guy, but I don’t want to kill him.”

Morgana rolled his eyes. “Sheesh… I come all this way, and this is what I get. It’s not like anyone will ever find out.”

“That’s not the point!” Ryuji spat. “If we just go around secretly doin’ whatever we want, we’d be no better than that effin’ Kamoshida.”

Morgana glared at the two. “Isn’t this your only option?” He shook his head, his expression softening. “I’ll come back later. Make sure you’ve made your decision by then.” With that, Morgana scampered off, jumping onto the inaccessible parts of the roof, nimble as the cat he appeared to be.

“Man, we’re gettin’ all worked up for nothing… Dammit!” Ryuji swore. “I’ll try and see if I can figure another way… One more thing though, before we leave, I gotta question for ya.”

“Hm?” Akira tugged herself from her theorizing thoughts and back to reality.

“Do you… Do you hear the voice of your Persona in your head sometimes?” Ryuji asked quickly. He didn’t meet Akira’s eyes.

“Oh.” Akira blinked. “Yes. I do.”

“Seriously?” He heaved a sigh of relief. “I was worried I was losin’ it or somethin’.”

“Captain Kidd, right?” Akira inquired.

“Uh, yeah. What’s yours again?” Ryuji asked sheepishly.

“Arsène.” Akira reminded him. “Let’s go. We have some stuff to think about, don’t we?”

Chapter Text

Akira only made it out of the school gate before Ryuji texted her. I was thinking, Akira.

Resisting the urge to type “That’s dangerous”, Akira watched her phone as she briskly trudged over to the train station.

Something isn’t making sense. Ryuji typed. The rumors are about Suzui and Kamoshida too, but I’ve known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school. There’s no way Kamoshida’s their type. Does that make sense? It just doesn’t feel right to me.

Where do these rumors even come from? Akira typed back as she wedged herself onto the train.

Dunno. I’ll keep on asking around. The texts stopped and Akira stared at the windows, not really looking at anything.

Distantly, she heard people chatting and gossiping like normal. Their minds were so far from what Akira contemplated. Murder. Did he really deserve to die? Did she even have the right to decide that? The people around her discussed the videos online about the train derailment and worried if it would happen again. They talked about how terrifying it was, saying the casualties were high.

For a moment, Akira wondered what would happen to the student body if Kamoshida suddenly stopped eating. Stopped drinking. Stopped doing anything. The fear of the derailment would be nothing compared to that. If Morgana was right and they couldn’t be connected to the crime, then it would become a mystery, a legend. People could understand a derailment, but a total loss of desires. Confusion and fear, that was all that would be left.

I can’t do that. Akira admitted to herself. I can’t kill someone.

Do you remember your vow? Arsène asked. Her tone was not accusatory or any sort of angry, merely inquiring.

Akira exhaled. I swore to perform all sacrilegious acts.

For…? Arsène prompted.

For? Akira inquired. She cast her memory back. For my own justice. She realized.

If you do not believe it is just, your vow will not make you do what you don’t want. Kamoshida is a …distasteful human being, but I do not know if he deserves to die. I also do not think that the executioner should have second thoughts before performing the deed.

Thank you, Arsène. Akira heaved a sigh of relief, walking off the train and back into the station. Though she now had to explain to Morgana her decision and that was going to open a whole new can of worms.

Akira jumped when a familiar voice startled her. “Will you please give it a rest!? I told you: I’m not feeling up to it!”

Akira stopped. Ann Takamaki, dressed in her usual hoodie over her uniform was talking on the phone, or more precisely, arguing with someone. Still, something was wrong. Her voice was too high and something about her gave off a cornered animal vibe.

“Wait, what!? That’s not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!?” In an instant, Akira knew Kamoshida was on the line with Ann. She froze, watching Ann.

“This has nothing to do with Shiho!” It was the first time Akira had actually heard a strong emotion from Ann. Fierce protectiveness, it was

“Ahh…” Ann’s whole body stiffened as the phone line went dead. Very slowly as if in a trance, Ann crouched and hugged her knees. She shook, mumbling something:

“Shiho’s… starting position…”

Akira didn’t hesitate. She walked over to Ann and waited to be noticed. It took only a moment for Ann to see the legs in the corner of her vision. She leapt up, recoiling at the sight of Akira.

“Wait… Were you listening?” She winced, ready to be embarrassed.

“Not on purpose.” Akira shrugged.

“Haven’t you heard of privacy?” Ann hissed. Akira blinked as Ann realized what she said. “…No, I was out of line. Sorry.”

Akira shrugged. “You’re not the first to take that tone with me. I’m not offended. “

Ann discreetly wiped her face. “So how much did you hear…?” She asked tentatively.

Akira, deciding not to reveal her hand too soon, responded vaguely. “Something about a friend.”

Ann’s expression flooded with worry. “Shiho…” She murmured. “It’s nothing at all…” She tucked her sadness away for only a moment. “Nothing…”

Ann stared at the ground and her whole body tensed. She darted off, deeper into the underground station.

Akira followed, her unruly hair coming undone from her ponytail around her face. Ann knew the area far better than Akira, but Ann was just so different from everyone around her that it was rather hard to miss her. Akira, on the other hand, was just so unremarkable in appearance, aside from her height, that she seemed to just appear in front of Ann.

“Stop following me! Just leave me alone!” Ann spat.

Akira cocked her head, feeling only pity and worry. “Are you alright?”

“Why…?” Ann lamented. “Why do you keep worrying about me?” A sob escaped her lips and her body trembled.

“Hey.” Akira spoke so gently, shocking Ann who stared with tearstained eyes. “Can I buy you something to eat? You look like you need to talk to someone and I’m really good at listening.” She held out a hand.

Ann shook her head in disbelief. “Why do you even care…?” She asked, but she still took Akira’s hand. It was cold and shaking, but Akira wrapped a supporting arm around her and Ann’s shaking diminished.

Akira sat opposite Ann in a fast-food place called Big Bang Burger. The waitress placed down the French fries and the water and the lemonade that Akira had ordered for the two of them. She nudged the food and drink towards Ann who glared at Akira. On the walk over, her defenses had returned and she just seemed irritated that Akira was inquiring about her personal business.

“I don’t have anything to talk about with you.” She declared, ignoring the food. “It was just an argument…” She dismissed lamely.

“With Kamoshida?” Akira kept her grayish eyes trained on Ann’s face as she nudged the lemonade over. In an instant, Ann’s defenses fizzled away and she sighed, looking far more exhausted than any high school student should.

“You’ve heard the rumors… haven’t you?” She stared at the napkin beneath the French fry container. “About Mr. Kamoshida and me.”

Akira nodded only slightly as Ann fiddled with the napkin.

“Everyone says we’re getting it on.” She relayed. “But… that’s so not true!” She nodded briefly to her phone. “That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number… for the longest time…” Her fiddling with the napkin got stronger as her pink-painted nails dug into the paper.

“He told me to go to his place after this…” Ann grabbed the napkin, her knuckles turning white. “You know what it means.”

Akira pushed her glasses up her nose, saying nothing, only listening.

“If I turn him down, he said he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team…” She took a sharp breath. “I’ve been telling myself this is all for Shiho’s sake…” She shook, falling back against the back of her chair. “I can’t take this anymore…”

Akira glanced off to the side, keeping her burning rage at Kamoshida in check. Ann didn’t need anger right now. She needed someone to listen without bias or judgment.

“I’ve had enough of this… I hate him!” Tears tumbled down her face onto her lap. She shut her eyes tightly. “But still… Shiho’s my best friend. She’s all I have left at that sorry excuse of a school!” Ann cried out, finally staring into Akira’s eyes. “Tell me… What should I do…?”

Underneath the table, Akira nails dug into her knees as she clutched them. This entire conversation made her question her earlier resolution. Dare she tell Ann exactly what she thought they should do?

No. Akira told herself. I am not a murderer.

“Sorry…” Ann wiped her eyes. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not your problem.”

Akira opened her mouth to argue, but instead, closed it.

“What… am I saying…?” Ann asked no one in particular. “I’ve barely even talked to you before…”

Akira smiled lightly. “Perhaps that’s why?” Ann shot her a questioning expression.

Akira shrugged gesturing to herself. “I am new to Shujin. I barely know anyone. No one tells me rumors, so I don’t know anyone’s reputation. I’m an unbiased ear that you can tell anything to because I have no prior idea of what people are like. Besides,” Akira shrugged exaggeratedly, “I’m the delinquent. Who am I to judge?”

Ann, in spite of herself, snickered. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Um, I’m Ann Takamaki, but you can just call me Ann. No suffix necessary. I kinda just bared my soul to you, so I think you can just call me Ann.”

“Akira Kurusu. Just Akira. I’d prefer no suffixes.” Akira adjusted her glasses and nodded to the food. “That’s all for you. I’m not that hungry.”

“No, you’re eating with me.” Ann pushed the water towards Akira and the fries to the center of the table. “But I want the lemonade.”

They ate, chatting only about the mundane, not breaching the topic of school. Akira asked about the area, restaurants and such, which Ann answered gladly. She seemed to be a bit of a foodie.

“You’re so weird.” Ann observed. “Usually everyone just ignores me.” She glanced at Akira thoughtfully. “Are you really a bad person as the rumor says…? You just don’t seem like it… I mean, you just bought me all this.” She gestured to the fries and drinks.

Akira put on an exaggerated evil smirk. “I’m bad to the bone.”

“That just proves my point.” Ann pointed at her. “The rumors say you assaulted someone… That you almost killed them…”

Akira exhaled. “Is that what they’re saying? …Figures.” She laced her hands together. “Well, Ann, what do you think?”

Ann shook her head. “I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations. You seem lonely- almost like you didn’t belong anywhere…”

Akira swallowed. Was she that easy to read? Or was it just that obvious? She was a loner, yes, but did she seem lonely?

“We’re the same in that regard. Maybe that’s another reason why it was so easy for me to talk to you.” Ann bit her lip as her train of thought changed to something more serious. “Is there really no way for me to help Shiho…?”

Ann sighed, sipping her lemonade. “I wish he’d just change his mind… Like, forget about me, and everything…” She laughed sourly. “As if something like that would ever happen…”

…Forces someone to have a change of heart. Akira heard Morgana’s words in her head. Kamoshida wouldn’t forget everything, but he would stop pursuing them.

Arsène? Akira’s internal voice sounded small.

I will support you no matter what you chose. Arsène stated firmly.

It was a risk, Morgana had said. That means that there was a chance that Kamoshida wouldn’t shut down entirely. How much of a chance was it? Morgana might know. Maybe Akira could save Ann and the volleyball team from their torment by doing that after all.

“Well, I doubt it would happen, but there always a chance that something might change.” Akira pointed out. I will make my decision when I know how probable it would be for Kamoshida to shut down entirely.

Ann’s face broke into a smile. “I wasn’t asking for a serious response, Akira, but thanks. I do feel better now.” She nudged the empty fry container and the empty drink towards the middle.

“I’m gonna head home.” Ann nodded resolutely to herself. “Don’t tell anyone what I told you, OK? I’ll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Thanks, Akira.”

Akira waited until Ann had left and was out of sight of the restaurant before she went to the register and paid for the meal. She walked out, looking at her empty wallet. Dammit, I need a job.

“You’re late. Where have you been?” Sojiro’s accusatory tones greeted Akira the moment she walked into the café.

“Trains got delayed.” Akira didn’t want to talk about Ann or Ryuji to anyone, much less her reluctant guardian.

“Don’t gimme those lies.” Sojiro retorted, staring her down. There was silence as they appraised each other, authoritative guardian and wily ward. “…By the way, you haven’t been hanging around any bad influences, have you?”

Akira suppressed a laugh and pushed her glasses up her face. “Who would want to hang out with me?” She inquired.

Sojiro narrowed his eyes. “A punk would.”

Ryuji’s face flashed before her mind’s eye. “No, the girl who sits in front of me in class.”

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “Just make sure you’re careful who your friends are, if you don’t want them ruining your life.” He yawned widely, glancing at the clock. “Look at the time.”

Akira glanced to the clock, her shoulders unusually stiff.

“Seriously, think about how I feel having to stay up here waiting for you.” Sojiro lamented.

Akira briskly walked past him, towards the stairs. “Hey, I’m leaving.” Akira stopped, but didn’t turn around. “In the future, try not to come back so damn late. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Akira swept up the stairs without another word. She dropped her bag on the shelf, kicked her shoes off, and fell on her bed. She heard the bell chime, signaling Sojiro’s departure.

“Why did he have to say that?” Akira asked her pillow. Be careful who your friends are, if you don’t want them ruining your life. Sojiro’s words hit far harder than anything else he had said. Her friends from back home. Her “friends”. Ignoring every call, text, or e-mail. Gossiping about her behind her back. Feeding the rumors after she had been expelled. Completely ignoring their entire history with her. Pretending she was as horrible as the news and lawyers painted her. Watching as she got hate mail. Completely cutting her off.

“I know damn well to be careful with friends, Sojiro.” Akira hissed to her pillow. She stewed in her anger for a while, Arsène curiously silent.

“Oh, shit!” Akira sat up abruptly. “Niijima-senpai wanted to see me after school!” She shut her eyes, thoroughly irritated with herself. “Shit.”

A pleasant chiming noise prompted Akira to grab her phone. Ryuji’s texts echoed her own thoughts. She sent reassurances back to him, not letting him know about what she learned from Ann. That’s was Ann’s secret: Akira felt. Akira also, selfishly, didn’t want to damage a potential friendship. She threw her phone on her bed, changing into her pajamas.

Tomorrow, Akira would talk to Ryuji and Morgana. They would figure out what to do and she would apologize to Niijima-senpai. That was all she could do.

Chapter Text

Akira kept an eye out for Niijima-senpai, but the third-years rarely came to the second-year classrooms. At lunchtime. She promised herself. Akira permitted a single half-smile for Ann, before returning to their usual routine of ignoring each other.

Ushimaru talked of the three branches of government. Akira dutifully kept notes, aware that he especially looked down at her. He liked to boom out questions, putting someone on the spot.

National Diet: legislative, Cabinet: executive, Supreme Court: judiciary. Akira wrote in her notes, underlining each word carefully. Ushimaru kept talking as Akira glanced up at Ann. She was watching the window, her mind far elsewhere.

“Have you made up your mind?” Akira jumped as Morgana’s voice issued from her desk. The blue-eyed cat stared at her from between her books.

Akira put her arms down, her gaze flicking around the room. Ushimaru lectured on while other students were too busy taking notes.

“No matter how much thinking you do, there’s only one option. You’d be better off just listening to me.” Morgana whispered.

“How did you even get in my desk?” Akira hissed under her breath.

“Hm? Did I just hear a cat just now?” Ushimaru interrupted himself, glancing out the window.

“M-Meow!” Morgana said loudly, trying to cover his mistake.

“Shut up!” Akira hissed, trying to block him from all angles.

“Could that rumored cat be somewhere nearby?” Ushimaru mused. “Settle down!” He barked at the class as they took that as a sign to start chatting.

Akira’s phone vibrated and she tugged it out surreptitiously. Ryuji’s texts came through rapidly. I really don’t see any other way, but Morgana’s idea…

Concentrate on class!! Akira typed rapidly, glancing at Ushimaru who was still reprimanding some people.

I can’t deal with that shit now! What are we gonna do about Kamoshida?? Damn furball is right…

Morgana sighed, reading the texts upside-down. “If he only knew I’m reading this too.”

Akira shut off her phone and tucked it back in her pocket, returning her attention to the class. She hoped Morgana would stay silent or even leave. He got in without being noticed; maybe he could get out without being seen.

“Hey!” A boy on the opposite side of the room stood up. He pointed through the windows into the hall windows. “What’s that!?”

Panic? Akira glanced at the boy and squinted towards the windows.

“Enough!” Ushimaru barked harshly. “This is a classroom!”

“Wait… She’s going to jump!” A female student next to the male student gasped.

Mishima stood up, horrified realization on his face. “Suzui…?” He asked.

In an instant, Ann was on her feet, staring out the other window. “Shiho?”

More and more people were standing up, running towards the doors and into the halls. Akira remained seated, staring at Ann’s tense form.

Ushimaru tried in vain to regain control of the situation. “Hey! Stay in your seats! Do not step foot outside this room!”

Ann didn’t even hesitate. She ran as fast as she could, shoving past Ushimaru and into the hall. Akira, forgetting Morgana was even in her desk, leapt to her feet, chasing after Ann.

Ann shoved more people aside, getting to the front of the windows, panting heavily. Akira skidded to a stop behind her.

On the roof that Akira and Ryuji so liked to frequent, outside the protective wire mesh, Shiho Suzui stood; Her toes over the edge. Akira didn’t dare move. She froze, staring at Shiho, willing her to stay still with only her eyes.

Shiho’s eyes stared at the ground below. At the distance, Akira couldn’t see her face: couldn’t see the defeat, pain, and loss of will written all over her face. Shiho didn’t jump. “Jumping” implies that she used energy and actively did something to kill herself. Shiho didn’t jump. Shiho let her body fall, succumbing to gravity’s absolute power.

“NO!” Akira and Arsène screamed.

Screams from the other students and the yelled orders from teachers were distant. Instead, Akira stared at Ann. Her hands clasped over her mouth, her body unnaturally still. Ann, unable to articulate anything, let loose a strangled, horrified breath before she barreled down the crowded hall to the stairs, shoving all in her way.

“SHIHO!” She screamed as she ran. “SHIHO! SHIHO!”

Follow her! Arsène’s order echoed in Akira’s mind as she mimicked Ann’s pace. Ryuji fell into step beside her as the two shoved themselves into the courtyard after Ann.

Between the Ryuji and Akira, the same mantra repeated in their minds. No. No. No. No. She can’t be. No. Not her. No. What happened? Why?

“Move!” Akira shoved a student out of her way roughly, standing as close as she dared to the paramedics that had arrived.

People had their phones out, filming Shiho being transported to the gurney. Her body was twisted in ways that limbs shouldn’t bend. Teachers panicked behind them, trying to regain control.

“Shiho.” Ann stood at the edge of the crowd, her voice, so strong before, was barely a whisper. “Shiho!” She called, louder.

“What the hell’s wrong with these people!?” Ryuji hissed, appalled at the number of people filming the scene.

“We need someone to go with her!” One of the paramedics addressed the crowd. “Are there any teachers around?”

The nearest teacher swallowed. “I-I’m not in charge of her class, though…” He stammered.

“We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa…” Another teacher spoke skittishly.

And these people call themselves teachers? Arsène’s disgust was clear. Spineless cowards.

“I’ll go!” Ann declared. For the first time, she tore her gaze away from Shiho and stared down the paramedic, daring him to question her.

“Please hurry!” The paramedic pleaded as Ann hurried to Shiho’s side.

“Shiho…” Ann crouched by her side, her voice breaking. “Why?”

“Ann…?” Shiho’s voice was merely a raspy whisper. Her eyes slowly focused on her. “I’m sorry. I… I can’t take this… anymore…”

“Shiho?” Ann leaned closer and Shiho whispered something that Akira couldn’t make out. Ann’s whole body tensed and she jerked up, surprise on her face.

“…Kamoshida!?” She asked, though Akira was sure only Ryuji, Shiho, Ann, and herself heard the words.

Shiho’s head went slack and her eyes slid shut. “No… Shiho!?” Ann crouched closer to her friend, trembling and tears streaming down her face.

The paramedics hurried the two out and into the ambulance that drove off, sirens blazing. Students and teachers alike spoke to each other in panic. It was all white noise around her. They were all insignificant and far away.

Akira’s hands felt strange. Slowly, she held them up to see. Visibly trembling. Grief? Fear? No. Her skin was hot and her eyes were dry, yet her body shook as if cold. A fire sparked to life beneath Akira’s skin the moment Ann had said that name. This was cold hatred.

“Akira.” Ryuji took hold of her hand, jolting her back to the present. He nodded behind them. “Look.”

Mishima stood in the crowd. Horror showed on his face, but Akira saw guilt too. He tripped and hurried into the practice building as fast as his injured legs could carry him.

“Follow.” Akira’s voice was not hers. It was filled with hate and promises of pain.

Akira’s pace was quick and deliberate. No teacher or student approached her. There was murder in her eyes. Ryuji stuck close behind her, just as intimidating.

Mishima skidded to a stop, clutching his chest as he panted. He was in pain, but Akira held no pity for anyone who stood in her way.

“Uwah!” Mishima cried out as Akira grabbed his arm and Ryuji grabbed the other. In an almost rehearsed movement, Ryuji and Akira marched Mishima to the far corner of the hall and threw him into the corner, away from any witnesses.

“That hurts!” Mishima cried out, stumbling.

Ryuji, tense and jumpy, advanced on Mishima. “Why’d you run like that? Huh!?” His tone was accusatory.

“I didn’t run…” Mishima protested softly.

“SHE JUMPED AND TRIED TO KILL HERSELF!” Ryuji shouted in Mishima’s face, spraying him with spit.

“L-Leave me alone.” Mishima stammered, breathing quickly.

“Mishima.” Akira’s face and tone struck fear into Mishima’s soul. It was quiet and her body was neither tense nor relaxed. Her body was merely ready, anticipatory, like a predator watching her prey struggling in front of her. There was no pity in her.

“If you even think about lying to me, I swear I will live up to my reputation.” She hissed, towering over Mishima’s small shaking form.

Mishima shook in silent fear, unable to tear his gaze away from Akira’s, until Ryuji relented.

“Look, man, we ain’t trying to get you busted. We won’t say you talked either!” Ryuji reassured him.

Mishima glanced at Akira who still resembled a predator, silently waiting. “Suzui…” He spoke quietly.

He grabbed his head, squeezing his eyes tight. “She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!” He cried out.

“Wait, what!?” Ryuji gasped as Akira’s hands shook again. She swallowed her words. Mishima needed to keep talking.

“I was called by him a number of times too… to the teacher’s room.” Mishima stared at the ground, relaying his whole story. “It wasn’t just me or Suzui either. He’d nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them.”

“So the physical punishment thing was for real…” Ryuji confirmed.

Mishima nodded. “But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn’t make any mistakes or anything…” He furrowed his brow. “Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must’ve been… worse than usual…”

“He didn’t…!” Ryuji swallowed. “That son of a bitch!” He growled.

Akira exhaled. It didn’t take a genius to connect Kamoshida’s anger with the conversation with Ann. Ryuji barreled off, jolting Akira out of her thoughts.

“Ryuji!” She hissed, turning in time to see him disappear down the hall. Akira sprinted after him, mildly surprised when she heard Mishima following.

“He must be going after Mr. Kamoshida!” Mishima jogged up next to her, keeping pace well. “PE faculty office, second floor.”

“Ryuji, you idiot.” Akira muttered, chasing him up the stairs.

God, she wanted to destroy Kamoshida, but taking him head-on was foolish. They had nothing! No witnesses, no proof, no one who would help them out! Kamoshida would just destroy the two of them. She turned at the top of the stairs just in time to see Ryuji wrench open the PE faculty office door and stomp in.

“No.” Mishima exhaled, stopping. He put his hand on Akira’s shoulder, stopping her from moving. “You’d better not confront him. He’ll destroy you.”

“Like hell I’m letting Ryuji face him alone and like hell I’m letting Kamoshida take my only friend from me.” Akira growled at Mishima, wrenching herself out of his grip.

Akira stepped in. She stood tall and composed, putting her hands in her pockets, while Ryuji looked ready to throttle someone. Surprisingly, Mishima stepped into the office too, jaw set and ready to stand firm. The heavy door swung shut behind them.

Kamoshida sat at his desk, glancing over his shoulder at the intruders. He raised an eyebrow at the three. “Can I help you?”

Ryuji didn’t hesitate for a moment. “You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?” He bellowed.

Kamoshida, his face irritatingly expressionless, turned back to his computer. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Ryuji kicked a nearby chair against the opposing desk. It hit with a resounding crash.

Kamoshida, now irritated, turned to look at them. “That is enough!” He spat.

“What you did… wasn’t coaching!” Mishima declared. His voice was small, but strong. Ryuji and Akira looked at him in surprise and disbelief: was Mishima actually calling Kamoshida out on the abuse?

“What did you say?” Kamoshida’s tone was low and dangerous.

“You…” Mishima clutched his head as guilt overwhelmed him. “You ordered me to call Suzui here…” His breath was shallow. “I can only imagine what you did to her…!”

Kamoshida finally stood up and walked over to the three. “You’re going on and on about things you have no proof of… Basically, you’re simply making these claims because you can’t be a regular on the team, right?”

“That’s not what this is about!” Mishima retorted.

“Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… what can you do?” Kamoshida challenged. “We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui’s in a coma and her chances of recovery are slim… How would someone like that make a statement?” Fake sympathy showed on his face. “There’s no chance of her getting better, I hear… The poor girl.”

“No… That can’t be…” Mishima froze, trying to comprehend what Kamoshida said.

“You goddamn…!” Ryuji started.

“This again?” Kamoshida asked irritated. “Does this mean we need to have yet another case of “self-defense”?”

“You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!” Ryuji yelled. In an instant, Akira knew Ryuji was going to take a swing and be dammed the consequences. Akira grabbed his arm, holding him firmly.

“Wha-? Why’re you stoppin’ me?”

“Pick your battles, Ryuji.” Akira’s voice, compared to the yells of Ryuji and the threats of Kamoshida, was calm, quiet, and collected.

“Oh?” Kamoshida raised an eyebrow at Akira. “You’re stopping him? What a surprise.” He plastered a huge smile on his face and crossed his arms. “There’s no need to hold back. Why not attack me?”

Mock understanding crossed his face. “…Ohhh, you can’t. Hahaha, but of course you can’t!” He laughed, returning to his seat at his desk. He pulled out a paper and began writing.

“Everyone present right now…will be expelled. I’m reporting all of you at the next board meeting.”

Akira’s stomach plummeted like a stone in water. Expelled? No, this was her second chance. There was nothing for her after this! Sojiro would kick her out and then what would she do? She couldn’t go back to her parents and she had no friends that would help. Beyond that, she’d be back in juvie for who-knows how long.

“Wha…?” Ryuji echoed Akira’s panicking thoughts.

“You can’t make a decision like that!” Mishima challenged.

“Who would seriously consider what scum like you say?” Kamoshida retorted. “You threatened me too, Mishima, so you’re just as responsible.”

“Huh…?” Mishima swallowed, his expression terrified.

“To think you didn’t know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team.” Kamoshida degraded him. “You act like you’re a victim, but you leaked her criminal records, didn’t you?”

“The hell?” Akira stared at Mishima’s guilt-ridden face.

“It’s all over the Internet, correct? How terrible.” Kamoshida didn’t even pretend to have sympathy for Akira.

“Mishima…?” Ryuji’s tone was far kinder than both Akira’s and Kamoshida’s.

Mishima fell to his knees and punched the floor. “He told me to do it. I had no choice…”

“Now, are we finished here?” Kamoshida returned to his work. “You’re all expelled! You’re done for: your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight.”

Hate, hot and thick, flowed through Akira. This bastard had revealed all of her records to the school and the entire world, damming all attempts to make a new life. He had abused countless students and drove another to suicide.

“I can’t believe this asshole’s gettin’ away with this!” Ryuji cried out.

Akira grabbed one of Mishima’s arms. “I will not let him get away.” She promised Ryuji. “Get Mishima’s other side. Come on, both of you.” Her tone left no room for argument, yet Ryuji found the resolve to argue.

“Akira!” He protested.

“Ryuji.” She glared at him, willing him to understand her thoughts.

“Oh.” He realized.

“Have you lost your minds?” Kamoshida interrupted their silent communication. “I don’t understand what garbage like you are thinking, but go ahead and try. All you can do is wait for your disposal though…”

With that last irritating declaration, Ryuji grabbed Mishima’s other arm and together Akira and him hauled the injured boy out into the hall.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry….” Mishima murmured as Ryuji and Akira marched Mishima to the boy’s bathroom. Akira waited outside with Ryuji as Mishima washed his hands and face. Ryuji kept making attempts to start a conversation about Morgana’s offer, but Akira kept cutting him off.

“You guys were only trying to help.” Mishima stepped out of the bathroom, guilt weighing him down. “Kurusu-san, I swear I- I’m so sorry that I…” He trailed off, not able to meet Akira’s eyes.

Akira, though she knew that Kamoshida was to blame, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger at Mishima for his hand in revealing her record.

“I will now never be able to escape this. Any person with a damn phone can find my record.” Akira relayed this all to him flatly, sparing him no blows. “I know that you were merely a puppet in this, but now you’re in the same boat as us.”

“Huh?” Mishima finally glanced up.

“You’ll be expelled with us.” Akira shrugged. “Hopefully, we’ll figure something out. Good day, Mishima.”

Akira swept off. Mishima would have to fend for himself for now. Ryuji caught up to Akira and fell into step with her. The halls were empty, so they slipped out into the courtyard. Morgana, punctual as ever, waited for them on the table by the vending machines.

“We can’t waste any time.” Ryuji tapped his foot impatiently. He had been fidgeting when Mishima had been washing up, now he was ten times more so. “We gotta hurry up and go to that world and beat the shit outta that asshole!”

“Quieter, Ryuji.” Akira reminded him.

“We’re not beating him up. We’re simply stealing his distorted desires.” Morgana explained. “Can I assume that you’ve made up your minds about this – about how he might suffer a mental shutdown?”

Ryuji turned solemnly. “…I have.” His rage ignited abruptly. “Someone almost died because of him! I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to him anymore!”

Morgana fixed his blue eyes on Akira. “And you?”

“I don’t care about him anymore.” Akira affirmed. All sacrilegious acts. I cannot let him get away with this. No matter the risk of a total shutdown. If he dies, honestly, it’s still a good outcome. I will gladly have that monster’s blood on my hands.

Good decision. Arsène relayed her satisfaction at their plan.

“There you have it.” Morgana nodded.

“By the way, is gettin’ rid of a Palace hard? You’ve tried it before, right?” Ryuji inquired. Now that they had made a decision, they needed to figure the logistics as well as the actual feasibility of it happening.

“When did I ever say that?” Morgana cocked his head.

“Huh?” Shock showed on his face. “WHAT!? Were you just pretendin’ to know!?”

“Volume, Ryuji.” Akira reminded him, but his loud voice had already drawn someone over.

“Is it true that you’re getting expelled?” Ann asked, walking into fenced area. “Everyone’s talking about it…”

“That asshole’s at it again!” Ryuji growled. “So you came all this way to tell us that?” He turned his anger on Ann.

“If you’re going to deal with Kamoshida…” Ann’s hands clenched and shook by her side. “Let me in on it too.”

“Wha-What?” Ryuji gasped. Morgana squeaked in surprise. Only Akira was unaffected. Ann knew that both Ryuji and Akira wanted to destroy Kamoshida, and now she did too. It made sense to make allies.

“I can’t just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!” Ann declared.

“This has nothing to do with you…” Ryuji said contemptuously. “Don’t butt your head into this…”

Ann’s anger exploded. “But it does! Shiho’s my-“

“I said don’t get in our way!” Ryuji snapped. The two glared furiously at each other.

Akira tried to defuse the situation. “Ann, you wish to help?”

Ann’s gaze immediately snapped to Akira. “Yes.”

“My rep’s in the mud and so is Ryuji’s, you understand that, right?” Akira explained. “Yours is far less dammed. I recommend that your next move is being with Suzui and her family. Taking hasty action can make you later regret it.”

“Regret!? REGRET!?” Ann rounded on Akira, advancing towards her, face red with rage. “I REGRET NOT BEING THERE FOR MY BEST FRIEND!” She yelled before she ran off. Akira could see tears coming from her eyes.

“…That was harsh.” Morgana observed.

“We can’t take her somewhere like that…” Ryuji stated.

“I don’t like it either, but as much anger as she has, she isn’t screwed as we are right now.” The moment Akira said it, she realized how wrong she was. Kamoshida just made it clear that he intended to keep pursuing Ann.

She’s in just as much danger as us. Arsène affirmed in Akira’s head.

I’ll apologize later. Akira promised, running her fingers through her hair. Besides, she doesn’t have a Persona. We can’t endanger her like that.

Very well. Arsène clearly was unsatisfied with Akira’s answer, but did not pursue it.

“I hope that she doesn’t torment herself over this.” Morgana settled down. He glanced at Akira. “When it comes down to it, women don’t hesitate.”

“We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida.” Ryuji dismissed Morgana’s words quickly. “Let’s go already!”

Chapter Text

Akira stood ready with Ryuji and Morgana beside her in the alleyway across from the Shujin front gate. She had chugged a water bottle and carried only necessities. She had the medicine that Morgana had given her only a few days ago. Was it really only a few days ago? It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Alright, the moment we cross over, we’ll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you’re ready.” Morgana stood on a cardboard box, addressing them both.

“Huh? Phantom thieves?” Ryuji repeated questioningly.

“Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure – that is what we become!” Morgana explained eagerly.

Akira snorted, thinking of Igor’s instructions. “A phantom thief? So be it.”

“That sounds kinda cool!” Ryuji nodded. “So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida’s name, and …castle? Then we end up in bizarro world.” He pulled out his phone, swiping to find the app. “How the hell’s all this work? Someone make it?” He wondered.

Akira’s first thought was Igor, but all Igor had said that he “granted it to her”, nothing about making it.

“It doesn’t matter.” She said. For some reason, she felt she needed to keep quiet about Igor and the Velvet Room. Honestly, it was difficult enough for Ryuji to understand the other world. She didn’t need to confuse him further.

“Creepy, but, eh, it seems useful enough.” Ryuji shook off his unease surprisingly quick. “We’ll show that effin’ Kamoshida!”

“Let’s go!” Morgana cried.

Ryuji tapped the app and the strange sensation swept over them. The world tinged pink and the three stepped towards the school. In an instant, the blue flames caressed her body, leaving her in her thief clothes and the power that accompanied them.

The giant castle hadn’t changed since they last saw it: huge and forbidding. Akira turned, seeing Ryuji in his pirate outfit and skull mask and Morgana like he normally was.

“All right!” Ryuji stared up at the castle, ready to go. “Time to bust on through!”

“What is this!?” A very familiar voice startled the three. Ann, terrified and confused, ran up to the three of them. She still wore her school uniform and looked as normal as possible.

“T-Takamaki!?” Ryuji jumped. Akira tucked her gloved hands into her pockets, calculating what to do while Ryuji talked.

“That voice… Sakamoto!?” She pointed at Ryuji. “Then…” she pointed to Akira. “A-Akira?”

“Akira? Since when does she call you “Akira”?” Ryuji asked, glancing at Akira who shrugged noncommittally.

“Nevermind that, why are you here!?” Ryuji turned back to Ann, his voice unusually high.

“How should I know!?” Ann retorted. “What’s going on? Hey, where are we…!? Isn’t this the school?” She glanced furtively around, up and down the bizarre castle nestled amongst the normal, familiar buildings.

Morgana shook himself as if ridding himself of a bothersome fly. “I see. Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it’ll pull anyone nearby.”

“Brilliant, it’s radial-based instead of presence-based. Noted.” Akira muttered to herself as she made a mental note to check the precise radius of the app later.

“Wait, so this is related to Kamoshida!?” Ann waved her hand around at the castle.

Akira stepped forward. “It is and it is very dangerous. This place could kill us.” She explained to Ann. “All three of us have methods to defend ourselves, which is why we didn’t want you to come.”

“Anyways, you gotta leave!” Ryuji stated.

“No! I don’t care that it’s dangerous!” Ann yelled.

“The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene.” Morgana reminded them.

“No way! It talked!? Oh my god, it’s a monster cat!” Ann shrieked. Behind them, in the castle, Akira heard Shadows yelling and the clanking of armor and weapons.

“Monster…?” Morgana repeated, dejected.

“You better explain what’s going on! I won’t leave until you do!” Ann yelled at them.

Akira took her hands out of her pockets and held them up disarmingly. “I’ll talk. Let’s at least get further away from the place that might kill us.” She came up next to Ann and looped her arm through Ann’s affectionately.

“Y’see this place is…” Akira began to explain as Ann let herself be led away from the castle and back towards the alleyway that they entered from.

In the middle of her sentence, Akira apologized and shoved Ann out of the back into the real world. She returned to Ryuji and Morgana.

“That was cold.” Ryuji observed.

“We want to get this done sooner rather than later. She has no means of protecting herself and we are not experienced enough to take someone defenseless with us through a place we have no information about it.” Akira explained shortly. Besides, this whole world had something to do with Igor and “ruin”. It was bad enough Ryuji was tangled up into it. She didn’t need Ann mixed up too.

“Now, we’ve learned to be careful when we use the app.” Akira reasoned.

“You should’ve checked the tools you used!” Morgana scolded. “Why do I – the one who was just watching – know more about it than you two!?”

“Sh-Shaddup!” Ryuji retorted.

Akira raised an eyebrow and said nothing. It really wasn’t worth pursuing right now. They had a job to go.

“Geez, Takamaki found out right when we were startin’ off… we gotta deal with this fast!” Ryuji crossed his arms, slight worry in his voice.

Morgana nodded to the alleyway that Ann disappeared down. “That girl’s name is Ann Takamaki, right?” He glanced off to the side. “Lady Ann…” He murmured.

The thundering sound of metal-clad footsteps echoed from inside the castle, forcing the three to duck behind the wall.

“The Shadows have noticed us. You better brace yourselves, got it?” Morgana peeked out from behind the wall. Though there was plenty of noise issuing from inside, no guards emerged from the inside.

“We’re counting on you, Joker!” Morgana stared at Akira as he spoke, so Akira raised an eyebrow.

“Joker?” Ryuji repeated. “That a nickname?”

“Don’t refer to it in such a lame way. It’s a code name.” Morgana explained irritably. “What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name!? I’m not down for that! And there’s no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace… It’s just a precaution.”

“Why “Joker”?” Akira inquired. It made sense to use different names in a world based of cognition, but Akira was sure that Morgana and Ryuji both wanted to use code names to be cool. Admittedly, she did too.

“Because you’re our trump card when it comes to fighting strength.” Morgana put his paws on his hips. “You got more experience too.”

“Joker it is.” Joker smiled widely. “And you two?”

Morgana turned, staring up at Ryuji. “Ryuji will be… Let’s see….” He glanced up and down Ryuji’s pirate look. “Thug.”

“Are you pickin’ a fight with me!? I’ll choose it myself!” Ryuji asserted. He donned a thoughtful look. “Hm… When it comes to me, it’s gotta be this mask… Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?”

“Fine.” Morgana relented. “Why not “Skull” then?”

“Ooh! That sounds awesome! I’m Skull!” Skull pumped his fist. He glanced down at Morgana. “What do we do about this one’s code name?”

“Hm… Something short and sweet.” Joker put her hands in her pockets and felt the knife and pistol in her pockets.

“…How ‘bout “Mona”?” Skull suggested.

“Well, if Joker thinks it’s easier to call me that, then I’ll go with it.” Mona nodded. He put his paws back on his hips and addressed them formally. “All right. From here on out, we’re Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those code names from now on!”

“Perfect. Let’s go.” Joker strolled forward into sight of the castle. She jogged over to the ventilation shaft and swung herself easily inside. Mona and Skull followed easily. Skull landed much more easily and lightly than he had the previous time, despite the heavy boots he wore.

Joker led the way, crouching out of sight to listen to Shadow Kamoshida address his knights.

“The intruders the other day were quite entertaining.” He announced. “However, I can’t allow that trash to ransack my castle! Strengthen the security! Kill them on sight! I’ll reward whoever brings me their heads!”

“Praise to King Kamoshida!” The soldiers yelled. “Death to the intruders!”

“Hey, Mona, can’t we just beat the crap outta him and call it a day?” Skull inquired quietly. He and Mona crouched on the other side of the doorway from Joker.

“No.” Joker said quietly, but firmly. “We don’t have the power for a frontal assault.”

“It would be suicide.” Mona agreed. “We don’t want a repeat of last time. Besides, don’t you want him to confess his sins? To do that, we don’t need to beat him up only steal his Treasure.”

“Let’s go.” Joker darted back away from the door and towards the one door they had passed every time they had escaped from the castle. She pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully, before she silently opened it and slid inside. She jumped a moment, darting back outside. Skull and Mona hid with her at the edge of the now open door.

Joker peeked in. “One enemy.” She relayed. “When I give the signal, I will run it and attack it. The moment it transforms, I want the two of you in there beside me. Take it down quickly and quietly.”

“Got it.” Mona and Skull responded promptly.

Joker took a deep breath, peeking around the corner to see the Shadow guard. In a flash, she darted out, swiping her dagger across the chink between the metal plates. In an instant, the Shadow collapsed and reformed into the fairy-like Shadows they had met on their first day.

“Use guns!” Joker ordered, withdrawing her pistol. She shot the Shadow out of the air, while Skull and Mona jumped onto either side, shotgun and slingshot at the ready.

“W-Wait!” The fairy shadow cried out. “P-Please don’t hurt me!”

Joker, caught off guard by not only the speech, but also the earnestness, almost lowering her gun. “Mona?” She inquired, flicking her gaze to the cat-like friend.

“Shadows are born of humans, so they can talk and they, like humans, don’t want to die. Do you?” Mona asked the fairy Shadow.

“N-No! P-Please!” She clasped her hands together, begging.

“You can usually make ‘em give you something like money and useful items.” Mona explained.

Recalling the Shadow’s intention to kill her and her friends and the fact that it served Kamoshida, Joker held her pistol steady and glared down at the Shadow.

“Well, then, Miss Shadow, I’ll let you go, if you give me some money.” Joker’s tone was light and calm, but her stance and overall facial expression was threatening and utterly terrifying.

“You’ll let me go if I just give you money?” She asked.

“That’s the deal.” Joker smiled, her pistol not even shaking.

“But, this happened so suddenly… I actually don’t have anything on me…” The fairy Shadow admitted. “I-I usually do though, you know!?” She promised.

“Wait, what?” Mona asked in total surprise. He glanced at Joker, understanding passing between them.

“Well, since you don’t have anything to offer us…” Joker trailed off and sighed.

“W-Wait!” The fairy cried.

“For what it’s worth, I’m actually sorry.” Joker took aim. All sacrilegious acts. She told herself, steadying her resolve. She would’ve killed us for Kamoshida. She’s not human.

The fairy’s face abruptly changed into recognition, causing Joker to hesitate again. “You apologized. You stick to your ideals, but you do have morals, don’t you? I know that feeling.”

A shiver went down Joker’s spine and the fairy Shadow’s at the same time.

“Whoa, I feel different!” The Shadow realized. “Something’s happening!”

“Joker?” Skull asked, seeing the strange reaction between the two.

“What the…?” Mona jerked his gaze between the two. “What’s going on!?”

The fairy leapt up, staring at Joker in glee. “I remember now! I don’t belong just to King Kamoshida… I’m an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity’s souls… My real name… is “Pixie”!” She announced to the confused Phantom Thieves. “I’m Pixie! From now on, I’ll live inside your heart!”

Joker instinctively lowered her pistol away as Pixie glowed. Pixie’s entire body dissolved into blue light that reformed into a familiar-looking mask. Joker put out her hand as the mask flew over to her and joined to her face.

Joker smirked as a rush of power flew inside her. Arsène? She asked.

I’m here. Arsène’s familiar voice responded immediately.

I’m here too! Pixie’s voice was as clear as Arsène’s in Joker’s mind.

“What just happened…!? What was that!?” Mona’s voice rose an octave.

“What the hell?” Skull asked. He had tucked his shotgun, somehow, into his pocket, as well as his pipe. “That enemy got sucked into Joker’s mask!”

Joker clenched and unclenched her hands, deep in thought. Didn’t Igor say that she could get other Personas?

“I-I have no idea! I wasn’t expecting that either!” Mona’s cutlass and slingshot were also somehow tucked away into his pockets.

A large clattering of metal announced the arrival of another Shadow, startling the three.

“Intruders!” The Shadow cried before Joker whipped out her knife, slicing the Shadow. It reformed as Skull and Mona came up next to her. Two Bicorns charged Joker, who jumped onto one of the nearby tables.

“Skull, electricity!” Joker ordered, jumping behind the Bicorns.

Me! Pixie cried in Joker’s mind. I can do electricity! And I can heal!

Arsène? Joker swallowed slightly, concern for her first Persona’s feelings coursing through her, despite the danger she was technically in.

Do not be concerned for me! Stay alive! Arsène’s irritation was clear.

In an instant, there was a switch in Joker’s mind and she ripped off the mask of Pixie, summoning electricity as easily as Arsène summoned dark magic.

“What!?” Mona cried, seeing both Joker and Skull hit the bicorns with electricity, knocking them down.

“Go!” Joker ordered, drawing her knife. Even through the confusion, Mona and Skull obeyed her orders as they ruthlessly slashed and tore apart the Shadows into nothingness.

Once finished, Joker shut the door, so no others would hear the thieves for the inevitable conversation they were about to have.

“Was that the Shadow that we just faced?” Mona asked, staring at Joker in shock. “As a Persona? As your Persona?”

“Yes.” Joker nodded, hearing both Arsène and Pixie in her mind. “It’s my special skill.” She relayed. “I can recruit any willing Shadow to be my Persona.”

“Seriously?” Skull asked. “Mona, is that possible?”

Mona rubbed his paws together. “Apparently, it is. Sealing an enemy into your mask, making their power your own. I’ve never seen it before.” He shook his head. “It seems impossible.”

“It honestly isn’t that important, guys.” Joker tried to shrug it off. She didn’t want to talk about Igor. “We have a job to do.”

“You say that… but only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona.” Mona smiled widely at Joker. “But this… this is incredible! That ability will give us a huge advantage in battle! You can recruit more, right?”

Joker nodded shortly, hearing the affirmations from Arsène and Pixie both. “We have a job to do, guys, let’s go.”

“Hell yeah!” Skull cheered.

Joker led the three as they crept through the halls. They actively stuck to the plush carpet to muffle their footsteps. Before every door, Joker listened, opening it silently. Beyond the hall, they found a sort of weapons storage room with racks of medieval weapons and torture devices. Guards walked among them, with mechanical repetition. It only took a single glance to realize that it would be impossible to cross the room completely unseen.

“Closest Shadow. Get ready.” Joker relayed. She waited for the guard to pass in front of her before she leapt onto its shoulders, ripping the mask off. Two plant-like children formed and the battle began.

Joker now had a new style of fighting. She needed to find a weakness to knock down and then recruit the enemy. Unfortunately, it proved that neither of Joker’s Personas, nor Mona nor Skull had the weakness of the plant-children. Though it was far less satisfying, Joker told both the guys to use their physical weapons to destroy the Shadows. It took far less energy than summoning a Persona took. They were in for the long haul, so they needed to conserve energy.

The plant-children squealed as they dissolved into nothingness. Joker jumped behind a pillar, ready to fight another Shadow, but the others seemed to not have seen the fight.

“Why aren’t they reacting?” Joker hissed to Mona. Mona and Skull had joined her behind the pillar.

“That’s weird.” Skull peeked at the other Shadows.

“It’s the Shadows’ cognition.” Mona explained. “They haven’t seen you, so they believe that there are no battles around. They don’t hear the battles.”

“That makes no sense.” Skull complained.

“Whatever, fewer battles are necessary then.” Joker observed the guards’ movements. “When I move, follow closely.”

“Hey, look! A treasure chest!” Skull pointed behind one of the guards. “Joker, it could be useful!”

“We should grab it, Joker.” Mona had a greedy glint in his eye.

“Oh, brilliant.” Joker murmured. “Fine, you two run to the other door and hide. I’ll get the chest.”

Mona and Skull nodded, taking off towards the door. Joker jumped up, slinking behind one of the two remaining Shadows. She flicked the chest open, grabbing the contents and sprinting out of the room.

“Whatcha get?” Skull asked eagerly. Joker showed the new dagger she had found. She pulled out her original one, comparing the two.

“Nice. New weapon!” Skull congratulated her.

“What should I do with the original?” Joker asked Mona after assessing the knives.

“Just put it in your pocket.” Mona nodded to the pockets.

Joker tucked the knives in her pocket, amazingly having space for the medicine, the knives, and her pistol as well. How deep were her pockets?

“Hey, is that?” Skull pointed down the hall to a strangely shimmery, half-visible door.

“A safe room!” Mona bounded forward with the other thieves behind him. The three settled inside the safe room to discuss their strategy.

“Aren’t there even more Shadows here than before?” Skull asked as they sat around the table. “Just gettin’ this far’s been a real pain in my ass!”

“It’s all because you guys provoked Kamoshida, you know…” Mona explained simply. Joker listened as she twisted the new knife between her gloved fingers.

“Anyways, how’re we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?” Skull asked, scooting closer to the table.

“Don’t be hasty.” Mona warned as Joker tucked her knife into her absurdly deep pocket. “First, we’ll need to secure an infiltration route.”

“A what?” Skull cocked his head quizzically.

“A path to the Treasure’s location.” Mona explained patiently. He scratched the back on his head, sheepishly. “But honestly, I think we’ll need a little more manpower in order to accomplish this.”

Joker nodded. “I agree. Only one more, though. A larger group would have difficulty moving unseen.”

Skull, obviously thinking about other things, addressed Mona. “Hey, you say you don’t have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about that kinda stuff?” He turned to Joker. “Do you think this thing’s really got amnesia?”

Joker exhaled, unwilling to really entertain the thought that Mona may be malevolent. “I believe Mona. Why else would he have us promise to help him recover his memory?”

Mona smiled smugly at Joker. “At least you’re a step above that moron.”

“Don’t call me a moron!” Skull retorted. “You sure talk big, but what if it turns out you’re just some stray cat in the end?”

“Children, please don’t squabble.” Joker put on an overly motherly tone, causing the two of them to look at her in confusion.

Voices abruptly sounded from outside, causing the three to jump up, tensed and ready for battle. Joker shifted to Arsène’s mask.

“Still, why was the princess in such an odd place…?” The guards’ voices were muffled, so Joker pressed her ear to the door with Skull and Mona.

“Princess?” Skull mouthed at the other two.

Joker put her finger to her lips as the guards kept talking. “I could have sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder…”

“It doesn’t matter now.” Another guard interrupted. “We must take her back to King Kamoshida!”

Her? Alarm bells went off in Joker’s mind. Yes, they had a job, but an intruder was likely an enemy of Kamoshida. What was the saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

“Who’s this princess they’re talkin’ about…?” Skull whispered.

“I should probably look into this!” Mona was out the door before Joker could protest.

“Mona!” Joker hissed, the door shutting behind him.

“And yet another question goes unanswered.” Skull complained. “Stuff like the castle and that navigation app are mysterious… but Morgana’s got ‘em both beat.”

Joker was deep in thought about Kamoshida. Who, in his mind, would be the princess of his castle? Well, they were female, someone from the school, and someone that Kamoshida liked. The barest beginning of a suspicion started in Joker’s mind, but Skull’s mistake brought her out of her thoughts.

“Code names. He’s Mona.” Joker reminded him.

“Crap, sorry!” Skull winced at his own mistake. “What was I again? …Oh, yeah. Skull!”

Joker snorted softly and pressed her ear against the door, listening for Mona’s almost silent footsteps. Without warning the door swung open revealing a mildly panicking Mona.

“This is bad!” Mona hissed. He was having trouble keeping his voice down. “Your friend… Lady Ann! She’s been taken by Shadows!”

“Wait, what?” Skull asked, confused. “We sent her home earlier!”

“Are you sure?” Joker interrogated Mona. Please, no.

“If Lady Ann does indeed have the app, it could be possible.” Mona pointed out.

“Oh no…” Skull realized. “Don’t tell me it got put on hers just like mine…!?”

“Dammit Igor!” Joker swore. “Which way, Mona? Where did they take her?”

“Remember that barred hallway? Down there!” Mona pointed.

In a flash, Joker took off, her coat fluttering behind her like a cape. Her pirate and cat burglar followed after her, wasting no time on words. They were far less silent than they had been when they were infiltrating, but speed mattered more than stealth now. One guard did catch sight of them and tried to stop them, but Joker took out her old knife and lobbed it at the mask. The knife embedded it in the mask, cracking it in half. The three thieves did not stop.

Joker skidded to slow down before the entrance to the formerly bar-covered hall. Sparing no glances for the décor, Joker zeroed in on the door, hearing Ann’s voice behind it.

“Let go of me!” Ann’s scream was clear as Joker grabbed the handle, throwing out the heavy wooden door.

Chapter Text

Joker, Skull, and Mona had burst into something like an occult shrine. Patterns, painted in ghostly white, snaked across the floor. Candles, all lit in eerily, sat at specific cross points of the pattern. Joker didn’t care about any of that; her gaze was locked on Ann. In the center of the pattern, Ann was affixed to an X-shape, shackles on her wrists and ankles. She struggled mightily against the bonds.

A Shadow guard was on either side of her, swords drawn and ready.

“What’s all this about!?” Ann protested, still pulling on the shackles. “Seriously, I’m gonna call the cops!”

“Takamaki!” Skull yelled, startling the three.

“S-Sakamoto…!?” She glanced at Joker. “Akira? What’s going on!?”

“More intruders. You thieves never learn.” A familiar voice scoffed. Kamoshida himself walked forward and Joker was painfully reminded what kind of outfit he wore. She discreetly reached for her pistol.

“Kamoshida!?” Ann gasped incredulously. She looked equally scandalized. Her shock was doubled when someone horribly familiar stood beside Kamoshida.

“Who’s that…?” Ann demanded, seeing the other Ann in the bikini and cat ears. “More importantly, what is this place!? Why’s the school turned into something like this!?”

“I can’t believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her.” Kamoshida reprimanded the guards. His gaze glanced lazily up and down Ann for a moment. “Are you afraid?” He inquired.

Ann swallowed. “What is that outfit…? Have you lost your mind?”

“I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle… The world of my desires.” Kamoshida responded smugly.

“Shut up.” Joker had aimed her pistol at Kamoshida’s head. “Release Ann or I shoot.”

Kamoshida rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the guards put their swords on either side of Ann.

“Shoot me and they’ll kill her.” Kamoshida explained his counteroffer.

“Joker…” Mona’s voice trembled. Joker glanced back at Mona in concern, her pistol still on Kamoshida. Joker gasped, in her single-mindedness to get to Ann, she ignored the non-hostile cognitive beings around them.

Girls were on the ground all around them. Not women: Girls. Girls in lingerie, bikinis, some were flat-out naked. Joker’s horror only grew as she recognized the faces from school. This was the girls’ volleyball team all around them.

“You sick bastard!” Joker hissed, her attention returning to Kamoshida.

“Enough of this bullshit, Kamoshida!” Ann screamed at him.

Kamoshida turned to the Fake Ann. “The girl’s decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?”

The Fake Ann swung her shoulders around. “Talking back is, like… totally unforgivable.” She sounded vapid and empty.

Kamoshida returned his attention to thieves and Ann. “In that case… everyone in here should be executed.” The guards’ swords moved a fraction of an inch closer to Ann. “Now then, how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?”

“Kamoshida!” Joker held her pistol steady with two hands, still aimed at Kamoshida. “Don’t think I won’t shoot you if you dare harm her.”

Ann’s breathing grew irregular as she realized how real her situation was. “Are you kidding me…?” She asked no one in particular.

“You stupid thieves need to stop pretending you’re better than you are; that you can beat me!” Kamoshida retorted. In an instant, Joker’s gun was shot from her hand and skid across the floor.

“Bastard.” Joker hissed, seeing the third guard carrying a crossbow emerge from the shadows.

“Joker!” Skull and Mona stared at her in concern.

“No!” Ann yelled, seeing Joker cradle her hand.

“I bet you’re just like those thieves.” Kamoshida turned back to Ann now that Joker was disarmed. “You came because you’re pissed at me, huh? But, ah… I forget that chick’s name, but it’s your fault she jumped, you know.”

“Huh…?” Ann’s anger dissolved almost at once. Fear showed on her face and her struggles ceased.

A lazy smile settled on Kamoshida’s lips. “You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place.”

“YOU BASTARD!” Ann screamed; her struggles renewed. She gasped as one of the swords came closer to her neck.

“NO!” Skull yelled, advancing.

“Take one more step and I’ll kill her on the spot!” Kamoshida threatened.

“Dammit!” Skull retreated behind Joker.

“Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show.” Kamoshida stared Ann up and down.

“No! Don’t!” Ann pleaded.

“Maybe I’ll start with her clothes…” Kamoshida spoke giddily.

The fake Ann giggled. “You’re such a perv!” She spoke in a teasing tone to him.

“Joker, Mona, what do we do!?” Skull asked desperately. Joker’s gaze flicked to the crossbow guard who was still trained on them. Mona shook his head, at a loss for words. One of the guards walked in front of Ann and raised its sword.

“TAKAMAKI!” Skull yelled.

Ann stared at the sword with an acceptance that Joker had seen on the faces of the abused volleyball players. “Is this… my punishment for what happened to Shiho…?” She asked.

“That’s more like it.” Kamoshida relished her fear. The guard kept its sword trained on Ann, but did not raise it to strike Ann down. “You should’ve looked like this from the start.”

“Shiho…” Ann murmured. “I’m so sorry…”

“Are you just going to listen?” Joker hissed at Ann, who looked up, tears in her eyes. “Are you going to give up? Are you going to let him get away with what he did? Let him continue? Let him do it again to another girl?”

Ann’s tears suddenly fell, but grief and defeat were not on her face. Rage and certainty had taken over. “No… I don’t want that.” She smiled wickedly at Joker.

“You’re right, Akira. Letting this piece of shit toy with me…” She yanked at her shackles again. “What was I thinking…!?”

“It’s like I always say. Slaves should just behave and – “ Kamoshida began.

“Shut up!” Ann was breathing heavily, staring at Kamoshida’s smug face. “I’ve had enough of this… You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!”

In an instant, Ann’s body went rigid and Joker knew what was going to happen a split-second before it did.

My… A sultry voice echoed in the Persona-users’ minds, but far more powerfully in Ann’s. It’s taken far too long.

Ann whimpered, a silent scream on her lips. Her struggles renewed, but not for escape from the bonds. Spikes of pain drove into her mind as the sultry voice addressed her.

Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don’t? Sweat, drool, and tears dripped down her face, arms, and legs as she arched as if her body burned her throughout.

Forgiving him was never the option… The sultry voice insisted, the silent scream still on Ann’s lips. Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within… I am thou, thou art I…

Ann screamed, her voice finally breaking through the silence of the pain. She went slack in the shackles, her scream cut abruptly off. We can finally forge a contract…

Tears mixed with drool dripped off her face as Ann whispered to the sultry voice. “I hear you… Carmen.”

In an instant, blue flames flew over her face, revealing a red cat-like mask and her eyes as yellow as a Shadow’s.

“You’re right.” Ann spoke loud enough for all in the room. “No more holding back…!”

Kamoshida and the guards recoiled, knowing what that mask meant. Luckily, they were too in shock to attack.

There you go… The sultry voice addressed as the blue flames flew over the shackles, breaking as if they were made of wet clay. Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.

Ann, her hands free now, gripped the ear of her mask. She tore it off, screaming as the skin, muscles, and nerves went with it. Raw blue energy swirled around her, like the fire, blinding all in the room

Joker blinked, seeing a beautiful Persona before her: A pink-skinned woman in a red-layered, dance dress with a lit cigar, her dark hair tied in two ponytails, a pink high-heeled shoe pressed over a weak masculine-being while another hanged off her hand. The chains that were present on all the previous Personas swirled around the pink-skinned woman. Ann stood in front of the Persona, clad in a red leather suit with pink gloves.

In an instant, Ann ran towards the nearest guard, kicking its sword up into the air. She jumped, grabbing the huge sword and slamming it down on the fake version of herself. The fake Ann dissolved into nothingness like the Shadows that Joker and the others had fought.

Kamoshida retreated as one sword guard and the crossbow guard stood in front of him, ready to defend him.

“You know what?” Ann addressed Kamoshida, rage dripping from every word. “I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with… you scumbag.”

“Bitch…” Kamoshida said through gritted teeth.

Joker grabbed her pistol off the ground and stood beside Ann. Skull and Mona stood on her other side, drawing their respective weapons.

“You stole everything from Shiho…” Ann recounted. “You destroyed her… Now it’s your turn!” She let the sword fall from her hands beside her and pointed at Kamoshida’s sweating face. “I WILL ROB YOU OF EVERYTHING!”

“How dare you!” One of the Shadows spoke. “Enough of your insolence!” All the Shadows collapsed, reforming into their true forms.

“No, I’ve had enough of you.” Ann stated, contempt in her voice. “No one’s gonna stop me now! Let’s go, Carmen!”

Like Skull and Joker when they first awakened, Ann rode a power high. Her attacks were vicious and she seemed to feel no pain. Flames exploded from Carmen’s hands as she threw them at the Shadows and Ann herself wielded a whip that formed into her hands.

“Stay out of her way.” Joker told the two guys. “Skull, electricity. Mona, wind. Let me handling the healing. Go!” She ordered.

Ann may not have felt pain, but she took damage. Joker also had taken more damage than she would’ve admitted from the crossbow guard shooting the gun from her hands. She needed to heal.

Joker summoned Pixie, healing herself and then the others as Ann tore through the guards, a toilet demon and more of the plant-children. The toilet demon and the plant-children proved weak to fire that Ann summoned in abundance. Though Joker’s first impulse was to recruit the powerful Shadows as Personas, but there was no time, as Ann had no mercy.

“Take it down!” Joker ordered as the toilet demon fell down again. “Come on!” Joker ran forward, Skull and Mona behind her. After only a moment of hesitation, Ann ran forward with the others, cutting through the Shadows. The Shadows dissolved into nothingness, torn away by the thieves.

When done, the thieves turned to Kamoshida who was sweating, fear written all over his face.

“Oh, shit!” Kamoshida glanced sideways, looking for a way out. He bolted off. Joker would have followed had Ann not collapsed.

“Wait…!” Ann cried. Her anger still burned, but her power high had waned. She panted heavily and her cat-like mask had reformed over her face.

Mona crouched in front of her, concern written all over his face. Skull showed concern in a slightly more rough way.

“Why’d you come here, man!?” Skull demanded. “And more importantly, how!?”

“Hey!” Mona reprimanded. “Is that how you speak to a lady!?” He turned to her, speaking gently. “Are you all right, Lady Ann!?”

“Lady Ann…?” Ann repeated, looking up at Mona. “Wait, what is this thing? Is it alive…? How can it talk? And… where in the world are we…!?”

“J-Just calm down. Everything’s going to be OK: don’t worry.” Mona hurriedly comforted her.

Ann used Mona to get herself back on her feet. “How am I supposed to calm down!?” She demanded.

“H-Huh..?” She noticed her gloves and then the rest of her outfit. “Why am I dressed like this!? When did I-“ She cut herself off, wrapping her arms over her exposed chest. “Ugh, what’s with this!?”

“All right.” Joker kneeled next to her. “Listen, we’ll explain, properly this time, but we gotta get out of here. It’s dangerous and I don’t think you can fight again. Until we explain, please calm down.”

Ann glared at Joker as she covered herself. “Fine.”

“We were just getting’ fired up, and you had to go and get in the way… Rgh, fine…” Skull stepped forward and held out his hand. “Here… gimme your arm. Joker, you take the other side”

Ann let the two help her up. Mona took it upon himself to scout, leading them down safe halls and around the moving guards. Ann seemed to get that they were still in danger and kept her freak-outs silent as Skull and Joker helped her out of the castle. Ann didn’t question when they showed her the vent they had to crawl through to get out.

Ann’s self-control only worked for so long. The moment their clothes transformed back and the world went back to normal, she began asking questions. She seemed able to walk on her own, so Akira opened her bag for Morgana. He hopped in with no argument.

Ryuji tried to explain as best he could about the Metaverse, but he didn’t understand most of what he said. Morgana poked his head out of Akira’s bag and began speaking, prompting Ann to have another freak-out about the talking normal-looking cat. Akira took over then, explaining everything they knew.

They stopped in Shibuya where Ryuji wandered off to get some refreshments. He returned with two different kinds of soda.

“Which one you want?” He asked Ann.

Ann, now finally calm, shrugged. “Whichever’s not carbonated.”

“Uh…” Ryuji shrugged sheepishly. “They’re both actually.”

Ann exhaled and took the one in his right hand. Ryuji held the other one out to Akira. She smiled at him and took the drink.

“But what about me?” Morgana crawled up on Akira’s shoulder.

“Huh?” Ryuji blinked. “But you’re a cat.”

Morgana swallowed his irritation, then turned to Ann. “…Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?”

Ann again looked over Morgana. “Um… Morgana, right?” He nodded happily. “I really am talking to a cat… This feels so strange…” She covered her mouth in surprise. “Oh, sorry! You’re not a cat, right?”

Morgana nodded. “It’s only natural that you’re confused.” He explained patiently. “Demanding that you understand all of this right after you went through is asking too much.”

Ann twisted one of her pigtails nervously. “Honestly, I still can’t believe what happened… And that power… my Persona…” She trailed off.

“It’s the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you’ll be able to fight in the Metaverse.” Morgana explained as Akira opened her drink and took a swig.

“So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right?” Ann inquired. “Is it really possible…? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?”

Ryuji spoke up. “The volleyball team’s keepin’ quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye. If guys like us try and complain, they’re just gonna shoot us down.” He gestured to himself and Akira.

“We don’t have much swing with pretty much anyone.” Akira shrugged. “It’s the only plan we have and honestly, even if it doesn’t work, we need to try every option.”

“Then let me help too.” Ann turned to Akira. “I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho.” Her rage bubbled to the surface again. “He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her… I’ll never forgive him.”

“You want to come?” Ryuji asked in shock.

Akira raised an eyebrow. Though her mind was already made up, she inquired of Ann anyway. “We might mentally shutdown Kamoshida. It is a possibility. Can you live with that?”

“I don’t care about that bastard.” Ann’s voice was low. “I will do anything to make him pay for what he did to Shiho.”

Akira glanced at Ryuji and gently jostled her bag. “I say yes. What do you two think?”

“I agree. We need the manpower.” Morgana’s reason was sound, but Akira suspected he just wanted to spend time with Ann.

“Alright, she can fight, I guess.” Ryuji relented.

“Besides, you were just going to go in by yourself if we said no, weren’t you?” Akira turned back to Ann.

“Of course.” She said seriously. “I’m going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho’s sake… but for everything he’s done. I swear I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Ann… Even in Akira’s drugged state she could clearly see Ann’s smiling face in her mind’s eye. Ann’s resolve and stubbornness. Her love of all things chocolate and her loyalty to Akira.

“Kurusu.” Sae interrupted Akira’s thoughts.

“Sae-san.” Akira mumbled, still smiling at her memories of Ann.

Sae’s sharp gaze zeroed in on Akira’s pleased and unguarded expression. “I doubt something as dangerous as your group could’ve been pulled off with orthodox methods. It wouldn’t be odd if you had someone that was proficient in deceiving the eyes of others…”

Akira furrowed her brow. She had a brief urge to laugh, but why? What was funny? What had happened with Ann that was funny?

Sae went on. “If you’re listening then answer me!” She demanded.

Akira fixed her gaze on Sae and repeated a familiar phrase. “I am thou, thou art I…. Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.”

Sae’s expression darkened as Akira continued. She raised a single eyebrow when the words changed.

“With the birth of the Lovers Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…” Akira’s vision swam when she finished the words. “The Lovers and the Chariot. We made a deal.”

Sae narrowed her gaze. “Why are you calling your conspirators that? What is that poem? Is this a result of the drugs in your system?”

Akira blinked, not understanding. “That’s them. There are also…” She trailed off. More. There were more than just Ann and Ryuji. Who else? Who else was Akira missing?

Chapter Text

Akira returned to LeBlanc with a feeling of dread settling into her stomach. Morgana was still in her bag, hiding diligently while she was on the train. Morgana had pointed out that they needed a place to meet up and discuss their plans. Ryuji suggested the roof, which Ann and Akira agreed to. After Ann had promised to help and exchanged contact info, she had headed off towards home. Morgana then pointed out that he needed to stay in the real world for quick deployment. Akira knew, the moment the cat had pointed it out; she was going to be saddled with Morgana. Ryuji and Morgana bickered endlessly. They could never be roommates. Morgana harbored a soft spot for Ann, but Ann didn’t seem interested, stating her parents were allergic.

So it fell to Akira to somehow convince Sojiro that she needed a pet cat. Sojiro who didn’t like her. Sojiro who was convinced she was getting wrapped up in something shady. Sojiro who had her living in the attic of a restaurant. A restaurant, for goodness’ sakes!

Maybe I should just sneak him in. Akira thought to herself.

Initially, perhaps. Arsène observed. He will notice sooner or later, though.

Akira whispered instructions to Morgana to stay down, still, and quiet right before she pushed the door open. She blinked, seeing a rare occurrence: there was a customer in the store. It was a woman, with blue hair and a leather jacket.

“The store’s still open.” Sojiro said when she walked in. “Go upstairs.”

Glad at her sudden fortune of Sojiro having customers to deal with, Akira should have gone straight upstairs, but the blue-haired woman was impossible to ignore. She wore a chain-like collar-necklace and black eyeliner. Her blue dress, lighter than her hair, had a spider web pattern across it.

“Yes?” The woman inquired, noticing Akira’s stare.

“Hey, lay off the customers.” Sojiro ordered as Akira swallowed. “Sorry if she was rude, Doctor.”

Doctor? Akira repeated in her mind. This woman was a doctor? Of what, precisely? The occult? She shut down the thoughts as quickly as they came. It wasn’t polite to judge.

“I don’t mind.” The doctor’s gaze felt penetrating as she swept over Akira.

“Come on, you’re getting in the way.” Sojiro’s tone relayed his irritation quite clearly. “Go on upstairs.”

“Don’t worry about it, Boss. I need to head out anyway.” The doctor had finished her coffee and picked up a little black bag. She stood up, and slipped out of the booth. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

“Come back again.” Sojiro said politely. The doctor left and Sojiro stepped out from behind the bar with a cleaning cloth.

Akira hovered near the stairs, too curious to just leave, despite the illegal cat in her bag. “Boss?” She inquired.

“Huh?” Sojiro seemed to notice she was still in the room. “Yeah, most people in town call me that.”

“I never heard it.” Akira observed.

“Well, this is the first time you came back while the café was open.” Sojiro picked up the doctor’s mug as he wiped down the table. He noticed Akira was still hovering.

“That was the head doctor of the Takemi Clinic. She runs that clinic around the corner.” Sojiro answered the unasked question. “Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations, and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that.” He put the mug in the sink. “At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t been there myself.”

“All sorts in the city, eh?” Akira tried for humor. She needed Sojiro in a better mood if she even dared talk about Morgana to him.

Sojiro let out a breath before he started cleaning the mug and the rest of the dishes in the sink. “They should really just leave her alone. It’s not like she’s getting in the way of their lives…”

Akira opened her mouth to speak, but before she could a new voice spoke from her bag. Morgana, getting impatient, asked if they were there yet.

Akira cleared her throat loudly as Sojiro looked around quizzically. “Um, well, thank you, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Sojiro returned to cleaning the dishes as Akira ascended the stairs.

“Here we are. It’s not much, but hey, you’re rooming with a delinquent. You’re not gonna get a five-star hotel suit.” Akira explained as she opened her bag and Morgana jumped out.

Akira, always self-conscious whenever someone was in her room, became acutely aware of all the clutter in the room. The room was dusty and drafty and there was a giant pile of miscellaneous stuff in the corner. There were stacks of books all over the shelves and the desk. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Her bed wasn’t even made.

“What the…!? What is this place!?” Morgana demanded. Akira could hear the shock and disgust in his voice. “Is this some kind of abandoned house…!?”

Before Akira could retort, the sound of Sojiro ascending the steps came through. “Hey, are you-“ He cut himself off when he spotted Morgana on the bed. Morgana instinctively crouched and made himself small.

Sojiro rubbed his temples. “I was wondering why I heard meowing.” He turned to Akira. “Why did you bring it here for!?” He demanded.

“He’s a stray.” Akira frantically wove a sob story and tried to make it sound heartfelt. “I found him outside the school. I couldn’t leave him. He’s alone and no one wanted him.” She looked at her shoes. “I know the feeling.”

Sojiro’s jaw tightened. “Not my problem. This place is a restaurant, so animals are a no-go.”

“Please, Sojiro-san!” Akira clapped her hands together, staring him down with tear-filled eyes. “I’ll look after him myself! You won’t even know he’s here! I had a cat back home and I miss him! Besides, don’t some studies proving that troubled kids are often helped by taking care of an animal? Better behavior and such?”

There was silence as Sojiro and Akira stared each other down. She kept her tearful, pleading face up.

“Fine…” Sojiro relented. “But keep it quiet when we’re open for business. And don’t let it roam downstairs or I’ll toss it out. Got it?”

“Thank you, Sojiro-san!” Akira smiled widely at him.

Sojiro gave Akira a peculiar look before heading back downstairs. Akira exhaled a sigh of relief.

“I cannot believe that worked.” She ran her fingers through her thick hair.

“Was that the ruler of this place?” Morgana stood back up, stretching on the bed.

“Yes.” Akira sat down next to him. “Sojiro Sakura, apparently known as Boss in the café. He’s being paid to keep me while I’m on probation.”

Morgana sat beside her. “He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a meowing cat.”

Sojiro came back upstairs, bearing a plate of steaming leftover chicken. “Seriously… It had to keep calling out in that cute little voice.” He set it down in front of Morgana. “Make sure you wash that dish.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira responded amiably.

“By the way…” Sojiro asked, “have you decided on a name?”

“He’s Morgana.”

Sojiro scratched the back of his head. “I was hoping I’d get to name it…” With that Sojiro made his exit. The sound of the shop door closing signaled he was heading home.

“Looks like the chief likes me better than you.” Morgana observed, looking as smug as a cat could. He glanced up and around the room again with a more critical eye. “And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida’s cells.”

“I know. I’d prefer being here over in those cells again. Eat your food.” Akira nudged the plate closer to him before standing up again. She picked up her bag and rooted around for her homework. There was silence as Akira settled herself down on the floor to work.

“…Remember how you guys asked me before about what I am?” Morgana asked. Akira looked up at him. Gone was his smug attitude and Akira felt pain and worry from him.

“To be honest…” Morgana curled his tail around himself. “I don’t remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse’s distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form.”

Akira turned to Morgana, resting her arms and head on the bed so she was level with Morgana. “True form?”

“I’m human!” Morgana retorted. “I told you that before! I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There’s no other possible explanation!” Doubt entered his voice and he looked at the ground. “There’s no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I’m sure that once they’re purged, I’ll finally be able to get that self back.” He nodded to himself. “And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That’s why I was in the castle in the first place.”

“I’m glad.” Akira nodded. She gestured to the plate. “Now, eat something.”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t get hungry over in that world.” Morgana realized, sniffing the plate. He munched it slowly and Akira returned to her homework.

“Hey.” Morgana jumped onto the papers in her lap. “Let me be clear: Your taking care of me won’t be for nothing. It’ll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools.”

“Infiltration tools?” Akira asked, moving so Morgana jumped off her lap and back on the bed.

“Whoa.” Morgana sat down beside the empty plate. “I learned my lesson with you. I can’t tell you anymore unless we settle on a deal.”

Akira smirked. “Once bitten, twice shy, huh? What do you have in mind?”

Morgana nodded. “In exchange for you keeping me here, I’ll teach you about these tools. Sound fair?”

Akira held out her hand. “I’ll shake on that.”

Morgana put his small fluffy paw in Akira’s hand and they shook. “Hehehe… It’s a deal.”

Morgana… Akira could still see his smug little face. She missed his familiar weight on her shoulder and his whispered advice.

Sae took the break in the story to demand specific information. “Skillful infiltrations and escapes to all manner of places… There’s even the possibility that you used special tools and had someone who manufactured them… Answer me!”

Akira laughed raspily after she recited the strange poem for the third time, replacing the one word with “Magician”. “Magician. Lovers. Chariot.” She listed. “Sae-san, the Magician taught me.”

“Are you merely joking? I will not tolerate not taking this seriously! Do you even understand what kind of position you are in?” Sae demanded.

Akira’s expression darkened. “I know exactly what my position is.” Her gaze drifted to the syringes on the floor. “I will continue my story, Sae-san. Don’t ask questions if you don’t want answers.” She rasped.

The next day, Akira walked to school with Morgana in her bag. He had disliked traveling on the cramped train and complained to Akira the entire time. Between his complaints, he asked Akira questions about people and normal life. If Morgana was human, he lost more than just the memories of his origin. He lost all memories of normal life.

On the way over to school, Akira walked past a group of girls chatting about illness.

“You hear that?” Morgana inquired, jumping out of the bag onto Akira’s shoulder. “We should get in contact with a doctor. It could be useful for when we head into the castle.”

Akira glanced back behind her. No one was there to see the cat in her bag. “Please get down.”

“Oh yeah.” Morgana slipped back in. “You should still look into it. Know a clinic or something? Weren’t you talking to a doctor the other day?”

“We’ll see.” Akira said evasively.

Morgana slipped into Akira’s desk stealthily as Akira pulled her books out, ignoring the usual comments. She sat up when she realized the murmurs were about Ann and the volleyball team. Understandably, the other students were talking about Shiho and trying to figure out what happened to her. Ann was tense and Akira leaned forward.

“Ann?” She asked softly.

“I’m fine.” She insisted through gritted teeth.

Akira took the hint and returned to her seat. Morgana had settled in her desk and the day began.

It was uneventful aside from a single moment when Ushimaru pegged Akira in the forehead with a piece of chalk. Akira gripped her forehead, glaring at Ushimaru who reprimanded her for daydreaming.

Asshole. Akira thought.

Indeed. Arsene agreed. A teacher should behave better than this.

The rest of the room whispered frantically, seeing the anger in Akira. They whispered about her record again. Akira glared at the room around her and the whispering ceased.

“You OK?” Morgana whispered, peaking out of the desk.

“Fine.” Akira hissed so only Morgana could hear her.

Akira stepped out into the hall with Morgana hiding in her bag. Ann had already left to meet on the roof and it was likely that Ryuji was up there too.

“Kurusu.” Akira jumped, turning to the voice. Makoto Niijima, looking as intimidating as ever, stood, her arms crossed. “I thought I told you to meet me in the student council room two days ago.”

“I’m sorry, Niijima-senpai.” Akira spoke courteously. “I forgot and then yesterday… happened.”

Niijima’s expression softened somewhat. “Yes. I understand that. Regardless,” she stared up at Akira’s face, “I expect you to come today.”

“Niijima-senpai, please, I can’t do this now.” Akira was acutely aware that Morgana was in her bag, squirming only slightly.

“No.” Niijima stated. “Come with me to the student council room.” She turned, about to lead the way.

“Senpai!” Akira leaned closer to Niijima and lowered her voice. “I need to get to the bathroom, for female reasons.” She stressed the words and allowed her eyes to get wide and pleading.

Niijima’s eyes widened in surprise and understanding. “Oh, yes. Uh, go on to the restroom. Do you need supplies?”

Akira shook her head. “No, thanks, I’ll be right back.”

“Female reasons?” Morgana questioned as Akira let him out of the bag in the restroom.

“Best lie I could think of. Don’t worry about it.” Akira waved her hand dismissively. “Go up to the roof and tell the others where I am. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Morgana nodded and jumped up onto the windowsill. He squirmed out the open window and jumped out of sight.

Akira quickly washed her hands, trying to take a believable amount of time in the restroom, so Niijima was not suspicious. She stood outside the student council room for only a moment before entering.

The other members of the student council stared at Akira in a mixture of fear and surprise. Only Niijima seemed unaffected. Her emotions were conveniently tucked behind her mask.

“Kurusu. Sit down.” Niijima gestured to the seat across from her.

“So, why am I here?” Akira inquired, sitting opposite Niijima. The other student council members quickly left the room as if being in the same room with the delinquent was somehow harmful.

“I am aware of your record, of course. My interests lie with keeping the student body safe. What do you intend to do here?” Niijima’s red eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

Irritation spiked through Akira. “I intend to get an education, Senpai. Nothing more, nothing less.” Her tone was clipped.

“Truly?” Niijima challenged.

Akira pushed her glasses up her face. “What else would I be doing at a school?” A half-smirk settled on her face.

Niijima’s expression, if possible, hardened. “I expect you to be exemplary in all forms of behavior, understand?”

“Of course.” Akira nodded. She kept her half-smirk on her face because she could see the tightness in Niijima’s jaw. “Have I done anything while at this school to warrant your suspicion?”

Niijima’s face was neutral. “No, but I heard of an altercation with Mr. Kamoshida.”

Akira’s smirk became forced for only a moment. “What do you mean?”

Niijima raised an eyebrow. “Only a rumor that you were going to be expelled.” Her gaze never let Akira’s face.

“Oh, really?” Akira cocked her head quizzically. “I was unaware a rumor like that was circulating. What other rumors are there about me, Senpai?”

Niijima intertwined her fingers. “I will be blunt: what happened? Why is this rumor circulating?”

Akira raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know how the rumor got started, but I did have a conversation with Mr. Kamoshida yesterday. If you want the details, ask him. May I go now? I am meeting someone soon.” She stood up.

Niijima recognized it was not worth the effort of pursuing and nodded. “I will keep an eye on you, Kurusu.”

“Have a good day, Senpai.” Akira picked up her bag and hurried out. She took the long way around to the roof, making sure that Niijima didn’t follow or see her go to the roof. The other students avoided her as usual.

“Oh, hey, Akira.” Ryuji greeted her as she pushed the door open. “What happened?”

“Niijima-senpai is convinced, like everyone else, I am a delinquent.” Akira plopped her bag down and leaned again a structure that she didn’t know what was quite used for. “What did I miss?”

“We just informed Lady Ann that it was normal to hear her Persona in her mind.” Morgana reported. “Ryuji and I both hear our Personas.”

Akira snorted. “Be glad it’s just one. I hear multiple.”

“Seriously?” Ryuji asked in shock.

“Really?” Morgana looked intrigued. “You hear all of the ones you have collected?”

Akira nodded as Ann spoke up. “Wait, multiple? What do you mean?”

Akira shrugged. “I’m a bit special. I can recruit Shadows into being my Personas.”

“Whatever, Akira’s different.” Ryuji said before Ann could talk. “Let’s head out. I’m ready to take down that bastard!”

“Hold on.” Morgana turned to Ryuji. “It’s still too early for us to head to the Palace.”

“But why? We went in yesterday! Don’t we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?” Ryuji demanded. He was edgy and ready to go.

“Don’t underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare.” Morgana scolded Ryuji. “We only penetrated the easiest part of the castle. Even then, we got pretty beat up.” He cast a glance at Akira.

“Akira, you okay?” Ann asked, concerned.

“I’m fine. Morgana just saw a few bruises I sustained during the fight.” Akira tried to shrug it off.

“The point is: it made me think that we are not well-prepared. We need emergency medical supplies and stuff to keep up one’s stamina.” Morgana explained. “If you have no stamina, you can’t summon your Persona and you have no protection there. You could die.”

“Ugh, fine.” Ryuji grumbled.

“We also need better equipment.” Morgana asserted. “Weapons, armor. That kind of thing.”

“I know a kick-ass place!” Ryuji spoke up.

“Your job, then.” Akira nodded to him.

“Akira, we getting the medicine.” Morgana glanced at her.

“And me?” Ann inquired eagerly.

“Get some sports drinks, just in case this medicine thing doesn’t work out. Both Morgana and I can heal, so we might have to rely on that.” Akira explained.

With the jobs sorted out, the three set off, ready to get started. Ann and Ryuji went to Shibuya while Akira and Morgana got off in Yongen. Akira wandered, ignoring the cop that stood at the corner. Didn’t he have anything better to do? She knew that the doctor, rumored to sell strange homemade medicines, was her target. What on earth would she say to convince the doctor she needed medicine? Morgana was little help, only telling her to lie. Akira wandered a little, trying to think of an acceptable lie that wouldn’t make her come off as a drug addict.

Arsène? Akira inquired, rubbing her temples. Pixie?

I don’t know. Arsène relayed.

I got nothing. Pixie’s tone was carefree.

You’re no help. Akira grumbled. She walked over to the clinic once the cop had headed off elsewhere. In the time she had been coming up with a convincing lie, she had not seen anyone come in. Was that normal? She really didn’t know about clinics, but that seemed wrong.

Akira, thinking of her flimsy lie she cobbled together, stepped into the room. It was like any other doctor’s office that Akira had ever been in. It was small, smelled of chemicals and medicine, had out of date magazines, and had a fake plant by the door. The punk-doctor sat behind the desk. She wore a lab coat this time.

“Excuse me?” Akira broke the silence of the room carefully.

“Is this your first visit?” The doctor asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” Akira pushed her glasses up her face and pulled a few strands of unruly hair out of her face.

The doctor furrowed her brow as she stared at Akira’s face. “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”

Morgana shifted uncomfortably in Akira’s bag. “I just moved here.” Akira said truthfully.

The doctor shrugged. “Well, whatever. What are you here for today?”

“I feel tired all the time.” Akira knew that they needed medicine that would help with energy; claiming fatigue would get the medicine.

The doctor appeared irritated for a moment. “…Fine.” She relented. “Please head to the exam room.”

The room smelled, if possible, even more chemical. It had a desk with a computer and the paper-covered bed. The doctor took the more comfortable office chair that was beside the computer, while Akira took the stool.

Akira explained her “symptoms” of consistently being tired: Unable to get up in the morning, lacking the energy to do homework or any chores, and headaches due to being tired all the time.

The doctor glanced up and down Akira as she spoke. “In a case like yours, it’s usually just due to stress. For those headaches of yours, I’m going to prescribe you some pain relievers, OK?”

Akira nodded, guilt squirming in her chest.

“Actually, I still need to restock those.” The doctor realized. “So, let’s go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway.” She scrawled something on her clipboard. “Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?”

Akira shrugged. “Whichever is more effective.”

“How about a stinky one, then?” Akira raised an eyebrow in surprise and confusion at the doctor who snickered slightly. “Just kidding. There’s no such pill. All right, why don’t we stop beating around the bush…” The doctor’s expression hardened and her eyes narrowed into a glare.

“You’re not sick at all, are you? I’m not as dumb as I look, you know.” The doctor didn’t even give time for Akira to process the insult she had just given herself. “I’m guessing you’re here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?”

Akira suddenly was struck with the gravity of what she had done. Like every other person at school who judged Akira based on the rumors, Akira had made a judgment based on rumors and not the person. The guilt in Akira’s gut doubled at the realization. Pity didn’t seem something that the doctor wanted to hear though. She shoved the guilt aside; she needed the medicine. Like hell she was letting Ann, Morgana, or Ryuji get hurt or killed.

Akira crossed her arms. “I am tired.” She insisted.

“Who’s to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now.” The doctor and Akira stared down. She laughed softly. “I guess high school students have it tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine. I’ll prescribe you some medication.”

Akira’s gaze softened. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“But only medication to help with your stamina.” The doctor stated. “I guess it’s fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don’t look like you’ll be any trouble.” She gestured around the clinic. “This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You’ve likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that’s OK with you, stop by anytime.”

“That would be great.” Akira nodded.

“Great.” The doctor observed. “It’s nice that you’re so quick on the uptake… Saves me the hassle.”

The doctor reached for the medicine. “You’re pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you’re going to use the medicine for…” She glanced back at Akira. “Well, as long as you don’t cause me any trouble, it’s not my problem.”

Akira selected a few medicines and pulled money from her pocket. She furrowed her brow in confusion for only a moment, but proceeded with the transaction.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Akira said, tucking her purchases in her bag beside Morgana.

“Take care.” The doctor returned to her computer.

Akira stepped out ready to ask Morgana a new question, but stopped when a well-dressed businessman stood in the waiting room. In an instant, Akira knew that this man was in a bad mood and was not going to stop for a student. She stepped aside, a horrible sense of déjà vu that she couldn’t quite place.

“…What’s the reason for your visit?” The doctor’s voice was clear through the door. “Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete’s foot? Whatever it is, you’ll need to take a number…”

Akira hovered by the door. The sense of déjà vu was too strong to ignore, and there was something wrong with the doctor’s voice. Why did she have such a hard tone in her voice?

“Enough of this!” The man spat. “You’re the only one who could have developed that type of medicine.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about…” The doctor’s tone became light, but there was still anger. Akira crept closer to the door, unable to resist eavesdropping.

“Don’t play done with me!” The man retorted. “Rumor has it, it’s a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power.” Impossible. Akira thought.

“Really? That’s news to me.” The doctor’s tone was carefully neutral.

“Develop experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations.” The man listed. “Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue.”

“You’re really persistent, you know that? I’m just a quack…” She dismissed herself easily.

“The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it.” The man explained nonchalantly. “You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You’re a disgrace to the medical community.” There was a silence in which Akira wished she could see into the room.

“What’s with the look?” The man’s tone grew silky. “That was your mistake, was it not? I won’t be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that “medicine” immediately and resign. The name “Tae Takemi” will never-” Akira accidentally jostled the door.

“Hey, is somebody there!?” The man’s voice rang clear and Akira bolted out the door with a protesting Morgana on her shoulder. She skidded to a stop when she was out of sight outside.

Morgana hopped out of the bag, berating Akira for her recklessness, but Akira ignored him. She had finally realized why she felt déjà vu.

Damn brat! …I’ll sue! The voice echoed in her mind as fresh as the day she first heard those damming words. The man who threatened that doctor struck Akira to be exactly like the man that sued her.

“Robbed of their place to belong.” Isn’t that what Igor said? Arsène reminded Akira.

That man said the doctor lady was a “disgrace to the medical community”. I’ll eat Arsène’s shoes if this “mistake” he’s talking about was actually this doctor’s fault. Pixie chimed in.

“Are you even listening to me?” Morgana’s voice finally broke through Akira’s thought-conversations.

“Sorry.” Akira tapped the side of her head. “Multiple Personas talking at once. What were you saying?”

“That medicine sounds intriguing.” Morgana explained. “We should go back one day and ask about it.”

Akira held out her bag and moved items around so Morgana could hop back in. “OK, where did I get that money in my pocket?”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Morgana asked as the two wandered back to Leblanc.

“I didn’t have money yesterday. Why do I have it today?” Akira asked, walking around the corner, past the secondhand shop.

“That’s the Shadows. When you defeat one, the money and items they had on themselves appears in your pocket.” Morgana explained.

Akira blinked, and reached into her pockets. She felt her phone and her keys, but she dug deeper. “What the-?” She felt unfamiliar items in her, now, impossibly deep pockets.

“Don’t take ‘em out!” Morgana warned as Akira tried to withdraw them. “You’ll never get them back in unless we head to the Metaverse again.”

“Are you serious?” Akira asked Morgana, causing several nearby people to stare at her as she talked to her bag.

“I’ll explain later.” Morgana promised.

Chapter Text

Akira now knew that as long as she didn’t remove the items from her pocket, she could keep more items than possible in them. Morgana offered no other explanation to her seemingly endless pockets aside from saying that it had something to do with cognition.

Akira didn’t talk to Sojiro as she returned to her room. Morgana crawled out of the bag as Akira sat down, organizing what she had purchased.

“You’re a better liar than I thought.” Morgana congratulated her as he lay on the floor beside her. “We got nice medicine from that doctor. Tae Takemi, right?”

“Yeah.” Akira nodded. She pulled a little cardboard box out and emptied it of its tools. She carefully put the medicine into plastic baggies and hid them in the box. She slid the nondescript shoebox under her bed.

“Why are you putting them in there?” Morgana inquired.

“I can’t let someone find them on me. They’ll think I’m either selling or doing drugs. I’ll bring them into the Metaverse later and use my endless pockets then.” Akira explained. “Alright, Morgana, we have to lay down the rules, OK?”

“What do you mean?” Morgana asked, jumping onto her bed.

“No sleeping on my face, OK? No watching me change either. No sleeping in my clean clothing.” Akira listed, gathering her pajamas.

Morgana stretched. “Fine, no making me eat that stupid canned stuff you bought.”

Akira exhaled a very controlled breath. “OK, I won’t make you eat it.” She relented, regretting that precious yen she spent on cat food.

The next day, Akira met Ryuji in Shibuya. Her dreams had been marvelously free of Velvet Room visits, but a part of her wanted to talk to Igor and ask some questions. Though he might not have answered her questions. Justine and Caroline would probably reprimand her for “talking back” to Igor.

“Hey, you ready to come see this shop?” Ryuji’s bright voice brought her back to reality.

“Oh, yes.” Akira shook off her thoughts, refocusing on Ryuji and their job ahead.

“Me too!” Morgana leapt out of the bag up onto Akira’s shoulder.

“Alright, this way.” Ryuji led Akira and Morgana down the street. Since it was Sunday, they were both out of uniform. Ryuji wore a T-shirt with a purple sweatshirt and black track pants. An athlete through and through. Akira thought. He even wore a pair of beat-up running shoes.

“So what’s the place?” Akira herself wore jeans and a black blazer and, instead of her book bag, Morgana resided in a large, brown leather-like bag that she had scavenged from the Leblanc attic.

“It’s called “Untouchable”. It’s down an alleyway on Central Street. Ever been?” Ryuji asked, nudging her.

“No, I’ve barely had time to do homework, much less walk around in Shibuya.” Akira admitted.

“Well, we’re going to have to change that!” Morgana promised.

“Get back in the bag, Morgana! We can’t have you peeking out when we’re in a shop!” Ryuji hissed.

“Ugh, fine.” Morgana slid back into the bag.

An authoritative voice made Akira stop and glance towards it. A man wearing a sash with a political logo stood on a box, addressing the crowd. Usually, Akira didn’t like politicians on principle, but something about this politician intrigued Akira. He spoke so earnestly about his views and about the ideas he had for the future.

“Come on.” Ryuji tugged her out of her thoughts again. “The shop’s this way.”

Akira ignored the glances of the passerby as she and Ryuji trotted briskly down the street. Let them think what they wanted. The alleyway was beyond the diner and the bookshop that Akira made note of for later.

“Here it is.” Ryuji pointed to the green shop with the neon sign. Model guns and other military and hunting gear were advertised in the windows.

“Wow.” Akira breath caught in her throat. “This is awesome.”

“I know, right?” Ryuji pushed the door open. Akira stepped in, the smells of leather, plastic, and the outdoors washing over her. The tension seemed to leave her body as she crossed the threshold.

“You’re right.” Akira nodded to Ryuji. “This amazing.”

The man behind the counter flicked his gaze to Akira and then to Ryuji. He looked older than Akira and Ryuji, but not old. He seemed in his thirties with stubble and a sharp gaze. A tattoo of a gecko on his neck was just visible above his collar. Akira could almost read his thoughts: weird place for a date.

“What do ya think?” Ryuji stared at the model guns. Akira opened her mouth, but Ryuji looked up at the manager. “Do ya have any recommendations?”

“Recommendations?” The manager repeated, looking up from his magazine. “I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin’ to you.” He returned to his magazine.

“Ugh, some customer service…” Ryuji grumbled.

The manager, slightly annoyed, spoke again. “Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?”

“Uh, automatic…?” Ryuji questioned. “Dude, why’re talkin’ about cars now!?”

The manager fixed his gaze on Ryuji, now actually irritated. “Listen, this here’s an enthusiast shop. My regulars’ll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around.”

Akira grabbed Ryuji’s shoulder before he could speak. She stepped forward. “With all do respect, sir, I am not a casual. I would like the model of the Blizz Dagger that is characteristically known to have a blue blade and, according to some historical accounts, has the ability to inflict hypothermia. Also, I would like the model of the Governance gun, a simple automatic of rather uninteresting history.”

The manager blinked in surprise as Akira went on. “I would also like to inquire the price of the model of the mace, which again has no interesting history, generally a bludgeoning weapon. The Levinson M31 is quite nice too. It is clearly a model shotgun, short-range, maximum damage when real. The Falchion: a rather short cutlass. Bizarrely short, I might add. Slingbow, kinda odd you’d stock that in a model gun shop, but I want it.”

Akira tucked a stray strand of messy black hair behind her ear as she kept talking rapidly. “Are you keeping up? Two more: the Sterlidge and the Heat Whip. A nice little submachine gun and a whip. The Heat Whip supposedly burns worse than any other weapon. The Sterlidge, like any submachine gun, is known for its rapid-fire capabilities, but lack of accuracy. 3 padded shirts please; they are used to resist knife and melee weapons. One silk scarf; still strange that you have it. Have I made myself clear?”

Ryuji glanced between Akira and the manager, his mouth agape. The manager seemed grudgingly impressed. He stood up.

“All right, miss, you know your stuff.” He relented. He nodded to Ryuji. “Keep your boyfriend in check, got it? No brandishing this stuff, got it? Don’t show ‘em off to the cops either.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira smiled serenely, ignoring the ‘boyfriend’ comment.

The manager took out exactly what Akira had ordered and relayed the price. Ryuji balked, but Akira withdrew the money she had gotten from beating Shadows. She slid the weapons into her bag beside Morgana, who blinked at her with questioning eyes.

“See ya.” Akira walked out with Ryuji, her head held high.

“OK, what was that?” Morgana asked, jumping onto Akira’s shoulder. “How do you know so much about weapons?”

“Seriously, Akira, how?” Ryuji sounded impressed.

Akira laughed sheepishly. “I really like cop shows, especially the forensics stuff. That was all from cop shows and forensics stuff I read.”

“Jeez, weren’t you an athlete?” Ryuji shook his head in disbelief.

“I can have more than one interest, Ryuji.” Akira crossed her arms. “I got to go now. I have to get laundry done and a couple other chores today.”

“Uh, yeah. See ya tomorrow.” Ryuji waved good-bye.

Akira tucked the fake weapons out of sight in her room before attending her chores. Morgana elected instead to sleep on Akira’s bed during the work. She ended up walking through the café as a customer talked with Sojiro.

“Boss, did you hear?” The well-dressed man talked over a cup of coffee. Akira took a seat in one of the booths, attempting to do her homework. “Apparently that subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing.”

“You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people’re going on about?” Sojiro put a clean glass into the cabinets below the bar.

“Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn’t even speak when they tried asking him questions.” The haughty customer went on condescendingly.

“There’s no way a preposterous story like that could be true.” Sojiro shot down that idea quickly.

If only he knew about the preposterous things we know about. Arsene stated as Pixie cackled in Akira’s mind. She kept staring at her homework, ignoring the voices of her Personas.

“Hmph, how rude.” The customer observed. “This must be why you don’t get many customers. Your coffee’s actually not half bad. The beans must be lamenting the sorry state of this store…”

“Thanks for stopping in.” Sojiro said irritated. “Please come again.”

“Hmph.” The customer withdrew some yen and placed it on the table. “I only say this out of politeness, but… thanks for the coffee.”

The customer shuffled out and Sojiro heaved a sigh of annoyance. “What a pain.” He noticed Akira’s stare. “Oh… What do you want? If you’re bored, go wash some dishes or something.”

“How’s business?” Akira asked, trying to sound genuine and pleasant.

“Not your concern.” Sojiro replied. “It’s all good as long as the shop doesn’t fail. I’m not gonna go wearing a fake smile.”

Akira nodded. “I can appreciate that.”

Sojiro glanced at Akira, staring at her for a moment. “As long as I’m here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It’s like my own personal hideaway. I’d be kinda screwed if I lost it, but I guess you would be too. So, you better at least try and be useful around here. Anyway, I’m leaving now. Don’t cause any trouble.”

Akira relocated upstairs once Sojiro locked the door. Her movements roused Morgana who yawned, stretched, resettled in another position. Akira pulled her homework out, but her phone buzzed. Seeing Ann’s icon on the screen, Akira answered.

“Hey.” Akira picked up her clean laundry and began to fold it. “How are you doing?”

“I went to see Shiho today.” Ann confessed, ignoring the questions.

“Are you alright?” Akira analyzed Ann’s tone.

“It was hard.” Ann admitted. Her voice shook a little, but there were no tears that Akira could detect. “She’s in stable condition, but she’s unconscious. So I talked to her. I told her what we were doing. I told her about you.”

Akira remained silent, unsure of what to say.

“I know she’ll wake up.” Ann stated firmly, her voice no longer shook. “She has to, I just have to believe in her.”

“Of course she will.” Akira agreed, folding the rest of her laundry. She tucked it away.

“How are the preparations?” Ann changed the subject.

“I think we’ll be able to go ahead with the plan in a few days. I need to double-check a few things. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” The phone clicked off and Akira pulled out the charger.

“Hey, Akira. It’s time I fulfill my side deal we made.” Morgana stretched and stood up. He jumped over to the cluttered desk. “Clean this desk off.”

Akira hauled the books and other dusty artifacts off the table. She found a box of tools that were still in pretty good condition. Morgana settled on the newly cleaned desk, telling Akira pull out the tools.

“You saw that chest back in Kamoshida’s castle? It was unlocked, but not all will be. I’m going to teach you how to make lockpicks as well as how to pick locks.” Morgana nudged a few tools and started explaining how to make the lockpicks.

Using the tools from the attic, as well as a few items from Akira’s seemingly endless pockets. She hammered a several little wires into shape while Morgana fished an old lock out of the boxes. He coached Akira as she slipped the picks into the lock. It took several tries to pick a lock as quickly as Morgana wanted.

“There you go.” Morgana nodded. “It’s good that I’m not the only one with lockpicking skills. You’re faster than Lady Ann and definitely more dexterous than Ryuji, so I think you’ll have more opportunities for this stuff.”

“What’s my time now?” Akira asked, inspecting the picks for damage.

“No way.” Morgana put his paw on Akira’s hands. “Sleep now. You need it.”

“Morgana.” Akira protested.

“Sleep.” Morgana ordered. The two argued for a little, but Morgana was stubborn. Akira eventually got into bed and Morgana jumped into it, next to her.

Chapter Text

Akira turned the corner to get to Shujin where she was greeted with a presence she could do without. Kamoshida stood outside the entrance of the school, greeting students with the fake smile plastered across his face. Morgana, recognizing the voice, shifted in Akira’s bag.

“Good morning.” The smile slipped off his face, but, instead of anger or hate on his face, he kept his face neutral.

“Good morning.” Akira returned the greeting. She couldn’t risk another teacher seeing her mouth off to Kamoshida. Besides, if the castle was controlled by Kamoshida’s cognition, she didn’t want him on his guard. She briskly stepped around him only to catch him speak quietly.

“That admirable behavior won’t do you any good once you’re expelled.”

Akira fought to keep a friendly expression on her face as she continued into the school. She only dropped the expression when she was out of sight of teachers. She took her seat behind Ann who turned to her.

“Hey, you saw him outside?” Her voice was low.

“Yes.” Akira let Morgana wiggle into the desk as she talked to Ann. “Are we going to be publicly friends now?”

“Huh?”

Akira used her eyes to gesture to the nosy classmates trying to not-so-discreetly listen to them.

“Yes. I am.” Ann glared at the nosy classmates. “Are we meeting up after school?”

“I think so.” Akira nodded. Their conversation ended when the teacher walked in, demanding silence.

Morgana proved to be useful in helping Akira take notes. He relayed what she missed and helped her think about the problems the teacher needed done. He also allowed Akira to pet him occasionally as long as she slipped him some food from her bag.

The moment class ended Kawakami can to Akira’s desk. “Kurusu-kun? I’d like a word.”

Akira, trying to block Morgana from Kawakami’s view, nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

There was that flinch again. Akira made a mental note to cool it on the ‘ma’am’ comments with Kawakami, unless she was in front of the Vanilla Pudding or something.

Kawakami led Akira out into the hall while the rest of the class started to chat and relax. “There’s something I’d like to ask you. It won’t take long.”

At that moment, the door nearby slid open and Akira stared at Kamoshida, who put on a fake smile.

“I see you’re already getting on top of the problem I’d mentioned this morning, Ms. Kawakami! I appreciate the support.” Kamoshida didn’t even deign to look in Akira’s direction and Akira couldn’t care less. The little red-haired first-year had followed Kamoshida out of the room and Akira’s heart stopped. Had he touched her?

The red-haired student gave a big smile to Akira, and Akira’s panicking heart calmed. That was a genuine smile. She hadn’t been touched. For now.

“Thank you again.” The red-haired student said to Akira.

Akira returned the smile. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Kamoshida’s expression turned calculating. “Oh, you know this student, Yoshizawa?”

“Yes, she lent me a helping hand earlier.” The little first-year, Yoshizawa, explained cheerfully.

“I recommend you steer clear of the likes of her if you have any consideration for your future.” Kamoshida warned her as Akira’s heart sank like a stone. “Remember the discussion we just had? There are a number of students in this school you shouldn’t get involved with…” He nodded at Akira. “This one’s at the top of the list.”

Recognition blossomed on Yoshizawa’s face. “Oh, the delinquent transfer student?” She asked, her wide eyes staring at Akira.

There it is. There’s no escaping it. Akira thought sourly.

And now she knows. Arsène confirmed. It was nice to be treated well while it lasted.

Kawakami came to the rescue (sort of) and spoke up. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to use the guidance office.”

“Oh, pardon me.” Kamoshida finally decided to look at Akira. His gaze lingered on her chest. “We should be going too – don’t want to get in the way of guiding this delinquent and all.”

Kamoshida and the counselor left without a backwards glance.

“Please excuse us.” Yoshizawa gave a short bow before following the teachers.

“After you.” Kawakami gestured to the office. Akira cast a glance after Yoshizawa, praying that Kamoshida wouldn’t touch the cheery student, and entered the guidance office.

Kawakami and Akira sat on opposite sides of the table and Akira chewed the inside of her cheek. Was she in trouble?

How much worse can our situation get, Akira? We’re already supposed to get expelled. Arsène’s frank analysis made Akira calm.

“I’m going to get straight to the point: did something happen between you and Mr. Kamoshida?”

Akira shrugged. “I declined his offer to join the volleyball team. I confess I am not good at the sport.”

“I would beg to differ because of that volleyball rally.” Kawakami observed. She sighed. “That’s not all. Your little exchange outside was tense and, well, he gave me a brief lecture this morning, and your name came up.”

Akira’s eyebrow quirked. What was Kamoshida doing now? Was he not adhering to the timeline he said previously?

Kawakami’s tone was tired (Was she ever not tired?). “Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision.” She sighed, really unwilling to actually pursue this topic. “I don’t mean to pry, but… Just make sure you don’t go causing trouble ok?”

“Yes, ma-“ Akira caught herself. “Yes, Ms. Kawakami.”

Kawakami donned a slight smile. “Oh, and one more thing. That girl outside the office – do you know her?”

Akira shrugged. “I talked to her for about five minutes on the train to school the other day. I didn’t even know her name until it was said outside.”

Kawakami stared at Akira, processing her words. “Alright. Mr. Kamoshida has a real close eye on you… Apparently you’ve been getting involved with Sakamoto-kun. You are acquainted with Yoshizawa-san as well.” She grew pensive. “Maybe you’re just drawn naturally to athletes?”

Akira blinked. Was this a joke?

“Sorry, bad joke.” Kawakami shrugged. “That’s all I wanted to discuss. You’re free to go.”

“Yes. Thank you, Ms. Kawakami.” Akira rose and gave a bow, before returning to the classroom to collect her bag and Morgana.

On the way, Akira heard the normal BS about her: Carries a gun, is getting expelled, such a troublemaker, a complete nightmare, will punch you if you look at her. But there were a few rumors not about her, they were about Yoshizawa. Some boys wondered if they had a shot with her and others just talked about the hopes the school had pinned on her.

Akira suppressed a snort. The dichotomy of the two girls of rumor: one a delinquent that no one wanted around and the other, an honor student who seemed to be a subject of desire and jealousy.

We need to change Kamoshida’s heart before he touches her or anyone else. Akira thought. She recalled how happy and upbeat she was before the trial. Akira wanted to make sure that Yoshizawa didn’t lose that smile like how Akira lost hers.

We shall save every student in this school. Arsène confirmed.

Akira, after collecting her bag and Morgana, sent a text to Ryuji and Ann to meet on the roof. She emphasized that they be discreet. Akira waited to go upstairs because she caught sight of teachers and Niijima watching her as she passed. She had to shake them off and then make her way upstairs.

“Hey.” Ryuji greeted Akira and Morgana as they came out on the roof. He and Ann were both sitting on the discarded chairs. Morgana leapt out of the bag and onto the table as Akira leaned against the large metal machine.

“Alright.” Morgana addressed the crew. “We have to steal Kamoshida’s Treasure before he expels Akira and Ryuji. That means we have to get through the castle and pull off the heist by… when did he say?”

“May 2^nd.” Ryuji responded. “What even is a Treasure? I wanna know that before we do anything.”

Morgana preened as he spoke. “A Treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler’s distorted desires. In other words, it’s the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble… I think. Having said all that, even I don’t know what Kamoshida’s Treasure is going to be.”

“Where will it be in the castle?” Ann asked, voicing one of Akira’s questions.

“There’s no way of knowing that until we go in and find out.” Morgana replied. “Though if I had to hazard a guess, I think that it will be hidden in the depths of the Palace.”

Akira adjusted her glasses as she thought to herself. “Depths of the Palace” implies that it will be long and convoluted.

We need a mapmaker. Arsène explained.

“We have weapons, armor, and medicine. We however need a mapmaker.” Akira stated to the group. “We went only in the shallowest parts of the castle. I don’t want to risk getting lost.”

“I got that covered, Akira.” Morgana spoke up. Akira shot him a questioning look. “In my pockets back in the Metaverse, I have everything I need to make a map. I already have been making a map of the castle for us.”

Akira blinked. “Oh… well…” She scratched her head. “That’s all I got. Anything else we need to get done before we head in?”

“Let’s go!” Ryuji jumped up, ready to begin.

“I’m with Ryuji.” Ann stated. “Let’s head in.”

“Fine. Meet back in the alleyway ASAP. I gotta get our supplies.” Akira grabbed her bag, holding it open for Morgana.

Joker, Mona, and Skull appraised their new member. Though it had only been a few days since they last saw her, they were all intrigued by her thief outfit. Skull and Mona in particular seemed especially interested in the tight leather clothing.

“She’s going to need a code name.” Joker reminded the love-struck boys.

The new member glanced at the two speechless boys before turning to Joker. “A code name?”

“We’re thieves.” Joker responded. “I’m Joker, that’s Skull, and that’s Mona.”

Skull and Mona jolted back to business. This time they looked at her outfit thoughtfully.

“Judging by your costume…” Mona crossed his arms in thought.

“I mean, she’s got that tail and stuff, so…” Skull trailed off. He glanced at Joker. “Whadda you think, Joker?”

Joker shrugged. “I would think a kind of cat would work. The mask looks like a cat mask, after all, but I can’t think of a solid-colored cat.”

The red-clad thief crossed her arms. “What about “Panther”? Those are solid-colored cats, right? Plus, it sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?”

Skull raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Why?”

Panther shrugged. “’Cause it sounds more… ferocious?”

“She’s a cougar!” Mona spoke up.

“Don’t call me that!” Panther said sharply, rounding on Mona. She took a calming breath. “More importantly, Kamoshida!”

“Not yet. Equipment.” Joker pulled the weapons from her pockets, distributing them to the team. She also pulled armor out. When the thieves put the armor on, it dissolved into their thief outfits. Mona informed them that it was normal and fine for that to happen. They were still wearing armor, but they weren’t looking like it.

“Perfect!” Skull weighed the mace in his hands. He slipped it into his pockets along with his shotgun. Panther touched the whip, her expression uncomfortable, but she tucked it out of sight with her submachine gun.

“It’s game time, let’s go.” Mona trotted off to the infiltration point with Panther and Skull at his heels.

Joker moved to follow, but felt a familiar rushing feeling. She jerked around to see a glowing blue cell door. A familiar little girl stood beside it. Joker swallowed as the cell door swung open and Justine addressed Joker.

“My master would like a word with you.”

Joker glanced at her friends. Were they not seeing this? The freaky little girl and the creepy blue door? But it seemed they were ignorant of the door before her.

It’s best we go. Arsène informed Joker. We best not make them angry.

Joker exhaled and slowly approached the door. She glanced at Justine who merely returned the gaze, no pity or reassurance in her expression. Joker stepped through the blue portal.

Her vision was gone as Joker felt the world spinning around her. In an instant, she felt her thief clothes disappear and her prisoner clothes reappear in their place. Chains manifested on her wrists and ankles as the familiar Velvet Room prison came into view.

Akira blinked. She was standing up beside the bed she usually woke up in. A single glance behind her revealed the same blue door she walked through. It was locked.

“The prisoner, Akira Kurusu, has returned.” Caroline stood in her usual spot outside the door. Akira approached the cell door, gripping the bars. Justine had somehow reappeared in her usual spot.

Igor sat at his desk. “Well done. It seems have remembered my words… You truly make it worth rehabilitating you.”

“What does that even mean?” Akira asked tiredly. She didn’t want to be in this cell. Coming to the Velvet Room during her waking hours was worse than when she was asleep. It was so much more real: the strain to keep her wrists up despite the heavy chains, the stench of the prison, the constriction around her ankle. Everything was so much more real.

Igor seemed amused by her dislike of the cell as well as her lack of understanding of his words. He chuckled. “I am not attempting to withhold information from you. The essence of the rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time. Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality. Only then, will I explain it all.”

“I’ll hold you to it.” Akira promised.

Igor nodded. “Such a day should not be far off.” He interlaced his fingers. “This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing.”

“Aid?” Akira repeated. “You’re helping me? Not just giving me strange cryptic warnings?” Both Justine and Caroline tensed slightly at Akira’s words, but said nothing.

“Due to your potential in wielding the power of the wild card, you can handle more than one Persona.” Igor explained. “That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential…. To that end, we must execute your Persona.”

“Say WHAT?” Akira recoiled from the door, back towards the locked portal. “Why?” Her breath came in shallow gasps and she was acutely aware of her powerlessness in the cell.

Igor chuckled again. “Do not be alarmed. Personas are personalities that exist within you… Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones.”

Akira furrowed her brow, slowing approaching the cell door again. “They seem sentient. I hear them in my head.”

Igor shook his head. “Merely a conversation with yourself.”

Arsène? Pixie? Akira dared ask.

Igor is correct. I am another aspect of yourself. Arsène confirmed.

Me too! Pixie added cheerily.

Akira thought for a moment. Back home, before the incident, she had acted like Pixie sometimes: Happy and go-lucky. After the incident, she behaved more like Arsène: calm, composed, and calculating. They were all aspects of herself?

“What does executing them do?” Akira inquired, still wary.

Igor launched into an explanation. “By discarding your old identity you give way to a new one. Hence, we call that process “execution”. Think of it as the fusion of your Personas. It will create more powerful aspects of your personality.”

Arsène? Pixie? Are you OK with me …executing you? Akira asked, her internal voice small.

“Inmate, they are parts of you.” Justine seemed to hear Akira’s internal monologue.

“They aren’t sentient!” Caroline retorted. “You don’t need to ask their permission!”

Akira blinked. “So, not only can you see everything I do, but you can hear the conversations I have with my Personas?”

“It’s all for your rehabilitation.” Igor asserted. “We will begin your first execution.”

“Be grateful inmate! Our Master is graciously bestowing this privilege on you!” Caroline snapped. “Listen to him carefully!”

“Summon your masks.” Igor instructed. Akira took a breath and called for Arsène and Pixie. Instead of the literal mask she wore as Joker, the full-forms of the Personas appeared outside the cell.

“Heya, Akira!” Pixie giggled, her little insects wings beating rapidly. Arsène didn’t speak, only hovered nearby with her flaming smile is on her lips.

“This is where those bonds with Confidants come into play.” Igor explained. “The stronger your bonds, the more power I can infuse into each fusion. Justine, Caroline, begin the execution.”

Akira’s hands shook as she gripped the cell bars. Caroline and Justine wrapped the two Personas in tarps, secured by chains. Two giant guillotines formed in the center of the hall and the squirming bundles were secured in the guillotines. Akira swallowed as the twins took up their places by each guillotine. She wanted to shut her eyes, but no matter what she tried, she couldn’t. She couldn’t look anyway either. She had to watch the destruction of her Personas. Caroline and Justine set free the blade and gravity did the rest, destroying the Personas in a single hit. A sharp pain spiked through Akira’s chest the moment the execution occurred and she gasped, clutching her chest. The light from her destroyed Personas collected and reformed into something new.

A little blue creature in an ornate, bronze bottle blinked at Akira. “I’m Agathion.” It chirped. “I’m gonna be your new mask now! Use me, use me, use me!” The little creature demanded as it re-formed into Joker’s mask. The new mask flew to Akira and settled on her face, disappearing into blue flames.

“Wow.” Akira rubbed her face. Without warning the image of making a promise with Ryuji appeared in her mind and she felt a rush of power. Agathion’s strength increased and it giggled in Akira’s mind.

I’m stronger! I’m stronger! It rejoiced as Akira felt the new magical and physical attacks unlocked with the new power.

“Whoa. That felt… bizarre.” Akira rubbed her chest. The sudden pain from the execution had faded with the rush of power, but she could feel the emptiness that Arsène and Pixie. Truly, she felt Arsène’s absence more keenly than Pixie’s.

“Ah, how impressive.” Igor’s grandiose tones recalled Akira to her current situation. “A stronger Persona has been born from the body and blood of the old. It shall be your new strength.”

“This is still bizarre.” Akira insisted, rubbing her aching chest. “Is it possible to get them back?”

“Not now. Once a Persona is executed, it is difficult to recall it.” Justine relayed. “For now, you are unable to-“

Abruptly, a column of blue flames appeared directly in front of Akira’s cell. The flames dispersed, revealing Arsène, the same as she had been right before the execution, a smug smile on her flaming face.

Arsène flew directly in front of Akira’s cell, addressing her and her alone. “I am Arsène – the other you who exists within… I shall always be at your side, no matter what.” Arsène reformed into another Joker mask and flew over Akira’s face. In an instant, the ache in her chest dispersed as Arsène returned to her soul.

“Intriguing.” Igor observed. “You recalled Arsène without assistance.”

“You’re more promising than we thought, Inmate!” Caroline declared. “Guess that means you might be actually useful!”

Akira blinked. “Is it …strange that I recalled Arsène that easily?”

“We will inform you of that at a later date.” Justine checked the papers on her clipboard. “When you return to the field of battle, you will understand what power our master has given you.”

“Gather Personas and bring them here.” Igor asserted. “Gather a great army, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your powers as such will play an integral role in the stand against ruin.”

Justine spoke up again. “So that your rehabilitation goes well, we have a variety of rituals to choose in regard to executions.”

“New rituals?” Akira asked, her brow furrowed.

“And depending on the effort you put in, our master might consider further development of new rituals.” Caroline’s tone almost seemed to challenge Akira. “Cry your tears of joy, Inmate!”

Akira blinked, but remained silent, mostly due to having zero idea how to respond to Caroline’s comment.

“Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion.” Igor observed. His bloodshot eyes seemed to x-ray her as he spoke. “It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly – a joyous fact, indeed…” His smile quirked slightly, but returned to its usual self in the space of a second. “In anticipation of this, I have prepared a gift for you. I hope that you shall accept it.”

Igor fixed his gaze on Akira. So that’s what this place is for. Akira thought, feeling relief at finally understanding what the Velvet Room was for.

Abruptly, a voice rang in Akira’s ears, the same one spoke of the “wings of rebellion that breaketh the chains of captivity”, but this time the voice merely said: The Fool grows stronger within you.

Akira blinked and the entire world seemed to change. The world grew dark, but Igor, Caroline, and Justine glowed gold. She blinked again and the world returned to normal.

“What?” Akira asked, blinking again. The world shifted once she did.

“That’s a thief’s skill.” Igor explained. “It allows one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark.” He nodded. “I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation.”

“Now, then, if you have any requests, we will heed them.” Justine asserted.

“Go back and enjoy your break!” Caroline ordered. She tapped the bars with her baton and pointed to the portal behind Akira.

The portal cell door glowed blue and swung open. With a final glance at the Velvet Room behind her, Akira stepped through, back to the Metaverse.

Chapter Text

Joker blinked, the now-familiar castle landscape coming into view. She flexed her hands, her red gloves now covering them. Without the Velvet Room chains, her whole body felt lighter and far more lithe. She rubbed her wrists while internally she scanned Agathion’s abilities. Zio, Rakukaja, and …Dia from Pixie? Interesting.

“Something wrong?” Mona interrupted Joker’s thoughts. “You were just standing around all of a sudden.”

They thought I was just standing around? So was that a mind trip? It felt so real. Joker glanced at the door behind her. It seemed it was only visible to her.

“Sorry, Persona management.” Joker shrugged, smiling easily.

“Why’re you spacin’ out like that?” Skull asked, scratching his head. “It’s kinda hard to tell what you’re thinkin’ sometimes.”

“’Sometimes’?” Panther questioned. If she wasn’t wearing a mask, Joker was sure she was raising an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say she’s a woman of high caliber.” Mona asserted. “In a different way than you, Lady Ann.” He remedied before addressing the quiet thief. “We’re counting on you, Joker!”

Joker’s easy smile slid into a smirk. She purposely trotted over to the infiltration point and swung easily inside, landing silently in her heeled boots. Skull, Mona, and Panther followed as silently as they could. Joker led the way down the halls as Mona and Skull explained to Panther about the basics of infiltration. Joker’s new gift, the Third Eye Arsène called it, let her see what was valuable in the castle.

Take it. Arsène advised as Joker moved to leave a valuable on its pedestal.

Why? It’s not mine. It’s… Kamoshida’s… Joker swiped the item without a second thought and slipped it into her bottomless pockets. Mona seemed pleased, but the other two appeared uncomfortable.

“It’s Kamoshida’s and the gear we’re using costs money.” Joker reminded them as she swiped all the valuables in the room easily with the help of her Third Eye. Panther and Skull both relaxed significantly after that and began swiping what they saw as well. The few battles they did engage in were quite easily taken care of, thanks to the plethora of party members they had now.

Joker darted over to the safe room when it came into view, holding it open for the others. Skull and Mona sat down at the table while Panther glanced up and around the shimmery room.

“What’s up with this room?” Panther inquired as the entire room shifted to a classroom for a half-second and then back.

“It’s a gap in cognition. A safe room, if you will.” Mona explained. “They look like this and there are a couple around the castle. We’ve been using them the last couple times we came in.”

“This however is new.” Joker stepped over to a purple-glowing section of floor. She tapped it with her foot and a soft hum sounded.

“Whoa.” Mona jumped over to the hum. “Is this? I think it is.”

“Care to inform us, Mona?” Joker nudged him.

Mona stepped on the purple-section of floor and waited. He disappeared in a flash of light.

“Mona!” Panther yelped as Joker and Skull jumped, staring in stunned silence.

There was another flash of purple light and Mona reappeared, a huge smile on his face.

“It’s a teleporter!” He declared triumphantly. “We can use it to get to the entrance and the other safe rooms where we activate this.”

“Why weren’t these here before?” Joker asked shrewdly. “Why didn’t we see one outside?”

Mona gestured to the teleporter. “This is the initial one. We needed to activate this one to get the others to appear.”

“Can we go straight to the Treasure?” Skull asked eagerly.

“Not that easy. We can only revisit places we’ve been before. We’ll have to activate these as we go.” Mona explained, jumping back onto the table.

“You’re still not makin’ sense!” Skull complained.

Panther sighed. “Yeah, this isn’t making sense to me either.”

Joker sat down at the table, leaving the three to discuss as she mentally sorted her Personas. During their infiltration, they had run into only a few battles, but Joker had gained at least one new Persona: Jack-O’-Lantern. He wielded fire, which was a welcome addition in Joker’s arsenal.

I like it here! He ho! Jack-O’-Lantern chirped in her mind.

Pixie had returned after a quick conversation at gunpoint. She didn’t seem offended at being executed or that she had been held at gunpoint. She definitely remembered the execution and chatted about the experience animatedly.

It’s nice to be back here though! Pixie proclaimed brightly.

Arsene, Agathion, Pixie, and Jack-O’-Lantern seemed quite content in Joker’s mind. Curse, electricity, wind, and fire spells were all at her disposal. She could also heal with Pixie or Agathion. Joker’s eyes flicked up to the others sitting around the table. From her observations, Skull hit hard, but only with physical blows, while Mona and Panther hit hard with magic. Panther could heal, but Mona seemed better at it. Skull had no healing spells, but could get the others medicine if necessary.

“Hey, Joker, whatcha thinkin’?” Skull interrupted Joker’s thoughts.

Joker waved her hand dismissively. “Just organizing my Personas.”

“What do you mean?” Mona blinked.

Joker shrugged. “You guys hear your Personas in your head, right?”

“Well, yeah.” Skull nodded. “I hear Captain Kidd in my head.”

Joker nodded. “Well, I hear all my Personas in my head. I also have a specific Persona in the lead, which I shift around. Because of that, I need to figure which Personas can do what and then, based on what I know, I need to organize them so that I can be best suited for the next battle. For instance, what element do I most likely need?”

“Wow.” Mona crossed his arms. “That’s incredible.”

“You’re thinkin’ that far ahead?” Skull questioned.

“I have to.” Joker snorted. “Thanks for the compliment, Mona, but we got to get going. Does anyone need any sort of snack or something? From now on, the infiltration will be blind. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“No, Joker. We’re good to go.” Panther nodded, a small smile on her lips.

“Perfect.” Joker listened to the door before darting out.

Joker led the infiltration with the rest of the thieves following closely behind. She swiped anything valuable that her Third Eye revealed to her as they passed. The guards were often left alone, but the few battles they did do, Joker recruited as many Shadows as she could. Sometimes the negotiations went well and she got the Persona, other times the Shadow took pity on her and gave her an item, which she gratefully took. Sometimes she just pissed off the Shadow and they tried to take a swing at her. She succeeded in recruiting Bicorn and Kelpie, but Joker soon learned there was a limit to the number of Personas she could handle.

Release one. Arsène advised amidst the chatter in Joker’s head. Personas were fighting each other for space in her head. Or else your mind will become too scrambled to fight.

Fine. Joker gripped her aching head. Pixie, Jack-O’-Lantern, please leave.

Seeya! Hee hoo!

Bye-bye!

The two dissolved from Joker’s mind and the pain dispersed. Her Personas settled as there was finally enough space for them. Luckily, none of the others seemed to notice Joker’s mental distress.

Skull, Mona, and Panther had all already crouched out of sight and were peering down the next hallway.

“The place is huge.” Skull observed. “Where do ya think the Treasure is?”

“I can sense it, but it’s really far away.” Mona whispered. “But I’ll know it when I see it.”

“It’s probably high up.” Joker remarked as she scanned the next empty room for any sort of trap with her Third Eye. “The students, which he doesn’t care about, were in the dungeon. If there’s something he cares about, it would probably be up high and in an easily defended area. There’s a safe room. Come on.”

Inside the safe room, the four of them shared the food and drink that they had brought with them. Mona spread the half-drawn map on the table between them.

“I think that we still have a long way to go.” Mona observed, putting the safe room on the map. “If Joker’s right and the Treasure is up high, we’ll have to climb those towers we saw outside, and if we chose poorly, we’ll have to climb all of them.”

“I wonder if there’s a map of this place somewhere.” Panther crossed her arms, staring at the map.

“Would Kamoshida have a map of his own Palace?” Joker asked, looking at Mona, who shrugged.

“Depends on his cognition.”

Joker lapsed into silence, thinking about Kamoshida and the Palace.

Me thinks you need more power. Kelpie, Joker’s current leading Persona, spoke up. Me thinks Igor will help.

Kelpie is right. Ever-present Arsène affirmed, while the other Personas voiced their agreement.

Not yet. Joker shook her head. Truthfully, she just didn’t want to wear the manacles again or be stuck in a cell. It was voluntary, yes, but it was still at Igor’s good graces that she was released each time.

“We should keep going as far as we can.” Joker asserted to the group. “We’re on a timer and we have no idea how long it will take us to do this.”

“Yes, Joker.” Skull, Panther, and Mona all said in unison, prompting Joker jolt slightly and glance uncomfortably at them.

Further into the Palace, the four thieves came upon a heavily guarded hallway. After dispatching the guards (and gaining a new Persona!), they opened the door to a bizarrely designed room. Columns up to the ceiling were arranged in a square with bars making what was effectively a cage in the middle of the room.

“What’s this?” Panther inquired.

“Hey, there’s something in there!” Skull pointed to the table in the center of the cage.

“It must be important if he’s protecting it this securely.” Mona reasoned. He nodded to the center of the room. “We should try to get in there. Any ideas?”

Since the room was empty of all guards as well as locked on the opposite side, the thieves had no choice, but to explore the cage room. Mona climbed up and down the bars, searching for a lock of some kind to pick. Panther tried to slip between the bars, but had no luck, while Skull tried to break them himself. Joker paced the area of the room. The locked door couldn’t be picked, both she and Mona had tried. The lock mechanism was somehow controlled by something in the room.

While she tried to think of a solution, Joker switched to her Third Eye to steal the valuables.

“What the-?” Joker’s Third Eye revealed footprints and fingerprints on the strange goat-headed ornaments. Curious, Joker followed the footprints and fingerprints exactly. She wrapped her hand around one of the chains hanging out of the goat-head’s mouths and pulled.

A clank resounded in the room and the other thieves finally noticed Joker’s attempts.

“Joker? What did you do?” Mona asked. Joker glanced at him, still using her Third Eye. He, Panther, and Skull all glowed a mystical blue: the exact same color as the Velvet Room.

“Hold on. Don’t touch anything.” Joker returned her attention to the rest of the footprints. She followed them exactly as the rest of the thieves watched in silence. She stopped before another goat-head and pulled its chain.

Immediately, the bars retreated into the ceiling.

“Whoa…” Skull laughed incredulously. “That was cool!”

“Good job, Joker.” Mona nodded, pleased with the accomplishment.

“Did anyone else see Joker’s eyes are yellow?” Panther asked, quietly.

“They were?” Joker asked, switching her vision back to normal.

“Wait, they’re back to normal now!” Panther pointed to Joker’s face. “What’s up with that?”

“Oh.” Joker realized. She waved her hand dismissively, unwilling to explain the Third Eye right now. “It’s on purpose, don’t worry about.”

“Um… okay.” Panther shrugged as Skull scratched the back of his head. Mona cast a glance at Joker before jumping to the table in the center of the room.

“Perfect! Here’s that map we needed!” Mona whipped out his own map and started copying it.

“Does it have the Treasure on it?” Panther inquired.

Mona shook his head, still copying it. “This thing seems incomplete, but if there’s one here, then there might be the rest of it somewhere else.” He tucked the copied map into his pocket. “Think you can lock this back up, Joker? We don’t want Kamoshida to know how far we’ve gotten.”

“Yeah.” Joker switched back to Third Eye, prompting a shiver from both Skull and Panther and an inquisitive look from Mona.

Joker crouched, peeking around the corner at the guard pacing the hall ahead. Skull was wrapped around her, glancing around the same corner. On the other side of the doorway, Panther and Mona, equally wrapped around each other, glanced down the other corner at the guard. Joker met the eyes of both Panther and Mona, then looked pointedly at the guard.

Joker silently leapt forward, crouching behind the couch in the hall. She waited for the guard to get closer. In an instant, Joker was on its shoulder, tearing the mask off its face.

Panther, Skull, and Mona leapt forward, weapons ready. The Shadow was quickly dispatched, after Joker failed to recruit it.

“Whoa.” Skull said faintly, prompting a nudge in his knee from Mona. A dining hall spread out before them with countless guards pacing the area. Immediately Joker jumped out of sight, dragging Skull and Panther with her. Mona followed without question.

Joker glimpsed around the corner, watching the guards. “Do exactly as I do.”

Joker jumped, darkness seeming to collect around her. Her movements were dead silent in the darkness and her colors were muted. It took time and waiting, but Joker made her way silently to the other side of the room. She peeked around the corner, watching the rest of the team cross the heavily guarded area. Mona crossed with relative ease. His presumed experience as a thief was clear.

Panther and Skull were a little more precarious. Skull had slightly more experience than Panther, but Panther moved more fluidly than Skull. Joker wondered if Skull’s leg was bothering him.

Skull slipped around the corner beside Joker at last. Pleased with the effort, the thieves smirked at one another until a shattering sound issued from the previous room. The thieves tensed, whipping around to see the guards surrounding a shattered vase in the previous room.

“The thieves must be near!” One of the guards reasoned.

“Mona!” Joker hissed as she grabbed Panther and Skull again, dragging them away from the door. The three ducked into the next room, crouching out of sight as the guards in the previous room squabbled about what to do.

There was a single guard in this room, who quickly joined the others in the squabble about the vase.

“How’d that happen?” Skull whispered.

“You hit the pedestal on your way over.” Mona crossed his arms. “Nice job, Skull.”

Knowing a fight was coming, Joker darted forward into the next room. Might as well scope out the room while they fought. Joker reasoned as she approached the door. She pressed her ear close, listening for someone on the other side.

“Any luck?” Panther had left the other two to their whispered fight.

“Seems safe.” Joker pushed on the door to find it locked. A quick inspection revealed there was no lock. It must be barred on the other side.

“We need a way around.” Joker returned to the bickering thieves and broke up the whispered fight. “Mona, I need the map.”

A quick look at the map showed there was no way around. This was the only hallway that led to this area.

You’re thinking too much like a normal person. Arsène observed. Think like a thief.

What do you mean?

There are other ways into a room besides a door. Arsène replied mysteriously. Think about it.

Joker returned the map to Mona and stared up at the ceiling and in the higher areas of the room. She shifted her vision back to Third Eye, scanning the room. Skull tried to force the door with Panther. Mona kept watch at the other door for guards.

A slight glimmer of color showed over one of the bookshelves. Joker jumped, flipping up onto the bookshelf.

“Jackpot.” Joker whispered, looking down the ventilation shaft. “Guys!” She hissed to the others before sliding down the shaft with the three following her.

“Nice job, Joker.” Mona congratulated as he crawled after her.

“Shush.” Joker hissed as she slipped out. A guard stood before a chest below them. After glancing quickly at the others, Joker flipped forward, grabbing the mask off the guard and triggering a battle.

“That felt good!” Skull announced when the Shadow dispersed. Joker went over to the chest, which was unlocked and flipped it open.

“That Shadow was creepy.” Panther shivered.

“Definitely.” Joker agreed, pulling out a charm. She tucked it into her pocket: something to think about later.

The team progressed, but Joker noticed the others seemed to be dragging their feet. They had been avoiding battles, but climbing and fighting took its toll.

We don’t need to do this in one run. Arsène reminded Being tired is dangerous in a place where things wish to kill you.

As soon as we find a safe room, we’ll head back. Joker affirmed, feeling her own exhaustion tug at her. Luckily, a safe room was just at the top of a set of curved stairs.

“Nice!” Skull pushed the door open and collapsed in a chair. Panther slumped into the chair next to him while Mona jumped up to the table, and started updating the map. Even he seemed to be dragging his paws.

“Let’s head back.” Joker suggested, nodding towards the teleporter.

“Wha-? No way!” Panther jumped up.

“We gotta keep goin’!” Skull protested, standing up too.

Joker crossed her arms. “We’re all getting tired. We should get back and resume tomorrow.”

“No.” Panther spat. “We have to keep going!”

“No, Joker’s right.” Mona nodded. “We can’t do this in one run. It’s dangerous if we run ourselves ragged.”

“But Shiho!” Panther growled, gripping her whip.

“I want to make this bastard pay now!” Skull stated, clenching his fits.

“You think I don’t?” Joker asked, raising an eyebrow. “We can’t keep going. We’re all tired because none of us have any sort of stamina for this job. We’ll resume tomorrow after school.”

“Come on.” Mona tucked the map in one of his pockets. “We can’t help your friend or take down Kamoshida if we aren’t at our best.”

“We’ll be back.” Joker promised. “But for now, we gotta play this safe.”

Both Panther and Skull eventually relented and followed Joker and Mona into the teleporter. Before leaving the Metaverse, Joker cast a glance towards the floating blue door. Justine still stood beside it with her clipboard. Her unblinking yellow eye returned the gaze.

Use what they offer. Arsène remarked. It may be given in an unpleasant manner, but we’ll need the power.

Fine. Joker turned abruptly and marched up to Justine before she could change her mind. She ignored the questions from the other thieves.

Justine stared at her emotionlessly. “Do you wish to be imprisoned?”

Joker swallowed, uncomfortable with the wording. “I would like to visit the Velvet Room, please.”

The prison door swung open and Joker marched in, determined to not be intimidated by the cell or the inhabitant within. The transition was as unpleasant as her thief clothes were torn away, replaced with the prison rags and the heavy chains.

“Welcome.” Igor greeted her. “What brings you here?”

Akira approached the cell door and took hold of the bars as Justine and Caroline stood at attention at either side. “I wish to make use of the executions.”

“Very well.” Igor nodded. “Girls, assist our guest.”

Chapter Text

Akira barely heard Sojiro’s complaints of her returning late. The moment Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana returned from the Metaverse, their exhaustion increased almost tenfold and all of their bumps and bruises seemed to hurt far more than they had before.

Akira flopped straight down onto her bed, dropping Morgana next to her. “Why?” She mumbled as Morgana jumped out of the bag and settled himself on the bed.

“Like you said: we have no stamina yet. Let’s sleep now.” Morgana curled up beside Akira’s pillow.

Akira forced herself to change and then slipped into bed. Sleep overcame her easily.

School had never felt so pointless to Akira before. Arsène insisted she concentrate because it was important, but Akira’s mind drifted to the Metaverse and the act of thievery they were going to commit. Kamoshida still strutted like he was the king of the castle, but Akira knew he was going to fall. The rumors swirling about her and her supposed expulsion didn’t even seem to bother her. Mishima approached her during lunch, apologizing again for what happened. Akira told him that he needed to stop apologizing.

“It’s done.” Akira waved her hand dismissively. “My record is all over the Internet and Kamoshida is going to expel us. Maybe you could appeal to other teachers. Surely there’s at least one that could help us.”

The two were sitting together in the courtyard, far away from the rest of the student body.

“I doubt it.” Mishima lamented. “I don’t know what’ll happen to us.”

Akira snorted. “Expulsion is not the end.” She said. “Take it from someone who’s been expelled before. Since you haven’t committed any felons, I think that you’ll find a school that’ll accept you. It may not be easy when rumors fly about you, but you’ll be fine.”

Mishima sighed. “You didn’t hear? Kamoshida intends to file reports about all three of us. He says that we’ll be charged with assault come May 5^th.”

Akira froze as the statement sunk in. She swallowed. “Well… See you, Mishima.”

Arsène? Akira called as she walked back into the building.

Yes?

Arsène, if we fail, we lose everything. We’ll go back to juvie and I doubt any school will take us. I knew that with only expulsion that was going to happen, but a second assault charge? They might try to have me tried as an adult. I’m seventeen so it theoretically could happen. If they search my room, they’ll find the medicine and the fake weapons. Not only that, but Ryuji and Mishima will-

AKIRA! Arsène interrupted. You cannot panic. Panic will get you killed in the other world. Breathe and keep going. We have a plan and we will not fail.

Akira shook her head, clearing it. Arsène was right: she had no time to panic.

“Hey.” Morgana wiggled in the bag. “You OK?”

“Fine. Didn’t realize that Kamoshida would go as far as file a fake police report.” Akira murmured over her shoulder. “We need to get through that castle as soon as possible.”

Joker took a brief trip to the Velvet Room to check what Personas she could create. At this point, her jailers had introduced her to the Compendium: A recall method for old Personas. Arsène then said that she didn’t need the Compendium to return, prompting the Caroline to hit her baton against the bars.

“Don’t get cocky, Inmate!” Caroline reprimanded harshly.

“Fine. May I leave then?” Akira inquired. “I have finished.”

“We have opened the portal for you.” Justine gestured to the wall behind Akira.

“Get going, Inmate!” Caroline added.

The thieves resumed infiltration with fervor. They all eagerly stepped into the teleporter to return to the last safe room. Thanks to Mona’s map, they were able to creep along the correct hallways, higher up the castle. Sometimes Joker caught the murmurs of the guards and it only encouraged her lack of sympathy for them. They spoke like Kamoshida and were absolutely loyal to him.

It was jarring when the thieves stumbled into a series of small corridors without any sort of cover. Joker shuddered slightly. This felt like a maze and she didn’t want to be a mouse running through it.

Joker silently glimpsed around the corner, watching a guard prowl. She retreated back to the rest of the thieves.

“We’re going to need to take down the guards as we see them.” Joker spoke in a whisper to the others.

“Finally, some action!” Skull hefted his mace that he wielded. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

“I’m ready.” Panther asserted, gripping her whip.

“Me too.” Mona drew his cutlass. Joker crept over to the hall with the guard, readying her knife.

Joker was right that the set of hallways was like a maze, but the dead ends led to small room with walls of books.

“Kamoshida reads?” Joker glanced around the room with surprise. This seemed… unlike him. It was difficult to imagine the bastard reading. At least, reading something that wasn’t lewd.

“It’s a dead end. We should keep going.” Skull shrugged and turned around, ready to get going.

Joker flicked on her Third Eye. Might as well make some cash. She thought glancing at the room. She swiped a bust that seemed to have some gold plating before turning. A book caught her eye. It wasn’t valuable, her Third Eye told her that. But something about it seemed peculiar. It sat on the shelf, but, instead of sitting normally on the shelf, it was lying against the other books’ spines so the cover was visible.

“The Slave Book?” Joker read out loud.

“You curious about the book?” Mona jumped up on Joker’s shoulder. “We could take it with us.”

“It’s not valuable and I don’t think I want to know the full contents.” Joker shook her head.

“Wait, that could be a record of his crimes!” Skull pointed out, coming over. “We could take it to someone and prove we’re right!”

“I’m fairly certain Kamoshida would just call it a prank.” Joker shrugged. “Let’s leave it.”

“Besides, I want to make Kamoshida pay myself.” Panther said dangerously.

The thieves kept going, taking out every guard they had to. Joker even recruited Silky. They stopped before a large locked door with a ram’s head statue beside it.

“Hey, this is like the map room from yesterday!” Skull realized. “We just need to…” He tugged on the chain in the ram’s mouth. It wouldn’t budge.

“Hey, look!” Mona pointed to something below the ram’s head. “There’s an indentation there. I think we’ll need to get something that fits in there.”

“A key, then?” Panther twisted one of her pigtails.

“Let’s go find it.” Joker turned back around as Mona marked the door on the map. She followed the routes that they had not been down and even listened in to some of the guards. None of them discussed anything useful, so the thieves dispatched them swiftly.

Joker opened a seemingly empty room with a bookshelf that took up an entire wall and two long tables, like they had found in that dining hall. Joker switched to Third Eye and, spotting a valuable on the other end of the room, hurried over. Without warning, Joker felt something shift in the world around her and a guard appeared beside her.

“Joker!” Mona yelled as the guard’s sword came down on Joker’s head. Joker hit the ground with a gasp and she lay very still.

“Joker!” A distance voice seemed to call for Akira.

Akira didn’t want to get up. She didn’t want to go to school and deal with the people there. She just wanted to sleep and stay in her bed.

“Joker!” A different voice called.

Leave me alone. Akira thought. I want to sleep.

“JOKER!”

Joker’s eyes flew open. She was lying on the ground, staring up at Mona, Skull, and Panther.

“What happened? How long was I out?” Joker hauled herself up, clutching her throbbing head. They were still in that strange room with the bookshelf and the long tables.

“Stupid Shadows pulled a sneak attack.” Skull growled, his hands trembling.

Panther’s hand gripped Joker’s shoulder. “Mona and I tried to heal you. Are you alright?”

“Peachy.” Joker rubbed her head. “You took the Shadow down?”

“Yeah. Pretty hard without you.” Mona admitted, his tail twitching. “Here, let me help. Panther?”

“Gotcha.” Panther and Mona both summoned their Personas and cast Dia. Sweet relief flooded Joker’s body and she stood up.

“Sorry about worrying you guys.” She stretched, her shoulders cracking. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“You didn’t worry me.” Mona proclaimed, trying to sound above it all. “I was …concerned that we might lose a valuable asset for our infiltration.”

“And also the person who feeds you.” Joker spoke deadpan. “Let’s keep going. We need that key to progress.”

The four thieves resumed their running, but Joker noticed the others seemed to stick closer together. The next battle that the thieves initiated ended up with Skull and Panther both fighting far more ferociously than usual. They took down the Shadows before Joker could even lift a finger.

“Ease up, guys.” Joker remarked as their Personas reformed as masks. “We need to conserve energy.”

“Fine.” Skull griped, hefting his mace. Panther didn’t answer: she just hung her whip from her hip.

They were worried about us. Arsène relayed as Joker crept down the halls.

I’ll reassure them when we’re not in a maze that could kill us. Joker retorted, listening to a door. Hearing nothing, she pushed it open. Joker flicked on her Third Eye and cleared the room of its valuables while the others waited, alert for another sneak attack.

There’s another book. Joker realized. The King’s Book? She read. She shook her head. No time. They had to keep going.

The four thieves kept moving, They stopped before a long hallway. A guard patrolled up and down it, but a treasure chest sat at the end.

The thieves exchanged glances. Yes, it was dangerous. Yes, they really didn’t need to go grab it. Yes, they could see it was a dead end. Yes, there was a door right next to them that needed to be investigated. They still were going to take down the guard and get the treasure chest.

“Three…” Joker mouthed at the others. “Two… One…”

“Aw, it’s locked!” Skull realized after they had beaten the Shadow.

“Think you could break it, Skull?” Panther asked; putting her SMG into whatever pockets she had on that outfit.

“No need, my dear Panther. Skull would only break the contents.” Mona gestured to Joker. “Your turn, Joker.”

Joker withdrew one of her lockpicks and inserted them into the lock. It took a few minutes of her tinkering around before the lock finally sprung.

“Nice.” Joker smiled opening the chest. “Ooh, a new weapon. Skull, I think this is yours.”

“Sweet!” Skull took hold of the metal bat, weighing it in his hands. Joker tucked the mace into her own pockets. Hopefully she could sell it and get her some of her money back.

“Let’s get back to that door.” Mona nodded to the other end of the hallway.

The next room was a large library with a globe in the center of the room. The shelves went all the way up to the ceiling and were against every wall.

“We’d better look around guys. There’s gotta be something here.” Mona smiled widely.

“What makes you think that?” Skull asked as Panther and Joker looked around at the shelves.

“There’s always something important in a library like this.” Mona asserted, inspecting the globe.

Skull shrugged and started checking the sides of the shelves, looking for a hidden door. Panther looked over the globe with Mona while Joker ran her gloved fingers over the books, taking in the suspiciously familiar names in the titles: Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape, Yuuki Mishima: The Cowardly Worm, were the only titles she recognized, but Joker could definitely guess the others through context. A large gap in the books startled Joker. Where would it have gone?

Joker went to the next shelf and scanned the titles. She found two names that stuck out to her: Ann Takamaki: The Charming Doll and Shiho Suzui: The Athletic Doll. Joker glanced over her shoulder at the others as her fingers found another gap in the shelves.

Joker, now intrigued, hurried over to the next shelf. She didn’t even bother reading the titles, but found a new gap.

“Twice is a coincidence, but three is a pattern.” Joker spoke softly to herself.

“Hey, guys, I think there’s a door behind this shelf.” Skull tapped the one shelf that had no gap. “I can feel a breeze coming out.”

Joker glanced at the gaps. “We need the books.” She snorted, startling the others.

It didn’t take long to explain what Joker meant and it only took a little more time to collect the two books that Joker remembered seeing. The last one was in the room that the Shadow had attacked Joker in. They picked up the three books and returned to the library.

“This goes here.” Joker put The Slave Book on the shelf with the books labeled with Mishima and Ryuji’s names. Joker heard a click once she inserted the book.

“It triggered something. Be ready for anything.” Joker spoke to the others. Skull took out his metal bat and Panther took out her whip. Mona took out his slingshot and notched a pellet inside, ready to fire.

Joker placed The Queen’s Book between the books about Ann and Shiho and heard another click. The last book, The King’s Book, fitted the final gap perfectly and Joker heard the final click.

A rumbling sounded and the final bookcase slid back and over to reveal a hidden room.

The thieves slowly lowered their weapons as Mona affirmed that no guards were coming. Disgust filled Joker as she entered the secret, candle-lit room.

“The hell is this room?” Skull demanded. “There’s ton of pictures of Suzui in here.”

Joker glanced at Panther who seemed to be set in silent rage. “We’ll make him pay for this.” Joker promised.

“Yeah… Definitely.” Panther nodded to Joker. “I feel even more motivated to do this now.”

“As painful as it is, we should search the room.” Mona asserted. “There has to be something in here if he was hiding it with such an elaborate trick.”

The four spread out around the tiny room. Skull inspected the walls for secret compartments and Panther checked the floor for trapdoors. Joker looked around at the pictures of Shiho. Some of the pictures seemed realistic, like her playing volleyball, but others were definitely fake: Her in swimsuits or lingerie.

“Joker…” Mona called from the nearby shelf. His tone was peculiar, like he wasn’t sure he should be talking about it.

“That damn bastard.” Skull said, looking over Joker’s shoulder.

On the shelf were blueprints and notes about Akira. There were drawn pictures of her in chains wearing various outfits. She seemed to have bruises and other contusions in each picture as well.

Joker grabbed the papers and threw them on the candles, which caught fire easily. She turned back to the rest of the shelf.

“Here’s a map!” Mona tried to remedy the awkward atmosphere as he waved a new piece of paper. “It’s the rest of the castle, right here.”

“Does it have the Treasure on it?” Skull asked eagerly.

“I think it’s in here.” Mona tapped a large room on the upper floors. “This room is the most well-defended in the castle.”

“That makes sense.” Panther nodded as Joker checked out the final item on the shelf. It was a round disc that appeared to be a medal without the ribbon.

“I think this is the key we’re looking for.” Joker dusted it off. “Come on, back to the locked the door.”

The thieves removed the books and hid the secret room once again. Hopefully to throw Kamoshida off how far they had come, although the empty chests and unlocked doors as well as the missing guards might make the attempts pointless. The thieves still did it. Better to have a confused enemy than not.

The locked door led to a long staircase and another safe room. They did not linger, only staying long enough to activate the teleporter. They kept moving forward, into a room that appeared to have the ability to trap them. Joker skirted the edge, unwilling to trust the hanging bars. Beyond that was a huge room with a giant statue of Kamoshida standing tall in the room. Pews seemed to be set up in the room, giving off the impression of a chapel.

“This place is huge.” Mona observed as the others glanced up and around the huge room. “Yet there are no guards? That seems suspicious.”

“But the Treasure’s up ahead, right?” Skull pointed out as the thieves listened to the too silent room. “We don’t got a choice, but to keep goin’.”

Joker switched to Third Eye, glancing around the room. The room was bizarrely empty of anything particularly valuable.

“I smell a trap, so be ready.” Joker pulled out her pistol. The others readied their weapons.

Joker slowly stepped out into the center of the chapel-like room. She felt very exposed and almost immediately the room seemed to flash and change to the Shujin gymnasium.

“Whoa.” Panther’s blue eyes were wide in surprise. “Wait, was that… the gym?”

“Yeah, sometimes the world does that.” Joker gestured to the strange shift between realities.

“Oh.” Skull crossed his arms and nodded. He pointed to the statue with the metal bat. “I get it. The gym’s some kinda holy place for him. He’s a god there.”

The four thieves approached the giant statue, still holding their weapons.

“I can’t believe he thinks like that.” Panther glared at the stone smug face. “Especially after what he did to Shiho.”

Joker was seized with the impulse to vandalize the giant statue. “I realize that it is a waste of time and probably hurts our infiltration, but I have to ask: Can we break the statue?”

“I want to.” Panther admitted.

“Me too.” Skull glared at the statue.

“You dirty thieves would dare desecrate this holy place?” A voice rang through the hall, startling all of the thieves. “It seems my time waiting here has paid off.” A large, golden-armored guard captain appeared before them.

“Just as the ogre said, this is a holy ground for our great King Kamoshida.” The guard captain gestured around the chapel. “It is preposterous for miscreants like yourselves to come waltzing in like this.”

The guard captain suddenly collapsed and reformed into an angel with blood-red wings and heavy armor. He held a long silver sword in his hands.

“You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida with your lives!” The captain turned angel warrior proclaimed.

Joker raised her pistol while the angel had monologue and released her first bullet of the night. It pegged the angel in the forehead, but his helmet significantly reduced the damage.

“Mona! Panther! Hang back! Use magic! Skull! With me!” Joker summoned Arsene who laughed, slamming her heeled boot on the head of the angel captain.

“Captain Kidd!” Skull’s Persona cackled as he rammed the boat into the angel.

Panther and Carmen threw fire, occasionally taking a moment to heal either Skull or Joker. Mona did the same with Zorro. Though he ventured closer to occasionally use his cutlass.

Four against one should have been no contest, but the angel was a captain for a reason. He struck fast and powerful, forcing Mona and Panther to heal Joker and Skull, who bore the brunt of the attacks. It became clear that eventually the thieves were going to wear down the captain, so the captain changed tactics. Both Joker and Mona noticed it before it happened. The angel was charging some sort of attack.

“SKULL, GUARD!” Joker yelled, covering her face with her arm. Just in time, Skull covered his face as the angel lunged forward with his sword swinging. Skull caught the blade with his bat, but managed to stay on his feet while Panther threw another fireball, forcing the angel away from Skull.

Joker switched to Bicorn, who charged down the angel as Mona healed Skull.

“Panther! Dormina!” Joker called as Bicorn dissipated and reformed as her mask.

Panther summoned Carmen, casting Dormina, a sleep spell she had learned recently. The angel wavered, hovering closer to the ground, not asleep, but definitely feeling waves of exhaustion. Joker jumped, driving her dagger into the angel’s left shoulder while Mona stabbed the right. Skull whacked the sword out of the angel’s hands. The angel let out a pitiful scream as it dissolved into nothingness.

Both Joker and Mona fell onto the ground with some level of elegance and some level of inelegance, which meant they both hit the ground and stumbled, but they managed to stay on their feet.

Skull panted, straightening up. “That thing was tough. Much tougher than the other guards.”

Mona healed up his bruises and then Joker’s. “It means Kamoshida’s making a concentrated effort to stop us now.”

“We better move.” Joker tucked her pistol and knife away. “That was loud and we probably attracted some attention.”

As Joker spoke, the sound of rumbling footsteps echoed down the halls. In an instant, the thieves bolted to the other side of the chapel, desperately looking for a door or some sort of cover.

“This way!” Joker hissed, running down the side of the room. She flicked her Third Eye on and saw an opportunity.

Joker ran up an old wooden ramp and jumped, grabbing the side of the balcony. She hoisted herself up and then crouched as the rest of the thieves jumped up the side of the balcony.

The four watched the room become flooded with guards who patrolled the lower levels. The thieves stayed up in the rafters and leapt around, listening to the gripes of the guards below. Jumping around was tense enough for the thieves, but there was an especially horrible moment when a rose petal landed in Mona’s mouth and he silently hacked it up while suspended over the annoyed guards.

The thieves were glad to leave the chapel behind and be back into the long hallways with plenty of hiding behind the behind furniture and around corners. There was a single locked door that seemed to be barred from the other side. The thieves reluctantly left that room alone after a few attempts of breaking it down.

“It’s not on the map.” Mona pointed out. “I think there is a door here in the real world, but Kamoshida feels like it’s outside his castle. We should keep going.”

Another set of stairs brought the thieves to another hall, but that was the uninteresting part. The interesting part was a sort of inside balcony with no discernable access.

Hello. That looks interesting. Arsène observed.

“Let’s check that out.” Joker told the others.

“Wait, Joker, I don’t think you can make-“ Mona began, but Joker had already backed up and took a running leap across the gap.

“Joker!” Panther and Skull cried as Joker caught the edge of the far balcony.

“I’m fine.” Joker hauled herself up and gave the others a smirk. “Alright, Panther, use your whip. I’ll catch it and you guys can swing across.”

Panther held up her whip. “You sure?”

“I am.”

It took a little for Joker to securely tie the whip to the balcony banister, but they managed it. Slowly, Joker hauled the others up and onto the balcony.

Once they were all across the gap, they turned to the door. It was covered in vines of all things.

What is this? Arsène voiced the question.

“This seems… bizarre.” Joker carefully approached the door, not touching the vines.

“There’s definitely somethin’ fishy about that door.” Skull stared at the vine-covered door. They were all wary, especially after the Chapel incident.

“I don’t hear Shadows.” Joker noted. The metal clunking sounds were usually what the team listened for, but there was only the sound of wind around them.

“It looks like no one has been in there for a long time.” Mona observed.

“I wonder what’s inside.” Panther shifted uncomfortably.

“Be ready for a fight.” Joker ordered as she drew her knife. In a few quick, deft strokes, the vines fell aside. The old creaky door yielded without much effort from Joker.

Inside was a short hallway with something on a pedestal. Joker stepped in experimentally, knife held at the ready. Skull came after her next, then Mona, and then Panther.

“This room is very different from everywhere else we’ve seen so far.” Panther observed, staring at the decrepit state of it.

“Yeah, but what’s that thing?” Skull nodded to the item on the pedestal.

“That’s…” Mona glanced forward. He jumped for joy and bolted ahead of the crew. “C’mon, follow me!”

The thieves surrounded the pedestal, staring at the strange glowing red thing on it. The pedestal appeared to be glowing red, almost like blood vessels, feeding into the little item. Joker focused through the light and realized she was staring at an open-mouthed skull with glowing red eyes and mouth.

“Just as I thought…” Mona nodded to the skull. “A ‘Will Seed’.”

“Mona, that’s not a seed, that’s a skull.” Joker noted. “And not the good kind.” She winked at Skull.

“Joker.” Mona gave her an unamused look. “Palaces and locations that grew distorted from their original forms due to their rulers’ cognitions. When such distortions coalesce into form, this is the result.” He turned to the others. “I call it a ‘Will Seed’.”

“Distortions… coalesce… into Will Seeds.” Skull repeated faintly.

“Should I try explaining that again?” Mona asked the other two, trying to see if they understood.

“Ugh, just forget it!” Skull grumbled. “That’s a Will Seed. Movin’ on.”

“Soooo, what do we do with it?” Panther asked.

“We’re thieves, Panther. What do you think?” Joker reached out and plucked the red skull-shaped Will Seed off the pedestal. In an instant, the room seemed to dim. The pedestal no longer glowed and the soft whispering voices that Joker never noticed disappeared.

“Creepy.” Joker noted, feeling the weight of the Will Seed in her palm. It was heavier than she thought it would be.

“Um, is it really okay to take it?” Panther asked, staring around at the visible deterioration of the room.

“Well… no traps went off. Nothin’ shitty happened.” Skull observed. “Seems fine to me.”

“There are more of these around the Palace. Usually three or so.” Mona explained. He stood up importantly. “I can sense them if we get close enough!”

“What happens if we get all of them?” Joker inquired, somehow shoving the entire Will Seed into her pocket. No matter how much she did used her endless pockets, it still felt like a cartoon.

“I don’t know.” Mona deflated, but recovered quickly. “But it has to be something good! …I think.”

“Fine with me.” Joker cut off Skull before he could make a jab at Mona. “Let’s keep going.”

Joker once again leapt across the gap. They did the slow measure of using Panther’s whip to cross. Internally, Joker wondered if there was a better way to do this.

The hallway that they had ignored initially brought the thieves to the roof of the castle. It was then that Joker realized how high they were. The castle was far larger than the school ever was.

“Whoa.” Panther stared at the ground. “This is a lot taller than Shujin’s roof.”

“Yeah. It is.” Skull nodded, staring at the ground too.

Mona glanced up at the towers. “We still have a distance to go.”

“How far?” Skull asked, staring at the towers.

“We’re a little over halfway.” Mona replied after a moment of appraising the map. He nodded to the closest tower. “The Treasure’s in that tower.”

Panther smiled. “We’re getting closer.”

“Hell yeah, we are!” Skull agreed.

Joker flicked her vision back to Third Eye, scanning the tower. She leapt back towards cover when no less than six Shadow guards popped into existence.

“Ugh, not again.” Skull grumbled, staring at the guards around the corner.

“It’s no surprise that security would be tight around here.” Mona explained, staring around the corner. “But as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained! See a way up, Joker?”

Joker smirked at him. “Of course. Follow me.”

Thanks to Joker’s Third Eye, she knew that these Shadows were stronger than the others they had faced. She knew that fighting them was going to be similar to fighting the angel captain, possibly with back-up. She let the darkness collect around her as she jumped between hiding places, waiting for each guard to turn at the proper time. Mona followed second, graceful and fluid as a cat. Panther and Skull followed with less skill, but just as silent as necessary.

Joker stopped behind a crate, staring at another wooden ramp. That was their ticket up onto the roof and away from the guards. The door was too exposed to go through and it was probably locked. Picking locks took time and they would not have it here. The problem of using the ramp was that to get up it, they would have to run in plain view of those guards.

I don’t see another option. Arsène added rather unhelpfully. We can’t use the door.

Me think you fight! We strong! Kelpie chimed in.

Joker glanced back at the others who stared back from their shadowy hiding places. Joker made a “wait” gesture and peeked at the surrounding guards. She waited for the moment the every guard was turned away.

GO! Arsène’s order startled Joker into sprinting up the ramp and flip up onto the broken part of the roof. She dove, sliding out of sight just as a guard turned to look for the source of the sound.

Very good. Arsène congratulated Joker as she peered over the edge of her cover at the other thieves. Neither Panther nor Skull had great patience for this, so they went at the same time, while Mona scampered up the wall. The thieves gave each other a smile of relief before pressing on.

The thieves jumped and across the uneven rooftop, ignoring the clear danger of falling. None of them even felt that was remotely possible as they leapt from column to column and over spikey bits of fence. Joker couldn’t keep the wide smile from her face as they jumped.

This is how it feels to be a thief! Arsène laughed in her mind, echoing Joker’s own glee of scaling the tower.

“This is incredible!” Skull laughed when the four stopped to stare at the city below them. “This is like the whole city!”

“Wow, it all looks so normal.” Panther observed. “Mona, why is everything all normal except the school?”

“Because of Kamoshida’s cognition. He only views himself as king at Shujin and nowhere else.” Mona gestured to the city skyline. “He views everything else as normal.”

Joker glanced up at the rest of the tower they needed to climb and then at the team. Now that they weren’t running, it was clear that they were all tired. Fighting that angel captain and then scaling part of a tower? None of them were particularly physically fit, (not even Mona) so all this climbing took its toll.

“Let’s find a safe room.” Joker pointed to the open windows up on the tower. “One of those is our ticket in.”

The first window proved to be a no-go. There was a mesh screen that would’ve been too noisy to remove and the floor was too low. The second had a locked door and a treasure chest, which carried another whip for Panther.

Joker leaned out the window, staring up at the remaining windows. She flicked Third Eye on and tried to look for an easy way up.

“I see another way up.” Joker glanced back at the crew. “How are we holding up?”

“G-Great.” Skull panted.

“We can keep going.” Panther promised, but she was dragging her heels.

Mona glanced up at the ceiling above him. “I… I think I sense another Will Seed. Right above us.”

“We should go for it.” Skull interjected, eagerly.

“Yeah, I don’t want Kamoshida to have anything left.” Panther growled.

“There is another window above us.” Joker noted. She stared at the uneven bricks along the wall. “Feel like rock climbing?”

Without waiting for a reply, Joker launched herself onto the wall, and climbed, very thankful for her history as an athlete as well as the strange power this world seemed to give her.

“This is… less elegant than I would like.” Mona noted as they climbed up.

Joker got into the window first and helped the rest through. There has to be a smoother way to do this. She thought to herself.

“Hey, another vine door.” Skull pointed to the only door in the room.

Joker blinked as she helped Panther. “Is the window the only way into this room?”

“Looks like it.” Panther observed, seeing the lack of entrance. “This place is really weird.”

Deciding to ignore the bit of strange in this already strange world, Joker jumped off the windowsill and drew her knife. The vines yielded to her easily and the door creakily opened.

“Second verse, same as the first?” Joker observed the exact same room, except this time the skull was green instead of red.

“Grab it, Joker.” Mona advised.

Like before, the room seemed to dim once the Will Seed was removed and the whispers around them dimmed.

“Hey, Joker, there’s another open window down there.” Panther was staring out the window they had entered from. The rest of the thieves crowded near and looked where Panther was pointing.

“How’re we gonna get there?” Skull asked, staring at the wall.

“There’s a little ledge over there.” Mona pointed. “We could shimmy across the wall that way.”

Joker, flicking on Third Eye, saw what Mona meant. “Yeah. I see a rock-climbing path to that ledge. Are you all ready?”

“Yeah.” Panther and Skull responded.

“We’ll follow your lead, Joker.” Mona nodded.

Joker forced her tiring body to take the route to the ledge.

Do not look down. Arsène advised. You don’t have wings like me.

“Wh-What’s going on!?” Panther sputtered as the thieves entered the tower. The room was intensely colored pinkish, almost like the air had donned a color, but that was not the unnerving part. The entire room moved, not as a whole room, but as individual pieces as if it was alive.

Joker’s first thought was that Kamoshida had control of his castle, like it was connected to him to the point he could manipulate it at will. Luckily, it seemed that was untrue. The movement was random and didn’t seem to actively attack or impede the thieves.

“The distortion is getting stronger… The Treasure has got to be nearby!” Mona jumped happily in place.

Joker walked, careful of where to step, in case the ground decided to shift. Eventually, the thieves saw Kamoshida’s questionable interior decorating. Boobs. There were just …boobs on the walls.

The thieves cast each other uncomfortable glances, but pressed on into another room with more questionable interior decorating. Butts. And more boobs. Joker swallowed her disgust for the moment. They had a job to do and if all went well, Kamoshida would pay.

“Hey, a chest.” Panther pointed to a large locked chest in the corner.

“Watch my back.” Joker darted over to the chest, pulling out her picks. Even though she was picking with her gloves on, it felt no different from picking locks in her room. She grabbed the contents, a little charm, and tucked it out of sight.

“Anything good?” Mona asked when Joker returned.

“A charm. We’ll look at it when we find a new safe room.” Joker shrugged and silently approached the next room.

“Speak of the devil.” Mona snickered and pointed to the semi-transparent door across the room.

“Safe room time.” The thieves entered happily as they all took a well-deserved break.

While the other thieves ate their snacks, drank their sports drinks, and chatted, Joker withdrew her charms that she had taken from the chests, looking them over. They seemed like normal, little charms that someone could buy at any corner store, but they came from a Palace, so they had to be something more.

They feel like they have some sort of power, don’t they? Arsène noted.

Me agree. Kelpie chimed in.

What kind though? Akira asked them.

Let’s find out. Shut your eyes and focus. What does it change about you when you put it on? Arsène inquired.

Joker did as Arsène suggested and felt the first charm make her slightly warmer. Resist ice. The next seemed to make her muscles tingle with power. Increase strength. She mimicked the process until she identified all the charms she carried.

“Hey Skull, I got a present for ya.” Joker tossed the strength charm to him. “It increases strength.”

“Aw, sweet! Thanks, Joker!” Skull clipped the charm on his belt with his shotgun shells.

“What about me?” Panther asked, crossing her arms.

Joker dug around in her pockets until she found that magic charm. “All yours. And for Mona? Here’s one.”

“Thanks, Joker.” Panther clipped hers on her belt.

Mona caught it easily and tucked it in his pouch. “Hey, Joker, take a look at the map.”

“You know, if we don’t run into anything unforeseen, we could probably make it to the Treasure.”

“Seriously?” Skull perked up and leaned over the map.

“We can?” Panther asked eagerly.

“If we don’t run into anything unforeseen.” Joker reiterated.

“That’s unlikely to happen.” Mona crossed his arms. “Security is going to get more and more tight as we get deeper. We might want to head back and try again tomorrow.”

“No way, we need to keep going!” Skull insisted.

“No, we need to head back.” Joker affirmed. “We’re all tired and all of my picks are broken. I’m low on med supplies too. We are going to need to be top shape to pull this off and the security is going to get tighter as we go in.”

“Fine.” Skull grumbled.

Panther nodded, glancing at Joker, concern just visible under the mask. “Yeah, we have until May 2^nd to do this.”

The thieves returned to the entrance, to finish infiltration another day.

Chapter Text

It took overall four days of serious infiltration for the thieves to get their infiltration route. They solved puzzles making huge axes and traps disband, fought shadows, and claimed smaller treasures. It wasn’t all smooth-sailing, they sometimes were caught and had to retreat to the real world. Sometimes they had sustained too many injuries from the Shadows and it was dangerous to keep going. The crew carried each other to the nearest safe room when that happened.

The last Will Seed proved to be a little more difficult than the other two. A hidden elevator, decorated with butts and boobs, brought the thieves down, deep into the castle.

“Is this his private elevator to the dungeons?” Mona wondered as the elevator kept going down.

“We gotta be going out of the tower on this thing!” Skull paced irritably. “We don’t got time for this!”

“We’re just going to have to wait until we can hit the up button on this.” Panther was fiddling with her whip.

The elevator finally came to a stop in what looked like an unfamiliar part of the dungeons.

“Ah, it’s just dungeon, let’s go.” Skull moved to pull the chain again.

“Wait.” Joker held up her hand. She stepped off the elevator. “This is Kamoshida’s direct, private elevator. There has to be something interesting here.”

“She’s got a point.” Panther crept forward right behind Joker. Skull and Mona fell into step behind Joker.

Joker held up her arm. “Enemy.” She whispered.

“I sense a Will Seed!” Mona whispered urgently.

“It’s guardin’ it, look!” Skull pointed to the vine-covered door behind the armored Shadow.

“Kamoshida must have noticed the others were missing.” Mona reasoned. “It gonna be rough going though, that Shadow looks really strong.”

The gaudy gold armor that the Shadow wore sparkled in the dim light. From the previous days of infiltration, Joker knew that the gaudier the armor, the more powerful the enemy. Kamoshida appeared to like gaudy shit like that.

“Are we ready?” Joker mentally flipped through her Personas.

“Yes, Joker.” The three responded.

Joker smirked to herself. “It’s showtime.”

“These things are creepy.” Joker stared at the Will Seed on the table. The last one had been blue and, after the difficult Shadow, the team decided to break in the safe room for a little.

“Yeah, they are.” Panther stared at the lopsided skull on the table.

“Where are the others?” Mona asked. He was drinking one of the sports drinks that Joker had brought. He had spent the most energy in healing everyone after the fight.

“Hold on.” Joker withdrew the other two Will Seeds and put them on the table.

The moment the three got in close proximity, they glowed bright and began to float upwards. The eyes and mouth glowed with their respective colors as they spun around and merged into a horrific, three-skulled unit. Once joined, the lights left the Will Seeds, leaving only empty space behind. The merged Will Seeds fell back on the table, bouncing very slightly.

“Whoa.” Skull looked stunned.

Joker reached out and picked up the merged Seeds. “They’re still creepy.” She stated before trying to see what it did, if it did something.

I can… heal? Arsène realized. The rest of the Personas in her head, the ones who didn’t have healing skills, made similar remarks.

“…These things can teach you to heal.” Joker said after a moment. She looked at Skull. “Here, you use it.”

“Me?” Skull asked. “But I-“

“Panther can heal, Mona’s excellent at healing, and I can switch to heal. This way, anyone can help if another is injured. Take it.” Joker held out the freaky merged Seeds.

“Joker, are you sure a moron like him can heal?” Mona asked casting a glance at Skull.

“Hey!” Skull protested. He snatched the merged Seeds and hung it off his belt. “I can heal just as good as you!”

“Mona, Skull, stop it. We need to get going.” Joker ended the fight.

“Right now that stupid stuff doesn’t matter.” Panther glared at them. “We are so close to the Treasure and we are not messing this up.”

“Right, Panther.” Mona agreed readily. “I can sense the Treasure!”

“Then let’s go!” Skull agreed.

Luckily, the bizarre moving architecture of the tower did little to impede the movement of the thieves and they climbed up to the throne room.

“No way we’re going through that door.” Skull gestured to the to giant ornate door.

“Of course not, you moron.” Mona sniped.

“Come on.” Joker jumped up onto the nearby butt and boob statue.

Above her was another ventilation shaft. She silently removed the cover and slid through the vent easily onto a balcony. A quick glance to her right proved that the front door was a huge mistake. Kamoshida himself stood ready with an army of Shadows bowing before him.

“Be quiet. Let’s see if we can learn something.” Joker crouched at the banister with Skull, Panther, and Mona.

“Have you caught the intruders yet?” Kamoshida demanded from the kneeling Shadows.

“I apologize, my liege!” The Shadow captain cried out as he bowed low. He actually seemed regretful.

Mona snickered softly. “He doesn’t even consider the possibility that we’re in the same room.”

Joker glanced at Skull and Panther. Both were gripping the banister far more tightly than they needed to.

“We best keep moving.” Joker whispered. “We won’t learn anything of use now.”

Joker kept crouching as she hurried around the balcony towards the door right behind Kamoshida’s throne. The others trailed behind her, glancing at the Shadows and Kamoshida every so often to make sure they were still unseen. The door behind the throne was unlocked, surprisingly. Within it was a chamber with a large well-fortified door.

“This looks promisin’.” Skull commented.

Joker pushed the double doors open to reveal more gold than she had ever seen in her life. Coins, jewelry, cups, and other golden creations littered the ground. Joker stepped into the treasure room, staring at the random collection of opulence all over the floor.

“Whoa…” Skull turned in a circle, the gold reflecting off his black mask. “What is this place!? Holy shit!” His gaze fixed on the mountain of gold coins nearest to him. “We hit the jackpot! That Treasure thing’s gotta be here!”

“Shh! They’re right outside.” Joker reprimanded as she shut the double doors silently behind them. “Let’s look around.”

Silently, the thieves spread out, poking through the gold. Joker switched to Third Eye, scanning the room. The gold, though beautiful, was not valuable. Her Third Eye revealed the true value of things. The only thing worthy of note was the floaty, shimmery thing in the center of the room.

“Hey, what’s this?” Panther asked. She, Skull, and Mona were all staring up at it. “It’s …floating in the air.”

A huge smirk spread across Mona’s face as he jumped up on a pile of gold. He stared greedily at it above his head. “That’s the Treasure. We finally found it!” He gestured grandly to it.

Panther, Skull, and Joker exchanged glances.

“That… cloudy thing is what we’ve been looking for?” Joker nodded to the shimmery mass.

“Just you hold on a second, I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far.” Mona turned to the three thieves.

Donning his teacher-voice, Mona addressed the three. “Simply finding the Treasure isn’t enough. We’ll need to make it materialize before we can steal it.”

Skull shifted his weight, staring at the foggy thing. “Whaddya mean…?”

“Desires have no physical form by nature.” Mona continued. “Hence, we’ll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they’re conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself.”

Panther twisted one of her pigtails. “But how do we do that?”

“We warn them.” Mona explained simply.

“I’m sorry, what?” Joker interrupted. “Doesn’t that seem a little counter-intuitive?”

“Let me explain.” Mona cut off Joker. “We tell them, “We’re going to steal your heart.”

“So we’re gonna send a calling card!?” Skull interjected. “That’s totally what a phantom thief would do!”

Mona’s tail swished with anticipation, still smiling. “Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! …I think!”

Skull’s enthusiasm dissipated. “That again…?” He sighed, shrugging. “Either way, sounds like it’s worth giving a shot!”

Panther and Joker both nodded as Mona leapt off the pile of gold. “Our infiltration route is secure.” He gestured to the floating, shimmery Treasure. “All that’s left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back and take the Treasure!”

There was a moment in which Panther and Joker both processed what was said. A calling card? Sounded gutsy.

It would be a testament to our skill as thieves. Announce it all as a show and perform, despite the obstacles in our way. Arsène sounded eager. Joker couldn’t keep the grin of anticipation off her face.

“This is it, huh?” Panther nodded, thinking.

“We won’t lose.” Joker asserted, smiling wickedly.

“That’s the spirit!” Mona nodded. “Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back.” He stared at each of the thieves. “Just let me know when you’re ready. We’ll head back to the hideout and send out that calling card!”

Joker nodded. “Alright, thieves, we are heading back. Tomorrow, meet up in the hideout after class. We’ll discuss our next move there.”

“Yes, Joker.” Mona, Panther, and Skull all responded.

“Let’s head out.”

Akira spent the evening, or as long as Morgana allowed, practicing her lockpicking skills. Morgana eventually forced Akira to go to sleep. Her dreams were blissfully Velvet-free, and she woke feeling rested.

Through the day, Akira couldn’t keep a smile off her face. She could even smile as she passed Kamoshida in the halls. True, it was a shit-eating grin, but she still managed a smile. Her smile completely freaked out all the other students, generating more and more whispers.

The thrill of anticipation. Arsène explained in her head during a particularly boring lecture. Though we cannot be reckless. The danger is real.

We’re going to need to do some Persona management, huh guys? Akira addressed the Personas in her head and heard a chorus of affirmation. As well as a trip to Takemi and Untouchable.

The moment the bell rang, Ann was standing next to Akira’s desk. Her jaw was set and she didn’t say anything.

With a quick glance around the room, Akira stood up. No one appeared to be paying attention aside from the gossips and all it took was a quick glare from Akira for them to stop and scurry off.

“Not yet. Supplies first. Give me an hour.” Akira spoke quiet enough that no one would hear, but loud enough that if someone noticed they wouldn’t think it weird.

“Text me when you’re ready.” Ann returned to her own stuff.

“Yeah.” Akira discreetly allowed Morgana to get into her bag and walked out of the school.

After a quick trip to Takemi’s and Untouchable, Akira finally felt ready. Morgana tried to convince Akira to ask Takemi about the miracle drug they overheard, but she ignored him.

“You can beat up Shadow guards just fine, but trying to ask a doctor about a conversation is impossible, huh?” Morgana grumbled in her bag.

“Oh shut up.” Akira grumbled back. “I can punch a Shadow. I can’t punch a doctor.”

You actually can punch a doctor. Arsène remarked as Akira grumbled at her inner self as she pulled out her phone. She tapped a quick message to the rest of the crew and headed back to Shujin.

Dodging the teachers and other students was easy. Niijima stepped out of the student council room and caught sight of Akira, her expression turning suspicious. She gave her senpai a cheery way before walking on by, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Morgana shifted slightly in the bag, realizing that they were taking the long route. It took a little longer to get up there, but Akira made it. Ann was already there and immediately stood up when Akira entered.

“Where’s Ryuji?” Akira asked, letting Morgana out of the bag. He leapt gracefully on the desk.

“Coming.” Ann waved her hand impatiently. “Are we ready to get going?”

“Patience, Lady Ann. Kamoshida will get what’s coming to him.” Morgana counseled.

The door to the roof banged open and Ryuji strolled in, a huge smile on his face. “So we’re ready, right?”

“Yeah. We’ve got our gear.” Akira nodded.

“So… we send the calling card in the morning… and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?” Ann crossed her arms, staring at the others.

“Correct!” Morgana settled and addressed the group. “The effect won’t last that long. His desires will only materialize for so long after the card is sent and I doubt we could replicate the forced materialization with a second card.” He glanced at their faces. “…Are you worried?”

Akira snorted while Ryuji actually laughed outright. Ann’s laugh was softer and intimidating. “No. We waited too long. He’s had this coming for too long.”

Morgana looked pleased with the responses. “Perfect.”

“We’re going to pull this off, no matter what!” Ann announced to the others, her eyes blazing with passion.

Morgana nodded and turned to the problem at hand. “So, who’s going to write the card?”

“Leave it to me!” Ryuji interjected, stepping forward.

Akira and Morgana exchanged glances in surprise while Ann looked at him dismissively. “Why?”

“Why?” Ryuji repeated, pride stinging. “Why wouldn’t it be me!?”

“I didn’t think that anyone would want to.” Akira remarked, shrugging.

Ann crossed her arms and stared at Ryuji. “This is important. Are you sure you can handle the pressure?”

Morgana nodded, turning to Ryuji. “I must agree.”

“I really wanna get him good!” Ryuji insisted. “Lemme write it…” He turned to Akira. “C’mon, please?”

Akira paused for a moment. He’s certainly passionate. Arsène observed. Think that he can do it? She nodded. “Alright, Ryuji. This shall be your job. Make that fucker fear us.”

Ryuji pumped his fist in celebration. “Gotcha, Akira! I’ve got a hundred things I wanna hurl at that bastard rattlin’ around in my head!”

“Just make sure it’s not obvious who wrote it, all right!?” Ann shot back.

Akira nodded. “Ann’s right. Don’t get too personal.”

“I know. I know.” Ryuji was too excited to get annoyed at the constant warnings.

Morgana jumped up, Ryuji’s excitement was infectious. “All right, then! Tomorrow it is!” He turned to Ryuji, unwilling to let a single chance of berating Ryuji go. “You’d better not slack off on this.”

“All right. Ryuji will take over on the calling card.” Akira interjected before the argument could even start. “We should all sleep tonight. We go out after class. We’re clear?”

“Sounds perfect.” Ann agreed. “Time to avenge Shiho.”

“Let’s get off the roof then.” Akira picked up her bag after Morgana jumped in. “We’ll meet up in the alleyway in front of the school the moment school is out.”

“Make sure Kamoshida sees the calling card, Ryuji!” Morgana called out as Akira left the roof.

Akira walked into school, her nerves jangling. Today was the day the calling card was sent. Internally, equal parts fear, anticipation, glee, and vindictive pleasure rushed through her. Once the calling card was sent, then they would head into the Metaverse. Morgana was equally ready to begin the plot, rustling restlessly in Akira’s bag.

Akira stepped inside the school only to stop in place. Plastered over every single surface was the same bright colorful poster. Students were clustered around countless bulletin boards.

“A calling card?”

“It was here this morning before everyone else arrived.”

Akira felt Morgana peek out of the bag so she went to one of the posters, standing so Morgana could see it without leaving the bag.

Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust.

We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can’t fight back. That’s why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready.

From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts

A little design (a logo?) was drawn across the bottom: A face, not dissimilar to the face on Captain Kidd’s ship, wearing a top hat.

Not an artist, is he? Arsène remarked as Akira glanced at the other students all chatting animatedly about the calling card.

“Wow…” Morgana remarked from the bag.

Akira ignored him and left the chattering group, seeing Ryuji leaning against the wall. Ann was already there, twisting her hair nervously.

“Not bad, eh?” Ryuji asked as Akira approached. “I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference.”

Ann sighed. “Um... yeah… I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult.”

“Your logo’s a little lacking too.” Morgana echoed Akira’s earlier thoughts.

“OK, y’know what? Th-That ain’t true!” Ryuji retorted defensively.

“Ease up, guys. It gets the point across. Besides, we gave Ryuji full responsibility. We can’t berate him for doing it since we had no hand in it.” Akira kept her voice down, but it seemed that there was no reason to. No one was paying to the delinquent, not when there was such an interesting new topic.

“Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong?” The crew overheard a student say.

“Does this mean the rumors are true?” Another student asked gleefully, her voice clear even through the loud chatter. More and more students were discussing the actual content of the calling card. Thieves? Why would they announce it? Especially to Kamoshida?

“See? It gets the point across.” Akira gestured to the excited student body.

“It doesn’t matter that they’re excited!” Morgana explained from inside the bag. “What matters is what Kamoshida thinks! We’re trying to change his cognition!”

As if on cue, the bastard himself marched in, anger in every stride. “Who’s responsible for this!?” He demanded of the large group of students in front of the bulletin board. The more skittish students just bolted away from the enraged teacher.

Morgana jumped up on Akira’s shoulder, a smug little smile on his face. “Look at that. That calling card did get the point across. A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires.”

Ryuji gleefully enjoyed Kamoshida’s panic. “I think it’s hittin’ him pretty hard.”

“Did you do this!?” Kamoshida rounded on one of the students. “Or was it you!?” He pointed to another student. The crowd quickly dispersed, hurrying away from Kamoshida’s anger.

Once the hall cleared, Kamoshida zeroed in Akira and Ryuji. He marched up, glaring at the delinquent and troublemaker. He didn’t seem to notice Ann at all and Morgana had hidden back in Akira’s bag.

“Was it you two?!” His tone was still angry, but he seemed to have more control of his anger as he now had two likely candidates.

“No.” Akira’s face was carefully neutral as she responded.

Kamoshida didn’t buy it. “What garbage.” He stared at Akira and Ryuji disdainfully. His anger fizzled more away. “Eh, it’s not a problem. You’ll be expelled soon enough anyway.” He turned around and walked off, head held high as if he had no idea what the calling card was talking about.

Morgana jumped out of the bag onto Akira’s shoulder. “Judging from Kamoshida’s response… I’m sure we had an effect on his Palace!”

“Does that mean the Treasure’s appeared!?” Ann asked quickly. “We’ll be able to get it today, right?”

“It’s not just “today.” It’s only today.” Morgana asserted. “The impact of seeing a calling card doesn’t last long, and it cannot be repeated. This will be our one chance to steal the Treasure.”

“One day’s more than enough for us!” Ryuji asserted.

“Well, first we have to get through class today.” Akira interrupted. “Everyone, act normal. I don’t want Kamoshida to have a leg to stand on if he accuses us of this.” She nodded to the calling cards. “We get one shot. We are not messing this up.” She checked her phone for the time. “Let’s get to class. I don’t need the teachers breathing down my neck today.”

“Seeya later!” Ryuji wandered off towards his classroom while Ann and Akira headed towards theirs. Morgana settled in the bag.

Chapter Text

The transition into the Metaverse was something the thieves had grown used to, but now it felt different. The castle was technically the same. The same columns, stupid door, everything, but the aura had changed. The entire castle felt tense and on guard.

“We should expect more defenses than usual. Right, Mona?” Joker inquired as the little cat creature stepped up next to her.

“Right, Joker. Be on guard, everyone.” Mona stared up at the tower that they knew contained the Treasure.

“This is a long time coming.” Skull cracked his knuckles. “I’m ready.”

Panther didn’t speak. Her jaw was set and her eyes blazed with hate, staring at this distorted hell of their school. She adjusted the whip on her hip.

“Remember: our objective is to steal the Treasure. Not beat up Kamoshida. It would be preferable if we don’t fight at all.” Joker reminded everyone. “Don’t let your hate for this piece of shit compromise the mission.”

Panther and Skull shifted uncomfortably at Joker’s words.

Joker glanced to the Velvet Room door. Justine waited there for her. She nodded to Justine. Shall we, Arsène?

Time for the art of thievery. Arsène replied.

Joker led the way to the teleporter and the thieves stepped out of the safe room. If Joker had thought that the outside had been tense, the inside was even worse. A smile curled on Joker’s lips. Only a true thief could take the most precious Treasure while the ruler was on guard like this.

Joker flicked her hand and quickly darted forward. She stopped, seeing the door to the throne room wide open. This is a trap. Arsène remarked as Joker stared into the seemingly empty throne room. The other thieves were behind her looking equally suspicious.

Joker jumped up the statue that they had used last time only to see that the vent had been covered. She tugged on it gently. There was no way she was going to get this off stealthily.

“We have to go through the throne room doors.” Morgana noted.

“Be on guard.” Joker hissed, jumping back down. Slowly, Joker peeked into the throne room.

“The hell’s goin’ on here?” Skull whispered, peeking in next to Joker. “There’s no one here!”

“They might be undermanned.” Mona explained. “They might be assigned to other areas to prevent us even entering the castle.”

“Does Kamoshida even know about teleporters?” Panther whispered her question.

“I don’t know.” Mona replied as Joker glanced up at the balconies, looking for any soldiers. “They were in areas that Kamoshida’s cognition was weak. He might not.”

“It looks clear.” Joker relented. “We’re gonna just run to the Treasure room. No hesitation, clear?”

“Yes, Joker.” The three responded in unison and for a moment Joker was taken aback. She blinked at them before shaking off the feeling.

“Three. Two. One.” Joker ran, the other three on her heels as they vaulted over the throne and up the stairs. They slipped inside and it was as if no one had even seen them. Was there truly no one there?

“Aww yeeeeaaaaaaah!” Mona’s voice brought Joker to their current situation. The dazzling light of the Treasure room was even brighter without the foggy cloud. A huge red and gold crown, designed European-style, floated in the center of the room, right where the cloud had been last time.

“The Treasure has appeared!” Mona rejoiced.

“Man, it’s huge!” Skull echoed Joker’s thoughts. This was not going to be easy to get out of the castle. Hopefully, they could take it to the teleporter?

“What do you think? It’s just as I said!” Mona bounced in place. “Now we can steal it!” He sighed, rubbing his huge eyes. “Ahh… this shine brings tears to my eyes.”

Panther crossed her arms. “…It kinda pisses me off.” She glared at it. “Why’s it so pretty? Isn’t this Kamoshida’s desires?”

“I mean: it’s his Palace. He would probably think his desires are pretty.” Joker shrugged. Panther rolled her eyes. “I think it’s gaudy.” Joker quipped, making Panther’s expression soften a little.

“T-Treasure…” Mona’s voice was high and his eyes were fixed on the floating crown. A shiver went down his spine as he stared at it, swaying place.

“Uh… the cat’s actin’ awfully excited.” Skull noted, shifting uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong?” Panther addressed Mona directly. “Is something-?”

Mona abruptly leapt up onto the Treasure, yowling like an actual cat as he did. He rubbed his face all over it and Joker was reminded of every cat she had ever met.

“That’s not catnip.” Joker was unable to resist making a joke.

Mona barely even noticed, meowing like a cat right before feeding time. He rubbed his face all over the flashy gold pieces.

Skull stopped Mona’s little moment. “All right, that’s enough, you stupid cat!”

Mona froze for a moment, realizing what he was doing and jumped down. “Oh, um, yeah… Forgive me for displaying such an insolent sight in front of a lady.” He addressed Panther sheepishly.

Joker crossed her arms. “So clearly, I’m not a lady.”

“We live together. You’ve seen everything.” Mona retorted completely unashamed.

Joker shrugged, remembering how often she had seen Morgana bathe himself, as Panther spoke up. “You were completely out of character too. What was that about?”

Mona went back to being sheepish. “I couldn’t stop it either… To think I’d be drawn to human desires this much.” His expression abruptly brightened. “Doesn’t this prove that I’m human?” He asked eagerly staring up at Joker.

“How should we know!?” Skull asked exasperated.

“Enough talk. We gotta move. The longer we’re here, the more likely we’ll get caught.” Joker interrupted.

“Uh, yeah.” Mona switched back to serious thief mode. “You guys need to carry it!”

“All you do is bark orders…” Skull grumbled, getting to one side of the crown. “Still, that was easier than I thought! I thought for sure there’d be some insane trap or something!”

“His Palace will disappear if we take this back, right?” Panther asked as she took her place opposite Skull to carry the Treasure. She seemed reluctant to touch it. “And Kamoshida will change too.”

“That should be the case.” Mona explained as Joker took hold of the crown. It was lighter than she expected, but it was heavy enough that they needed all three of the human thieves to carry it.

“Good. Let’s go.” Joker nodded to the other two. The three hefted it as Mona led the way, talking to himself.

“To think, it’d go so well. I’ve even found three Persona users in the process.” He nodded happily to the three carrying the unwieldy Treasure. “My judgment was correct.” He said proudly. “I made the right choice in making a deal with you!” He cackled self-satisfied.

Joker froze for a moment as a familiar voice rang in her head. The power of the Magician grows stronger. She felt a rush of power and heard Arsène sighed contentedly.

“All right, enough talking, let’s get this damn thing out of here and make that bastard pay.” Joker hefted the crown up with Skull and Panther’s help.

They only made it to the throne room before something happened.

“Go, go! Let’s go!” A voice, rather like a cheerleader, echoed in the hall. “Ka-mo-shida!”

Joker twisted around, trying to find the source, acutely aware that the thieves were very vulnerable now. One hand hovered near her gun. A grunt sounded and Joker caught sight of Kamoshida and for a moment she was back on the volleyball court with a powerful spike heading straight towards her.

The volleyball hit the crown, knocking it clear out of the thieves’ hands.

“No!” Joker cried as the crown clattered away.

Kamoshida leapt over the thieves’ heads, landing right in front of the throne. He held out his hand and his Treasure shrank, jumping back into his hand. The Treasure, now a normal-sized crown, was now in Kamoshida’s hand as the fake Ann hung off his side. Kamoshida’s face was twisted in rage, eyes fixed on the thieves.

“I won’t let anyone take this!” He roared, clutching the crown. “This proves that I am kind of this castle – it is the core of this world!” He announced as the fake Ann caressed his shoulders and cuddled up to him. She still wore the bikini and cat ears with a vapid expression. It was clear that she had been that cheerleader voice earlier.

“That rat bastard.” Panther growled. She eyed the fake Ann with obvious disgust. “That’s how he sees me, isn’t it!?”

“Yo, pervert.” Skull addressed Kamoshida with zero fear. “Were you waitin’ to ambush us?”

“I just made it easier to find you.” Kamoshida stared down at the four intruders. “I’ll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now.”

“That’s our line, you sexually-harassin’ D-bag!” Skull jabbed a finger at him.

Kamoshida’s expression twisted into a self-satisfied smile. “What a selfish misunderstanding…”

Panther’s rage ignited next at the dismissal of his crimes against her personally. “How is it a misunderstanding!? You were doing things that you kept in secret from others!”

Kamoshida lazily tossed his crown in the air and caught it. “The people around me were the ones who kept it secret. Adults who wanted to share in my accomplishments, students who have the drive to become winners…” He listed, still absentmindedly tossing the Treasure in the air and catching it. “They willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it.”

Joker recalled Mishima’s words. They already know. The principal, our parents, they all protect him. She glared at Kamoshida.

“Profit!?” Skull roared.

“There are too amny imbeciles who don’t understand that!” Kamoshida announced. “Including naïve brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself!”

Panther’s stance softened as the topic shifted to Shiho. “True, she’s a total idiot…” Joker turned in surprise. “Letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide.” She then glared at Kamoshida. “And I’m even more of a dumbass for not realizing that!” Panther stated, her fighting stance returning.

“But no matter what kind of fool someone might be… THEY DON’T NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO LIVE THEIR LIVES!” Panther screamed at him.

Kamoshida’s face twisted back to rage as Panther yelled at him. “Drop that attitude, you mediocre peasant! There’s no wrong in using my gifts for my gain! I’m a cut above all other humans!” He cried.

Panther couldn’t contain a snort of disbelief at this bastard’s vanity. “Above? You mean beneath. You’re a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires!”

Kamoshida’s body shook, laughter issuing from him. Joker’s focus, occupied with trying to figure a way to get the crown from Kamoshida during the conversation, abruptly turned straight back to Kamoshida. Red power, similar to the shadow knights, swirled around him as he cackled. The fake Ann stepped back, watching Kamoshida with rapt attention, her shoulders swinging.

“That’s right! I’m not like you!” He flung his arms wide, still holding the crown and putting a possessive hand on the fake Ann’s shoulder. “I am the demon who rules this world!” He grabbed the fake Ann as she giggled and held his crown high as more and more power swirled around him.

Joker stepped back as his form swelled and changed, grotesquely altering in front of their eyes. Disgust overwhelmed Joker as the shadow twisted into some sort of baby-like giant figure. The crown reverted to its huge size and now sat on the demon shadow Kamoshida’s head held in place by a set of curved ram’s horns. Another set of arms burst out underneath the originals with each hand clutching something different. One hand carried a knife, one carried a fork, another carried a wine glass, and the last carried some kind of whip. A huge, long, pink, saliva-covered tongue whipped out of his mouth and around him, making Joker gag at the sight of it. What made her gag even more was seeing the fake Ann sitting in the wine glass, cheering for Kamoshida.

“Wh-What the hell?” Skull stared up at whatever this freakish disgusting demon that now sat before them.

Its bulbous eyes swept over the thieves as the sound of Kamoshida’s laughter issued from its mouth. The cape still hung from its shoulders and the tiny pink speedo was still covering the unmentionable area. Joker didn’t even look at it. She stared up at the gross excuse of a face, carefully watching the saliva-covered tongue-whip.

“I’m allowed to do whatever the hell I want!” Kamoshida yelled throughout the throne room.

“You’re wrong.” Joker spoke up for the first time, pointing at the disgusting shadow before her. “And we are taking that crown! Phantom Thieves, take him down!”

Kamoshida roared and red magic swirled around him, summoning a huge trophy-like goblet in front of him, human legs sticking out of it. Joker’s attention then flicked to the tiny, chained figures on the ground around the demon. In an instant, Joker knew they were the male volleyball team, which meant… Joker stared at the legs in the trophy-goblet. They looked female.

“You goddamn, no-good, shitty brats! Haven’t you been taught not to point at people!? Huh!?” He hit the ground with the knife, stabbing floor with every word, trying to catch one of the thieves with either the fork or knife.

“Keep moving!” Joker yelled as the thieves dodged, forcing Kamoshida to stab with both the knife and fork into the ground.

“Look! The Treasure’s over there!” Mona pointed at the crown as the other dodged Kamoshida’s attacks. “We just need to grab that!”

“Panther, fire! Skull, cover her!” Joker ordered in response. She was staring at demon before her, trying to see an opening.

“AGI!” Panther stood her ground and summoned Carmen, throwing fire at Kamoshida’s eyes. Skull skidded to a stop in front of Panther, summoning Captain Kidd to shoot the knife and fork aside.

“GRAH!” Kamoshida yelled as the fire hit him squarely in the eyes. “Useless filth! Attack, worms!” He hit the ground with his whip and immediately the chained figures rose up, volleyballs materializing in their hands.

“Look out!” Joker screamed. In an instant, she summoned Arsène and took the brunt of the hit with Skull. Arsène dispersed and Joker covered her face as volleyballs pelted her.

“JOKER!” Panther yelled.

“Panther! Mona! Hit him!” Joker screamed as she and Skull took the hits.

“Garu!” Zorro whipped up winds, forcing the volleyballs away from Skull and Joker as Panther summoned Carmen.

“Dia!” She yelled and Joker felt relief. Panther spun and cast her healing spell on Skull.

“Skull! Zio!” Joker yelled, jumping out of the way of the tongue whip. He’s not weak to fire or wind! Joker scrambled around as Kamoshida stabbed into the ground. Every time his whip hit the ground, the chained minions threw the volleyballs.

Not electricity either. Arsène observed as Skull and Captain Kidd’s attack was tanked.

“Skull! Stay physical! Eiha!” Joker yelled. She summoned Arsène and cast curse damage, trying to divert Kamoshida’s attention to her.

“Grah! Damn brat!” Kamoshida’s attention turned from Skull’s rather lackluster magic attack to Joker’s far more potent one. He hit the whip and the chained volleyball players focused on Joker instead.

Joker flipped out of the way. Not curse either! She switched Personas as she landed. “Silky!”

A beautiful woman in a red dress with greenish complexion and hair formed before Joker. “Bufu!” Ice crystals formed on Kamoshida’s eyes as the temperature dropped. Kamoshida cried out as crystals stabbed his bulbous eyes.

My lady, I do not think my ice magic is this disgusting demon’s weakness. Silky explained as Kamoshida shook off the attack and sent the chained minions after her. Joker flipped out of the way, dodging more and more as Skull tried more physical attacks. Kamoshida’s attention went to him as Panther and Mona shot magical attacks from behind Skull.

“Mona! Heal!” Joker yelled as she switched Personas again. “Dia!”

“Healing time! Hee hoo!” Agathion laughed, swinging their pot as healing magic swirled around Skull.

“Zorro! Media!” Mona’s own Persona’s magic swirled around all four of them.

“Stupid brats! Nnnnnngh! I need healin’!” Kamoshida stabbed his fork into the legs in the trophy goblet. The chained minions really didn’t need to try to distract the thieves from attacking; all were staring in frozen horror and disgust as they watched Kamoshida eat the cognitive being. Though they only got a quick glimpse, the cognitive being looked like one of the female volleyball players.

“Oh my god.” Joker gagged. She dodged the volleyballs with almost lazy grace. Disgusting. Every single Persona in her head agreed.

“Come at me, you pieces of shit! I ain’t letting you sleep tonight!” Kamoshida’s wounds, the burns from Panther, the bruises from Skull, and the other wounds from Mona and Joker, all disappeared in blue, healing light.

“I am certainly not going to after seeing that performance.” Joker remarked before she could stop herself.

“He’s healing himself?!” Mona ignored Joker’s quip. “Is it because he ate that?”

“He’s disgusting!” Panther growled.

“After all our work!” Skull griped.

My lady, the goblet! Silky cried.

It heals him! Arsène interjected.

“Video game logic.” Joker nodded to herself as she landed next to Panther. “Take out the healer.”

“Huh?” Panther stared at Joker in confusion.

“Use your whip. Drag that trophy thing away from him. Break it.” Joker ordered. She stared at the others. “We’ll cover you. Mona, Skull, attack!”

Joker released Silky again, freezing Kamoshida’s hand holding the fork. “Bufu!”

Skull hit back every volleyball the minions threw with his metal bat, like a baseball player. “Take this, you piece of shit!” He snarled.

“Garu!” Mona cried as Zorro’s winds whipped up and around Kamoshida’s eyes, trying to blind him.

“Hiya!” Panther’s whip snapped around the base of the trophy and yanked.

“HEY!” Kamoshida’s fork slammed down and he dragged the trophy back. “You don’t what this is worth, so stop touching it! Don’t do it anymore, got it? I’ve warned you!”

“Thieves! Take that trophy!” Joker yelled, switching to Agathion and throwing fire.

In an instant, Carmen’s fire danced to life and slammed into the trophy, with Captain Kidd’s arm cannon shooting at it.

“Stop!” Kamoshida cried shrilly, trying to stab Panther and Skull. Zorro’s winds whipped through, hitting the trophy as well.

“Eyes on me, Dipshit!” Joker yelled, summoning Bicorn and charging Kamoshida.

“No!” Kamoshida cried as the trophy shattered and dissolved into darkness from the thieves’ onslaught. “This was from when I won the national!” He looked dejected, attacks stopping for a moment.

“We did it!” Mona celebrated.

“Go! Attack!” Joker bolted forward with the rest of the thieves on her heels. Joker leapt up onto his arm holding the whip and stabbed every inch of she could reach.

“Get off, you stupid gnats!” Kamoshida yelled, swinging to throw the thieves off of him.

Joker jumped and flipped, trying to land on her feet, but instead managed to land on her butt, skidding across the ground.

Not our best landing, but we have other priorities. Arsène observed as Joker sprang up, seeing Panther getting to her feet with Skull next to her. Mona landed on his feet like a cat and Joker felt a jab of jealousy.

“You think you can get away with doing such a thing? Do you realize who I am?” Kamoshida’s eyes focused on the four standing before him. “I am KAMOSHIDA! Don’t you get it!?”

“So what?” Joker asked, a smirk on her lips. She withdrew her pistol and held it aloft.

“BULLSHIT!” Kamoshida roared. “I am above everything in this castle!” He gestured to the beat up chained minions on the floor. “I am Kamoshida! I’m the king here! I’ll make you regret this!”

“I always saw you as a condescending hotshot, but right now… you’re just a pathetic loser.” Skull had withdrawn his shotgun and aimed it at Kamoshida.

Panther held her SMG at the ready. “We came all this way to steal that stupid Treasure! Will you just give it up and hand it over?”

“SILENCE!” Kamoshida ordered. “I won’t let the likes of you have my crown!”

Mona rolled his large blue eyes. He held his slingshot ready. “You still have the energy to say things like that!?” He shrugged. “Then we’re going to up our game as well!”

“Bring it, dirty thieves!” Kamoshida challenged. He twisted and took a drink from the glass of wine he held and his tongue caressed the fake Ann inside.

All of the thieves lowered their guns, gagging at the sight as the fake Ann giggled and cheered from in the wine glass.

“I am the king!” Kamoshida struck the ground with the fork, noticeably faster than before. “If I’m not, who is!?”

“FUCK NOBILITY!” Joker yelled at the monstrous form before her, unable to think of a clever joke as she flipped away from Kamoshida’s attacks. Some part of her was very irritated with her inability to make a clever joke.

“GRAHH!” Kamoshida drove the fork down, trying to catch the end of Joker’s coat. “Get back here, you stupid thieves!”

Attacks from the thieves lessened considerably as they now focused on staying ahead of Kamoshida’s knife and fork. His speed had increased so much that the thieves now needed to just focus on staying ahead.

“RARAGGHHH!” Kamoshida roared as Cognitive Ann cheered him on. “That’s it! Slaves! Get out here!”

Joker, expecting more of the chain-covered beings or even another beast, like Cognitive Ryuji, brought out her knife. She froze when she saw Mishima and the other bandage-covered volleyball players stumble out into the throne room.

Joker, move! Arsène’s warning prevented Joker from getting impaled with the knife Kamoshida drove into the ground.

“Mishima?” Skull, likewise, hesitated for only a moment before he jumped out of the way of Kamoshida’s attack.

“I-I’m here, King Kamoshida!” Mishima stuttered. He was dressed in his volleyball uniform, and carried a volleyball. Unlike the chained beings that gathered around Kamoshida, this version of the volleyball team looked like normal people. The abrupt realistic change made the thieves freeze.

“Why’s he here?!” Panther cried as the volleyball team took up positions around Kamoshida.

“Calm down!” Mona landed next to Panther. “That’s only Kamoshida’s cognitive version of him and the rest of the team!”

Kamoshida’s whip hit the ground. “Formation seven, you useless slaves!”

“Y-Yes, King Kamoshida!” The volleyball team responded in unison. In a practiced movement, these cognitive versions of the team all served the volleyballs they were carrying and threw them at the thieves.

“MOVE!” Joker recovered, startling the others into getting out of the way of the shots. The thieves darted around, avoiding volleyballs and the fork and knife.

“We need to take down the those volleyball players!” Joker said as she landed behind Skull, who was hitting the volleyballs away with his bludgeon.

“Uh, yeah…” Skull responded. In an instant, Joker understood the emotional weight of taking down those volleyball players to Skull and Panther, who knew these people. Realistic-looking dolls or not, they were going to cause some emotional and mental damage.

“Mona! With me! Skull, Panther, cover us!” Joker barked out an order. Neither Mona nor Joker had been at the school long enough for this to be that emotionally taxing. At least, that’s what Joker hoped.

Panther slowed her dodges, making sure Kamoshida felt he might actually hit her. “Come on, you piece of shit!” She goaded him.

“I’m here too, scumbag!” Skull wacked one of the volleyballs at Kamoshida’s face.

“Graaaah!” Kamoshida, too enraged to process Joker’s orders, focused on the loud, attacking two thieves. Skull kept hitting the volleyballs at Kamoshida, while Panther used her whip to drag Kamoshida’s fork and knife away from Skull.

“Joker?” Mona leapt to Joker’s side. He looked up at her.

“Take out the volleyball players.” Joker pulled out her gun and took aim at the first. She loosed a bullet and the first volleyball player disappeared with a squeal.

We are definitely going to have some form of mental trauma. Arsène observed matter-of-factly. There was another sickening yelp as Mona shot another.

Quite a lot of trauma. Arsène corrected.

“Do better you useless slaves! Don’t you pieces of trash know how to fight?!” Kamoshida noticed the steady destruction of his team. Mishima’s cognitive form let out a whimper as Joker’s shaking hand finally shot him.

“They’re not real, Joker!” Mona reminded her as Kamoshida turned his bulbous eyes on them.

“No time, move!” Joker grabbed Mona and darted away from Kamoshida’s attacks.

“Damn thieves! Bring out the next slaves!” Kamoshida’s whip hit the ground as he stopped attacking with the knife and fork.

“Sh-Shiho?” Panther froze in place at the sight of her best friend and the rest of the female volleyball team taking up formation around Kamoshida.

Unlike the male volleyball team who sported bandages and other medical supplies, the female volleyball team members were all dressed in some manner of bikini with an animal motif. Leading the charge was Shiho Suzui, appearing to be dressed in a fuzzy little white bikini with bunny ears. Unlike her hopeless eyes in reality, this Shiho Suzui sported a teasing smile and bedroom eyes. The other female members of the team sported some kind of animal ears, cats and rabbits appearing to be quite common.

“We’re here, King Kamoshida.” Shiho’s voice was sultry and she moved her hips, showing off the little bunny tail on her bikini bottoms. “Please give us orders.”

The other girls all chorused their willingness to obey him and Joker gagged.

“Now there’s a good girl, Suzui.” Kamoshida praised Shiho before glaring at Panther and Joker. “Yeah, all women should obey my orders like this – ain’t that right, sweetheart?” He leered at the cognitive Shiho.

“What’s Shiho doing here?” Panther panicked as Kamoshida reveled in the crowd of minors in skimpy clothing around him.

“Calm down, Panther!” Mona landed by her side. “That’s not the real one!”

“Y-You’re right.” Panther recovered somewhat. “But, this… I can’t…” She wavered.

“Dammit, even Suzui too!” Skull growled at Kamoshida. “You’ve gone too far, you piece of shit!”

“Second verse, same as the first, guys.” Joker ordered.

“Joker… thanks.” Panther summoned Carmen and threw fire at Kamoshida’s eyes while he leered at Shiho. “STOP LOOKING AT HER, YOU PILE OF SHIT!”

“Rah!” Kamoshida grabbed at his eyes. “You stupid… I need a drink!”

“KA-MO-SHI-DA!” The fake Ann cheered as the tongue wrapped around her again.

Skull summoned Captain Kidd and shot another cannonball at Kamoshida while he was drinking. “Stop doin’ that, you perv!”

Ready to get even more mental trauma? Joker summoned Arsène, sending curse magic at the cognitive female volleyball team. Mona followed suit, summoning Zorro whose sword made quick work of the fake athletes. Every suggestive moan that the girls gave as they went down just disgusted Joker more. Kamoshida was sexualizing them AS THEY WERE APPARENTLY DYING? Joker remembered Skull saying something when they first stumbled into the castle: Hate doesn’t even cover how I feel.

Shiho’s cognitive form disappeared with a suggestive moan and Joker let Arsène return to her mask.

“Hmph.” Kamoshida finally noticed the destruction of the female volleyball team. “Even Suzui was useless. Looks like I’ll have to give her some special instruction later… One-on-one!” He laughed.

“Kamoshida, I’ll never forgive you!” Panther yelled at him.

“Sorry, Suzui.” Joker fixed her gloves.

“I swear we’ll beat that bastard’s ass!” Skull promised.

“Damn, useless slaves!” Kamoshida resumed stabbing at the ground. The little chained slave gremlins tried to throw volleyballs to help, but they were nothing like the other cognitive beings.

“We’re not gonna get anywhere with brute force!” Mona observed as the thieves jumped faster and faster out of the way. Kamoshida’s power and speed were better from the renewed drink from the glass, and now the thieves were just trying to stay head again. There was no time for them to attack anymore.

“Do you have a better idea?” Skull yelled back, jumping to avoid the knife.

My lady. We need to regroup. Silky spoke in Joker’s head.

I wish we could! Joker snarled back in her head.

The failed bomb! Arsène spoke up from the back of Joker’s mind. Use it as a distraction and get the thieves into cover!

Shit… Joker blinked for a moment. I’m a genius.

“GET BEHIND ME!” Joker screamed, holding the faulty bomb she made last night.

“Joker! Don’t!” Mona yelped.

“Too late!” Joker cackled and lobbed the crackling bomb towards Kamoshida’s face.

“GRAH!” There was a bright flash and tons of foul-smelling green smoke spewed everywhere. The moment Joker had thrown the bomb, she bolted, grabbing the arms of Skull and Panther and hoping that Mona had the good sense to follow. They stumbled behind a bit of rubble and took cover.

“Joker! What are you doing!?” Mona reprimanded. He kept his voice down, understanding that they were hiding.

“What was that?!” Skull gestured to the blinded Kamoshida incredulously. His voice was barely considered a whisper.

“Just be quiet. I tried making a smoke bomb last night. I screwed it up and made that monstrosity. It doesn’t matter. We need a new plan.” Joker redirected to the task at hand. “We need to get that crown. Any ideas how?”

Mona seemed to shake off his surprise at Joker’s audacity first. “One of us can sneak up and shoot it off his head.”

“Let me do it!” Skull interjected. “I wanna make that bastard pay!”

“No, me! After seeing what he did to me and Shiho, I want to stab him in the eye!” Panther hissed.

“Hiding, you dirty thieves? What happened to that energy earlier? You were so sure that you could take my crown. Giving up like the garbage you are?” Kamoshida taunted.

Joker shook her head, thinking rapidly. “No. Mona does it.” She nodded to herself. “Kamoshida would notice if Panther or I left because we’re girls. He’d know if Skull did it, because he knows Skull and wouldn’t risk having him out of his sight for that long. He doesn’t know Mona in the real world.” She turned to Mona. “Mona, can you do it?”

Mona smirked crookedly. “Leave it to me, Joker.”

“We’ll distract. Come on, guys. It’s showtime.” Joker switched to Arsène and jumped out into view. “EIHA!” Arsène spun on her heel and threw curse magic at Kamoshida.

“THERE YOU ARE!” Kamoshida’s little chained minions threw volleyballs at Joker. She and Arsène covered their faces, moving fast away from the cover.

“AGI!” Panther rose up with Carmen behind her. Fire danced forward, hitting Kamoshida.

“ZIO!” Ryuji and Captain Kidd charged forward, electricity crackling between them.

“RAGH!” Kamoshida covered his face as the elements assaulted him. Joker dared a single sideways glance as Mona scrambled up the pillars.

Immediately, she returned her attention to the boss. Mona needed a good distraction. Joker withdrew her gun and aimed it carefully. She took two shots, pegging Kamoshida in the arms.

“GRAH!” Kamoshida, though unable to heal, seemed to take less damage than before. Was it because he drank from the wine glass? What else did that damn drink do?

“How dare you keep defying me?” Kamoshida growled at the thieves. “Looks like I gotta bring out the big guns!” He hit the ground with the whip. “Slaves! Bring the you-know-what!” At his command, the chained minions dropped their volleyballs and scrambled past the thieves.

I do not like the sound of that. Arsène remarked.

“Time for my killshot from when I was active and rocking it!”

I really do not like the sound of that. Arsène commented.

Joker had felt what that shot had been like in the real world. She did not want to know what being in the Metaverse did to that spike.

“Killshot.” Kamoshida mused to himself. “As in I’ll make the kill!”

“You’re not funny!” Joker retorted, dodging yet another attack from Kamoshida. “That was obvious!” She landed next to Panther.

“What does he mean?” Panther asked. She flicked her whip, hitting Kamoshida’s knife off-balance and away from Skull.

“Something big is coming. Be wary, but do not let up! We keep his attention on us!” Joker summoned Arsène and threw more curse magic at Kamoshida, pulling his attention as she circled around him.

“Over here, ya bastard!” Skull kept fighting, finally able to release all of his pent-up rage at Kamoshida.

Or perhaps he does not quite comprehend the danger that approaches. Arsène observed Captain Kidd shoot Kamoshida with Skull doing the same with his shotgun.

Joker heard jingling and turned around. The chained minions had returned, pushing a trebuchet. She caught sight of a volleyball nestle in the launch mechanism.

“GET DOWN!” Joker’s warning came too late as the trebuchet launched and Kamoshida’s horrible form leapt into the air, smashing the volleyball down with such force Joker went flying backwards.

Before Joker could recover from the shock, Kamoshida’s hand shot forward, grabbing Joker like a doll. “Gotcha!”

“Joker!” Panther and Skull cried.

“HIT HIM!” Joker yelled, struggling in the grip, arms pinned to her sides, unable to get to her weapons or her mask. “FORGET ME! HIT HIM!”

Panther hesitated, but Skull barreled straight forward. “LET GO OF HER!” Electricity crackled between Skull and Captain Kidd as they rammed straight into Kamoshida.

“Irritating pest!” Kamoshida growled after shaking off that attack. Joker resumed her struggle in Kamoshida’s grip, recovering from the electricity that had coursed through Kamoshida’s hand into her.

We do not resist electricity. Arsène groaned from inside Joker’s head. The captain hurts.

“Stupid kids like you need to just stay DOWN!” Kamoshida yelled, throwing a punch at Skull. Skull jumped and ran, dodging the hits.

“AGI!” Panther cast fire again, diverting Kamoshida’s attention. She grabbed her whip and latched around the hand holding Joker. “Let go of her!”

“Want to play, Takamaki?” Kamoshida taunted. One of his other hands grabbed Panther’s whip and dragged her forward. “You’re welcome here.”

“PANTHER, LET GO!” Joker yelled, but it was too late. Kamoshida snatched her up in another hand.

“A pretty trophy to add to my collection.” Kamoshida held Panther up to his face, leering at her. Her arms were pinned to her sides, unable to reach her weapons or mask.

“LET THEM GO!” Skull wacked his bludgeon against Kamoshida’s side, trying to get him to let go of the others. Joker risked another glance up the pillar and saw Mona hanging off the top of the pillar.

GO FASTER, YOU STUPID CAT! Arsène screamed in Joker’s head.

“You stupid beast, Sakamoto!” Kamoshida’s final free hand hit the ground, finally managing to hit Skull. He went down.

Kamoshida picked up Skull. “I will beat you into the ground until you admit defeat, Sakamoto!” His gaze then went to Panther and Joker. “And then I get these two pretty trophies.”

“YOU IDIOT! LIKE HELL I’M PRETTY!” Joker screamed the first thing that came to mind. They needed more time. Mona needed more time.

“YOU THINK I WILL BEND TO YOU, YOU BITCH-ASS PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A TEACHER?!” Joker screamed, forcing Kamoshida to focus both of his huge bulbous eyes on her. Move Mona!

“DO YOU FUCKING KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH WHILE IN JUVIE? WHILE I WAS IN POLICE CUSTODY? YOU THINK YOU CAN FUCKING BREAK ME WHEN THEY DIDN’T?” Joker snarled, glaring at Kamoshida.

“I will break you.” Kamoshida promised, bringing Joker up to his face. His tongue whipped around, touching Joker’s face.

“OH YOU THINK YOU’RE FRIGHTENING? YOU THINK THAT I WON’T BOIL YOUR GODDAMN EYEBALLS AND DRINK THEM LIKE A SMOOTHIE?” Joker ignored the horrified looks from both Skull and Panther and hoped to whatever god or being that was listening that Mona had the sense to ignore her words and do his damn job.

“Now listen up, you little freak bitch, this school exists because I’m around!” Kamoshida recovered from Joker’s startling outbreak. “You’re the only ones who don’t respect me, you know!”

“THERE’S A FUCKING REASON FOR THAT, YOU SPINELESS SACK OF SHIT!” Joker fired back from his grip.

“You’re misunderstanding it all! I haven’t sexually harassed anyone!” Kamoshida tried to defend himself from the angry thief in his hand. “They came on to me because they wanted to get on my good side!”

“LIKE HELL THAT’S TRUE!” Panther roared, her own temper igniting. “I have never once wanted your attention! I never wanted to give you my phone number! AND I KNOW SHIHO NEVER WANTED YOUR ATTENTION, YOU SICK PIECE OF SHIT!”

Kamoshida’s eyes, flicking in two directions at once skimmed the thieves. “Wait, wasn’t there a fourth one of you?” He thought for a moment. “Wait, where’s that cat?”

As if he had been waiting for that exact moment, Mona launched himself, using the power of Zorro’s wind magic, and the Treasure clanged on the ground. In an instant, he dropped all three of the other thieves.

“NOOOOO! My…. Precious….” Kamoshida grasped the air where the Treasure had sat on his head. His entire body sagged, as if he finally felt the injuries that he had been sustaining during the distraction.

“Let’s finish this.” Joker pushed herself up from the place she had fallen. “Mona, a little help?”

“Media.” Mona cast the healing spell, giving the other three some relief.

“Let’s take ‘im down!” Skull pulled out his shotgun and barreled forward. “THIS IS FOR THE TRACK TEAM!” Skull jumped and shot Kamoshida. “THIS IS FOR MY LEG!” He summoned Captain Kidd and rained electricity down.

“GRAH!” Kamoshida, having lost the whip, knife, and fork when he picked up the thieves, tried to cover his face. All he held left was the wine glass.

Panther’s whip snapped around the base of the glass, taking Kamoshida’s attention. “THIS IS FOR EVERY VILE THING YOU SAID TO ME!” She yanked, dragging the wine glass out of his hand and smashing it on the ground. The fake Ann screamed and dissolved into nothingness. “THIS IS FOR EVERY SINGLE LOOK AND TOUCH!” Carmen appeared at Panther’s side, laughing as fire whipped around Kamoshida.

“THIS IS FOR TORTURING ME IN THOSE CELLS!” Mona jumped up and stabbed his cutlass into Kamoshida’s hand. Zorro appeared behind him fanning Carmen’s flames with his wind magic.

Joker pulled out her gun and aimed it at Kamoshida’s head. “This is for plastering my record on the Internet.” She took the shot and Kamoshida’s head and his head snapped back.

“THIS IS FOR SHIHO!” Panther screamed. She snapped her whip around Kamoshida’s neck and dragged him down to the floor. His bulbous eyes fixed on what he believed would’ve been one of his golden trophies as Panther stood. Carmen appeared again behind her. The whip, still wrapped around Kamoshida’s throat, erupted into flames.

“HRAWWWWWWW!” Kamoshida screamed as the flame-covered whip strangled him. Energy swirled around him and he dissolved.

The huge crown rolled forward towards the thieves, shrinking down to a normal size. Skull walked forward about to grab it when Kamoshida launched himself forward, grabbing he crown and bolting away.

Kamoshida stopped before the wall, whipping around like a cornered animal. Only a balcony was in front of him. There was no escape. “Nngh…” He clutched the crown close to his chest.

“What’s wrong? Not running away?” Panther inquired; her hand rested on her whip. “Why don’t you run? Aren’t you a great athlete?”

“It’s always been like this…” Kamoshida muttered. He didn’t turn around, but his voice sounded angry, frustrated. “All those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations on me! I’m doing this all for them! What’s wrong about demanding a reward for that!?”

Joker shook her head as Skull spoke up. “Now you’re makin’ excuses?” He stepped forward threateningly. “We’ll do something about that distorted heart of yours.”

“Nngh.” Kamoshida still didn’t turn around, holding his Treasure like his life depended on it.

“Scared?” Panther asked. “Right now, you’re seeing the exact same view that Shiho did.” She approached Kamoshida, reminding Joker of a large cat toying with a mouse. “I’m sure she was scared too…except she had no choice but to jump.” Kamoshida turned, for once looking at Panther with fear. Panther cocked her head slightly. “What will you do? Will you jump? …Or would you rather die here?”

In an instant, Panther’s mask dissolved as Carmen was summoned behind her. Carmen summoned two balls of flame over her palms. Kamoshida held his crown closer, as if it was some sort of security.

“Do you want to finish him off?” Mona asked, watching Panther.

Joker nodded, tucking her gun into her pocket. “It’s your call.”

“No, please wait!” Kamoshida, now realizing what the thieves were considering, begged. “I beg you… Just forgive meeee!”

“Shut up.” Panther shook her head. “I bet everyone told you the same.” She paused; her hands shook with rage. “But you… you took everything from them!” In an instant, Carmen launched one of her flames, hitting the curtain next to Kamoshida’s head.

Kamoshida fell to his knees. “I accept defeat…” He said quickly. “You want this? Take it.” He held his crown, his Treasure out, with his head bowed low. He tossed it and Joker caught it with ease.

Joker raised an eyebrow at Kamoshida, but said nothing.

“Go ahead and finish me off…” Kamoshida had tears running down his face, but he spoke with grim acceptance. “You do that… and my real self will go down too… You have the right since you’ve won…”

Joker and Skull exchanged glances. He was talking about a total shutdown. Were they really ready to become murderers?

Panther shook with rage and Joker knew what she was going to do a split-second before it happened.

“Ann!” Skull cried as Carmen threw fire at Kamoshida. Joker’s heart skipped a beat. Had Ann just killed him?

The smoke cleared and Kamoshida’s Shadow was still there, kneeling and repentant. Carmen disappeared, reforming as Panther’s mask.

“If his mind shuts down, he can’t admit his crimes.” Panther growled. “The school would want to remember him as something good. No. You don’t get that. You have to confess to everything.”

“You’re kind, Lady Ann.” Mona remarked as Skull and Joker both regained their cool after thinking Panther just murdered Kamoshida.

“I’ve lost.” Kamoshida lamented. “You’re through when you lose… What am I- What am I supposed to do now…?” He despaired.

“Atone for what you have done.” Joker spoke up. She still held the Treasure as she spoke, feeling it pulse, giving life and power to this cognitive world.

“All right…” Kamoshida nodded, a sort of smile coming to his face. “I will leave now and return to my real self.” His body glowed with white light, becoming transparent. “I’ll make certain that I-“ His voice faded with the rest of him.

There was no time for congratulations as the ground rumbled and distant crashing sounded throughout the castle.

“Just so you know, we don’t have time to waste.” Mona remarked, staring at the ceiling and the dust falling from it. “This place is about to collapse.”

Skull gave Mona the most incredulous look before yelling: “RUN!”

Skull took the lead with Joker second, Panther third, and Mona bringing up the rear. The four bolted down the stairs as fast as their legs could carrying them. Around them, the castle crumbled. Stones fell from the ceiling and Joker caught sight of an entire tower just collapsing from a window.

“We’re gonna die! We’re so gonna die!” Panther screamed. Joker was now leading the charge with Panther and Skull right behind her.

On your left! Right! Jump! Arsène coached as Joker tried to keep ahead of the debris. Joker felt a familiar weight on her shoulder as Mona, transformed back into a cat, and meowed loudly.

Joker kept running until she heard a groan and glanced back. Skull was on the ground clutching his leg. She skidded to a stop and turned back.

“Ryuji!” Panther and Joker ditched the codenames for a moment.

Skull held up his hand, a sheepish grin on his face. “Heh… It’s been a while, so I just tripped, is all.”

Joker smiled back as best she could until she saw the hallway collapsing behind them. “RUN!”

In an instant, Skull was back on his feet and the crew resumed their escape. Ahead of them, they could see a light. The portal back to the real world! It had to be! They just had to make it!

Joker cast a glance backwards: Skull and Panther were both on her tail, Mona was on her shoulders, and behind them was a void, the stone and walls crumbling into nothingness.

JUMP! Arsène cried out and Joker leapt up, the world turning white around her.

Chapter Text

The ground came into view and Akira hit the ground, gasping for breath. Morgana jumped off her shoulders, gasping as much as Akira.

“That… sucked…” Ann panted. She was bent over, panting like a dog. Sweat dripped down her face.

Ryuji nodded, panting. He was on the ground, just taking a moment to regain his breath.

Akira glanced at Morgana and then behind her. The school was there, some students were milling around, but it was mostly empty. Luckily, being in the alleyway, no one paid them any mind. Hell, she didn’t think anyone actually saw the thieves’ reentry back to the real world. Good thing too. Akira didn’t have the energy to think of an excuse.

“Look at the nav!” Ryuji held up his phone. Ann and Akira withdrew their phones, staring at the screen.

“The destination has been deleted.” The pleasant voice relayed.

“It’s true.” Ann tapped the screen. “We can’t go there anymore.”

“What about the Treasure?!” Morgana asked urgently.

Akira had not once let go of the crown during the escape and held up her hand. A gold Olympic medal had taken the crown’s place in her hand, complete with a red and white ribbon.

Ryuji stood up. “What the…?”

Ann crossed her arms. “…A medal? Wait, where’d the crown go?”

“What’s goin’ on?” Ryuji turned to Morgana.

“It means, that was the source of Kamoshida’s desires.” Morgana nodded to the shiny medal in his hand. “To him, that medal is worth as much as the crown we saw in the Palace.”

“An Olympic medal…” Ryuji and Ann crowded next to Akira, staring at the thing, rapid emotions overflowing between the three of them.

“So, that perv kept clingin’ to his past glory and couldn’t let it go.” Ryuji concluded disdainfully.

Ann bit her lip. “But… this means that Kamoshida’s heart might have changed, right?”

Morgana hesitated. “…Probably.”

Ryuji rounded on Morgana. “Our expulsion’s on the line here!”

“Please give us something more concrete, Morgana.” Akira tucked the medal back into her pocket.

Morgana shrugged as best he could in his cat form. “This is the first successful example for me too.” He explained apologetically. “However, there’s no doubt that this has affected Kamoshida’s personality quite a lot.” He nodded to the phone in Ryuji’s hands. “The entire Palace disappeared, after all.”

Akira shifted uncomfortably as Ryuji hit the side of the alleyway. “Ugh, I feel all antsy! Ain’t there a way to check now?”

“Ryuji.” Akira gingerly gestured to the panting others. “Even if there was a way we could check, now is not it. Though… I am worried. Like Ryuji said, my and his expulsion is on the line. Mishima’s too.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see Kamoshida’s next move…” Ann remarked gloomily.

Morgana padded forward, turning in a circle. “Come on, why the gloomy faces? Be happy! We completed this with great success, you know.”

Ryuji kicked at the ground. “We just don’t know if everything’s OK yet…”

“I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine.” Morgana tried to sound reassuring. “Remember how Kamoshida’s Shadow said that he’s returning to his self in reality?” He nodded to himself. “Suguru Kamoshida was scum. Still…” he looked back up to the others. “He did seem to regain his conscience somewhat at the end.”

Akira nodded. “Regardless of what happens, we did get a chance to beat the shit out of Kamoshida. If I’m honest, that felt so good.” Both Ann and Ryuji smiled, nodding to themselves.

“And there are definitely those who have been saved thanks to what you’ve done.” Morgana added.

“Yeah.” Ann was back to smiling. She breathed deeply, relishing the memories of kicking Kamoshida’s ass. Of him begging for mercy.

Ryuji stretched his shoulder. “Anyways, I guess we gotta wait.” He shrugged, his shoulders cracking. “It all boils down to what’s gonna happen to Kamoshida… or if we’re gettin’ expelled for real.”

Akira shook her head, exhaustion washing over her. “I don’t know about you folks, but I am bruised, sore, and tired. I think it’s time we went home.”

The rest of the thieves murmured their assessment. All of them had sustained injuries in the Metaverse and probably they were all feeling them now.

“…Yeah, let’s go.” Ann agreed. “I want to nap for the next two years.”

“How is everyone feeling?” Akira asked. She opened her bag for Morgana who jumped in without complaint.

“Like I just did eight marathons.” Ryuji groaned. He stretched his other shoulder. “Ugh… I haven’t been this sore since Kamoshida was coach of the track team.”

“I don’t think I have ever been this sore before.” Ann lagged behind Ryuji and Akira.

“Don’t jostle the bag!” Morgana groaned from his place.

“Alright. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Akira walked off towards the station with Morgana settling in the bag.

Sojiro was doing the dishes when Akira finally came back home. He looked at her, but she didn’t even look at him. She ascended the stairs and just collapsed on the bed, fully clothed. Morgana wiggled out of the bag and lay down next to her.

“Ugh. Everything hurts…” Akira moaned into her pillow.

“I feel the same.” Morgana wiggled underneath a blanket.

Akira picked herself up and began changing into her pajamas. Her phone buzzed and she saw the texts from Ann.

Thanks. I finally got to avenge Shiho because of you guys. I’m pretty sure there was no way I’d have been able to do anything on my own. Ann typed. Her icon was of herself winking. So, seriously, thank you. I owe you so much.

You helped us too. We had other stakes in this. Akira typed back.

You think? I’m glad to hear that. There was a pausing in her texting as she changed topics. Anyway, that cognitive world was pretty crazy, huh? What a mysterious place. I can’t believe we actually stole someone’s heart.

Akira tried to type back a response, but Ann’s new text popped up before she could.

Speaking of mysterious, there’s also the matter of Morgana’s transformation. When we were escaping, didn’t he turn back into a cat even though we were still in the Palace?

Akira looked at Morgana who was now snoozing peacefully on the bed. Ask tomorrow. He’s sleeping rn.

Ok. Ann’s response came promptly. I think I feel a little better after talking to you. Thanks. Her next text took a moment to appear. We still haven’t seen any results, but it feels like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.

Akira smiled. Even if the change of heart didn’t occur, even if she got expelled and arrested again, she was happy she had a chance to get both Ann and Ryuji a time to physically beat the shit out of that abusive bastard. At least she had done something good. She glanced at Morgana. What would happen to Morgana if she was arrested again?

Akira. Arsène spoke reassuringly. We cannot go down this rabbit hole. Not now.

Akira’s phone buzzed again with Ann’s text. I hope you don’t mind talking to me too much.

Why is that a bad thing? Talking to you? Akira texted back.

Ann sent a smiley face emoji. See you tomorrow.

Akira plugged her phone into the wall and set her alarm for tomorrow. She changed into her pajamas and went downstairs to get a drink and use the restroom. Sojiro was in the kitchen cooking and Akira went into the bathroom. She froze when she saw her reflection in the mirror. It had been hidden under her uniform, but now that she was wearing her pajamas, she could see the beginnings of bruises on her arms and neck. She rolled up her pant legs and saw the beginnings of bruises there.

Those are to be expected. Arsène spoke up. Think of the damage you sustained.

These are gross. Akira stared at the bruising outline of Kamoshida’s giant fingers on her arms.

They are. But they are proof of our accomplishment. Arsène remarked approvingly.

Hiding these from Sojiro and the school is going to be fun. Jeez… Akira kept searching herself for more injuries. People are going to think I was in a fight.

We were. Arsène noted.

You know what I mean! For goodness’ sake, you’re in my head! Akira sighed. These are going to hurt in the morning. I wonder about the others. How injured are they?

Probably the same. Arsène deduced. There was the sound of the door’s bell jingling. Sojiro must’ve left for the evening. We must get to sleep though.

Yeah. Akira went back upstairs and got in bed. She nudged Morgana aside. Arsène… we kicked his ass. We stole his heart. Akira whispered giddily staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop the slow spreading of a grin on her face.

A testament to our skill at thievery! Arsène relished the memories of the infiltration. Though wholly untrained, we triumphed it our first ever heist!

Though dead tired, Akira stared at her ceiling in the darkness, smiling like an idiot.

Akira was correct. Everything did hurt in the morning. But she couldn’t stay in bed all day. She needed to check on the others and they needed to see what happened to Kamoshida. Morgana seemed to be moving a little gingerly, but got into the bag with no complaint.

Ryuji was waiting outside Akira’s classroom, leaning against the wall. People walking by either ignored him or gave him a wide berth. Akira approached and gave him a smile.

“Morning.” Akira gave him a smile. She watched him carefully, trying to gauge how injured he was.

Ryuji didn’t even bother with greetings. “Have you seen Kamoshida?” He moved pretty normally, but Akira noticed his slight favoring of his good leg.

“No.” Akira, at Morgana’s behest, had circled the practice building prior to class starting. Kamoshida was not in his office, in the gym, or anywhere she had managed to look in before class.

Ryuji straightened up. “You really think he changed?”

Akira’s shoulders sagged. “I hope so.”

Ryuji’s face fell at the sight of Akira’s insecurity. “Well… yeah.”

“Oh there you are!” Both Ryuji and Akira turned at the sudden voice.

Kawakami hurried over from the classroom. “Study hall will be held instead of PE today. I’m letting you know just in case you haven’t heard. Mr. Kamoshida has taken the day off.”

Akira blinked in surprise. “He ain’t here?” Ryuji asked, echoing Akira’s thoughts.

Kawakami sighed. “Don’t tell anyone that you heard this from me…” She looked down at the floor. “But we received word that Mr. Kamoshida is placing himself under suspension. It’s such an important time before the tournament. Principal Kobayakawa went to talk to him, but he supposedly wasn’t making any sense.”

“Wait… a suspension!?” Ryuji was taken aback.

“Not so loud!” Kawakami hissed. She regained her composure. “The talks about your expulsions may be put on hold too… I don’t know too much about it though.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, I’ve relayed what’s going on to you.” She walked off.

“Huh…” Ryuji turned to Akira. “Looks like something happened. At least it sounds different from a mental shutdown.” There was a pause. “I guess all we can do is wait…”

The bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch.

“Best keep a low profile.” Morgana advised from the bag.

“See you later.” Akira returned to class. Morgana is right. Arsène remarked as Akira sat down. We need to keep a low profile. Be a normal student.

Niijima-senpai will be pleased that we’re behaving. Akira remarked sourly as she settled into her desk, letting Morgana crawl inside from her bag. She glanced up at the boy who sat behind her. He was frozen, watching Akira let a cat crawl into her desk that had been hidden in her bag.

Akira cast him a smile that held tones of vague threats. The boy swallowed and stared at his desk. She settled at her own desk and began the task of living a normal student life.

After school, Akira just sat in her desk for a moment when classes ended. Around her, her classmates stood up and started chatting about what they were doing later.

Arsène?

Yes?

…What do I do now? Akira asked. Like… what do normal students do here?

Uhhh… Arsène hesitated. What did you do prior to awakening me?

Akira blinked. I didn’t! All I have done after school is prepare to go into the Metaverse and then go into the Metaverse!

Morgana poked his head out of the desk, unable to hear Akira’s internal dialogue. “Let’s go see Ann or Ryuji.”

Ryuji had to run errands for his mom and Ann had a thing she had to do. She didn’t seem to want to elaborate. Morgana then suggested a little exploration of the city.

“I’ve never seen any place other than the Metaverse, that bag, school, and Leblanc.” Morgana explained as Akira boarded the train. Now that they were out of the school, he leapt easily out of the bag without any fear or stealth. No one really paid him any attention. Just another day in the city. He did stay down during the train movement because Akira didn’t want to pay the pet fee.

The mall underneath Shibuya offered countless stores for the two to explore. She smelled the flowers at the florist’s and stared at the far too expensive jewelry.

“I wonder if Lady Ann would like these.” Morgana inquired, staring at the diamond earrings.

“Easy, cat. I can’t afford them.” Akira murmured, staring at the price tag. She glanced at the owner, making sure that she didn’t see Morgana.

“What else does this city have? Let’s leave the train station and see what else we can find!” Morgana spoke excitedly. Akira caught the worker’s gaze and immediately knew that the worker had heard a meowing cat. She smiled and left the jewelry store immediately.

Well… now I can never go back there. Akira thought to herself, her face burning with embarrassment.

Agreed, my lady. Silky murmured in her head.

The two wandered down towards the area that Untouchable was. They had visited Untouchable almost religiously during the heist, but the rest of shops around it were basically new to them.

“A bookstore? Maybe you should get something to read.” Morgana noticed.

Akira happily browsed as Morgana just poked his head out of the bag and skimmed the titles. Unlike the jewelry shop worker, the bookshop worker did not mind a cat and was just happy to see a young woman interested in literature. He suggested lots of different titles and Akira ended up buying a book about a gentleman thief.

“It might teach you something about Phantom Thievery!” Morgana noted as Akira tucked the book next to him. “Hey, do you mind if I start reading this?”

“Eh, sure. Don’t bend it. I’m going to keep looking around.” Akira glanced down the alleyway that led to Untouchable. She froze in place the moment she saw a familiar glowing blue door.

Akira glanced behind her. Like in the Metaverse, it didn’t appear than anyone else could see it. She glanced at Morgana in her bag, happily reading. Should she talk to him?

I doubt he can see it. Arsène noted. We best approach. I think Igor and the twins want to see us.

Akira’s body tensed as she approached, mentally preparing for the chains she knew she would soon wear. The moment she approached, Caroline herself jumped off the top of the door that she had been sitting on. Justine was merely waiting by the door.

“Hey, Inmate!” Caroline made it very clear that Akira was who they were waiting for.

“Our master awaits.” Justine gestured to the door that glowed blue and swung open. “Come this way.”

Slowly Akira approached, a part of her wondering how this door was here. The Metaverse was honestly more believable that the door would show up; it was a world of cognition after all.

Akira’s musings engaged her so much so that she didn’t see Caroline roll her eyes and walk around behind her. Abruptly, Caroline, with far more power than should be in her tiny child body, kicked Akira and she went flying into the blue door.

Akira slammed face-first against the cell door, reeling from the transition.

“Was that necessary, Caroline?” She asked, rubbing her sore face. Somehow, the twins were back in their places on either side of the cell door.

“Quiet, inmate!” Caroline snapped.

Akira returned her attention to Igor, residing in the chair as usual. The chains were heavy and inhibiting movement, but Akira did her best to appear nonchalant. “Hello, Igor.”

“So you’ve come.” Igor raised an eyebrow at her. “How does it feel slipping into the unusual from your usual life?”

“Kinda jarring.” Akira answered honestly. “What’s up?”

“Our master has arranged an access point to assist you in coming here directly from the real world.” Justine explained, turning to Akira.

“That door you just went through is it! Be thankful, Inmate!” Caroline barked.

“Will I have to be kicked through every time or can I just walk in?” Akira inquired, a slight smile towards Caroline.

Caroline’s mouth opened to berate Akira, but Igor cut in. “This too shall aid in your rehabilitation. Make good use of it.”

Akira snorted. “Now I can badger you three with my questions at my leisure.”

“It is a gift bestowed by our master!” Caroline repeated haughtily. “Our master is under no obligation to answer your questions, Inmate!”

“Nor are we.” Justine added.

“Then perhaps you can answer this: I just did what I set out to do. Doesn’t that mean my rehabilitation is done? I’ve been a thief.” Akira asked.

“Insolent inmate!” Caroline wacked her baton against the bars. “Your rehabilitation is done when our master says it is done! Understand?”

Akira sighed and crossed her arms, chains jangling. “Yes, Warden.” She glanced over her shoulder to share with Morgana a look of irritation and then froze, realizing she was dressed in her prison clothes. “Wait, where’s my cat?”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Justine’s interest was piqued.

“I had a bag on my shoulder before I came here and inside it was a cat.” Akira glanced between the three inhabitants. “What happened to my cat?”

“Your cat is currently in the real world. Everything that you carry is in the real world.” Igor explained.

Akira had a vivid image of all her clothes and bag just lying in a pile in the alleyway. “I’m sorry… what exactly am I wearing then? Are my clothes, bag, cat, and everything in my pockets just sitting in a pile in the real world?”

“Your experience in the Velvet Room is almost instantaneous in the real world.” Caroline explained impatiently. Her foot tapped rapidly in the ground and she crossed her arms.

“To everyone else, you are just standing in the corner of that alleyway. Your cat will not even know what happened.” Justine explained further.

“As for what you are wearing, that is a product of the Velvet Room.” Igor gestured around the room. “The room mimics the space in your heart.”

Akira’s shoulders fell as she stared around the room. “My heart?” She repeated. She stared at the chains on her wrists, pulling at them slightly. “Well… that was not what I wanted to hear.”

“If you do not want the answer, do not ask the question, Inmate.” Justine sniffed, turning back to face Igor.

Akira turned around, facing the back of her cell. “I wish to leave. May I?”

“We’ll meet again. Until then, we will be here.” Igor intoned creepily as the back of the cell glowed brightly.

Akira stepped back into the real world: no chains, no prison clothes; only her normal school uniform. She glanced over her shoulder at Morgana who was still reading the book, only having just started. She glanced at her watch. Not even a minute had passed.

Arsène? Silky? Pixie? Agathion? Kelpie? Can anyone explain? Akira polled the Personas in her head.

Time flows differently there, my lady. Silky explained.

So every time we pass through the rest of the world just sees you standing in the alley for a moment! Pixie added cheerfully.

Like a weirdo! Hee hoo! Agathion giggled in her head.

Very strange. Kelpie agreed rather seriously.

Thanks, guys. Akira grumbled to them in her mind. She turned away from the shopping street and headed back to the train.

“We’re heading back?” Morgana asked.

“Yeah.” Akira rubbed her wrists, remembering the sensation of the chains. “I think I want to be in bed right now.”

Morgana shrugged and went back to reading as Akira took the train back, trying to rid herself of the sensation of chains. It didn’t matter how many times she went to the damn room; she hated the chains. Supposedly it mirrored her own soul. Did she feel imprisoned? Yeah, basically. Even with the contract with Arsène and everything that came after it, she still did feel trapped.

Akira walked into Leblanc, far earlier than any other evening, still feeling the sensation of chains on her wrists.

Sojiro stared up at her. “You’re earlier than usual.”

Akira shrugged. “None of my friends were free.” Knowing that she needed a distraction, she settled at the bar and gently put her bag on the ground. “How was your day?”

“You want to talk?” Sojiro asked in surprise. “You’re being unusually well-behaved.”

Akira smiled sheepishly at him. “Is that a bad thing?”

Sojiro shook his head. “No, it’s not bad. I did have a few questions for you though.”

Akira immediately wondered if she made the right choice in talking to Sojiro. Her first instinct was to make a quip, but she suppressed it and donned a politely interested expression.

“I will try to answer as best I can.” Akira twisted a strand of her hair slightly nervously.

Sojiro cast her a perplexed glance. ”I’ll clean up. Just wait there.”

Sojiro put all the dishes away and stood behind the counter, opposite Akira. “So, how’s school?” He asked. “You’re not causing any trouble, are you?”

Akira suppressed a snort as tension eased out of her shoulders. “No, sir. I am staying out of trouble.” All he wanted to know was normal stuff.

Sojiro nodded. “Good.” His expression grew stern and unfeeling. “I’ve gotta report to your probation officer twice a month. It’s already a pain in the ass as is, so please don’t make me have to write even more crap.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Got that? This society is kept in check by laws and authority figures. You can go and get yourself killed if you want, but don’t go dragging other people into your mess. The last thing we need is more idiots like you roaming around.”

Akira’s expression closed and she stared at the counter. Don’t react. Don’t quip. Don’t snap. She regretted sitting down and talking to Sojiro right now. She regretted it so much. Blissfully, Sojiro’s phone went off and he immediately answered it.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Sojiro spoke softly and so nicely to the person over the phone. “Yeah, I’m heading out now. Sorry about that.” There was a pause and Sojiro’s expression softened. “…I know. The usual, right? OK. I’ll see you later.”

Sojiro snapped the phone shut and tucked it back in his pocket. “As you can see, I’m pretty damn busy both at work and in my private life. If you could lend a hand, it’d really be a great help.”

Akira blinked. As soon as she thought she hated Sojiro and she was convinced that Sojiro had no empathy, she heard him talk to whoever was on the line. There was more here and honestly Akira was just super curious. Maybe getting on his good side would help her?

“I’d be glad to.” Akira gave an easy smile. Best start with a positive attitude.

“Now we’re talking.” Sojiro gave a genuine smile. “Either way, I won’t ask you to work for free. If you agree to help me, then…” He hesitated. “I’ll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not a bad trade, eh?”

Akira snorted. “Alright.” She held out her hand jokingly. “I’ll shake on that.”

Sojiro raised an eyebrow at her and took her hand. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a deal.”

Akira shook in the cold chair, drugs in her body, recalling Boss, recalling the man Sojiro Sakura. The countless cups of coffee they shared as they talked. The breakfasts that they shared. His heart of gold hidden underneath the hard exterior. The man who despite what everyone said about her, had basically become her father. She couldn’t remember the specifics, but, god, she knew deep down that he was deserving of the title of “Father”. But… Why? What had he done to get that…? Akira’s head hurt so much.

Sae notice the rush of emotions on Akira’s face and took the opportunity to question her more specifically.

“You may call yourself a “phantom thief”, but you’re still a minor. Someone had to support you.” Sae’s face swam in and out of focus to Akira. “Furthermore, they did so knowing you were part of that group.” Sae watched as Akira’s gaze fell to the table between them. “Isn’t that owner of that café an accomplice of yours!?” She accused.

Akira, while still staring at the silver table, spoke the poem again. “I am thou, thou art I…” She finished the poem, this time replacing the word with “Hierophant”.

“Sae-san, the Hierophant supported me.” Akira nodded firmly, staring at Sae. “The Hierophant.”

Even in Akira’s drug-addled state, it was clear Sae wanted to question her about the poem, but her time was limited. She let the bizarre nicknames and strange poem go again.

Akira froze when she heard the voice in her head, squashing her rapid thoughts and keeping a smile on her lips.

“I’ll be counting on your help. See you later.” Sojiro folded his apron and headed out.

Did I just make a deal with Sojiro? Akira tapped her arm, thinking. Does that mean he too was robbed of his place to belong?

That was what Igor said. Arsène noted.

Perhaps Sojiro Sakura is more than he seems. Silky offered.

Akira shrugged. “Morgana, come on out, Boss left.”

Morgana wiggled out of the bag and glanced at the clock. “Your phone buzzed while you were talking to the chief.”

Akira picked up her phone and saw the group chat was active.

I went to see Shiho today. Ann’s text explained the mysterious thing she had to do. And I told her we settled things with Kamoshida. She still hasn’t regained consciousness… but I had to go make amends.

Akira blinked, recalling Ann’s speech to Kamoshida’s shadow. “But I’m even more of a dumbass for not realizing that!” She had said about not helping Shiho.

Ryuji beat Akira to reassuring Ann. Whaddya mean? You didn’t do anything wrong, Ann. Right, Akira?

It’s not your fault, Ann. The fault lies with Kamoshida. Akira texted as Morgana hopped up onto the counter, reading over her shoulder.

But I wasn’t there when she needed help. I’m a failure as a friend. Ann’s response came back slightly delayed. I have to do all I can to make up for that, starting now. Otherwise I don’t I’ll be able to move on.

Does saving our butts in the Metaverse count towards this? Akira’s text inquired.

Man, I didn’t think you were so passionate. Ryuji noted. I totally didn’t notice that back in middle school.

I think it’s because of you guys. I’m a little embarrassed though. Ann’s text made Morgana give a little happy wiggle that Akira decided not to point out to her roommate. Anyway, Ryuji, Akira… I hope we can keep helping each other out from now on too. Morgana too, if he’s reading this.

“Lady Ann made special note of me!” Morgana puffed his chest out proudly. “We need to make sure we live up to her expectations.”

“Of course.” Akira gave him a smile as she tucked her phone away.

“If we are going to live up to Lady Ann’s expectations, you should sleep soon.”

“I got homework, Morgana.” Akira picked up the bag and ascended the stairs with Morgana weaving between her feet.

“You need sleep, Akira!”

“I need to do homework, Morgana.”

Chapter Text

Pretending to be a normal student meant hanging out with friends, Akira learned. Or working part time jobs.

Every single day, Akira checked to see what happened to Kamoshida and every day she learned he was still under self-suspension. So, now she had to get a hobby …or a job.

Akira considered for only a moment on joining a club when she caught sight of a poster on the bulletin board at school. Then three students immediately left and she remembered every single student was terrified of her. A job then.

“Hey, Akira.” Ryuji came up behind her. He stared at the posters on the bulletin board. “You free?”

“Yeah, Want to hang out?” Ryuji asked. “I need a training partner.”

“Hm?”

“Just get changed into your P.E. uniform and meet me in the courtyard in five. We can hang out.” Ryuji wandered off.

Akira shrugged and did as she was told, meeting Ryuji in the courtyard. He too had changed and was wearing his P.E. uniform. The other students had mostly gone home, but Akira had seen a few athletes around as well as the student council. She gave Niijima-senpai a smile, but she merely ignored Akira and went to the library.

Ryuji stretched and smiled easily. “Man, this place brings back memories.” He rubbed his head sheepishly. “This is my secret trainin’ spot. Er… was.” He corrected. “Back when I was on the track team.”

Akira twisted around. “It seems like it would be a good place to train. Are we training today? Why?”

Ryuji shifted uncomfortably. “Actually, I’ve been thinkin’ about tryin’ to run again.” He lowered his voice. “Fightin’ in that other world was a total shock. You saw me fall in the escape. I couldn’t move like I used to. It just felt… lame. So I started thinkin’, maybe I need to build up my muscles again.” His smile returned. “Anything’s gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Plus, maybe then I’ll be able to help out a little more.”

Akira crossed her arms, looking mockingly haughty. “I have quite high expectations.”

Ryuji laughed. “I’m totally gonna wreck your expectations!” He said proudly and then backtracked. “I mean that in a good way!”

Akira tried to suppress her laughter.

Ryuji crossed his arms. “Anyways, you act like it’s only me who’s gonna be doin’ this, but you’re gettin’ in on it too.”

Akira’s laughter died and she looked a little sheepish. “Perhaps I should’ve suspected that.”

“Whoa, don’t look so surprised! Why’d you think I had you go and change into that?” Ryuji asked as Akira shrugged. “It’d be pointless if I was the only one gettin’ super fast, right?”

“Should we get Morgana and Ann then?” Akira inquired.

Ryuji shook his head. “Ann’s got work today and I have zero ideas on how to get Morgana proper exercise. All right, I’m gonna do some knee lift sprints. You’re stuck with the normal ones!”

“Ok. Let’s go!”

Ryuji, despite being out of shape, was fast. He was also certainly devoted to his craft. Though Akira was an athlete (and missing the ice, if she was honest), she had difficulty keeping up. Ryuji was definitely trying to help her get the most out of her workout. He coached as well as ran.

The two jogged back to the courtyard both groaning.

“Maybe we should do this after the bruises all heal.” Akira’s muscles were now as sore as her skin.

“Nah, man. The bruises don’t hurt as long as you don’t hit ‘em. Training helps with blood flow.” Ryuji panted. “Damn, my legs’re all tight.” He panted for a moment before turning back to Akira.

Akira stretched her shoulders out, trying to release tension. She caught Ryuji’s serious expression. “What’s up?”

Ryuji blinked once. “You… don’t know much about the track team and what happened to it, do you?”

Akira shook her head. “All I know is what I heard from you and the shadow.”

Ryuji nodded slowly. “Before Kamoshida came along, the track team was the biggest thing this school had goin’ for it. But it all changed after he got our coach fired and took over as the sub.” Ryuji’s face twisted with hate. “That bastard… Right from the very start he was tryin’ to get rid of us. He’d give us crazy workouts, then when we couldn’t do ‘em, he’d add even more on top of that. Day after day was nothing but that bullshit.” His expression fell. “He was goin’ after me especially. He knew…” Ryuji shook his head. “He knew I was the kinda guy who’d fight back.”

“Ryuji… you don’t…” Akira began but Ryuji plowed forward.

“If my time dropped even a little he’d cuss me out. Then on top of that, he brought up my parents.” Ryuji trailed off, leg vibrating.

Akira didn’t need to be a genius to know Ryuji was getting uncomfortable. “Then you punched him?” She offered.

Ryuji’s leg stilled and he sighed. “Truth is, my mom’s the only one I got. All my dad did when he was still around was drink. Sometimes he’d even beat me, or my mom.”

“Ryuji…”

“I dunno how that bastard Kamoshida found out, but he told the whole goddamn team.” Ryuji paused for a moment and then met Akira’s eyes. “And as you can guess, I lost it and hit him.” He crossed his arms. “It was like he wanted me to do it though. He called it an “act of violence”, and shut the team down. Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like some kinda traitor.” He shrugged. “And they ain’t wrong. ‘Cause of me, they all lost their shot at the championship.” He trailed off, deep in thought.

Akira waited for a moment before speaking. “Do you want to go back?” She was genuinely curious.

“To the track team? Nah.” Ryuji didn’t even hesitate. “How could I after that?” Akira nodded and bit her lip, thinking. “C’mon, don’t ask me tough questions like that. I’m not very smart, y’know.”

Akira punched him on his shoulder.

“Wha? Hey!” Ryuji protested holding his aching shoulder. “What was that for?”

“Don’t call yourself stupid, Ryuji.” Akira massaged her hand. She had certainly hit harder than she meant to. “You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for.”

Ryuji cleared his throat and stared at the ground. “Uh… sorry?”

Akira sighed. “I think I should be the one apologizing for hitting you.”

“Jeez, Akira. You hit hard.” Ryuji rubbed his shoulder again. “Anyway, what happened doesn’t matter now. Not with the track team anyway. That’s all in the past!” He regained some of his previous momentum. “I’m only thinkin’ about the future now! That’s what we’re gonna do – build the future!”

What about the expulsion stuff? Pixie interjected unhelpfully. That’s kinda important.

Ryuji noticing Akira’s discomfort, spoke up. “We gotta think positive thoughts, Akira!” He held up a hand and high fived Akira, his easy smile back on his face. “Come on, we’re warmed up. Let’s go for another run!”

Ryuji was off before Akira could respond. She suppressed a laugh when the strange voice spoke in her head: The power of the Chariot grows stronger within you.

Akira returned to the café ready for a bath at the nearby bathhouse. She was sticky and gross from running and pleasantly tired. Morgana slept contentedly on her bed while Akira went to the bathhouse.

God, this feels good. Arsène remarked. The rest of the personas mumbled their agreements.

Akira sighed. She could never really forget about the strangeness her life had become now that she had multiple voices in her head. Hell, the talking cat didn’t help either.

You forged the contract with me as well as the others. Arsène reminded Akira. Life will change after that.

Ain’t that the truth. Akira glanced at the other women in the bathhouse, none were paying attention to her and none of them were aware she was talking to multiple voices in her head. They didn’t have an otherworldly man and twin wardens bothering them. How quaint.

What does Igor mean by “ruin”? Akira changed her thinking. No use in lamenting what once was. Besides, she didn’t regret the contract at all.

Dunno. Pixie chirped.

He is, unfortunately, not very clear, my lady. Silky admitted.

I doubt we will get many answers. Arsène commented.

Ugh…. Yeah… Akira grumbled. Because apparently asking questions is “insolent”.

Akira sunk deeper into the water. She recalled her conversation with Ryuji from earlier. She somehow just hated Kamoshida more knowing what he did to Ryuji. How much had Ryuji changed because of that one shitty adult? Akira wondered.

The next day was like the one before. School happened. Classes happened. People avoided Akira. Rumors flew about Kamoshida, but he still wasn’t at school. No one knew anything about his strange behavior.

Ann twisted around in her seat and put her elbow on Akira’s desk the moment class was dismissed. “Are you free today? I want to talk to you.”

Akira pushed her messy hair back. “Aren’t you working today?”

“Nope. I worked extra yesterday, so I get today off. Come on, I know a great restaurant where we chat.” Ann stood up and grabbed her bag. Akira let Morgana crawl into her bag and gave the student that sat behind her a smirk. He looked down, determined to ignore her.

Ann’s restaurant was a little coffee shop in Shibuya. Akira gently put her bag down and ordered a cup of coffee for herself and some cream for Morgana. Ann ordered her own cup of coffee and one of the cutesy little cakes.

“Here, Morgana. Don’t spill it.” Akira carefully put the cream in the bag.

“Thanks!” Morgana mumbled.

“I heard that the cakes here are amazing.” Ann gestured to the cutesy little cake she bought. She held out a fork to Akira. “We each get a bite and then you tell me what you think.”

Akira snorted and took a fork. “Yes, ma’am.”

Ann pouted at Akira for a moment before taking a bite of cake. Her eyes shut and a faint smile appeared on her lips. Akira took a bite and rolled the cake over in her mouth.

“Oh, I like this cake.” Akira noted.

“Cake!” Morgana spoke up from the bag. Akira cut a bit of cake off on a napkin and passed it to Morgana.

“The cake itself is moist and sweet, but the frosting provides no counter to the cake’s sweetness. It is sweet by itself and overwhelms the cake’s tastes.” Ann spoke critically.

Akira blinked. “I was right. You are a foodie.”

Ann snorted. “Alright, your turn: What do you think?”

Akira took another bit of cake and passed it to Morgana before speaking. “How can I follow up something like that?”

“Akira.” Ann pouted at her.

Akira took another bite of cake. “Oversweet. A blander frosting would be better.” She said simply as Ann raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, come on, this is the first time I’ve done this, Ann.”

“Well, we’re going to get you more experience right now. How much cash you got?”

“Uh…” Akira reached into her bag around Morgana and Morgana just said:

“You have about 6000 yen.”

Akira turned back to Ann. “6000 yen.”

“Do you need it for anything else?” Ann asked.

Akira looked down at Morgana. “No.”

“No.” She relayed unnecessarily.

Ann snorted at Morgana and Akira’s interactions and then nodded. “Ok, we can get two more of the cakes.”

The next two cakes were chocolate and red velvet, both of which, Ann selected.

“Ok, try these and tell me what you think.” Ann gestured to the cakes.

Akira cut a bite for herself and some for Morgana, checking for anyone noticing she was slipping for in her bag. The first cake, the chocolate one, was moist, but the chocolate flavor was bland, and the frosting had no chocolate flavor.

“You’re getting better!” Ann congratulated Akira.

“It’s too sweet in the frosting!” Morgana piped up from the bag, trying to impress Ann.

Akira tried to pretend that a cat had not just yowled out of her bag and tried to play dumb as the other patrons all looked around in confusion. “Morgana…” She hissed. “Don’t talk!”

The bag shuffled slightly and stilled. Akira discreetly looked around as the rest of the patrons slowly went back to what they are doing. Akira slipped Morgana more cake. He swiped at her hand irritably, but ate the cake.

Akira took the red velvet cake and tasted it delicately as Ann took the rest of the chocolate cake.

“I agree.” Ann noted after tasting the cake. “Not a lot of chocolate flavor.”

“The red velvet is the clear winner.” Akira noted. “Consistent flavor across the cake and the frosting compliments it well.”

Ann tasted the red velvet and her expression fell.

“What?” Akira asked. “Is it not good?”

“No.” Ann shook her head. “It’s excellent. I just… it’s….” She sighed. “Red velvet is Shiho’s favorite.”

Akira stared at the cake and tried to form the words. “Have you visited her?”

“Any time I could.” Ann glanced up at Akira and gestured around at the restaurant. “This was my and Shiho’s favorite place.” There was silence and Akira tried to think of what to say.

“She’ll wake up soon.” Ann stated firmly. “And I’ll take her back here as soon as she is well.”

“Yes. She will and you will.” Akira affirmed.

Ann stared at Akira for a moment, a guilty expression on her face. “Listen, I didn’t just bring you here to talk about the cakes or Shiho. I wanted to talk about what happened.”

Akira took a sip of her coffee. “What do you mean?”

Ann shifted slightly. “What did you mean? When you were shouting at Kamoshida?”

Akira immediately recalled the entire adrenaline-infused screaming speech at the Shadow version of Kamoshida. “Oh. Well…” She trailed off, face turning red in embarrassment.

“It’s a self defense thing.” Akira explained. “I learned that if a man starts to be creepy like that, you have to intimidate them or unnerve them so they back off. That’s why I said the whole drink-his-eyeballs-thing.”

“Akira, that’s not what I meant.” Ann swallowed uncomfortably as Akira recalled what else she yelled at Kamoshida. “The thing you said about juvenile detention.”

Oh crap. Akira froze for a moment, unable to form a response.

“Akira?” Ann asked again.

We should probably answer her. Pixie interjected.

Akira nodded to herself. “Yes, well, I said that Kamoshida wasn’t going to break me after what happened to me in Juvenile Detention.” Ann waited for Akira to keep going.

Akira looked at the table. “Well, when you are arrested…well, it was verbal abuse, mostly. Sometimes physical. Nothing sexual.”

“Akira…” Ann started to speak, but Akira shook her head and kept going.

“It’s done.” Akira plastered on a smile. “Let’s not talk about it.”

“That’s seriously unfair.”

Akira shrugged. “Yep, but I am not there anymore. I am here.” She sipped her coffee. “Can we change the subject?”

“Uh, yeah.” Ann’s expression was troubled and she chewed on her lip.

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” Akira forcibly directed the conversation elsewhere. Something normal. Something safe.

You cannot bury this forever. Arsène interjected unhelpfully as Akira and Ann slowly shifted into other, different topics.

I can try. Akira retorted silently.

“I was thinking about Shiho.” Ann admitted. “About how to talk to her when she wakes up. About how I want to…” She trailed off, trying to articulate what she was thinking.

Akira waited. She glanced down at Morgana who seemed to have nodded off after drinking the cream.

“…I want to- I need to apologize to her.” Ann stated. “But I don’t know if I’m… strong enough to do that.” Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the table.

Akira hesitated, unsure of how to comfort Ann. “Ann, you could…”

“I want to get stronger.” Ann finally met Akira’s eyes. “Strong enough to tell Shiho. Strong enough to never be stuck like I was before, when I just had to choke down everything. But… I don’t know how.” She admitted softly before returning her focus to Akira. “Akira, can you help me? I’m going to figure this out, but it would help to talk to someone.”

“Of course, Ann.” Akira smiled.

Ann’s expression calmed and she smiled. “Thanks, Akira. You’re a good friend.”

Akira smiled as a familiar voice rang through her mind. The power of the Lovers grows stronger within you. A rush of power seemed to accompany the words and the Lovers Personas seemed to bask in the power.

Ann nodded to herself. “I have to do some more thinking on what I mean. We should get going. The trains are going to get crowded if we don’t.”

Akira picked up her bag, gently checking on Morgana. “Walk to the station together?”

“Of course!” Ann agreed cheerily.

Chapter Text

Ann’s work and her frequent visit’s to Shiho kept her from hanging out again. Ryuji was likewise busy, doing whatever it was he did. Akira went with Morgana’s advice and started one of her jobs and earned some extra money. In the evenings, Sojiro kept his promise and taught Akira how to make coffee and run the store. Akira was glad for the work. It kept her mind off the impending expulsion.

Slowly the ultimatum date came closer and closer. Akira, Ryuji, and Mishima were all in states of panic. Mishima was, if possible, even more dejected than he had been previously. Ryuji was twitchy beyond belief and completely unable to focus. Akira, outwardly, appeared completely calm, uninterested, and dealing with it fine. Internally, every single persona in Akira’s head was screaming at once.

Arsène attempted to rein in the others. We have done all that we can. Please, let’s try to keep calm.

Pixie and Silky were both listing all of the reasons this could go wrong. Agathion and Kelpie were just screaming.

“My head is a cacophony of paranoia and anxiety, Morgana.” Akira said on the train ride to school on May 2^nd.

Morgana poked his head out of the bag. “No matter what happens, we’ll figure it out, Akira.”

Akira exhaled slowly and tried to calm her personas. SHUT UP, YOU PACK OF FREAKS! I CAN’T THINK!

The personas quieted as Akira compartmentalized her anxiety as best she could. She couldn’t stop the mumblings from Silky and Pixie, but at least Agathion and Kelpie weren’t screaming.

The walk to school was uneventful, so Akira took advantage of listening to the other students’ talk. The gossip was still focused on the calling card and Kamoshida’s subsequent disappearance from school. Some people insisted it was only a prank, but they had no answer for Kamoshida taking a leave of absence almost immediately after.

“Well, whatever. I heard we have to go to an emergency morning assembly.” Another student pointed out.

“What for?”

“I don’t know. I bet it’s about that girl who jumped.”

“Really? It’s been a month! Why do we have to deal with that now?”

“I know. I wanted the day off. We get the whole rest of the week off.”

Akira’s anxiety gave way to anger as one of the students started complaining about the assembly.

Assholes. Akira grumbled.

Have some class! Silky reprimanded the students.

Utterly disgusting whelps. Arsène’s posh attitude shined through when Akira was more vulgar.

The students were ushered into the gymnasium and Akira recalled the temple it had been in Kamoshida’s Palace. Picking both Ann and Ryuji out of the crowd was easy, but Akira stood far away from both of them. She stayed near the edge of the crowd of students, scaring a few first-years with her scowl. Morgana was in her bag, so she wanted as few people as possible to see into her bag. Plus she didn’t want to deal with the fact that no one wanted to be near her.

The Vanilla Pudding stepped out in front of the pedestal on the stage and started speaking. “Let’s begin this school-wide morning assembly. As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers.” He gestured grandly to the other students. “Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and-“

The Vanilla Pudding’s speech was cut off as the gym doors slammed open. Kamoshida, looking like absolute shit, stood in the entranceway. His shirt was wrinkled and unwashed. His hair was lank and dirty. Above all, his face, usually cocky and smug, was twisted with guilt and covered in tears.

“Mr. Kamoshida, what’s the-“ The Vanilla Pudding begin.

“I…” Kamoshida interrupted. “I have been reborn… That is why I will confess everything to you all…”

The room was silent in shock as Kamoshida ascended the steps up to the stage and turned to the crowd of students. Morgana shoved his face out of the bag to see.

Kamoshida lifted his head and addressed the crowd. “I have repeatedly done things that were… unbecoming of a teacher.” He began. “Verbally abusing students… physically abusing my team, and… sexually harassing female students. I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!” He cried out to the entire school. He collapsed to his knees, fresh tears running down his face.

He… He… did it. He… confessed to everything. Akira blinked in surprise. It… actually worked.

So it… did. Arsène sounded just as incredulous as Akira.

Kamoshida sobbed on his knees and kept talking, kept confessing. “I thought of this school as my own castle… There were even students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn’t like them… I will, of course, rescind those…”

Akira’s breath caught in her throat. She risked a glance towards Ryuji who was likewise shocked.

“I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts…” Kamoshida sobbed. “I am an arrogant, shallow… and shameful person. No, I’m worse than that.” He bowed low to the student body. “I will take responsibility and kill myself for it!”

Akira froze for a moment. Should we stop that?

Whispers and murmurs broke out amongst the students. Kamoshida confessing to sexual harassment? To abuse? He was gonna kill himself? What was going on?

The Vanilla Pudding was slowly realizing that this was a problematic situation for him and the school. He ran forward, next to the sobbing Kamoshida. “Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!”

“I-“ Kamoshida was about to get off the stage.

“DON’T RUN, YOU BASTARD!” Ann’s voice broke clear through the crowd and all eyes were on her. Pure unbridled rage was written across her face. “Shiho’s still alive even after all the things that made her want to die!” She stepped forward as the crowd parted for her. “You have no right to run from this!”

Kamoshida stared at her through tearstained eyes. “You’re …right. You’re absolutely right…” He rose up from his bow, but his head was still bowed. “I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes…” He finally glanced at Ann.

“I… did horrible things to Takamaki-san, as well.” Kamoshida admitted. He took a breath and kept going. “In return for giving Suzui-san a position on the team… I tried to force her into having relations.”

Even more whispers broke out and several people looked absolutely panic-stricken.

“I destroyed the track team specifically because it was taking funding away from the volleyball team. I abused that team, trying to force them to quit, but when that did work, I baited Sakamoto-san into fighting me. I broke his leg and got him labeled a troublemaker.”

“Because of you, I got called the Track Traitor!” Ryuji glared at him. “I can’t run anymore because of you!”

“I routinely abused Mishima-san and forced him to plaster Kurusu-san’s record all over the Internet because I thought she was a boy.” The other students glanced at Akira who crossed her arms and glared at him. Mishima looked completely dumbstruck, the bruises and bandages clear on his face and arms.

“I used physical punishment any time anyone on the team didn’t do as well as I wanted. I hit them when I was in a bad mood.” Kamoshida tearfully recounted every single on of his sins. Naming every single one of his victims. He glanced up at Ann again and then looked back down at the ground.

“When Takamaki-san refused me, I forced Suzui-san into having relations.” Kamoshida confessed finally. “She tried to commit suicide because of me!”

“And because of you, everyone is in this goddamn school called me Kamoshida’s bitch.” Ann stared at him without pity.

“As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in.” Kamoshida turned to the dumbstruck teachers at the edge of the gymnasium. “Someone, please call the police!”

“This morning’s assembly is over!” A teacher tried to instill some order. “Return to your classes immediately!”

The students didn’t move, and talking broke out.

“Isn’t this just like what that calling card said…?” A concerned student asked her friend.

“Does this mean the Phantom Thieves thing was for real!?”

“Was something done to Kamoshida!?”

“C’mon, there’s no way you could steal someone’s heart!”

“But why else would he start saying things like he’ll kill himself or turn himself in?”

“Maybe because it almost got leaked? Don’t they go easier on you if you turn yourself in?”

Akira, taking advantage of the confusion, picked up her bag and maneuvered next to Ryuji. He was listening to the words around him; still surprised at the speech Kamoshida had just given.

“Return to your classrooms at once!” The teacher still tried to retain some semblance of order and control.

Slowly, Kamoshida was ushered away by the Vanilla Pudding and a few other administrators. The teachers managed to get most of the students out once Kamoshida was gone. Ann didn’t move from her place in the gym. She stared at the stage where Kamoshida confessed. Ryuji and Akira approached, saying nothing and just waiting with her as the gym emptied.

“His heart really did change…” Ann noted once the gym was empty.

“Seems like it.” Ryuji shrugged. “But, was this really for the best?”

“If we didn’t do it, he would still be abusing students both physically and sexually.” Akira reminded him. “We did good.”

Ryuji nodded. “Yeah. It’s gotta be.” He shrugged. “But things’re happenin’ way too fast.”

Before Akira could respond, the gym doors opened and three people walked in. They ignored Akira and Ryuji and approached Ann.

Mishima bowed low before Ann. “Takamaki-san, I’m sorry!”

“Huh?” Ann turned in surprise.

“We all knew… but we pretended we didn’t.” Mishima admitted.

The two girls with Mishima stepped forward. “Takamaki-san, I had you all wrong… I’m sorry that I spread rumors about you!”

“I didn’t know at all…” The other student shifted uncomfortably. “Kamoshida was forcefully pushing himself on you… It must’ve been so hard for you! I’m sure there’s a ton of people who want to apologize to you.” She bowed low like Mishima. “We’re so sorry!”

“No, it’s ok.” Ann shook her head. “The same goes for me too. Besides, that’s all in the past now.”

A teacher approached the group angrily. “Hey, you there! Return to class at once!”

“W-well, see you around!” One of the girls said shakily. She and her friend walked off, while Akira, Ryuji, and Ann followed the teacher out of the gym. Mishima fell into step with Akira.

“I can’t apologize enough for what I did to you.” Mishima was quiet, so only Akira could hear. “I swear I’ll make it up to you someday.”

“Mishima…” Akira’s voice was quiet.

Any words that Akira could’ve said was cut off as the teacher marched them to Kawakami’s class.

Akira, Morgana, and Ryuji met up on the roof after classes had ended. Ann had taken off to the hospital the moment classes had ended to tell Shiho what had happened. There was silence among the three as they digested what had just happened.

“I… cannot believe that worked.” Akira broke the silence. “The confession, the expulsions are gone, in front of the whole school, and then everyone else’s apologies.”

“Yeah… He really had a change of heart.” Ryuji scratched his head. Abruptly, his big goofy smile spread across Ryuji’s face. “And we were lucky his mind didn’t get messed up either! This was an A+ job!”

Morgana jumped up eagerly. “Does this mean that they won’t have a mental shutdown even if their Palace disappears?”

Akira shrugged. “Sure seems like it. We… well Ann, did persuade the Shadow to return to its real self.” She smirked at the memory of Kamoshida on his knees. “And we didn’t make him dissolve like the other shadows.”

“I see.” Morgana nodded sagely. “It seems our targets won’t undergo a cognitive collapse if we do that.”

“So, we can get ‘em to confess with no bad stuff?” Ryuji distilled the information into the simplest terms. “Hey! That works for me!”

“Do you have to be so loud?” Ann asked as the door shut behind her. Her tone was irritated, but there was a bounce in her step.

Ryuji waved it off, an easy smile on his face. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. So… how’d it go? With Shiho, I mean…” Ryuji trailed off as a huge smile broke across Ann’s face.

“She’s regained consciousness!” Ann declared.

Morgana, Akira, and Ryuji all jolted up, incredulous looks on their faces. “For real?!” Ryuji asked, not daring to smile yet.

Ann’s body shook as tears filled her eyes. She crouched, wiping her face. “It was only for a little bit, but I got to talk to her!” Tears tumbled down her face, but she kept talking. “I was able to tell her that Kamoshida admitted to what he did!”

Ann stood up, still wiping her face. “Shiho, she… she told me she was sorry…” She shrugged, a sad smile on her face. “Looks like she found out that I was flirting with Kamoshida for her sake… And here I was, wanting to apologize to her.”

“Kamoshida’s at fault for all of this.” Morgana stepped in to state. He stared at Ann’s tearful face, seeming to want to reassure her.

“I know…” Ann looked at her feet and changed the subject. “Shiho’s mom is thinking of transferring her to another school after she recovers. The whole sexual harassment and attempted suicide… people will label her after that. Sounded like Shiho had the same idea too.”

“It’s gonna get lonely.” Ryuji observed.

“But, I think it’s for the best.” Ann raised her head. “I’m sure it’ll be hard if she stays here.”

“Too many memories.” Akira nodded.

“She’s alive.” Ryuji pointed out. “You can see her anytime.”

Ann nodded, looking pensive. “…I need to change too.”

“That aside, I was surprised you could hold yourself back against Kamoshida’s Shadow.” Ryuji recalled Ann’s utter loathing and rage at the shadow.

Ann shook her head. “It wasn’t like that… I just wanted Kamoshida to apologize himself.”

Morgana’s tail flicked. “You’re so kind, Lady Ann.”

“No matter how much of a shitbag he was, finishing him off woulda left a bad aftertaste, huh?” Ryuji reasoned.

Ann snorted. “That’s not the reason. I had wanted to kill him and I don’t think I would feel bad if I did.” She said nonchalantly, but started to smile. “I think revenge is better served if I make him repent. Realizing what he’s done, he’ll grovel for forgiveness the rest of his life, you know?” Akira raised an eyebrow at her.

“I just believe there are fates worse than death.” Ann finished, letting the impact of her words sink in.

“Holy shit…” Ryuji breathed.

“That’s metal, Ann.” Akira observed.

“A-Anyways, that’s all settled.” Ryuji recovered from Ann’s comment. “But you know, there was one more thing I was wonderin’ about that castle.” He looked over to Morgana. “Why was Kamoshida the only one who had that Metaverse thing?”

Morgana donned his teaching voice and explained. “It isn’t necessarily limited to him. It’s something anyone could have if their heart became warped from their desires.”

“Anyone?” Ann echoed.

Morgana smirked. “Wanna check it out?” He asked mysteriously.

Seeing both Ryuji and Ann’s curiosity, Akira interjected. “Not now. Everyone has been talking about the Phantom Thieves. We need the heat to die down or else we’ll look suspicious.”

“It’s totally impossible for someone to find out what we did at his Palace.” Ryuji spoke up.

“Yes, but circumstantial evidence exists.” Akira argued. “And I’ve already got eyes on me, specifically.”

“About that… Weird rumors about you and Ryuji are already going around.” Ann chewed her lip uncomfortably. “Stuff like, you got together and threatened Kamoshida with something close to physical violence…” She trailed off.

“The hell!?” Ryuji exclaimed.

“Figures.” Akira rolled her eyes. “People are going to jump to that. It’s not like phantom thieves who steal hearts are an easy thing to believe.”

“Yeah.” Ann agreed. “The calling card’s being treated like it was a prank by someone who knew what Kamoshida was doing.”

“Makes sense.” Ryuji admitted grudgingly. “We’re the ones who did it, and I still don’t completely believe it myself.”

“Let’s wait for things to settle down for the time being.” Akira slid her hands into her pockets. She pulled out the medal. “We should probably get rid of evidence.”

Ryuji looked at the gold medal thoughtfully. “Let’s check how much this thing can be sold for.” He tapped out his phone, searching. “Ooh, got a hit!” His eyes went wide. “…Wait, thirty-thousand yen!? That’s all a gold medal’s worth!?”

A devious little smile appeared on Ann’s face. “Remember that time in middle school? I lent you some money.”

Ryuji stood up. “There’s no way I borrowed thirty thousand yen from you!” He said sharply.

Ann’s devious little smile persisted. “Wouldn’t it be around that much with compounded interest?”

“Interest my ass!” Ryuji sputtered.

“I’m not saying that I’m taking all of it.” Ann tried to reason.

“Excuse me, it’s getting split four ways.” Akira remarked. “I believe Morgana and I both contributed the same amount of work for this job as you two.”

“Yeah!” Morgana chimed in. “If anything, I should get more than anyone because I’m the one that taught you guys everything!”

“Hell no, cat!” Ryuji turned on him.

“Oh, god.” Akira laughed. “Already we’re being stupid about money.” Her laughter seemed to ease the tension out of everyone.

Morgana shook himself, as if ridding himself of impure, greedy thoughts. “I agree on laying low and keeping an eye on the situation. However, it would be nonsense not to celebrate a successful mission.”

Ryuji’s smile returned and he nodded to the medal. “I guess we could blow this dirty money on something fun.”

Ann and Akira exchanged thoughtful glances. All of the money being used on a party definitely solved the issue of splitting it.

“Discussions among phantom thieves are to take place over luxurious food. How about it?” Morgana’s tail swept back and forth, a smug little smile on his lips.

Ann nodded, deep in thought. “I guess it’s fine. There’s somewhere I want to go then.”

“Where’s that?” Ryuji asked.

“It’s a place Shiho and I wanted to go for a while.” Ann explained.

Ryuji shrugged. “I owe money, so I can’t complain. You?” He turned to Akira.

Akira smiled. “I like food. I’ll be happy.”

“Them I’ll leave it to your discretion as well, Lady Ann.” Morgana nodded.

Ann smiled. “I’ll call and check the prices later then.”

Ryuji, excited at the prospect of a party, asked: “When should we go? Wanna do it soon, like tomorrow?”

“Why don’t we do it on the last day of the holidays? It’ll help energize us when school life start up again the day after.” Ann suggested.

“Perfect.” Akira agreed.

“So, who’s going to sell this?” Ann nodded to the medal in Akira’s hands.

“Leave that to us.” Morgana leapt over to Akira’s side. “We know a store that’ll buy anything. Don’t we?”

Akira swallowed her discomfort, not relishing the time she’ll have to try to sell it. “Yeah. Leave it to us.”

Ann checked her watch. “The trains are going to get crowded soon, we should hurry.”

The four departed the school, taking their respective trains to their homes.

Chapter Text

The bell of Leblanc chimed cheerfully as Akira returned. A few regulars milled about and Akira felt her phone vibrate. She hurried upstairs, knowing that Morgana would likely want to see this. She didn’t think Morgana being visible while customers were around was a good idea.

Is that gold medal real? When did it get inside the Palace? Ann texted the group chat. Morgana had leapt up onto Akira’s shoulder, reading the texts.

“No, that one is a fake. It’s just a by-product of his cognition.” Morgana’s tail brushed against Akira’s neck. “The real medal should still be in his possession.”

Dutifully, Akira typed up a translation of Morgana’s words. Morgana says that this one is a fake.

What? You’re telling me Kamoshida’s still got the medal? Ryuji’s text appeared next.

Who cares? Ann’s text popped up next. What matters is that we changed his heart. And, anyway, if we had taken the real thing, that’d be stealing!

We’re thieves, Ann. Akira typed back with a little winking emoji.

Regardless, I don’t think he’ll be proud of that medal anymore. Ann appeared to be ignoring Akira’s joke.

You let go of stuff pretty easy, huh? Wanna forget about my debt? Ryuji inquired.

That’s different. Ann texted back almost immediately. Five hundred yen is a lot of money for a middle schooler, you know. There was a pause. Do you even still have that dolphin anyway?

Unable to resist the question that both Morgana and Akira felt, Akira typed: Dolphin?

Stop digging that up! Ryuji texted back the moment Akira’s text went through.

Back in middle school, we went on a field trip to the aquarium. Ann took it on herself to explain. But Ryuji had to spend all of his money on a souvenir, so I lent him some for the train fare.

I said I was sorry… That was for my mom. Ryuji’s tone, if possible to be shown through text, seemed to soften.

Well, I guess I can call it even after all we’ve been through. Ann typed back.

Thank you. Ryuji than seemed to switch gears back to the matter at hand. Anyways, we don’t gotta worry about selling that medal off if it’s a fake! End of story!

The texts then dried up and Morgana finally got off Akira’s shoulders. He smoothly landed on the bed.

“Kamoshida will never be proud of that once-in-a-lifetime gold medal ever again.” Morgana stretched, his little claws digging into the sheets as he did. “Depending on how you look at it, that punishment might be even worse than death for him.”

Akira scratched Morgana on the head. “That single sentence makes me very happy, Morgana.”

Morgana settled on the bed and started to clean himself. Akira picked up her stuff to go out to the bath house.

Wow, he cried like a baby! Pixie laughed in Akira’s head.

Indeed. Arsène commented as Akira slid into the hot water. He went from calling us ‘scum’ to begging for our forgiveness. He was ready to kill himself.

Such a pathetic man, if you will excuse my forwardness, my lady. Silky’s complete departure from her usual polite manner send Akira into a fit of giggles. She tried to suppress it, not wanting to draw attention to herself from the others.

Once Akira recovered, she addressed the most burning question she had.

Igor said my rehabilitation isn’t done, but Kamoshida is taken care of. Akira noted. Plus, there’s the whole PERSONAS IN MY HEAD. Legit question for all of you: are all of you going to remain in my head until I’m like 80?

Our contract had no expiration date. Arsène’s voice had a trace of amusement.

I would never abandon you, my lady! Silky protested.

You’re stuck with me! Hee-hoo! Agathion chirped while Pixie laughed.

Me like you. Me stay. Kelpie stated simply.

We’re parts of you, Akira. Arsène noted. We can’t leave unless you want us to.

I… don’t want you to leave. Akira realized. I don’t want to lose any of you. Not like that. But… what do I do with this power? Can I even use it? Kamoshida’s Palace is gone. It’s not like I can summon you guys again. …Unless I go to the Velvet Room.

You could execute us! Hee-hoo! Agathion suggested happily.

Then use the Compendium to bring us back! Pixie finished.

Akira shrugged. I’m not sure that is the only way I want to summon you guys. She rested her head on the edge of the bath. I don’t like being chained.

None of us do. Arsène noted.

Akira woke and dressed earlier than she would’ve liked, but later than on a school day. She had to pawn the medal today. Morgana was already awake, sitting next to the bag. She walked up next to him; medal in hand, ready to pack it away.

“Hey, Akira!” Sojiro called up the stairs. “You’re awake, right? Come down and help me out, instead of sleeping all day.”

Akira froze; medal in hand and stared at Morgana. She sighed and tucked the medal into the box under her bed.

“We do owe him.” Morgana admitted. “We’ll just have to wait it out. Hurry down and help him out.”

“Stay up here.” Akira grabbed a ponytail holder and tied back her hair. “Look after everything up here.”

Working with Sojiro meant dishes. A metric fuckton of dishes. So, Akira cleaned, while Sojiro served and cooked. The people that came in were a mix of familiar and unfamiliar. Occasionally, Akira recognized them and tried to smile. She hoped it was friendly-ish.

“You hired a part-timer, Boss?”

“Yeah. She’s doesn’t have school, so she’s helping out today.” Sojiro carefully brewed a cup of coffee. One the stove, the curry cooked merrily, filling the café with the scent of curry and coffee.

Akira served occasionally, smiling as best she could. Come now, Akira. Be pleasant and charming. Arsène coached. You are a phantom thief. Stylish and poised. A true lady of thievery.

Indeed, my lady. Silky noted. Be kind and gracious.

Throw the coffee at them. Agathion tried their best, but appeared to be less-suited to the ‘retail mode’ that Arsène and Silky were trying to make. Especially when people were rude. Kelpie was not much help either with advice like:

Punch them.

But Akira made it through the day.

With a little coaching from the voices in her head (both good and bad), Akira slowly developed a sort of customer service mode. She mopped the floor once the final customer had stepped out.

Sojiro settled at the bar. “Heh, sorry I kinda pressured you into doing this.”

Akira shrugged and kept mopping. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the TV speak.

“And now to our next topic: Fall from Grace: the story of a dishonored Olympic medalist. Just recently, a high school coach confessed at an assembly that he had been repeatedly abusing students. Given his prior Olympic achievements, this has caused quite a stir. What caused this habitual offender to suddenly confess these heinous crimes to his entire school? The police are hoping that the upcoming interrogations will bring light to this question.”

Sojiro perked up, realizing what he was looking at on screen. “Hm? Isn’t this…?”

Then the interviews began. A boy, face hidden from the camera, spoke: “My friends would come back from practice with bruises all the time. It was scary, but I’m relieved that the abuse is finally going to end now.”

The interview shifted to another student, a female one this time, and Sojiro kept watching. “He would touch me and stuff all the time. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that sexual harassment anymore.”

“There were always rumors, sure. Not many people believed them though.” Another female student spoke. She luckily hadn’t experienced anything by the hands of Kamoshida. “Like… I’m totally shocked they were actually true. At least now I can go to school without worrying.”

Sojiro turned around accusingly to Akira, who was dutifully mopping the floor. “I knew it. This is your school, isn’t it?”

Akira glanced at the screen, looking at the uniforms. “Yes.” She resumed cleaning.

Sojiro sighed and rubbed his head. “Things might be getting turbulent at school, but you need to just keep your head down, all right?”

“Yes, sir.” Akira re-wetted the mop and resumed cleaning. Internally, she wasn’t irritated with Sojiro for warning her. She was too happy that Kamoshida was taken down.

There was a silence for a moment and Akira forgot about the conversation until Sojiro spoke again.

“He didn’t… he didn’t touch you, did he?” Sojiro asked, staring at Akira.

“Hm?” Akira straightened up, staring at Sojiro. “What?”

Sojiro shifted uncomfortably and nodded to the TV. “They said that he was sexual harassing female students. Did he touch you?”

Akira froze for a moment. He was… concerned for her? “Um, no. I’m a criminal. No one wants me.” She tried for a bit of dark humor, but Sojiro didn’t laugh. He just stared at her, trying to determine if she was being truthful.

“Did he touch you?” Sojiro repeated the question.

“No.” Akira responded seriously, straightening up and facing him. “He gave me the creeps, so I avoided him.” She spoke matter-of-factly, trying to keep her joking tone down. “I wasn’t an athlete, so he didn’t have a chance to get me alone.”

Sojiro nodded to himself, slowly calculating something in his head. His gaze refocused on Akira. “Keep cleaning. I have more jobs for you.”

Akira slowly stood still for a moment, processing that Sojiro was actually concerned for her. “Alright.”

Akira didn’t stop working until long after Untouchable was closed. She sighed and threw herself on her bed. Morgana jumped up onto the bed.

“Chief worked us all day.” Morgana lamented as Akira’s phone vibrated.

“’Us’?” Akira questioned as she looked over the texts.

Did you see!? It was on the news! Ryuji’s text popped up. No way the school’s gonna be able to play dumb after that. Akira could read the text in the exact thrilled tone Ryuji would be speaking in.

I saw it too. Ann added. Shiho’s name didn’t come up, right?

No way. Akira typed back. She’s a minor. No official news source can use her name legally. Silently, Akira thought about how her own record was supposed to be sealed.

I didn’t hear it. Ryuji added. I’d bet they wanted to keep that part quiet for the sake of the school.

I’m so glad... Ann’s text was short, but Akira knew that she was relieved beyond measure.

It’s finally over then… Ryuji seemed to be feeling a bizarre sense of relief. It quickly changed to his usual buoyant tone. All we gotta do is stuff our faces and this Kamoshida crap behind us! I’m totally looking forward to this celebration party!

I’ll try not to let you guys down! Ann’s text seemed to end the conversation. Akira turned over in bed and looked at Morgana.

“We need to sell the medal tomorrow.” Morgana stated. “Even if the chief wants your help, make sure you turn him down, okay?”

Akira snorted. “I can try, Morgana.”

I don’t think we can. Silky noted. He does let us live here.

Silky, we’re in an attic. Pixie sniffed. I hardly think we owe him that much.

And we already promised to sell the medal for our friends. Arsène pointed out. It would be dishonorable to go back on our word.

What’s that saying? Agathion asked. ‘There is no honor among thieves’?

Me think we do what we want. Kelpie added unhelpfully.

Akira stifled a snort at the conversations her mind was having with itself. She got herself ready for bed.

Akira specifically got up early and dressed, putting both the medal and Morgana in her bag. She came downstairs, seeing Sojiro at the counter already.

“You’re awake.” Sojiro noted. He nodded to the pile of pots from cooking earlier. “Make sure to do the dishes.”

Akira pulled her bag higher up on her shoulder. “Alright. I’ll do it right after I get back.” She said, trying to gently establish her own plan without disagreeing or outright rejecting Sojiro’s orders.

Sojiro’s gaze narrowed. “Just do it now. Don’t get cocky with me.”

Akira scrambled to find a counter, but the gently chime of the door saved her. A silver-haired woman wearing a suit entered the store. Her bright red eyes were intelligent and Akira felt an aura of sheer competence. Akira was flooded with the sense that she wanted to be like this woman: intimidating and competent. At least, that’s what she assumed the feeling was.

“Am I interrupting something?” The silver-haired woman glanced between Akira and Sojiro.

“Not at all.” Sojiro switched to his customer service mode. “Sit down.” He nodded to the counter.

The silver-haired woman settled and the conversation dimmed in time to hear the TV.

“The cause of the runaway-train incident in the subway the other day still has not been found. Police are hurrying to silve the matter as it may relate to the rise in psychotic breakdown incidents.” The newscaster relayed.

“Oh, is that the thing everyone’s been talking about?” Sojiro asked, expertly driving a conversation away from the earlier tension that the potential customer walked in on.

Taking the bait, the silver-haired woman spoke up. “Doesn’t it make you curious?” With Sojiro questioning look, she went on. “People who were living normal lives suddenly went mad or deranged out of the blue… Not to mention that it’s happening one after another… Could they really be coincidental?”

“Hm.” Sojiro made a noncommittal noise. “Leaving that aside, what’ll you have?”

The silver-haired woman scanned the shelves of beans. “I’ll have the house blend, please.” She cast her gaze to Akira. “Are you a part-timer? I’m surprised this place can afford one.”

Akira, not knowing exactly how to answer, was saved by Sojiro. “Uh, no. Not exactly.”

“Are you a high school student? Where do you attend?” The silver-haired woman inquired of Akira.

Hyper-aware that Sojiro would be pissed if she was rude to a customer, Akira pretended to be a good little student. “Shujin Academy, ma’am.”

“Oh?” The silver-haired woman raised an eyebrow. “Someone I know goes there as well. I’ve heard that things are rough right now.” Akira shrugged, unwilling to go into the conversation with a complete stranger.

The woman grew pensive, staring at the TV. “A teacher named Kamoshida confessed his crimes like he was a completely different person, supposedly. And if happened “all of a sudden” one day…” She trailed off and stared at the coffee beans again. “Can a person’s mental state change so easily?”

“Huh.” Sojiro stared at the strange information spouting by this lady.

“Is my drink ready?” She asked, innocently.

Sojiro snickered. “Coming right up.” He went to the coffee machines and Akira took the opportunity to duck out of the café.

“That was weird.” Morgana noted, sticking his head out of the bag.

“All sorts in the city, I guess.” Akira shrugged. “I mean: I look like I am talking to a cat in my bag.”

“I’m not a cat!” Morgana protested.

“Yes, but I look like I am.” Akira clarified, heading to the train station.

The train ride to Untouchable was the same as always. It was packed, though not as badly as during her rides to school. The only thing worthy of note was the two men dressed in coats hovering in front of the Velvet Room door. They, obviously, didn’t know the Velvet Room was there, but they stared at the entrance to Untouchable. Akira cast a glance to Caroline who glared back haughtily. Akira hovered for only a moment, realizing that they were likely either thugs or plainclothes detectives. Either way, she best not get involved.

Akira shrugged to herself and then walked into Untouchable. The inside was the same as ever and, luckily, empty.

“Huh?” The manager of course recognized the girl who gave him a verbal schooling. She was the only girl that came in regularly anyway. “What do you want?”

“I’d like to sell this.” Akira pulled the medal out of her bag, careful to keep Morgana out of sight.

“Huh?” The manager looked down at the medal and shook his head. “Why do you have this?”

Akira shrugged. “I found it in the attic of my place. I asked, no one was looking for it.” Her lies came easily as Arsène quietly encouraged her.

“We don’t buy any fake or stolen goods here, kid.” The manager looked back down at his magazine.

“You think I stole this?” Akira crossed her arms, looking indignant. “Look at me: do I look like a thief? Do I look like I could steal it?”

The manager glanced up, taking in Akira’s overall bland appearance and righteous indignation. He paused and then looked at the medal in her hands. “Lemme see it.”

Akira obliged and handed over the medal, Morgana wiggling excitedly in her bag. The manager took the medal in his hands and ran his fingers over it gently. He studied it before standing up and typing away on his computer.

He sighed. “Ok, kid. I’m just… not gonna ask where you got this.”

“I told you: I found it in the attic of my place.” Akira defended herself with the half-truth. She had found it there this morning. She didn’t say where it came from before that.

The manager gave her a look. “How’s 30,000 yen sound for it though?”

Akira smiled charmingly. “Perfect.”

The manager gave her a half-smile. “Hmph. 30,000 it is, then.” He counted out the banknotes and handed them over to Akira. Akira slipped part of it in her wallet and then shoved the rest in her bra, ignoring the manager’s raised eyebrow.

The manager glanced at the clock. “It’s almost time.” He took the medal and put it out of sight and brought out a little brown paper bag. “Here, take this with you. It’s a thanks for sellin’ me that medal.” His eyes flicked to the door. “But, uh… best not to open it. Just bring it with you next time you come back here.”

Akira’s brain immediately went to drugs and thought of the detectives outside. She then dismissed it. Getting someone in his shop caught with drugs would hurt him… if he ran a business like that.

“Thank you.” Akira decided to play dumb and vapid as she tucked the paper bag into her cloth bag with Morgana.

The manager seemed to pick up on her quick switch and suppressed a smile. “Glad you’re so quick to understand.” Two figures became visible through the glass door. “They’re here.” The manager’s expression soured.

The two detectives, they seemed more like detectives than thugs, stepped in and zeroed in on the manager.

“Munehisa Iwai, yes? There are some matters we’d like to discuss with you today.” The shorter detective spoke.

The manager glanced at Akira. “Go, kid.”

Akira nodded and moved aside, letting the detectives in. She walked to the door, but hesitated. Her curiosity needed to be satiated.

Gotta know! Hee-hoo! Agathion chirped in her head.

“Do you know why we are here?” The shorter man asked, coming up to the counter.

The manager, Iwai, donned a smile. “I dunno, lookin’ for evidence? You tell me, Mr. Detective.” (Called it. Akira thought.)

“Watch your attitude!” The taller detective seemed more combative.

Iwai, completely nonplussed, addressed them. “Well, you guys gonna search me? Go on, do what you gotta do.”

“What was that?” The taller detective was taken aback.

“An upstandin’ citizen’s supposed to cooperate with the cops, right?” Iwai asked innocently.

“Hey, you sure that lead was legitimate?” The shorter detective asked.

“I could’ve sworn it was…” The taller one admitted.

“Can you two hurry it up? I got a business to run here.” Iwai inquired, gesturing to the shop.

“You bastard…” The taller, more aggressive detective swore at Iwai. He caught sight of Akira , still hovering nearby. “Hey, you!” Akira donned a startled look at the sudden addressing of her. “What’s in the bag, huh? Show me!”

“The kid’s just a regular ol’ customer.” Iwai explained.

“A teenaged girl? In this kind of shop? I highly doubt it.” The angry detective snapped at Iwai before rounding on Akira. “What’s in the bag? Show me, now!”

“My cat.” Akira said the absolute first thing that came to mind.

“…What?” All three men were stunned and the angry detective seemed unable to figure out if she was joking.

“Akira! What are you doing?” Morgana hissed.

Akira opened her bag and Morgana stuck his face out, staring at the still-stunned men. “There’s no school today, so I brought him on a little outing. He gets mad if I leave him at home. Say hi, buddy.”

“M-Meow.” Morgana tried to seem like a normal cat. His large blue eyes flicked at Akira awkwardly.

There was still silence as the three stared at the girl with a cat literally in her bag. Morgana just stared at the men, while Akira internally panicked.

Akira eventually settled on a cover and pretended to shrink in on herself. “I’m sorry. I know I’m weird.” She decided to play the part of insecure, weird girl.

“…Ok. Listen, you can check the tapes in the store if you want.” Iwai recovered somewhat. “They’ll show everything that’s gone down here today. It’ll show that she may be a little weird, but she’s a regular here.”

The detectives recovered and returned to talking to Iwai.

“Safe trip home, kid.” Iwai called to Akira before she stepped out of the shop.

“Akira, what was that?” Morgana asked as they settled into a nearby alleyway, away from Untouchable.

“I don’t know, Morgana. I just panicked.” Akira admitted. “I mean: it’s weird for a girl my age to go to a military-grade model shop for weapons and armor. I just… thought I would out-weird them, I guess?”

Morgana stared at her for a moment, disapproval on his face. “Well, I hope they don’t call that manager’s bluff and actually check the tapes. I don’t want your face with that medal.”

“Me either.” Akira reached for the bag. “Let’s see what I made a fool of myself for.”

“Oh yeah!” Morgana remembered. He tugged the bag open with his teeth. Both Akira and Morgana froze at the sight of it and Akira wondered what the actual hell she had gotten herself into.

“Oh, wait, it’s a model, not a real gun.” Morgana exhaled in relief. Once the fear and panic dissipated, Akira stared at the model.

“This is incredibly high-quality.” Akira gently ran her fingers on the model gun.

“Imagine what kind of power this would have in the Metaverse!” Morgana wiggled in excitement. “We should ask the manager, Iwai was it? We should ask him about this! Maybe we could get more!”

“Are you sure?” Akira asked, shutting the bag. “I feel like I made a fool of myself.”

“We’re going to have to go back, Akira.” Morgana informed her.

Akira grumbled to herself. “Let’s get back to Leblanc. I don’t want to get punished with working on the day we’re supposed to have our party.”

The two hurried to the trains to get back to the café.

Ann’s name showed up on Akira’s caller ID later that evening. Sojiro had kept Akira working the moment she returned until Sojiro locked the doors to Leblanc. Ann managed to get ahold of Akira right as she ascended the stairs.

“Oh… Hello, it’s me.” Ann seemed almost surprised that Akira answered the phone. “I saw the news. You know, about Kamoshida.”

“Yeah.” Akira sat down on her bed, pulling her shoes off as she spoke. “It was running on and off all day I worked.”

“Yeah… It’s getting a lot of coverage.” Ann’s tone made Akira pause.

“How are you feeling about that?”

Ann hesitated for a moment. “I don’t know…” She paused, trying to collect her thoughts and articulate her feelings. “The reaction’s been bigger than what I was expecting… I guess I’m just… surprised.”

Akira made a ‘mm-hm’ noise.

“I don’t think we did anything wrong though.” Ann said firmly. “I wonder if we helped those people speak up about it.”

Akira thought about all those students being interviewed. “I think we did. No one was willing to talk about it to me and Ryuji during the volleyball rally.”

“Really?” Ann asked. “That’s pretty amazing, huh? I didn’t think we’d actually be able to do it!” She laughed. “And yet look at us now! This calls for a celebration! Let’s meet in front of Shibuya Station at noon tomorrow. Don’t be late!”

“Make sure you text Ryuji. I’ll bring Morgana with me.” Akira added. “I pawned the medal off, so the funds are taken care of.”

“Perfect! I already made reservations, so don’t be late!” Ann laughed. “You should be really excited about the place I chose, by the way. I’m sure everyone’s gonna love it!”

“I am so ready for good food.” Akira winked at Morgana. “Morgana is too.”

“Well, seeya tomorrow!” Ann said cheerily.

Akira hung up and then plugged her phone in for the night as Morgana settled on the pillow.

“Ah, a restaurant of Lady Ann’s choosing. Finally, a decent meal!” Morgana daydreamed. “Hey, what do you think we’re gonna be eating?”

Akira recalled the food-related conversations with Ann. “Desserts.” She said after a moment.

Morgana didn’t seem to hear Akira and went about daydreaming, muttering about salmon, tuna, and sea urchin. Akira let him dream.

Chapter Text

Akira knew that heaven existed and currently this chocolate raspberry tart was sending her there. To her left, Ryuji was happily munching on the sweet ribs he had picked up from the buffet. Ann, on Akira’s right, was eating a cheesecake with strawberry sauce, likewise making happy noises. Morgana was still in the bag on the seat next to Akira. He was making happy noises from the bag, but the buffet was loud enough that no one heard him.

“No wonder Lady Ann chose this place!” Morgana indirectly congratulated Ann.

“Of course it’s good. This is a famous hotel, after all.” Ann licked her forked. She wiped her mouth. “Oh, yeah, I heard that the police are coming to interview some people at school.”

Akira, Ryuji, and Morgana all stopped eating.

“That’s troublesome.” Morgana was the first to break the silence among the three.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Akira wiped her mouth. “Ryuji and I will definitely be in their sights. Especially with those rumors. Especially with my record.”

“Yeah.” Ryuji agreed. “Our names are gonna come up for sure.” He shrugged off his worry. “But we got ‘em pumped up!” He tried to cheer up Akira. “I keep hearin’ stuff like, “The Phantom Thieves really stole his heart!””

He glanced around the table. “I think most people don’t believe it, but some of ‘em actually seem grateful.” He pulled out his phone and typed. “Look at this!” He held it out.

Ann, Akira, and Morgana all leaned towards the phone.

“The Phantom Aficionado Website?” Ann read. She kept going. “”Well, done, Phantom Thieves”, “Now I can keep going too”, “Thank you for giving us hope””

They’re thanking us. Akira leaned back slowly, processing.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Ryuji tucked his phone away.

Ann smiled brightly. “I was just desperate to deal with my own problems, but seeing people saying all this feels… strange.”

“Yeah…” Ryuji agreed. A silence lapsed over the four as they thought about the aftermath.

Ann wanted revenge, for herself and Shiho, as well as any other girl that Kamoshida had touched. Ryuji wanted revenge for his leg and future, as well for the futures of the other track team members. Morgana wanted revenge for the torture he endured within the Palace, plus as an incentive for whatever the cat had planned for Akira and Ryuji (Akria hadn’t forgotten their promise).

Akira wanted revenge for her record and everything he did in the Palace. All four of them also wanted him to suffer for all of the horrible stuff he did: touching other girls, beating other students, and destroying any kid who spoke up against him. Sure, there was a lot of spite between the four of them and they wanted Kamoshida to suffer, but they never really thought about the other people that Kamoshida hurt. They never thought about people thanking them.

Akira’s mind filled with the image of the woman she tried to help that ended up getting her that record. Truly, we never thought that we’d be thanked. Arsène noted. We never thought about a reward afterwards, or anything.

“Hey…” Ryuji’s voice interrupted Akira’s thoughts. “What do we do now?”

Ryuji voiced the question that plagued Akira. She still heard her multiple Personas in her head. She still had Igor’s dire warnings of ‘ruin’. She still had to fulfill her deal with Morgana. Instead of dealing with all of that, Akira made a joke.

“You gonna eat that?” She nodded to the food in front of him.

Ryuji furrowed his brow. “Well, yeah, Akira, but that’s not-“

Ann stood up abruptly. “This place has a time limit!”

Ryuji jumped up. “Oh crap, we only got an hour to eat!”

“Just fifty minutes left!” Ann noted.

“I’m not gonna finish all the beef dishes at this pace!” Ryuji despaired.

“I need to eat my way through the entire dessert menu!” Ann retorted.

“Look after our stuff!” Ryuji told Akira. “We’ll snag somethin’ for you guys too, don’t worry!”

Akira watched them go. She leaned down towards Morgana. “They don’t know our tastes. Start planning our method of attack because the moment we get back, we need to get our own stuff. Do you want anything besides fish?”

“Get me all the fish! Sushi! Salmon roe! Tuna! Swordfish! All of it! I need all of the most expensive stuff!” Morgana started listing.

“Yes, but anything besides fish?” Akira asked, but Morgana kept listing fish.

Ann and Ryuji both returned with meat and desserts, losing themselves in bliss. With their return, Akira picked up Morgana and descended into the buffet.

First stop: fish. Morgana would not stop talking about it. While Akira stared at the fish dishes, deciding what to get for herself and for Morgana.

“Haven’t you heard, my dear?” A woman, dressed in almost grossly obviously rich jewelry, spoke to another woman. “The news about that Kamoshida fellow was absolutely dreadful.”

The second woman, dressed in equally disgusting levels of wealth, responded to her friend. “Ah, right. That teacher at Shujin Academy, caught doing such indecent acts. Shameful, really.”

A knot of anger tied in Akira’s stomach. “Shameful”? Was that all they had to say on the subject. She reached for the raw fish (Morgana’s preference) and started to serve herself.

“And they still haven’t managed to solve those horrible psychotic breakdown episodes, have they? I wish they wouldn’t let themselves be distracted by such a tawdry scandal.” Akira struggled to silence her anger.

“Perhaps it’s a sign of how peaceful this country is. I honestly pity those poor Shujin students though.” Akira’s rage cooled some and she finished selected from the fish.

“Tsk, how did a child like this end up in here?” Akira resisted the urge to glare at the woman. “I certainly hope she didn’t bring friends. I prefer my meals to remain hooligan-free, thank you very much.”

And I prefer my meals without judgmental snobs like you. Akira retorted mentally. She moved away from the two women as Morgana commented:

“What’s so bad about kids coming to enjoy a buffet?”

Akira tried to put the interaction out of mind as she went to the desserts. She stared at the pastries and cakes, thinking, while the people nearby chatted away.

“News travels quick. It’s already all over the Internet.” A professional-looking man said. “You know, the story about how Kamoshida got his ass kicked by some world-reforming heroes.” Akira suppressed a smile.

“It doesn’t sound like a serious story to me.” The woman sounded no-nonsense. “Some of the details are pretty far-fetched.”

The professional-looking man waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. We just have to do what they tell us to do.” He shrugged. “It’s all rumors made up by school kids, anyway. If it’s gripping news, who cares if it’s not true?”

That statement made Akira pause while she took a slice of the chocolate ganache cake. The media was spreading misinformation, but it was about the phantom thieves. That… felt wrong. It made her very uncomfortable.

Akira picked up a little lava cake, while Morgana shifted uncomfortably in her bag. “They are spread information they don’t necessarily believe, but they are making people think the Phantom Thieves are real.”

Akira stepped away from the desserts and went to the rice dishes. She hesitated, trying to figure out what else to pick.

“So, the rating for the news were really that good?” A young woman, not that much older than Akira, was speaking to a much older man. “It was because it was about that teacher who sexually harassed his student, huh? Was it Kamoshida?”

“It’s all about how you frame it. You have to cater to the idiotic public.” The older man said as Akira cast a single glare at the man’s back. “Ratings go up when you show them crude, sensational news, and make it easy for them to understand.”

Utterly disgusting. Arsène commented as revulsion coursed through Akira.

“How can he be so insensitive? A student almost killed herself because of that Kamoshida.” Morgana’s voice was soft.

“By the way, do you think these “sudden changes of heart” might be real?” The young woman asked. “You know he confessed to all his crimes for no apparent reason?”

The man laughed. “Who knows?”

Akira picked out her rice dishes and moved away from the two.

“Guess it seems a little fantastical, huh?” Morgana asked.

“I want meat.” Akira said in response. She moved over to the meat dishes and thought about what she wanted. Was there anything spicy?

“…When you really look at it, he’s just an ex-athlete who overestimated himself. He should have just accepted his lot in life and quietly done his job as a teacher.”

Don’t listen. You’re going to get mad. Akira told herself.

No, listen. Get mad. Arsène advised. Stifle your anger no longer, Akira.

“It’s not even an incident we can take seriously. The whole story is pretty ridiculous.” A subordinate appeared to be talking to one of his bosses. “We should probably look into it, but we can also just let the low-ranking scrubs handle it.”

Akira froze for a moment. Investigating? A moment of panic hit Akira as she reminded herself that there was no way she could be tied to the crime.

“I guess they’re investigating Kamoshida?” Morgana reasoned, oblivious to Akira’s fear. “They don’t sound very enthusiastic about it though.”

“We should get going, sir. He’s going to be arriving soon. We don’t want to keep him waiting, so we better get going too.” The second man said. “What is he gonna discuss with the higher-ups? Well, I’m sure it’s more important than lunch.” The two took off purposely, leaving Akira to think about all of the people she had seen around her.

“Everyone in here is so nicely dressed, but none of them seem like nice people.” Morgana observed.

“Yeah.” Akira’s faith in humanity, brought up because of the Phantom Aficionado Website, was back to being low.

“Let’s go eat, Morgana.” Akira returned to the others.

The rich food proved to be exactly what Akira needed to feel better about all of the complete disinterest from the adults around her. Her tongue was so happy. Her stomach… not so much. It was also a complete mistake as Akira’s stomach was protesting at all the rich food.

“We got… so much food.” Akira spoke, a single arm around her stomach. “This was a mistake. I have regrets.”

“Nah, this is… a victory for all of us…” Ryuji tried to say.

Ann, who had been sticking to the carbs the entire feast, was completely unaffected in the way Akira, Ryuji, and Morgana were who dug into the more filling, very rich foods. “How about a little palate cleanser? I suggest the seasonal tart! The grapefruit has both alluring sweetness and a tangy sourness!”

“Ugh…” Ryuji was regretting his past actions. “Stop… I don’t wanna hear about sour stuff…”

“Ann, I know you mean well, but please stop talking about food.” Akira tried to settle her stomach. “This was a mistake.”

Ryuji burped. “This isn’t good. I gotta go to the bathroom.”

“M-Me too.” Morgana groaned from the bag. “Please… carry me gently.”

Akira burped and glanced around for a restroom; preferably a single-person one where she could let Morgana out of the bag (She didn’t want to clean cat throw-up out of her bag). She stopped when she heard a couple people talking behind her.

“My, look at that table…” A woman’s voice spoke.

“Come now, pay them no attention. I’m sure they must not normally have the chance to eat such exquisite food.” A man spoke. Akira cast her glance backwards, seeing a couple talking rather loudly about Ann, Ryuji, and Akira’s table.

“I can only imagine what their parents must be like.” The woman said haughtily.

“What was that?” Ryuji immediately growled, only to regret the sudden movement. “…Urp! We don’t got time for that. C’mon, let’s go.”

Akira had found a single-person ladies room and held Morgana while he vomited all the rich food up. Akira managed to not vomit, even while she cleaned up Morgana. She emerged with Ryuji looking somewhat better.

“I totally panicked when I saw the ‘Closed for Cleaning’ sign at the bathrooms.” Ryuji admitted as the two and one in a bag made their way back to the elevator.

“That was a lot of food.” Morgana murmured from the bag.

“What floor was that restaurant on?” Ryuji asked as they waited for the elevator to show up.

“First floor.” Akira relayed as Ryuji hit the button.

Abruptly, a man in a suit shoved both Akira and Ryuji aside, forcing the route to the elevator open for a bald man wearing glasses.

“What the-?!” Ryuji’s temper flared up.

The bald man with glasses spoke to the suited men surrounding him. “There’s still no update on the case?”

“N-Not yet.” One of his subordinates stuttered. “Excuse me, but why are you so involved? It’s not something you should be concerned with…”

The bald man turned on the subordinate irritation clear on his face. “I don’t care about your opinion, you incompetent buffoon! When I say pick up the pace, you do it!”

Akira froze. There was something familiar. Something… that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Hey!” Ryuji, not intimidated by the man in the slightest, snapped at the well-dressed man. “You’re cuttin’ in line!”

The formerly stuttering subordinate turned on Ryuji. “What do you want?”

Akira stepped in, asking for the simplest thing. “Apologize to my friend and myself for shoving us.” She shoved her uneasiness away. Ryuji needed back-up and simple uneasiness was not going to stop her.

“We’re in a hurry.” The subordinate said instead of apologizing.

“Oh, I’m sorry. So you can butt in front of other people if you’re in a hurry?” Ryuji asked sarcastically.

“It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last. Have they started a daycare?” The bald man with glasses didn’t even deign to look in the direction of Ryuji and Akira. The unease in her chest was temporarily replaced with burning anger.

“Oh yes, didn’t you know? The daycare is just down the hall from the morgue. Your appointment is next week, old man.” Akira replied in the exact same deadpan tone the bald man had said his insult in.

There was a moment in which the bald man thought about rising to Akira’s bait, but the subordinate spoke up.

“Sir, we don’t have time for this.”

“I know.” The bald man seemed to decide that Akira wasn’t worth trading insults with. The elevator chimed and Ryuji stepped forward to get on, only to have the subordinate shove him back.

“Don’t bother with them!” The bald man snapped.

Akira opened her mouth only for Arsène to snap at her: Akira! Pay attention to your gut!

A headache came over Akira as she tried to clear her head. Her Personas were all uneasy: Pixie flitted about, Silky twisted her apron, Agathion hid in their pot, and Arsène paced, heels clicking in Akira’s mind. The noise was infuriating. The bald man and his lackeys piled into the elevator and it rattled shut, leaving Akira to wonder: What was wrong? Why did that man put such a primal sense of fear and hate in her body? She reached out for Ryuji’s arm.

“The hell was with that bossy guy?” Ryuji asked as Akira’s hand close around his forearm. He turned and saw Akira. “Akira, you good?”

“Fine.” Akira tried to shake off the sense of unease in her body. She released Ryuji’s arm.

“Shouldn’t we head back down?” Morgana asked, sticking his head out of the bag.

“Yeah, but…” Ryuji hit the down button to summon the elevator. “That dick really pissed me off! He wasn’t even hidin’ the fact that he looks down on everyone!”

“Don’t lose your temper over this.” Morgana counseled.

“I just can’t forgive shitty adults like that!” Ryuji growled.

Akira shivered, still feeling unease worm through her guts. Who was that man? A flash of memory from the man that sued her and royally fucked up her life appeared in Akira’s mind. What was going on? Why was she remembering him?

“Are you sure you’re ok, Akira?” Ryuji asked, concerned.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.” Akira lied as her Personas ran rampant in her head. The clicking of Arsène’s heels and the buzzing of Pixie’s wings unrelenting in her mind.

“You’re not looking so hot.” Ryuji observed.

“It probably because she never eats well.” Morgana spoke up as Akira shook off the memories and the . “Trust me, I eat the same stuff as her.”

“At least I don’t make you eat canned food.” Akira retorted.

Ryuji resumed focusing on the asshole bald man once Akira confirmed she was fine. “Ugh, that ‘sir’ bullshit makes me sick. Dammit…” He grumbled, getting on the elevator.

“What took you so long?!” Ann snapped the moment the three appeared.

“Why’re you so pissy?” Ryuji voiced Akira’s thinking.

Ann sighed, immediately regretful. “Sorry… I had a run-in with some woman a second ago.” She crossed her arms. “She bumped into me, but then said it was all my fault when she dropped her plate.”

Ryuji, quick to be on his friends’ side, commiserated. “Sounds like a real bitch.”

Ann gave Ryuji a smile. “Yeah. Thanks though.” She nodded to the buffet. “But… the restaurant workers all looked at me with this disapproving expression.”

Akira and Ryuji sat down, their previous anger turning glum. Even Morgana was quiet and still in the bag. The top was open, so Akira saw Morgana was staring into the air.

“I wonder if we’re out of place here…” Ann voiced what the others were thinking.

Akira recalled the ‘daycare’ comment from the bald man earlier and, beyond that, all of the stares and whispers from school. Hell, she got them yesterday when she was working Leblanc.

“It always feels like this.” She said as all of her Personas finally settled in her head. “We don’t belong anywhere.”

There was silence as the four sat around the table, feeling that they were in a crowd, but not part of the crowd. Hell, even their clothes made them seem different than the others here.

“…Hey Morgana.” Ryuji looked at the bag as Morgana popped his head out.

“What is it?” Morgana folded his paws over the edge of the bag. The lunch rush had died down and so Akira wasn’t too worried about Morgana being seen.

Ryuji hesitated, not looking at Akira or Ann. “…Anyone could have a Palace, yeah?”

“Anyone with a strong distorted desire.” Morgana clarified and confirmed.

Ryuji leaned forward. “Same for them having a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?”

“That would be the case.” Morgana confirmed.

“Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?” Ann inquired, crossing her arms as Akira quirked an eyebrow at Ryuji.

“We had trouble earlier too. These selfish shitheads that just look down on everyone else.” Ryuji shrugged. “I was just wondering if we’d be able to change those kindsa people too…”

A jolt went through Akira as she stared at Ryuji, processing what he said. Ann, likewise, seemed stunned.

“You mean… you wanna continue as the Phantom Thieves?” Ann asked softly.

“…I’ve been thinkin’,” Ryuji spoke far more seriously than Akira had ever seen. “We put a lot of work into changin’ Kamoshida’s heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves.” He gestured to the phone in his pocket. “Plus… those guys who had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin’ us. Us, of all people!”

Akira folded her arms.

This is exactly what we wanted! Pixie rejoiced.

But should we do it? Akira quieted the rowdier Personas and turned to Ann. “What do you think?”

Ann paused for a moment. “…I agree.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “If we ignore people who are in trouble, I’d go back to being the same as I was before...” She trailed off, thinking about Shiho. What she could’ve done to help Shiho.

“Well… that’s true.” Morgana admitted, shrinking slightly into the bag.

Silently, the four appraised each other. Did they dare do this? Did they commit to something like this?

Yes! Pixie cried.

Yes! Agathion agreed.

Must do! Kelpie rumbled.

We must, my lady! Silky urged.

Akira. Remember our promise. Arsène reminded her.

“You’re under my tutelage.” Morgana’s statement brought Akira out of her inner conversation. He stretched out of the bag. “There’s nothing we can’t accomplish as phantom thieves.”

Ryuji pulled out his phone and tapped thoughtfully, staring at the thank-yous. “Shouldn’t we be able to help ‘em out?”

If Akira’s Personas were any indication, she desired to continue. She kept her body language neutral.

Akira, what is stopping you from doing this? Arsène inquired.

Them. Akira’s gaze flicked to Ryuji and Ann. I don’t want to force them or make them feel like they have to do this. It’s dangerous work, Arsène. Just because I want it doesn’t mean they do.

“That means we’ll have to fight Shadows again, doesn’t it?” Ann noted, twisting the tip of one of her ponytails.

“Indeed.” Morgana confirmed. “That can’t be avoided.”

Ryuji, already smiling at the idea of a fight, shrugged. “Eh, I’m sure we’ll manage.” He turned to Akira. “Whaddya think?”

YES! Akira’s Personas chorused in her head. Akira gave Ryuji a smirk. “If you think you can keep up.” Ryuji snorted and Akira’s expression grew serious. “But, for real, I want to keep helping people.”

Akira met Ryuji and Ann’s gazes, nodding at each other.

Morgana stretched up and smirked at the crew. “Heh… Even if you guys are still just fledglings, this means we’re an actual organization now.”

“’Fledglings’?” Ann questioned with a chuckle. “That’s actually pretty fitting for us.”

“All right, it’s settled!” Ryuji declared. “We’re gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!”

Ann turned to Akira. “Are you ok with being our leader?”

Akira coughed, inhaling her own spit in her surprise. “L-Leader?” She coughed.

“Yeah, of course!” Ryuji immediately agreed. “I can’t handle all that responsibility stuff.” He shrugged. “Besides, you were already our leader in Kamoshida’s Palace.”

“Huh?” Akira blinked, trying to think.

Morgana crossed his paws. “Normally, I would object, but I think Lady Ann is right. You showed great skill and promise as a leader in the Palace. I have no issue with you as our leader.”

“I know I can’t be the leader.” Ann stated. “And Morgana and Ryuji butt heads too much.”

Akira actually took a moment to think. As leader, she would be responsible for the others far more in battle and in the Palaces. Well, it wasn’t that different from how she behaved in the castle. Her ability of the Wild Card made it so she could change to cover everyone else’s weaknesses, and she already felt responsible for the others.

We can do this, Akira. Arsène promised. We can rise to this and become a ‘most excellent thief’, as Igor said.

Akira looked up at the crew. “If that is what you all want: I shall do my best to be your leader.”

“You’re too formal, man!” Ryuji laughed.

“A little.” Ann agreed, stifling her own laughter.

“A bit.” Akira agreed, putting a hand on Morgana’s head. In an instant, Joker smirked at the others.

“Today marks the official formation of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.” Joker addressed her team. “Our goal is to help those who suffer at the hands of adults who abuse their power. Are we in agreement?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The others responded with a suppression of giggles at how serious Joker was.

Akira leaned back, her smirk replaced with a goofy smile. “Alright, I’m done being serious.” She glanced at the mostly empty room. No one was paying a couple of kids any attention. Hell, no one even noticed the cat sitting in the bag.

“Well now that that’s sorted out, who’s our next target?” Ann asked eagerly.

“Well, there are tons of rotten adults and all…” Ryuji rubbed his face. “Why not just stick to targeting big names?”

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Like a celebrity or a CEO or something?”

“Yeah.” Ryuji nodded. “Someone like that. If we go after some bigwig, it’s gotta get on the news, right? Don’t you think more people would believe in us if we did that?”

“That’s not a bad idea… for you, Ryuji.” Morgana couldn’t resist adding on the insult.

“True.” Ann ignored the dig at Ryuji and nodded him. “If we become better known, we might be able to give courage to a lot more people.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t really like the idea of just picking someone out of the blue though.”

Ryuji nodded. “Let’s narrow it down to someone we can all agree on then.”

“Hm, so we need a bigwig we decide on unanimously.” Morgana reasoned.

“I like that unanimous decision part!” Ann bounced in her seat. “It’s like we’re making some kind of pact!”

“It also makes sure that we don’t abuse our own power.” Akira nodded, leaning forward. “Our organization’s rules are set. Morgana, anything to add?”

“We are the official organization known as the Phantom Thieves.” Morgana couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

Ann caught sight of the clock. “Oh, no! Our time for the buffet ran out…”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t going to eat anymore.” Akira shrugged.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow then.” Ryuji added.

God, Akira’s head hurt so badly. Her body oscillated between numb and in pain. She’d prefer the numbness if it didn’t make the fogginess in her head worse. She had to remember, but it hurt so much to. She glanced up at Sae who took the break in the story to direct the conversation.

“Another world in which people’s distorted cognitions take shape? Stealing treasure to change hearts?” Sae’s tone was completely unamused. “And on top of that, a talking cat told you all this?”

A little, hacking, raspy laugh issued from Akira’s cracked lips. “Believe what you will. It does not change the truth.”

Sae raised an eyebrow at Akira. “Honestly speaking, that all sounds absurd. It’s hard to believe that this is even worth listening to. Still…” She met Akira’s dull eyes. “It can’t be considered nonsense when parts of it align with Kamoshida’s confession. The same goes for the testimonies of the officers who arrested you.” She sighed, some rational part of her brain refusing to actually believe Akira.

“But so be it. At any rate, you mentioned something more important.” Sae carefully watched Akira’s expression. “These two other accomplices, besides this talking cat thing that appeared in your story… From what you’ve been telling me, they’re students at the same school, aren’t they?”

“They are the Chariot and the Lovers.” Akira rasped. “They are my team. They are my friends. The Magician, the Chariot, and the Lovers.”

“Don’t take me for a fool. Using senseless nicknames will not hide their identities from me.” Sae asserted. She pulled another file out. “Very well, I’ll leave it at that. Let’s continue on. The questioning’s not over, anyway. If you are making this up, the cracks in your story will prove it.”

Sae opened the file and turned it towards Akira, showing a picture of a strangely familiar older man. “The next to receive a calling card was this individual…” She pointed to the picture. “A master of Japanese arts: Ichiryusai Madarame. It’s even more incomprehensible than Kamoshida as to why this man was targeted.”

Akira took hold of the picture. Rage. Seething rage. That bubbled in her chest at the sight of this man. Hate. Disgust. The same as when she looked at the picture of Kamoshida. But… why? What did he do? Who was Madarame to Akira?

“Where did you come to know him? And how did you learn of his crimes when you weren’t a victim of them?”

Not a victim? Akira wasn’t a victim? Akira swallowed, still staring at the picture, the knowledge tantalizingly out of her reach. Her foggy mind betrayed her.

“Start by telling me what you all schemed.” Sae ordered.

Chapter Text

Akira threw herself on her bed, her stomach still slightly upset. Morgana leapt up and settled beside her head as her phone buzzed.

The Phantom Thieves, huh? I’m liking the sound of that! Ryuji’s icon flashed in the group chat.

I hope we can really help people. Ann typed up next. I’m curious about that Phantom Aficionado Website too. I wonder who made it…

No clue. Ryuji answered promptly.

Someone from school with either the skills to build it themselves or else pay someone for it. Akira typed up.

More importantly, did you see the survey on there? Ryuji refocused the conversation away from the creator. I dunno how I feel about it.

Yeah. There was this approval rating thing, but it was only at like six percent… Ann typed.

Honestly? Better than what I thought it was going to be. Akira typed.

You’ve got a point. Ryuji conceded. But don’t you want to get it higher? I bet it’ll go up tons if we keep taking down big targets. His next texts came super rapidly. It’s pretty damn exciting if you try and think about it like that.

You know, you’re actually right. Ann typed back. Well then, let’s keep working hard from this point on!

Akira shut her phone off, still thinking of who possibly created the website. It had to be someone from school. If they didn’t create the site, they were responsible. Her mind cast to the people she knew at school. All four of them: Ann, Ryuji, Niijima-senpai, and Mishima. Did any of them have tech skills?

Is it truly necessary to track down the creator? Arsène inquired. We have other more pressing things to think about. Future missions and the preparations that come with it. If we are to be their leader, we need to be one that they can count on.

Agreed. We need to actually TALK to that doctor about the medicine now. Akira grumbled. Plus there was that whole slow awkwardness with getting around the Palace. We need a solution to that.

“Akira?” Morgana interrupted Akira’s thoughts. “What are you doing?”

“I need to figure out exactly what we need for the next mission. We need to talk to that doctor, Takemi.” She turned her head so she stared at Morgana who had curled up in a loaf on the bed.

“We should talk to the Untouchable guy too. That gun looks so real. It’d be so useful for our infiltrations.” Morgana added.

“Morgana, I am not ready to talk to him.” Akira’s face still burned with the embarrassment she recalled what she did to get the detectives off her back.

That was… not the most elegant solution we thought of. Arsène conceded.

Me think it was the best option. Kelpie stated stubbornly.

“I’ll talk to the doctor. We’ll see about the gun shop guy.” Akira relented. Her phone buzzed again with a quick message from Ryuji and a pic. She tapped it and saw that Ryuji had taken a selfie with herself, Morgana, and Ann all munching happily on the buffet. A large spread of desserts were in front of Ann, a stack of pancakes for Morgana, a cake for Akira, and some ribs for Ryuji.

Akira sent back a heart and threw her phone on the bed. She stood up to go do some homework, but a wave of exhaustion hit her. She dropped back down on her bed, strength leaving her legs.

“Akira, you should sleep.” Morgana noticed the tiredness in her features.

“…yeah.” Akira blinked, confused.

Igor. Arsène answered the question that Akira’s sluggish mind tried to produce. He wants to see us.

Akira didn’t even have time to change out of her clothes as sleep overtook her.

Akira awoke in chains. She sighed and hauled herself up. She shuffled to the cell door and gripped the bars.

“Igor.” She greeted. “Wardens.”

“First off, I’d like to begin by congratulating you.” Igor gestured, smiling creepily.

“Thank you.” Akira tried to sound grateful, but she was still uncomfortable with the knowledge that Igor could send her to sleep and summon her easily.

“To think our master would give words of praise.” Justine observed.

“You better treasure this moment, Inmate!” Caroline turned to Akira.

“I treasure every moment I am here, Caroline.” Akira said, her tone carefully neutral. She winked as Caroline tried to figure out if that was an insult or something.

“You have encountered allies who share your ideals, and you have found your place in reality.” Igor’s words quickly distracted Caroline. “The time has come… Your rehabilitation will soon begin.”

Akira blinked. “Wait… are you saying that whole experience in the Palace, fighting Kamoshida, all of that, and I haven’t even started my rehabilitation? What do you mean?” She sighed. “What exactly do you mean ‘rehabilitation’?”

Caroline smacked her baton against the cell bars, finally detecting Akira’s mild cheek. “Just shut up and listen, Inmate!”

“You have a special potential. However, that must be refined into a useful power.” Igor explained. “It is weak now, but refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin. That is the rehabilitation cast upon you.”

Akira was silent for a moment. She tried to run her hands through her hair, but her shackles kept her from doing so.

“Coming ruin. You’ve said that before. What does that mean? What is going to happen, Igor?”

Igor, king of railroading conversations, gave an answer to a question she didn’t ask. “There are various means by which you may gain strength to resist the ruin, and therefore, work towards your rehabilitation. Fighting Shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process I taught you prior is another.”

“This is all possible because of our master’s guidance, Inmate!” Caroline announced.

“Though it may be presumptuous of us, we have words of wisdom as well.” Justine turned so she could look at Akira with her uncovered eye.

“When you’re out in reality, you better hone your relationships with those you have contracts with!” Caroline started the ‘words of wisdom’.

“Spending time with those people… will lead to the cultivation of your relationship with them.” Justine added the next part.

“If you’ve got time to waste, you’d better visit your contractors, Inmate!” Caroline explained sharply.

“That is another source of power to evade the ruin that our master has mentioned.” Justine finished.

“Fighting, fusion, and friends.” Akira summed it up succinctly. “Very well. I see little reason I can afford to avoid ‘ruin’ as you say.”

Igor nodded approvingly. “Thanks to the contracts you’ve formed, your heart is steadily gaining the power of opposition.” His bloodshot eyes fixed on Akira, seeming to see through her. “It seems the rehabilitation is going well. This is truly a joyous occasion.” (Have I started the rehabilitation already or not?? Akira silently remarked.) “I shall grant you an ability befitting of your newfound growth. Consider it a gift.”

Igor steepled his fingers, watching Akira unblinkingly. “May the devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper. I have high hopes for you.”

The Fool grows stronger with you. Akira felt a rush of power and Arsène sighed in pleasure. There was a subtle shift in her mind and she felt her control of the Personas in her head strengthen. She glanced at Igor.

“What did that do? I feel… My head…” Akira put her hand to her head. Igor merely smiled as Arsène explained:

You can carry more Personas at once.

Woo-hoo! More friends! Pixie and Agathion celebrated.

Friends, good. More Personas, good. Kelpie stated.

Akira opened her mouth to question Igor more when a ringing noise sounded through the Velvet Room.

“The time has come. Return to your world.” Justine explained as the sound persisted.

“And don’t forget to go talk to your contractors, Inmate!” Caroline reminded as the room faded away.

Akira met with Ryuji and Ann in the hall outside their classroom. The morning had consisted of Kawakami talking about gym class being cancelled and the gag order about Kamoshida. The school didn’t want bad press, so CLEARLY telling students to not speak to the press would help. CLEARLY. Did the people at this school not know how teenagers were?

Well… Akira was going to stay quiet, but her rep meant that teachers would be watching her. She didn’t need the extra attention, especially if she was going to do more Phantom things.

Ryuji, who said he had heard the same things in his class, tapped open his phone.

“It ain’t much, but we’ve been getting’ more postings on the Phantom Aficionado Website…” He paused his scrolling and read a post: “’I wanna make my friend apologize for not returning the stuff I lent him.’ Ugh, deal with that yourself!”

Akira rolled her eyes as Ryuji mumbled to himself, still reading. Ann’s gaze fixed on something behind Akira. She tuned into a conversation coming from behind her.

“You know that Phantom Thieves rumor about stealing Kamoshida’s heart? I wonder if it’s true.” Akira recognized the voice from the classroom, but she didn’t know the student’s name.

“It’s got to be made up. Do you seriously believe they exist?” A second voice that Akira recognized from class answered.

“But look what happened to Kamoshida!” The first protested.

“He probably just couldn’t keep hiding it after that girl tried to kill herself.” The second dismissed. Akira watched Ann as they spoke about Shiho.

“Yeah, you might be right. I guess there’s no way they really exist.” The first student relented.

“Most importantly, it seriously sucks that our school is gonna be known for stuff like this!” The second student lamented.

“I wonder if it’ll affect our college entrance…” The first student worried.

Akira tuned out finally and shared a look with the others. The two students wandered off and Ryuji spoke up first.

“That’s prolly a normal reaction for now, but… they’ll see soon enough!” Ryuji brightened up quickly. “If we can take care of two or three famous guys, people’ll have to believe we exist.”

Ann crossed her arms. “So about these big shots… We don’t have any leads yet, right? Plus there’s that rumor about you two threatening Kamoshida too.” She reminded them.

“Looks like you’ll just have to live a normal, honest school life for the time being.” Morgana popped out of the bag, while Akira glanced around for onlookers. “Still, make sure you stay prepared just in case anything comes up, all right?”

Ryuji clicked his phone off and tucked it out of sight. “I’ll keep an eye out for info on any big shots that might be comin’ around.”

“And I’ll try to dig up some dirt online.” Ann chimed in.

“We went and formed the Phantom Thieves group, but we can’t even find a target…” Ryuji sighed.

“There, there.” Ann consoled.

“I guess sometimes things just don’t go the way we want ‘em to…” Ryuji admitted.

Akira shrugged. “Let’s see what we can dig up while we eat. I’m thinking of buying bread today.”

“Yeah, they always make more on Fridays!” Ann noted. The three wandered off to get their lunch.

Akira caught sight of Niijima-senpai walking by and gave her a respectful incline of the head. Niijima didn’t seem to notice and continued towards the faculty offices.

Niijima took a single, steadying breath before entering Principal Kobayakawa’s office. He had said it was important, and Niijima believed it had to do with Mr. Kamoshida’s incident. She recalled his tearful confession at the assembly and wondered what had happened for his to change like that. To confess. Niijima shook her head. It wasn’t her priority to know or wonder why he had done that. Mr. Kamoshida had been arrested and the TV news coverage assured that it would not be covered up.

Niijima knocked before entering Principal Kobayakawa’s office. “Excuse me. Did you wish to see me, Principal Kobayakawa?”

Principal Kobayakawa looked up from his paperwork. He wasted no time in getting to the meat of the matter. “You saw the state Kamoshida-kun was in, didn’t you? It’s as if his personality has completely changed. Something is definitely wrong here.”

Niijima blinked. “I’m not sure I follow…” She tried to predict what the principal was saying. Yes, Mr. Kamoshida had confessed without warning. Years of being around law enforcement set Niijima’s mind racing as she tried to figure out a cause.

“From what I’ve heard, it appears as though some students were meddling in his business.” Kobayakawa stated and Niijima kept her expression neutral. “If they did something to him… Who could they be?”

“Are you saying that these students may have caused Mr. Kamoshida to change?” Niijima asked for clarification. What could mere students do to force a man to confess to a horrendous crime which there was little to no evidence of?

“That is what I wish to know.” Kobayakawa did not break eye contact with Niijima. “Even if it takes some probing into student matters.” He paused. “I would like you to look into this for me.”

Niijima’s mind, which had been racing before with speculation and calculation, slowed as she resumed a more pragmatic approach to what the principal was saying. “It is true that there are many rumors regarding Mr. Kamoshida, but do you mean all of this talk about those Phantom Thieves?”

“It undeniable that Mr. Kamoshida has changed in some way. I’d like to have a grasp of the cause.” Kobayakawa stated very formally. “This shall also ensure that I handle the mass media and police in the correct fashion.”

“Oh.” Niijima chose to not question that statement’s meaning.

“I will continue speaking to Mr. Kamoshida myself.” Kobayakawa ignored Niijima’s response and continued on. “Unless you find whomever did this, these irresponsible rumors will likely never die down. Don’t you agree?” His tone made it clear that Niijima was supposed to agree with him. Niijima was spared from having to make any sort of agreement as the principal kept going.

“You have been at the top of your class since day one. Your conduct is good, and teachers favor you.” Kobayakawa’s smile was slightly off. “I could write you a recommendation for any college of your choosing, Makoto Niijima.”

“Th-Thank you.” Niijima stuttered only very slightly. A recommendation? That changes things.

“Your lineage must certainly play a part in this excellence.” Kobayakawa went on. “Your sister is still young, yet she holds an admirable position at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, no?”

Niijima twitched slightly when her sister was mentioned. She loved her sister, but did not enjoy being compared to her.

“If something disappointing were to happen here, that wouldn’t reflect well on your sister…” Kobayakawa’s tone was light, but Niijima knew the implications behind his words. “Do you understand?”

Niijima swallowed the pressure. “Yes.” She relented.

Kobayakawa gave a small, supposedly jovial, laugh. “How wise. It’s no wonder you’re our student council president. I’d appreciate if you’d look into this as soon as possible. I ask that you begin at once.”

Niijima, filled with new determination, bowed low. “Yes. If you’ll excuse me then.”

Once outside, Niijima was already on her way to the student council room. She needed to investigate the rumors, as well as make a list of potential suspects. She recalled the investigative process she learned from her sister and father. She needed to be clear and focused. Her recommendation was on the line.

Still inside his office, Kobayakawa picked up his phone, hesitated for a moment, and then selected the contact. His phone dialed for him and he waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

“It’s me, sir. My apologies for troubling you at such a busy time.” Kobayakawa instinctively sat up straighter as he spoke to the man on the line. “Yes, it’s about the matter we discussed earlier. I have all bases covered. The investigation will begin immediately.” There was a pause as Kobayakawa listened.

“Mhm, of course. Yes, I will get results. I should be able to update you soon. Well then, I must be going. Thank you very much for your time.” The line abruptly went dead and Kobayakawa released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.

Chapter Text

During afternoon classes, Akira’s phone buzzed. Morgana’s fluff muffled the sound, but Akira glanced down after checking on the teacher. Ryuji, unsurprisingly, was texting during class.

The police are really here. I saw ‘em at the entrance. Few text messages could send a chill down Akira’s spine than that. Police. Dammit.

I saw them too! They were talking to the teachers! Ann’s fingers were so quick, Akira didn’t even see her text at her desk.

The change of heart thing’s seriously amazing, huh!? Ryuji responded.

I hope they don’t find out we’re responsible. Ann, ever more emotionally open than the rest, voiced the unspoken fear they all had.

Ryuji, ever carefree, dismissed the concern. I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine. There’s no proof it was us.

Imagine trying to explain what we did to the authorities. They’d never believe us. Akira typed only after she made sure that Ushimaru was looking the other way.

You have a point. Ann conceded. But I mean, haven’t rumors been going around about you guys threatened Kamoshida?

Even if I had nothing to do with this, I would still be a prime suspect, Ann. My record means everyone thinks that I am the most likely to do anything illegal. Akira sent an upside-down smiley face to the chat. And Kamoshida isn’t going to lie and say we threatened him. If his heart is as changed as it appeared, he’s not going to slander some kids who, as far as he knows, did nothing to him.

Ann fidgeted in the seat in front of Akira. Still…

We did what was right. Don’t go freaking out over some label. Ryuji reassured her.

I guess that’s true. Ann relented. Akira noticed that Ann was still tense.

Ryuji, completely unaware of the emotions conveyed 3 rooms away, couldn’t contain his excitement. Man, I really can’t wait to keep living this double life!

“Hey, Kurusu!” Akira jolted up and stared at Ushimaru. Her phone was out of his line of vision, but he knew she hadn’t been paying attention. “You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone’s talking to you!?”

Akira! Arsène warned as Ushimaru threw the chalk straight to Akira’s forehead.

All those times Shadows tried to throw something at her flashed before her eyes and Joker snatched the chalk out of the air, so fast no one could blink. There was a startled gasp as Joker held the chalk up, an inch from her face. The room held in a breath as Joker considered the chalk and Ushimaru. Joker stood up and walked towards Ushimaru, her expression neutral and her head held high. Joker, just slightly taller than Ushimaru, stopped before him and held out the chalk.

“I believe you dropped this, sir.” Her voice was so neutral, it could be interpreted as either innocent or as sarcastic.

Ushimaru’s face turned an ugly shade of red. “Tch.” He took the chalk back and Joker turned back around. She sat in her seat and put on an expression of polite interest. The entire room was dead silent.

“A-Anyway…” Ushimaru broke the silence and whispers immediately began across the room.

“Did you see that?” “What is she?” “Where did she learn to do that?” “The gall to hand it back to Mr. Ushimaru!” “She’s such a criminal.”

Akira didn’t look at anyone and instead focused on the lesson.

After class, people hurried away from Akira. She could already hear people talking about what she did, telling others.

That… may not have been wise. Akira admitted.

No, but I’m glad your instinct is to defend yourself and not get hit. That will serve us well during our next heist. Arsène pointed out. Though we should lay low.

The look on his face! Pixie chimed in, laughing with Agathion. Akira suppressed a smile.

“…Hey.” Akira turned to see Mishima, now finally free of his bandages and injuries, standing beside her.

“Hi, Mishima.” Akira smiled.

“Have you seen that Phantom Aficionado Website?” Mishima asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

Akira furrowed her brow, unsure of where this was going. “Yeah?”

“I’m the one who started it.” Mishima stated, sheepishly twirling his hair.

That mystery is solved. Arsène noted as Akira blinked in surprise. Mishima had those sort of skills? True, he had plastered her record on the Internet, but making a forum?

Mishima leaned close and Akira leaned back. “Um…” He hesitated as Akira stared back at him. “You guys are the Phantom Thieves, aren’t you?” He didn’t quite whisper, that would’ve been too suspicious, his voice was low so no one near could hear.

Akira’s brain sort-circuited and she blinked cluelessly at Mishima. “May I have a little space?” She asked, still leaning back.

Mishima swallowed. “Oh, sorry.” He took a step back, looking thoughtful. “Although… if things really are as I think, I should keep it a secret.”

“Mishima?” Akira questioned.

“I need to apologize. I know it’s not enough, but Kamoshida used me, and I did some horrible things to you guys. You, specifically.” Mishima admitted, looking downtrodden. “This isn’t much of a way for me to apologize for it… I don’t even know if I can.” He held his head up high and crossed his arms, looking resolute. “But if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know! I owe you an apology for what I did and I owe you even more for what you did.”

Deny it, my lady! Silky’s words jolted Akira into action.

“Um, Mishima, I’m grateful, but I’m not…”

“Glad to hear it.” Mishima only heard the first chunk. He turned to the window pensively. “It’s not just Kamoshida. There are tons of evil adults out there.” He turned back to Akira, a smile on his face. “But I’m sure the Phantom Thieves will do something… They can’t let this end after just one target.”

“I agree, but I’m not-“ Akira tried again.

“That’s why I wanted to make a forum where people could post their problems. There are probably a lot of people who have high hopes for the Phantom Thieves’ next move, so I’ve implemented an anonymous poll on the site.” He explained. He unlocked his phone and showed the website already pulled up.

“’Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves or not?’” Mishima announced to her. “I wanna work on this forum so eventually it’ll be packed with tons of supportive posts.” He took his phone back and glanced at the screen. “I’d really like to help out in the Phantom Thieves’ acts of justice! Can I, please?”

Akira sighed. “Do what you want.” She wasn’t going to convince him that she wasn’t a phantom thief, so she certainly wasn’t going to confirm his suspicions.

“Yeah. I will.” Mishima put his phone away.

He …really believes in us. Akira thought. It was one thing to see comments on a website. It was entirely different to have someone say them to you, his earnest belief in each and every word.

I don’t think we have ever seen him smile. Arsène noted.

Him happy. Him better. Kelpie noted.

Mishima. Akira could suppress the pride she felt around that name. A protective feeling. Her dull eyes were distant as she recalled Mishima. A cherished friend. A gentle soul. A loyal fan. …Phan?

Ever vigilant, Sae noticed the reminiscing.

“Besides the public’s reaction to your group, there were other who supported you.” Sae tried to steer Akira’s focus back to the matter at hand. “…Someone who enthusiastically cheered the Phantom Thieves on. Perhaps they were quite close…”

Akira met Sae’s red-eyed stare. “What do you have to say to that?”

“The Moon.” Akira rasped. “The Moon watched. The Moon supported us.”

Sae’s eye twitched slightly. “Your nicknames are getting more ridiculous. What’s next? The sun? The stars?”

Akira jolted at those names. They were …familiar. But her mind refused to yield the information.

“Not yet.” Akira hissed, frustrated with her own mind’s stubbornness. “The Moon. This is about the Moon” Akira recited the poem again with the Moon.

“What is that poem?” Sae finally questioned. “You’ve used it to describe every one of your allies. What purpose does it serve?”

Akira blinked, trying to focus. What did it mean? Why did she say it? Why did she know it? “…The words that she says to me. I don’t know who she is.”

Sae took in that information. Akira hadn’t said ‘I don’t know’ many times during this interrogation. Usually it was ‘not yet’ or ‘later’ or some other deflection. Not a straight-up denial of knowledge.

Sae checked her watch. “Continue your story.” She ordered.

Akira, now growing accustomed to the strange voice that decided to speak in her head, didn’t even flinch as the poem recited in her mind. It also didn’t surprise her that Mishima was another one robbed of his place to belong. Kamoshida had done a number on him. It was no wonder his place to belong was gone.

“I’ll see you later!” Mishima walked off, a big smile on his face.

Akira watched him go and leave the classroom. Ryuji and Ann both came to Akira’s side while Morgana popped out of the bag.

“I’m glad he’s happy.” Akira stated neutrally.

“We heard all that.” Ryuji spared Akira the pain of trying to explain that their cover was already blown. “Geez. It was a little awkward tryin’ to figure out when to walk over here.”

Ann crossed her arms and glanced back towards the door. “So that forum is Mishima-kun’s. You were right, Akira. It was someone from school.”

“Has he figured out our identities?” Morgana asked.

“Yes.” Akira admitted. “He said as much, but he also said he’ll keep quiet, and that he’ll help if he can.”

“Yeah.” Ann nodded. “He seemed to be playing it cool.”

“Are you guys sure?” Ryuji asked, glancing at the door Mishima left through.

“He can be trusted.” Akira recalled that the poem she heard called him the Moon arcana. “He said he owes us.”

“I will say though, a forum where people can post problems may prove unexpectedly useful.” Morgana noted.

“Maybe. People say stupid stuff on the Internet though.” Akira reserved judgment.

“Anyways, we gotta get lookin’ for a new target.” Ryuji changed topics.

“And we need to stay sharp until we manage to find one.” Ann added. “That chalk grab was really cool, Akira.”

Akira flashed a smile. “We’ll also need to update our equipment and get-“

“Wait, oh CRAP!” Ryuji interrupted, panic written all over his face.

“What’s with you!?” Ann jumped, glancing around.

“Don’t we have an exam comin’ up!?” Ryuji asked, panicking.

Ann’s entire body relaxed as the topic changed to the mundane. “…Judging by that reaction, I’d assume you’re going to struggle this time too?”

“It’s not like you’re any better!” Ryuji protested. “All you’re good at is English!”

Ann crossed her arms. “I’d rather that than be bad at every subject!”

“Even your Japanese is questionable at best, Ryuji!” Morgana jumped in smugly.

“What’s questionable is whether you’re really even a human.” Ryuji retorted. He smirked at Akira. “Good comeback, huh?”

“Let’s settle this with our fists!” Morgana leapt onto the desk.

“Bring it!” Ryuji retorted.

They are actually going to fight each other. Pixie observed.

We should let them. Agathion noted. That would be so funny.

Before Akira actually had to rein in both her Personas and her teammates, Ann stepped in. “Will you two stop it!?”

The two stepped down, grumbling.

“I gotta get to the store before it closes.” Ryuji said instead of a good-bye. He wandered off. Morgana jumped into Akira’s bag, still grumbling.

Akira and Ann shared a glance.

“You free?” Akira asked.

Ann smiled at her. “Actually, yeah. I wanted to talk to you. Do you want to go to the dinner in Shibuya?”

“I’d love to.”

Ann didn’t get into the meat of what she wanted to talk about until they had settled and gotten their food. Morgana had demanded something to eat, so Akira ordered a coffee with cream on the side. She gave him the cream and he fell asleep in the bag.

Ann had a little cake in front of her. She wasn’t eating and was just picking at it. “Do you remember that I said I wanted to get stronger? So I could apologize to Shiho?”

Akira nodded, sipping the coffee. She startled for a moment on the taste, realizing that, after living and drinking LeBlanc coffee, she couldn’t drink anything else. It tasted like crap.

Ann picked at the cake a little more as Akira waited for her to speak. “I went to see Shiho in the hospital. She…” Ann sighed. “She said she was sorry. Sorry for not telling me about Kamoshida… about all the things he was doing to her…”

Akira took another sip of her crappaccino as Ann shook her head, further explaining.

“But it was my fault too. I didn’t realize how much trouble she was in… I wasn’t there for her. So, I apologized as well.”

“You were strong enough.” Akira observed. “And it seems Shiho was strong too.”

Ann smiled. “She’s really great! Kind and strong.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pensively. “I’m glad I finally got to tell her everything I couldn’t bring myself to say before.”

“Good.” Akira took another sip of the crappaccino before abandoning it and drinking Morgana’s leftover cream. It was better than the coffee here.

“Um… remember how Kamoshida threatened to take Shiho off the team if I didn’t sleep with him?” Ann asked, staring at the table. “I had only agreed to it so that I wouldn’t ruin Shiho’s dreams… But now that I think about it, he never would have put her on the bench and cost his team games.” She admitted. “I seriously should have dared him to try and take her starting spot.” She sunk even deeper into her seat. “But in the end, maybe I just didn’t believe in her ability…”

“I don’t think so.” Akira noted as Ann looked up at her. “At least… not entirely. There may have been a part of you that thought that, but… I don’t think you should discount the things that Kamoshida might have done to Shiho if you challenged him like that.”

Ann froze, her imagination filling in the blanks. She sighed and fell back in the booth. “I’m so stupid. All of this happened because of how weak I am… I still just… took Kamoshida’s word for it, and I doubted Shiho’s ability to keep her spot.” She trailed off and appraised Akira. “You’re really good at listening.”

Akira shrugged, sipping the cream.

“When we first went out, after I got that phone call from Kamoshida. I felt so alone… scared, even… You were there and listened to me. If you weren’t there, I think I would’ve gone to him. You just… listening to me and then I decided not to go.”

Akira shrugged. “To be fair, I did have to chase you down to talk to me.”

Ann laughed. “You were pushy, but I see now that you just wanted to help. Thanks.”

Akira sipped the cream. “I just wanted to help. I couldn’t ignore you.”

“Despite that scary record of yours, you’re so kind.” Ann leaned forward. “Back then, people used to call me all sorts of names. ‘Prissy bitch’, ‘Kamoshida’s girl’…” She listed. “I got tired of it pretty quickly.”

Akira raised her glass in solidarity.

“To tell you the truth, someday I want to be able to take labels like that in stride.” Ann admitted. “To not be bother by being called ‘bitch’ or someone making up a stupid story about me. To be able to say, eff to it all. …You know?”

Akira nodded. “Very much. I am a ‘dangerous delinquent’ after all.”

Ann snorted as the conversation petered out for a moment. “Hey, um… Personas are the power of the heart, right?” Akira nodded. “That means if my heart gets stronger, my Persona will too. Carmen will.” She stared at Akira for a moment.

“I hear her, you know. The voice of my heart. She and I both want to get stronger, so I want to strengthen my heart and I want to use that strength to help the people around me. I hope we can save people from trouble, just like we did when we changed Kamoshida’s heart.” Ann slumped back in her seat. “Though honestly… I don’t even know what ‘strong’ is, but I’m going to find the answer, I promise that.”

“I’ll help you.” Akira offered.

“R-Really?” Ann was taken aback. She brightened quickly. “Thanks! I feel like I’m a little stronger already! I guess that doesn’t really count though, huh?” She remarked sheepishly. “Well, I’ll be relying on you. Let’s train together and make our hearts super strong!”

“Yes, let’s.” Akira laughed. A rush of power filled her as a voice spoke: The Lovers grows stronger within you.

“A strong heart… hmmm…” Ann looked thoughtfully at Akira. “How about this: I won’t get any refills on fountain drinks! I mean: they’re free, so not getting any would mean you have a strong heart!” She reasoned.

Akira suppressed a chuckle, but Ann noticed. “…Is that not right?”

Akira shrugged. “I think that is more about strength of self-control than strength of heart, Ann.”

The two brainstormed ideas over food until they had to catch their trains.

LeBlanc was blissfully empty, but it looked like it had been a relatively crowded day. Sojiro threw an apron at Akira when she walked in.

“Need your help tonight.” Sojiro explained.

“Yes, sir. Give me a moment to put my bag away and get changed.” Akira returned downstairs wearing normal clothes and the apron. Morgana had elected to sleep on Akira’s bed than come downstairs.

“Catch.” Sojiro threw something and, instinctively, like with the chalk, Akira snatched it out of mid-air. A worn silver key sat in her palm. She glanced up at Sojiro who looked vaguely impressed with her response.

“That’s the key to this place.” Sojiro explained. “You get to lock up from now on. I can’t keep waiting for you to come home.” His expression grew hard. “Don’t start any fires, okay?”

A touched smile blossomed on Akira’s face. “Thanks.” She pocketed the key, grateful to actually be trusted with something.

“Come on, you’re working tonight.” Sojiro gestured her to come back behind the counter. “Now then, since you’re gonna be working in my store, beyond just doing dishes and mopping, I’ll need to hammer home the basics. You know what I’m talking about, right?”

Picking up women. Agathion unhelpfully interjected, laughing.

“Making coffee?” Akira recalled the terms of their contract.

Sojiro nodded approvingly. “Yup. Glad to see you at least understand that much.” He gestured to the empty store. “This store’s not the busiest around, but I’m real particular about we do things here.”

“Like… quality versus quantity?” Akira asked.

Sojiro nodded. “Which means: if you serve a bad cup, you’re cleaning the store all over again.”

Akira snorted. “Yes, sir.”

“I get regulars here, primarily. Getting someone new is a rarity.” Sojiro explained. “So, I can tailor every single meal to every person. Being able to judge a person’s tastes is important in this gig.”

Akira recalled the curry she was served the first morning here. “Did you do that for me?”

Sojiro smirked. “Yes. You’re catching on.” He gestured to the booths vaguely. “When you run a shop, you get all sorts of customers. Knowing their personalities and how to talk to them is absolutely vital. A smile and being kind will get you far too. That’s what being in food service is all about.”

Sojiro turned to the wall covered in various coffee beans. “These each have subtle flavors that you’ll need to memorize, especially if you want to pair it well with food.” He launched into an in-depth explanation about the types of coffee beans, from their origins to their flavor profile. Akira was saved by the sound of a bell ringing.

Sojiro, as if trained by that bell, turned around. “Welco-“ He froze when he saw the man who walked in. “You?!”

A man, roughly Sojiro’s age, walked in. A big smile was on his face, but internally Akira’s insides seemed to contract. She did not like this man.

“Hello there! It’s been quite a while, Sakura-san!” The man greeted. “I heard you opened up a shop, so here I am! It wouldn’t have hurt to mention it to me though.” The hurt in his voice sounded fake to Akira’s ears.

The man glanced around, taking in the …rather rustic interior. “Huh, you’ve got a real nice location here. Right by the station and everything.”

Sojiro’s shoulders were very stiff as he addressed the visitor. “Your order?” Gone was his affable manner he had when he addressed his regulars and the smile he told Akira to wear.

“No small talk? That’s cold.” The man commented.

Unsure of what to do, Akira glared at the man. She may be more ambivalent to Sojiro, but she certainly liked Sojiro more than this… trespasser. She trusted her gut. This man was bad news.

“Oh, but this smell…” The man took a whiff of the air. “Sure brings back memories! You’re still making that curry, huh?”

As if in answer, the curry bubbled merrily in the pot behind Akira.

“I guess you haven’t gotten over her yet…” The man noted.

Her? Akira couldn’t silence the curiosity in her head. Agathion and Pixie both started talking, theorizing, wondering, until Silky and Arsène reined them back in. Kelpie neither helped nor harmed in this endeavor.

“Your order, sir?” Sojiro’s stubborn use of formal language illustrated his complete dislike of the man. It also jolted Akira out of her persona drama.

The man seemed amused by Sojiro’s barely concealed dislike. He snorted. “So, pushy. I just stopped in to say hi today, but I’ll be back again soon!” He turned to the door. “Bye.”

The bells signaled the man’s exit and the café was silent. Sojiro stared at the counter, all thoughts of training Akira gone as he focused on that previous interaction. He seemed to recall Akira was next to him and sighed.

“I don’t know where he caught wind of this place.” He muttered, breaking the oppressive silence.

Akira crossed her arms. “I didn’t like him. He seemed suspicious.”

Sojiro’s troubled expression cracked into a smile. “Heh, I guess you have an eye for some things after all.” He turned back to Akira. “Back to our lesson, I want you to learn about all these coffee beans. What their general flavor profile is and what to pair them with. The faster you learn that the more useful you will be to me at work.”

“O…k…” Akira stared at the wall of beans.

“Look at it this way, most guys love a lady that can cook. Most ladies too, for that matter.” Sojiro added as an afterthought.

Akira voiced the first thing that came to mind. “I want the ladies to love me.”

There was silence as Sojiro sputtered at her and Akira broke down laughing.

“Sorry. Sorry.” She apologized, recovering. “I doubt anyone will actually overlook my record just for being able to make coffee.”

Sojiro watched incredulously as Akira started reading the sides of the coffee bean bags. “You …actually mean that?”

“Of course! Who would risk their safety and respect for a cup of coffee?” Akira asked, not turning around.

“I mean the ladies comment.” Sojiro clarified.

Akira shrugged, still not turning around. “I like guys too, y’know. ”

Sojiro, noticing the use of the word ‘too’, nodded. “Alright, kid, I’ll teach you everything I know so I can sit back and watch you work.”

“Yes, sir.”

By the end of the night, Akira knew how to brew 3 different cups of coffee to Sojiro’s level of acceptable. They were nothing like Sojiro’s but they were ‘passable’. She swirled the last of her drink after Sojiro left, thinking to heself.

Coffee is known to energize. I wonder what its effect in the Metaverse would be?

We gotta try! Pixie insisted.

I agree with Pixie, my lady. A little pick-me-up in the Metaverse could be the difference between life and death. Silky added.

Plus coffee good. Kelpie interjected.

“A plan for next time.” Akira finished her drink and went to bed.

Chapter Text

The Phantom Thieves met up at their hideout after an entire school day of pretending to be normal, law-abiding students. Ryuji had claimed his seat and was flipping through the posts on the Phansite. Ann was doing the same, but on another site. Morgana was sitting outside the bag on one of the desks. Akira leaned against one of the contraptions on the roof.

“None of these posts are any good. Everyone’s just bitchin’ about their parents or their boyfriends.” Ryuji complained. “There ain’t even a hint of a hint about a new Palace.”

“People will say anything on the Internet.” Akira mumbled.

“We can’t get everything online.” Ann noted. “Finding a post with a name and location is asking a lot.”

“Guess we just gotta find one ourselves then!” Ryuji decided.

Morgana licked his paw. “Are you seriously suggesting we look for a target that even the police have overlooked?”

Ryuji’s determination deflated as he realized what Morgana was saying. “Yeah, you’re right. We should prolly hold off ‘til exams are done with, huh?”

“Yeah.” Akira agreed gloomily. She wasn’t looking forward to exams and all the preparation that came with them.

“We can wait and see for a little longer, then worry about comin’ up empty-handed if it happens-“ Ryuji cut himself off with the sound of the door opening. Immediately, the thieves were tense, ready, staring at the door as it opened. Morgana, having the good sense to not be visible, jumped off the desk and hid.

Makoto Niijima herself walked out onto the school roof.

“This place is off-limits, you know.” Niijima informed the group instead of a greeting.

“Hello, Niijima-senpai.” Akira smiled pleasantly at her, carefully filing away all the information that they had been speaking about. How much had she heard?

“We’ll get outta here when we’re done chattin’.” Ryuji said guardedly. “Anyways, what’s Miss Council President want with us?”

“The troublemaker, the center of gossip, and the infamous transfer student. Hmm, interesting combination.” Niijima observed.

Akira quirked an eyebrow. “Is it? Most people don’t want to talk to us.”

“You’re not that good at conversations, are you?” Ann glared at her.

Niijima seemed unaffected by the glare and Akira’s words and instead focused on Akira. “Is seems as though you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well.”

Akira snorted. “Oh wow, are you actually buying into the rumors that I threatened him? I thought better of you, Niijima-senpai.” She paused for a moment. “I had maybe three conversations with him. He tried to recruit me for the volleyball team. I declined on the grounds that I have never played volleyball.”

“How could she really know him? She’s been here for a month!” Ann pointed out.

“Hm…” Niijima glanced at Akira again. “I heard Mr. Kamoshida used a volleyball team member to spread details of your past record. Don’t you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean.”

Joker stepped around the desks and stood right in front of Niijima. She was a good head taller than her senpai, so she looked down at her. Her pleasant smile didn’t match her words.

“Don’t you? He hurt fellow classmates, physically, mentally, and sexually. Don’t you have an ounce of empathy for those victims? Or do you just enjoy acting like a cop to the one kid at this school who has actually been arrested? Because you, senpai, are no cop.”

Niijima, to her credit, stood her ground while Joker towered over her. Joker winked and backed down, leaning against the desk and tucking her hands in her pockets. Joker’s unnerving smile was replaced with Akira’s neutral expression.

“What is all this about? My friend here’s an upstanding student. She hasn’t done anything.” Ryuji defended her.

“I don’t mean to offend. Many students have been shaken up by what happened to Mr. Kamoshida.” Niijima seemed to relax somewhat with her personal space no longer being violated, but her business-like tone remain. “The rumors about that odd, calling card-esque posting aren’t going away either.”

Ann blinked, confused. “I didn’t expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Niijima-senpai.”

“I dunno that it was tactless…” Ryuji murmured, a little hurt. He regained his defensive composure. “Anyways, we done here? We can’t leave if you keep talkin’ to us.”

“At least try to understand my position.” Niijima retorted, irritated with the situation. “Being forced to deal with this horseplay…”

“Horseplay!?” Ann’s temper ignited.

“Ah, yes, by the way… It’s been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident.” Niijima remarked serenely. “I heard some people are coming up here without permission, after all. I’m sorry to have interrupted you.” She walked off, letting the door shut behind her.

“What was that all about?” Ann asked, angrily.

Akira held up a finger and checked the hallway inside. Niijima wasn’t listening at the door. Morgana jumped back onto the desk, staring after Niijima.

“…She’s on to us.” Morgana observed grimly. “That girl seems rather sharp. We should be cautious of her.”

“She really pisses me off!” Ryuji growled.

“This means we need to be careful. What we say out loud, where we discuss things, what we text in case our phones are compromised or confiscated. All of you, make sure you are careful.” She gave each of them a meaningful look as she walked back towards them.

“Talk about a pain in the ass.” Ryuji grumbled.

“That reminds me…” Morgana addressed the group. “Study hard. Especially you, Ryuji. There are bound to be traps that will need to be solved with brains. Keep in mind that everything you do in your daily lives has an impact on your abilities.”

Ann smiled slightly. “True, studying won’t be so bad if we just think of it as helping us prepare to be phantom thieves…”

“I guess you got a point…” Ryuji relented. “But man, it’s just so lame… I was all fired up about helpin’ people, not about studyin’.”

“Well…” Morgana wiggled in excitement. “I do have somewhere interesting to show you beforehand.” He turned to Akira and Ryuji specifically. “You guys did originally promise to help me out with my mission, after all.”

Akira broke into a crooked smile. “Alright, I was curious when this was going to come up.” She crossed her arms. “Time for Ryuji and I to make good on our end of the deal.”

“Wait, you remember that?” Ryuji glanced at Akira.

“Remember what?” Ann asked curiously.

Akira glanced at Ann. “When Ryuji and I first stumbled on the Palace and met Morgana, we made a deal with him. He’d help us and, in return, we’d help him.” She quirked an eyebrow at Ann. “Technically, you don’t have-“

“We’re a team now, Akira.” Ann killed the thought before Akira could vocalize it completely. “I’m coming.” She paused for a moment. “Where are we going?”

Morgana smirked. “Follow me.”

Following Morgana meant Ann and Ryuji followed Akira while Morgana directed Akira. They took their usual train to Shibuya. The group passed Niijima on their way out and Akira gave her the sunniest smile she could muster, bordering on sarcastic. Niijima looked away.

“What’re you bringin’ us here for?” Ryuji asked when the crew leaned against the side of the wall, away from the commuters.

“Just do as I say.” Morgana said shortly. He seemed to be relishing the surprise. “Pull of up that website. The Aficionado website.”

Ryuji typed expertly and brought up the website. “Now what?”

“Look for a post with a full name in it.” Morgana instructed.

“I already said there’s no info about any big shots. Don’t you remember?” Ryuji lamented. “But man, people actually go put someone’s real name on here. That’s some scary shit.”

Ann and Akira both pulled up the site and started scrolling.

“’He won’t listen to what I say’... No, wait there’s no name on this one.” Ann caught herself.

“’Someone’s bad-mouthin’ me in online chat rooms’… This one’s got a name.” Ryuji observed.

“Ignore those.” Morgana instructed. “Aren’t there any posts about more serious trouble?”

“’I don’t know what to do about my ex who’s stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.’” Ann read out. “It says he’s a teller at City Hall.”

“A government worker’s stalkin’ someone?” Ryuji repeated.

“Gross.” Akira commented.

“That should make a suitable target.” Morgana approved. “All right, now get the Meta-Nav ready.”

Ryuji stared at Morgana eagerly. “We’re just gonna jump right into a Palace? Fine by me!”

“Hey, what happened to all that talk of ‘unanimous decision’?” Ann pointed out irritably. “What do you think, Akira?”

Akira forced herself to think rationally. On the one hand, they knew nothing of this Nakanohara and people post stupid things online all the time. Was there actually truth to this post?

On the other hand, she couldn’t exactly ignore it and she had promised to help Morgana in his mission.

We also do not have our supplies. Arsène added.

But we can’t leave this alone. Silky protested. Stalking could escalate to something far more serious.

Me want to be summoned again. Me want to go to Metaverse. Kelpie interjected.

But we could die if we go~ Pixie reminded cheerily.

Or we could get MORE FRIENDS! Agathion countered.

Akira sighed. “We can go and do a little recon. We don’t know anything about this Nakanohara and people do stupid things for attention. If he is stalking someone who is innocent, we can make a decision then. For now, we investigate.” She glanced down in her bag at Morgana. “I hope this deal doesn’t involve any of us abusing our abilities.”

Morgana smiled, showing his pointy little teeth. “Trust me. This is something important.”

“Great!” Ryuji jumped up, pulling up the Nav on his phone. He turned to Ann. “Ann?”

Ann relented. “Recon. Then we make a decision as a group, ok?”

“Of course.” Akira reassured her.

“We need a name and a place, right? So the name is…” Ryuji mumbled as he typed ‘Natsuhiko Nakanohara’ in the Nav.

“Actually, we don’t need a location this time. Just enter exactly what I say.” Morgana pushed his head out of the bag. “The keyword is… ‘Mementos’.”

“Huh? What’re you tryin’ to pull?” Ryuji asked.

“Just listen to me! It should work! … I think.” Morgana added softly.

“Geez, that again?” Ryuji typed the word into the Nav as he complained. His whole countenance changed when the screen lit up. “We got a hit!?”

“Just as I thought!” Morgana preened.

In an instant, the world tinged red and seemed to shift and change, like a half-made dream.

When the world came back into focus, all of the commuters, protesters, musicians, and people who used and worked on the trains and at the station were gone. The entire station was empty and quiet.

“Everyone disappeared!” Ann jumped.

“This is definitely a scene from a horror flick.” Akira observed serenely.

“Is this that Nakanohara guy’s Palace?” Ryuji asked, tense and ready to run or fight.

“That’s half right, but half wrong.” Morgana explained mysteriously.

“Don’t go Igor on me.” Akira grumbled to herself.

Morgana, not hearing the comment, went on. “This is a type of Palace, but it’s different from the normal ones.” He glanced down the staircase. “Come on, let’s head down. The Shadows here lurk underground. I don’t quite understand why. It may be because they’re drawn to something.”

“Underground? How are we going to get there?” Ann asked.

“How?” Morgana turned around, raising an eyebrow (if he had them). “You use it every day on your way to school. Follow me!” He leapt down and ran down the stairs.

“Ah! Wait up, cat!” Ryuji cried as the three ran after him, down the stairs.

Akira knew what the train lines in Shibuya looked like. It was clear that once she got even halfway down the first flight of stairs that she was in the Metaverse. These strange tendrils, like tentacles, pulsed with power through the walls. As Akira ran down, she saw Mona shifted to his bipedal form. In an instant, warmth rushed through her and the blue flames erupted over her. She smirked as she felt her mask takes its place on her face.

Mona stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning around while the others caught up.

“The hell is this place?” Skull asked, staring at the pulsating tendrils. The electronic advertisements only showed snow instead of the usual ads. Skull jumped when he turned. “Wait, our clothes changed?!”

“The Shadows know we’re here!?” Panther asked urgently.

“Since the moment we stepped in.” Mona confirmed.

“You should’ve told us!” Skull protested as Joker listened for the sounds of approaching Shadows. She touched her pockets, feeling her weapons ready for her. She touched her shirt and realized that she was also in her armor.

This place remains really unsettling. Joker admitted to herself while her Personas agreed with her.

“We’re still safe right here.” Mona explained. “I’ve come to investigate a number of times. Shadows never come up to this floor. But it’s a different story once you go down. This place is simply teeming with them.”

“More importantly, what is this Mementos!? It’s about time you start explaining!” Panther waited expectantly.

“Mementos is… everyone’s Palace.” Mona said mysteriously.

“That does not explain things, Mona.” Joker crossed her arms and tapped her fingers against her bicep.

“Whaddya mean ‘everyone’s’?” Skull asked.

“A Palace as grand as the previous castle only forms when a person’s wishes are extremely distorted. So, instead of many individual Palaces, the general public has one gigantic shared Palace. That’s where we are now… Mementos.” He gestured to the walls around them.

“Efficient.” Joker quipped.

“Now that you mention it, this place feels a bit different from Kamoshida’s Palace.” Panther stared around, taking in the atmosphere. Unlike the horrible sickly sweet cologne smell, this smell was more neutral. It smelled like the subway. The pink aura that seemed to permeate Kamoshida’s castle was gone and instead it was more of a red aura.

“When you say shared… you mean they’re all put together? Even though they’re just strangers?” Skull inquired.

“Think of it as the collective unconscious.” Mona suggested.

“The sea of the human heart.” Joker mused to herself.

“No, never mind. You wouldn’t understand that.” Mona disregarded the comment.

“So, what you are saying is: using this palace, we can even change the hearts of people who don’t have a Palace?” Panther reasoned.

“Correct! The steps to do so are slightly different though.” Mona explained.

“If this place is for everyone… how do we tell if that person is deserving of having their heart changed? Plenty of people have distorted desires. Doesn’t mean they act on them though.” Joker inquired.

“We meet their Shadow.” Mona stated. “The Shadow is a part of the self and it can’t lie. If we question the Shadow, they will reveal everything.”

Joker nodded, satisfied. “Alright. We’ll need to find our target first.”

“This place looks pretty huge.” Skull stared down the stairs to the lower levels. “I mean: trains are supposed to run here. Are we gonna be able to get around just by walkin’?”

Mona leapt off the stairs and went off to the side of the platform, putting distance between him and the rest of the thieves.

“It seems the time has finally come…” Mona said mysteriously. He struck a pose, rather like a cartoon character. “Morgana…. Transfoooooooorm!”

What happened next was something that Joker never expected. Mona jumped into the air disappeared in a poof of smoke. AN ENTIRE CAR FELL OUT OF THE POOF OF SMOKE.

Joker’s jaw dropped as the black and gold van with blue-eyed headlights and kitty ears and tail stood before them.

“Come now, Panther. Ladies first.” Mona’s voice seemed to issue from the van.

“A car…?!” Panther sputtered.

“No way!” Skull protested incredulously.

“This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse, plus a bit of extra training.” The Mona Van explained. “It’s not dissimilar to how you guys transform.”

“You turnin’ into a car is totally different than our clothes changin’!” Skull cried, still taken aback.

“For some reason ‘cats turning into buses’ is an extremely widespread cognition among the general public.” Mona would’ve shrugged if he had shoulders.

“Why a bus though?” Panther questioned.

“No idea.” Mona replied.

“I have gone full magical girl.” Joker finally picked her jaw off the ground. “My clothes change. I have a cat sidekick. My cat sidekick is a car. Yes, this fine. Sure. Why not?”

Joker waited while Panther and Skull bickered over seating before getting in the Mona Van. The three piled in the back seat.

“All aboard! Let’s go!” Skull put his feet up, but the Mona Van didn’t move.

“Why are you all just sitting back there?” Mona asked. This time his voice came from the radio. “I’m a car, remember? I’m not going anywhere unless someone drives me.”

“You can’t drive yourself?!” Skull asked incredulously.

Panther turned to Joker. “Do you know how to drive?”

“Not legally.” Joker responded. She then mentally facepalmed. She was literally in an otherworldly place with her cat turned into a van. “Give me a sec.”

Joker inelegantly crawled over the front seat and into the driver’s seat with Skull following. They resituated and Joker started the vehicle with a little switch next to the steering wheel.

“Oh… That feels sooooo goooooood…” Mona purred. Joker, feeling very uncomfortable, gently took hold of the wheel.

“Uh, is that purrin’ I hear?” Skull asked. “What a creepy-ass car!”

“Don’t underestimate my meowtary engine.” Mona retorted. “We’re going full throttle! It’s time to fly!”

Joker swallowed and pressed her foot to the peddle. The Mona Van took off, like any other car and Joker drove down the stairs into the subway. Immediately, Panther and Skull both grabbed some part of the van as Joker gunned it.

With their cat as a vehicle, the Phantom Thieves entered Mementos.

Chapter Text

Mementos, unlike the Kamoshida’s Palace, resembled more of reality, however that’s not to say that Mementos looked like the real world. It was dark and built like a subway tunnel with train tracks on the ground, but the strange tendrils persisted, pulsating with red energy. Mementos filled Joker with a sense of dread, like she was public speaking. All eyes were on her and her team. Being in her thief garb made this unsettling feeling even worse. She also decided to ignore the fact that they were driving on train tracks. Hopefully there was no train on these tracks, but she would still have to be aware.

Joker hit the brakes when she caught sight of the Shadows. In Kamoshida’s castle, the Shadows looked like knights to fit the castle theme. In the collective unconscious, they were a horrible humanoid gelatinous mass covered in masks.

“Is that a Shadow?” Joker asked, turning down the headlights.

“Yes, that’s what they look like here.” Mona explained. “Sneak up on them and run them over!”

“Won’t that hurt you?” Joker asked.

“Not in this form!”

“Hell yeah! Run ‘em over!” Skull encouraged.

Joker looked at Panther in the rearview mirror. “Panther?”

“Take ‘em down!” She said, putting a hand on her whip.

Joker smirked and floored it straight into the Shadow.

The Shadow squealed and exploded, revealing itself as three piles of green slime with a face. The Mona Van disappeared with a poof and the Thieves found themselves standing with Mona beside them.

“Mona! Wind!” Joker ordered.

“On it!” Zorro exploded into life, calling forth the winds with his sword. The slimes collapsed, being thrown by Zorro and Mona’s power.

Joker drew her gun and pointed it straight at the nearest slime, a smile on her lips. “Join my cause.”

Though reluctant and rather irritated with Joker gaining the advantage, Slime did start talking to Joker. It took a little convincing, but Slime eventually joined Joker’s array of Personas.

Me help! Me will help you! Slime rumbled in Joker’s head.

“Where exactly is this Nakanohara guy supposed to be?” Skull asked when they got back in the Mona Van.

“I have no idea, but strong distortions should be a pretty obvious visual clue.” Mona explained.

“So we just gotta go wanderin’ around for it then? What a goddamn pain in the ass…” Skull mumbled.

“What? You don’t enjoy this?” Joker inquired as she took another turn down a tunnel. “Being back in these clothes?”

“Well, yeah.” Skull admitted.

“Besides, we need to be stealthy and check this guy out first.” Joker slowed the vehicle at the sight of another Shadow. “Are you all ready?”

“Ready, Joker.” Panther, Skull, and Mona responded in unison.

“It’s showtime.” Joker floored it and drove straight into the Shadow.

Joker rubbed her shoulder as she resumed the drive. A failed conversation resulted in a cheap shot from that Shadow. The little plant child freaked out and lunged as Joker held out her hand. Her sidestep hadn’t been a perfect dodge, but the rest of the thieves had her back when she slipped inelegantly on her ass.

“You good, Joker?” Panther asked. She leaned over the backseat looking at Joker.

“Fine.” Joker replied, stretching out her shoulder as she drove one-handed.

You need to remember to change your behavior to make them see themselves in you. Arsène reminded Joker.

Yeah, you gotta show ‘em you’re like ‘em. Agathion advised.

“Yes, I’ll get it next time.” Joker told them.

“What?” Skull asked.

“Sorry, Persona chats.” Joker smiled sheepishly.

“Oh.” Panther realized. There was a silence before she spoke up again. “Do you really hear every persona you have in your head?”

Joker glanced at her in the rearview mirror before staring at the train tracks ahead. “Yep. Arsène, Pixie, Agathion, Silky, Kelpie, and Slime. Slime is the new one.”

“Doesn’t it get… loud?” Panther asked.

Joker hesitated for a moment. “Sometimes. I can’t hold all of them at once, I have to release them or else I can’t focus.” She slowed the Mona Van to a stop before a twisting, pulsating, red portal. “Mona…?”

“Dude, the hell is this? It’s all wavy and shit.” Skull leaned forward, staring out the windshield.

“This is the place.” Mona’s solemn voice came out of the radio speakers. “I sense the target up ahead.”

“Are we ready?” Joker asked.

“Hell yeah!” Skull bounced slightly in his seat.

“We still need to officially make the unanimous decision.” Panther reminded him.

“We enter stealthily, but be ready. He might be hostile.” Joker warned the group. “When we get in, we’ll do a little recon and then make the decision. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Joker.” Skull’s excitement diminished somewhat with the careful reminders.

“Let’s go.” Joker floored it straight into the portal.

Inside the portal, a single man, Natsuhiko Nakanohara, stood alone. He looked like any other businessman, normal suit with tie, boring haircut, but his yellow eyes gave away that he was a Shadow. The Thieves entered quietly, so Nakanohara never even noticed them. Mona was back to his usual cat-like form and the Thieves crouched behind the train barriers, listening.

“She’s mine! She’s mine! I can do whatever I want with her because she’s mine!” Nakanohara muttered to himself.

Joker glanced at the others. Skull nodded eagerly. Mona nodded too. Joker looked to her right, at Panther. Panther’s jaw was set and she nodded. Time to start the interrogation.

“Natsuhiko Nakanohara, I presume? It’s a pleasure.” Joker stepped out of her hiding spot, motioning for the Thieves to stay hidden.

Nakanohara’s Shadow jumped at the sudden voice, whipping around. “Who the hell’re you?”

“Just someone who happens to be curious.” Joker spoke pleasantly, her entire body language relaxed as she approached. “I hear that you’re stalking your ex.”

“What’s it to you? She’s my property! I can do whatever I want with her!” Nakanohara’s Shadow didn’t even try to deny. “It’s not like she didn’t treat me like a plaything! What’s wrong with me doing the same!?”

“Two wrongs don’t make a right, Nakanohara. You have been stalking your ex. Is that true?” Joker inquired lightly.

“She’s mine! I don’t care that we broke up! She’s mine!” Nakanohara’s Shadow yelled.

Joker glanced at the others, still in the shadows. Thanks to her persona mask, she was able to see much more easily in the dark. Mona nodded, nudging Skull who did the same. Panther nodded resolutely. Joker smirked.

Unanimous decision obtained.

Mission start.

“You know, Nakanohara? I lied about myself earlier.” Joker’s smirk turned to Nakanohara and she bowed theatrically. “I am more than just some who is curious. I am Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves and I and my Thieves have come to steal your distorted desires and change your heart.”

At Joker’s words, Skull, Mona, and Panther came forward out of the darkness.

“Haven’t you ever stopped to consider how your ex feels?! Getting stalked?! No one wants that!” Panther growled at him.

“You can’t treat someone like shit just ‘cause they did it to you!” Skull added. “What a load of crap.”

“Pitiful.” Mona commented.

Skull advanced threateningly. “We’re gonna change the hearts of all the bastards like you!”

“There are millions of people far worse than me!”  Shadow Nakanohara rebuked. “What about Madarame? He stole everything from me, but you’re letting him off the hook?!”

“Madarame? The hells’ this guy goin’ on about?” Skull looked back at Joker.

“Who says he’s off the hook? We’re going after anyone who uses their power to harm others.” Joker stated, filing the name away for later. “Starting with a stalker who won’t leave his ex alone.”

“Shut UP!” Shadow Nakanohara’s body exploded before them and reformed into something that looked like a little red cartoon demon child.

In an instant, Joker backflipped away from Shadow Nakanohara’s claws as he took a slash towards her.

“Arsène!” Joker’s mask dissolved and the dapper demon laughed as she burst into life. Curse magic arched through the air and into Shadow Nakanohara.

Shadow Nakanohara squealed, tumbling back. He leapt up, recovering easily and growled at Joker. “Don’t you dare try to take what is mine! I finally got what’s rightfully mine! I’m not gonna let you take it away from me!”

“She’s not an object!” Panther yelled back, Carmen forming behind her.

“Look… this is a winner-takes-all world.” Shadow Nakanohara tried to defend himself. “Fight me and I’ll show you what I mean!”

“Shut up, you PIG!” Panther screamed as Carmen’s flames danced around, following Shadow Nakanohara dodged erratically.

“Panther! Let me help!” Mona cried, summoning Zorro. Immediately, Zorro swished his sword, summoning wind that coaxed Carmen’s flames into an inferno.

“Skull! Move!” Joker flipped away from Panther, towards Skull’s side. The two bolted out of the way, watching as Shadow Nakanohara dodge Panther’s fire as Zorro encouraged it.

“Dammit! I can’t get a clear shot!” Skull had brought out his shotgun and was trying to aim it at the rapidly dodging little demon.

Joker pulled out her gun and aimed for a moment. “Me either.” She tucked the gun away. “Think you can get behind it? Try some electricity.”

“Yes, Joker!” Skull shoved his shotgun into his pocket cartoonishly and took off running. He moved far faster than he had in Kamoshida’s castle. He must’ve been training as often as he could.

“Get back here!” Panther screamed at Shadow Nakanohara.

“She’s mine! Don’t you dare try to steal her!” Shadow Nakanohara yelled as he lunged for Panther. Panther’s fire caught Nakanohara finally, throwing him backwards with a squeal.

“Gotcha!” Mona celebrated while Panther glared.

The fire dispersed and Nakanohara stood up, a smile still on his face. “She’s mine! Only mi-AHHHHHH!”

“CAPTAIN KIDD!” Skull summoned electricity sending it through Nakanohara.

“Electricity, huh?” Joker brought out her gun as Shadow Nakanohara collapsed in a heap, dizzy. The other Thieves withdrew their guns and surrounded Shadow Nakanohara.

“Grr… I won’t give her up! I finally have what’s rightfully mine!” Shadow Nakanohara growled as he tried to stand up. “I won’t let anything be taken away from me again!”

“Skull, it’s your call.” Joker yielded the orders to Skull.

“Take ‘em down, Phantom Thieves!” Skull cried.

Skull swung his bludgeon, hitting Shadow Nakanohara towards Panther. Panther’s whip snapped around Nakanohara’s waist and she threw hit through the air. Mona pounced up, slashing through Shadow Nakanohara with his cutlass. Shadow Nakanohara hit the ground, clutching where Mona slashed him. Joker took his distraction to slash him from behind with her knife.

“Hey! Cheap shot!” Shadow Nakanohara griped, stumbling away from Joker.

“Ready to give in?” Joker inquired serenely, holding her knife aloft.

“Never! I won’t let anything else get stolen from me!” Shadow Nakanohara refused to give in. A cartoonishly huge sledgehammer formed in his hands. “Go away!” He swung at Joker, who back flipped away.

“Go away! GO AWAY!” Shadow Nakanohara screamed, running after Joker with the sledgehammer.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Joker kept running as Shadow Nakanohara pursued. “Skull! Electricity!”

Skull summoned Captain Kidd, trying to aim while Joker kept running. Pixie?

Ready when you are! The Persona responded.

Joker twisted around, summoning Pixie. Electricity from both Pixie and Captain Kidd arced between the two Personas, trapping Shadow Nakanohara between them.

“Take the shot!” Joker’s ordered rang out as she focused Pixie’s power.

Rapid gunshots filled the air as Panther’s submachine gun shot straight through the electricity.

“Ah! Hey!” Shadow Nakanohara’s sledgehammer disappeared as he tried to cover his face.

Panther’s kept pulling the trigger as the bullets ran out. “Ah, crap!” She froze, staring at the gun in her hands.

“I got it!” Mona withdrew his slingshot and let lose bullets.

“Skull! Now!” Joker yelled, the electricity between them dispersing.

“Leave it to me! Captain Kidd!” Skull charged forward, bludgeon raised, while Captain Kidd’s arm cannon shot Shadow Nakanohara.

“RAGHHH!” Shadow Nakanohara collapsed. His little demon form dissolved until only his normal human self remained.

“Wh-What?” Shadow Nakanohara tried to push himself up from the ground while the Thieves surrounded him. He stared at the Thieves suddenly fearful. “I-I’m sorry…” He bowed low. “Please forgive me…”

The tension abruptly left Shadow Nakanohara as his shoulders sagged. “I-I couldn’t stop obsessing…” He confessed. “N-Not after this person I trusted used me and then disposed of me.”

“Mona, shadows can’t lie? You said that, right?” Joker asked, brow furrowed.

“Right, Joker. Shadows can’t lie. This is Nakanohara’s truth.” Mona confirmed.

“Hold on, he’s talkin’ about that guy he mentioned earlier…” Skull scratched his head. “Madarame?” He asked, turning to Shadow Nakanohara.

Nakanohara nodded and hesitated slightly before speaking. “I… was afraid of being thrown away again like some worthless thing.”

“So some selfish bastard was making you suffer too…” Panther voiced what the others were thinking. She allowed the empathy, but returned to the matter at hand. “Still, you shouldn’t have dragged an unrelated woman into your mess.”

“Yes, I know that now.” Shadow Nakanohara admitted. He slowly got to his feet; remorse written all over his face. “I’ll put an end to my love for her…”

“Good.” Joker nodded. “Let’s go, Thieves.” She turned, ready to leave, with the rest of the Thieves.

“…Hey.” Shadow Nakanohara spoke up. The Thieves turned around.

“Yes?” Joker asked.

“You can change people’s hearts, right?” Shadow Nakanohara asked. He fiddled with the edge of his coat nervously.

“Dude, we just changed yours!” Skull remarked incredulously. He paused. “We did, didn’t we? We didn’t steal a Treasure.”

“Mementos works a little differently.” Mona explained. “Beating them up is kind of a prerequisite.”

Joker used her ‘friendly, interested’ smile and stepped smoothly forward towards Nakanohara. Best keep the image of the Phantom Thieves as competent up even to Shadows. “Yes, we do. What about it?”

“Won’t you change Madarame’s heart!?” Shadow Nakanohara pleaded. His otherworldly yellow eyes stared directly into Joker’s. “Before more people fall victim to him… Please… If you stand for justice at all, you’ll stop him…”

Shadow Nakanohara’s body dissolved into light and condensed into something in front of Joker. She grabbed the little ball of light as a little item condensed in her palm.

“What was that shinin’ thing?” Skull looked over Joker’s shoulder at the item in her palm.

“It’s the bud of a Treasure.” Mona jumped up onto Joker’s other shoulder. “Had we left it be, it very well may have blossomed into a Palace.” Mona nudged Joker. “This will make a perfect reward!”

The light dispersed as it took the form of a pearl-like charm. “A charm?” Joker focused on it for a moment, feeling power emanating from it.

“Change… Madarame’s heart?” Panther repeated, deep in thought.

“Before we touch that, let’s get back to the van, I don’t like standing still here.” Joker glanced at Mona on her shoulder. “Mona?”

“Roger, Joker!” Mona jumped off and transformed. The rest of the Thieves got into the car.

“So, Nakanohara had a change of heart?” Skull asked once the Mona Van had passed through the portal into the main part of Mementos.

“Most likely.” Mona’s voice still came from the radio speakers.

“But how are we supposed to know if we succeeded?” Panther asked, leaning forward.

Skull shrugged. “The lady posted the dude’s name online. If he really does change, she’ll prolly comment again.”

“Hm, you do have a point.” Mona agreed.

“Either way, trainin’ against Shadows down here’s the best! It’s great prep for our next target!” Skull remarked eagerly.

“It’s also nice to be able to give courage to the people who post their problems online.” Panther added happily.

“On top of that, we can sell whatever treasure we get for some cold, hard cash!” Mona piped up.

“Good. I need to buy meds for the next trip down here.” Joker remarked. She turned down another route.

“Sounds like things are goin’ pretty great for us!” Skull declared proudly. “Are we heading out, then? Mission’s completed.”

“Hold on.” Mona interrupted. “There’s somewhere I want to show you guys before we leave.”

“Where is it?” Joker asked, slowing the Mona Van.

“Keep wandering until we find a platform.” Mona instructed. “We’ll need to go down.”

“Alright.” Joker picked up speed again and wandered through the subway tunnels. “Mona, why did the Shadow turn into the Treasure?”

“That’s because the Treasure is the core of one’s desires. When it is not distorted, it is part of a person’s Shadow, like any other emotion. It isn’t until the desires become distorted that they separate from the Shadow and become a Treasure. That’s when a Palace forms.” Mona launched into an explanation. “If we take down more targets here, we’ll have to fight them to change their heart.”

“So, this’ll really be training for us!” Skull distilled Mona’s words.

“So… we’re beating them up until we take their valuables, huh?” Joker glanced at Panther in the rearview, a crooked smile on her face.

Panther shoved Joker lightly. “You dork!”

Joker laughed.

With their normal mapmaker currently a van, the Phantom Thieves stumbled blindly through the ever-changing floor of Mementos, avoiding Shadows and occasionally fighting. They even found a treasure chest or two. Some were locked and Joker realized she would have to make more picks later. It was however sheer, pure, dumb luck that they stumbled upon the platform.

“Finally!” Mona sounded relieved. “Pull up next to the platform and get out. I’ll transform back!”

“Hold on a sec...” Skull twisted around once out of the Mona Van, as Mona jumped onto the platform, cat-like once again. “You guys hearin’ somethin’?”

The unmistakable sound of a train filled their ears as one pulled into the station right beyond the barrier.

“The trains’re totally runnin’!” Skull pointed.

“Of course they are. We’re in the subway, you know.” Mona crossed his arms.

“Yeah, but I thought this was a Palace!” Panther protested.

“But the Public views this as the subway and they view the subway running. For it not to be running, a lot of people are going to have to believe that.” Joker reasoned.

Panther looked around the Palace. “People go through this darkness everyday?” She asked softly.

“Forget that!” Skull interrupted. “You sure we’re cool runnin’ around on these tracks?!” He asked urgently.

“It should be fine as long as we’re not on the same ones… I think. I’m no train expert.” Mona admitted.

“You gotta be kiddin’ me…” Skull grumbled.

“The Shadows were unconcerned.” Joker pointed out. “If the Shadows all disappear or leave the area, then we should be concerned.”

“Alright, Joker.”

Where are these Shadow versions of people going? Joker thought to herself, staring at the opposite train. Where would hordes of people go that they would suppress?

I regret to say that I don’t know. Arsène admitted.

With a final glance at the other train, Joker followed the others to the escalator down. Downstairs, it was a single middle platform with trains running on either side. Even at their high speeds, Joker could see Shadow versions of people inside.

“All right! There it is!” Mona leapt forward and ran to the other side of the platform. He stopped before a solid-looking wall. “This is the thing I wanted to make sure of is inside!”

Skull ran forward with Panther on his heels and skid to a stop before the wall. Joker followed at a more leisurely pace.

“What’s this place anyway?” Panther asked. “It’s kind of creepy.”

“It’s a dead end, Mona. Why’s it even exist?” Skull asked.

“Now hold on, just watch! This is most likely not an ordinary wall.” Mona explained. He approached and touched his paw to the wall.

Around them, the whole world rumbled and shook like an earthquake. The wall creaked open as it retreated into the walls around it. The rumbling stopped and Mona turned around triumphantly.

“It opened!” Panther stared down the escalators that the wall had hidden.

Joker’s phone vibrated and the pleasant female voice of the Metaverse Navigator chimed in. “A new area has been confirmed in the depths. Updating guidance information.”

“See? It’s just as I thought!” Mona jumped eagerly in place.

“What do you mean?” Panther asked.

“That wall wouldn’t budge when I came here by myself before.” Mona explained. “But it’d be weird for the deepest part of Mementos to be some normal place like this, wouldn’t it?”

“Everything in the Metaverse is weird, Mona.” Joker remarked dryly. She nodded after a moment. “I agree though. What we saw was smaller than Kamoshida’s Palace, and he was one man. Imagine how huge the general public’s must be.”

“Yeah! Now that Kamoshida’s Palace is gone and people are actually starting to talk about us…” Mona trailed off dramatically. “I knew that something had to have changed down here!”

“How deep is it?” Panther asked, still peering down the escalators. She looked back at the others. “Should we try going further down?”

“No.” Joker said firmly, startling the others. “I don’t have all of our gear and I don’t want to risk it if it gets more difficult. I’d rather be prepared next time we’re here.”

“Joker’s right.” Mona agreed. “Besides, going deeper is not why we’re here today, remember?”

“We took down Nakanohara. Let’s go back.” Joker insisted. She turned and paused, a smile spreading across her lips. “Mona, is that a teleporter I see?”

“Huh, convenient.” Mona blinked. “That wasn’t here last time I was.”

“Maybe the door unlocked them?” Joker asked. “Come on.”

The Thieves reappeared on the first level only to freeze in place at the sight of someone in the lobby.

“Hey, look!” Panther pointed.

“A person?!” Mona recoiled at the sight. “In Mementos?!”

It was certainly a person, but they looked only eight or so, with pale blond hair and unnerving yellow eyes. His eyes weren’t like normal Shadow eyes… but they were familiar. Joker couldn’t place it, but shook off the nagging sense for a moment. This little kid, a boy (?), was standing beside a little vehicle of some kind piled high with knick-knacks and other little treasures that a child might keep.

The little boy was staring pensively at a little bundle of glowing flowers floating over his head.

“Hmm…” He held out his hand and the flowers condensed into a little yellow beverage in the boy’s hand. “Maybe it’s this one…” He took a big sip and smiled. “Oh! Tasty!”

“What’s he drinkin’?” Skull asked, following Joker as the Thieves slowly approached. Anyone, regardless of their appearance, was dangerous in Mementos.

“Oh? Hmm, I thought I felt something strange for a second.” The little boy turned to the others, completely relaxed. “So, who’re you guys?”

“WE should be asking YOU that!” Mona retorted, still perplexed.

“Good point. Sorry about that.” The little boy nodded, thinking. “It’s customary for a human to introduce itself before asking another human for its name.” He stated so matter-of-factly that Joker paused. Who was this kid reminding her of?

The little boy stared unblinkingly at Mona. “Thanks for reminding me, Misterrrr… um, Tanuki? No, um…. Hmmm….” The boy stared at Mona thoughtfully. “…Cat?”

“What took so long to come up with ‘cat’!? And I’m not either of those!” Mona protested. For once, he was able to look someone in the eye when he said that.

“Yeah, uh, gettin’ confused about that seems pretty normal to me.” Skull pointed out unhelpfully.

“My name is José. I’m looking for flowers.” The little boy introduced himself and announced his intentions without much prompting. “I’m pretty surprised to see some normal humans running around. I didn’t know people could just come here.”

“Well, we are pretty special- W-Wait!” Mona stopped preening. “That’s not important! Who YOU are is what matters right now!”

“When you said you were looking for flowers, did you mean that floating thing?” Panther inquired. She was entirely relaxed now. It seemed José was harmless.

“That’s right, pretty lady.” José confirmed, a little smile appeared on his face. “Those seem to be the ones I’ve been looking for. I’m collecting as many of ‘em as I can ‘cause I’m studying humans.”

“Studying humans? That’s why you turned a flower into a drink?” Skull asked.

“Yup.”

“Drinkin’ flower juice counts as studying?” Skull asked incredulously, with a touch of envy.

“Hey could you guys help me with my research?” José asked curiously.

“How?” Panther scratched her head perplexed.

“By collecting flowers for me.” José explained. “I wouldn’t ask you to do it for free, though.” He gestured to his little buggy of treasures. “I find all kinds of stuff you can use while you’re exploring. I’ll trade you some of that stuff for more flowers.”

Skull turned to the others. “Whaddya think? Should we try an’ get him some flowers?”

Mona shrugged. “Seems like it could do us some good, but we don’t know this kid… We gotta be careful.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s fine.” Panther dismissed the concerns easily. “Let’s give him a hand.”

Joker’s gaze wandered as the others weighed the options. A familiar blue door hovered near the exit and suddenly Joker realized who José was reminding her of.

A smile split across Joker’s face. “Alright, José, we’ll help you get flowers so you can study humans, but there’s only one question I have for you.”

“What is that?” José asked curiously.

Joker hesitated for a moment before Arsène encouraged her. “Do you know a set of twins named Justine and Caroline?”

José blinked and looked thoughtful for a moment. “No.” He said. “Are you going to help me find flowers now?”

Joker, somewhat discouraged at that answer, nodded. “Yes. We’ll bring you the flowers we find on our way.”

“Wait, wait, hang on a second!” Mona protested. “We still have no idea who this kid is!” He turned on José. “Don’t go thankin’ us just yet, bud!”

“Aw, are you tired, kitty?” José asked sadly. “You seem grumpy.”

“I am NOT a cat!” Mona protested. “And I’m NOT grumpy!”

José brightened. “Oh, okay – then are you hungry? I learned hunger can make a person turn grumpy.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a little bag labeled ‘cookies’. “Here, you can have this.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass…” Mona grumbled.

“You’re makin’ the kid worry about ya even more. Guess there’s no way outta this one.” Skull reprimanded.

“So, you don’t want them? Ok.” José put the cookies away. He turned and got into his little vehicle. “I’ll be searching for flowers on my own, so if you find me, stop by and say hi!” He paused, thinking. “Oh, I guess just gathering flowers would be kind of boring, huh?”

A smile spread across José’s face. “Since you humans seem to enjoy playing so much, I’ll come up with some fun games for you.” He paused. “Ah, I also remembered something humans like to say to each other: Good job!”

With a childish triumphant smirk, José turned on his little car and drove over the escalator, deeper into Mementos.

“That was weird.” Joker observed.

“Who in the hell was that?” Skull asked.

“If he’s studying humans, does that mean he isn’t one?” Panther glanced at the others thoughtfully. “I mean: he just seemed like some nice kid.”

“Well, he didn’t feel like a Shadow…” Mona looked at Joker. “Who are Caroline and Justine?”

Joker froze for a moment, trying to think of what to say, but she was saved when José’s voice rang out.

“Wait! I forgot!” The vehicle jumped straight up out of the depths and landed in front of them. José hurriedly jumped out of the little car. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to give to all of you.”

“Something for us?” Joker asked.

“Yeah, the thing is I picked up something strange while I was exploring earlier. Here.” José pulled what looked like a little plastic star out of his pocket and gave it to Joker. A soft bluish gold light emanated from it.

“Huh? What’s that?” Skull asked, crowding behind Joker.

“It’s a star. At least, that’s what they look like, so that’s what I call them.” José explained eagerly.

Mona jumped up on Joker’s shoulder to get a better look.

“Um, so, what about it did you want to show us?” Panther inquired.

“Humans make wishes on stars, right?” José inquired. “That’s so interesting. Stars granting wishes…” He recollected his thoughts. “So this star is going to grant your wishes.”

“Our wishes?!” Mona asked incredulously.

“…Or it would be nice to think that.” José shrugged.

Mona visibly deflated. “’Nice to think that’… seriously…”

“You can keep that. It’s so sparkly and beautiful, you want it too, don’t you?” José looked curiously at Joker. “It’s a ‘sign of our friendship’. I know what that is.” He got back in his little vehicle. “Off I go now. Good job!”

“Hey, wait!” Mona protested as José drove straight back down into the depths.

“Welp, there he goes.” Skull observed. He looked back at the star in Joker’s hand. “A star, huh? He said it’d grant our wishes or somethin’…”

“I highly doubt something like that would actually happen, even in Mementos.” Mona interjected. “Well, I guess you can at least try making a wish.”

“Okay!” Panther started. “I wish for all-you-can-eat parfaits! With zero calories!”

“An extra large beef bowl! With pork soup on the side!” Skull said next.

There was silence and the star remained motionless in Joker’s palm. “Nothing’s happening.” She informed the others.

“Was Skull’s wish too petty?” Panther asked.

“You’re one to talk!” Skull retorted.

“Hm… I guess things don’t just happen that easily.” Mona admitted. “But, hold onto it. It may have other powers or something that we need to figure out or unlock or something.”

Joker tucked the star out of sight. “Alright, now, we head out. Mission complete.”

The Thieves reentered the normal world and tucked themselves out of the way of the main foot traffic as they loitered around Shihbuya.

“Mementos, huh? I still don’t really get that place.” Ryuji admitted. “Oh, and what was that wall thing we saw at the end?”

Morgana, now in his cat form, settled on one of the ledges that the handrails affixed to. “I’m not entirely sure, but that wall must’ve been there for a reason. If Mementos is the public’s Palace though… it might be affected by the general public’s belief in us.”

“Why do you know so much about it, Morgana?” Ann asked.

Morgana’s ears drooped. “My memories are a little foggy in that regard…” He admitted. “However, I need to know what lies in the depths of Mementos, no matter what.”

“’No matter what’?” Akira repeated.

“Mementos is not just everyone’s Palace. It’s the source of all Palaces.” Morgana explained. “It used to be that Palaces like Kamoshida’s with one ruler simply didn’t exist. So, if we can do something about the greatest cause of distortions, I’m certain my appearance will…”

“You wanted someone to save you too.” Ann realized.

Morgana stiffened and straightened up. “I-I just needed pawns!” He scrambled for an excuse.

“I see.” Ryuji ignored the obvious lie. “So, that’s why you came pokin’ your nose around with us.”

Ann steeled her resolve. “…I’m joining that promise you two made to Morgana.” She stated. “I want to help. I hope you can regain what you’ve lost, Morgana.”

Morgana seemed to shrink in on himself as he reluctantly voiced: “I’ll… be relying on you guys.”

Ann’s expression softened. “By the way, Morgana… Are you a boy? Or might you be a girl?”

“Could be a car.” Akira quipped.

“That is a possibility!” Ann remarked cheerily.  

“I wish I could deny it, but… I just can be sure.” Ryuji shrugged.

Morgana crouched in a defensive position. “Why not!?” He demanded. “In any case, of course I’m male!” He faltered. “I mean: I-“

Ann’s expression grew concerned. “What is it?”

“No.” Morgana shook his head. “It’s nothing. We’re done talking about that!” He returned to a more business-like tone. “Anyway, we now know that we can perform minor changes of heart in Mementos. If we come across any eye-catching leads, it may be worth dealing with them for a bit of combat practice.”

“There weren’t any other outstanding ones though…” Ann reminded them.

“Give it time. Fame takes time and work.” Akira reminded her.

“I bet we’ll get tons of ‘em if we can change someone famous and make the Phantom Thieves well-known.” Ryuji stated proudly. “The big fish are our main targets after all.”

“First you need to find a way to get through your exams.” Morgana reminded them.

Ryuji’s entire self sagged. “I gotta study…”

Chapter Text

The moment Akira returned to the real world, her exhaustion hit her like a truck. She made her way back to Leblanc in a sort of daze, craving her bed.

Akira fell on the bed the moment she could. Morgana wiggled out of the bag and did the same. Her phone buzzed and Akira, without lifting her head from her pillow, reached into her bag.

Man, that Nakanohara guy was a piece of cake! Ryuji typed out triumphantly. If we can take down some kind of big target next, we’re totally gonna get famous.

Hey! We’re trying to help people, not get famous! Ann retorted.

“How do they even have the energy for this?” Akira complained as Morgana padded up next to her to stare at the phone.

But if people don’t know who we are, how’re we gonna give them any courage? Ryuji countered.

We’re going to get famous if we take down targets no matter what. Akira stubbornly decided to side with neither of them.

I guess you’re right. Ann admitted. I think we did the right thing with Nakanohara.

But…? Akira knew there was more to this.

Should we really be doing this at all if we don’t have a reason like with Kamoshida? Ann, still unsure, typed it out.

You mean we shouldn’t be sticking our noses into other people’s business? Ryuji translated for himself. I dunno, man. If someone’s in trouble, it’s only natural to wanna help ‘em out!

I mean, I agree with that. Ann admitted.

“Lady Ann’s trepidation is just proof that she’s a woman of great ideals!” Morgana didn’t waste an opportunity to praise Ann, even though she wasn’t here.

Plus, what good are our Personas if we don’t use ‘em for good? Ryuji inquired.

‘We’re going to help people. Being famous is both useful and a side effect of our efforts. Besides, that woman asked for our help. We didn’t just butt into this.’ Is what Akira wanted to type. Instead, her too-tired fingers just typed: I just want to help people

The same goes for me. Ann agreed.

We don’t got much time to be arguing over this either. That Madarame(?) guy bothers me. Ryuji brought up the mysterious name again.

Yeah, but no getting carried away, you understand? Ann texted.

Let’s just get through exams, guys. We can tackle this later. Akira just wanted to sleep.

Oh crap! Speaking of that, I haven’t studied at all. Ryuji admitted readily. What about that star? The one José gave us. Wonder if that could help us ace the exams…

I doubt it. We couldn’t get parfaits from it. Ann recalled.

Hell, I’d settle for just not failing. Ryuji set his expectations low.

Ryuji, just go study. Ann, you too. By order of your leader. Akira typed out. She shut her phone off and curled into a ball. From her endless pockets, she withdrew the little star from José. Morgana settled on the bed and started grooming.

The star sparkled with some sort of bluish, greenish, shimmery energy, even outside the Metaverse. It was pretty, and looked like it was made of plastic. It was lightweight, but it didn’t… feel like plastic. The texture was wrong and the weight was wrong though. There was something strange about it.

It feels powerful, somehow. Arsène noted.

It hiding something. Don’t know what. Slime agreed.

He looked exactly like the twins… Akira tucked the star pensively back into her endless pockets. Morgana was still grooming, slowly settling down to sleep.

He claimed not to know them, and he certainly isn’t human. Arsène observed.

Truly strange. Silky agreed.

“Hey Akira.” Morgana interrupted Akira’s mental discussion. “You should get ready to sleep. You seem tired.”

Akira grumbled to herself, but did as Morgana said, knowing that this cat would prevent any and all productivity until she went to sleep.

Akira woke to the buzzing of her phone and sunlight blazing through her window. She rolled in bed, seeing her phone screen light up. Why couldn’t she just sleep? She grumbled opening the phone.

Her anger softened when she saw the sender.

Hey, I saw on the forum! Nice job sticking it to that stalker! Mishima typed out to her. Akira paused for a moment… when had she given Mishima her number? She dismissed the thought, deciding it wasn’t important. Mishima was so earnest. Akira doubted she really needed to worry about him. Besides… he was the Moon arcana. Could someone she had a contract with truly harbor ill intentions towards her?

My Phantom Aficionado Website came in handy, didn’t it? Mishima’s next text popped up quickly.

I think that your website helped the Phantom Thieves, wherever they are. Akira still tried to not actively confirm she was a phantom thief, but hey, she didn’t actually think that Mishima was going to stop.

Thanks! I knew it would be! Mishima’s response showed up quickly. Anyway, I’m in Shibuya right now. I’d love it if you could come hear me out about your future action! I’ll be waiting at the diner in Shibuya. You gotta swing by!

“What’s up?” Morgana stretched and leaned over, reading the texts. “What’s he up to? Are you going to go?”

Akira checked the time and rolled out of bed. “Yeah. Let’s go meet Mishima.”

Mishima was sitting at the diner, dressed in a T-shirt and khakis. A little cup of coffee sat in front of him. He was hunched over slightly, staring into space.

“Hey, Mishima.” Akira sat down opposite him and gently set her bag down so Morgana wasn’t jostled. “How are you doing?”

“Hey, Kurusu.” Mishiam greeted her with a smile that quickly turned into a large yawn. “Oh, sorry. How have the, uh, special activities gone?” He yawned again.

“Mishima?” Akira asked.

“Oops, hah, sorry about that. I, uh, haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately.” Mishima confessed. “I’ve been staying up managing the Phan-Site all night, every night. I think it’s called… PR?”

“You should sleep, Mishima.” Akira noted. A snort issued from her bag and she glared at it for a moment before continuing. “You can’t do anything if you aren’t healthy.”

“It’s fine.” Mishima waved it off with another yawn. “The PR stuff is super useful! There’s no point to taking down bad guys if nobody’s gonna know about it.” His smile came back. “That’s why I’ve started a blog for posts from people you guys saved, while filtering out the haters.”

Akira blinked. “Do you go through every post?” She asked, both impressed and concerned. “Because… online hate is a flipping nightmare.”

“You know it.” Mishima agreed. “I gotta though. We need the Phantom Thieves to be seen in the proper light if we want to make the name popular, right?”

“Yes, but I want you to take care of yourself.” Akira noted. “I appreciate your time and effort though.”

“It’s too important!” Mishima insisted. “Sleep is a small sacrifice! The principles the Phantom Thieves represent really resonate with me!” He said earnestly, waving his hands around. “I mean, you guys are bringing rotten adults like Kamoshida to justice! How could I not be on board with that!?”

Akira fiddled with the tips of her hair sheepishly. “Thanks, but-“

“Though, actually? I really wanna know how you punish people…” Mishima admitted.

Akira froze, staring at him like a deer in headlights. What do I tell him? She asked her mental peanut gallery.

“Don’t worry.” Mishima waved his hand before Akira’s mental conversation could start. “I’m not gonna ask. It wouldn’t be any fun if you just up and told me.” He smiled excitedly. “After all, the Phantom Thieves have a reputation for being secretive!”

Akira regained her emotional control and smiled at him, nodding gently.

“I…” Mishima stared at the table. “I wish I could be more like you guys somehow.”

Akira shrugged. “It isn’t all glamour.” She admitted.

Mishima shook his head and smiled at her so eager and genuine. “But I’ll still be here to draw attention to the stuff you do! You can leave that part to me!” He asserted. “I’m gonna use my Phan-Site to promote the Phantom Thieves, and weed out any negative comments. Your popularity is gonna be at my mercy…”

Akira raised an eyebrow at him.

“Or… uh, my fingertips.” Mishima amended. He quickly recovered his enthusiasm. “It’s like I’ll be your strategic image management representative, so to speak.”

Akira wondered fondly how long he had rehearsed this convo before coming up with ‘strategic management representative’. “Color me impressed, Mishima. You’ve really thought about this.”

Mishima rubbed the back of his head bashfully. “Thanks, Kurusu. Anyway, I’m gonna do everything I can to sure that title’s more than just for show.” A colossal yawn interrupted Mishima again. He shrugged. “I’ve gotta say though, managing the Phantom Thieves’ reputation is tiring work…”

“Remember to sleep.” Akira counseled, ignoring the snort from her bag. “You can’t do anything if you are sick.”

Mishima waved away Akira’s concern as he yawned again. “The forum gets all sorts of weird posts, including tons of things unrelated to reforming society. It’d defeat the purpose of the site if the truth of the Phantom Thieves was buried among all that garbage.” He shook his head as he realized what he said. “Oh, but you don’t need to worry. I’ll through all the trash.”

Akira bit her lip, trying to figure out how to convince Mishima to chill out, but he kept talking.

“Speaking of which, I’ve actually already found some worthwhile info about our very own school. Our quest to boost your popularity can start close to home!” Mishima announced to Akira. “I’ll give it my all!” He promised.

With that pronouncement, Akira felt a rush of power as a familiar voice spoke: The power of the Moon grows stronger within you.

Mishima’s enthusiasm dimmed a little as he yawned again. “I think I might be overworking myself.” He yawned again, eyes losing focus on Akira. “I think I’d fall asleep on the spot if I weren’t talking to you.” He yawned a third time. “I should head home…” He finally admitted.

“Let me walk you to the station.” Akira noted. She stood up and offered a hand.

“Thanks, Kurusu.” Mishima took the hand and stood up next to her. 

“Please, call me Akira. We’re friends now, aren’t we?” Akira insisted. She stood close to Mishima’s shoulder, alert to catch him should something happen.

Mishima kind of froze at her words. “But I… Your record… I mean: I shouldn’t.”

“For goodness’ sake, it’s fine. It’s done. People know about it. Who cares?” Akira rolled her eyes, nudging Mishima forward. “Even if it hadn’t happened, the rumor mill would’ve eventually found that I was a ‘bad kid’ because of the teachers treating me like they do. Seriously. Don’t worry about it. I’m over it. People worth my time won’t be stopped by my record.”

“But what about your future?” Mishima asked softly. “Your record will always be on the Internet.”

Akira shrugged. “I’ll deal with that when the time comes.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You were just as much a victim as I was. I don’t fault you for what you did. I fault Kamoshida.” A wicked smile spread across her face. “And he is paying for it as well as everything else he did.”

“Kurusu…” Mishima said quietly.

“Akira.” Akira corrected. She smiled gently at him. “I’m ready to let go of the past, if you are.”

There was silence as they returned to Shibuya and to Mishima’s train.

“A-Akira.” Mishima said awkwardly. “You’re really cool.”

“Says the guy who made an entire website in like two days while being a full-time student.” Akira winked at him as the train pulled into the station. “Take care of yourself. That’s an order.”

Mishima nodded and boarded his train, a sheepishly smile on his lips. The train pulled out of the station and Morgana poked his head out of the bag.

“What was that about?”

“He believes in us so much.” Akira noted, watching the train disappear into the tunnel. “He wants to help so much. How can you not feel inspired by his passion?”

“He’s weird.” Morgana stated.

“Morgana.” Akira reprimanded. “That’s rude.”

“What was that whole ‘you should sleep’ thing anyway? You’re one to talk.” Morgana sniped. “You never want to sleep.”

“He needs sleep. I don’t.”

“That is a load of crap and you know it.”

“Let’s go study.” Akira changed the topic, unwilling to address the obvious contradiction in her reasoning.

We do not have to tell him. Arsène noted.

We hypocrite. Slime stated.

Me agree. Kelpie chimed in.

Shut up. Akira grumbled.

Chapter Text

Akira ran into Ann on the way to school.

“Good morning.” Akira greeted cheerfully. Morgana wiggled cheerfully in the bag as he realized Ann was here.

Ann yawned. “…Morning.” She mumbled. She glanced over her shoulder, gripping her bag.

“What’s up?” Akira followed Ann’s gaze, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“I…” She shifted uncomfortably. “I... actually have been having this feeling that someone’s watching me…” She admitted.

Immediately, Akira took stock of everyone around them. No one appeared to be watching them that much. Ann always attracted glances when she went out, but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. She glared at a few guys and took Ann’s hand.

“Asses.” Akira murmured as she stood close to Ann’s side. “How long how you have been feeling that?”

Ann shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s nothing. Maybe I just can’t shake off the feeling of infiltrating a Palace!” She grasped for a reason.

“Ann?” Akira asked softly.

“I’m fine, Akira.”

Akira let go of Ann’s hand and gave her a little space. “You’ll tell me if you feel unsafe… right? I want to help.”

“Thanks, Akira.” Ann smiled gently as the train pulled into the station.

Shujin was the same as ever. Akira gave a wink to the student who sat behind her when he saw Morgana slip into the desk. The poor kid shrank into his seat, avoiding Akira’s eyes.

At least he keeps his tongue. Arsène observed. He has not told anyone about Morgana in our desk.

He’s definitely scared of me. Akira noted, getting her books out for class. She paused for a moment. Alright, which one of you is feeling bad for him?

Sorry, milady. Silky apologized.

Akira’s phone buzzed and she pulled out her phone. The Ryuji’s chat icon lit up the screen.

Hey, don’t you think the atmosphere at school’s kinda different now?

Ann had picked up her own phone and typed out her answer. You mean with there being no Kamoshida?

Yeah, nobody ever talked about him out in the open like this before. Ryuji’s response made Akira look around. She listened to the murmurs around the classroom. Sure enough, people were still chatting about Kamoshida. The students who used to sport bandages all over their bodies were free of them. There were no bruises either.

It’s true. Akira typed out.

I just wish someone’d just thank us for it or something…

They are. You saw the forum stuff. You saw Mishima. Akira reminded him, but she knew what he was actually thinking about.

Either way, everything has worked out for the best. Ann glanced back at Akira over her shoulder. After all, Kamoshida’s actually been punished for his crimes. That’s victory enough for me.

I certainly agree. Akira typed out. She put her phone low, letting Morgana read the texts.

I wonder what’s gonna happen to him now. Ryuji wondered. I mean: he’s a famous criminal at this point, right? He’s gonna have to deal with people hating him forever.

Good. Akira typed out.

I certainly don’t have any sympathy for him. Ann noted. He got what he deserved.

For sure. Ryuji agreed.

At that moment, Kawakami came in and demanded the class’ attention.

Akira double checked her notes when the class ended. She bit her lip, thinking.

I am going to suck at these exams. She thought to herself.

It’s a lot of information to take in. Arsène agreed.

Can… can one of you guys just memorize stuff for each subject and help me? Akira asked.

Akira, we’re parts of you. We don’t work like that. We’re not separate entities. You’ll have to memorize it for any of us to know or memorize anything. Arsène informed her.

“Well, shit.” Akira grumbled. Her phone buzzed, showing that Mishima was texting her.

Akira glanced across the room. Mishima wasn’t in his seat. When did he leave? She picked up the phone.

Hey, I have some new info for you! I saw it on the Phan-Site, but I’ve heard about it at school too.

What do you mean? Akira typed back.

Apparently there’s a guy at school whose bullying has gone too far. I want to help the victim, but that’s impossible for me… But I bet the Phantom Thieves could do something about it!

Akira felt a pang of sympathy. Mishima still felt powerless to help others, huh?

I mean you already changed the heart of that stalker, so this should be a breeze, right?

Akira paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard. A bullying incident? Should the Phantom Thieves step in this early?

It may not be early for the victims. Arsène suggested. A bully is a bully.

We best look into it. See how powerful this bully is in the Metaverse, and then we can figure it out. Silky suggested.

We find. We fight. We fix. Slime insisted.

I’ll look into it. Akira typed out, careful to keep a neutral response.

Perfect! The bully is a brown-haired guy frequently seen standing out front of the school entrance, and from what I can tell, his name is Daisuke Takanashi. I know you can handle this!

Morgana wiggled out of the desk and Akira opened her bag.

“What’s up?” He asked.

“We may have a possible Mementos target.” Akira kept her voice low as she gathered her books.

Morgana’s eyes flashed with interest. “Ooh, great! Tell me more!”

Akira glanced at the other students around her. “A bully from Shujin. I have a name too.”

“A small case, huh?” Morgana mused as Akira walked out of the classroom. “Let’s get the guys together.”

Akira snorted and sent a single text to the group: ‘Roof’.

“A bully here at Shujin, huh?” Ryuji mused. He looked over at Akira. “You said that you had a name?”

“Daisuke Takanashi.” Akira read off her phone. “You guys know him?”

“Takanashi?” Ann repeated. “He’s bad news. I don’t know him though.”

“I know ‘im.” Ryuji noted. He crossed his arms thinking. “Like Ann said, he’s bad news. He doesn’t mess with me, but I know a few people who are a little freaked out by him.”

“We can always check if he’s in Mementos and then listen to his Shadow in case the intel isn’t good.” Morgana suggested.

“But we have exams!” Ann protested.

“Those can wait!” Ryuji waved the concern away. “We can go to Mementos right now!”

“You really will do whatever you can to avoid studying.” Ann observed.

“Buzz off! Like you want to actually study too!” Ryuji shot back. The two bickered with Morgana’s occasional dig while Akira went over the new information. She walked to the side of the roof, careful to stay out of sight, and stared down at the people below her. She couldn’t tell who was down there and the uniforms certainly didn’t help differentiate everyone from this height. She squinted, looking for a brown-haired guy.

“Are you both sure?” Akira interrupted the bickering as she returned to the group.

“Huh?” Ryuji asked, confused.

“Takanashi. The bully. Are you both sure?” Akira asked again.

“Uh, yeah.” Ryuji responded.

“Mm-hm.” Ann agreed.

“Are we going into Mementos?” Ryuji asked eagerly.

Akira took stock of all of them. “We will deal with this tomorrow. I want to look into Takanashi myself and I want you two to both study. Should this prove to be true, we’ll go into Mementos as soon as we can. When we’re not working, I want everyone working towards keeping a low profile.”

“Wouldn’t me gettin’ good grades be suspicious?” Ryuji tried to reason.

Akira fixed him with a disapproving glare until he shrank in on himself. “Yes, Leader.”

Akira turned to Ann. “You too. I want everyone to work towards keeping a low profile.”

Ann shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, ma’am.”

Akira’s entire stance softened as she laughed. “Ease up, both of you. It just means we’re not working today. Focus on what else you can do.”

“Fine.” Ryuji relented.

“Meeting adjourned. Morgana and I will text you when we should meet up for Mementos. Just keep up normal student lives.” Akira picked up the bag and opened it for Morgana.

“Akira’s right. Act normal. That means you, Ryuji.” Morgana reprimanded as he jumped in.

“Morgana, you too.” Akira cut off the argument before it could happen. She smiled at the other two. “I’ll see you both later.”

The three dispersed and Akira walked downstairs. It was nice to see that though the general student body didn’t like her, they no longer avoided her and leapt out of her way. She was just another in a Shujin uniform. Invisible, unless someone decided to truly look at her. The rumor mill had dropped her like old news and Kamoshida’s confession, as well as the revelation of the Phantom Thieves dominated the conversations, though even that was starting to taper off.

Akira smiled to herself. Though, this damnable record would follow her everywhere, at least she could have a respite in this form. For once, she was only another uniform, hiding in plain sight.

Outside, Akira went down the stairs, combing the crowd for a ‘brown-haired guy that frequents the school gate’. She noticed a few girls chatting with one another, loitering a little in front of the gate. Akira passed them, hearing things about ‘hot new clothes down at that cute little shop in Shibuya’. Akira kept going, idling near the vending machines. She stared at the drinks vacantly, listening to the chatter around her.

“-maybe he likes me-“

“-Ushimaru’s class is killing me-“

“-where’s my money-“

“-I hate exams-“

Akira froze for a moment and bought a random drink.

Where did that come from? Arsène inquired.

Who was speaking about money? Silky added.

Suspicious. Slime noted.

Very. Bicorn agreed.

Akira smirked slightly and popped open the can of soda. She settled against the side of the building, drinking her soda idly.

Off to the side, Akira listened to a brown-haired boy talk to a smaller boy.

“You owe me money, yeah? So where is it?” The brown-haired boy asked the smaller boy.

“I-I d-don’t h-have anything!”  The smaller boy tried to state.

“Yeah, you do! Don’t try to hide it!” The brown-haired boy stated.

The smaller boy shook like a leaf, twisting his bag’s straps. “I-I-I-“

Vulgar fool. Wretched bully. Arsène’s disgusted tone mirrored Akira’s own feelings. Akira?

Help. Slime stated.

Now. Bicorn announced.

In an instant, Joker stepped out of the shadows, a smirk on her lips. She sipped her drink and stared at the bully, waiting to be noticed.

The victim noticed before the bully, Takanashi, did. The victim, if possible, went even paler at the sight of Akira. Takanashi, noticing that he wasn’t the sole focus of his victim, turned around. Takanashi blanched at the sight of Joker.

“Are you done?” Joker inquired, sipping her soda idly. “People are trying to get by here.”

Takanashi swallowed, trying to regain some bluster. “I don’t hafta-“

“You heard the little guy, he said he doesn’t have want you want.” Joker explained rather concisely.

She glanced at the victim, wondering if he was going to take the hint and run. The victim stared at her with, if possible, more fear. Joker’s gaze grew disinterested as she returned her attention to Takanashi.

“Well?” She inquired.

Takanashi floundered for a moment, then seemed to recover somewhat. “Listen, you-“

“Move.” Joker ordered. “Now.”

Takanashi folded under Joker’s glare and quietly stepped aside. Joker walked by, without even glancing at Takanashi. She didn’t stop walking until she rounded the corner.

That boy got away while we were distracting Takanashi. Arsène applauded quietly.

Good. It looks like Mishima’s intel is good. Akira noted. Alright, crew, let’s get prepared for a Mementos trip this week.

Medicine, first, my lady. Silky insisted.

No, weapons first! Bicorn insisted.

Armor should be good too! Agathion tumbled around in their pot in Akira’s head.

Akira stood outside of Takemi Medical Clinic, loitering against the closed movie theater. A few people milled about, but no one paid Akira any mind.

We have to, my lady. Have courage. Silky advised.

She’s just a lady. Not a Shadow. Pixie added.

We smart. We strong. We do it. Bicorn insisted.

She might report us to cops. Slime noted.

Or slap us! Agathion argued.

Akira twisted the tips of her hair, trying to calm the arguments in her head.

“Come on, Akira.” Morgana popped out of the bag and spoke in Akira’s ear. “We need to keep the team healthy.”

Akira’s entire mind went quiet at the realization that these meds could be the difference between life and death for her team.

“Let’s go.” Akira and Arsène spoke at the same time as they walked into the clinic.

The clinic was the same; empty as usual. The goth doctor Takemi was at the desk, reading some sort of medical journal. A cup of cold coffee in a mug sat next to her.

Akira approached the desk. “Excuse me.”

“What are you here for today?” Takemi looked at Akira.

“Got any “special” medicine?” Akira’s fear had left her, leaving only reckless courage behind.

Immediately, Takemi’s expression darkened as she stared at Akira. There was a silence as the two stared, unwavering at each other.

“Now I remember you. You’re the kid from Leblanc.” She appraised Akira once again with that information. “…Regular medicine won’t do the trick?”

“No.” Akira declined to give more information.

Takemi paused, thinking it over. “…Very well. Just head to the examination room for now.” She nodded to the door beside Akira.

Obediently, Akira entered the exam room and took a seat. Takemi followed after, leaning against the door.

“…That “medicine”, huh?” She asked, looking at her clipboard. In a single, smooth movement, she tucked the clipboard under her arm and locked the door.

Takemi turned, glaring at Akira. “So… which conversation of mine did you eavesdrop on to hear that?”

Oh shit. Akira’s brain froze.

Make something up! Tell the truth! Akira’s personas scrambled to try to help her.

Takemi went on, not waiting for a response. “It was obvious, actually. You call that hiding? I’m just surprised it took you that long to show up.” Her glare dulled to vague interest. “…Not that I care, of course.”

Her expression seemed to get a little sad. “I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it.” She raised an eyebrow at Akira. “But tell me; why would a high schooler like yourself be so interested in that medicine? It’s very strange, indeed. You don’t seem to be very athletic, so…” She leaned forward. “What exactly are you up to?”

Sports!

Crime!

Exams!

Beating up people!

We’re sickly!

Akira’s personas yelled out every possible excuse they could think of. Akira went for the simplest.

“It’s for my exams.” Akira met the doctor’s eyes head-on.

Takemi looked taken aback. “Exams…? Your entrance exams?” She paused, reevaluating Akira. She leaned back, more relaxed. “So, you’re looking to improve your concentration and reduce fatigue? Hm, that’s not the best idea, but if that’s what you want to do…” She unlocked the door and stepped aside. “Then good luck with that.”

“I need that medicine.” Akira stated.

“You’re real annoying.” Takemi observed. “The medicine is really expensive.” She said after a moment. “And it’s not something a high schooler can get his hands on. It costs almost as much as a car. Got it? So how about you just go home?”

“Can I work for it?” Akira asked.

Takemi turned at that statement. “What, like part-time help?” She looked over Akira critically. “…Do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina?”

“Doctor?” Akira raised an eyebrow at her, perplexed.

“I admit I have been looking for a young person around your age to help me out. But I haven’t been able to find one, even after putting an ad in the paper.” Doctor Takemi smiled. “Are you up for it?”

Akira hesitated.

“Do you want to do it or not?” Takemi crossed her arms.

Akira nodded. A deal for what she needed.

“Okay then. You’ll be participating in clinical trials for my medicine.” Takemi turned back to the door. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”

Clinical trials? I guess I’m a guinea pig for meds. Alright. Fine. Akira made her peace with this deal.

Takemi returned with a little vial. “Here you go.” She said, giving it to Akira.

Akira, now holding the vial, stared at it with trepidation.

“…Worried about the side effects huh?” Takemi read Akira’s face accurately. “Well, you can relax.” She smiled serenely. “Rest assured, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what part of it killed you.”

“Damn straight.” Akira, caught in some reckless suicidal sense of determination, downed the entire vial in a single gulp. For a moment, Akira’s internal voices of her personas went silent and Takemi gaped at her.

“I can’t believe you actually drank it…” Takemi blinked.

Akira turned to her with a smile. “Make damn sure that the autopsy is 100% accurate, alright?”

“It’s not supposed to kill you.” Takemi said. “You’re doing okay? Hm. Not bad, for a high schooler.”

Akira smiled, and suddenly she went lightheaded. She stumbled out of the stool, falling forward. Her personas’ voices dimmed and the world went black.

The world came back slowly. Akira had experienced several different kinds of unconsciousness thanks to Shadows hitting her, Velvet Room shenanigans, and normally falling asleep at the insistence of an otherworldly cat, but this one was different. Her body was achy and her head felt foggy.

Akira groaned and pulled herself up. She wasn’t in her room, she was in… a hospital? Her memories immediately returned when she saw Takemi.

“Good evening.” Takemi greeted Akira serenely, finishing up what she was writing.

“Evening?” Akira repeated.

“Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine until now?”

“…No?” Akira replied, trying to clear her head.

“You briefly woke from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination.” Takemi explained clinically. “You eventually lost consciousness and fell back asleep.”

Akira blinked. “Did I say something strange?”

“Nothing coherent.” Takemi wrote down on the clipboard. She glared at Akira. “Are you out of your mind? Only an idiot would have drank that.”

Akira snorted, recalling her recklessness. “It’s for my exams.” She insisted, clinging to her excuse.

“Fine.” Takemi dismissed the answer. “By the way, the reason you lost consciousness was because of the taste.”

“Huh?” Akira asked.

“It produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices, similar to surstromming.” Takemi shrugged. “Oh well. All that matters is that thanks to you, I was able to get some good data.”

“I’m glad it did something.” Akira pulled her phone out and checked the time. It really was evening. That little vial knocked her out for at least a few hours.

“Okay, it’s my turn to make good on part of the deal. That’s why I waited until you woke up.” Takemi watched Akira stared at her with dawning comprehension. “I don’t want the general public to know about my original medicines. So, you’re strictly prohibited from disclosing what happens here to anyone… Understood?”

“…Dr. Takemi, I have no intention of selling you out. I won’t sell you out as long as you don’t sell me out.” Akira’s smile returned to her face as her head finally cleared. She straightened up.

“Then, it’s a deal.” Takemi smiled. “As long as you come here for it, I’ll give you the medicine at a good price whenever you want. I may even add additional selections, in time.”

Akira nodded. “In return, I will help with you clinical trials.” She stated. She held out her hand.

Takemi smirked and took it. “I look forward to your continued patronage, my little guinea pig.”

Sae went out of focus as Akira recalled Dr. Tae Takemi. The incredibly gifted doctor, willing to do everything she could for her goal. The doctor who tended so many of Akira’s injuries. Akira stared at her bruised wrists and wished for Takemi’s efficient touch.

Sae, noticed the stare, and voiced another aspect she had thought of. “Considering all the actions you’ve taken, you must’ve had someone with medical expertise.”

Akira traced the bruising and cuts left behind by the handcuffs.

“Who? And how did you treat your wounds? It’ll be easy to find out who if we look into this, you know!”

Akira’s dull gaze flicked to Sae. “I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Death Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…”

Akira’s dry hacking laugh issued from her mouth. “Death… not the death you know… But Death.”

Sae swallowed, her discomfort well-hidden. “Are you confessing to murder?”

“No.” Akira rumbled. “Death is my ally. Death, like the Magician… Like the Moon… My ally. The one who healed me.”

Sae stared at Akira. “Are you just having a reaction to the drugs? Or do you mean to tell me this is some sort of cult?”

“Sae-san… Death is their name.” Akira’s dry cracked lips twisted into a grotesque smile. “Not an act… Not what we did... Not a cult…”

Sae relaxed some at that statement, but kept that hidden. She checked her watch. “Continue your story.”

Chapter Text

Akira stumbled home, listening to her personas berate her for her recklessness. Morgana jumped out of the bag and started berating Akira for her drinking the spooky vial.

“Come on, I got the meds.” Akira protested, stopping at the grocery store to pick up something for dinner. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Sushi!” Morgana immediately piped up.

“Hey kid, keep your cat in your bag!” The storekeeper, long used to the sight of Akira and Morgana over the last month, reminded her.

“Yes, ma’am.” Akira cast a smile at the storekeeper. She turned back to Morgana. “You really want sushi from a super market?”

“Well, no. I want the good stuff! Order takeout!” Morgana ordered.

“No way. I can’t afford that. Plus, I don’t have the head to order things right now.” Akira retorted. The storekeeper politely ignored that Akira was speaking conversationally with her meowing cat.

Akira stumbled slightly, but picked up some produce, thinking about dinner. She entered Leblanc, the bell chiming. Sojiro looked up, ready to greet the new customer, but he relaxed when he saw Akira.

“Got groceries.” Akira noted, holding up the bag.

“I got some leftover curry from the day.” Sojiro nodded to the pot on the table. “It’s yours if you want it.”

Akira brightened. “Thanks.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. You’re working tonight. Eat and get your apron on. It’s time for your next lesson.” Sojiro explained.

Oh, not now. Arsène lamented while Akira felt her achy body.

Regardless, Akira nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Akira came back downstairs with her apron on and her hair tied tightly back. Morgana elected to nap upstairs instead joining Akira.

When Akira came back down, Sojiro pointed to the dishes and she started, while Sojiro manned the curry for tomorrow. Leblanc, usually smelling of coffee and curry, renewed its smells. Akira, long-used to the smells, paid it no mind as she scrubbed the pots.

“All right, that’s it for tomorrow’s curry.” Sojiro stated once Akira had finished the last pot and dried her hands.

“Have you been practicing with the different bean types?” Sojiro asked and Akira shrugged.

With everything going on, Akira hadn’t had much time to study the beans. (We know cat toe beans!! Pixie giggled in her head.)

“Jamaican Blue Mountain tends to be the most common coffee you serve here.” Akira noted. “You tend to switch it out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for a Hawaiian Kona blend. That’s about all I know.”

Sojiro nodded. “How about your blending skills?”

Akira shook her head. “Not that much.”

“Try now. I’ll test it.”

Obediently, Akira picked up one of the bags, reading the label as Mocha Matari. The beans were already ground, so Akira carefully set up the coffee machine, while Sojiro watched over her shoulder. He was silent and Akira just felt his eyes on the back of her head. Her Personas rustled uncomfortably in her head.

Don’t like. Kelpie rumbled. Feel like prey.

Indeed it does. Arsène agreed. Just remember what Boss showed us before. It is only coffee after all.

Akira produced two cups and took a sip. She cringed at the taste. It wasn’t like the stuff she drank here. It was mediocre.

Akira froze as Sojiro took the other mug and sipped. “Hmm… your technique could use some work. It’s a passable cup, if it were from a gas station.”

He’s right. Silky affirmed. We have not been practicing.

Phantom Thieving does take priority, but Igor said we should work on our bonds with those we have deals with. Arsène reminded Akira.

So…. COFFEE TIME! Agathion cheered.

“What you need is practice. You need to know the exact temperature that each blend needs.” Sojiro explained. He launched into a detailed description about monitoring the coffee machines in the café and which ones ran hotter than the others.

“Try again. This blend now.” Sojiro handed her another bag of beans. “It needs a cooler temperature than the Matari.”

Akira carefully measured the beans and started up the next coffee machine. She produced two more cups and cringed at the taste again.

“It’s bad. Don’t-“ Akira started, but Sojiro drank the coffee. His eyebrows went up.

“It isn’t amazing, but the fact that you made this cup immediately after the other is impressive. You’re a quick learner.” Sojiro’s expression softened somewhat and Akira felt a bloom of pride in her chest. “Keep up practicing.” He stood up and dumped the rest of the coffee down the sink. “You need it.”

Akira snorted a little. “Yes, sir.” She began to clean up the coffee makers while Sojiro picked up the mugs. He stopped for a moment, watching her work.

“I can’t believe that this kid is a troublemaker with a criminal record.”

“Would you prefer I act more like a punk?” Akira inquired, a quirked smile on her lips.

“Don’t even start.” Sojiro put the mugs in the sink and checked on the curry on the stove. “Curry looks good for tomorrow.” He nodded to himself.

Akira took up the mugs and started to clean them.

“What you need to remember about coffee is that there are three factors that determine the flavor for a cup of coffee: grind, heat, and time. You are pretty good at timing, but you need to remember the grind. For these siphons we have here, we’re aiming for medium-fine.” He glanced at Akira, still cleaning the mugs. “Are you listening to me? What grind are you supposed to use?”

“Medium-fine.” Akira recited dutifully. She declined to mention that the beans she used were pre-ground.

“Right.” Sojiro nodded. “Keep up the good work.”

Akira finished up the mugs and turned back to Sojiro. “Thanks.”

“It doesn’t net much profit given the effort it takes, but hey, money is money.” Sojiro shrugged. “I’m not gonna forgive you if you serve our customers crap coffee though. Just remember that.”

Akira shrugged. “So, I can’t serve the coffee, then.”

Sojiro’s phone interrupted them. “Who could this be…?” He asked, staring at the screen. “Yes, hello?” He answered.

Sojiro froze. “…How’d you get this number?” There was a silence as he listened. “Now? Where?” Another silence. “…Fine.”

Sojiro hung up and turned to Akira. “Sorry, something just came up. We can keep going with the lessons some other time.”

“Is there trouble?” Akira asked concerned.

Sojiro snorted. “What, you worried about me?” He shook his head. “…It’s nothing you need to concern yourself over. Finish up the dishes while I’m gone. Oh, and remember to shut off the gas before you close up shop.”

Akira nodded and turned back to the dishes. “Yes, Boss.”

Sojiro checked the curry one last time. “It’s nice having someone around to help at times like this. Turns out you’re actually a harder worker than I thought. Keep it up.”

Akira finished up the dishes while Sojiro changed out of his apron into his coat and hat.

“I’m off. Don’t eat all the food while I’m gone.” Sojiro reminded her.

“Yes, Boss.”

The bell chimed and Akira hurried around the café, collecting dishes. She finished washing the dishes and the pots from the day. Based on the amount of mugs, the café saw a fair number of patrons today (for Leblanc standards). She wiped down the counter and did a quick sweep of the bits of food off the floor. She just wanted to sleep.

“How was it?” Morgana asked once Akira came back upstairs after locking up the store.

“Interesting, but I haven’t been practicing.” Akira admitted.

Morgana stared at her for a moment before Akira’s phone went off.

“Hey, you get everything closed up?” Sojiro’s voice came through the phone.

“Yes, Boss.” Akira said, picking up her pajamas off the bed.

“Sorry about earlier. Had to take care of some business.” Sojiro explained. “But don’t worry, I’ll put you to work. We’ve got lots of time on our hands.”

“I’ll keep practicing.” Akira informed him.

The power of the Hierophant grows stronger within you. A voice sounded in Akira’s head and she felt a rush of power. A small part of her wondered how coffee of all things was helping strengthen her personas, yet it was.

“That’s some work ethic you got there.” Sojiro observed. A teasing tone entered his voice. “You sure you’re a delinquent?”

“Very much. I have a record to prove it.” Akira remarked dryly. An edge had entered her voice that Sojiro seemed to pick up on.

He dropped his teasing tone. “Well, make sure you turn off the stove before you head to bed.”

“Yes, Boss.” Akira nodded. She clicked the phone off and threw it on the bed beside Morgana. “I’m going to change, ‘k?”

“Alright.” Morgana turned around. “You know, I was thinking about Mementos and future targets…”

“And…?” Akira asked as she tugged off her clothes.

“Coffee is viewed as energizer and, to some people, a sort of elixir. That sort of cognition, even if you don’t hold it yourself, would be pretty good to use in the Metaverse.” Morgana spoke, still facing the wall.

“What do you mean exactly, Morgana?” Akira asked, tugging her pajamas on.

“It might be a better energy drink in the Metaverse.” Morgana suggested.

Akira froze for a moment, thinking.

Morgana has a point, my lady. Silky conceded.

We can’t give the team that subpar coffee though. We must improve with this craft. Arsène asserted.

“You may have a point, Morgana, but I don’t think I can give the mediocre stuff I made.” Akira finished putting her pajamas on and sat down on the bed. She stretched out as Morgana turned back around.

“Not enough time in the day?” Morgana yawned and stretched. “Let’s get some sleep.”

For once, Akira offered no argument and obediently slid into bed. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Akira ran into the student council president on the way to school.

“It looks like you’re attending school seriously.” She observed.

“Should I not be?” Akira inquired with a quirked brow. “Are you encouraging me to ditch, Senpai?”

“Of course not.” Niijima’s expression soured slightly. “You also seem pretty close with Takamaki-san if you’re both coming to school together.”

Akira snorted. “Does that mean we are close, Senpai? Because we are doing the same thing.”

Niijima’s expression grew annoyed at Akira’s teasing. “You two just clicked even though you just transferred.”

“I’m charismatic.” Akira winked at Niijima, letting a shade of Joker out as she spoke. “Senpai, be careful. I may just charm you.”

“I highly doubt that.” Niijima noted dryly. “I am merely fulfilling my duty as student council president to assist my fellow students. Your academic career is important to me, as all of my fellow students’.”

“Truly.” Akira turned to the train tunnel, checking to see if the train was coming. She was tired of this conversation. This irritatingly probing student needed to mind her own business.

“I heard Takamaki-san was a victim of Mr. Kamoshida… is that why you two are friends?”

Akira clenched her teeth for a moment and dug her nails into her palm, trying to keep herself from snapping at Niijima. Why the hell was she using ‘Mr.’ when referring to that piece of shit?

“If you recall, Kamoshida listed all of his victims for everyone to hear. We all know who he fucked over.”

“Language.” Niijima reprimanded.

“My apologies, dearest Senpai, I will watch my language.” Akira replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I was unaware that I am not allowed friends.” Right on time, the train rolled into the station. “If you will excuse me, I do not wish to share a train car with you.”

Once inside and away from Niijima, Akira finally released her palms, staring at the marks she had managed to put in them. She hated it. That smug composure and irriating fake empathy. It was like every other damn cop she had talked to. Niijima spoke like a fucking cop.

I hate the way she talks to me. Akira thought to herself. Why does she sound like a cop? A newbie cop, but a cop?

“Akira?” Morgana poked his head out of the bag. “You good?”

“Fine, Morgana.” Akira shoved her feelings away. She didn’t have time for this. She had exams to worry about.

Because of exams, Akira was a good little student. She went to the library to do her homework, study, and pretend she hadn’t done anything illegal. (Was it actually illegal? She wasn’t entirely sure. Morally questionable? Definitely.)

Niijima would check up on Akira while they both looked in the library. Akira took a study space in the back, while Niijima worked near the reference desk. Every so often, Akira caught Niijima’s gaze.

Though Niijima’s stares were annoying, the more annoying matter was the whispering students around her. Did they truly have nothing more to talk about than Akira’s reputation? Wasn’t that old news by now?

Niijima didn’t seem to notice the whispers. Was watching Akira that important?

Akira sighed and reached into her bag. She checked her phone and saw Morgana sleeping inside. A soft smile graced her lips. Even though it was merely hiding a cat in her bag, Akira was glad that this was hidden from Niijima’s searching gaze.

Chapter Text

Akira had taken stock of all of her money and realized that it was not enough, so she was spending her evening working a beef bowl place. Though she could make money through Mementos, it was dangerous and required both Ann and Ryuji to go into (All of them promised to not go in alone), so it wasn’t the ideal way to make money, especially if she wanted to prepare to go to Mementos.

So, beef bowl shop job.

It also provided a final break before exams tomorrow.

Morgana, usually able to help Akira remember things, both at class and during the day, couldn’t help, so Akira was running around, trying to memorize orders and who they went to. Honestly, this place was horribly understaffed. So, left alone with minimal training, Akira ran around, trying to keep people happy and cook food.

The last gentleman, an early-forties man in a suit with a sash, smiled kindly as Akira served him his food.

“I’m sorry it’s late.” Akira apologized.

“It is no problem. You appear to be working quite hard.” The gentleman noted. The other patrons had left, so it was really just the gentleman and Akira for right now.

“It seems like you are understaffed and overworked.” He glanced around for other workers, but saw no one. “Are you alone? Where are your coworkers?”

Akira shrugged. “It’s my first day.”

The gentleman choked on his drink. “You’re doing remarkably well.” He recovered, coughing.

“Thank you.” Akira put on her customer service face.

“Can’t you ask your manager to hire more people?” The gentleman asked.

Akira shrugged and started doing dishes. Thanks to her many nights of doing dishes for Leblanc, it was done rather quickly.

“Employees being overworked is becoming a real problem in the workplace. That’s concerning…” The man said pensively. “I should remember this.” He smiled genuinely at Akira. “I’ll leave my payment here. Thank you for the food.”

The gentleman left and Akira kept cleaning.

“Ok, that job does not pay well.” Akira noted, counting her pay from the evening.

“Well, that’s to be expected. It is a minimum wage job.” Morgana noted.

Akira grumbled and tucked the money out of sight. She stopped when she saw the movie rental store. “We should get a TV.”

“Huh?” Morgana popped his head out and looked at the store. “You want to watch movies?”

“I haven’t watched anything that wasn’t at my phone since I got here. It’s a tiny screen. Besides, don’t you want to watch something that isn’t the news?” Akira inquired, thinking. All of the movies on display in the window were from a range of genres, from romcoms to actions flicks to horror stuff.

“You have a point…” Morgana admitted. “But we have to save stuff for thief work.”

“We need to find a cheap one, huh?” Akira turned and walked down towards the station. She stopped, hearing a voice.

“Everyone! Please listen to what I have to say!” A familiar voice spoke up through the people talking.

Akira slowed, seeing the same gentleman from the beef bowl place. Now she could see his was wearing a political sash and trying to do a speech. People were passing him by, but this guy was talking about political change. Akira hesitated. He sounded so earnest, so hopeful as he spoke.

“Wasn’t that the guy from the beef bowl place?” Morgana asked.

“Yeah.” Akira agreed.

“We gotta get back to Leblanc. You have exams tomorrow.”

“Yes, Morgana.” Akira replied dutifully.

He certainly was charismatic. Arsène recalled. We should talk to him again. Learning that charisma could be useful.

For what? Akira asked, getting on the train to Yongen.

For us, silly! Pixie giggled.

Remember how you charmed us, my lady? Silky inquired.

Speak good. Get more friends. Kelpie added.

And Igor did tell us to find people. Arsène reminded Akira.

Akira walked into school with chattering all around her. Usually, she just ignored it, but today people were clustered around the bulletin board. Curious, Akira approached, seeing a large poster informing the student body of an assembly.

“I can’t believe this… A school assembly?” One student lamented. “During exam week? The hell are they thinking?”

“It’s in two days.” Another student pointed out. “Think it’s about Mr. Kamoshida again?”

Akira bristled at the use of ‘mr.’ but she let it go and turned away. No reason to think about this now. She walked into her classroom.

“Hey, Akira. You ready for exams?” Morgana asked as he slipped into Akira’s desk.

“No choice now. I have to be.” Akira replied with a half-hearted smile.

Exams proved to be annoying no matter what school you were in, Akira discovered. The multiple choice questions were fine, though having a little cat in your desk was helpful. Was this cheating? Akira was fairly certain it was, but, hey, who could prove that the cat in her desk was giving her help. What really helped was having Morgana help with essay questions. Morgana helped Akira keep her thoughts in order, especially with multiple personas chatting away in her head.

After school was devoted to studying. Sometimes the library, sometimes Leblanc, sometimes the other diners in town. Sometimes friends came. One day it was Ann and another it was Ryuji. Morgana helped as much as he could, while Akira bullied her brain into working.

Akira’s occasional bouts of working in the library included a few sightings of Niijima, but mostly Akira was left alone by her senpai.

Akira actually forgot about the assembly until the day of. She was annoyed at the time change and reduced time for exams, but she shuffled over to the auditorium.

The Vanilla Pudding himself, Kobayakawa, stood up on stage with a mic.

“Ever since that specific incident, many of you have voiced concerns that I could not bear to ignore.” Kobayakawa explained. “We believe the mental health of our student body is absolutely vital, so we’ve acquired the services of a therapist.”

Akira blinked. Was this a joke? They actually got a therapist here?

Unexpected. Arsène commented.

Kobayakawa stood aside and a youngish man in a white coat came up to the mic. He pushed his glasses up his face and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

Whispers broke out among the student body as some people commented on the guy’s looks. Some were comparing his voice. Apparently, he was attractive to some students. Akira rolled her eyes at the comments.

The mic died and the doctor fiddled with it for a moment before speaking again. “My name is Takuto Maruki. Thank you for welcoming me to your school.” He tried to bow, but wacked his head on the mic.

“No need to be formal with me, though.” Maruki said once he recovered, rubbing his sore head as laughter broke out. “I’m just here to counsel anyone who’s interested.” He recovered his smile somewhat. “You can even call me Doc, if that would help you feel more comfortable. Any assistance you need, I’ll be- Oh-.” He interrupted himself. “I guess I’m not really any good for helping with money problems.”

Kobayakawa, realizing that this had to end, came forward, gently urging Maruki out of the way. “Thank you, Dr. Maruki.”

The Vanilla Pudding went on about the importance of mental health as Akira watched the therapist go off stage.

“A therapist?” Morgana questioned quietly from inside Akira’s bag. “Interesting.”

While the Vanilla Pudding was doing a final announcement, Akira walked out of the assembly hall, falling into step with Ryuji and Ann.

“You ever expect this place to actually give a shit about our mental health?” Ryuji asked.

“No.” Akira and Ann answered promptly.

“Considering everything we went through, I just thought that the school wanted to cover it up.” Ann voiced her darker thoughts for a moment

“Who’s given a damn about my mental health anyway? The shit that happens in juvie would fuck anyone up.” Akira remarked sourly. She recovered somewhat. “Shujin did make national news.”

Ann stared at Akira for a moment before turning back to Ryuji. “Akira’s right: they probably figured that if they didn’t do anything that they’d be in worse shape.”  

Ryuji nodded. “And that doctor, uh…. Doctor Whathisname.”

“Maruki.” Ann supplied.

“Yeah…” Ryuji nodded. “Wasn’t that guy just basically clownin’ it up onstage? Do you think he’s actually any good?”

“Ryuji…” Ann trailed off as the man of the hour walked up to the three of them. Apparently, the assembly had finally ended and Maruki had been released upon the student body.

“Hey there.” Maruki greeted the three. “Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san, right?” He inquired, staring at the two blonds. He then turned to the tall, silent girl. “And that must make you… Kurusu-kun.”

Akira raised an eyebrow while the other two looked shocked.

“How d’you know our names?” Ryuji asked defensively.

Maruki looked embarrassed. “Well, I was informed of certain students before beginning my tenure here. Those that had, ah… previous interactions with Mr. Kamoshida.”

Akira’s irriatation spiked with the use of an honorific for that piece of trash. She allowed her expression to be colored with distrust as Maruki addressed her.

“Kurusu-kun, it must’ve been especially tough for you after having just transferred here.”

Akira’s expression slipped into a lazy smile. “I was only here for about a week. He threw my record all over the Internet and I will never escape it. It is a bit… irritating.”

“It must’ve been hard.” Maruki seemed unphased by Akira’s slight hostility. “Having someone take advantage of their position to harm you.”

“So… whaddya want with us?” Ryuji interrupted.

“Ah, yes, I’d forgotten.” Maruki smiled at Ryuji. “I know I already offered my service to the student body earlier, but would you three be interested in counseling?”

“Nope, not at all.” Ryuji declined without another thought.

“Huh!?” Maruki was taken aback.

“How’s that surprising?” Ryuji asked, perplexed.

“You were a touch more emphatic about it than I’d expected…” Maruki admitted, back to smiling. “Ah! But, if you come to my office, you can have free snacks! All you can eat… would be nice, but there’s still plenty to be had. So, how about it?”

Akira’s smile grew amused. “Tell me more about these snacks…”

“Akira!” Ann nudged her.

Akira dropped the teasing smile and raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, you’ve been expressly ordered to deal with the list of people Kamoshida hurt, right? And our little friend group checks all the boxes?”

Maruki’s expression went slightly guilty as Akira hit the nail on the head. “Quite astute, Kurusu-kun. It’s in the school’s interest… for its students.”

“The school’s interest, huh?” Ryuji crossed his arms, leaning against the railing.

“I know that asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot.” Maruki admitted. “Making this mandatory wouldn’t do you any good, either. Might as well turn it into a worthwhile experience…” He trailed off, thinking. He brightened up as an idea struck him.

“Oh! I know! If you attend my counseling sessions, I’ll teach you different way to improve your mental acuity.”

Mental acuity? One of the voices in Akira’s head questioned eagerly.

“Like, ways to hone your concentration before exams, or not getting nervous on dates. How’s that sound?” Maruki voiced the normal reasons a teenager might want to train their mental acuity.

“Uh…” Ann hesitated uncomfortably. She glanced at the others.

“There’s also snacks.” Maruki tried to tempt them.

“Alright, alright, enough with the snacks!” Ryuji remarked impatiently. He and Ann looked to Akira. “Which way are you leanin’?”

“Snacks and mental tricks?” Akira donned a disarming smile. “I think there’s no harm in a little chat.”

Ryuji huffed and looked back at Maruki. “I guess it’d just be more trouble for us if we didn’t go.”

“You’re right.” Ann agreed. “If we don’t go, they’ll probably get Kawakami to try to pressure us.”

“Really?” Maruki seemed more focused on Akira’s answer than the others. “Then, I guess it’s a deal. I’ll be in the nurse’s office – feel free to come by whenever it’s convenient for you.”

Ryuji nodded. “Whelp, we’d better go.”

“Yes, I’ll see you later.” Maruki smiled as Ryuji and Ann walked off. Akira moved to follow, but Maruki spoke up.

“Thanks for taking my counseling into consideration.”

Akira turned back, a politely interested smile on her face. “You’re welcome.”

“Now that we have a deal, I promise I’ll do my best to help you.” Maruki asserted.

Maruki. Takuto Maruki. The name evoked a swirl of emotions in Akira, but her drugged mind refused to help her process it or even understand it. She… liked Maruki? But she was guarded around him? What… was going on?

Sae observed the inner turmoil and tried to refocus Akira before she fell deeper into her own mind.

“It’s hard to believe an ordinary high school student could accomplish such grandiose heists.” Sae spoke as Akira’s attention snapped to the prosecutor. “One would need a heart of steel, unaffected by outside influences and prepared to act without hesitating. There has to be someone who helped strengthen your mental state. Sound like somebody you know?”

Akira stared at her shaking hand. Why was she feeling this way? Safe…. But guarded?

“Give me a name!” Sae demanded.

Akira met Sae’s intense gaze. “I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Councillor Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…”

Akira nodded. “The Councillor…” She rasped, still trying to understand what was going on in her mind.

Chapter Text

Akira returned to her seat after saying bye to Ryuji outside the classroom. Ann winked at her as she passed. The other students were still bustling with chatter about Maruki. It was …unsettling that after the Kamoshida event people were talking about an adult at the school being attractive. Well, at least to Akira it was.

Dr. Maruki… Arsène mused. Those mental acuity lessons may help with thievery.

But we must be careful. Silky advised.

Who knows what a therapist could figure about us? Pixie asked.

Ooohh, d’ya think that he could psychologically profile us?? Agathion asked eagerly.

That bad. Slime noted.

Before Akira had a chance to rein in her thoughts and her Personas, Kawakami addressed the class.

“Alright, settle down.” The classroom noise died down. “I have an addendum to the earlier assembly, regarding the counseling you’ve all been offered: the counselor will be available to you starting after school today, in the nurse’s office. Dr. Maruki will only be posted here through November, so be sure to speak with him soon if you feel the need.”

Ah, yes, because all mental illness and trauma shall be resolved by November. Arsène observed dryly.

“For the majority of you, it’s your choice whether or not you see him, but…” Kawakami hesitated and Akira didn’t miss the very slight eye flick towards her and Ann. “There are a few students I’ll speak with later… The school’s decided: visits to Dr. Maruki will be mandatory for these individuals.”

Akira didn’t miss the several students that glanced at her, Ann, and Mishima. She glanced down at Morgana who gave her a wink.

We must visit this doctor regardless. The school’s eyes are on us now. Arsène noted.

Ann hesitated before knocking on the nurse’s office door. Earlier, Kawakami had taken her aside and told her ‘the school is worried for your mental health, you are required to have sessions with Dr. Maruki’ and she had been excused from class specifically for this. So… here she was. Trying to work up the courage to knock. She had seen Kawakami take Akira aside as well, so she knew that she wasn’t the only one going to this. Probably most of the student athletes were going to this too. Probably Ryuji too.

Time to see what a therapist can do. Carmen too was reluctant, but she squared her shoulders in Ann’s mind. Never let a man see you sweat, dear. At least not a man you don’t trust.

Let’s dance. Ann nodded to herself and finally knocked.

“Yes?” Maruki called.

Ann opened the door and walked in. “Umm…” She chewed her lip nervously, trying to figure out what to say.

“Welcome.” Maruki smiled warmly. “Are you here for a counseling session?”

“Yeah, is now a bad time?” A part of Ann hoped that he would say yes.

“Not at all! It’s always a good time, so long as I’m not already listening to a student.” Maruki stood up. “I’m so glad you’re here. Would you care for a snack? Or tea?”

Ann hesitated, but then saw the chocolate. “Sure.” She relented.

Maruki gestured to the cushy chair and started to make a cup of tea. He put the cup of tea down in front of Ann and put the jar of snacks within reach. He sat down with a clipboard in hand.

“Shall we get started?” He asked as Ann sat rigidly in the chair.

“Oh – but first, just relax, all right?” Maruki noted her stiff posture. “I’m only here to listen to whatever you wish to talk about.”

“Sure.” Ann replied, not relaxing at all. “Although, I really only have one thing on my mind right now, anyway…”

“Yes, I’d say that makes perfect sense.” Maruki agreed. “But don’t force yourself into talking with me. You could even just grab some snacks and be on your way, if you wanted! Haha…” He laughed softly.

Ann shook her head. “No, it’s… it’s all right. I know I need to talk to someone about this, anyway. That is, if you’re willing to listen to the super-long story…”

“I absolutely am. Take all the time you need.” Maruki settled down a little more in his seat.

At first, Ann struggled to speak. Every single conversation she had with Akira and the Phantom Thieves seemed to jump in her head. She struggled to silence that.

My dear, breathe. Carmen reminded Ann. Think about when it started. How it started.

Ann twisted the tips of her hair, staring at it and not Maruki. “You know I’m …mixed, right?” She laughed sourly. “You have to, look at me.” She twisted her hair even tighter in fingers.

“That’s usually why I get looks. From kids, adults, …men, mostly.” She admitted. “Kamoshida first noticed me when I was a first year here. He recognized me from a magazine I think. He recruited my best friend, Shiho, to the volleyball team and then… he started flirting with me.”

Once the words began, they just kept coming. Every look. Every flirt. Every touch. Every single vulgar thing. Every text and note. And then she talked about this year. About the threats. About the flirtations. About the signs she ignored from Shiho. What it cumulated into.

Breathe, dear. Carmen spoke only when Ann had realized that her stinging eyes were from tears. Ann stopped and rubbed her eyes. She found herself fiddling with the tips of her hair again.

“I’m sorry.” She said.

“No, no.” Maruki tried to reassure her. “Crying is fine. What you went through was horrible. What was done to you was horrible.”

Ann’s eyes dried as she remembered the next part of her tale. Joker. Skull. Mona. The castle. Carmen. “Yes, that’s why I wanted to get even with him… For Shiho.”

For our beloved. Carmen agreed. Your resolve is what awakened me, my dear.

Maruki wrote something down on his clipboard. “Yes, and then?”

Ann put her hands on her lap and stared at her fingers, willing them to stay still. “At first, I thought Kamoshida ought to face the same fate Shiho was going to put herself through…” She admitted. “But…” She trailed off.

“But?” Maruki prompted.

Ann finally met Maruki’s eyes. “But I realized that wasn’t right. If he did take his own life, it wouldn’t undo Shiho’s suffering – in fact, it’d just give him the easy way out.”

“Is that so?” Maruki inquired. “You know, you are quite the wise, level-headed young woman, Takamaki-san.”

An image of Kamoshida cowering before her and she thought about burning him to a crisp flashed through Ann’s mind. “Huh? Uh, I think you’ve got the wrong…”

“Nope – in fact, I think you’re wiser than I was at your age. I wasn’t anywhere near as mature as you are now.” Maruki insisted.

Ann shook her head. “It’s not like I did anything special, though.” She shrugged. “If I hadn’t gone through my own share of hell, I don’t think I’d be so mature either.”

“I see…” Maruki made another note. “So, what’s on your mind now?”

“…Right now?” Ann questioned, thinking. “Umm…” She paused wondering if she should actually voice her worries now. “I’m just hoping Shiho will get better quickly.” She voiced her secret desire. “We both suffered a lot, but… I just wanna get back to laughing and having fun together like we used to.” A smirk settled on her face. “At this point, I don’t give a rat’s ass about Kamoshida!”

“Now there’s a healthy outlook!” Maruki applauded. “You can’t change the past, but you still want to keep your chin up and press onward – is that the gist of it?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Ann agreed. “I mean, it’d definitely be better if none of this had happened at all, but…”

Maruki chuckled lightly. “I definitely agree with you there. But it’s impossible to wipe every tragedy from history.”

Ann laughed. “If only, right? Everyone would be so much happier if we could actually do that.”

Maruki glanced at his watch. “Oh, it seems I lost track of time. We should wrap things up for today – thank you so much for coming to see me.”

Ann shook her head. “No, thank you! I feel a ton better now that that’s all of my chest.”

Maruki smiled genuinely. “Hah, good to hear it – you deserve it. Feel free to stop by again anytime.”

“Will do!” Ann said cheerily. “See you around!”

Akira had seen Ann be excused from class earlier and she didn’t come back. After that conversation with Kawakami, Akira had a pretty good idea of where she was. The bell rang and Akira started gathering her stuff.

There was still the matter of that bully that Mishima found, Takanashi, to address. She had sat on that request too long. During exams, Akira hadn’t noticed Takanashi bullying anyone, and she had looked during her walks around the school. Takanashi, like everyone else, had buckled down during exams.

“Kurusu.”

Akira turned to see Kawakami, run down as ever, coming over.

“Ma’am?” Akira watched the familiar twitch of Kawakami’s eyes at the use of term.

“Kurusu, the administration seen fit for you to talk to Dr. Maruki. You have an appointment today after class.” Kawakami informed Akira.

“Right now?” Akira asked, blinking. She tried to hide her irritation. She had things to do, dammit.

“Yes, Dr. Maruki is expecting you.” Kawakami expression grew even more tired. “Why do I have to deal with this?” She mumbled to herself before fixing her attention on Akira.

“Make sure you’re not late.” She tried to speak with authority, but Akira only felt irritation.

We can’t afford to attract attention from the administration. Arsène noted sourly. We best table the Phantom Thief work for today and see this …therapist. Her tone was laced with discomfort and irritation.

“Yes, ma’am.” The same little twitch brought a small bit of satisfaction to Akira’s irritated state.

When Kawakami walked off, Morgana poked his head out from under the desk. “Looks like we need to see this therapist.”

“Seems so.” Akira took out her phone and texted the group.

No work today. Administration insists I see the therapist. Akira texted.

Come on! Ryuji complained. I was so ready to go to Mementos!

I just finished counseling. Ann admitted. You’re going next, then, Akira?

Yes. Morgana is going to be walking around, if one of you guys want to hang out for a bit. Akira paused for a moment, wondering if this was a nosy question. How was it? The therapy, I mean.

Ann’s icon showed she was typing for a long moment. Hmm… Well, it honestly wasn’t as rough as I was expecting.I think you should just go and give it a shot. Dr. Maruki’s easier to talk to than you’d think.

Akira recalled his whole ‘awkward introduction’ and wondered for a moment if Maruki had done that on purpose to make himself seem approachable.

Alright. Clear your schedules for tomorrow. We’ve got a bully to take down. Akira typed out.

“Is Lady Ann free? Ask if she is!” Morgana whispered insistently.

Ann, you free? Morgana doesn’t want to come to counseling with me. Akira typed out.

Huh? Sure. Does he like chocolate-stuffed crêpes? Ann asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!” Morgana’s whole body wiggled with excitement. “I have a date with Lady Ann!”

He’s down. Thanks, Ann. I’ll pick him up in Shibuya on my way home. Akira texted back.

Akira, after dropping off Morgana with Ann, now walked to the nurse’s office. She stopped, seeing the doctor speaking to a familiar little redheaded student.

Yoshizawa brightened, smiling as Akira approached. “Ah, hello.”

Akira returned the smile. “Afternoon.”

“Are you here for a session as well?” She asked.

“Yes.” Akira nodded. She glanced at Maruki, trying to read him.

“Is that so? Well, Dr. Maruki is a wonderful counselor.” Yoshizawa beamed as she spoke, her genuine sunny personality infectious. “I’ve actually been seeing him for a while before he ever came to Shujin.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you two were acquainted.” Maruki glanced between the two. “Don’t go overselling me too hard though, Yoshizawa-san – I’m really nothing special.”

Yoshizawa laughed. “You are too modest, Dr. Maruki!” She smiled at him. “Well, I’ll let you both get to your session. I need to get going too. Please excuse me.” She bowed and hurried off.

Akira watched her go, feeling a mixture of pride and relief. Yoshizawa was still smiling. Kamoshida hadn’t gotten to her.

She said that she had been seeing Maruki. Did he touch her? Arsène reminded Akira.

But she said that she had been seeing him before this incident. It’s possible she was seeing him for something else. Silky reasoned.

“What say we get started?” Maruki interrupted Akira’s mental conversation. “Come on in.”

Chapter Text

Akira swallowed her anxiety and followed Maruki inside. Internally, her Personas rustled uncomfortably. There wasn’t a truly calm voice in her head.

“Welcome!” Maruki said after he shut the door, smiling warmly. “Thank you for coming.”

Akira crossed her arms and gave him a bemused look. “I believe we have a deal, Doctor.”

Maruki stifled a laugh. “Yes, I’ll try to make sure it’s worth the trouble.”

Akira settled down in the chair as Maruki made tea. “So… what do you know about me?”

Maruki settled with a juice box for himself and gave a reassuring smile. “I know about your record.” He tried to reassure her.

“Not my question.” Akira didn’t return the smile. “I asked: what do you know about me?”

I don’t want to talk to him about my record. Akira admitted to herself.

Unfortunately, we’ll have to. Arsène grumbled slightly. The administration will deem it a necessary topic.

Keep them off us. Slime interjected.

Then we Phantom time! Kelpie added.

Even with the internal conversation, Akira’s eyes never wavered from Maruki’s.

Maruki swallowed at her unyielding stare. “The school gave me a brief rundown of the circumstances surrounding your transfer here.”

“So much for my privacy.” Akira remarked dryly, but unsurprised.

“I’m glad you’ve got a sense of humor about it… but yes, it’s not exactly kind to you. I’m sorry.”  

Akira nodded. “If all you have is what you got from the administration, your information is incomplete.”  A thought struck her and she glanced around without thinking.

“Are you recording this? What exactly are you reporting to the administration?”

Maruki blinked at Akira’s sudden defensiveness. “Of course, I am not recording this. What makes you think I would?”

Akira gave him a look of pure incredulity. “To report back to the administration on my ‘progress’.” She explained.

“No, no, of course not. Reporting to the administration means I just have to tell that you met with me. I am will not tell them exactly what happened during this session, merely say you are making progress or not.”

“Will you report it to my guardian?” Akira thought of Sojiro for a moment.

“Nothing beyond that you met with me and saying whether or not you made progress. I may suggest changes for either the administration, or your guardian to help your progress, but beyond that… everything stays between us.”

Akira blinked, thinking. Trying to tell if Maruki was telling the truth.

Lying to us would lead to disastrous results. If the school wants to keep us happy and unproblematic, they wouldn’t have him lie to us. That would be shooting themselves in the foot. Arsène noted.

“Fine.” Akira nodded. “So… I was accused for a crime I didn’t commit.”

Maruki choked on his juice. “W-What?” He asked, trying to recover.

“I saw a man trying to force himself onto a woman. He was drunk. I pulled him off, he stumbled and hit his head. The man then accused me of assault and threatened the woman to corroborate his story. One thing led to another and I am here.” She gave him a sour smile. “Then I came here and Kamoshida decided he wanted to screw me over.”

Maruki nodded. “Yes. I was informed of that tidbit.” He looked thoughtfully at Akira. “Can you tell me more?”

“What would you like to know?”

Akira spoke, carefully curating her story, only telling Maruki the information that he asked or was necessary for him to know. He wrote a couple things down on his clipboard, but seemed engaged entirely with Akira’s words.

Akira sipped the last of her tea when Maruki took back the conversation.

“Now that you’ve told me more about yourself… I think I’ve realized something.” He smiled at Akira. “It seems like you’ve largely been able to reconcile your internal world with your external one.” He made a note on his clipboard. “I should note – that’s really, truly impressive. Even most adults can’t reliably manage that.”

Akira blinked, putting down the teacup. “I …don’t understand.”

“How to put it – You know how everyone has an internal reality? Some conception of themselves they’re striving for?” Maruki explained. “Like, wanting to be a model student, or wanting to be loved and relied on… That kind of thing.”

I have like six different personalities in my head. Akira wanted to say, but she gave a non-committal shrug.

“But that idealized reality and the one in actuality are often far apart. That gap is responsible for a lot of people’s pain.” Maruki went on. “Not everyone can ace their exams. And not everyone can be the heroes they wish they could be.” He tapped his clipboard. “You’ve already been through so much. That kind of suffering is usually enough to twist people up into dark places.”

Akira recalled the people she had met at juvenile detention. The bitterness they carried, at their parents, teachers, people in general. Maruki was wrong. Akira carried bitterness.

“But you – you’re standing up to it, and confronting a tough painful reality. To me, that’s incredibly admirable.” There was a pause. “…Then again, maybe that’s a little weird for you to hear from a guy you just met, huh?”

“Very.” Akira agreed. “But I’ve seen people lose themselves in their internal world. I have no desire to lose myself.”

“Not even any deflecting self-deprecation!” Maruki observed warmly. “You really are strong, Kurusu-chan.” Maruki glanced at the clock. “Well, let’s see… Sorry, this went on longer than I expected.” He glanced at the empty tea cup and the empty juice box. “Somehow, the conversation just took on a life of its own, I guess.”

There was a silence as Akira checked the clock. She should pick up Morgana soon. Ann and Morgana should be in Shibuya still. That means she could meet them on the way home.

“…Hey.” Maruki interrupted Akira’s mental planning. “I’ve got one last request. Do you mind?”

“Oh?”

“I’m actually doing certain research along with my duties as a counselor. It’s not quite like counseling – more like a type of psychological treatment.” He turned to Akira. “Basically, it’s a project to learn more about people’s metaphorical hearts. What they think, how they feel.” He nodded to himself. “If I get far enough with it, I think it’ll be able to help a lot of people! So…?”

Akira paused for a moment.

He’s rather sharp. Arsène commented. Asking a phantom thief to assist in research about people’s hearts.

It’s probably a coincidence. Silky counseled.

Maybe it isn’t though! Pixie giggled.

Maybe we gave ourselves away! Agathion chimed in.

We have a deal with him. Arsène reminded Akira. Helping him may yield bigger gains for us, but we need more information before we commit.

“…Um, well, can you tell me more about it?” Akira inquired.

“Oh, sorry!” Maruki realized how his words sounded out of context. “Uh, I guess my point is… I’d like to ask you to help with that research! All you have to do is listen to my theories and then tell me if they spark any ideas or realizations on your end. Please! Any time’s good for me – I can work around your schedule. And, uh… I’ve got a lot of snacks, too! You can have them! They’re yours!”

Akira cocked her head slightly. “Why me, though?”

Maruki blinked. “Because of your grasp of both your internal and external worlds, of course. You’re also intelligent and creative.”

“You just need a sounding board?”

“Yes!” Maruki agreed.

“OK.”

“Really? Yes! Yes!” Maruki celebrated. “Let’s see… I know! Maybe I could teach you some tips for mental training? I happen to know a lot on the subject. I’m sure I can cook up a special regimen for you. If you’re dedicated enough, I’m sure you could draw out your full potential!”

Akira snorted. “It’s a deal.”

“Okay! I guess that’s our second deal!” Maruki agreed.

A voice rang in Akira’s head: the power of the Councillor grows stronger. Akira felt the rush of power and the Personas all sighed contentedly.

“Oh, right! Would it be okay if we traded contact information?” Maruki withdrew his phone. “I’ll contact you when I’ve got time, or when I need some input from you.”

“Okay.” Akira withdrew her phone and exchanged info.

“That should do it!” Maruki tucked the phone away. “Now! I’d better do my part to repay you. Let’s talk about mental training and presence.”

Akira shot a quick text to Ann to drop off Morgana at Leblanc if she could, before tucking her phone away. She refocused on Maruki, intrigued on this ‘mental training’.

Akira returned to Leblanc with every single one of her Personas pleasantly tired. That mental training that Maruki gave was interesting and stimulating in a way that her Personas felt.

“Hey.” Morgana greeted Akira. Leblanc was empty aside from Sojiro, so Morgana walked across the café without issue.

“Hello, Morgana.” Akira smiled at him.

“A young lady came by and brought him home.” Sojiro explained.

Akira squatted down and opened her bag for Morgana. “That’s good.”

“You’re later than usual.” Sojiro observed.

Akira nodded, straightening up with Morgana in the bag. “The school has brought in a therapist and they insisted I see him.”

Sojiro focused on her sharply. “You saw a therapist? I thought you said that coach didn’t touch you.”

“He didn’t.” Akira confirmed. “He threatened to expel me because I refused to let him. That is why the school wants me to see him.”

Sojiro blanked for a moment as Akira’s words sunk in. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

Akira jumped slightly at Sojiro’s tone and the question itself. “You said that you’d throw me out if I was expelled. I… didn’t want to risk you… acting on that.” She mumbled uncomfortably.

Sojiro went quiet as Akira ascended the stairs into her room.

“You really spent a long time talking to Maruki. Look how late it is.” Morgana observed. “How’d it go?”

“Good… I think.” Akira explained. She put the bag on the bed and started unpacking from the day.

“What do you mean?”

“It was good to talk about, well, everything, but I couldn’t exactly tell him everything.” She looked up at Morgana. “You know?”

“Oh.” Morgana settled on the bed. “Well, if you think the session was worthwhile, you should go back again sometime.”

“I think the administration will make me see him a few more times.” Akira remarked dryly. “I going to change.”

Morgana obediently turned around while Akira changed, but he kept talking. “It’s late though, I don’t think we have much time to study. You should sleep.”

“I have to get through just a little bit of study, Morgana.” Akira pulled her pajamas on. “Tomorrow is the last day of exams.” She brought out one of her workbooks.

Morgana’s tail flicked in annoyance. “Fine. One workbook, then sleep.”

“Morgana.” Akira fixed him with a stare.

Akira went to bed after one workbook.

Chapter Text

“Last day of exams.” Akira held open the bag for Morgana to jump in.

Let’s get them done. Arsène asserted and the rest of the Personas chorused their agreement.

Sojiro was curiously silent when Akira left this morning, but she had little time to wonder about it. She hurried towards the train.

“Mornin’!” Ryuji yawned widely. “I’m so tired.”

“Late night?” Akira asked. She had one of her workbooks out and was reading notes.

“I ended up pullin’ an all-nighter once I realized today’s the last day of exams.” Ryuji explained.

Akira blinked, silencing her first impulse to disbelieve him. Morgana did that for her.

“You? Stayed up studying?” Morgana asked skeptically.

Ryuji shook his head. “Nah, I gave up on the exam. I was playin’ some games, and then before I knew it, it was morning.”

Akira glanced at Morgana. “This guy kept me from studying by insisting I get to bed at reasonable time.”

“Eh, it’s what I always do. No matter how many times I fail, nothing’s gonna change.” Ryuji said nonchalantly.

“Ryuji…” Akira began, trying to reassure him, but Ann walked up.

Ann yawned widely. “Morning…”

“Yo, look who else is yawnin’.” Ryuji noted.

“Exams are almost over, so I thought I’d make one last effort across the finish line.” Ann explained.

Morgana’s tail swished for a moment. “Impressive, Lady Ann. You’re quite different from this stupid monkey I know.”

“Morgana.” Akira reprimanded.

“Huh? Don’t gimme that crap. Your brain’s tiny compared to mine.” Ryuji retorted.

“Size is meaningless if there’s nothing inside, you know.” Morgana returned the jab.

“What was that!?” Ryuji challenged.

“Ugh, will you please shut up!?” Ann interrupted the spat. “You’re gonna make me forget everything I memor-“ She cut herself off and turned around, scanning the crowd.

“Ann?”

“Am I imagining things?” She asked.

“What, you see a groper or something?” Ryuji asked as Akira scanned the crowd herself.

“No, that’s not it.” Ann turned back around trying to be able to put the feeling into words. “It’s…nothing.” She gave up.

Morgana bristled at Akira’s shoulder, but said nothing. The train rolled into the station and Akira reluctantly gave up scanning the crowd.

“Let’s get going, guys.” The three got on the train together.

For the most part, the three were silent on the ride over. Akira’s nose was buried in a book as she tried to study more, but her gaze kept flicking up and around them. Who was Ann looking out for? Akira’s senses were on high alert and she couldn’t concentrate.

The train stopped at their usual station and the three of them disembarked. Akira was on her guard and she knew that Morgana was also keeping watch. They got on the escalator.

“Oh my god, that guy got off.” Ann said as Akira snapped around. She followed Ann’s gaze, but couldn’t tell who she was looking at.

“Who?” Akira asked urgently, scanning the crowd.

“Isn’t this bad?” Ann asked, she turned to Akira. Ryuji yawned uninterested.

“Hey! At least act like you care!” Ann scolded.

I don’t want him to know where we go to school. Akira still couldn’t find who Ann was talking about.

We could run. Agathion suggested.

Punch him. Kelpie decided.

We could lose him through the streets. Arsène suggested. We will be late, but I’d rather that than someone stalking Ann.

“Ugh, fine.” Ryuji relented under Ann’s glare and interrupted Akira’s strategy meeting. “Come on.” Ryuji walked up the escalator with the other two following.

“What are we doing?” Akira asked. She followed behind the two of them, careful to keep Ann in sight.

“Settin’ a trap.” Ryuji said once the three got to the top. “Ann, you’ll be bait. The moment the creeper shows up, Akira and I’ll step in.”

“Um..” Ann looked uncomfortable.

“Ann, I can play decoy.” Akira offered.

“No, he’s following me. I don’t think he’ll go for you.” Ann admitted. Akira tapped her finger on her arm frustratedly. “Go hide, both of you. He’s coming now.”

Akira and Ryuji both walked in opposite directions while Ann waited, tense and ready on the sidewalk.

It took only a moment for someone to step out of the underground and stare at Ann’s back. He hurried, reaching his hand out to touch her. Immediately, both Akira and Ryuji stepped in, while Ann turned around.

A surprisingly handsome young man, maybe their own age, stopped. His long-ish hair fell in his face as he stared at the three in front of him. He was startling non-creepy-looking, but Akira remained on guard, glaring. Ryuji looked at the boy and back at Ann.

“Hey, uh, are you sure it’s him?” Ryuji asked. “Or are you just that self-conscious?”

“I’m not that-!” Ann started, but the boy spoke up.

“Is there something you want?” The boy asked curiously.

Ann shoved through Akira and Ryuji. “That’s my line!” She snapped at the boy, pointing at him. “You were the one stalking me!”

The boy blinked and fixed his hair. “Stalking you?” He repeated. “That’s outrageous.”

“I know you’ve been following me!” Ann retorted. “Ever since the train!”

The boy, whose expression hadn’t changed this entire time, suddenly looked slightly surprised and sheepish. “That’s because-“

A car horn interrupted the boy’s words and a black car pulled up along-side the four of them. The backseat window rolled down revealing an older man with gray hair pulled back in a ponytail and dressed in simple traditional clothes. He smiled gently at the four, but focused on the handsome newcomer.

“My goodness, I had wondered why you left the car.” The older man addressed the handsome boy. “So this is where your passion led. All is well that ends well.” The man laughed, amused at his own joke while the other four looked at him.

This is weird. Arsène remarked.

“I saw you from the car…” The boy explained. “And I couldn’t help myself from chasing after you. I didn’t even notice the calls from Sensei…” He refocused on Ann. “But thank goodness I caught up to you.”

“O…K…”Ann said uncomfortably.

“What?” Ryuji asked at the absurdity of the situation.

The boy seemed to get a manic glint in his eye. “You’re the woman I’ve been searching for all this time! Please, won’t you-“

“W-Wait a minute, I-“ Ann began as Akira stepped forward protectively.

“Be the model for my next art piece!?” The boy gestured grandly as he finished his request.

There was silence as the three absorbed the information.

“…Model?” Ann repeated.

“All that I’ve draw till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else.” The boy asserted.

Morgana popped out of the bag, positively bristling with anger. “This man’s highly suspicious!” He declared.

“Ain’t this a recruit for some shady business?” Ryuji voiced one of Akira’s worries.

“Will you cooperate with me? What do you say?” The boy asked Ann earnestly.

“Hold your horses!” Ryuji stepped between Ann and Akira and the boy. “Who’re you anyways?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” The boy asked himself. “I’m a second-year at Kosei High’s fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa.”

With that introduction, Yusuke elbowed Ryuji out of the way and addressed Ann again. “I’m Madarame-sensei’s pupil, and I am being allowed residence at his place. I’m striving to become an artist.”

“Huh!?” Ann blinked. “Do you mean THAT Madarame? The one who was on “Good Morning Japan” the other day?”

“The very same.” Yusuke confirmed.

“You know who that is?” Ryuji asked incredulously.

Akira, who watched Yusuke guardedly, checked her watch. They still had an exams to get to.

Akira! Arsène growled. That name!

Wha? Yusuke?

No! Madarame!

“He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who’s been recognized all over the world.” Ann explained to Ryuji. Her expression fell when she remembered. “Oh, but we heard that name in Mementos.”

“Yusuke!” The man in the car, presumably Madarame, called.

“I’m sorry, Sensei. I’ll be right there!” Yusuke called.

“That old guy’s Madarame?” Ryuji asked.

Yusuke approached Ann again. “Madarame-sensei’s exhibition will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow. I’ll be there to help out on opening day. Please come by.” He smiled genuinely. “It’d be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then.”

His smile dropped when he looked and addressed Ryuji. “I bet you have no interest in the fine arts, but I’ll give you tickets too.” He held out three tickets to Ann. Ann took them and slid them into her bag.

“Well then, I hope to see you tomorrow!” Yusuke said cheerfully. He turned back to the car and got in. The car rolled off, leaving the rest of the crew very confused.

“What just actually happened?” Akira asked. “I can’t decide if he was creepy or just weird.”

“That guy’s weird.” Ryuji agreed. He looked at Ann. “You’re not plannin’ on goin’, are ya?”

There was a silence for a moment.

“…I think I will.” Ann said.

“Ann, that guy was following you.” Akira noted. “You want back up?”

“I mean: we have the tickets.” Ann shrugged while Ryuji and Morgana reeled at her decision. She slid her phone out of her pocket and stared at the screen.

“Crap! Look at the time! I’ll see you later.” Ann took off towards the school.

“How dare he go after Lady Ann…” Morgana growled, jumping up on Akira’s shoulder. “I’ve memorized that face of yours, Yusuke!”

“You became acquainted with Madarame’s pupil by chance?” Sae interrupted Akira’s words. Her tone was cutting and disbelief was written across her face. Her red eyes stared down Akira.

“That’s a little too convenient. It makes me wonder if you’re even telling the truth.” The stare left Akira alone for a moment as Sae checked the time. “So be it. What I want to know most is your method.”

“Truth is often stranger than fiction.” Akira’s rasped. A part of her was very pleased that she was able to quote that in her drugged state.

“It’s true that Madarame was an unforgivable criminal worthy of the scorn thrown at him.” Sae’s gaze raked mercilessly over the file in front of her. “He was an adult who cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihoods of children.” Her gaze flicked to Akira. “But he’d been covering his tracks for years. How did you uncover the truth in such a short span of time?”

Akira blinked at her, flashes of memory staying tantalizingly out of reach. “Metaverse.”

Sae crossed her arms. “Fine. “Let’s suppose that people’s hearts can be changed by stealing their Treasure, like you’ve said. If so, a different suspicion arises.”

Akira’s dull eyes met Sae’s.

“People have gone mad or lost consciousness, never to recover… like the subway accident in April.” Sae watched Akira for any change in expression. “Depending on how you look at it, that could be taken as a phenomenon for a sudden change of heart too.” She paused, watching carefully. “…Were you related to those as well?”

Sae made sense. Akira agreed silently. …Did Akira have a hand in those? No emotion arose, denying that fact and her drugged mind refused to yield information.

“…I don’t know.” Akira admitted.

Sae watched silently. “…I see.” She checked her watch and grimaced. “Fine. Let’s get back to Madarame’s case. Keep it concise, and stick to the facts.”

Akira looked down at her shaking hands. “I had my last exam.” She continued.

Chapter Text

Akira had never really tried any hard drugs, but she was sure none of them compared to the high received when exams were finally over. Her step was springy as she joined Ryuji and Ann at Shibuya Station.

Ann, likewise, seemed happier and bouncier. “Mmmmm, it’s over!” She stretched happily.

Ryuji on the other hand seemed incredibly defeated. “It’s over…” He moaned.

Two kinds of people. Arsène observed dryly. The other Personas in Akira’s laughed at the joke.

Ryuji turned to Akira. “How ‘bout you?”  

“Let’s not think about it.” Akira put her hand on Ryuji’s shoulder. “We can’t change anything now, so let’s forget it for the day and go get ramen.”

Ryuji perked up immediately. “You treatin’?”

“Hey, what about sushi?” Ann asked.

“Sure, I’ll treat.” Akira promised as Morgana leapt up on Akira’s shoulder at the mention of ‘sushi’. “If you break my bank though, I expect your help paying.”

“Lady Ann makes a delectable point!” Morgana noted, his body shaking in excitement. “Sushi!”

“We’re doing conveyor belt sushi, guys.” Akira nudged Morgana. “We can’t afford much else.”

“Awwww.” Ryuji groaned.

“Hey, I’m still treating you.” Akira shoved him gently. “Let’s get food.”

When the four had plates of sushi (Morgana included), the settled in a corner, away from people to chat.

“So, we still have those tickets to Madarame’s exhibit, you know.” Ann said through a mouthful of sushi. “It’s tomorrow.”

Morgana choked on his sushi. “Don’t tell me… Was it love at first sight with that Yusuke guy?”