The student council room loomed in front of me, a veritable palace that begged for someone to plunder its depths. Unlike an actual Palace, there wasn't a Treasure waiting to be stolen. When I entered the small room, I saw the ruler of the student council leaning against the lone table. With her short brown hair, pale skin and placid smile, Makoto Niijima looked the part of the unassuming and kindly senior. After all, she was the bridge between the students and the faculty.

I knew and she knew that she was anything but. Appearances never told the whole story, not in my experience.

"You arrived earlier than I expected," she said. Her calculating red eyes analyzed me, like a hunter stalking its prey. "Have a seat."

Make no mistake, this wasn't a request. There wasn't any choice I could take that wouldn't benefit her in some way.

However, if I was going to be interrogated, I might as well get comfortable.

"I'll get straight to the point," she said, after we sat down. "Tell me the truth behind the Phantom Thieves' incidents."

Another question with no 'right' choice: either I gave her the answer she craved or I kept quiet, which would only make her even more suspicious.

Of course, that was her plan. Every question the interrogator made was designed to gain a result, and the interrogator's motive was never pure. Only the interests of the interrogator and their superiors mattered; petty ideals like truth, justice or even the defendant's innocence were irrelevant.

The only thing that mattered in this game was victory.

"Cat got your tongue?" I tensed up, for just a second, but I disguised it by slouching in my chair. She couldn't have known about Morgana. "I'm not surprised. There's no way you'd admit to your crimes."

Just like I thought. That was when she pulled out her phone, setting it on the table.

"Have a listen," she said, pushing it a little so I could hear my worst fears come to life: Ryuji and Ann talking about being the Phantom Thieves, secure in the knowledge that no one would hear them. Except, that wasn't true at all. She recorded us, that day in the courtyard.

"We screwed up," Morgana said. He was absolutely right. If there was any consolation, it was that she couldn't hear him. It would be hard to explain why I had a talking cat in my bag. At least that – and thinking that blackmail or hypnosis would work on an asshole like Kamoshida – told us she had no knowledge of the Metaverse, and no proof that wouldn't be laughed out of a just court.

It wouldn't be a problem, except true justice didn't exist at all.

"Won't you tell me how you did it?" my interrogator asked.

I could have answered that in three different ways. It only deserved one answer. "Ask the culprits," I said, sitting up straight and looking her dead in the eye.

That earned me a glare. Or maybe she had been glaring the whole time. "Was that supposed to be funny? You want to say that this won't prove anything, but it'd be a mistake to think that. This recording proves that I'm right: you three are the Phantom Thieves."

My head started to ache, like needles were pricking my brain and rattling my skull. If she knew, if she really knew, then there was only one reason why she was bothering with this farce, and it wasn't just to waste my time.

"What would the police think if they heard this recording?" she asked, smiling at me. She was so sure that she had me trapped. I wished she was still glaring at me.

Morgana didn't have to tell me that police surveillance would be a bad thing. Suspicion was all they needed to revoke my probation and haul me off to their prison. I couldn't let them take me away from the few friends I had made. I wouldn't let them keep me from exposing the corruption that lay beneath the surface of this city, not until we showed the world what the true meaning of justice was.

"If you confess, I wouldn't mind leaving this just between the two of us." Lies, all lies. This had to be a ploy to get me off-guard. There was no way she'd let a delinquent go unpunished if he didn't conform. "You'll tell me, won't you?"

At that moment, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than fling all of her crap back in her smug face, but it wouldn't help.

"Let me think about it."

"I believe that time would be wasted."

My time was already being wasted, having to deal with these vapid accusations. I could be doing anything else right now: hanging out with my friends, helping out a confidant, working on my social skills, even reading a book. I wasn't interested in entertaining a stalker who was more interested in chasing an exciting rumour than focusing on the real issues this school faced.

Then again, if she was actually doing her job, I wouldn't be in this room at all.

At that moment, I got a phone call. Finally, someone decided to save me from this misery. The second after I read the caller ID, I did everything I could not to swear. Ryuji couldn't have called at a worse time.

"Go ahead," she said, like she was granting me a blessing.

The choice, like always, was rigged from the start. If I answered, Ryuji would give the game up without even knowing the game was being played, but not answering would prove I had something to hide. There was no guarantee I could make an excuse that she wouldn't see through, but even so, there was only one choice I could make.

Ignore the call and put the phone away.

"What's the matter, afraid I'll hear your conversation? Don't worry, I won't get in your way. Whoever was calling you must have had something important to say. I can't imagine you get many calls."

A scowl crossed my face. "You don't know a thing about me."

"That's why we're here, aren't we? I want to know everything about you."

I glanced at the door, so far away. Leaving wasn't an option, because it would prove that she was right. She'd keep on following me, popping up in the Shibuya subway station, the underground mall or anywhere else I went, hungry for any scraps of information she could grab. She'd even tail me all the way to Yongen-Jaya, if she hadn't already. She'd show up whenever I tried to meet up with Ryuji or Ann, or interrogate them in private if she felt like it. Even Yusuke wasn't safe.

"Believe it or not, I want to help you," she said. Her arms were crossed now, but that infuriating smile was still there, taunting me. "With your record, it would be a catastrophe if word got out that you were part of the Phantom Thieves."

"It would be a catastrophe if I sneezed on the wrong person."

"More jokes?"

"What else did you expect?"

A stifling silence fell over the room after that, but I didn't mind. She really should have saw this coming. On top of everything else, she thought that by giving the poor criminal transfer student some kind words and a pretty smile, he'd be putty in her hands.

She couldn't fool me.

"I see. It's such a shame you won't listen to reason. You know, before I had Ms. Kawakami fetch you, we had a very productive conversation. I can't imagine what she'd think if she found out you were a menace to society instead of just another petty delinquent."

My hand slammed on the table. "Leave her out of this! She's innocent!"

"Struck a nerve, did I? It's clear you aren't comfortable. All you have to do is confess, and I'll let you go. I wasn't lying when I said I'd keep this between us. Your friends –"

I shot out of my chair so fast that it toppled over. "Shut up!"

"Excuse me?" Her arms had shot to her sides, but somehow, somehow, she was still smiling. This interrogation wasn't enough, she just had to make this problem personal.

"You heard me. I'd rather take my chances than listen to your garbage for a second longer."

"Is that so?"

"Calm down!" Morgana said. "This is what exactly what she wants, an excuse!"

There was no point in wasting any more time. A ruler was never convinced by words. Only action.

Before she could react, I grabbed her phone. The ruler's smile slipped from her face, as those red eyes grew in size until they threatened to pop from her skull.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Blood pumped in my ears, drowning out the rest of the noise. Her Treasure was in my hand, but stealing it wouldn't be sufficient, not in the real world.

I threw the phone against the hardwood floor with all my strength. The screen cracked on impact, but that was just the start. I stomped on it, over and over, until it was nothing more than metal scrap and shards of glass. She shoved me away from the remains, immediately scooping them up. Her scowl was haunting.

"You did this to yourself," I said, grabbing my bag and hefting it over my shoulder. It was time to escape. "Now stay away from me and my friends."

I ran out of the room before she could react. I kept on running until I reached the station, darting around anyone who got in my way. Once I entered the closest train, I grabbed the nearest bar and took a deep breath.

Then I grinned like a man possessed by madness. Sweat leaked down my face, and my legs burned hotter than a bonfire, but none of that mattered.

I was free, and I planned to make the most of the freedom I had seized.


Being just another face in the crowd had its perks. No one cared who I was, I didn't have to hear those awful rumours, and it was easy to get lost in the rush of folks hustling from one place to the next. There was one problem, though: finding someone in Shibuya without knowing where they'd be or where they were headed was like searching for treasure in a landfill.

Most people looked similar enough that I could find who I was looking for and still be wrong, much like someone who found trash that was spray-painted gold. Even with my Third Eye, it took time to sort out the wheat from the chaff, but it was time well-spent. I couldn't let anyone follow me, especially her, and I counted my lucky stars that she hadn't followed me this time.

Of course, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't show up later on, but as far as I was concerned, her absence was proof that what I did actually worked.

About halfway to the hideout, I felt Morgana's paws press against my neck, hard enough to grab my attention without actually hurting. He hadn't spoken since we left Shujin, other than asking for fresh air. I was in for it now.

"How are you doing?" he asked. Fortunately, the claws weren't out, in both senses of the term.

"I'm alright."

"Really? I thought you'd still be mad."

I chuckled. "I'm not. Not anymore."

"That's good." He rubbed my neck with his head, making it tingle. Soon enough, a smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. It was the first time I actually smiled since school ended.

"I thought you'd be mad at me," I said.

"I was," Morgana said, "but you needed some time to cool down, and shouting at you wouldn't help either of us."

I was a bit worried when Morgana hadn't shouted at me, for what it implied. He was the type who always had an opinion on something and wasn't afraid to voice that opinion, especially when he was angry.

It seemed liked there wasn't any need to assume. Besides, he was right: time to breathe and think did us both a lot of good.

"Still, I never imagined you'd do something so reckless."

"Neither did I."

"Then why did you do it?"

My friends came into view just then: Ryuji was lounging on the floor, Ann was flipping through a fashion magazine and Yusuke was drinking out of a soda can.

"You'll get your answer now," I said.

Morgana tapped my neck once before jumping to the floor, sticking the landing. Show off. "If you say so."

I made eye contact with Ryuji, and without any prompting, he immediately climbed to his feet. His grin was infectious, a welcome sight. "Look who it is!" he said. "I thought you'd never show up."

"Sorry about that, but it wasn't my choice."

"What happened?" Ann asked, magazine closed and clutched in her hand.

"Makoto happened," I said. "She had me come to the student council room."

She grimaced. "Ouch. Talk about a disaster in the making."

"And I tried to call you, too, about our meeting," Ryuji said. Suddenly, he scowled. "Damn it! I nearly effed things up."

I smiled. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Now that you know, send us a message first if you want to talk about the Phantom Thieves. That way, we can prevent any accidents from happening."

Ryuji grinned. "Got it."

"Is Makoto the girl who was bothering you about the Phantom Thieves?" Yusuke asked, after setting his can on the railing.

"Yup," Ann said, frowning. "Can't stand her, and that's when I'm not alone with her. How do you even deal with that?"

"It's pretty hard," I said. "She tried to get me to confess."

"How? There's no way she has proof."

"She had a recording on her phone with you and Ryuji talking about the Phantom Thieves," Morgana said.

That brought a scowl to Ann's face. "You're kidding me. How can this be?"

Yusuke smirked, but I wasn't sure why. "It appears that this Makoto is more resourceful than anticipated." He looked at me, and frowned. "However, if she has sufficient proof, then why didn't she report you to your principal?"

"She wanted to make a deal," I said. "If I confessed, she said she'd leave things between us."

"Bullshit," Ryuji said. "There's no way she'd ever do that."

"I thought so, too, but the deck was stacked against me. She still had the recording, she wouldn't let me go, and she was really pissing me off. Even if I left on my own, she wouldn't give up until she took me down. So I did the only thing I thought would work: I broke her phone."

They were shocked, to say the least. A part of me had dreaded breaking the news to them for that reason, but at that moment, I felt a weight lift from my chest. If I hid this from them, I'd be lying to the few people who actually cared about me, leaving them unprepared if she tried to use what I did against them.

"Why?" Yusuke asked, eyes narrowing. "What could compel you to do something so rash?"

I met his glare. "I did it to make a statement."

"By breaking her phone?"

"Yes. If she wants to take down the Phantom Thieves, then she'd better prepare for the worst, because I am not giving up without a fight."

Yusuke stared at me, the moment stretching for far longer than I was comfortable with. He turned away first, not bothering to respond. The sheer disappointment he exuded stung more than any rebuttal he could have made.

"I'm sorry you had to listen to her nonsense, but you shouldn't have broken her phone," Ann said. "This proves that you were hiding something big, and now she has leverage over you. She'll never forget what you did."

"I know. I know that breaking her phone wasn't the right thing to do, but you know what? I don't care. She's given me no reason to care about her well-being, not when she stalks me every day, not when it feels like she talks to me just so she can make me feel like scum." I took a deep, shaky breath. "Not when she tries to get me to do what she wants by bringing up you guys."

"That's how they catch you, man, by getting personal and targeting the people you care about," Ryuji said. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Are you speaking from experience?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah." But he didn't elaborate, not at first. I couldn't blame him. It was a deeply personal, unpleasant memory, and those were always hard to share.

"You know Kamoshida, right? He called me in front of the entire track team and started talking shit. He did his best to piss me off, but I wasn't going to take his bait... until he brought up my mom. I punched him, just like he wanted. Then the asshole broke my leg in 'self-defense', and used me as an excuse to disband the track team."

Silence fell over our group, Yusuke, in particular, was frowning, brow furrowed in thought. Perhaps he was reflecting on this revelation. I certainly was. It was hard, knowing that someone so horrible could get away with doing such awful things, and that this wasn't remotely unique.

That's why the Phantom Thieves existed, to bring these kinds of people to justice. It was a reminder I needed to hear.

"I see," he said. "You didn't deserve to go through that. No one does."

A wan smile formed on Ryuji's face. "Thanks, but it's in the past. I got better, and Kamoshida's rotting in jail. The best thing I can do now is to move forward and not make the same mistakes." He squeezed my shoulder. "You should do the same."

I shrugged Ryuji's hand off me. "Not if it means tolerating her crap. I'm sick of getting blackmailed and bullied by corrupt, power-hungry assholes, especially by someone who wouldn't give us the time of day if she didn't have something to gain."

"We're sick of it, too, but it ain't worth getting worked up over it, and it ain't you. Besides, breaking her phone might get her off your back right now, but what about the next time she makes you mad?"

"Ryuji's right," Ann said. "You can't let her get to you like this. That's how she wins, and you're better than her."

I searched her expression for answers, staring at her sky blue eyes. All I could see was red. "Easier said than done."

Ann frowned. "Who said it was easy? Not letting people get under my skin is something I struggle with too, but you shouldn't let anyone compromise who you are and what you stand for, especially for someone who wants you to fail."

"There is always another way," Yusuke said. "Remember the goal that you are striving towards rather than lashing out and whatever you do, don't fall victim to the flames of passion."

They all had good points, but as much as I appreciated what they were trying to do... it wasn't enough.

"How does this solve my problem?"

"For one, it grants Makoto less ammunition to use against you," he said. "It allows you to learn her tricks to prevent her manipulation from working. It lets you come to us, so that we can help you find a solution to whatever predicament you're currently facing. I can go on, if need be. I've given this a lot of thought."

"That won't be necessary," I said, smiling at him. If this was a test, then Yusuke just aced it. "You gave me exactly what I wanted."

He smiled, in return. "If you're sure. After all, the last thing we need is for our leader to be arrested."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen," I said.

Ryuji grinned. "If it does, then I'm blaming Yusuke for jinxing you."

"Can we not?" Ann asked, tossing us an exaggerated glare. "If anyone's going to be responsible, it isn't gonna be Yusuke." She winked at me. "It'll probably be Ryuji running his mouth where everyone can hear him."

We all laughed, while Ryuji threw his hands up in the air. "Come on, it was only one time! And I learned my lesson, too. No more bragging about the you-know-whats from me."

"Some lessons need to be repeated," Morgana said, out of nowhere. He climbed onto my shoulder with the grace of a gymnast and the subtlety of a pro wrestler.

"Where did you even go?" Ryuji asked.

"I was keeping an eye out for any pests." He peered at me with those inhumanly blue eyes. "I couldn't find any."

"Good." Ann smiled. "Nice job, Morgana."

Morgana bowed his head, turning away from me and everyone else. "Thank you."

With no pressing leads or potential targets, there wasn't much else to do, now that I'd said my piece. All of this talk had exhausted me, mentally and emotionally. However, I had one more thing to say before I could go. Something important, and something I should have said earlier.

"I owe you all an apology," I said. "I'm sorry for losing my cool and letting my temper get the best of me."

"It's okay," Ann said, a slight smile curving her lips. "It happens to all of us."

"Don't worry about messing up," Ryuji said. "We'll be here to help you get back on track."

"Take heart, my friend," Yusuke said. He grabbed his soda can and held it out to me. "This shall pass, and if all goes well, there won't be anything to worry about."

I took the offered drink and let the grape-flavoured tang of Quelorie Magic drown my throat. No need to go to the gym with this. I wondered if Risette had friends who gave her the support she needed to continue being an idol, like I had friends to keep me grounded.

"Thank you," I told Yusuke, after handing him his can. "I'm gonna get going. See you later."

We exchanged goodbyes and I set off towards Leblanc, hands in my pockets and a relieved smile on my face. This wasn't over, not by a long shot, but the road ahead wasn't as frustrating or agonizing as it was in the moments before I broke that phone.

"You handled yourself pretty well out there," Morgana said. "Not bad, for a rookie."

"How did you hear me when you weren't around?"

Morgana chuckled. "I can hear everything."

I nodded. "Good to hear."

That provoked a sigh. "Seriously, though, you're our leader. We shouldn't have to tell you to stay calm and not blow up at the first sign of trouble."

"You were there."

"I know she gave you a really hard time, and I don't blame you for getting angry. I blame you for how you reacted. Fortunately, this isn't something that can't be fixed. We just need to find out what we have to do."

"Good point."

The more I thought about it, the fewer upsides I saw in the choice I made. Even though the rush of shoving her trash back in her face felt really good, it wasn't that helpful in the long run.

For now, though, I'd plan and reflect, and when the time came, I'd be ready.


We came up with something over text. I would go ahead and find out if I was in the clear. Since I hadn't been visited by a probation officer, it seemed like everything was fine, but there was no way of knowing if I was truly safe or if this was merely the calm before the storm. Ideally, I would do this after school ended: I wasn't looking forward to seeing her, and I didn't like the idea of grovelling to save my hide.

Of course, life has a way of punching you in the mouth when you start making plans. When I got off the train at Aoyama-Itchome, guess who was waiting for me, smiling like she was my best friend. I tried to ignore her and walk to school like she didn't exist, but she never give me the chance, stepping beside me and shadowing my every move.

"Good morning," she said.

Fortunately for me, it was early enough that barely anybody would see us walking together, even if we were still in the station.

"Lovely weather we're having, aren't we?" she asked in a saccharine tone.

"Don't forget the plan," Morgana said.

I might as well get this over with while I could still take the initiative. "About what happened..."

"Save it." Her tone had tightened like piano wire pulled taut, ready to snap at any moment. To think, that she might have forgotten. "We'll be heading to the courtyard. It'll be harder to pull off any shenanigans out in the open, but there's no need to worry. We'll have all the privacy you'll need."

I wasn't going to let her set the playing field this time, and I refused to let her walk me through Shujin like her dog. While she had a point about the privacy, there had to be another way, and it took until we left the station for me to find one.

"I have a better idea," I said, and began to explain.

The alleyways where the Phantom Thieves started off were perfect: there was enough privacy that no one could hear us without getting too close, and all they'd see was the student council president having a shady meeting with the scary transfer student, rather than the president finally putting a leash on a rabid delinquent.

"Very well," she said, after I finished.

I led her to an alley close to the school and stood near the wall, facing her. Her concession was a shock, but I couldn't get my hopes up. Once we were settled, I steeled my resolve. It was time to get the ball rolling.

"Regarding what happened yesterday, I –"

"Don't apologize," she said. A scowl split her face. "You and I both know you don't mean it."

This was why I didn't hope, because this was the one thing I expected her to say. Time for Plan B.

"You're right. I have nothing to apologize for. I told you to stay away from me, but you didn't listen."

"And I told you to give me back my phone, but you went ahead and broke it. What goes around comes around."

For the life of me, I couldn't remember her saying that. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she was lying. It didn't really matter.

"You gave me no other choice. If you were trying to actually do your job, fine, but –"

"I am doing my job!"

"Is stalking me part of that job? Who gave you the right to follow me around and violate my privacy?"

She stepped into my personal space, glaring at me with venom in those damned red eyes. "I'm the student council president! That means I have the power to do whatever's necessary to protect my school and its students from anything that might harm it, including violent assholes like you!"

I returned her glare, confident my glasses magnified its intensity. "That still doesn't justify what you did! Did you think it was okay to do all of that just because I'm a delinquent? Did you think it was fine to involve my teacher in your little farce just so you could dig up some dirt on me? Or did you do all of this because you're too much of a coward to ask before doing all this?"

"I did try to ask you, damn it! I thought that unlike your friends, you might be interested in having a reasonable conversation with me. I really wanted to help you, but you threw it back in my face!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't threaten my friends, then none of this would have happened. Maybe if you treated me or Ann or Ryuji like human beings instead of human garbage, then we'd be happy to help you out!"

"I can't believe you have the gall to blame me for your mistakes after what you did. If you think for even one second that bullying and threats are going to stop me from bringing you to justice, then you're even dumber than your idiotic friends."

This was just like yesterday. From the physical signs – the shortness of breath, veins tightening around my eyes, heat boiling over in my chest, a scowl baring clenched teeth – to the way the argument was escalating... at the rate this was going, it was only a matter of time before I had another breakdown.

And it hurt. It hurt that she was getting to me so easily, just by targeting the people I cared about. It hurt that I couldn't dismiss what she was saying. It hurt that even if I knew that this wasn't right, even though my friends told me to keep calm and stay cool, I just couldn't help myself.

Something had to give, and neither of us could budge without risking everything.

I took a deep breath, and counted to ten. After I regained some semblance of calm, I took a step back.

"We're not the bad guys," I said. "We're just trying to protect ourselves, and it's hard to trust a system that's failed us."

She sighed. Her scowl had cooled off into a stern frown. "I want to believe that you're telling the truth, but I don't have proof. What I do have is evidence that you're involved with the Phantom Thieves." She smiled, coy yet self-satisfied. "Did you think I'd be foolish enough to not have backups of the recording?"

"No. What's your point?"

"Imagine what would happen if the principal learned about how our meeting went."

Staying calm would get me through this. I'd already lost my temper twice. Out in public, any wrong move would be broadcast to the whole world, even if no one was around to see it.

"What's stopping you?"

The smile widened, just a touch. "You are. The fact that you went that far to destroy the recording just proves I was right to follow you around. It's clear that you don't want to co-operate, but while I could force you to confess, I have something else in mind."

"And? What is it?"

She chuckled. "You'll know what you have to do soon enough. I'll just say that you'll get your chance to prove yourself."

"Are you still going to follow me around?"

"No, I have all I need from you. And if you're worried about me spilling the beans, don't be. It'll be our little secret. For now."

She clutched the strap on her bag and left the alley, joining the throng of students and grabbing their attention, which let me weave into the crowd and slip into the school almost unnoticed. There just had to be someone who'd look at me funny or whisper about some terrible rumour to their pals. This time it was about my meeting with Makoto, and it was as off-base as always.

Not that I was complaining.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone rapidly approaching me. Luckily, it was only Ann, who glared at everyone who looked at her.

"Good morning," she said, smiling at me. I didn't return it. "Are you okay?"

"Guess who I ran into."

Her glare returned, with a vengeance. "So those rumours were true. What happened?"

I planned to explain what happened in detail when we met up with the rest of the gang after school, but for now, an abridged version would be enough.

"I thought you were exaggerating when you said she was stalking you," she said, "but I shouldn't have expected anything less from someone like her."

"She said she wouldn't follow me anymore, but I doubt she'll keep her word."

Ann scoffed. "I'm surprised she even admitted to it in the first place."

A smirk briefly parted my lips. "I am too."

There was a lot to take in from that confrontation. I forced myself to focus on the positives, positives like not being completely screwed over, or not having what I said rejected out of principle. Not much, but it was better than nothing.

"I didn't want to say it in front of the others, but I was kind of hoping your little stunt would work," Ann said, after we reached the second floor. "I still don't agree with what you did, but quite frankly, she got what she deserved. Hell, if it meant she'd back off, I could live with what you did."

I nodded. "It sucks that it didn't work, though."

"I don't think anything's going to stop her from getting what she wants."

We entered our classroom soon after and once I reached my desk, I put down my bag and let Morgana free. Ann, of course, took her seat in front of me, immediately turning my way.

"What were you thinking?" Morgana asked. "It's like you wanted to get caught. We're lucky she didn't rat you out."

I frowned. "I did what I planned to do from the start. Now she knows how I feel, and I know what she plans to do."

Morgana sighed. The sound was disturbingly long. "You're lucky it worked, but you'll only get lucky so many times."

"At least we have a chance to turn things around," Ann said. "I still don't like how much leverage she has over us, but it's not as bad as it could be."

"The problem is that she could make us do anything she wants and get away with it," I said.

"That's just something we'll have to keep in mind," Morgana said.

It would be easier if I knew what she wanted us to do, but I didn't. It would be easier if we could just take her into the Metaverse, but that was guaranteed to backfire in the worst possible way. It would be easier if I could trust her not to screw us over, but I couldn't, not with how far things had gone.

In the meantime, she had us on her leash just because I refused to let her do what she wanted. There had to be a reason why she was so determined to stop us, beyond just wanting to be a good student council president. If she was like Kamoshida, then there wouldn't have to be a reason, but I doubted it was that simple.

The answer came to me at lunch, after I checked the MetaNav on a whim. While she wasn't distorted enough to have a Palace, Mementos told a different story, and when I saw her name, everything fell into place. Nothing, not fear or reason, would stop her until we were brought to justice. It was only a matter of time before she gave us our marching orders.

All because she had a Shadow lurking in Mementos.

Nothing ordinary would deter her from her path. The only choice, then, was to resort to the extraordinary.