I stepped out of my personal quarters and felt a wave of cool air rush over my thoroughly cleansed skin, causing tingling bumps to sprout along my bare arms. I paused to acclimate to this new day and slid my glasses onto my face. Gentle vibrations echoed through the ventilation of the quiet halls in the Z-Tech complex, but I could hear some distant voices emanating from the facility's canteen. Although recent events had brought intense stress to our small group, becoming agitated would not speed our goals. Samuel insisted that our patience was not being wasted.

"Good morning, Joker!" a pleasant voice called out to me.

My brain still waking, I briefly stretched my limbs before looking up at the red-eyed monitor. Unfortunately, I was becoming accustomed to Akechi's continuous interjections, so I remained quiet. I simply couldn't be bothered to chastise him on every occasion.

"The others have already gathered in the cafeteria," Akechi continued, "Feel free to make your way there at your own discretion. I suspect Samuel will want to speak with you shortly."

I released a mild groan as my bones and muscles creaked. "Okay," I said.

Immediately, I noticed another individual approaching from down the hall. "There you are," I heard Mona say, "I was wondering when you were going to be up. Everyone's already in the…"

"In the cafeteria," I replied, cutting him off.

"Uh, yeah," Mona frowned in confusion, "Wait, how did you…?" He glanced up at the wall monitor. "Oh, right."

"Greetings, Morgana," the monitor cheerily reverberated, "I was just informing our leader on the group's current status."

Mona's back curled slightly. "Our?" he began, "Actually, you know what? I don't care. Say whatever you want."

I gently placed a hand on my face, shaking my head. "Why does it feel like I have two animals perched on my shoulders now?"

"Hey! Don't compare me to him!" Morgana hissed.

"My apologies for the disturbance," Akechi quickly added, "I shall return to my duties." A short click echoed from the speaker before the red eye gradually faded.

Mona shook his head, dislodging the brief encounter from his mind. He returned his eyes to me and asked, "Can we go?" I nodded to him, and we departed.

The walk to the canteen was short, but my mind wandered during the few steps. I anticipated that Samuel would delay us at least one more day, so I contemplated what I might do with my remaining time in this place. Since the Phantom Thieves were all together, I could spend time with any of them. However, recreation didn't seem appropriate on such a tense occasion. Perhaps my friends would have a clearer plan of action.

I stepped into the expansive cafeteria and surveyed my surroundings. Fluorescent lights bathed the plain tile flooring in a white glow, and the grey tables and walls added to the dull aesthetic. I promptly noticed Sojiro idling beside me, but otherwise, the room was very sparsely populated for its size. Ann, Futaba, Haru, Ryuji, and Yusuke sat together at one of the several benched tables while the remainder of the area was devoid of life. Even the conjoined kitchen was empty.

"Well, look who's finally awake," Sojiro scathingly remarked. He crossed his arms, appearing ever-so haughty despite my independence. Still, I returned a humoring smile. He motioned to the kitchen window as he continued. "Made some breakfast for everyone, so make sure to eat up."

I meekly rubbed my neck. "You know, you don't have to do that."

Sojiro frowned, turning away from me. "Actually, I think I'd go crazy if I had to be cooped up here without doing anything. Too bad I can't go back to Jongen. That foreign guy, Sam, sure is a stickler for his rules."

"Well… thanks."

Sojiro nodded. "Mhmm. I'm gonna head outside for a smoke now, so I'll see ya."

The old man passed by me as Morgana trotted further into the room. With the cat leading the way, I shifted my attention to the kitchen sill and the steaming bowl of delectable curry. Familiar aromas of sugar and spice filled my nostrils, so I eagerly took up a plate. The simmering gravy poured readily onto the empty dish, coating the white porcelain in a caramel-colored soup. I grabbed a utensil, and a satiated grin appeared on my face as I approached the tables.

Futaba was typing away on her laptop while sitting in a foldable chair at the end of the table. I chose my spot at the corner of the bench between her and Ryuji. Yusuke sat on the other side of Ryuji, drawing in a large notepad, and the other two ladies sat across from them. As I sat down to eat, Ryuji mindlessly toyed with his round Metaverse device. With one finger, he rolled it back and forth before launching it inattentively toward Ann. The lady caught the disc with one dexterous index and heaved a great sigh before sinking her cheek onto her fist.

With a spoonful of warm curry on its way into my belly, I watched the uncannily mesmerizing game of disk rolling, yet none of the other table occupants seemed quite as interested. Yusuke fixated on expounding another preliminary sketch, and Haru focused her eyes on her phone. Eventually, Futaba did acknowledge my presence when Morgana hopped onto the bench beside me.

"Oh, hey," she said, adjusting her glasses as she looked at me, "Still as timely as ever I see."

I gradually chewed through another bite before speaking. "Any news?"

She sighed while swapping the positions of her legs. "Not the kind you're hoping for," she stated, "I barely found anything on Samuel's suspect. And don't even ask me about Makoto."

Persistently nodding at her response, I swiftly turned to Ann. She, however, commented quickly before I could even ask. "It's bad," she sleepily moaned, "It's really bad."

Haru abruptly glanced up from her phone. "I think we must have set a record for tissue use last night." She laughed uncomfortably. "And I have some experience with the matter."

Ryuji released a disgusted laugh as he caught the Metaverse disk in his hand again. "Shit…"

"I wish there was something we could do to brighten her mood," Yusuke absently remarked, "But I doubt anything could alleviate this crisis."

Ann cocked her head as our minds recoiled from the uncomfortable subject. "What are you drawing?" she asked Yusuke.

"I've been in a sour air lately," he replied, lifting his pad, "So I thought I'd try depicting something more outlandish." Yusuke held the notepad up for all to see. On the white parchment, I saw a distinctly American figure. Yusuke had drawn a man with a broad rimmed hat and wide chaps flowing from his legs. A smoking lollipop trailed from the figure's crooked smile, and a massive revolver hung openly at his side.

Ryuji glanced at the picture once and chuckled. "Yusuke," he began, "What the hell have you drawn?"

Yusuke chuckled, lowering his picture. "If that's your reaction now, I must have succeeded."

"Succeeded at what?" Futaba said, gawking.

"Forget about that," Mona pipped up, "Tell us what you found on the suspect."

Futaba grinned, tapping Mona's nose with a finger. "Jeez, so impatient. It's just boring stuff anyway."

The cat swatted Futaba's hand away. "We still should hear what you have."

"Okay, fine," Futaba sighed, "But all I found was that this guy, Nikolai, was involved in some unnamed conflicts during the 20-teens."

"So," Mona ruminated, "Is he… dangerous?"

"Well, from what I've found, he seems like a real warmonger," Futaba replied, "So, yeah. Danger is kinda his whole deal."

"I expected nothing less," I answered.

Ryuji slumped over, resting his chin on the table as he flicked the Metaverse disk back to Ann. "Sounds like a real bad-boy type."

Halting the rolling device, Ann yawned. "Shut up, Ryuji."

"Oh, that's right," Ryuji said with a snicker, "You're into bad-boys, aren't ya?"

Ann let out a disapproving sigh. "Ryuji," she began, "You don't have a clue who I'm into."

"Ugh…" Ryuji shook his head. "Would you quit bein' so stuck up?"

"Ha! I am not stuck up!" Ann retorted with snide condescension, "You're just being a moron."

"Oh, sure," Ryuji nodded, "Whatever you say Miss Windsor." He mockingly bowed his head.

Ann snorted. "Uh, Miss Win-? Oh, God. Are you really gonna bring that up again?"

Futaba winced. "Ngh, and just when I had nearly expunged that memory form my brain."

"Honestly," Ann continued berating Ryuji, "I'm surprised you even remember that."

Morgana chuckled to himself. "How could he forget?"

"It was his idea," I added.

Ryuji smiled, raising his hands apologetically. "Aw, you guys give me too much credit." He gestured to Ann. "We should be thanking Ann's spontaneous desire to launch an acting career."

"Hmm," Yusuke pondered the idea, "Stranger things have happened."

Haru set her phone aside to join the discussion. "I know a lot of actors get by on their looks rather than talent."

Ann suddenly straightened. "Ah! Haru!" she cried, "What are you implying?"

Her cheeks quickly flushing, Haru turned frantically to her friend. "Ah-um! I just meant that it wouldn't hurt your chances, was all."

Ann's pouty look quickly broke into a joyous laugh, and she threw an arm around Haru tightly. "Oh, Haru! I'm kidding! Acting's not my thing anyways."

Haru smiled, leaning into the warm hug. "Well, you did manage to give me a start there."

An abrupt buzz from Haru's phone cut the merriment short as she plucked the phone from the table and ogled the screen. Maintaining a loose grip on Haru's compact figure, Ann peered curiously at the personal device. "Who are you texting?" Ann inquired. She blinked quickly, glancing to Haru. "Oh! I hope we didn't force you to abandon your café."

"Oh!" Haru returned her gaze to her friend. "No, the shop will be fine without me. No… it's actually the company." She slowly looked again at the phone and sighed.

"I've been monitoring Okumura Foods on the market," Futaba promptly interjected, "You wouldn't even know they were in a slump a few years ago. They surpassed their net-worth all-time high months ago."

Haru giggled at the generous appraisal. "Yes, it seems our 'quality over quantity' approach has really resonated with customers, but I'm still a bit surprised myself."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Yusuke said, "But aren't you just a shareholder? You don't actually manage the day-to-day affairs of the company."

"That's right," Haru replied, nodding. "However, as the majority shareholder, all the board's decisions have to go through me." A smile swiftly returned to her face. "Plus, President Takakura and I like to discuss our plans for the future."

"Sounds rough," Ryuji remarked.

"It is difficult," Haru firmly added, "But I enjoy fulfilling my responsibilities."

Mona sent a confident smile in Haru's direction. "Well, we're super proud of you!" The others, including myself, nodded in agreement.

Haru giggled brightly. "Thank you, Mona-chan."

I lifted another dose of savory curry to my lips just as my eyes caught an additional body meander into the cafeteria. Ryuji also glanced in her direction and quickly refocused on fiddling with his device. While Yusuke and Haru remained distracted by their own activities, Futaba watched curiously, and Ann showed tentative concern.

Mona quietly mumbled, "Here we go…"

Her solid boots traipsing across the floor, Makoto took a seat next to Haru without saying a word. Generally, her appearance was completely typical; her slacks were smooth, and her hair was primped. Still, one could not ignore her sunken, downcast eyes. Even her mouth was slack and devoid of emotion.

Haru glanced at Makoto upon noticing her friend and mustered a gentle smile. "Good morning, Mako-chan," she softly said.

"Boss has kindly provided breakfast for us this morning," Yusuke added without looking away from his notepad, "You should have some before it disappears."

Makoto's head slowly tilted downward. "Thank you," she replied, "but I'm not hungry."

"Not hungry?" Mona questioned.

Ryuji shifted nervously at the newfound awkwardness of the conversation. "Eh, ah, um… Say, Haru?"

"Hmm?" Haru turned toward him, "What is it, Ryuji-kun?"

Ryuji scratched his neck although this divergence clearly alleviated some of his tension. "Ah, this is kinda embarrassing to ask, but… do you think I could borrow some money?"

Ann shook her head, groaning. "Ryuji…"

Haru just giggled. "And what do you need this money for, Ryuji-kun?"

"Ah, it's like…" Ryuji slumped over the table with a sigh. "I left my car at the airport a week or two ago, and… Well, I don't have the money to pay the parking fees."

Futaba chuckled. "And I thought Inari had money troubles."

Yusuke frowned. "Let's not pretend like you don't have a working guardian that provides everything for you."

Ryuji continued, "I spent all my money flyin' me and this guy to France, so I'm kinda screwed."

Haru kept smiling. "I'd be happy to help you, Ryuji-kun. Actually, why don't I call one of my drivers, and we can go together."

"For real?" Ryuji exclaimed, "Ah, thanks, Haru. You're a lifesaver."

Haru snickered. "You're welcome, of course. Um, why don't we go ahead and get ready. It shouldn't take long for my driver to arrive."

Ryuji nearly jumped out of his seat. "Alright! I'll meet you outside." Then he bolted off toward the dorms.

Haru laughed gleefully as she also rose. "Have a good day, everyone. I'll see you all soon." She waved at our table before leaving. The remaining members of the team were slightly dumbfounded by the new vacuum in our ranks. Luckily, I had my curry as a persistent and necessary distraction, but the others were more susceptible to the growing discomfort.

Futaba threw up her arms abruptly, releasing a noisy yawn. She squinted but looked at me with one eye. "Yo, I think I'm gonna go take a nap. I stayed up way too late researching last night."

I nodded at her, chewing through yet another bite. Mona also approved. "You should do that," he said, "We need to be well rested for our mission."

"Okay, kitty…" Futaba patted Mona's head forcefully. "Don't get too excited just because I'm going to sleep."

Mona frowned, glancing from her to me. "What is that even supposed to mean? I'm only thinking of your health."

Futaba folded her laptop. "Yeah, whatever you say."

I placed a comforting hand on Mona's back. "To be fair," I added, "He interrupts my sleep as often as he sends me to bed."

Futaba shook her head while snarking. "Somehow, I think I got the better half of the deal keeping Sojiro."

Morgana pounced onto all-fours. "Jeez! It's not a competition!"

Standing and grabbing her laptop, Futaba gave a coy laugh. "I'm pausing our game for now, but I'll be sure to pick up where we left off after my nap."

I shook my head at the foolhardy girl. "Our powers will have doubled by the next time we meet."

Futaba slowly pressed her glasses into her face. "Good. Twice the pride, double the fall." A self-satisfied grin appeared on her face as she departed.

An amused chuckle escaped my lips while I watched Futaba leave. I glanced down at my plate and noted the dwindling nourishment, but I still had a few more spoonfuls. Given the table's deathly quiet atmosphere, I resolved to savor every remaining bite. Chunks of meat marinated in gravy coated my palette while I surveyed the present team members. Yusuke endeavored with his sketching, but I couldn't tell if he was making precise adjustments or simply stalling for time. Ann also appeared uncharacteristically disengaged. The pervasive emotions stemming from recent events certainly brought discomfort; however, I wasn't expecting such undue tension. Regardless, gazing at Makoto's sobering face caused me to retreat into my shell of silence. There was nothing I could do to abruptly lift her broken spirits.

Apparently, today was an extremely busy day in the canteen because Samuel walked into the room right then. Despite a grim look on his face, he managed to carry himself with his typical, high dignity. He spotted our diminishing group promptly as he adjusted his suit jacket and approached us quickly.

He came behind Makoto and formally addressed us. "Greetings team," he said, "Have we seen the others today?"

Seeing as no one else volunteered, Mona spoke up. "Haru and Ryuji are out for the day, and Futaba just decided to take a nap. Oh, and Sojiro is out smoking."

Sam nodded. "I see. Well then, I'll have to offer my extensive apologies for yesterday. Had I known something like this would happen, I would have taken greater precautions."

Makoto closed her eyes as her face turned a sickly pale color. She frowned bitterly, her head shaking. "Sae…" Makoto whispered. She swiftly drove her face into her hands, and her breathing became ragged.

Witnessing her friend's grief, heavy tears formed at the corners of Ann's eyes. She scooted toward Makoto and set an arm around her. "It's gonna be okay," Ann quietly whimpered, setting her head against Makoto.

Morgana shot Samuel a disapproving stare. "Ugh, nice going." Sam was quiet, but he returned the biting glare.

My chewing came to a halt as I was subjugated to Makoto's sobs. Ice and inferno collided in my veins. All I could do was contain the simultaneous anguish and rage that threatened to rupture my heart. I needed to put this pain to use before I imploded.

I don't believe Makoto had the energy to cry much more because her involuntary shudders were shortly replaced by miserable sniffling. Yusuke somehow maintained his composure through all of this, but given his proven unpredictability, this did not surprise me. He looked up from his work, glancing at Samuel. "Have you made any discoveries on the device we brought to you?"

Sam sighed and closed his eyes. "Analysis hasn't gotten back to me," he said, "But it's probably as you thought: just a tool for transporting vehicles through the Metaverse."

"So?" Mona interjected, "Can't you reverse engineer that tech and put it to use?"

Sam returned his gaze to the cat, crossing his arms. "Look, I know what you want me to say. 'Oh, whoops, looks like I gave you our rubbish transference devices. This all could've been avoided with one simple fix!' Unfortunately, no such luck. Transference devices require an emergency ejection feature. Without that, you could easily be stranded in the Metaverse, and you don't want to know what happens to people who get lost in the Metaverse."

Morgana scoffed. "Pfft, I've spent plenty of time in the Metaverse and it's never affected me."

"Of course," Sam said, rolling his eyes, "And might I remind you that you are a four-legged, talking creature who appears in the form of a conventional house pet."

"That's right," Mona huffed, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Yusuke broke from his art to momentarily intervene. "Let's not dwell on the past. What's done is done, and clearly, no one desired this outcome."

Sam grunted at Morgana's derision but quickly turned to Yusuke with a better temperament. "I'm glad someone around here has enough clarity to stay focused."

"That's funny," Yusuke remarked as he resumed sketching, "I would not describe anything about my current mindset as clear."

Jarred by the young man's words, Sam stiffly tucked his hands into his coat. "Uh, what are you drawing anyways?"

Yusuke set down his pencil and slowly turned his picture around for the others to see. I noticed an uncomfortable grimace appear on Samuel's face as his eyebrows became crooked, and having relaxed her breathing, Makoto lifted her darkened eyes to glance at the drawing. A shallow smile surfaced on her colored face, and I heard a short yet humorous breath escape her lips. Ann also smiled, witnessing Makoto break through the prison of her heart.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Samuel gawked.

Yusuke gave a slight nod. "Well, if you can recognize it as such, then there must be some accuracy to it."

Sam's shoulders slumped, a great sigh echoing around the room. "Why does it feel like I have a personal entourage just for mocking me?"

With the amusement gradually propagating across everyone's faces, Makoto permitted a stifled snicker, and I chuckled myself. Mona laughed too before offering a suggestion to Yusuke. "All he's missing is a nice, curly moustache."

Sam winced in his current torment. "Hey now…"

Yusuke glanced curiously at the cat and then to his drawing. "Hmm, you may be right actually." He flipped down his notebook and set to work.

Sam shook his head. "You know," he continued, "I don't appreciate being made fun of like this."

"Oh, Sam," Makoto softly replied, "Lighten up a little."

Sam frowned strangely. "Ahem, excuse me!? Weren't you j-…!?" He stopped. "Ugh, nevermind."

"There." Yusuke laid his pencil aside. He tilted the notebook toward himself and examined his work. "What do you all think?" He flipped the pad around and held it out for everyone to see the glorious image. A dark outline protruded from underneath the gunslinger's nose and curled like a furry caterpillar toward his ears.

Only just glancing at the image, Ann's voice cracked, and she immediately clasped a hand over her hysterical face. Makoto's subtle laughs also joined in the whimsy as I cracked a loose grin. Sam merely shook his head. "This abuse of my image isn't getting you any favors."

Yusuke smiled. "Ah, so you're admitting that this is what you normally look like." Ann nearly toppled herself with a fit of laughter as tears leaked from her eyes. Makoto tried to steady her friend, but her own laughter rendered her instable.

An irked Sam turned aside. "Smartass."

"You should be grateful," Mona proudly stated, "It's not often that Yusuke depicts someone so vividly in his art!"

Sam ground his teeth to the sound of fading laughs. "Enough of this frivolity!" he said, stamping his foot on the floor, "I don't need a psychiatric evaluation!"

I swayed my head, saying, "Jury's still out."

"Oh, ha-ha," Sam dryly responded, "We have actual business to discuss. Specifically, we'll be leaving early tomorrow should there be no more delays."

"Well, it's about time," Mona swiftly replied.

Hearing the news, Yusuke glanced up. "Where are you taking us anyway?"

Sam crossed his arms. "Moscow. And we leave tomorrow, so you'd best be prepared."

"Moscow?" Yusuke repeated, "You're taking us to Russia?"

Sam pulled a lollipop from his pocket and rolled it between his fingers. "Were you expecting a tropical resort?" He ripped the wrapper from the candy sucker and popped it into his mouth.

Yusuke's face slumped. "Well… no. But this is rather sudden."

Makoto twisted her head around. She mustered a calm voice. "Sam, shouldn't you be informing everyone of the details?"

Sam toyed with the sucker in his mouth before responding. "I would like to, but all these abductions have forced me to accelerate plans. Details will have to wait until we're enroute."

Glancing back, Ann craned her neck. "Why's it always waiting with you? First the mission, now the details… Like, we don't even know anything that's happening. It kinda feels like you're just stringing us along."

Sam smiled, hanging his head a little. "Now why does that sound like a compliment coming from the girl with the whip?"

Mona shifted his paws in agitation. "Can't you at least tell us more about why we're doing this?"

Sam was quiet for a moment. He looked up at us and shifted his lollipop to the other cheek. "Look, you already know we're after Nikolai. You already know he's a war criminal. If you need some grander justification for this covert espionage mission, I can't provide that until we infiltrate his Palace." He dismissively waved his hand. "Regardless, Nikolai's cognition is the only link we have to the victims. We must infiltrate, and you are the only ones who can do it."

"You're hinging a lot on our dedication to your cause," Yusuke calmly added, "If we find no signs of the missing persons then all of this will be for naught."

"And that's why this is so urgent," Sam said, exhausted by the brief discussion. "Now, you." He pointed at me. "Yes, you. Come over here a minute." Startled, I glanced hurriedly at Samuel as he beckoned me. "I need to talk to you."

Sam stepped away from the table, expecting me to follow. I set my utensil on my now empty plate and gave a parting glance to my friends. Ann shrugged derisively, but Morgana held his suspicious temperament. The others didn't pay much mind; however, I still felt apprehension before any interaction with Samuel. I strolled cautiously around the table and walked the short distance to the edge of the room where Samuel waited.

Sam pursed his lips around his candy while maintaining a grave expression. His dark eyes fixated on a distant point like he was completely unconcerned by my presence. Despite this meeting being of his own making, Samuel somehow appeared inconvenienced. The pretentiousness of his general mannerisms was beginning to wear on me.

After a moment, Sam relaxed his face. He looked down at me and allowed a timid smile to break his façade. "I need your help with something," he began. My typically blank expression skewed slightly. "I want you to meet me at Shibuya station in an hour. We can talk more when we're there."

A sideways frown crept over my face as I crossed my arms. "You want me to go alone?"

Sam leaned to the side and glanced past me. "I'll tolerate the cat's presence if that's what you're asking."

I shook my head. "What is this about?"

Sam sighed heavily. "Just… humor me. This is important."

Slowly exhaling, I glanced down in contemplation. I unfortunately didn't have a reason to deny Samuel, and a mote of curiosity did linger within me. Finally, I nodded.

Sam nodded in peaceful affirmation. "Thank you," he stated. A lonely frown overcame him as he looked back toward my friends. "I don't think I'm fitting in very well." He returned his eyes to me following a moment of rumination. "I'll leave it to you," he said, sighing, "We'll see each other later."

I watched as Samuel turned on his heel and strolled to the doors. I was only slightly less confused, but our discussion was over, so I returned to the table. Surprisingly, the others did not ask me any questions. The stress and fatigue of recent days suppressed everyone's energy, but I could not afford to become sluggish. I noted the empty plate at my seat and quickly took up my dishware to return it to the kitchen.

As I entered the cooking room, I glimpsed Morgana trailing faithfully behind me. Confident that he would soon bombard me with questions, I calmly delivered my plate to the sink. I opened the hot water while Mona leapt to the counter beside me.

"So, we're meeting Sam at Shibuya station?" The cat gazed seriously at me while I reached for a sponge.

"Seems so," I stated.

"I wonder what he wants," Mona continued, "It's frustrating that he doesn't tell us anything."

I smiled as I squeezed a dab of soap between my fingers. "Maybe if you pester him enough, he'll start talking."

Mona's eyes widened. "You've seen how he threatens to take away my food! I can't do that."

"Never stopped you from pestering me." I began scrubbing my plate as suds bubbled around my wrists.

"H-hey!" Mona wailed. I quietly chuckled at his expense.

As he glared contemptuously at me, Mona's ears twitched curiously. He glanced back to the kitchen door, hearing another noise, and I followed his gaze. Makoto had entered the kitchen and stood motionlessly with a reluctant look on her face, so I kept my hands inside the sink and avoided flustering her with unnecessary attention. I continued my scrubbing while Mona used his natural unobtrusiveness to watch Makoto carefully. She stepped forward with conscious poise despite her somber appearance and began to play with the overhanging cabinets. Briefly, Makoto stared up into the dull interiors of the cupboards, but she didn't seem to be searching for anything.

Eventually, I heard a quiet sigh from her. "I hope Samuel isn't taking advantage of you."

I didn't look away from the sink as I flipped my plate over to check for any leftover stains. "You'd know better than I do," I responded.

Makoto closed the cabinets and allowed her hands to rest on the counter. "I don't know anymore," she slowly said, "I thought I did, but… everything's changed since the abductions began."

With my plate satisfactorily clean, I shut off the water and set the plate onto the drying rack. Then I heard Makoto inhale deeply, and when I turned to her, she was smothering half her face into one hand. I patiently plucked a hand towel hanging adjacent to the sink and began drying my hands. Mona and I kept silent as Makoto's expression turned to one of misery.

Makoto's lips coiled in a pained wince. Her trembling voice was barely audible through the weepy congestion. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Right then, anyone would have burdened themselves with a fraction of Makoto's sorrow to ease her suffering. As her close companion, to see my normally stoic and rational friend so wholly broken brought me to the precipice of my own sanity. I set the towel onto the kitchen counter and stepped toward Makoto. She turned her face toward me as I approached.

I paused momentarily. The distance between us was short, and my time to convey the vital sentiments was shorter. Though I could feel my heartbeat rising, I put all my effort into the stability of my words. "We have to do everything we can until we get her back."

Makoto clenched a fist tightly in front of her breast, and her upturned eyes glistened with desperate tears. With a quivering breath, she responded simply, "Okay." Makoto blinked, rolling a tear down her pale cheek. A sudden flash of resolve lessened her bitter frown, and I summoned a reassuring smile. Makoto shifted a bit closer to me as she released a tense breath. She stared firmly at me with a renewed flicker of hope behind those weary, crimson eyes. "Okay," she said.

With less than an arms length between us, I found myself fixating on Makoto's stirring gaze. Abruptly, Morgana interrupted our thoughts. "You have to try to stay motivated!" exclaimed the cat, "But if you're feeling down, we're all here for you."

Makoto cast Mona a startled glance before brightening her face. She forced a polite laugh, replying, "Of course." Then Makoto took her nearer hand and gently rubbed Mona's fluffy, left ear to which he immediately released a resounding purr.

I stepped back and returned the hand towel to its proper hanging position. As I spun back around, I noticed Ann's bouncy, silken hair through the elevated kitchen window. She peered into the room and tucked her chin on the window sill, displaying a cheery smile.

"Hey!" she began, "Phillip just texted me, and we're gonna hang out this afternoon. You guys wanna come along? Yusuke said he's coming."

Makoto swiveled her head around, surprised by another interruption. "Oh, u-uh-uh…"

"Actually," I responded, "I'm hanging out with Sam."

Ann's brows rose, but she kept smiling. "Oh! Good luck with that."

Makoto turned her gaze to me. "Wait. Is that what he was talking to you about?"

"Yup," Mona replied in my stead, "and I'm accompanying him, so I'm sorry, but we won't be able to go with you Lady Ann."

Ann leaned her head on the window sill. "Mmm, that's okay. Sucks to be you. But what about you, Makoto?" She glanced at Makoto, giggling. "I can't leave you here all alone."

Makoto ran a single finger over her lips. "Well, I suppose I should try to get outside a little." She glanced at me, and I nodded. "Ah, as long as it's okay with you."

Ann laughed. "Of course it's okay with me! We're gonna have some fun!" Ann's overbearing joy incited a timid smile from Makoto.

Mona frowned and shook his head. "Why does it suddenly feel like I'm missing out on so much stuff today?"

I faced him and replied, "At least you don't have to put up with Phil."

Glancing at the two smiling ladies, Mona sighed. "You know, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Is that so?" I asked, smirking at him. "Maybe I should have you shipped off for a while then."

Mona sighed in defeat. "Let's just go already."

Wind ripped through my hair as I watched another train slide into the station. Even as the crowds abated, the Shibuya train network presented a rhythmic pattern of activity to keep me distracted. The clattering tempo of hard-soled shoes followed the melody of humming signals and singsong callouts. A new train would arrive at regular intervals and overwhelm the dense tunnels with an emphatic whistle, and then the clamorous noises of speeding commuters would swiftly crescendo.

Morgana waited patiently in my hanging bag as the lines of passengers dwindled. I glanced at the dust speckled ceiling in my boredom and considered my current circumstances. My friends were moderately coping with the tension of our mission, but relations remained cold with our necessary leader, Samuel. Furthermore, the abduction of Sae Niijima had shaken us all. If Makoto had any less familiarity with Sam's methods, I believe she would have lost her mind. The others were gracefully enduring these struggles, but I was yet again doubting my alliance with Sam. Only the progression of our mission come tomorrow would prove otherwise.

An abrupt tap on my shoulder freed me from my thoughts, and a brisk voice swiftly greeted me. "Hey."

I flinched only slightly as I turned to see Samuel standing next to me. My bag whipped around a little faster, and Mona released a cry of shock. "Gah!" Mona wailed, "Don't sneak up on us like that! Jeez, you'd think a wealthy businessman like yourself wouldn't be acting like such a creep."

Sam frowned at my bag. "You know I can understand you, cat."

Morgana grinned. "I was hoping so!"

Sam groaned in disgust. "You know," he said to me, "of all the extradimensional beings I've conversed with, none of them were as disrespectful as this domestic cat."

"You must not have talked to very many then," Mona chided.

I dismissed the goading banter. "What are we doing here?"

"Well, I need your help obviously," Sam answered, "But let's go somewhere private to discuss this." Samuel passed me and began walking down the length of the tunnel. "Come. I've set up a research laboratory in this station."

"A laboratory?" Mona inquired, "Hey, be careful. Remember what happened last time we followed Sam down some creepy, train tunnels?"

I began following Samuel a few paces behind while responding, "I do, and I bet Sam remembers too."

"Come on!" Sam called out to us again, waving. I jogged behind the suited man as he directed us into a nook at the end of the boarding area. The shadows obscured us in the small enclave, and Sam took hold of a steel door nestled in the darkness. Holding it open, Sam ushered me into the inconspicuous entrance.

I passed through the doorway and came to a dimly lit tunnel unfurnished and vacant. Sam closed the door behind us before continuing forward. The passage quickly intersected with a larger, ribbed tunnel with train tracks faintly illuminated in the darkness.

"Where are we?" Mona asked.

Sam glanced back and forth as he came to the intersection. "A maintenance tunnel."

"Do trains run on these tracks?" Mona continued, "This feels kinda sketchy."

"Eh…" Sam wobbled his head. "Just move quickly, okay?"

Morgana grumbled incomprehensibly, but I continued along with Samuel. The light of the adjacent station starkly lit one half of his face as he pressed into the rail tunnel. "Don't worry," he said, "It's not much further."

Sam and I tread lightly over the tracks, hugging the support beams girding the tunnel. An irritating sensation accompanied the floodlights on my back as we slipped between light and dark. Sam ducked into an alcove between two girders, and I promptly followed him through another hidden doorway.

Sam removed his overcoat upon entering the secluded closet. A dying, incandescent bulb lit the four cement walls with a weak, yellow hue. As the hefty door shut behind us, Sam hung his coat on a rack cramped into the corner.

"Is this your lab?" Mona questioned.

Sam shot the cat a momentary frown before shaking the feline's derision. "No," he responded, "Just wait." Sam reached behind the adjacent shelving piled with mechanical trinkets and dusty oddities from the subway tunnels. I heard a sharp snap and then the far wall melted away to reveal a clean, red door. Sam turned to the door, confirming that his input had worked. "It's a Metaverse lab for Metaverse secrets."

"Oomf!" Mona tumbled to the floor as his bulkier form overflowed from my bag.

"Ahem, are you alright?" Sam asked.

Mona wobbled dizzily, coming to his feet. "Warn me before you do that next time."

Sam shook his head and pressed into the red door. "Alright, through here."

We passed through a final door and the décor of the joined chamber was surprisingly familiar. Reddened steel and brick met in the mangled architecture of a vacuous tunnel. Twisted train tracks ran haphazardly along the ground in irritating irregularity. The whole, eerie room recounted hours of trekking through the abyss underneath Shibuya station. Mona gawked endlessly at the scene; his own connection to Mementos ran slightly deeper than my own.

"This… looks familiar," Mona said.

Sam stepped further into the chamber, adjusting his vest and allowing his hands to settle into his pants. "Yes, Akechi mentioned as much before."

"Ah," Mona continued, "Of course he did."

Sam nodded, turning to us. "It's strange really. Despite the strong imagery, my own investigations have revealed a lack of activity in the area. The masses of people that come through here facilitated the development of a lab, but I was expecting to find some secret societal desire expressed in this bizarre cognition. Seems the warped decorations are just defunct window dressing though. I don't suppose you have any experience with this, do you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied.

"Hmm, yes…" Sam said, nodding, "Of course. Now, I suppose we should discuss why I brought you here." Sam methodically drew a small, ornate dagger from his pocket and fondled the inert Persona between his fingers. "Sometime tomorrow, we'll begin our mission to solve this Metaverse crisis, but we're not ready. Your team isn't." He waved at me. "I'm not. None of us are prepared. I wouldn't be taking this risk if I had another choice, but again, the Thieves are the only capable Metaverse users I'm aware of. Even my own skills are meager in comparison to your Persona-less allies. I've trained, experimented on myself, but I can barely control Excalibur." He balanced the miniature sword on his fingertips. "When we fought before, I intended to lose. That said, Excalibur and I don't have the sync to do much in a fight. As the leader of the Thieves, I want you to train me, so we won't have to struggle through our mission."

I wobbled my head in bewilderment. "You want me to train you?"

Sam glanced downward as he tapped his shoe on the hard flooring. "Is that… uncustomary for you?"

"That's not the point!" Mona wailed, "Aren't you supposed to be highly trained or something!?"

Sam frowned at the cat and blinked in puzzlement. "I'm sorry. Metaverse combat isn't exactly a well-studied field you know."

"Why not ask Makoto to help?" I asked.

"Oh, don't take me for a fool," Sam chided, "I've learned what I can from her and Akechi, but Niijima has only just reawakened to her Persona. Plus, she's not exactly in a reliable state to assist me."

As Sam stared at me, I shuffled my feet timidly. I was not mentally prepared at present to nurture another teammate, and Sam's standoffish attitude still irked me. However, Sam anticipated this situation.

"So, you still don't trust me?" Sam started with a weak chuckle, "Well, maybe if I offer something in return you'll reconsider. Train me, beat me in combat, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about Nikolai and the mission." I sent a testing glance at Samuel. "Trust goes both ways. Do this, and I'll put some in you." Morgana and I shared an inquisitive look. "I've been holding a lot of information from you," Sam continued, "Surely you're a bit curious about what secrets I've been hiding. Don't the guarded contents of my heart send a tingling thrill down your spine?"

I scowled at Sam's half-mocking remark. "Do you even understand what you're asking for?"

"Probably not." Sam smirked. "But I can't stop now." Sam lowered his hand and allowed Excalibur to slide off his palm. A surge of black fire enveloped Samuel for an instant like a flashy magician's trick. When the distortion cleared, Sam had donned his peculiar knight's mask, and Excalibur had enlarged in his grip. I watched motionlessly as Sam lifted the sword and pointed it at me. "Come," Sam beckoned, "Test me."

I gradually stroked my chin with a mildly amused smile on my face, but before I could speak, Morgana leapt between the two of us. "Woah, woah!" he cried, thrusting out his paws, "Let's not do this. There are much safer ways of training than fighting each other."

Breaking his stance, Sam scoffed. "Oh, calm down, cat." Sam shooed the feline aside with his blade. "I'm not asking some unarmed, unlearned novice to fight me. If I was asking you, it'd be a different story."

Mona glared at Sam, felling a slight on his pride. "H-hey!"

"What?" Sam continued, "Do you feel vulnerable without your Persona?" He crouched down to Morgana's level. "I'm curious how a blob of Metaverse energy like yourself even got a Persona." Sam lodged Excalibur into the ground at his feet, and the blade resonated with a light, irritating hum. He glanced at the sword and smiled softly at the cat. "We're both curious."

Sam extended his free hand toward Mona, who instinctively recoiled. Mona's voice faltered. "You secretly enjoy being unsettling, don't you?"

Ignoring the bizarre shift of conversation, I addressed my friend. "Step aside, Mona."

Morgana turned to me with an uneasy look. "What? You're serious about this?"

I stepped forward, maintaining a composed face. "It could be fun," I added.

Samuel stood back up and raised the sword over his head. "Finally."

"Oh no…" Mona sighed despondently, darting away from our standoff.

Sam focused his gaze on me as he tightened his grip on Excalibur. "Now! Show me what the Phantom Thieves are truly capable of."

[JOKER -VS- THE KNIGHT PRETENDER]

Sam's eyes flickered in the splintered light piercing his mask as he tentatively shifted toward me. His aggressive stance struggled to contrast his conscious absurdity, but he insistently pressed forward. While I smirked in a tepid reaction, Samuel's gaze flicked curiously from side to side.

"What are you waiting for?" he growled in a gravelly yet entirely unintimidating voice.

I set my hands in my jacket pockets. "The punch line," I replied.

Sam cringed. "Would you take this seriously for a moment?"

I returned a patronizing glance. "You first," I stated.

Samuel pursed his lips in irritation, and I saw his fingers chafe along the hilt of his blade. A swift flash of decisiveness preempted a surprisingly quick lunge from the suited man. The glinting steel of Excalibur shone brightly as it crashed into the irregular concrete floor. Sam hefted the sword from the attacked location but was startled to find his target completely unphased.

By the time of his telegraphed strike, I had already moved outside Sam's reach. I navigated behind him as he struggled with the bulky steel and retorted with a nimble kick to his backside. I shunted Sam aside although he quickly steadied himself and turned to face me.

I swiveled around from my acrobatic attack and slapped the hem of my overcoat as it manifest from my consciousness. I clenched my red gloved fist before my face and beckoned my novice partner to strike again.

Samuel stood tall, steadying his Persona. "You're faster than you look."

"C'mon," I continued, "Surprise me."

Sam reluctantly loosened his hold on his living blade. The heavy steel rose of its own accord, appearing weightless as it floated from Sam's hand. Sam watched his Persona with exertion and doubt, yet the sword moved gracefully through the air. A faint buzz resonated throughout the chamber while the blade rotated mesmerizingly. The light twinkled along Excalibur's razor edge, flashing at me like a winking eye. Something inside my head flinched at the abrupt interaction, and I could sense a deeper connection yet to be unveiled.

Sam extended a hand, shouting, "Excalibur! Now!"

A shrieking whistle followed the blade as it tore through the space between us. Though I could see Samuel's careful focus, the assaulting Persona emanated a foul purpose, but I naturally reacted with humble amusement. I leaned away from the sword, allowing it to easily slide overhead. As the blade passed by me, Samuel refocused, and the sword spun and banked behind me. With Excalibur now at my back, I needed to consciously track its motions. The flying weapon swung low to strike at my legs, but a quick jump elevated my body beyond the blade's reach.

The steel Persona vibrated in contempt as it narrowly missed me a second time. The point of the sword swiveled around recklessly without significant prompting from its master; however, Samuel remained concentrated on our duel. I tightened my stance once my feet hit the ground and readied for another attack.

Sam lowered his hand and slowly exhaled while his Persona hummed loudly. My adversary relaxed his shoulders, but I soon felt a jolt of energy contrary to Sam's ease. Excalibur emitted a piercing wail as it flew toward me with a sudden burst of speed. The steel announced its deadly intent with its signature howl, and a defiant spark of anger rose within me in reply.

Cutting edge collided with cutting edge when Excalibur finally reached me. The heel of Arsene's hardened boot caught along Excalibur's edge and sent the sword tumbling backward through the air. The steel blade flipped head over heels until its point lodged into the ground at Samuel's feet. Dumbfounded, Sam gazed in startled apprehension at his disgraced Metaverse tool while Arsene and I held firm.

Gazing at the artificial entity, my Persona's visage burnt with a constant yet spiteful hellfire. "NO HUMAN HANDS COULD CRAFT THIS VILE WEAPON," I heard Arsene speak, "ITS SINISTER WILL HAS YET TO BE REVEALED."

With Arsene hovering at my side, I returned my attention to Samuel and his blade. Sam cautiously reached for his sword with a look of bewildered confusion. "I don't think you can control that thing," I huffed.

My brisk comment only served to infuriate the man. "Of course I can," Sam quickly insisted, "That's why I'm here: to learn."

Mona, who had kept quiet to this point, couldn't keep from interjecting. "That thing seems to have a will of its own." He glanced from the blade to the man. "Are you sure this is safe? You did mention having trouble controlling yourself before."

Sam frowned, plucking the sword from the ground and thrusting it at Morgana. "Quiet, cat!" he hissed.

"Hey!" I said, attempting to redirect Sam's attention, "Stay focused."

Sam glanced at his Persona vibrating melodically in his hand. "Yes, there's still much to test." Sam mumbled words over his blade as he pointed it toward me.

Suddenly, Excalibur began to emit a bright glow. A shining, white light expanded from within the sword and swelled to quickly envelop the room. Blinded by the singeing light, I recoiled, and my connection with Arsene wavered. The all-consuming aura inhibited my abilities; however, a faint pulse of dread pierced the veil, warning me of an impending attack. I swiftly raised a hand and summoned my dagger into my grip. A steel clang resounded as the bright haze cleared, and Samuel stood bearing down on me.

Witnessing our entangled blades, Morgana gawked at the frightful struggle. "H-hey!" he said, an uncertain quiver in his voice, "Careful! Don't hurt him!" Mona glanced around nervously as we grinded our blades against one another.

With my dagger caught on Excalibur's crossguard, I held Samuel at bay while he forced his sword toward me. I saw his emblazoned yellow eyes burning through his shadowy mask completing his ravenous face. Then, in an unsettling show of force, Sam moved one hand onto the edge of his blade and pressed downward. He gave a pained thrust with the perpendicular sword and shunted us apart, leaving a bloody spat on Excalibur's edge.

Sam grimaced intensely while I put some distance between us. Those yellowed eyes had quickly lost all sense of humanity and now gazed at me with an unfounded hatred I had scarcely seen before. Sam swung Excalibur once to dispose of the excess droplets of blood and then took the sword in both hands to assume a rigid forward stance. He angled the sword out toward me, and it emanated with its familiar energy. A biting noise accompanied a softer yet still irritating glow within the blade, and I felt sweat forming on my exposed skin like I had drawn too close to a bonfire.

"Come on…" Sam goaded, "Attack me."

Despite my lacking familiarity with Samuel, I could clearly detect the growing madness within the man. Nevertheless, continuing our fight might have been the only way to free him outside of a swift departure from the Metaverse. I steeled my resolve and drew on the power of my mask.

Arsene rippled forth with a shockwave as I pulled my mask aside. I thrust out my hand and commanded my Persona to unleash upon our foe. Emitting a nightmarish cry, Arsene shot writhing tendrils of screeching, demonic energy hurtling toward the enemy. I let loose the strength of our will, and darkness choked the light from the chamber as the onslaught encroached around Samuel.

Still, Excalibur grew ever brighter amid the vile shadowy forms. The blackened beams of energy seemed to contort around the sword as they bombarded Samuel, yet my opponent appeared unharmed. The quick flash of a grin through the dwindling darkness gave me pause while I watched Sam withstand the entirety of the attack.

With the shadows expunged, Sam drew his sword back, and Excalibur surged with light. My expression loosened as I anticipated a retaliatory strike. Sam thrust forward, and I dove backwards, narrowly dodging a lance of pure light shooting underneath me. As I flipped over and landed, the bright energy of the lance flickered around me, but I immediately noted Samuel readying another attack. This time I leapt up and propped myself on the wall behind me while another beam struck between my legs. I spun into a roll as I rebounded from the wall, and Sam continued to shoot at me. One beam ignited over my head, and then another passed in front of my twisting body. The laser-like shots came in rapid succession, so I could barely hold still, yet Sam remained focused. Watching my swift footwork, he cunningly delayed one of his shots, flicking to where I had been rather than where I was. The bright lance rocketed out of Excalibur and struck my body at center mass, injuring me and confining my body to the ground.

I collapsed against the wall and sputtered as my breath vaporized in my lungs. I strained to raise myself, but I could not; my strength failed me. Tiny feet pattered swiftly to my frail body while I struggled to keep my eyes open.

"Hey… Hey!" I heard Mona shout. I felt his little paws grip the fringes of my collar and rattle me against the wall. "Now's not the time for a nap!"

An aching pain wafted through my frame as Mona shook me. "Ah!" I groaned, "It's nothing…" I mustered a firm look for Morgana, but in my suffering I could only wince disconcertingly.

"N-nothing!?" Mona wailed.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the vestigial Mementos chamber as Samuel's darkened visage approached us. The detached indifference covering his face reminded me of a hunting beast unimpressed by easy prey. He lifted his sword from his side, stepping behind the cat.

Mona turned slowly, his face turning from panic to pleading desperation. "That's enough, okay?" he said, putting up his paws, "You hit him pretty hard. Let's say you won this fight."

Sam gently set the tip of Excalibur under Mona's chin, his gaze unwavering. "Step aside, cat. I'm just getting started."

Mona looked at the blade pressed into his fur, its sharp end digging into his skin. Finding some offense on his pride, Morgana returned Samuel's steely glare before swatting the sword aside with an open paw. "I said that's enough!" He clenched his paws and took a deft stance.

Sam chuckled softly. "You'll need better swordsmanship than that dull wit to stop me."

Mona gave a slight shake of his head. "Never underestimate a master thief."

Expelling a short cough from my chest, I mustered some brief words. "Mona," I wheezed. The cat glanced to me for a moment. "Thank you."

Morgana turned away, smirking. "You're not the only one the Phantom Thieves are counting on."

Sam snorted. "So, now the attendant… Very well, I shall destroy you both." He took a step back and raised his blade.

"Hmph," Morgana solemnly bowed his head, "I don't know what that abominable sword has done to you… but if there's one thing I do know, it's that arrogant bastards like you need to be taught some humility!"

In a flash of rage, Sam drove his sword downward, striking at the small cat. Excalibur gleamed with energy as it powerfully cut through the space. The shimmer on the blade's surface surged into my eyes and exploded violently about the room. When the sword came down, it was met with flame and force. Excalibur's own light was enraptured by another, brighter flash, and Sam's attack halted as blade collided with blade.

A razor-thin, pinprick of a sword nimbly shunted Excalibur away from Morgana's tiny body. Appearing aside the cat, a pitch-black and enormous demon rose from the bluish fires about Mona, guiding a paper-width rapier against Samuel's broadsword. The Persona's imposing figure towered over Samuel while the legendary Zorro swiftly overpowered Sam's blade. Morgana and his Persona stared intensely at their foe, and their eyes shone with reflections of fire and holy light.

[MONA -VS- THE KNIGHT PRETENDER]

Sam stepped backward as he unhooked his blade from Zorro's and grimaced fiercely. "Such defiance…" The madman cracked a smile. "Good, I will enjoy thoroughly crushing you." Sam tightened his grip on Excalibur and the sword lit with white light.

Seizing full control of his Metaverse capabilities, Mona leapt forward with a furious cry. "Yah!" He hefted a curved sword in his paws and arced through the air with a similar bend. The two adversaries thrust their blades at one another, and steel struck steel in a glittering eruption.

Heated sparks lit the ground as Mona flipped over Sam's head. Mona drew back, but Sam continued his relentless aggression, defensively swiping his blade around himself. Although Sam was quick, Mona was far more agile, so he evaded each swipe and summoned up his Persona. Now Samuel had a nimble feline striking from one side and a mighty Persona advancing on the other.

Samuel spun Excalibur around as Zorro thrust toward him with a guttural warcry. Though Zorro's rapier was capable of deadly piercing strikes, Excalibur's weight could easily deflect each attack from the slimmer blade. Still, Sam maintained a flurry of action as he was battered by Morgana and his Persona simultaneously. Powerful, steel collisions sent shrieking metallic cries ripping through the room. The rapid assault on Sam was pushing him to his limit, and he growled primitively while throwing his heavy sword around his body. Watching from my resting position, I was surprised by Sam's abrupt surge of strength. He had not shown to be this capable before losing all his sanity.

Nevertheless, Mona kept excellent pace with Samuel's wild swings, likely due to his own animalistic prowess. Possessed by relentless fury, Morgana showed no sign of slowing. His eyes shone brightly in the dark, and his silvery blade gleamed with every thrust.

In a perilous attack, Sam thrust his sword at Mona, forcing a retaliation, yet Mona quickly responded. The cat unleashed a whirlwind of blows, balancing on one foot and striking thrice at Excalibur. Sam braced fatefully as his blade reeled from each strike, and Mona pressed his advantage. Zorro's rapier swatted Excalibur down, firmly holding it against the cracked ground. Sam turned to face his other adversary, but his sword would not follow despite his violent yanking. Mona clutched his blade tightly and struck while his opponent's eyes were distracted. He lodged his curved sword under Samuel's and heft it upward, freeing it from the ground and Samuel's hand all at once.

Sam released a quick cry of shock as he watched Excalibur tumble across the room, yet his breath was shortly taken from him. The large fist of Zorro displaced the man entirely. Sam skidded along the hard concrete before deflating limply.

As I observed Sam being incapacitated, the waning stress in my mind soon failed to cover the burning pain in my chest. Ragged breathing restricted a relived sigh, and Mona promptly turned his attention to me. His Persona dissipating, the cat darted to my side with a somber look. I returned a brief glance and let out a short laugh because I could not bear the genuine concern on his face. I stifled the issue by placing my palm in the center of his head, patting gently.

"Nice work," I said although my voice was heavily encumbered.

Morgana softly prodded my hand away with his paws. He sighed, asking, "Can you stand?"

I glanced side to side as I asked my body the question. Preliminary exertion revealed some residual tightness, but my muscles could still move. I pressed against the wall at my back and strenuously began lifting myself up. "Ye… yeah," I answered. I tenderly clutched my side where I had been hit. While my body remained intact, my strength had been sapped by Excalibur's magic.

Rightfully concerned, Mona kept his eyes on me for a moment before surveying the small, Mementos battle area. Sam laid motionless in the lifeless dust, and his sword rested inert a few paces from him. Mona crossed his arms, saying, "It's hard to imagine that this guy had you on the ropes a few moments ago."

I winced as I felt a wave of heated pain resonate through my side. "I don't think a demon like Arsene mixes well with holy light." I glanced down at Morgana, hoping my simple response had somehow assuaged his fears.

The cat glanced sideways at me before continuing, "I'm more concerned about where that power came from." He stepped toward Sam's incapacitated body, and I sluggishly followed. "Sam didn't show this potential before the fight."

Looking at the man's limp form, I considered our odd battle. Though we had tangled briefly, Sam had quickly lost his mind. He had mentioned similar concerns regarding Excalibur's instability before; however, this change had been more than increased aggression. Sam had fought with deadly intent and unprecedented power. Had Mona not surprised Samuel, I might have been destroyed. I glanced to the adjacent Excalibur and bent over it. The uncannily clean steel glimmered even in the dim light. "Maybe this technology is more dangerous than we thought."

"Or he's hiding something from us," Mona replied, focusing on Samuel.

Suddenly, a groggy moan echoed through the room as Sam flopped a hand onto his face. "Oh!" Mona exclaimed, "He's waking up!" I glanced at Sam as Mona cast me a worried expression. "What should we do?"

I looked hurriedly around the room while Sam continued groaning incoherently. I spied the red door that had been our entrance and swiftly concocted an emergency solution. "Flip the switch," I said, turning to Mona, "Turn off the machine that's keeping us in the Metaverse."

"Oh, yeah!" Mona said, excitedly jumping forward, "That could work."

The cat scurried franticly to the unopened door, yanking it open with a quick tug. I watched Morgana disappear into the entryway, but I could not exert myself to leave the room. Regardless, if my assumption was correct, we would exit the Metaverse outside this room, and I wouldn't need to move. The correspondence of spaces between realities was making less and less sense to me although I had not considered the concept much prior to my reawakening.

Presently, the Metaverse was a bigger mystery than it had ever been, and despite all our efforts to uncover its secrets, we had only gained more questions. In our first encounter, the Metaverse had been born of a mass conspiracy far grander than anything I could have fathomed. Now however, numerous, multinational entities were entering the Metaverse by catalogued, artificial means, and the intangible forces of this alternate reality were being harnessed for weapons like the sword before me.

I glanced cautiously at the weapon as it refracted light into my eyes. Whatever power it possessed clearly stemmed from human cognition, yet I found myself drawn to it. I was a part of the greater cognition too, yet I had certainly mastered my own power. If Sam could not control the power of this tool, then the bond between himself as the user and this Persona must be unbalanced. Perhaps I had taken my own abilities for granted, or the sword was something quiet peculiar.

I reached for the hilt in a moment of thoughtless curiosity. That gleaming radiance followed my raised hand over the blades edge as I knelt to touch it. Then I recalled my earlier debacle while using another of Samuel's Metaverse weapons and thought better of the idea. The manipulation of these cognitively wired devices was ominous at best, and I needed to be more cautious of them in the future.

My body suddenly lurched forward as the blade in front of me vanished. I tumbled to the floor and quickly found myself within the hidden maintenance closet through which we had entered. Rising, I noticed Samuel slouched against the wall, cradling the miniature incarnation of Excalibur. Mona was there too, and he eyed Sam humorlessly.

Morgana stretched his long, feline body, expressing his satisfaction. "Well, that seemed to do the trick."

I observed Sam coddle his Persona effigy. He contorted the toy-like blade instinctively between his fingers, hovering his downcast face over the device. His lifeless eyes and slight frown revealed little emotion, but I couldn't speculate as to his thoughts. I turned to Mona briefly before being interrupted.

Sam suddenly chucked the sword from his hand, and it bounced off the hard wall. "Useless trash!" he exclaimed. In a violent fit, Sam lurched up from his seated position. He stood poised over the blade. "How long have I spent studying and investing to get to this point? Yet this piece of childish junk tries to solder my will to its own!" Sam stamped on Excalibur as his voice welled up with anger. "Fucking useless! There is no point to anything anymore!"

Mona shunted himself in front of Samuel once more. "N-now hold on!"

Samuel glared at the cat, his eyes touched with madness. "Don't you see, cat? If I can't control this simple toy, then I can't do anything! My own mind betrays me. How can I be responsible for sending you on this mission while I remain in this state?" Mona stared agape as Samuel breathed rapidly. He seemed to choke down his emotions and then cradled his head in anxiousness. "This whole fucking endeavor was pointless. I can't go through with this."

Sam allowed his words to settle as he reached into his suit pocket and retrieved a small candy. He quickly lobbed the piece into his mouth when Mona spoke up. "Whoa, whoa," he began, "You've been playing coy with us, delaying this mission for the past few days, and now you want to call it off?" The cat mustered a bitter frown. "You can't do that! It's not fair!"

Samuel returned a scornful gaze while his candy kept him muted, and my two associates locked into a standoff. I brushed past the two of them, not caring to humor this fleeting discussion. "Let's go back," I said. My firm voice seemed to dislodge the two from their feud, but I could sense an exhaustive discussion of our scheduled mission was inevitable. Still, we moved toward the exit reluctantly, and began our return to the Z-Tech building.

We all made a conscious effort to suppress discussion on our journey home. The rush of the bustling Shibuya streets overpowered the murmuring emotions within our heads. Mona walked beside me, and Samuel kept a fair distance behind us, content in his somber rage. As we rounded toward the imposing corporate building, my eyes caught on an unexpected obstacle. A large black car was parked squarely in front of the building's glass doors, and two men in dark suits flanked the vehicle.

I paused on the walkway opposite the building with Mona. "Those don't look like Sam's men," Mona remarked.

I called back. "Sam?"

The American swiftly met us, brushing my shoulder. "What? What's wrong?" he asked shortly before noticing the vehicle, "Oh no." Sam's face paled as he jogged recklessly across the open road, and although we were still confused, Mona and I had little choice but to follow.

Sam pushed through the glassy gateway and dragged us into the foyer. A young, lady secretary whom I recognized quickly turned to greet us with a thoroughly flustered expression. "I… I'm sorry, sir!" she stuttered, "I tried to stop her, but she…"

"Don't worry about it," Sam cut her off, "I'll deal with this." He strode past the secretary into the hall.

As I walked past the bubbling water feature, I saw another lady down the hall wearing a constricting business suit. She had tied most of her dark hair into a ponytail except for two longer ribbons of hair setting in front of her ears. A quick motion from the lady's pointed eyes denoted her impatience, but Sam approached her with reserved coolness.

"Amanda," Sam began, tucking his hands away, "I wasn't expecting you to…"

"You're a difficult man to track down, brother," the lady confidently cut through Sam's spiel, "What with all the flying you've been doing, it must be difficult to concentrate on your work."

Sam blinked hesitantly at his sister. "Ahem, yes, well, that's been go-…"

"I didn't come to talk about that, Sam," Amanda said calmly. The lady hung her head for a moment before nodding solemnly to me. "What's he doing here?"

Sam gave a halfhearted laugh though he didn't smile. "We're working together. I needed…"

The lady pressed her index and thumb against her forehead. Her next words held a condescending irritation. "You realize you're breaking every protocol I can think of just by having him here?"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Sam snapped back, "We're in a crisis…!"

Amanda winced. "Oh, not this again."

"Amanda," Samuel retorted, "You know the danger."

The lady pursed her lips as she silenced her brother with a blistering gaze. "There is no danger," she insisted. A quick sigh escaped her before Sam could further object. "No one is conspiring behind your back. All our allies are on the same page when it comes to the hazards of extradimensional science, and Nikki has been very cooperative with…"

"We can't trust him!" Sam blurted out, shivering involuntarily. His sister gave him a pitying look.

Amanda reached up and placed a gentle hand on her brother's neck. "Oh, Sam," she murmured, "I think your project is starting to get to you." Both were quiet for a beat. "You should take a vacation. Put the research on hold for a while. Find a nice beach and spend some time off the job site."

"Y-yeah…" Sam replied quietly.

His sister smiled, giving him two short pats before releasing him. "Good. I'll be in touch."

Amanda swiftly stepped around her brother and set a pair of designer sunglasses on her face. Her heels clacked on the tile floor as she went by, and I couldn't help but observe her suspiciously. She returned a blank stare, masked by her glasses, but I apparently held little interest for her. The lady refocused her attention when she passed and promptly walked out the doors.

I watched until the dark car had zoomed out of sight before turning to Sam. "What was that?" I asked.

"My sister," Sam said, sighing, "She doesn't like when I do things without her permission."

"Clearly," Mona interjected, "What was all that about taking a vacation? Are you actually going somewhere?"

"As luck would have it," Sam stood up straight, regaining his haughty composure, "I already have a trip planned." He smirked. "Though… I'm not sure there are any beaches in Moscow."