The next day, in the Niijima apartment…
Minato let out a light groan of irritation when he felt someone repeatedly poking at his back before he woke up and sat up from the bed then turned to see who is it that's poking him and saw that it's Pharos. "Pharos, what's the big idea and what do you think you're doing, poking my back repeatedly?" said Minato in an irritated tone of voice at Pharos.
"Wow, aren't you quite a complain one today, Minato. And as for the reason on why I'm poking you to get you to wake up is because I've something important to tell you." said Pharos sarcastically at Minato.
"Something important to tell me? Like what, Pharos?" asked Minato in confusion at Pharos.
"Well, like the fact that I've sense that your sister, your cousin and some of your former SEES teammates is here in Ikebukuro, Tokyo now." replied Pharos.
"Huh, what did you just say? My sister, my cousin and my former SEES teammates are all here already!?" said Minato in surprise at Pharos.
"No, I didn't say all of them, only your family and some of your former SEES teammates is here now, Minato. So what're you gonna do now that I've told you about them?" asked Pharos.
"… What else? I'm going to see them, especially my sister and cousin after school ends for today, of course." replied Minato with a small smile on his face at knowing that he'll see his family and some of his former SEES teammates soon.
"Of course you will, Minato. I wonder, will they be surprise, shock or happy to see you or all at once after Elizabeth freed you from your duty as the Great Seal?" said Pharos with a pondering look on his face.
"I guess we'll see soon enough, Pharos. For now, I should be getting ready to go to school with Makoto-san." said Minato to Pharos (who smiled before he vanish back into Minato's soul) as he got off the bed and left his room to do his usual morning routine, head back into his room to change into his uniform and grab his new Buchimaru hoodie jacket that he received as a late birthday gift from Makoto yesterday, had a quiet breakfast with Makoto before they grabbed their bags (which Minato put his hoodie jacket in), left the apartment and head to the subway station to take the train to Shujin.
XXXX
Meanwhile, in the kitchen in Kirijo manor…
After Shinjiro woke up, do his usual morning routine of bathing and putting on a long sleeve black shirt, long black pants and a beanie hat on his head, he went downstairs toward the kitchen and began cooking breakfast for his girlfriend and SEES teammates. As he stirred a bowl of egg white/yolk then poured it onto a frying pan to make scrambled eggs, he suddenly felt a familiar pair of feminine arms wrapped around his waist from behind him, which make him smiled.
"Good morning, Minako." greeted Shinjiro happily and lovingly at Minako.
"Good morning to you too, Shinji." greeted Minako happily and lovingly back at Shinjiro. "What are we having for breakfast today?" asked Minako curiously to Shinjiro.
"Scrambled eggs with bacons, sausages, cheese and broccoli. A common western breakfast for everyone in this manor, Minako." replied Shinjiro.
"Mm, sounds good, Shinji." said Minako as she hugged Shinjiro for another few seconds before letting go and left the kitchen and went into the dining room to help set up the table for everyone and once she's done setting up the table, she heard the sound of someone ringing the doorbell outside and she went toward the front door, opened it and saw a fair-skinned, short dark blue-haired, blue-eyed woman wearing a full dark grey business suit and black heels on her feet standing outside the door.
"Oh, good morning and nice to see you, Naoto-chan. Would you like to come in and join us for breakfast, how goes your investigation into the psychotic breakdown and mental shutdown cases and what brings you here to Mitsuru-san's manor?" greeted Minako happily and politely at the woman named Naoto.
"Good morning and nice to see you too, Minako. Of course I'd join you all for breakfast, my investigation on the psychotic breakdown and mental shutdown cases is still ongoing and the reason why I'm here is because I got a call from Mitsuru-san telling me that you and some of the SEES members are here to search for whoever it is that's the new vessel of Death so I decided to come and lend you all a hand too, Minako." replied Naoto calmly to Minako.
"Mitsuru-san did? I see and we'd gladly accept your help, Naoto-chan." said Minako as both she and Naoto went to the dining room and a few minutes later, the rest of the SEES members came into the dining room after they woke up and cleaned themselves up, met and greeted Naoto too before Shinjiro came out of the kitchen while holding and putting the plates of foods that he cooked for them on the table before they began eating their breakfast (while Shinjiro sat down beside Minako and ate with her).
"So now that all of us are done having our breakfast, do you know the current whereabouts of this vessel of "Death" that you detected back in Mitsuru-san's mansion?" asked Ken as he, Minako, Shinjiro, Naoto, Kikuno, Yukari, Junpei and Koromaru glance at Aigis right after they had their breakfast.
"Yes, I do, Ken-san. I sensed that it's currently in a school in Aoyama-Itchome area." replied Aigis as she glance and nodded at Ken.
"So it's in a school in Aoyama-Itchome, huh? Looks like we had no choice but to wait until school's over and if we do found whoever it is that has "Death" inside him or her body and we fight it, won't it caused damage on the guy or girl too, Aigis?" asked Minako concernly at Aigis.
"She's right, Aigis. Isn't there another way for us to fight "Death" without hurting the unfortunate person who has it inside him or her?" said Yukari worriedly to Aigis as well.
"I understood your concerns for the person who holds "Death" inside his or her body, Minako-san, Yukari-san. And worry not because there's a way for me to get "Death" out without hurting the person holding it." said Aigis reassuringly to both Minako and Yukari (who sighed in relief unison).
"That's good." said Minako.
"Yeah. And now we wait." said Shinjiro before he picked up and bring the dirty dishes and cups into the kitchen to washed them (with Minako helping him out) while Naoto, Yukari, Junpei, Ken, Kikuno and Koromaru also left the dining room to do their own things.
XXXX
A few minutes later, in the classroom…
Halfway through Chouno-sensei's teaching, Minato felt his phone vibrating and he discreetly pull it out to see and read the incoming message under his desk.
RS: Hey. We're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?
AT: Don't text us now. We're in class, Ryuji.
KK: Oh, texting with others while class is in session, huh? Looks like I'll be giving you extra homework later, Sakamoto-kun.
MA: She's right and looks like you're in trouble with Kanakubo-sensei now, Sakamoto-kun. So pay attention to what the teacher is teaching us about.
RS: Oh, come on, sensei! Woah! You mean you guys are actually listening to this crap!?
KK: Crap!? You think our teachings are crap, Sakamoto-kun!?
RS: Huh? N-No! Of course not, sensei!
AK: Obviously, Sakamoto-kun. Because of whatever we learn today or tomorrow can helped us in the future. Also, calm down, will you?
AT: Yeah, we know. But none of it is really sticking today…
RS: I know right. Anyway, hideout after school?
KK: Hideout?
AT: Where exactly is this "hideout"?
RS: The school's rooftop, of course, you guys and sensei.
AT: Wait. We can still go up there?
RS: Yeah, I'll let you guys in. Welp, I'll be waiting, just come on up once school's over.
AT: Sure.
AK: Understood.
KK: Very well.
MA: We'll see.
RS: I'm gonna fine you guys and sensei if you're all late!
After Minato'ss done seeing and texting messages on his phone to Akira, Ryuji, Ann and Kanakubo-sensei, he discreetly put his phone back into his pocket and resumed listening to Chouno-sensei's teaching.
XXXX
After school, on the school's rooftop…
"Looks like we're all here. Mkay, let's get goin' to the Palace!" said Ryuji impatiently to Akira, Ann, Morgana, Minato and Kanakubo-sensei after they gathered and meet up on the rooftop.
"Hold on, it's still too early for us to head into the Palace." said Morgana.
"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thingy?" asked Ryuji in confusion to Morgana.
"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare first." replied Morgana as he scowled at Ryuji.
"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?" said Ryuji as he scowled back at Morgana.
"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll end up dead if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in." said Morgana.
"He right and I agreed with him, Sakamoto-kun. It's dangerous for us to go in without the necessary weapons and medicines." said Minato as he nodded in agreement with Morgana.
"But… how exactly are we supposed to do that?" asked Ann.
"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann. First we need to find and purchase better equipment for all of you." replied Morgana as he glance and gave a small smile to Ann.
"You talkin' about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!" said Ryuji with a wide grin on his face.
"In that case, you can handle that side of things, Ryuji." said Morgana approvingly to Ryuji. "The only other thing would be stocking up on medicines since fatigue is unavoidable for us in the Palace… Luckily for both me and Akira, we found out and knew about a doctor that works in a clinic in Yongen-Jaya so we'll be going there to purchase some medicines from her later on." added Morgana as he glance at Akira.
"Yeah, that's right." said Akira with a small nod of his head to them. "And what about you, Arisato-senpai? If you don't have anything to do then you can either accompany me and Morgana or Sakamoto-kun to check out the two places that sells weapons and medicines." added Akira to Minato.
"Thanks and as much as I want to accompany either one of you to check the two places out, I can't." said Minato slightly apologetically to them both.
"Huh? Why not, Arisato-senpai?" asked Ryuji in confusion at Minato.
"Yeah. Why can't you, Arisato-kun?" said Kanakubo-sensei.
"Because there's something that I need to do later, something important, Sakamoto-kun, sensei." replied Minato.
"Really? And what's this "important" stuff that you need to do later?" asked Akira slightly suspiciously at Minato (who stay silent and didn't answer his question). "…Fine, don't tell us." sighed Akira.
"Don't be like that, Kurusu-kun. I'm sure he has his reason in not telling us." said Ann as she scowled at Akira.
"Thank you and you're right, Takamaki-san. I can't tell you guys and sensei about them, not yet, at least." thought Minato to himself.
"Now that we're all done talking and got that out, Akira and I'll be leaving for Yongen while Ryuji will be leaving for Shibuya now, so meeting adjourned for today!" said Morgana before he and Akira bade farewell to Ann, Ryuji, Minato and Kanakubo-sensei and they left the rooftop and the school before Ann, Ryuji, Minato and Kanakubo-sensei left the rooftop, bade farewell and split up to head back to their class to get their bags.
"They're on their way and are you ready to see them now, Minato?" asked Pharos.
"Yes, I am ready, Pharos." replied Minato as he take out and put on his Buchimaru hoodie jacket before he walked out of the classroom and left the school.