Akane no Mai

by Kanius

A man from the world of Vein drops into a world of Thieves. He meets a pragmatic woman. She greets him with a calm smile. "My name is Togo Hifumi." Following the fateful encounter, a host of monsters arrive, disrupting the peace. The Thieves return to confront these entities outside their realm and ultimately cross paths with the Revenant man.

26. Reunions

Chapter IV: Reunions

---

Shujin Academy (秀尽学園高校)/January 12, 2019 (2019年1月12日) (Reality: January 2021)/12:30 PM (JST)

It was the new year. Christmas and the holidays have already gone by fast. The Thieves, the Remnants, and the Gamblers enjoyed the festivities and used the extra time to search for any signs of reality distortions created by the Yami Matter. As of late, there hasn't been any Yami Matter activity. Nevertheless, the teams cautiously stayed alert.

With 2018 (in reality 2020) behind them, the group anticipated the new year for better and worse.

Today marked the first major event for the Phantom Thieves. For Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Makoto, and Haru, it was their school reunion at Shujin Academy.

Each dressed for the occasion, the former Shujin Phantom Thieves invited their other friends as guests. Since it was still the winter season, the group much like a sane-minded guest came dressed in winter attire to keep warm.

Ren came dressed in business casual. He wore a long-sleeved black buttoned dress shirt, dark jeans, dark brown dress shoes. He wore a dark gray coat.

Standing beside her husband, Ann wore a zip-up white sweater with a black coat over it, a white scarf tied around her neck, red dress pants, and black boots. Wearing white gloves, she held a tall cup of hot chocolate as warm steam seeped from it.

"I can't believe it's been that long since we were students here," Ann walked down the hall she used to roam between classes. She turned to Ren, who was in the middle of recollecting memories during his one-year transfer into Shujin. She softly smiled and patted Ren's shoulder. "Hey, I know there were some bad memories here, but don't forget all the good that outweighed the crap."

"Yeah, I'm remembering us sharing the same class with Kawakami-sensei."

"That's right. We were in the same class. Oh, how could I forget Ryuji sending us annoying texts in the middle of class?" Ann chuckled.

"Hey! Who's texts were freakin' annoying?! They happen to mean a lot to me!" An annoyed tone belonging to Sakamoto Ryuji interjected.

Ren and Ann turned around as Ryuji appeared before them. Ryuji came dressed in a black dress shirt with a yellow tie, khaki dress pants, and white shoes. He wore a black coat over his dress shirt. His hair was well-groomed for the occasion and his goatee was neatly trimmed, almost thinned out.

"Whoa, looking sharp, Ryuji," Ann complimented his neater appearance.

"Thanks. I mean, it is our school reunion," Ryuji grinned.

"So, we need to go find the others. Hifumi and Skyler just arrived," Ren showed them the text he got from Hifumi just now.

"Yeah, we need to remind them they have to sign in as guests since they never attended our school," Ann pointed out.

"Oh yeah, good call!" Ryuji nodded.

"Where's Miyako, Ryuji?" Ren asked him.

"She's checking around the east hall that way," Ryuji pointed to the direction he left her. "We better go and get her."

"How does she like our school so far?" Ren asked him.

"She thought it looked too restricting on the outside, but looking around inside seems to have changed her mind."

"Hey, we finally found you guys!" A voice belonging to Niijima Makoto drew their attention away from their ongoing conversation.

"Yes, looks like we interrupted some chat you were having?" The polite tone of Okumura Haru chimed in.

Ren, Ann, and Ryuji turned to see Makoto and Haru standing side by side. Makoto wore a long-sleeved blue dress coat with a brown winter shirt underneath, black dress pants, and brown boots. Haru came dressed in a turquoise dress sweater with a collared white shirt under it. A dark green tie hanging out of her collar. She also wore a pink skirt, long white leggings, and brown shoes.

"Yo, glad ya two came!" Ryuji waved to the young ladies.

"Makoto! Haru! Hey!" Ann called them.

"Don't we all look good?" Makoto smirked as she and Haru approached their fellow Shujin friends.

"Or, should we call you Ms. Student Council President once again for this one day?" Ren gave a witty remark, which earned an eye roll from Makoto.

"Oh please. Those days are behind me, but if you guys want to humor me. Sure, why not?" Makoto shrugged, letting them rib on her former prestigious school title.

Haru giggled. "You're our Student Council President, Mako-chan. Us being here together in Shujin takes us back, doesn't it?"

"Anyway, where are Hifumi, Skyler, Yusuke, Futaba, and the others?" Makoto asked the three.

"Let's see if they're outside the school. Maybe they're in the halls?" Ann said.

"Well, Hifumi and Skyler just arrived. Those two will be passed the school entrance," Ren recalled from the text. "Let's head outside and greet those two in."

With that, the Shujin Phantom Thieves headed for the front side of their school. When they came out on the front, the group discerned Skyler, Hifumi, Mia, Louis, Yakumo, Yusuke, Futaba, Morgana, Jack, Eva, Akechi, Sumire, Emily, Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta in the crowd.

"Check it out! Look who found us!" Futaba turned and acknowledged the Shujin Phantom Thieves. She stood opposite Yusuke. She came in a long-sleeved black and white striped shirt, green khaki pants, and white tennis. A black women's beret cap adorned her head.

"Let's give it up for our favorite Shujin Academy friends," Yusuke declared as he started a clap as the others joined in and clapped. The artist came dressed in a black coat with a dark blue long-sleeved sweater underneath, black jeans, and dark brown dress shoes.

"We're happy we can make it for your school reunion," Hifumi genuinely added. She came wearing a dark green coat with a white sweater under it, a black skirt with dark gray knee-length stockings, black boots, and a white winter cap. She carried a black purse.

"Maybe you can show us around your school?" Skyler asked. The Revenant came garbed in a dark gray coat with a black long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and dark brown dress shoes.

"Yeah, give us a tour of Shujin Academy!" Yumeko howled, and judging by her tone sounded demanding. She came dressed in a dark red buttoned coat, black knee-length socks, dark brown shoes, and a red women's beret cap.

"This is a really nice school," Ryōta scanned the Shujin grounds. He came wearing a brown coat, a long-sleeved blue sweater, dark blue jeans, and brown dress shoes.

"Eh, ours is much better looking," Mary nonchalantly shrugged. She wore a dark purple coat with a long-sleeved red shirt, a long gray skirt, black leggings, and brown boots.

"So, ladies. How about the tour of your school?" Louis approached Makoto and Haru. He came dressed in a brown coat with a black dress shirt and a blue tie underneath, dark gray pants, and black dress shoes.

Upon hearing this, Makoto and Haru exchanged looks. Makoto appeared hesitant, but Haru encouraged her with a smile.

"Right this way," Makoto said as she and Haru escorted Louis into Shujin.

"We'll even show you where the student council room is at! You do know Mako-chan used to be this school's student council president?" Haru added, which made Makoto give out an exasperated sigh and hang her head.

"Yes, I've only heard you both mention it in passing, but yes I'd like to see where Mako-chan's old office space," Louis said, playfully teasing Makoto, who turned away.

"Are we done? Right this way or you'll find yourself lost," the brunette-haired woman chuckled as she and Haru led Louis down the main hall.

"Hey, Louis got to go in first! Show us into your school already!" Yumeko excitedly cried out, grabbing Ryōta and Mary's arms.

"Quit jerking on my arm, will you?!" Mary snapped at her compulsive friend.

"Yeah, I didn't bring my brother and his friends here for nothing," Mia added. She came dressed in a sky blue winter dress coat, black leggings, black knee-length boots, and a black Ushanka-style hat.

"Aren't Nicola, Shinya, Reiko, and Li-Ming already inside?" Yakumo asked Mia. He was dressed in a black winter coat, dark gray pants, and brown boots.

"Yeah, and they might be lost in there! And to think they'll probably be going to Shujin!"

Skyler half-chuckled. "Guess we need to find them and let Ren show them around. Right, Ren?"

"Yes, we very much want to see your classrooms and any of your former teachers if they're still here," Hifumi said.

Noticing Morgana near Mia, Ren nodded. "Yeah, we don't want to keep you all waiting. Welcome to Shujin, friends. Just a heads up, the halls look the same, so don't get lost." He showed them the way into Shujin's front doors.

As the group wandered into the main hall, the Shujin Phantom Thieves divided them into groups and showed them around the first floor. Ryuji found Miyako, who was seen in a white winter coat, dark blue jeans, knee-length brown boots, and a white winter cap, scouring the first floor hall.

Miyako noticed Ryuji and his friends. "Oh, hey! There you are, Ryuji!"

Ryuji smiled and walked up to his girlfriend. "What do you think so far?"

"It's not as bad as you seemed to describe it."

"Now that you mention it, they did make some changes to the school since we graduated," Makoto observed.

"You're right. It does feel less restrictive," Haru pointed out.

"So, why don't we look around? The last we came here, we didn't see all of the school," Yusuke suggested.

"Where's the first place we can start?" Futaba asked.

"C'mon, we'll show you," Ann kindly offered to tour them around Shujin. "Hifumi, Skyler, Mia, Louis, Yakumo, Jack, Eva, Emily, Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary; since this is your first time here, we want you to see as much of the school as we can show."

"Fair enough. We're in no hurry," Hifumi smiled.

"That's right. Just show us the places you used to hang out," Skyler said.

"There's one place we'd like to show you," Ren vaguely referred to the Phantom Thieves' favorite old meeting spot: the school's rooftop.

---

Ren and Ann showed Hifumi, Skyler, and Mia around the first floor. Morgana followed them from a distance, avoiding being seen by faculty members.

As the couple showed them up the stairs, a couple of random former students noticed Ren and Ann. Needless to say, they were shocked Ren and Ann bothered to come for the reunion, much less be seen together. They remembered Ren as that 'one student' with a criminal record. Others, including a few girls, remembered Ann being accused of slut-shaming and heard about the rumors related to Kamoshida.

The group of former students approached Ren and Ann. Almost preparing themselves for a heated confrontation, the students bowed their heads and offered apologetic remarks, especially the girls who once believed in the alleged Kamoshida rumors. They also offered congratulations to Ren and Ann being a married couple.

"So, these were former students from your class year?" Hifumi asked Ren and Ann.

"Yeah, they were afraid of me and accused Ann of being in a relationship with that asshole Kamoshida," Ren answered.

Ann furrowed her brows. "But, that's behind us. Kamoshida's long gone. The students have already apologized. I'm glad they did but I'll never forget what happened with me here. I have fond memories and not-so-great ones." Her frown turned into a smile, reflecting her change in mood. "Anyway, there's still the old homeroom classroom we have to show you."

"Sure, show us the way," Skyler nodded.

"Those people did seem weirded out to see me, though," Mia heard the former students commenting and referring to her as a 'blonde foreigner'. She scoffed and nonchalantly shrugged. "Whatever, I've been called a gaijin already by a few folks since living here."

"We're so sorry, Mia," Ann apologized. "I can sorta relate. I'm just one-quarter American myself but I did get similar looks from kids back then."

Mia sighed. "Yeah, but I'm over it. I don't give a shit what they think of me."

"Sooo, changing the subject here. How about taking us up to your homeroom classroom?" Skyler suggested, quickly interjecting and trying to lighten the mood.

"You aren't bothered when people call you a gaijin, Skyler?"

"Well, Mia, to be honest, it used to irk me a little, but I don't let it bother me anymore. We are technically foreigners."

"Yeah, but from another dimension. Not another country."

Skyler sighed. "Look, we can just forget about that? Ren and Ann are being kind enough to show us around their old school."

"You're right. Sorry about that, guys. I'm just here 'cause I want to find my brother and his friends."

Ren smiled. "Don't worry. We'll find those four."

Hifumi grasped Skyler's hand. "Shall we get going?"

Skyler nodded to his girlfriend. "Yeah, let's keep moving."

---

Elsewhere, Makoto and Haru showed Louis to the old student council room, which looked renovated since the last time Makoto remembered.

"They really did change this room," Makoto was taken aback by the office space being cleaned up.

"The school's been mostly cleaned up. Some areas look almost unrecognizable," Haru pointed out as they toured Louis around.

While scanning the school's hallways, Louis absorbed the academic setting and reminisced about his school life. "Being in a high school like this brings back memories. I remember when Cruz and I were classmates."

"You mentioned this Cruz woman before. Tell me about her if you want to," Haru curiously queried while trying hard not to pry into his personal life.

With a sincere grin on his face, Louis replied. "She was an old classmate of mine and my ex."

"Your ex? I see. You don't have to tell me anymore," Haru nodded.

"It's fine. It was a mutual breakup but I'll always remember our dates together."

"I'm not surprised you had a girlfriend before. Did you win her over with your boyish charms?" Makoto asked, overhearing Louis and Haru's chat.

"She liked me far more than that. Our relationship was deeper than that. Thanks to her, I found the courage to talk to women."

"So you say. Now I just remembered! I heard that Shujin has a new principal. Apparently, it's someone very young," Makoto astutely realized as they arrived outside a closed door.

"Ah, so this is where you used to hold office, President Mako-chan?" Louis scanned the student council room.

Makoto cleared her throat, responding in a practical tone. "Why yes, this was my office. Granted, it's different from how I remember it. Whoever is the new Shujin principal, I'd like to thank him or her for renovating parts of the school."

"Man, just walking around here makes me wish I were a Shujin Academy student right now," Louis smirked as he turned to the ladies. "Imagine if the three of us were students."

Haru chortled. "Well, I think it's too late for that."

Makoto nodded. "Yep, I'm happy those days are behind me. Besides, you're not just saying that because you're dreaming of your ex again?"

"Hey, that was uncalled for. Besides, don't tell me there's a little part of you that misses those Shujin days?" Louis asked them.

"Well, only the good things and that's mostly seeing each other every day," Haru openly confessed.

"My only nostalgic memories are my friendships with Ren and the others, which we still carry with us to this day," Makoto firmly stated. "There was some bad stuff that I'd rather keep in the past."

"Whoa, hey I can understand that," Louis apologetically replied. "So, where else would you like to show me?"

"Well, there's the rooftop where we used to hold our Phantom Thief meetings and where I tended to my garden," Haru said.

Upon hearing this, Louis's grin widened. "Oh, your old Phantom Thief hangout? Now, this I gotta see!"

Makoto hid her annoyance behind a fake smile. "Please, we'll show you the way, lover boy."

As the trio headed for their destination, a few former students noticed their old student council president paired with Haru and the young male half-Japanese foreigner. Using his heightened Revenant hearing, Louis heard the gossip among the former students.

"We got a problem here? You mind saying all that to my face?" Louis overheard their gossip. His harsh tone turned away some of the gossipers.

"Louis, let's not pick a fight with anyone," Haru whispered to Louis.

"You're right. Sorry," Louis replied, turning over to Makoto's former council members and bowing apologetically toward them. As he gave them a tense glare, they bowed in response, avoiding escalating a conflict.

"It's good to see you again, Niijima-san. You're looking well," one of the former male students bowed to Makoto.

"Likewise, it's good to see you again, Okumura-san," a female student bowed to the new Okumura company owner.

Haru bowed back. "Good day to you."

Makoto pulled Louis back. "Forget them. Just walk off." She walked him away from the former students.

"Look, I just hate when some folks around here like to shit stir with foreigners," Louis muttered.

"For an awfully cool-minded guy, I'm surprised that bothers you."

The Revenant shrugged. "Guess I'm not as calm and collective all the time like I seem to be."

"Don't worry, Louis. They're just not used to seeing people outside the norm," Haru said. "You're our friend no matter what your background is."

Louis smiled back. "Why thank you, Haru-chan."

"Just stick with us, Louis. That way you don't get lost and we won't have to scramble looking for you."

"I can count on you to make sure I keep my temper in check, Mako-chan."

The long-haired brunette gave an exasperated sigh. "Sure, whatever you say."

---

Outside near the track field, Ryuji showed Miyako, Futaba, Yusuke, and Yakumo around his favorite training spots. When he stepped onto the field, Ryuji felt he was right at home.

"So, this is where you used to practice and run?" Yakumo asked Ryuji.

"Yep! I brought Miyako here a couple of times already. Heh, and she got tired out after trying to run a lap."

Miyako scoffed. "Yeah, but I've gotten better thanks to Ryuji's training! I can run a couple of laps now!"

"That gym membership sure paid off, didn't it?"

"Hey, Ryuji!" Futaba garnered his attention. "There's a couple of guys over there calling for you."

"Who?" Ryuji turned as he recognized his former track team members, Nakaoka and Takeishi. "Oh, it's them."

"Friends of yours?" Yusuke asked Ryuji.

"They were old buds and former track team members of mine," he answered as he approached Nakaoka and Takeishi. He beckoned Miyako over to meet his old track mates.

"So, how do you like Shujin so far?" Yusuke turned to ask the Revenant.

"It's a nice school, but a few students were giving me discomforting looks," Yakumo sighed.

"Oh, ignore them. They thought you were a foreigner despite being Japanese, but who cares what they think? Right, Inari?" Futaba scoffed over the sharp-eyed looks they gave him.

"Yes, no doubt."

"Even though I'm Japanese? Well, whatever. I won't let them get under my skin."

After Ryuji finished introducing Miyako to his old track mates, he took Futaba, Yusuke, and Yakumo back inside the school. Once they walked in from the back, Ryuji stepped in and walked right into someone.

"Ow!" Ryuji yelped as his head collided with the other guy's forehead.

"Ouch! Excuse me, but watch where you're going!" A young man yelped as he nearly fell back.

"Yo, you shoulda watched where ya went! Whoa, Mishima!" Ryuji realized he bumped into his old school friend.

Mishima dressed in casual business wear, consisting of a long-sleeved white shirt, gray khaki pants, and brown dress shoes. He picked up the gray winter coat he dropped.

"Ryuji!" Mishima blinked upon realizing he bumped into.

"Yo, Mishima! How's it going?!" Ryuji got up and gave Mishima a firm handshake.

"Well, nothing too eventful since attending Ren and Ann's wedding."

"Tell me about it, dude."

"It's still so strange to see you without the blonde look."

Ryuji chuckled. "Uh, didn't I already tell ya that I dyed my hair before?"

Mishima tried to recall any instance of Ryuji telling him such. He nodded dismissively.

"Yeah, this is my natural hair color, dude."

"Hi! You're another friend of Ryuji's?!" Miyako walked forward and interjected into their conversation.

Mishima faced Miyako. "Whoa, who are you?"

"This is my girlfriend Miyako. Miyako, say hi to Mishima. Me and Ren used to hang out with him."

"It's a pleasure!" Miyako shook Mishima's hand hard to the point of shaking his whole body.

"Hi! Good to meet you, Miyako!"

Upon realizing how hard a grip she gave him, Miyako apologetically withdrew her hand and watched Mishima rubbing his hand.

"Oh, sorry, dude. I forgot to say Miyako's got a strong grip on her. Surprises the hell outta me, too," Ryuji chuckled as Mishima caressed his own hand.

"Yeah, sorry about!" Miyako openly apologized while rubbing his hand.

"Right," Mishima half-chuckled and then internally thought. And here I thought it's because I still have a weak hand grip! "You got a strong girl, Ryuji."

Ryuji laughed. "Aw, c'mon man!"

"I'm not that strong," Miyako giggled.

"So, where's Ren? I've been looking all over for him," Mishima mentioned their friend.

"Oh, he's here. Dude, come with us and we'll find him! He'll be happy to see you again!" Ryuji insisted.

"Sure, I'll come with."

Ryuji then realized. "Hey, ya know what? They probably went to the rooftop. Why don't we see if they're there?"

"That old meeting spot you used?" Futaba asked.

"Yeah, c'mon I know where it is!" Ryuji led the group toward the uppermost school level.

---

As they entered Shujin Academy, Jack and Eva searched for Skyler and the other Vein Remnants. The couple came dressed in their winter attire: Jack wearing a black winter coat with white and silver trim, a collared white dress shirt under the coat, white dress pants, and dark pants.

Eva wore a dark red winter coat with a fake white and pink feathered collar, a white long skirt, thigh-length red and black-striped stockings, and black dress shoes.

Along the way, the couple bumped right into Sumire and Eugene, who were scouring for Ren and his friends.

Sumire is seen wearing a black winter coat with a bright red scarf tied around her neck, red gloves, thigh-length black stockings, and red tennis shoes. She had her long red hair down and wore her glasses, giving her a rather sophisticated look that surprised Jack and Eva.

Eugene has on a navy blue winter coat coupled with a yellow scarf, dark blue jeans, and dark brown winter shoes.

"Sumire? I almost didn't recognize you until I smelled… never mind," Eva muttered, retracting her last word to not befuddle Eugene and not give away her Revenant sense of smell.

"Oh, these?" Sumire smiled brightly as she took off her glasses. "There. Is this better?"

"They're fine on you either way. So, it looks like we're still touring this school? Have you tried to regroup with Ren's group?" Jack asked the red-haired girl.

"Ren-senpai texted me and said he's upstairs. So, Eugene and I will be heading up there."

Eugene added. "I must say, this is a pretty big school. It might be bigger than my old high school. Sumire, how were you able to navigate through this place?"

"You get used to it," Sumire replied.

"Ah, fancy seeing you here, friends," Akechi's voice interjected into their conversation. The group turned to meet Akechi, who came wearing a light brown winter coat coupled with his red scarf, dark gray dress pants, and black dress shoes. "Sumire! It's nice to see you!"

"Hello, Akechi. Do you know where Ren-senpai is?"

"Sorry, I was going to ask you, but we can look for him together."

Eugene nodded. "Thanks, we'd appreciate it."

As Akechi turned toward Jack and Eva, he coolly smirked. "And I'm sure you're looking for your crew."

"Yeah, we are, but we'll look for them on our own. Thanks," Jack replied as he and Eva walked past Akechi, who didn't pay them any mind.

"Sumire? Is that you?" A man's voice reached the red-haired woman, who gasped and whirled around.

Upon recognizing the man's voice, Sumire saw the former therapist who came to Shujin Academy: Maruki Takuto. He wasn't alone as he was accompanied by a woman with long brunette hair and a small red-haired girl with m-shaped bangs, a small ahoge, and 7 red hearts floating on each side of her head.

"Well, well, you're cute as I last saw you, Sumire," the brunette woman added, smiling toward Sumire and the others.

"Maruki, it's been a long time. You're looking well since we last saw you and Ichinose at Ren and Ann's wedding," Sumire nodded, bowing down toward the man who once manipulated and turned her loose against Joker.

"Hello, Sumire. You're looking rather vibrant today!" The perky woman jovially greeted Sumire and the others.

"Same to you, Ichinose," Sumire said.

"Likewise, Kuon-san," Jack replied as he and Eva stopped to bow their heads.

"Ah, I've heard about you, Kuon-san," Akechi chimed in, garnering the attention of Maruki, Ichinose, and Sophia. "You were the creator of the EMMA app program. Then, things went awry with the EMMA program, you had the program removed and disappeared altogether." He then turned over toward Sophia. "And I believe this is the AI you constructed. Presumably, you had help from the Phantom Thieves?"

"I'm intrigued you know so much, but I shouldn't be surprised. After all, you were the ex-junior ace detective, Akechi Goro?" Ichinose replied with an ironic smile.

"And who would've thought I'd see Maruki Takuto here?" Akechi pivoted toward the former school therapist.

"Yes, same here, but I understand you vanished for a long time? Everyone presumed you either died or left town, but here you are in the flesh," Maruki pointed out.

"What can I say? When it comes to vanishing acts, I am the master."

Maruki nodded. "Yes, but I understand there's more to your disappearance than you're letting on." This remark stopped Akechi cold in his tracks. "Anyway, I'm sure you're here to look for Ren and the others?"

"Well, yes that's correct," Akechi replied.

"Yes, we interacted with him and then went our separate ways. I was showing Eugene here around the school," Sumire said. "Eugene, this is Dr. Maruki. He was my therapist."

"Oh please, I'm not a doctor anymore," modestly chuckled Maruki as Eugene bowed and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you and thanks for helping Sumire through her down periods," Eugene expressed gratitude on his girlfriend's behalf.

"You mentioned Ren. He's really here, isn't he?" Sophia asked, walking and interacting with the group in her new lifelike android body.

"Yes, he and the others are here. You want to join us and meet them?" Sumire smiled as she greeted the AI. "Oh, wait. Akechi, you said this girl here is some AI?"

"Yes, but she's very lifelike. Kuon-san, I'm curious how you were able to acquire the resources to convert this AI and grant her physical form?"

"Heheh, a creator can't give away her secrets! She also has a name. Right, Sophia?" Ichinose turned and winked toward bright red-haired AI.

"Salutations," Sophia waved to Akechi. "Do you know Ren?"

"He and I are deeply acquainted, yes," Akechi kindly smiled. "Would you like to join us?"

"If Sophia is going, we're coming, too," Maruki insisted.

"That's right! Wherever Sophia goes, we're part of the package deal!" Ichinose added. "By the way, Sophia, you think you refrain from linking yourself with Ren and his friends' phones? Let's surprise them when they see you."

"Huh? Ok, sure!" Sophia nodded in response.

"Wow, that girl's an AI. Crazy to think how far robotics has gone," Eugene muttered.

As Jack and Eva scanned Sophia, they couldn't sense any bioenergies from the AI. To discover that a human-like AI not only walking among them but having a connection with the Phantom Thieves astounded them.

"Amazing that just about anyone can be a Phantom Thief," Jack muttered.

"Indeed, whether it's an AI like her and Revenants like us," Eva concurred.

"Well, what are we all waiting for then? Why don't we look for Amamiya Ren and his friends?" Maruki suggested as the group headed up the next stair level.

---

Meanwhile, Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary scoured the third floor. They spotted Ren's group heading upstairs leading to the rooftop.

"Hey, Ren, Hifumi, Skyler! Wait up!" Yumeko called out as she and her friends followed them to the stairs.

Once Yumeko's group joined Ren's, they started up the stairs and ended up on the rooftop. Ren and Ann once again became familiar with their former Phantom Thief meeting place. To their surprise, Makoto, Haru, and Louis had beaten them to the location.

"Hey, what kept y'all?" Louis asked the group.

"So, I take it this was the former Phantom Thief headquarters spot?" Skyler asked Ren.

"Yeah and normally we used it after school to discuss plans," Ren replied.

"And I remember stopping y'all from coming up here. Thankfully, that was before I wised up and joined y'all for those meetings," Makoto said as she watched Haru admiring the flower garden, now completely covered under blankets due to the cold weather, that was being maintained by the current student body.

"This was your old meeting spot? Tell me, did y'all have a password or something to permit entry?" Yumeko obsessively asked Ren as her eyes seemingly glowed red, which creeped Ren out.

"Well, uh not really," Ren blinked, veering eye contact from Yumeko's obsessive gaze.

"This makes for a nice and peaceful spot for meetings," Hifumi admired the scenery as she sat down on a chair.

"Yeah, and you can get a nice breeze here," Skyler said.

"So, have we figured out who this new principal is?" Ann asked the other Thieves.

"Not yet," Makoto replied. "We just know it's someone very young and has taken great liberties to renovate Shujin."

"I agree. The school feels a lot more wholesome than it used to be," Haru concurred with her partner's sentiment.

Just then, the doors opened and Ryuji escorted his group into the rooftop.

"Ryuji, Yusuke, Futaba! Glad you can join us!" Haru said.

"Yakumo," Louis acknowledged his colleague's presence.

"Ren! How's it been?!" Mishima called over to his old friend.

"Mishima," Ren smiled and walked over to converse with him. "You're looking well, my friend."

"You sure brought a ton of company for the reunion, including a few faces I don't recognize," Mishima noticed the Vein Remnants.

"We've recently met them," Ann interjected.

"Oh, Ann. I just wanted to say I'm happy for you and Ren. How's married life been for you two?"

Ren and Ann answered by holding each other's hands, which elicited a genuine smile from Mishima.

Suddenly, the door opened again and everyone turned to see Shiho. Her brown eyes scanned the large group facing her. She wore winter clothing comprising a light brown buttoned coat with a long-sleeved yellow sweater underneath, a black skirt, dark gray leggings, and brown knee-length boots.

Shiho and Ann immediately recognized each other.

"Ann!"

"Shiho!"

Upon identifying the woman, Ren, Ryuji, Makoto, and Haru were surprised to see Shiho. The last they saw her was during Ren and Ann's wedding. Ann and Shiho quickly embraced each other.

"It's good to see you again, Shiho."

"Likewise, I'm glad we can get together for this reunion," Shiho smiled. She then noticed Akechi, Sumire, the Vein Remnants, and the Spiritual Gamblers. "Oh, you brought some new friends with you? I don't think we've met?"

"Hello, I'm Yoshizawa Sumire," The former gymnast introduced herself with a bright smile. "We went to the same school, but we never got the chance to meet. I was also at the wedding. Sadly we couldn't properly meet there. I'm also friends with Ann."

"I'm Suzui Shiho. Yes, if I recall, we never met. I was hospitalized and later transferred to another school after the incident," she stated.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. It was terrible," Sumire added with a saddened look.

"Yes, but I'm living a better life now. It's nice to finally meet you, Sumire!"

"And this is my boyfriend Eugene," Sumire introduced Shiho to the blonde man.

"I'm happy to hear you're doing better these days. Nice to meet you, Shiho," Eugene offered a handshake, which Shiho accepted.

Turning away from Sumire and Eugene, Shiho caught Akechi standing close by.

"You're Akechi Goro," Shiho acknowledged the ex-detective, who responded with an awkward smile.

"Ah, so you know me?"

"I don't have to know you after seeing you on TV a lot back then while I was recovering. You said some awful things about the Phantom Thieves," Shiho elaborated, causing Akechi to shake his head.

"Yes, but that was when I thought the Thieves were a menace. My stance on them has changed since then."

"I see. I heard you disappeared for a while."

Akechi shrugged. "What can I say? I needed time away after the incidents that involved Shido."

"Right, well, I'm glad you're doing well. That's all I can say," Shiho turned away, giving Akechi the cold shoulder.

"Ouch, I can tell she wasn't one of my crazed fans," Akechi chuckled modestly but feeling deeply hurt by Shiho's words.

The Vein Remnants introduced themselves to Shiho.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Skyler Jones."

"You can call me, Louis Amamiya."

"My name is Shinonome Yakumo. And this my girlfriend Emily Su."

While clinging to Yakumo's left arm, Emily greeted Shiho. "Hello and good day!" Emily is seen wearing a dark green jacket, a black winter cap, dark brown winter pants, and black boot accessories.

"Heh, and I'm Mia Karnstein. Nice to meet you!"

"My name is Jack Rutheford. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Shiho."

"And I'm Jack's girlfriend, Eva Roux."

The Spiritual Gamblers then introduced themselves to her.

"Hi, I'm Jabami Yumeko! Relax, I don't bite."

"Hello, I'm Suzui Ryōta."

"I'm Saotome Mary."

Shiho kindly responded to them. "It's nice to meet you all." She then turned to Hifumi. "And I remember you from the wedding. Hifumi, is it?"

"Yes. I'm Togo Hifumi."

"I'm really happy to see how many new friends you've made, Ann," Shiho said. "I hope we'll get to know each other." She then glanced over toward Ren. "And you can't imagine how happy I am you and Ann are together, Ren. I was touched when you invited me to your wedding."

"I'm glad we're still able to keep in touch, Shiho," Ann smiled, still cherishing their friendship since their Shujin Academy days together.

"Yeah, and I'll never forget. You were one of the only few people to not buy into those terrible rumors and cheered me up," Ren said, remembering their first interaction and how Shiho was able to strike a decent conversation with him.

"Yeah, because I could tell you were a good person then. And you proved me right by marrying my best friend, Ren," Shiho said with the sweetest smile she could make. "Oh, by the way…" She turned to Mia. "Karnstein, is it?"

"Yeah, Mia Karnstein."

"You don't happen to be from here, right?"

Hearing this, Mia prepared to defend herself from another possible slighting. "Yeah, what if I'm not?"

Shiho genuinely smirked. "That's such a pretty name. It's German, isn't it?"

Mia blinked and tried answering while fumbling over her words. "Err...um… yeah, it is." She then didn't realize her cheeks blushed soft pink, which her friends noticed.

"I like meeting foreigners. Maybe you'd like to talk about yourself?" Shiho offered. "Or, maybe you're too busy…?"

Mia quickly nodded. "...no! No, we can chat! I'm just here to look for my brother and his three friends."

"We'd be happy if you'd joined us," Skyler said.

"Yeah, after all, it is our school reunion," Ann concurred.

"I thought you guys would never show after what Kamoshida had done to us, but I'm happy you made it so we have moments like this," Shiho said, facing Ann, Ren, and Ryuji. She then veered toward Makoto and Haru. "And while I never interacted with you two, I feel we're on the same page. Ms. Student Council President and Okumura Haru, I'm glad to see you again."

Makoto replied. "I'm not the council president anymore, but thank you, your words mean well."

Haru added. "Likewise, you're in good company with us."

"So, since we have a pretty large group, we should explore the school a little more," Ann suggested. "Hey, we still haven't seen if Kawakami-sensei is still here."

"I do believe I saw her," Makoto recalled.

"We should go see her," Ren suggested, turning over to Ann and Ryuji as they considered seeing their former homeroom teacher.

"Yo, that's an idea! Heh, wait 'til she sees me now! She might not even recognize me with my hair the way it is!" Ryuji chuckled over her possible reaction to his natural look.

"Well, why not show us around some more?" Skyler asked. "And I know Hifumi would like to meet your old teachers, right?"

Hifumi nodded. "Yes, introduce me to your former teacher, Ren."

"Alright then, let's not keep you all waiting," Ren said as he and his friends escorted the group back inside the school.

As the group conversed, Mia and Shiho ended up interacting. Mia found herself deeply immersed in their conversation that she had forgotten all the snide remarks and weird looks the native Japanese have given her. She was happier learning Shiho wasn't a judgemental individual and treated her with the same courtesy she'd give her own friends.

The other Revenants noticed their female member interacting with Ann's school friend. They became notably curious where this new friendship would lead.

---

"Go for it, Shinya! Smack that piñata into pieces!" Reiko boldly encouraged him.

The piñata was shaped like Kamoshida's head.

Even with a blindfold on, Shinya was able to feel the piñata's movements. He turned and gave one good whack with a baseball. He hit it so hard it cracked open and candy came pouring out on the floor. Several teenagers scrambled over to snatch some candy. Nicola and Reiko gathered as much for Shinya and themselves.

Taking off his blindfold, Shinya put on a self-confident grin.

"How do ya like that?" He asked his friends. Shinya was dressed in a black winter coat with a green shirt underneath, black pants, and tennis shoes.

"That was a good whack at the end, Shinya. Almost like you split his head open and all his brain matter came spilling out." Nicola went into unnecessarily graphic detail. Nicola wore a white winter coat with a gray shirt under it, blue jeans, and tennis shoes.

"Eww, too many details, Nicola!" Reiko remarked. She wore a rose and white winter coat with a yellow dress shirt under it, a blue skirt, white thigh-length socks, and tennis shoes.

"I say, keep bashing that ugly-looking piñata!" Li-Ming cheered on Shinya. The Chinese girl has on a purple winter coat coupled with a white skirt & high-length socks, and brown winter boots.

"Did y'all get enough for me?" Shinya asked them as Nicola, Reiko, and Li-Ming amassed the candy they were able to retrieve.

"Yep, here's yours!" Reiko gave him some of the candy. "Just make sure you don't eat it all in one sitting."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, mom," Shinya sardonically replied.

"Shujin is a neat looking school. I know we'll be going to Roppongi High, but it's nice to see how high school life might look like for us," Nicola said.

"I do hope we all get into the same school together," Li-Ming said.

"Yeah. Hey, we should have a look inside. Besides, isn't your sister supposed to be here looking for us?" Shinya asked him.

"Oh boy, yeah you're right. We told her we'd meet up with her," Nicola recalled.

"C'mon, let's go find her before she has a fit," Reiko suggested.

---

Elsewhere, as the Thieves and the Vein Remnants explore the hallways, Ren and his friends were taken by surprise when they ran into Maruki and Ichinose.

"Hello again, Amamiya Ren and friends. How long has it been? Oh right, since Ren and Ann's wedding," Maruki reunited with the Thieves.

"Maruki?!" Ren exclaimed with surprise.

"Don't forget about me!" Ichinose casually waved and greeted them.

"I knew if Maruki was going to be here, you'd be with him," Futaba added

"Yeah! And who wants to see the new modifications we made to Sophia?" Ichinose said as she stepped away and let Sophia walk forward, taking them all with great surprise and delight.

"SOPHIE!" The Thieves exclaimed in unison.

"Whoa, nice upgrades to your body, Sophie! You have to let me look over them!" Futaba cried out.

"You look great, Sophie!" Haru shouted.

"Sophie!" Ann called out as she and the other Thieves approached and crowded around her, giving her all the attention and love she'd ever wanted.

"It's so good to see you all, my friends," Sophia said, feeling good being reminded of her bonds with them.

"We're always happy to see ya, Sophie!" Ryuji enthusiastically yelled.

"You're always one of us, Sophie!" Morgana happily called out as he jumped out of Mia's bag.

"So, what did you do besides giving her modifications?" Ren asked Ichinose.

"Nothing beyond incorporating her with combat directives. Maruki helped me out with her neural optics," Ichinose playfully winked at the former therapist.

"Oh, c'mon. I was only following your instructions, Ichinose."

"It took us a while, but we made the magic happen. Now, Sophia can walk freely and further serve as humanity's greatest companion!" Ichinose said, coupled with strong enthusiasm.

"That's right. Ichinose and Maruki think I'll be a better use if I was outside the digital network. Of course, I can still transfer my consciousness between the digital and physical worlds," Sophia said.

"Most fascinating," Yusuke remarked.

"We've already been acquainted with Sophia, Ren-senpai, but imagine my surprise to see Maruki here as well," Sumire said.

"Yes, I can see that," Ren said as he and Maruki nodded and acknowledged each other's presence.

"I'm glad you and your marriage are doing well, Amamiya Ren," Maruki said.

Ann proudly smiled and held Ren's arm. "It's been wonderful! I couldn't be any happier!" With a big smile on her face, she showed off her marriage ring.

Sophia turned toward Hifumi and the Vein Remnants, scanning each of them. "And you must be Ren and company's friends? We've never met before."

"Well, we did at the wedding but only briefly. However, this is the first you're meeting my friends here," Hifumi answered. "Just so you remember, I'm Togo Hifumi."

"I'm Skyler Jones. It's good to meet you," the Revenant greeted Sophia while being fascinated with the AI's presence.

"She's so human-like, it's mind-boggling," Mia whispered.

"Humanity's greatest companion, huh?" Louis smirked. "Hello, I'm Louis Amamiya."

"I'm Mia Karnstein."

"I'm Shinonome Yakumo."

"Call me Emily Su."

As she scanned and inputted their names, Sophia bowed. "Good day and salutations to you all, new friends."

"And we're already acquainted," Jack spoke up as Sophia noticed him and Eva.

"Wait, how?" Yakumo asked Jack.

"We met downstairs when we ran into Sumire, her boyfriend Eugene, and Akechi. Then, these two arrived with Sophia," Eva answered.

"Well, Sophia. Do you want to have a look around our school?" Makoto offered the AI, who eagerly nodded.

"Yes, please show me around this educational facility!"

"Heh, an educational facility she says, more like a shithole," Ryuji sardonically muttered.

"Ryuji!" Ann scoffed.

"He's not wrong, though it seems this school has been trying to clean up its image these days," Morgana stated.

"Ok, so follow us, Sophia," Ren said, showing the AI around the halls.

"Heh, look at him. He should become a tour guide," snickered Futana.

"Anyway, what brings you two here?" Haru asked Maruki and Ichinose.

"Well, we just happened to be in town and Sophia wanted to see you all badly."

"How were you able to find us?" Skyler asked Maruki and Ichinose.

"Sophia is fitted with a scanner that lets her track Ren and his friends through their phones. I told her not to send you texts or anything just so we could surprise you," Ichinose explained.

"Well, it worked," Ann said.

"This truly does feel like a reunion, doesn't it?" Yusuke stated as the others nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Yumeko and the others just texted me. They want to meet us on this floor," Hifumi informed everyone.

"Great, we'll wait here while Ren continues to give Sophia a tour here," Makoto nodded. "In the meantime, Maruki, would you care to enlighten friends here about your time as this school's therapist?"

"Hahah, oh do I have stories to tell?" Maruki chuckled as he faced the Vein Remnants.

---

The four teens scoured the halls of the second floor. They couldn't find Ren and the group on the first floor. They tried their luck looking for them on the second floor.

"Excuse me, you three. Where are your parents or chaperones?" A woman's voice stopped them in their tracks.

Once the four teens turned around, they met the gaze of Kawakami. She wore some makeup on her face, but not much where it was painfully obvious. She came dressed outside her usual teaching wardrobe; she wore a dark blue professional woman's blouse, a matching colored skirt, and white heel shoes. Her brown eyes met the gazes of the four teens.

"Um, see, miss…" Shinya tried to speak up.

"I'm Ms. Kawakami."

"H-Hi, Ms. Kawakami. We were just looking for my friend's sister and her friends."

"Yes, you see my sister is a friend of some people who used to attend this school!" Nicola chimed in.

"That's right! Their names are Ren, Ann, and…" Reiko spoke up as Kawakami gave a surprised look.

"Ren and Ann? You don't mean Amamiya Ren and Takamaki Ann?"

"Yeah, that's right. They invited us to see their school," Shinya replied.

"Oh my gosh, I haven't seen them in so long! I'd hoped they'd show up. Wait, I remember seeing you at their wedding!" Kawakami recognized Shinya. "You were the kid with that red hat."

"Oh yeah, I remember you were there!" Shinya recalled.

"It was brief, but this is our first actual interaction," Kawakami said.

"Were they students of yours?" Nicola asked the woman.

"I was their homeroom and Japanese language teacher in class 2-D here. In fact, I remember vividly the first time I met Ren," Kawakami recalled the very first instance when Ren came on a Sunday to register for school. "He was a second-year student then." She even remembered initially not holding Ren in any high regard due to his supposed reputation, but naturally, as she got to know him, her impression of her former student changed.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, Kawakami-sensei!" Reiko said respectfully.

"Yeah, he must think highly of you if he's here to see you!" Li-Ming added.

"I would hope so. Anyway, are you four going to become freshmen? Are you here because your families considered placing you here?" Kawakami curiously asked the four teens.

"Well, we're just here 'cause Ren and his friends invited us. Also 'cause we want to see how a high school is gonna look like for us," Shinya plainly stated.

"Yes, we're actually going to Roppongi High," Nicola said.

"All four of you?"

"That's right, Kawakami-sensei," Reiko nodded. "Shujin looks like a great school, but it's an elite prep school. Nicola, Li-Ming, and I scored high enough grades to be placed here, but we didn't want to leave Shinya and decided we'd go to Roppongi High with him."

"Let's say that we want to remain inseparable," Nicola added.

"Yeah, I don't know Shinya would do without us!" Reiko said.

"We're worried he'd be lost without us," Li-Ming stated.

"Gosh, you guys. The fact you three chose me over possibly coming to this school, I still don't know what to say," Shinya felt touched by his friends' words.

Kawakami couldn't help but feel happy to see three students choose to maintain Shinya's friendship over qualifying for an elite school. "If you three think that's best, then I can't change your minds. I will say had you chosen to come here, you'd expect some tougher and more rigorous work than what you'd expect from your own high school. I've seen students overwork themselves too hard."

"We're sorry, but we're glad to have met you, Kawakami-sensei," Reiko bowed. "Maybe we could've been your students if we came to Shujin?"

Kawakami gave a sincere smile. "Possibly."

Shinya chuckled. "I don't know if you could handle me."

Li-Ming pointed out. "Yeah, he can be a class clown sometimes."

Nicola chuckled in amusement. "He can be quite a handful but he's a good kid."

Shinya scowled. "Oh, c'mon, Nicola. You're ruining my cred here, man!"

Kawakami quickly puffed up her chest. "We'll see! I've dealt with enough smart alecs in my lifetime!"

The four teens chuckled as Kawakami caught herself in full teacher mode.

"Well, anyhow, good luck to you four at Roppongi High. I hope it goes well. Treat your teachers there with the same courtesy you would with me, do your work, and study hard," Kawakami instructed them.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Hey, there y'all are!" Ryuji was heard from across the hall.

"Welp, they found us," Shinya smirked.

"We're over here!" Li-Ming waved to Ren, Ann, Ryuji, Makoto, Haru, Skyler, Hifumi, Mia, and the others.

"Oh boy, that means my sister is probably with them," Nicola muttered as he turned and he saw Mia glaring at him. "Hey, Mia."

"Hey, Nicola!" Mia faked a smile. "You said you'd catch up with us."

"Sorry, we got caught up smashing up a stupid-looking piñata."

Reiko interjected and apologized on her friend's behalf. "We're sorry. We were having too much fun and we lost track of the time!"

"Relax, we're here," Ann said.

"Amamiya Ren and Takamaki Ann! You two look so wonderful together!" Kawakami approached her former students.

"Thank you, Kawakami-sensei," Ren replied.

"And thanks for attending our wedding," Ann expressed appreciation for Kawakami's presence at the wedding.

"Hello, Kawakami. When you said that you're still teaching here, I didn't think it was possible, but here you are," Maruki openly addressed her.

"And has life kept you busy lately, Dr. Maruki?" Kawakami asked with a sly smirk, pivoting over to Ichinose. "Right. Ichinose-san?"

"Heheh, whatever do you mean by that, Kawakami?" Ichinose modestly chuckled, passively dismissing Kawakami's remark.

"You must be their former homeroom teacher," Skyler approached Kawakami. "They've told me so much about you. Ren especially told me how much you helped him through that rough patch of the first month or so."

"Oh, I don't believe we've met?"

"I'm Skyler Jones."

"That's a nice name. You're not from around here?"

"No, I moved here. Well, I was here before but moved back to my country and just recently came back," Skyler explained without giving away the fact he was moved from another timeline. "I've been fortunate enough to meet Ren, Ann, and their friends."

Kawakami nodded. "Yes, I see that. Ren has quite an interesting circle of friends." She recognized Mia, Jack, and Eva as full-blooded Caucasians like Skyler; while Louis and Emily are half-blooded Caucasians. "Nonetheless, you all seem like wonderful people, especially if you're friends of Ren's."

"Hello, Ms. Kawakami," Hifumi approached the woman. "I've taken a look around this school and it's wonderful to know Ren had a teacher who gave him a chance that many others wouldn't have dared to try."

"I remember you from the wedding. You're also that famous Shogi player."

"Togo Hifumi, it's an honor."

"Yes, the same to you, Hifumi-san," Kawakami bowed at the same time as Hifumi. She then noticed Ryuji. "Sakamoto Ryuji? Is that really you?"

"See? I told y'all she wouldn't recognize me!" Ryuji laughed.

"But, you had blonde hair."

"That was hair dye, Kawakami-sensei. This is my natural hair. Not bad, huh?" Ryuji ran a hand through his black hair.

"Should've known."

"Kawakami-sensei," Makoto and Haru both bowed to her.

"And it's good to see you again, Niijima Makoto and Okumura Haru."

"Hello, and good day to you, Kawakami!" Sophia chimed in, her presence quickly startled the teacher.

"Whoa! You scared me!" Kawakami shrieked as Sophia openly apologized to her.

"Don't worry, she's a friend of ours, Kawakami," Ren informed his former homeroom teacher.

"Hearing that from you, Amamiya, that's reassuring." As she scanned Sophia and turned toward the Vein Remnants, she couldn't help but be at ease knowing her former student gained new companionships.

Ren smiled as good memories about Shujin returned to him. Besides the friendships he made and has since maintained, he remembered the School Festival. He recalled going into a Haunted House stall and accidentally grabbing a staff member's ghost mask as if he were ripping the face off a Shadow before Ryuji intervened.

"There's plenty of good memories here I'd like to remember," Ren said.

"There you guys are!" Yumeko was heard calling out to the Thieves and Vein Remnants from the other side of the hall. She, Mary, and Ryōta headed over to reconvene with them.

"Hello, are you another friend of Ren and his group?" Sophia approached the Compulsive Gambler and her companions.

"Why, yes. Do you know Ren?" Yumeko asked the AI.

"Indeed, she's my friend. My name is Sophia."

"Well, hello, Sophia. I'm Jabami Yumeko. These two are my friends Saotome Mary and Suzui Ryōta!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sophia," Ryōta said.

"Ren, you still have other friends you haven't introduced us to yet?" Mary scoffed, glaring toward him.

"You three weren't at our wedding, but yeah Sophia was there. You missed her," Ren said.

"You're all interesting but otherwise good people," Sophia assessed the Vein Remnants and the Gamblers.

"Since we're here, Kawakami-sensei, who is this new principal I've heard about?" Makoto asked the Japanese language teacher. "I heard she's someone very young but just graduated from a highly prestigious academy."

"Well, yes, you see. The new principal came from Hyakkaou Private Academy."

Upon hearing this, Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary were taken aback. They couldn't believe a student from their school became a principal of the all-elite Shujin Academy.

"Wait, we came from Hyakkaou!" Ryōta called out.

"Wait, you three did?" Kawakami turned to the three Spiritual Gamblers.

"That's right! Whoever this person is must be someone we know!" Mary realized.

"Yeah, but who could it be?" wondered Yumeko.

"If you three know her, then you must know her name…" Before Kawakami could finish, the group heard the sound of loud footsteps coming toward them.

The sound of these footsteps felt like the tapping of claws touching the floor. They almost sounded like raptor claws.

The group turned and saw four similarly dressed individuals walking their way. All four are dressed in black business attire and matching colored black hair. How they walked reminded them of a pack of animals, akin to Velociraptors and hyenas.

Out of this pack of four, a young man of average male height with thinly-framed glasses, shaped in a unique hexagon way, came forward. The gleam from the hall lights seemed to obscure his eyes from view. He has black neck-length hair; two bangs are parted to the sides of his face, partially revealing his forehead. He has a rigid-looking jawline, which shaped the rest of his classy and mature appearance. His business attire consisted of a black suit with a white dress shirt under it and a black tie, dress pants, and black shoes. As he adjusted his glasses, his dark brown eyes became fixated on the group.

Opposite from this young man's right is a taller, slender man wearing his long black hair in a ponytail. Unlike his seemingly calm demeanor colleague, this man wore a conniving smile one could describe as deceitful like a snake's. He wore a similar black business suit, but less neat. He also wore a black tie, but his dress shirt is light blue. His attire is accessories with dark brown shoes and pairs of silver earrings on both his ears. His demeanor looked anything but professional even compared to his colleague.

The two others are young women.

The young woman opposite the tall, devious-looking man has short neck-length black hair. The front of her hair was mostly unkempt, especially the topmost part of her face. Five long bangs covered most of her forehead; two locks of her bangs came together hanging between her eyes. Her business attitude consisted of a black women's business suit with a white dress shirt, which she kept buttoned except for the topmost part, black dress pants, black dress shoes, and white earrings. Her demeanor had a conniving and snooty appearance, which gave the group the quick impression she's stuck up.

The other young woman on the far left from the other three has a similar facial disposition as the sophisticated-looking man with the glasses. Like him, this woman wore glasses, but her frames are rounder in an oval-like shape. Her long black hair was tied into long twin pigtails that hung down her back. When she walked, the twin tails slightly swayed back and forth in a pendulum swing-like manner. The front area of her face had two thin bangs over between her bespectacled eyes and thin eyebrows. She wore a similar black women's business suit with a white dress shirt and a black necktie, a knee-length black dress skirt, black panty-hosed stockings, and black heels. Her demeanor was far more neutral and serious compared to the longer-haired man and the short-haired woman.

Upon seeing the four young adults, Kawakami calmly addressed them. She faced the bespectacled man first. "Well, hello again, Hamada Shūhei." She pivoted to the long-haired man. "Sakaguchi Tomoyuki." Then, she eyed the short-haired woman. "Takarada Minami, welcome back." Then, she acknowledged the bespectacled woman. "Hello again, Watanabe Kimiko."

Hamada lifted his glasses with a finger. "Hn, Kawakami-sensei, surely you remember us better when we were called The Pack back then."

"Yes, I know," Kawakami replied, remaining neutral toward The Pack's presence.

"And what do we have here?" Tomoyuki chuckled, his lips curved into a leering smile at the group, but his sights were set specifically on Ren, Ann, and Ryuji. "So, you three decided to show up?"

"Yeah, that's a surprise considering Ren's 'reputation'," Minami snickered, eyeing Ren and Ann.

"Yes, quite true," Hamada smirked connivingly. He walked over toward Ren and Ann, ignoring the fact the others were there. "How could we forget about your former delinquent status, Amamiya Ren?" He got up in Ren's face. "By the way, I heard. You and Takamaki Ann are married now. I send my congratulations. Do you feel proud you've married a slut?"

Ren stepped in front of Hamada, cutting him off from getting too close to Ann. Hearing his hurtful remark irked Ann.

"I don't remember you nor have we met, but you best back off," Ren warned Hamada.

"You're talking to someone who was there while you attended Shujin," Hamada revealed. "It's true we never crossed paths, but don't think I don't know about your reputation. I don't know what you do these days, but I'm working in an office and intend to become an ambitious politician."

Tomoyuki added with a chuckle. "Hehe, yeah, and I'm a band member who looks to win over the heart of the ladies." He said this eyeing the female members of Ren's collective group, but they gave him a combination of scowls and eye rolls. "But, too bad for the ladies, I'm already taken." He said this while turning to Minami.

"Hah, and I'm aspiring to become a police officer," Minami snickered as she recognized Makoto. "Just like you Makoto-senpai." She said in a condescending tone. "When I heard that Niijima Sae's younger sister joined the police force, I decided now was the time to take that opportunity. Hell, my annoying-ass little brother just won't shut up how happy he is that his 'big sis' is gonna become a police officer now!"

"Oh yeah? Well, make sure not to trip over your own feet." Makoto frowned, finding herself unnerved by Minami's demeanor.

Haru and Louis both were equally put off by Minami's behavior.

"And I'm a veterinarian," Kimiko neutrally answered and surprised Kawakami when she patted Hamada's shoulder. "And we're together now."

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm glad you four have started establishing your careers or started finding your niches. I'm sure you can give credit to the academics that helped shape you into four working-class individuals." Kawakami tried to remain as neutral as she could, not allowing herself to be intimidated by The Pack.

"Well, Kawakami-sensei, you do recall we became the school's 'rulers' once Kamoshida left. There had to be some law and order to put the student body in line with that detestable man gone. And who better than us four?" Hamada calmly stated, wearing a disingenuous smile. "I became a much 'better king' than some former volleyball teacher who sounded too much like Timon from The Lion King."

"Hehehe, yeah! That perverted dickwad wasn't all that after all, especially after he confessed like a whiny bitch!" Tomoyuki cackled. "We easily took over after him!"

"Yes, and who better to agree with us than you three?" Hamada flat out referred to Ren, Ann, and Shiho. "You three know the kind of man Kamoshida was. I bet you were happy those Phantom Thieves forced a change of heart in Kamoshida!"

Of the three, Shiho was the most affected as she backed off and covered her ears. Mia noticed Shiho's sudden uneasiness and grabbed her hand. Shiho quickly found relief when Mia calmed her.

"You don't need to remind us of that man," Ann reproved Hamada's constant reminder of Shujin's abusive volleyball coach.

"Well, so sorry for opening up old wounds. Oh, and speaking of scars," Hamada turned his attention to Ryuji, who gave him a scornful glare. "Sakamoto Ryuji, I see you've long rehabilitated that injury and you've been training." He chuckled and raised his glasses again. "Careful not to get a serious injury. That'll happen with age. Over time, our bodies will break down. Unless of course…" He walked up to Ryuji and whispered. "...you get in a little accident or worse someone like me slashes your leg."

Scowling, Ryuji pushed Hamada away.

"Ok, I think that's enough!" Maruki interjected, yelling toward The Pack's leader.

"That's enough, Hamada. Please don't involve violence here," Kawakami demanded, raising her tone some.

"They chose violence, allow me to apprehend these four before someone gets hurt," Sophia asked to confront The Pack before Ichinose held her back.

"Not here, Sophie," Ichinose quietly beckoned her off.

The Pack not only got under the group's skin, but their actions and cruel remarks aggrieved Ann.

"Hah, too bad for that shitstain Kamoshida. He got stopped by the Phantom Thieves," remarked Minami, who cackled and leered right in Ren and Ann's faces. "How lucky us four never had our hearts changed by those Phantom Thieves! And even better, how much better life is for us as adults now that we've been free from the strict teachings of overly worked teachers." She said this, disparaging Kawakami in the process.

Hearing the former students downplay her hard work, Kawakami notably frowned.

"That's enough!" Ren quickly interjected on Kawakami's behalf. He went up to and glared Hamada dead in his eyes. "You're no big deal to me, but I won't have you disrespect Kawakami-sensei."

Hamada sneered. "Feh, whatever. As a future politician, I hold your livelihoods in my hands."

"Yeah? Well, the way I see, you're just an overblown dickhead!" Shinya protested as he stood up for Ren and Ann. "I ain't gonna let you disrespect my friends!"

The mere sight of a defiant teenager irritated him. Hamada was reminded of the rebellious kids who went against his authority several years back. As far as Shinya was concerned, he was another rebel that needed to be taught a lesson.

"You tell him, Shinya!" Reiko shouted.

"Heh, that kid's got guts. I like that," Futaba grinned over this development.

"Please, no more fighting!" Kawakami openly pleaded.

Suddenly, to the group's shock and disgust, Hamada promptly shoved Shinya away.

"Shinya!" Nicola, Reiko, and Li-Ming shouted together as he hurried over to their friend.

"Hamada, that was going too far!" Kawakami berated him.

"You've crossed the line!" Skyler prepared to grab Hamada.

Just then, Shinya quickly got up and ran at Hamada. Then, in a move that surprised everyone, Shinya retaliated with a swift kick to Hamada's groin. Hamada howled with pain and doubled over. As his face went beet red, he grabbed his crotch.

Observing from a corner, Akechi grimaced. "Oooh, I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that kick."

Shinya followed up by landing a few punches on Hamada's face, breaking and bloodying his nose.

"Say you're sorry!" Shinya demanded between each consecutive punch.

As Ren and Skyler both restrained him, Shinya backed away, chuckling and spitting in Hamada's direction.

"Y-You… disrespectful little shit…!" Snarled Hamada, who was coughing hard after having his groin kicked. He covered his bruised nose while trying to stop the bleeding.

"Yeah, that'll show him!" Mia cheered her brother's friend.

"Nice punches! Just like I taught ya!" Li-Ming cheered him on.

"Shinya!" Reiko raced over and held him back. "Please, that's enough."

"Yeah, I'm satisfied enough. He ain't worth shit now," Shinya smirked over humbling a grown man.

"Thanks, Shinya," Ann smiled at the teenage boy.

"Was the violence necessary though?" Haru wondered as she hoped they'd resolve without fighting in the school.

"Absolutely not, Okumura-san! This is school grounds and there are rules to abide by!" Kawakami protested. "Although…" She sighed. "That boy fought Hamada on my behalf."

"You should thank Shinya, Kawakami-sensei," Makoto stated.

Upon seeing his colleague being brought down, Tomoyuki attempted to seize Shinya, but Nicola and Ryuji cut him off. Nicola and Li-Ming held Shinya back. Ryuji shot a fierce glare that forced Tomoyuki to withdraw. Minami tries to grab Shinya, but she's immediately pushed down by Reiko.

"My intervention wasn't necessary then?" Sophia blinked.

"Yep, see? All is well, Sophie," Ichinose smiled in approval.

"Hah, take that!" Mishima taunted Minami.

"How sad for children to put these disrespectful adults in their place," Yusuke remarked. "On second thought, no I don't feel sorry for them."

"Got that right, Inari! You four better get packing and leave!" Futaba told them off.

Being the rational one of the group, Kimiko simply retrieved Hamada. Tomoyuki collected Minami. The Pack backed away with two of their members licking their wounds.

Having realized they were near her homeroom class, Kawakami asserted her authority and stepped in.

"You four better leave these school grounds now! And that's my direct order!" Kawakami yelled at the Pack.

"But, you're not the principal," Hamada frowned.

"I'm still an authority figure in this school. You're not my students anymore, but that doesn't give you the right to disparage me, Ren, Ann, and their friends. And by my authority, if you four ever come here and step out of line, I'll ask the principal to ban you from future reunions if you bully anymore of my former students again!" Kawakami retorted with tranquil fury enough to intimidate the Pack.

Maruki also interjected, sternly warning them. "You better do what she says, you four. You've caused enough of a scene here."

"Fine, but this won't be the last you'll hear from us," Hamada growled as he beckoned his Pack members away.

With that, the Pack walked off to lick their wounds.

Ren and Ann were shocked to see this side of Kawakami and went through the trouble of defending them. They've come a long way since Kawakami was initially cold and distrustful toward Ren on his first Shujin days. Since then, she's warmed up to him, Ann, and Ryuji. Their former homeroom teacher was there for Ren and Ann's wedding. They were seeing Kawakami finally stand up to a corrupt side of society.

Kawakami turned away and sighed. "Is everyone ok?"

"Yeah, we are. Thanks, Kawakami-sensei," Ren smiled. "We've never seen that side of you."

"I like this side of you, Kawakami-sensei," Ann approved.

"Glad none of us needed to step in," Yumeko said. "Still, that was so cool."

Skyler checked on Hifumi. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I am. That was quite intense, wasn't it?" Hifumi replied. "I'm surprised Io didn't pop out since I was getting distressed."

"Probably for the best," added Skyler.

"I think we avoided what could've been a lot worse," Akechi commented.

"You're right, Akechi," Jack nodded. "Still, all of us against those four. They wouldn't have had a prayer."

"We didn't even need to intervene," Louis said.

"And thanks for holding Sophie back, Ichinose," Ren said. "As much as I wanted those four beaten down, Sophie would've broken them."

"Yes, I think that's a good thing for them! Otherwise, she'd break and grind them into oatmeal and raisins!" Ichinose chuckled with a twisted sense of humor.

"Crisis averted," Sophia added.

Just then, a young woman's voice chimed in and surprised the group. "Excuse me, but what's going on here? Ms. Kawakami, is it?"

"Oh, the principal!" gasped Kawakami.

"Finally, we get to see who this new Shujin principal is," Makoto said.

"But, why does that voice sound so familiar?" Mary wondered.

The group turned and saw Igarashi Sayaka, who appeared before them dressed in a violet women's professional dress shirt, skirt, and black high heels. Her red lipstick lips curved into a genuine smile.

"No way! Igarashi Sayaka?!" Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary shouted in unison; all three were equally surprised to see a fellow student from their academy.

"Principal Igarashi, I do apologize for the ruckus you've heard. There were a few disorderly guests causing problems for these people," Kawakami bowed to the principal, who could be young enough to be her student.

"Principal?!" Yumeko, Ryōta, and Mary cried out in disbelief.

"Well, I'll be," Maruki remarked. "Don't tell me this young lady is…!"

"She's Shujin's new principal?" Makoto whispered next to Haru and Louis.

"She looks like she could be our age," Haru muttered, keenly observing Sayaka's interactions with Kawakami.

"Well, heck, if you can be the president of your late father's company, Haru, why can't this young lady be a principal?" Louis pointed out.

Sayaka nodded to Kawakami. "I'm glad you took control of the situation, Ms. Kawakami. I know you won't let me down on my first year here once classes start up soon." She slowly scanned the Phantom Thieves, the Vein Remnants, the Spiritual Guardians, the four teens, Maruki, Ichinose, and Sophia. "Speaking on behalf of Shujin's principal, I humbly apologize for whatever incident occurred with you. Once Kawakami gives me their names, I'll have a word with them."

"Thank you," Ren replied.

Skyler narrowed his eyes toward Sayaka. Hifumi noticed her boyfriend's sudden uneasiness.

"Is something wrong, Skyler?"

"There's something off about this woman."

"Now that you mention it," Hifumi muttered as she turned to the Spiritual Gamblers. "Yumeko and her friends seem to know her well."

Sayaka quickly isolated the others and set her sights on the Spiritual Gamblers. "Since today's all about reunions, how's this for a reunion?" She closed her eyes and smiled. "How nice to see you here Jabami Yumeko, Suzui Ryōta, and Saotome Mary. What do you think? I've made quite a career jump since graduation, haven't I?"

"Congratulations, Sayaka," Ryōta respectfully commended her.

Mary scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, big congrats in order, I guess. Whatever. We'll never forget you were that white-haired, blue-eyed bitch's personal assistant."

"Yes, and Kirari-sama sends her regards to you three," Sayaka simply ignored Mary's insult and turned to face the Impulsive Gambler. "She especially sends her regards to you, Jabami Yumeko. She hopes to see you soon."

Yumeko's eyes flared red. The mere thought of facing Kirari thrilled her to no end. Her friends felt the unsettling aura she was giving off.

"Is she here in Tokyo?" Yumeko asked Sayaka.

"Why yes. She is."

"As in right now?"

"Yes, and she'll be happy to see you again."

Yumeko's smile turned into a wide grin. "Well, tell her if you see her, I'll be waiting."

"Principal Igarashi? Do you know these three?" Kawakami asked, feeling left out of the conversation already.

"Just these three. We've known each other since we've been academy students. I cordially invite all of you to my office," Sayaka invited not just the Spiritual Gamblers, but the Phantom Thieves, Vein Remnants, and their friends. "Come this way."

"Should we?" Ann whispered to Ren.

"Let's play along," Ren said.

"Yeah, this woman may or may not have an ulterior motive. Let's be cautious." Skyler muttered.

"Wait, you don't think she might know about the Yami Matters?" Yusuke wondered.

"Possibly, but let's not mention it to her," Morgana muttered as he poked his head out of Mia's bag.

As the group followed Sayaka to her office, Kawakami just noticed Morgana and blinked thrice.

"Wait, they had a cat with them this whole time?" Kawakami rubbed her eyes and saw Morgana had stuck his head back in Mia's bag. "Oh boy, what a day. I need to lie down after this."

---

Sayaka stood in front of her desk as she faced the group, sans Shinya, Nicola, Reiko, Li-Ming, Miyako, Mishima, and Shiho. Ren asked them to wait for them outside the school. With the four teens, Miyako, Mishima, and Shiho removed from the situation, the Thieves, Remnants, and the Gamblers confronted Sayaka.

Sayaka wore a smirk exuding confidence. "Now we can speak in private. Yumeko, Ryōta, Mary, don't think I'm not aware of the Guardian Spirits with you."

"What?!" Yumeko gasped. "But, how…?!"

"How the hell do you even know?!" Mary shouted at her.

"Because I, too, have Guardian Spirits. Not only me, but a few other of our fellow students who graduated from Hyakkaou have visited Meiji Shrine and each received their own Guardian Spirits."

"So, you went to see Yuriko?" Ryōta asked Sayaka.

"Indeed, she helped me invoke my Guardian Spirit. She told me I can utilize my Guardian Spirit however I wish."

"Do you intend to use your Guardian Spirit to fight us?" Skyler asked the new Shujin principal.

Sayaka shrugged. "Who's to say? There's no real moral compass for how one uses their Guardian Spirit. I could fight you or I could end up being your ally."

"If Kirari has a Guardian Spirit, then I really want to fight her," Yumeko frivolously smiled.

"Don't worry, Yumeko. You'll see Kirari-sama very soon. Moreover, Phantom Thieves," she veered over to the Thieves and Remnants. "My colleagues and I know you're the Phantom Thieves."

Upon hearing this, the Thieves became distraught. No, more like shocked this woman they've never even met until today knows of their Phantom Thief identities. Everyone watched as swarms of ice-colored butterflies covered the room. Then, they saw Sayaka's two-headed Hiyokucho appear sitting on her desk as it screeched at the guests. The group noticed some of Sayaka's Usura-hicho appear on their clothes.

"Whoa, what the hell?!" Ryuji freaked out, shaking off some of the frost butterflies.

"These are her Guardian Spirits?!" Futaba exclaimed as she shooed the butterflies off her.

"She doesn't just have one but two Guardian Spirits like us, Ryōta!" Mary called out as the two-headed waterfowl pecked at her.

"Yeah, this was unexpected!" Ryōta exclaimed while shooing away a Usura-hicho.

"No, remember the spirits mentioned several of our old academy colleagues received more than one Guardian Spirit? We're looking at one now," Yumeko astutely pointed out, reminding her two friends.

"Now that you mention it, you're right," nodded Mary.

Hifumi picked an Usura-hicho off her shoulder and watched it flutter away.

"Oh, these Guardian Spirits again? Interesting that there's more of them," Akechi noted Sayaka's spirits.

"Intriguing developments. My scanners don't pick up any physical forms, but these ethereal entities do have energy readings," Sophia scanned the Guardian Spirits.

"Is that right?" Ichinose asked her AI.

"Affirmative, Ichinose."

"Guardian Spirits? You guys are going to have to fill me in later," Maruki quietly muttered to the Phantom Thieves.

"We'll give you the full report from our last adventure," Futaba whispered back to Maruki.

"How do you know we're the Phantom Thieves?" Ren asked as he stormed right up to Sayaka's desk. He looked her dead in her dull and seemingly lifeless dark eyes. He calmly smirked, trying to play cool and collective. "You might have mistaken us for other people."

Sayaka simply sat down and sipped a cup of tea. "No, we're very sure you're the Phantom Thieves. Our Guardian Spirits have pretty much told us."

Makoto frowned over this claim. "We're not convinced."

"Believe whatever you want, but our Guardian Spirits never lie," she sipped more tea. "Now, let's drop this hostility. This is my office. I don't wish to fight any of you."

"So, why did you bring us here?" Skyler demanded from the Shujin principal.

"Sooner or later, you all will meet me and my colleagues, but that's for another time. The reason I called you here was to tell you Yuriko has requested the Phantom Thieves and their allies to handle some incursion that's set to occur at Meiji Shrine by the stroke of midnight."

"An incursion?" Louis was befuddled by this somewhat vague warning.

"Meiji Shrine is going to be attacked at midnight? But, by what?" Ann asked.

"Who knows? Yuriko will give you the details when you see her. I'm just a messenger," Sayaka plainly stated.

"When?" Ren queried.

"Tonight. So, I'd get prepared for whatever you'll have to fight by midnight. You'll also do me and my colleagues' a huge favor by nipping this thing in the bud and calling it a day."

"Fine, but we'll be doing it because we want to," Ren said, taking off his glasses. With his and his friends' Phantom Thief identities known, he gave his Joker-esque grin.

"Damn straight, whatever wants to come out we'll take 'em down!" Ryuji declared.

"Yes, we're ready for anything!" Sumire declared with full determination.

"One more thing. Your secrets are safe with me and my colleagues," Sayaka informed the Thieves, the Remnants, and the Gamblers. "This is especially the case for you, Phantom Thieves. We may have ulterior motives, but we have no interest in exposing your identities to the public. That's just not our style."

Haru sighed with relief. "Well, thank goodness for that!"

Futaba concurred. "Yeah, that saves us a lot of unwanted stress and I'm already a nervous wreck as is!"

Skyler addressed Sayaka. "Thank you for not exposing our friends' identities."

"See? We should be fine, Yumeko, Mary," Ryōta said.

"Yumeko, Ryōta, Mary, we look forward to seeing your Guardian Spirits in action," Sayaka said to the Spiritual Gamblers. "Especially you, Jabami Yumeko. We anticipate your Nine Tails."

"Right," Yumeko gave a curt smile and response.

"We should go to Meiji Shrine then," Hifumi decided on their game plan for tonight.

"I suggest we convene around 11:30," Skyler suggested.

"Good idea and all of us must come ready. If anyone is not feeling up to it, then we won't hold it against you. We don't know what we'll be up against." Ren informed every party member.

"We're all in on this!" Makoto openly declared.

"Same with us, too," Louis added.

"Hell yeah we are! Though, I'm hesitant to tell my brother where we're going. Like me, he has all of his prior memories being a Revenant," Mia immediately considered Nicola's safety.

"Right, I understand. You do what you think is best. If Nicola can't fight, then he'll be a liability," Skyler said as he turned to his Vein Remnant colleagues. "Looks like we'll be making a quick stop at Yaksha before we head to Meiji Shrine."

The Vein Remnants nodded together.

"Hifumi, I think we'll need Io involved if she's feeling up to it."

"I'll be sure and ask her, Skyler."

"Sounds like you guys have a battle ahead for you," Maruki addressed the Phantom Thieves.

"I wish you wouldn't go out there. At least, I can send Sophie to assist you?" Ichinose offered.

"With my upgrades, I'll be quite the asset for you, my friends," Sophia said.

"Thanks, but I'm sure we can handle this one, Sophie," Ann reassured the AI.

"We'll stay close in town in case you need help," Ichinose nodded.

"Be careful, Phantom Thieves," Maruki said.

"Thank you, we appreciate the help when we need it," Makoto acknowledged their noble offer.

"Alright, guys. 11:30 tonight near Meiji Shrine. Let's investigate what this enemy incursion could be and neutralize it," Ren verified their midnight mission.

As she finished her last sip, Sayaka set her teacup down. "Wonderful. We're pulling for you, Phantom Thieves and allies."

---

Shortly after meeting Sayaka, the group stormed off the Shujin Academy grounds. Shiho, Mishima, Miyako, Shinya, Nicola, Reiko, and Li-Ming confronted the group. They each asked what went down, but the Thieves, Remnants, and the Gamblers kept to themselves.

After exchanging numbers with Shiho, Mia regrouped with Nicola, who waited for her and the others outside of the office.

"Sis, what were you talking about in there?" Nicola curiously asked his older sister.

"Well, nothing you and your friends need to know."

"Something's about to happen tonight, right?" Nicola asked her. "You wouldn't look alarmed if you didn't know something serious is about to happen. I know you too well, Mia."

"Regardless I want you to lay low for this," she strictly told him.

"But, what can I do, sis?"

As Mia turned toward Shinya, Reiko, and Li-Ming on the other side of the hall, she smirked. "Stay with them, Nicola. Protect the ones closest to you."

Facing the direction where his friends are, Nicola conceded. "Alright, sis, but please be careful out there with Louis, Skyler, Yakumo, and the others."

"Of course, you know me!" Mia nodded as she checked in with the other Vein Remnants.

Eyeing his sister closely, Nicola's mind was already set. One way or another, he was going to get involved in tonight's ordeal. The only problem was convincing his friends to join him.

As everyone went their separate ways, Skyler saw Hifumi lean against a pole and holding her head.

"Are you feeling ok, Hifumi?"

"I'll be fine, Skyler, but Io just informed me about the incursion that's to occur at midnight."

"What about it?"

"We might encounter a Yami Matter invasion. She feels its essence building."

Skyler frowned as he put an arm over Hifumi. "Then, we'll be there to face it. Whatever it ends up manifesting into."

---

Chapter Soundtrack

Final Fantasy VIII - Balamb Garden - Shujin Academy Reunion.
Mnemosyne OST - 02 - RIN's Morning - Shujin Academy Reunion.
Persona 5 OST - Alleycat - The reunion with Shiho.
Persona 5 Royal OST - Ideal and the Real- Ren's group meeting Maruki, Ichinose, and Sophia.
Persona 5 OST - Life Goes On - Shinya's group hitting the piñata and interacting with Kawakami. Ren's group arrives to meet Kawakami.
Jurassic World Evolution Soundtrack - Small, but Dangerous - The Pack's debut.
Persona 5 OST - Will Power - Shinya beats up Hamada. Kawakami orders the Pack to leave the school grounds.
Persona 5 OST - Suspicion - Meeting with Sayaka. Protagonists ready for the Yami Matter event.

---

A/N: Ah, this chapter has some wholesome reunions. Not only do the Thieves see Kawakami, Shiho, and Mishima, but also Maruki, Ichinose, and humanity's companion Sophia!

Yes, P5 Strikers characters are starting to appear in this story. Though the Strikers characters have already had cameos during Book I. Going forward, they'll have crucial roles in Akane no Mai but will be secondary compared to the Thieves and Vein Remnants. That said, who didn't enjoy seeing Sumire and Sophia interacting?

Thanks to Ichinose and Maruki, Sophia has already gained an artificial body (which was mentioned in summary in the Aftermath chapter), making the reunion with the Thieves more heartfelt.

Kawakami seeing her former students was sweet and depressing; while Ren and Ann seeing their former teacher was good, the Pack soured that reunion. Other painful moments included the Shujin Phantom Thieves being reminded of Kamoshida and the foreigner characters (Louis, Mia) being called gaijin.

We also have the Gamblers meeting an old acquaintance from their school: Sayaka, who to their surprise is Shujin Academy's new principal. This was quite an unexpected reunion for Yumeko, Mary, and Ryōta. Even surprising is that Sayaka has two Guardian Spirits. This will lead to the other Kakegurui/XX characters appearing sooner than later.

On top of the reunions, new bonds formed. The most notable was Shiho and Mia. Their exchange of numbers should tell you where their relationship may lead. Arguably, Shinya, Nicola, Reiko, and Li-Ming formed an acquaintance with Kawakami.

Now, for the biggest elephant in the Shujin reunion: the Pack. Yes, they're OCs, but as you can surmise they don't have any previous connections/relations with the Shujin Phantom Thieves. As far as Ren, Ann, and Ryuji are concerned, they've rarely if ever crossed the Pack's way and only heard about them based on hearsay. This is their first confrontation. The Pack's characteristic traits, including their group name, are based on two animals: the hyena and the Velociraptor. Their name is a nod to The Pack from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 1, Episode 6) who were possessed by a hyena spirit. This along with their elite statuses enables them to push anyone beneath them and they've filled that 'bully' void left by Kamoshida. But, like any bully, once our heroes stood up to them, they cowered off and Shinya earned himself some badass points kicking the leader's 'crowned jewels'.

Sayaka ultimately told our heroes of where their next battle will take place. The stage is being set for the first Yami Matter event.

So until the next chapter is ready, leave a comment and review. See you soon!