6/19 Tuesday
As classes ended for the day, she immediately went home to grab her model gun and make her way to Untouchable. She entered the shop, looking around to make sure no one was around, then placed the bag on the counter.
The owner looked up from his magazine, his eyes shining when he saw the bag.
"I brought it back…" Makoto noted.
"Hrmp. Change of plans." the owner muttered. "The guy who ordered it canceled, so that gun's all yours. If anyone asks, you didn't get it from me. We clear?"
"Crystal." Makoto nodded.
"With how realistic it is, I bet that gun would be really strong in the Metaverse." Morgana pointed out.
Morgana had a point…
"It's very realistic looking…" Makoto noted.
"It's a custom model gun that I modified." the man told her. "You helped me smuggle it, so don't go snitchin'. You're an accomplice now."
"I wasn't planning to." Makoto told him. "The opposite, in fact. I wanted to know… do you have any more?"
The shop owner's eyes narrowed. "Follow me into the back."
She followed him into the back room, trying not to let any weakness show.
Because the man was just a little bit intimidating…
"Who the hell are you?" the man asked, frowning.
"Makoto Niijima. I'm… a gun enthusiast, that's all." she lied. "And who are you?"
"...Munehisa Iwai. Just an airsoft gun shop owner." the man smoothly said. "Heh… you're the last person I'd expect to be an enthusiast, but maybe…"
She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Tell you what. I can show you my 'special menu', but you'd better have the money." Iwai told her. "Some of these mods can cost millions."
"That's… a lot of money." Makoto admitted.
"Well, tell you what. If you help me out with my 'business', I'll give you better prices that even a punk like you can afford." Iwai told her.
The deal sounded borderline illegal at best, but she needed to get stronger if she hoped to protect the school.
"Alright. I accept." Makoto nodded.
"Good. Then I'll start workin' on that menu." Iwai smirked. "You should be grateful."
And just like that, they'd made a deal...
I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that carry you to thy future. With the birth of the Hanged Man Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
HANGED MAN CONFIDANT: RANK 1
"One more thing." Makoto stated. "I was also looking for information..."
"I sell guns, not info." Iwai frowned.
"I know, but I've been asking around… I wanted to know if you knew anything about Juuya Kaneshiro."
"Where did you hear that name?" Iwai scowled.
"By asking around." she repeated. "His yakuza gang has been threatening my school, so I wanted to get to the bottom of it."
"...Well, I don't know anything about the yakuza." Iwai said smoothly. "If that's all, then I need to get back to my shop."
The two of them exited the back of the room, only to find a customer waiting for them.
"Say, isn't that the old man we met back at the park?" Morgana brought up.
"You're right…" Makoto whispered.
"Oh? What do you have this time?" Iwai asked.
"This." the old man said, presenting a bracelet.
It was the same bracelet that she had seen on him back at the park.
"Hmm… pretty nice." Iwai noted. "Where the hell did you get something like this?"
"Do you really want to know?" the man asked.
"No." Iwai bluntly stated. "Here's your money."
Iwai handed the man a large amount of money, and the older man quickly pocketed it.
She stepped out of the store right after him, and as soon as she did, the older man turned towards her.
"If you're looking for information, meet me at the Shibuya station." the older man whispered.
Had he overheard their conversation?!
Cautiously, she made her way to the station.
Sure enough, in a secluded corner of the subway, she found the homeless man from before, alongside some boxes.
"...So you really did come." the man sighed. "You're that girl I met at the park, right?"
She nodded.
"I'm pretty sure I told you that you wouldn't want to screw up your life." the man said. "You should stay out of trouble."
"Unfortunately, trouble's found me. And everyone else at our school." she told him. "Those yakuza have been harassing the kids at our school."
"Tch… I figured. They like targeting teens. Think they're easy targets. Those guys are pure evil." the man scowled. "Couple of my friends fell for their schemes. Had every last penny squeezed out of them. Now their homeless like me. At least… the ones who are still alive."
"That's awful…" Makoto frowned.
"Listen… you seem like a smart girl. You probably know what they do to girls like you." the man told her. "They don't care if you're a kid. They won't think twice about drugging you and selling you into prostitution."
"I know that." Makoto whispered. "But… I just feel so powerless. There has to be something I can do."
"Well, they use a few codewords, and they offer part time jobs on the streets and alleys." the old man said. "You tell your classmates to stay away from those guys."
"I will." she nodded. "But… I wish there was something more direct I could do to help."
"I wouldn't get too involved." the old man advised. "There have been people who have gone against Kaneshiro before, but none of them have succeeded. There are rumors of these strange powers he has."
"Strange powers?" Makoto repeated.
"There are rumors that he can kill people or take over their minds whenever he wants." the old man told her. "Don't know how true that is, but he's dangerous, and connected. Stay safe, kid."
"...Yeah. I will." she muttered.
Whoever this man was, he seemed to have a lot of knowledge about the criminal underworld.
As she walked off, she couldn't help but wonder why.
Satisfied with the information she had obtained, Makoto called everyone together at Leblanc, hoping to find the rest of Kaneshiro's keywords.
"So, his full name is Juuya Kaneshiro." Ren acknowledged.
"Does anyone have an idea what the other keywords could be?" Makoto asked.
"We only need to find out two more, right?" Ann asked.
"First we need to find out the location." Ren pointed out. "Maybe… a building?"
Nothing happened.
"A nightclub?" Makoto guessed.
Again, nothing happened.
"Ok… what about headquarters?" Yusuke asked.
Still nothing.
"Ugh! This is going nowhere!" Ryuji groaned. "We haven't even seen the guy! His palace could be anywhere in Shibuya!"
A small beep from the app alerted them.
"Seriously? That was it?" Makoto asked, surprised.
"Hell yeah, I'm an effin' genius!" Ryuji grinned.
"Bah! It was just a lucky guess!" Morgana scoffed.
"How arrogant must he be to see the entirety of Shibuya as his?" Yusuke grimaced.
"It might not be so far off." Makoto argued. "The journalist I talked to mentioned that some people view him like that. I also talked to a police officer, and it seems like they're not lifting a finger."
"The hell?! What do we even have the police for if they ain't doin' anything?!" Ryuji scowled.
"Ryuji…" Ren said, trying to calm Ryuji down.
"...And finally, I heard a rumor." Makoto added. "I don't know if it's true or not, but Kaneshiro apparently has these 'powers' that let him make anyone he targets act or die in mysterious ways."
"Really? That seems a little farfetched." Ren replied.
"Hold on… doesn't that sound a bit like those mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns that are all over the news?" Ann asked.
"It does actually!" Morgana gasped. "Do you think…"
"Aha! So this Kaneshiro guy's gotta be at the head of the whole conspiracy!" Ryuji claimed. "He was blackmailin' Madarame and the principal! So if we take him out, all the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns will stop!"
"That's… definitely a possibility." Makoto realized.
Her father had investigated gangs like Kaneshiro's...
And if Kaneshiro could cause mental shutdowns…
Could he be involved with...
"All the more reason to change his heart, then." Ren said. "But first, we need that final keyword. The form his palace takes."
"Well, yakuza are all about their businesses." Makoto stated.
"So do you think we can bank on it being a place that has to do with money?" Ann asked.
Match found.
"Oh! It was bank?!" Ann gasped. "Talk about lucky!"
"Ann, you're a genius!" Morgana praised.
"Oh, I see how it is." Ryuji grumbled.
"That's all three keywords." Makoto stated. "Is everyone ready?"
The others nodded, and they all traveled to Kaneshiro's palace…
Sure enough. The place seemed to encompass all of Shibuya.
Money blew in the wind, and several people were walking around.
What was truly bizarre, however, was that all of the people were literally made of money.
The wind slowly blew parts of them away, blowing the money high into the air.
"So, everyone here is just another source of money for him." Yusuke commented.
"N-No, please! I barely have any money left!"
The Thieves whipped around, seeing a man being shaken down by two guards.
The guards shook the man, causing dollar bills to fly off of his body.
"Noooooooo!"
The man's scream died in the wind as the last parts of his body flew off into the air.
"This is horrible…" Ann whispered.
"We need to hurry up and find his treasure." Ren said.
"Where do we look, though?" Ryuji asked. "It could be anywhere in Shibuya."
Makoto took a moment to glance around the area, her eyes widening as she noticed something.
"Wait… the money." Makoto realized. "It's all blowing in a certain direction. If we follow it, I'm sure we'll find Kaneshiro."
"Talk about a paper trail…" Ren muttered, following right behind her.
The group followed the money, running down the street until they spotted something in the sky.
"What… is that?!" Ann gasped.
Far above their heads, there was a giant platform with a building that all the money was flowing towards.
"That… looks like our bank." Ren muttered.
"So how are we supposed to get up there?" Ryuji asked. "I don't suppose Mona can change into a helicopter, can he?"
"Just a car." Morgana sighed.
"Look over there!" Yusuke called out.
Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw an escalator descend from the platform. One of the people made of money was then escorted up the escalator by two guards.
"Aha! That's our ticket up there!" Ren grinned.
They ran as fast as they could to follow them, but the escalator rose back to the platform before they could catch up.
"You're not allowed up there!" another guard snapped.
"We need to see Kaneshiro!" Makoto demanded.
"Only customers are allowed in the bank!" the guard argued.
"Customers?" Ann repeated.
"All of these people are here because they need to pay off their debts!" the guard explained. "If you don't have a real reason to be here, then scram!"
Makoto clenched her fists as the guard walked away, punching a nearby wall in rage.
"Q-Queen?" Mona stammered.
"Damn it! He's right there!" Makoto shouted. "The one who's responsible for all of this is right there! The one… the one who killed..."
"Queen, it's ok."
She glanced over to Ren, who laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be ok." Ren assured her. "We'll find a way to stop him."
There was something about his smile that made her believe that everything would be ok.
"...Yeah. You're right." Makoto whispered.
"It seems we've done all we can here for now." Yusuke stated.
"I suppose so. I'll try to find some way for us to get in there." Makoto promised.
Their infiltration cut short, they exited the Metaverse, and said their goodbyes before heading home.
"Tsukasa-kun, where are we going?"
Eiko gently held Tsukasa's hand as he led her along the streets of Shibuya.
"It's a secret, babe!" Tsukasa replied. "Trust me, you'll love it!"
Tsukasa glanced around for a bit before pointing to the side.
"There's a shortcut through this alley!" Tsukasa called. "Come on, princess."
"T-Tsukasa-kun, are you sure it's safe?" Eiko asked.
"Relax, princess, it's fine!" Tsukasa assured her.
As the two of them entered the alleyway, however, several thuggish-looking men surrounded them from both sides of the alleyway.
"You're coming with us." one of the men said.
"H-Huh? Who are you guys?" Eiko stammered.
One of the thugs snuck up on and punched Tsukasa, knocking him to the ground.
"Tsukasa-kun!" Eiko screamed as the other thugs grabbed her.
"Let go of me!" Eiko cried.
One of them hit Eiko in the back of the head, knocking her out.
As they started dragging her off, Tsukasa got up, wincing in pain.
"Geez… did you really need to hit so hard?" Tsukasa grumbled at the thugs.
"We had to make it look convincing." one of the thugs replied. "You already got your pay, right? So leave! We're about to bring this girl to the boss."
"Yeah, yeah." Tsukasa scoffed. "Just try not to rough her up too much. I could still use her myself."
Tsukasa walked off as the yakuza carried off Eiko.
As soon as she stepped through the door, Makoto could tell that Sae wasn't in a good mood.
If Sae was investigating the yakuza, and the police refused to cooperate, she could certainly understand her frustration. There was only so much she could do by herself.
And to be honest, she was feeling incredibly stressed as well. The wellbeing of all the students at Shujin was in her hands. It felt like every moment that she couldn't think of a way to access Kaneshiro's palace was another moment that the other students were in danger.
"What's wrong?" Sae asked.
Makoto glanced up from her barely touched dinner, seeing an inquisitive look on Sae's face.
"I was just thinking… about everything. Those gangs, the Phantom Thieves… and even father." Makoto whispered. "I… sorry, I shouldn't bring this up during dinner."
"It's ok. You can talk to me." Sae told her.
She was right. Sae was her only family left. Surely, she would understand...
"I was just curious… if dad was still around, what do you think he would think of the Phantom Thieves? Would he believe that they were murderers? Or do you think that he would have been on their side…" Makoto trailed off.
Sae narrowed her eyes. "The only reason you have time to think about that is because you depend on someone else."
"W-What?" Makoto gasped.
Why would she say something like that…?
"You don't have to do a single thing, and you're provided with food, clothes, a home… I haven't even had time to think about ridiculous things like that!" Sae ranted. "I don't care if Dad would have been on their side! He died upholding some lofty, naive sense of justice and left all of his responsibilities on me!"
How could she say something like that about our father!
"It wasn't his fault!" Makoto cried. "You…"
I should throw my textbook right at her!
Makoto cleared her head, trying to not let the stress and anger get to her.
"All that I was trying to say was-"
*SLAM*
Sae slammed the table, glaring at her.
"Isn't it about time you grew up and acknowledged our situation?!" Sae spat. "Right now, you're useless to me."
Shut up...
Her fists began clenching as she fought back tears.
Shut up…!
"All you do is eat away at my life." Sae continued.
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
It took her a moment to realize what she had just said, a horrified expression on her face.
Had she really said that to her sister?
Judging from the shocked look on Sae's face, she must have...
She couldn't remember the last time she had talked back to her sister.
"Sis. I'm so-"
"...I'll be eating dinner out from tomorrow on." Sae muttered.
She tried calling out to her sister, but Sae ignored her and walked off towards her room and shut the door.
Makoto ran off to her room, bawling into her pillow.
Morgana quickly hopped onto the bed after her.
"Makoto…" Morgana frowned.
He curled up next to her, having heard the entire conversation.
Her sister had seemed more and more stressed and angry recently. Something seemed off.
She slowly pulled out her phone and opened the Metaverse app.
Morgana's eyes widened. "Wait! Are you…?"
"I… I'm probably just being childish." Makoto whispered. "There's no way that sis would…"
With shaking hands, she slowly typed her sister's name.
The next few seconds seemed agonizingly slow.
…
…
…
Match found.
"No…" Makoto gasped. "T-That's not possible."
She dropped her phone to the ground, starting to cry even more.
She couldn't save anyone… not her friends, not the students… and now her sister had a palace, and it was probably because of her.
She really was useless...
"So… that was when you found out about my 'palace'." Sae noted.
"Yes." Makoto nodded. "But it would be a while until we investigated it."
"Then let's go back to Kaneshiro." Sae muttered. "Why did you go after him? Was it for revenge?"
"...Partially, yes." Makoto admitted. "But there was more than that. My sense of justice wouldn't let Kaneshiro's abuses stand."
"And what would you know about justice?!" Sae snapped.
"Don't act like you're any better!" Makoto spat. "You don't care about justice! Only about promotions! Only about winning!"
"He murdered our father!"
"You resented father!" Makoto screamed. "Resented him for dying in the line of duty, like how you resented me for having to rely on you! Do you think he wanted to die?! Do you think I wanted to grow up without parents?!"
Both sister's anger had reached a tipping point as they let loose all of the anger and resentment that had built up over the years.
"Don't lecture me!" Sae ordered. "You forcibly changed people's hearts… how is that justice?!"
"Is it worse than beating and drugging a high schooler?" she countered.
"T-That- I don't approve of their methods." Sae said.
"But you still know about and benefit from their methods! You've used numerous morally questionable interrogation methods yourself." Makoto argued. "This is how people like Kamoshida and Madarame were able to get away with their crimes for so long! People enabled them because they benefited from them!"
Sae glared.
"Kamoshida was beating students, but the principal didn't care as long as it got the school results." Makoto told her. "And it's the same for you. If you thought it'd get you results or a conviction, you'd let the police beat me half to death! Tell me I'm wrong!"
"I didn't think that they'd go this far!" Sae argued.
"Surely this isn't the first time you've seen the police employ such harsh interrogation methods." Makoto pointed out. "This country has a very high conviction rate. When I was growing up, I thought that that was something to be admired. But now, what I've learned is that a rate as high as ours isn't normal…"
She gestured to her bruised face.
"...not unless you do things like this."
"They... don't always resort to physical violence." Sae pointed out.
"Of course not. Sometimes they hold people for weeks and subject them to brutal interrogation after interrogation until they confess just to make it stop. That's what you would do, right? You told me yourself." Makoto countered.
"...The ends justify the means." Sae muttered. "Do you honestly believe that one person's rights are more important than the safety of society itself?"
"That safety is an illusion." Makoto said. "An illusion that lets people like Kaneshiro thrive."
"What a childish way of thinking." Sae scoffed. "If maintaining the safety we have means that an occasional innocent is jailed or suffers, then so be it."
"If the ends justify the means, then what, precisely, is your problem with the Phantom Thieves?" Makoto asked. "If you don't believe that people like Kaneshiro's, or anyone's rights matter more than the safety of society, then why do you care that we changed his heart without his consent? Or are only those who make or enforce the law allowed to break it?"
For perhaps one of the first times of her career, Sae found herself without a single counterargument.
"The injuries hurt…" she whispered. "But what hurts even more is that I feel like you don't care."
"What are you talking about?!" Sae snapped.
"Do you still think that I'm a useless burden?" she asked. "Now that you can use me as a stepping stone to advance your career? You won't have me 'eating away at your life' anymore."
"You're still thinking back on that day." Sae stated. "Makoto, I… I was incredibly stressed that day. I don't want you to be hurt, Makoto. Please, cooperate with me. Tell me the names of your teammates."
"No. I'll never tell." Makoto declared.
"Why not?!" Sae snapped. "They abandoned you. One of them betrayed you! Do you think they care? And what about this boyfriend of yours? Is he a member too? Do you really think he loves and cares about y-"
"More than you!" Makoto snapped.
Sae winced, a conflicted and hurt look on her face.
"Let's… let's move on with your story." Sae mumbled.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard Sae's voice break just a bit.
6/20 Wednesday
After school had ended for the day, she walked along the halls, speaking to Morgana.
"Are you sure that we should keep your sister's palace a secret?" Morgana asked.
"We can't let anyone know." Makoto told him. "It's my fault that she's like this, so I have to take responsibility alone. Hopefully, I can help her without the Metaverse."
Morgana frowned. "Makoto, I don't think it's your fa-"
"This is an order, Morgana." Makoto cut him off.
"…Fine." Morgana relented. "But I don't like it."
The walked in silence for a bit until they ran into Ryuji outside of the school.
"Yo, Makoto!" Ryuji called. "Wanna go out for some ramen? My treat?"
"Ramen?" she repeated. "I don't know if now's the right time to-"
"Aw, come on!" Ryuji cut her off. "Even you gotta take a break, right? You ain't gonna be able to focus if you're all stressed!"
"I suppose you're right." Makoto admitted. "Alright, let's go."
The two thieves went to a nearby ramen stand, Ryuji happily slurping down his ramen.
"I haven't had ramen in a while." Makoto said. "I'd forgotten how good it tastes."
"Yeah, I love the feelin' of the noodles slidin' down my throat!" Ryuji grinned. "This shit's the best!"
"Do you come here often?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, some light soup is great after a run." Ryuji told her. "Used to come here all the time during practice and..."
Ryuji sighed.
"Sorry." Makoto frowned. "I didn't mean to bring up such a sore subject."
"It's fine." Ryuji shrugged. "It's all in the past."
"The track team members aren't still bothering you, are they?" Makoto asked.
"Not really." Ryuji answered. "I mean, I've seen Nakaoka around, but he doesn't seem to be getting along with the others."
"Are you worried about him?" Makoto asked.
"I guess so." Ryuji muttered. "It's just that… I know it was Kamoshida who egged me on, but I still can't help but feel a little guilty."
"Don't let them get to you." Makoto comforted. "A victim-blaming mindset like that isn't good. Kamoshida would have found a way to disband the track team no matter what."
"Still… I can't help but feel sorry for em'." Ryuji admitted. "They don't even got a club room or gear either. Although, I guess it's a good thing that they're keepin' their heads low. Wouldn't want them to end up like me."
"You're doing fine, Ryuji." she assured him.
"Heh… thanks." Ryuji grinned. "You know, now that I'm thinkin' about it, tryin' to fit in is a real pain in the ass, isn't it?"
"It is pretty exhausting." Makoto agreed.
"At least everythin' worked out in the end!" Ryuji exclaimed. "I got to meet you guys, and we took down Kamoshida! Hangin' out with you guys has been awesome!"
"Glad to hear it." Makoto smiled.
She could feel their bond growing stronger.
CHARIOT CONFIDANT: RANK 4
"Still, I can't help but worry about em' a bit." Ryuji confided.
"Well, let me know if something comes up, alright?" Makoto asked.
"Gotcha!" Ryuji grinned.
The two of them exited the ramen shop.
"Oh, and I'll be sure to let you know when we find a new place for us to train." Ryuji told her. "So no sla-"
"Niijima-sempai!"
She heard a student dashing up to her, a distressed look on their face.
"You… you're Eiko's brother." Makoto noted. "What is it?"
"It… it's Eiko!" Aiko cried. "Do you know where she is?!"
"No, I don't." Makoto replied. "I haven't seen her all day. Did she not come to school?"
"She didn't even show up at home last night." Aiko told her. "The last time that I saw her was at school yesterday. I thought that maybe she'd be with you."
"No… she isn't." Makoto told him, growing concerned. "W-What about your parents? Have you told them?"
"I did, but… they haven't really done anything." Aiko confessed. "I… don't want to say that they don't care, but…"
"And you do?" Makoto asked, eyes narrowed.
Aiko looked away, and she thought she saw a flash of guilt in his expression.
Perhaps he wasn't as cold as she initially thought.
"She's… still my sister." Aiko mumbled.
Makoto tried to calm down, and not get emotional. As his sempai, she needed to keep a cool head.
"Do you remember her acting strange recently?" Makoto asked. "Did she mention anything to you? Anything at all?"
"I… think that she mentioned something about a date." Aiko recalled.
"Tsukasa…" Makoto muttered.
If he had hurt a single hair on her head…
"Ryuji, call the others!" Makoto requested. "I don't want to bother them, but-"
"Don't worry about it!" Ryuji grinned. "We gotta help the other students out, right?"
"Thank you." Makoto said, relieved for their help.
She had a sinking feeling that the yakuza could also be involved, and if that was true, she didn't want Aiko to run into them.
"Just in case that she's returned home, you can check around there." Makoto told him. "I'll ask around in Shibuya."
He seemed to take a few moments to compose himself before nodding.
"All right. I'll do that." Aiko said. "Thank you for your help, Niijima-sempai. Call me when you find her."
They exchanged contact information, and he was off.
She quickly turned back to Ryuji. "Are they coming?"
"Just got a response. They all said they'd get here as fast as they could." Ryuji answered.
"You meet with them here, and I'll look for Eiko!" Makoto commanded.
"Are you sure, Makoto?" Ryuji frowned.
"Yes, I'm sure!" she exclaimed. "If Eiko's in danger, I can't waste any time! I can't… be useless."
"...Alright, just be careful." Ryuji told her.
Makoto started dialing a number on her phone.
"Eh? Why are you callin' me?" Ryuji asked.
"In case one of us runs into danger." Makoto told him.
"Oh yeah, good plan!" Ryuji grinned.
After she split up from him, she placed her phone into her bag.
"Run off and talk to them with the phone if I find any trouble, ok?" Makoto requested.
"You got it, Queen!" Morgana nodded.
She wandered around the streets of Shibuya, asking around if anyone had seen Eiko.
Eventually, she found her way in an alleyway.
If Eiko's disappearance had to do with the yakuza, then maybe...
"Where could Eiko possibly be?" Makoto frowned.
"What's wrong, kid? You lost?"
She whipped around, seeing a tall man behind her.
"Oh… hello." Makoto cautiously greeted. "I was just looking around for a… part time job."
"For Kaneshiro… right?" the man smirked.
She could feel her face begin to pale. "That…"
"You want to see your friend, right?" the man asked. "Then come with me."
"Then you're… yakuza." Makoto muttered.
"They call me the 'Cleaner'." the man answered. "If you don't want something to happen to your friend, then I suggest that you follow me, and don't do anything to draw attention."
"And you will bring me to Eiko and Kaneshiro, right?"
"Of course." the man said, giving a sadistic grin.
"Makoto, don't be reckless!" Morgana hissed.
She ignored Morgana, walking with the man through the alley.
They walked through several blocks before they came upon a small club building.
"I wasn't really sure what to look for." Makoto said. "But I didn't think it would be a club a block away from a Big Bang Burger."
Morgana quickly hopped out of her bag, running off.
The Cleaner turned around, but thankfully didn't see that Morgana had her phone carefully placed in his mouth.
"Damn strays…" the Cleaner grumbled.
The Cleaner brought her into the nightclub, taking her into a small room that smelled of cigarettes and booze.
"M-Makoto?!"
"Eiko!" Makoto cried.
Eiko was being held down by two yakuza.
She tried to rush to her aid, only for the Cleaner to grab her and force her to the ground.
She grit her teeth as pain coursed through her body from the impact.
"Hey! Careful with her! We've got customers that'd pay a lot of money for her!"
Makoto raised her head, her eyes widening when she saw a man sitting in the back.
"A-Are you…"
"Juuya Kaneshiro." the man grinned. "And you… must be Masanori's daughter."
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 5
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 5
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 4
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 4
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 4
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 4
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 4
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 4
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 4
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 2
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 1
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 1
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 1
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 2
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 2
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 1
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 2
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 2
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 3
THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 3
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 3
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 5.3%