August 19th.
Hifumi was biding her time. She knew better than to enter her mother's Palace alone, even if she just wanted to ask a simple question. But in order to ensure the rest of the team could enter, they had to be at least near her house, and Mitsuyo wasn't going to allow that. So Hifumi had to do what any high school student would do…and sneak her friends in when her mom was away. So while she waited, she just decided to listen to the news. Plenty of people were talking about the Phantom Thieves; she could overhear people buzzing about it even when walking through the city. It put a smile on her face. "We really are making a difference." Out of curiosity, she decided to check the Phan-site. The current question was still: Are The Phantom Thieves Just, and there was a 60% rating in favor of them that was steadily rising.
"Phantom Thieves this, Phantom Thieves that, it's all I hear about these days!" Mitsuyo groaned while overhearing the news.
"…Do you still not like the Phantom Thieves, Mother?" Hifumi tilted her head. "They've only been helping people…as I've said before."
"Self-righteously, I will add." Mitsuyo straightened up. "You're not still supporting them, are you?"
"…I don't think there's anything wrong with helping someone in need. They're doing good things for people." Hifumi replied.
"I don't like or trust them." Mitsuyo responded. "And I don't want you speaking about supporting them publicly; we've already been over this. If they make one mistake their reputation and that of those who support them will plummet! That is the last thing you need right now."
"Of course…." Hifumi nodded slightly. It didn't seem like she would be able to convince her mother of the good the Phantom Thieves were doing. "I do have a match soon, do I not…?"
"Oh, right…thank you for reminding me. My head as been elsewhere the past few days, but you needn't worry about that. Just focus on winning as always. That's all you need to do for me, Hifumi." Mitsuyo pulled her phone out. "I have to set something up tomorrow, so I won't be home."
Finally. Hifumi was worried she'd never have the chance. "I understand, Mother." With a nod, she decided to scurry off into her room. As soon as she was there, she pulled out her phone.
Hifumi: Excuse me, everyone. There is a favor I need.
Makoto: Is something the matter?
Hifumi: Tomorrow, my mother will be away from home. I want to use that time to go into her Palace again.
Ann: Are you sure? Last time you were there, you couldn't move well.
Hifumi: I am sure. She is hiding things from me and I wish to know what they are. Is tomorrow too soon?
Ryuji: Nah! We can take care of this.
Futaba: I was planning on binge watching something, but I can move that to a later date.
Yusuke: I will be able to join this endeavor.
Ren: Looks like we're all in. Tomorrow it is.
Hifumi: Thank you all very much.
With the conversation over, Hifumi sat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I wonder when you changed, Mother. You didn't hide things from me before…at least I don't think so…?" What a complicated situation. But Hifumi was ready to get to the heart of this situation.
.
.
August 20th.
It was just past 11AM. The group gathered just outside of Hifumi's house. "So, you sure your mom's not gonna come back suddenly, right?" Ryuji asked.
"Mhm." Hifumi nodded. "She's going to be out for most of the day. So this will give us a few hours to get in and out of her Palace. I do not think it will take that long, but it is better safe than sorry."
"We didn't have Futaba with us last time." Yusuke said. "I believe our increase in numbers will be a boon in this situation."
"…" There was something Makoto still wasn't sure about. But since they were going back into Mitsuyo's Palace, this was probably the best time to confirm her suspicions.
"Is everyone ready?" Ren asked.
"Yeah! Let's do it." Ann nodded. With everyone prepared, they all pressed the button to head into the Metaverse and Mitsuyo's Palace.
.
.
Just like the last time, the group arrived in the courtyard. There was no visible change in the Kingdom and the front gate was still open. "Whoa!" Oracle glanced around at all the golden statues. "This place is super, super…gaudy."
"I said the same thing!" Panther nodded. "But the gate is still open…I guess that means we're still allowed in if we want to go inside."
"Stay on guard, though…" Mona warned, glancing around. Everyone slowly walked towards the front gate.
"…Are you alright, Dragon?" Queen asked. "Last time we were here, you weren't able to move."
"I'm alright…" Dragon gave a slow nod. "Walking is a bit difficult, but I should be fine. It's easier than before."
"I wonder why that was…it was super weird." Skull scratched the back of his head.
"…." Queen couldn't say for certain yet, but she did have an idea. That was going to have to wait, though.
"Hold it!" Oracle stopped in her tracks and the others did as well. "I'm picking up a reading, someone's coming! Er…actually, they're already here!"
"…Looks like we have a guest." Joker said, his gaze turning to one of the nearby towers.
"That is my line!" Cognitive Hifumi landed in front of the Thieves, barring entry into the castle. "I see you have returned, Phantom Thieves. Did you come to finish our bout from before!?"
"Whoa, Cognitive Dragon." Oracle blinked. "Dressed like a princess? You guys weren't kidding."
"I was hoping I'd see you soon." Dragon said, stepping forward to stare at her cognitive self. "I have a question for you…er…me?"
"As if I would answer questions from one who defies Her Majesty's divine decree!" Cognitive Hifumi exclaimed, drawing her greatsword and pointing it at Dragon. "With my divine blade, Excalibur, I shall cut you down!"
"Is that so? Then with my weapon, Gae Bolg, I will fight back!" Dragon pointed her staff at Cognitive Hifumi's greatsword.
"…Gae Bolg is a spear, though." Oracle said.
"…Y'know, it's pretty telling that she still kind of acts the same here as she does…right now." Skull crossed his arms. There was still some tension in the air, but it didn't feel as dire as before.
"I think we should just let her have this one." Panther said, before slowly stepping forward. "Look, we're not here for a fight. …I know our attire screams otherwise."
"How indecent!" Cognitive Hifumi pointed at Panther's chest. "Do you still parade around with that opening!?"
"H-Hey!? That's rude!" Panther furrowed her brows. The tension was deflating slowly at least.
"Where is the King?" Dragon decided to ask while the tension wasn't as high.
"…He is resting in his chambers." Cognitive Hifumi said.
"And his condition?" Dragon asked.
"…As if I would tell you that!" Cognitive Hifumi shook her head. "You said you had a single question and thus I answered it. If you have no more business, make your exit or I shall make it for you!
"You don't know." Dragon said with confidence. Cognitive Hifumi's expression faltered because she was called out. "You don't know, because I don't know. I assume that's how it works here. And if that's the case…I would like to speak with Her Majesty."
"I cannot allow that." Cognitive Hifumi shook her head. "The audacity you have to march in her and demand an audience! I should cut you all down right no-!"
"Let them in, Hifumi."
Everyone stood to attention. "…Was that her voice?" Fox asked.
Cognitive Hifumi had to object to this notion. "B-But Mother, they're…"
"I am aware. Lead them to the throne room, I will be waiting." That was indeed the voice of Shadow Mitsuyo. With her tone, she was making a demand, and Cognitive Hifumi was quick to concede despite her initial objections.
"Very well…" With a defeated sigh, Cognitive Hifumi placed her greatsword on her back and motioned for the Phantom Thieves to follow. "Allow me to make one thing clear. You will follow me and only me. If you stray off in a separate direction, I am not responsible for what happens when you encounter security. Do you understand?"
"Crystal clear." Joker answered for everyone. With that they stepped inside the large castle of the kingdom. It was a little different from Kamoshida's self-serving Palace. It was like any castle fit for a queen, paintings of Mitsuyo, Mitsurugi, and Hifumi lined up along the walls. But it was mostly Mitsuyo, various statues of her around that several knights, the shadows, basked in the glory of.
"…Well, we're inside. But we should keep our guard up…" Mona told the others.
"Uh-huh, I got it…" Orcale was already observing the surroundings, taking notes with her radar on ways out just in case things went awry.
"My word…I can draw no inspiration from this place whatsoever." Fox said. "What type of emotion is supposed to be conveyed here?"
"The essence of victory!" Cognitive Hifumi turned over her shoulder, shouting towards Fox. "Victory is what drives Her Majesty to great things! The more I obtain victory, the more prosperous her kingdom grows. I am nothing if not a vessel for Her Majesty's greatness."
"…" Hearing those words from what was essentially her own mouth put Dragon on edge. This was how her mother saw her, yes. But Dragon was far more interested in what her Shadow had to say more than anything else. "Where is the throne room?"
"At the very top of this castle, of course. We maintain security with the three towers you have seen outside." Cognitive Hifumi explained. "Though it should normally not be an issue, since no one is even allowed entry if they are an outsider. That said…there has been one person of interest who has been granted access into the kingdom."
"I see…" Dragon didn't even bother trying to guess who that may be. She had an idea.
.
.
It was a quiet walk, outside of Cognitive Hifumi occasionally rambling about Shadow Mitsuyo's greatness. But after reaching a large set of double doors, Cognitive Hifumi turned to face the Phantom Thieves. "You are about to bask in the presence of Queen Togo. I expect you to be on your best behavior, Phantom Thieves."
"Of course." Dragon nodded slowly. She was growing a bit tense, but that was to be expected.
"We should be prepared for the worst, just in case…" Queen whispered to Joker and Oracle.
"Already on it." Oracle nodded.
"I'll give the call…" Joker whispered back. If things went south, which everyone was ultimately expecting, he already had an idea to escape. But that was later. Right now, they were all stepping into the throne room, where Shadow Mitsuyo awaited. Shadow Mitsuyo sat on the throne, one leg crossed over the other, donning a pink dress. There were devilish wings on her back and a tail one could barely see hanging off the chair. Despite that, the throne room was fit for a queen, but that wasn't the most eye catching thing in the room. The colorless mass that was her Treasure sat just over the throne.
"Well well…look what we have here." Shadow Mitsuyo said while swinging one leg. "The Phantom Thieves of Heart."
"Is that her mom…?" Queen asked. This was the first time she'd seen Mitsuyo, unlike Joker, Skull, Mona, and Panther.
"Yeah, that's her alright." Skull said. "Already lookin' down on us."
"I can already feel her glaring into my soul…" Panther mumbled.
"Quiet, Skull." Mona snapped. "We don't need any more trouble. We're already as far in as we can get…"
Cognitive Hifumi approached Shadow Mitsuyo, gave a slight bow, and then stood at her side. "I have brought them at your request. Although I still believe you should have allowed me to execute them on the spot outside."
"Don't worry; you'll get your chance." Shadow Mitusyo said. That already put the Phantom Thieves on edge. "You're a good girl for following my orders, despite your feelings. I've raised you well."
"We may not be escaping without some conflict after all…" Fox muttered.
"Kch…" Dragon already felt her stomach knot up just by watching this scene, but she shook her head.
"So…are you here to steal my heart?" Shadow Mitsuyo asked. "I did not receive a calling card, however, so I don't think that's it. What brings the Phantom Thieves into my kingdom? I'm a very busy woman and I do not have time to play with children."
Dragon then stepped forward. "Mother. I have a question for you."
Mother? Shadow Mitsuyo lifted a brow, glancing at Cognitive Hifumi, then back at Dragon. Oh. Now she understood. While she did smile, her eye was already twitching at the implications. "Hifumi…? Is that you?"
"Yes." Dragon nodded, removing the half of her mask that she could. "It is I, Mother."
"And why are you standing with the Phantom Thieves? Oh! Did you perhaps bring them to me so I could be rid of these self-righteous troublemakers?" Shadow Mistuyo's eyes lit up.
"No!" Dragon shook her head. "I AM a Phantom Thief, Mother!" She was not worried about saying this, because she knew that her mother in the real world would never be aware of this exchange.
"….." Shadow Mistuyo's excitement died just as fast as it appeared. "I was afraid that. I was wondering why you were so supportive of them recently. Now I understand! You've been helping them in their efforts to ruin my plans!"
"Ruin your plans? We haven't even done anything to you!" Panther exclaimed. It was a bit of an outburst, but Shadow Mistuyo had a lot of audacity considering she was actively making her life difficult with Dragon.
Shadow Mitsuyo narrowed her eyes. "…You're the blonde girl." Her gaze then went to Skull and Joker; she'd only run into them once when they met at the TV station, but she didn't forget their faces. "So you must be the two boys from back then either." Wait a moment…and looking at Fox and Queen, she recalled that picture Kaneshiro sent her….all but Oracle she vaguely recognized. "Now I see what's going on here. You dragged Hifumi into Phantom Thieving!"
"She loves jumping the gun, doesn't she?" Oracle asked.
"No, Mother! I joined of my own accord, because I was tired of the injustice around me and being used!" Dragon exclaimed. "Which brings me to my question. The one working with Kaneshiro…the one who was rigging my shogi matches in my favor…it was you, wasn't it…?"
"Huh!?" Everyone glanced at Dragon.
"Accusing Her Majesty of cheating!?" Cognitive Hifumi was about to jump Dragon, but Shadow Mistuyo halted her by extending her arm.
"…Who told you?" Shadow Mitsuyo didn't deny this.
"Wh…!?" Even Cognitive Hifumi was now surprised.
"There is only one person who could benefit from my victories. It was you." Dragon sighed. She had been hoping she was wrong, how nice that would've been. But it was as she feared. "We put an end to his actions to liberate the people he had in his grasp, including my peers in the shogi community! It was painful learning that it wasn't my own skill winning, but shady blackmail deals that put others in jeopardy. I wanted to believe you were innocent…so innocent that I turned my eyes away from the truth the moment that thought crossed my mind!"
"Dragon…." Panther frowned.
"And even after that…it still feels like nothing changed. I still win, but people still give me those looks of disdain. The rumors of my rigged matches haven't died. It doesn't feel like I'm winning on my own even now…" Dragon clenched a hand into a fist. "I am here today, because I knew no matter what I asked you outside this castle, you would not answer truthfully."
"You want the truth?" Shadow Mitsuyo pondered for a moment before nodding. "Fine. I'll tell you everything you want to know. But I hope you can handle it, Hifumi. It won't change anything in the end. That's right; I was the one working with Kaneshiro. I struck a deal with him and made some criminal contacts. I did all of this to ensure that Hifumi's victory streak would never die. All I had to do was dig up dirt on those in the shogi community and blackmail them with it. It was helpful that they all fell for Kaneshiro's phishing scheme. Once I threatened them with that, they had no choice but to agree to lose. I'm sure you already know the rest since you've dealt with Kaneshiro. I did it to keep Hifumi's public image strong and alive."
"You were blackmailing people too!? That's a shitty thing to do!" Skull yelled out even before Dragon could. It was adults like Mistuyo who performed rotten, selfish actions like this that only strengthened his resolve as a Phantom Thief.
"But why would you do that!?" Dragon asked. "I never asked-!"
"I never said it was for you." Shadow Mitsuyo cut Dragon off. "I said it was for your public image. Your growing reputation as an idol is the only thing that's important here. I have put an astronomical amount of work into your growing frame, Hifumi. Your victories have been a carefully constructed plot by me! You have a little talent on your own and I'm making the most of it as your manager. When you become famous, I'll be famous by extension. And then everyone who mocked me for being a loser will see who the true winner is!"
"….." Dragon's whole body was shaking. A whirlpool of emotions stirred within her, her heart pounding against her chest the more the shadow of her mother spoke. That was what her Mother truly thought of her? Just a tool for fame? Taking her excitement and love of shogi and profiting off of it!? Righteous anger began to burn within Dragon, green eyes flashing yellow as she reached for the other half of her mask. "Mother….you…." Her fingers curled around the mask, pulling on it with force despite its initial refusal to come off. "How could you…do something so…!?"
"Because your Father needed it." Shadow Mitsuyo replied.
Dragon stopped at that moment. The yellow hue in her eyes faded, returning the to their green coloration. The shift in tone made everyone wary as well. "…Huh…?"
"I had a good thing going. Using your talents to pay for your father's expensive medicine, thanks to Kaneshiro." Shadow Mitsuyo explained. "He's been sick for ages! What was I suppose do to!? Stand idly by and watch as he coughs himself to death!? So when I met Kaneshiro and we came up with this plan, this was my only option. I had to do it."
"Don't you know how many people were in serious trouble because of what Kaneshiro was doing!?" Queen asked.
"Do you think I care about that!?" Shadow Mitsuyo snapped. "The last thing I want to hear from a Phantom Thief is how someone's actions hurt other people. I didn't care about other people, just as you lot don't care about those impacted by your actions. All you care about is stopping a person you deem an issue. Have you ever once thought about the people affected by your actions!?"
"What are you talking about? Of course we have!" Mona said.
"That's the whole reason we're acting to begin with." Fox added.
"We help those who can't help themselves." Joker said. "To give courage to people who may need it."
"Of course…you really are a bunch of kids. That naïveté is your driving force. There are people that relied on Kaneshiro, like me!" Shadow Mitsuyo said.
Dragon had…a really bad thought. "…Mother. What happened to Father?"
"Oh, you wish to know?" Shadow Mitsuyo stood up from her seat. "Ever since Kaneshiro was taken into police custody, our deal was broken, and the money I made from your victories was cut severely. Do you know what that means? I can't afford your Father's medicine, which means he was hospitalized. Because of his illness and the lack of treatment…the doctors can only delay the inevitable. He won't make it to the end of the year. And you know why? Because the Phantom Thieves had to ruin everything."
"Ah…" Dragon's eyes widened from the shock and horror.
"You're sayin' it's our fault!? That's bullshit!" Skull exclaimed. "She's just lyin' to rile you up, Dragon!"
"…" Dragon didn't say a word. Her gaze just slowly fell to the ground. "…..S-Sh…she's not…l-lying…"
"What!?" Panther couldn't believe this.
"Do you understand why I hate the Phantom Thieves now? They've ruined our family." Shadow Mitsuyo stated.
Dragon didn't have anything to say. It all hit too hard, too fast. She just collapsed to her knees, her Phantom Thief attire fading away and she returned to her causal summer dress. "I…I am responsible…for what happened to Father…? He won't make it…?" Hifumi stuttered, unable to come to terms with the information she was just given.
"…" Cognitive Hifumi didn't say a word. What could she even say?
"Hey, no! Don't think like that!" Panther said.
"Hey, what happened to her outfit…?" Queen asked.
"Her will to rebel…it's gone…" Mona narrowed his eyes. This was completely different than Joker or Dragon just being unable to sustain their form in the Metaverse. This was the complete loss of a person's drive.
Shadow Mitsuyo swiped her hands forward, numerous strings appearing from her fingertips to wrap around Hifumi's arms and legs. The marionette began to control Hifumi, making her walk around and jump in the air. "But! Don't fret my daughter! As long as you continue to do what I say, there may be hope yet! When I say jump, you will jump! When I say win, you will win! We will do everything to boost your image so your fame can fix the Togo family! That's what you want, right?!"
"…" Hifumi didn't say anything.
"Oh, are you worried about your friends? You don't need to be. Once they're gone, you won't have to think about anything other than what I have in store for you." Shadow Mitsuyo smiled and snapped her fingers.
Oracle sensed it first before anyone else. Her radar was going off like crazy. "Hey guys! We got big trouble!" After she said that, numerous knights barged into the room, circling around the Phantom Thieves.
"As I thought, she didn't plan on allowing us to leave as peacefully as we entered…" Fox said. Everyone huddled together, back to back, surrounded by the numerous Shadows.
"Trapped in the depths of enemy territory…" Mona was looking around for a way out. The situation didn't look that great for them.
"Bastards!" Skull shouted.
"Stay close together!" Queen yelled.
"Hey, Joker! We gotta save Hifumi and get out of here!" Panther said.
"I know." Joker nodded. The situation they were in wasn't great, but they were never here for a fight to begin with. They weren't leaving without one, unfortunately.
Shadow Mitusyo nudged Cognitive Hifumi forward, who was still stunned from the information dump she just received. She only snapped out of her shocked trance because she was being ordered to attack, while the real Hifumi just remained suspended in the air, unable to fight against the strings of her mother's influence. "Now, Hifumi. Be a dear and take care of our guests. They have overstayed their welcome."