The next day, in Leblanc…

After Akira (and Morgana) woke up from his slumber, he swiftly do his usual morning routine of cleaning himself up, changing and putting on his clothes, put Morgana into his bag before he lifted and slung his bag on and over his right shoulder before he walked down the stairs and into the café and stop when he see Sojiro standing and working behind the counter while a spectacled, bearded man in a black suit that he's never met before is sitting on a stool and eating a plate of curry rice.

"Good morning, boss." greeted Akira politely to Sojiro.

"Good morning. Heading out now, huh? Don't be too late coming back." said Sojiro concernly to Akira after he greeted back to him.

"I know. See you when I get back later." said Akira as he nodded at Sojiro before he walk past the spectacled, bearded man and left Leblanc to meet up with Ann and Minato in the subway station.

"Boss, this curry of yours is fantastic!" said the spectacled, bearded man approvingly to Sojiro about his curry.

"Oh, thanks." said Sojiro as he nodded at the spectacled, bearded man.

XXXX

A few minutes later, inside a certain filming room in the TV station…

"So this is going out live, right?" asked Morgana as he subtly popped his head out of Akira's bag (that's on the floor near Akira) and glance up at Akira.

"Yeah, it is, Morgana." replied Minato as he glance and nodded at Morgana before Akira could answer his question.

"I see. Even I'm starting to get nervous… You still good?" asked Morgana concernly to Akira.

"Yeah, I am." replied Akira as he nodded at Morgana.

"Hey! Stay in the bag. If they find out we brought a pet in here, they'll kick us out." whisper Ann as she scowled at Morgana.

"A pet?" said Morgana with a dismay look on his face at Ann calling him a pet.

"Heheh." snicker Pharos from within Minato's soul.

"Ann, that's a bit uncalled for from you." whisper Minato slightly coldly to Ann. "Also stop snickering, Pharos." added Minato coldly to Pharos as well.

"Fine." said Pharos.

"Shh, that's enough from you two and be quiet in the set, all of you." whisper Akira firmly to Morgana, Ann and Minato.

"Awww… well, I guess if I can't be seen… You 3 do your best to blend in, too." sighed Morgana.

"We're fine… All we're gonna do is watch." said Ann reassuringly to Morgana.

"Should I also make efforts to "blend in" like you all did?" asked Sophia from Akira's phone.

"Yeah, just hang tight for a bit, Sophia." said Ann.

"Ok, no prob." said Sophia as she nodded at Ann.

"Oh! Here she comes!" said Morgana as he, Akira, Ann and Minato saw Alice entering and showing herself into the filming room, walking toward and sat down on one of the red leather chairs.

"Miss Alice, on the set!" said a veteran AD guy.

"Holy crap… She really is adorable!" said Ann with a surprise look on her face.

"I might have agree with you about her being adorable if I haven't seen how rude and ugly her shadow is, Ann-san." said Minato.

"Yeah, Minato. Plus don't you already have an adorably handsome and possessive detective with you?" said Pharos in agreement and then teasingly to Minato.

"Yeah, I do… Hey, shut it, will you?" said Minato in anger and embarrassment at Pharos (who snicker then fell silent).

"Cutting back from commercial! Back in five, four, three…" said the veteran AD guy.

"And now, onto the "Hottest Meet-and-Greet" segment of the show. We have a special guest with us today. She has taken the fashion world by storm and conquered it! Please welcome the designer, Alice Hiiragi!" said the cute announcer woman.

"Thanks for having me!" said Alice cheerfully to the audiences.

"Thank you for joining us, Alice. You sure have been keeping busy these days, haven't you?" asked the cheerful-looking host man to Alice.

"It's only thanks to all my fans that I've been able to do what I do." replied Alice happily to the cheerful-looking host man.

"And what a number of fans you have! Talk about strong support! Am I wrong to presume that you designed the unusual outfit you're wearing today?" said the cheerful-looking host man curiously to Alice about her outfit.

"It's just so cute. Very expressive." said the cute announcer woman.

"Thank you so much! The them of my current line is "Alice in Wonderland". I feel like fashion is a rare a beautiful thing that can take anyone into a world built on their dreams. You can find a side of yourself that maybe you don't even know you had… Fashion can do so much for us. I try my hardest to focus on that whenever I design a new piece." explained Alice to the cute announcer woman.

"Such wise words from a successful industry veteran! What inspiration originally spurred you into fashion design, if you don't mind?" asked the cute announcer woman curiously to Alice.

"To be honest, I was very shy growing up. I didn't have any friends at school… I would get so lonely. I wanted to change so much, but I just couldn't figure out how to do it. Then one day, I saw the most beautiful dress in a shop window. When I put it on, the whole world felt new. It was like I was hit with this blinding ray of light. "I really can change!" That's what wearing it made me think. I strive each day to give that same feeling to every person who tries on one of my designs. I want to give that ray of light to others! That's what inspired me to enter the fashion industry." explained Alice to the cute announcer woman.

"Really… Huh." said Ann with a slight surprise look on her face.

"She could be telling the truth or she could be lying about it to gain sympathy easily from others, Ann." said Minato.

"… I see." said Ann with a dismay look on her face now.

"Now I can see why the young people like you so much! How do you handle all the dating rumors…" said the cheerful-looking host man to Alice before a confused look appear on his face. "Unh… Wha-?" added the cheerful-looking host man in more confusion before he fell silent.

"I don't believe it!" said Pharos suddenly and coldly within Minato's soul.

"What is it, Pharos?" asked Minato.

"I felt her doing the same thing to the host right now that those shadows did to the 3 guys in her Jail palace, Minato!" replied Pharos.

"Seriously? She's taking his desire now? But we're in the real world!" said Minato in disbelief to Pharos.

"True but it doesn't stop her from doing it and didn't Morgana say that the current Metaverse realm is different from the previous one last year?" said Pharos.

"… True, he did say that." said Minato with a pensive look on his face before he and Pharos fell silent.

"Hmm?" said the cute announcer woman as she glance in confusion at the cheerful-looking host man.

"What's going on? I don't get it…" said a vogue woman.

"Is this some kinda scripted thing?" said a gossipy woman.

"I wonder what's wrong…" said Ann.

"Ah… Are you okay?" asked said the cute announcer woman concernly to the cheerful-looking host man.

"Alice… I… I love you, Alice! Please spend your life with me!" said the cheerful-looking host man as he suddenly got off his seat, went down on his hands and knees in front of Alice and confess to her while ignoring the cute announcer woman, everyone and everything else in the filming room.

"What!?" said Alice with a surprise look on her face.

"Hey, uhhh, what is all this!?" said the cute announcer woman.

"I didn't realise until now… I love you!" said the cheerful-looking host man to Alice.

"Uh, this is really out of the blue…" said Alice with a feign concern look on her face.

"Stop iiit, heheh! This bit's going on a little too long…" said the cute announcer woman with a strain smile on her face.

"I mean it! I can't live without you!" said the cheerful-looking host man to Alice as he kept on ignoring the cute announcer woman.

"Wha- What in the hell!? And what about ME, asshole!?" demanded the cute announcer woman with an angry look on her face at the cheerful-looking host man as she stood up from her seat and began scolding him while the audiences started murmuring about it.

"Is this real?" said the vogue woman.

"Those 2 were engaged already, right?" said the gossipy woman.

"Wow, what a trainwreck… I can't believe this." said a worried woman.

"Cut to commercial! NOW!" said the male veteran AD.

"I'm begging you, Alice! PLEASE!" said the cheerful-looking host man desperately to Alice.

"Just SHUT UP already! What has HAPPENED to you!?" said the cute announcer woman more angrily to the cheerful-looking host man.

"What is this mess?" said Ann with a disbelief look on her face.

"Whatever it is, it must have something to do with Alice." said Minato as he glance suspiciously and coldly at Alice.

"… You may be right, Minato-san." said Akira in agreement with Minato before the TV crew cancelled the filming and tell and escorted him, Morgana, Ann, Minato and the audiences off the set and out of the filming room.

XXXX

A few minutes later, in the hallway…

"That… That was actually live on TV, right?" said Ann concernly to Akira, Morgana and Minato.

"Yeah, it is." said Akira as he glance and nodded at Ann.

"I can't believe he spilled his beans like that… Even I thought he went overboard with it." said Morgana, concern as well.

"No kidding. His fiancée is seriously angry at him for suddenly doing that on live TVI . If only she knew that it's Alice who did that to him…" said Pharos.

"Yeah, we know, Pharos." said Minato in agreement with Pharos.

"So… Then do you guys think… That host had his Desire taken by Alice?" said Ann.

"It's possible that she did took his Desire, Ann." said Akira.

"I see…" said Ann.

"That host didn't seem like he was in his right state of mind. It's like he wasn't even there and someone else was controlling him…" said Morgana.

"Morgana! That's it! I don't know if all this is right, but his personality changed like when someone's heart was stolen… After the Treasure…! Maybe Alice can control anyone whose Desire she steals!" said Ann with a realization look on her face.

"If their Desire's turned over to the ruler, they wind up under their control… Like with Alice. I see, that would really explain it. Amazing as always, Lady Ann." said Morgana proudly to Ann.

"Yeah, not bad at all." said Pharos proudly to Ann as well.

"But that would mean…" said Ann.

"She's indeed taking and keeping their Desires to herself, Ann." said Akira.

"Yeah… Looks like it… Alice said… she wants to be a ray of light for people. That's what I always wanted too…" said Ann with a sad look on her face.

"Ann…" thought Akira sympathetically at Ann.

"I read about her in a magazine once, and… I just really felt where she was coming from. It's why I asked to come to the show in the first place. I wanted to see her in person." said Ann.

"But now that you did, you have second thoughts about it, isn't it?" said Minato.

"Yeah, you're right, Minato-senpai… I wonder is that was all just…" said Ann as she reluctantly nodded at Minato.

"Lady Ann…" said Morgana sympathetically to Ann before he, Akira, Minato and Ann heard Alice voice.

"Ahahaha! Man, that was great!" said Alice voice happily to someone.

"That was… Alice? Quick! Hide, you guys!" said Ann concernly to Akira, Morgana and Minato before they nodded back at Ann and quickly hide themselves behind a wall before Alice and a man that they'd never met before show up and walking down the hallway.