Hifumi took deep breaths as she stood outside her mother's room. She had hoped, she had prayed, that this would stop, that her mother would see just how much she didn't want this. But it only got worse. The pictures got more risque, the clothing more revealing, and the money and fame got bigger. They even had a name for her now; the Venus of Shogi.

Ryuji was right; mother wasn't going to stop unless someone made her, and that someone was going to be Hifumi. Or at least, that's what she hoped. She took one final deep breath before knocking on her mother's door. It took a few minutes, but Mitsuyo managed to answer.

"Hifumi? What is it, I'm busy."

"Mother, I would like to discuss me being a model."

Mitsuyo let out an annoyed sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I should've known that this would happen sooner or later. Alright fine-"

Hifumi let herself smile.

"You can have a slice of the profits. Does ten percent sound good to you?"

Hifumi's smile faded.

"N-no mother, it's not that…" The shogi player said, her voice starting to fade.

"Then what is it? Speak up child." Mitsuyo demanded.

"I want to stop being a model."

Mitsuyo let out a mocking laugh.

"A-and why is that child?"

"Because it's getting out of hand. I could deal with some commercials that were small on newspapers, but the skin-tight dresses plastered on the front pages of magazines, the bikinis on the covers of gossip papers, these are too much. Every day, the shogi community grows more and more disgusted with me. Every day, more and more people leer at me and harass me because of my body. Every day, my dream becomes more and more distant."

Mitsuyo glared at her daughter, and raised her eyebrow, before taking a deep breath.

"Child, I'm sorry for what you've had to endure things like that, but in this business, it comes with the territory. I myself know that people call me all kinds of nasty names behind my back every single day, and chances are that more than a few of them are trying their best to take me down, and it's just something I'll have to live with. But I'll tell you what. Since you're not used to it, I'll let you have modeling time off until we have Risette on, ok?"

"I don't want a break, mother. I want it to stop." Hifumi whimpered.

"And I want your father to be well again. The sad fact is, we don't always get what we want. We have to make sacrifices, and sadly, that includes you. If it seems like I'm torturing you, it's because I don't want you to suffer in the future, because, sad as it is, Shogi just isn't a profitable or famous profession. I'm only making you do this because I love you. You know that, right?"

"I… I do, mother."

"Good. Now, go back to your room, and go to bed."

Hifumi weakly nodded, and walked back to her room numbly. As soon as she was out of eyesight, Mitsuyo scowled.

"Ungrateful brat."

At Shujin Academy, Yu, Shiho, Morgana, and Akechi were all sitting on the roof.

"Alright, our goal is clear; we need to have Mitsuyo see that anyone can be in Hifumi's room, otherwise we won't be able to continue infiltration." Akechi reminded.

"We know. The problem is, who will do it?" Shiho asked.

"It can't be Yu. Not only is he already on probation, but we don't know if the effect will only be temporary. He has to be in the Palace to lead us." Morgana pointed out.

"But at the same time, his unique talents involving Izanagi would give him an enormous advantage in the real world." Akechi countered.

"Are we sure? I know I can't do it, but what about you two?" Shiho replied, gesturing to Akechi and Morgana.

"No. We both tried, but it would seem this is yet another talent reserved for the Wild Card." Morgana answered.

"Akechi is our link to the police. We can't risk him being under investigation. Shiho has the grace of a hippo, and Morgana doesn't know the ins and outs of this world. It has to be me." Yu argued.

"I'm sorry, did you just compare me to a hippo?"

"No it doesn't. Morgana is more than qualified to handle this." Akechi countered.

"Akechi's right. If you get caught, then you'll be hauled away, and we're back where we started way back when you wanted to quit. The fact is that you're infinitely more valuable than anyone else here, and I'm the only other one with lockpicking experience. I'm going in."

Yu opened his mouth to reply, but the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of break.

"Then it's decided; Morgana will infiltrate the Togo residence, then enter Hifumi's room when Mitsuyo could see it." Akechi finished.

"Relax Yu. It's not like I'm going to bring anyone to the Metaverse." Morgana reassured.

Hifumi found herself alone in church, tears streaming down her face. She tried. She tried to make her mother see how much she was hurting her. She tried to convince her mother to stop forcing her to do things she didn't want to. She tried, and that's all she did. She heard the church door open. Father Simon shouldn't be back yet, so chances were, it was one of her 'fans'. Hifumi shook her head, thinking about what her mother said about sacrifices. Sacrifice was when someone gave up something they valued for something else they wanted. What was Hifumi getting out of this? Fame? Money? Her fame is what drove her away from her friends in the shogi club, and she didn't earn a single yen from her shoots. The figure sat down.

"Look, whoever you are, if you're here because you're a fan, I'd greatly appreciate it if you left me alone."

"I take it things with your old lady ain't goin' so well." The man spoke, and Hifumi immediately recognized who it belonged to.

"RYUJI!" She squealed, wrapping the blonde-haired delinquent in a hug, which he returned. He gave her a toothy grin, which she couldn't help but giggle at. The two sat down, Hifumi's mood improving considerably.

"So, have my wild charms finally broken through? Has the peasant Ryuji Sakamoto finally earned the love and admiration of the mighty Togo queen?" Ryuji asked.

"Hehe. Almost. I'm glad to see you Ryuji."

"I'll bet. Ya looked like… A friend of mine a few weeks ago." Ryuji replied as he thought of Shiho, his tone a lot more serious.

"Yes. The situation with my mother has… escalated. And now, the only way I think I can get her to stop is by telling my father. But I'm not sure how his health will take to the news."

"Well… if ya want, you could run away."

"What?"

"For real! Ya could go to the countryside, change yer name to Hifumi Slow-Mo, start all over. Hell, I might come with ya!"

All Hifumi did was look at him with one eyebrow raised. It took a few minutes, but Ryuji eventually realized something.

"Ya know… on second thought… running away might not be the best idea."

"You think?"

"Hehe… yea. But in all seriousness, I did try something. It might be a long shot, but I posted your mom's name to have her heart stolen."

"Wait, WHAT?! Stolen?! L-l-l-like ripped out?! Like surgery? Like-"

"Woah woah, not literally!" Ryuji stated.

"Then what do you mean?" Hifumi asked, still nervous.

"Well, at my school, there was this grade-A asshole named Kobayakawa. For years, the Goro Akechi tried to take him down, but always failed. Then, one day, plastered all over the public announcement board were these cards, that basically called Kobayakawa out, and said they'd make him confess by 'taking his distorted desires.' And on the back of the cards were "Take your heart", and by the time afternoon rolled around, he confessed to the fuzz. Later, they put up a website that allowed people to post the names of scumbags whose hearts they wanted changed. One of them even said that it worked. So, I… put your mom's name on there."

"I appreciate the thought Ryuji. But, I'd rather put my faith in something more… concrete." Hifumi replied.

"Alright. But if your mom suddenly starts apologizing, you know who to thank."

Hifumi smiled, and scooched closer to Ryuji.

"Thank you Ryuji. For being here."

"Sure thing Hifumi. Sure thing."

Before either Hifumi or Ryuji could do anything else, a sudden beeping cut through the air, and Hifumi's bag was the source. Scouring through it, she found it was her cell phone. Her foul mood returned, and with a vengeance.

"Is it your old lady?"

"I have to go. Thanks for talking with me Ryuji." Hifumi said as she left, and Ryuji could do nothing but ball up his hands in frustration.

Morgana was hiding in a bush.

Why was she hiding in a bush you may ask? Well, it was because she was waiting for the moment to strike, the "moment" being when Mitsuyo would see Hifumi's room door open, and Morgana inside. The rest of the Team was already in the Metaverse, waiting for her mission to be completed, and once it was, they would rush in, secure a Safe Room, then get out, just in case the effect was temporary. Morgana had a pouch around her waist, holding all of the tools she needed. She tried to go in and pick the lock prior, but someone else was in the house, and she really didn't need to risk getting the cops here and scaring off the target. So for now, she hid in a bush.

A car began to pull in, and Morgana grinned as Mitsuyo stepped out, having just hung up on the phone. The guide waited a few minutes after her target entered her home, then emerged from the bush, careful not to be spotted as she climbed up the wall to a window she had opened earlier. Once inside, she crouched down and checked her corners. Mitsuyo was down below, talking with someone. Judging by how he called her 'my love', it was safe to assume it was her husband. Morgana found the room she had marked earlier, and whipped out her tools. She also made sure to adjust her weight, which resulted in the floorboards creaking, which would hopefully get Mitsuyo's attention. Morgana was roughly halfway done when she heard Mitsuyo's voice from below.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Following that question, Morgana heard footsteps, and doubled her pace.

"Seeker, could you stop pacing around please? You're making me nervous." Shiho stated.

"I'm sorry. I'm still not 100% on board with this. Something could easily go wrong."

"Have faith in her abilities. She's not as naive as she once was." Akechi said.

"She still gets distracted by sushi." Yu retorted.

"That's… a good point. But still, I doubt she'll let us down. Besides, if she does get caught, I can work on her case and make sure there isn't enough evidence to put her away." Akechi replied.

Just as he finished speaking, the golden force field surrounding the castle went down.

"That's our cue. Let's go boys!" Shiho yelled, grabbing her flail.

The three immediately charged, entering a room where a lone Shadow in golden samurai armor was waiting.

"What the devil? How'd you get back our Shogun's magic? No matter. I will stop you here and now!"

The samurai exploded into tar, and reformed itself into a giant armored man, which also had his armor encased in gold, with his headgear was pointed upward and curved at the end like an axe. He pulled out his weapon, a giant double-bladed sword, and charged at them, using wind magic to amplify his speed before any of them had time to react. He body slammed straight into Akechi, knocking the Detective Prince back out of the castle. The Shadow swung his blade at Yu, but the Wild Card barely managed to dodge. But by focusing its attention on Yu, it left itself vulnerable to Shiho, who had already summoned Boudicca. Hurling fireballs at him, the Shadow recoiled from the assault, then turned around, twirling its sword around, and suddenly, all three infiltrators suddenly felt weaker, and more sluggish. The Shadow, now looking at Shiho, unleashed a torrent of green energy, knocking her back.

"Let's try this again." Akechi grumbled as he called upon his inner self.

Robin Hood materialized and unleashed a blast of holy magic, but the attack only seemed to scratch the armor's paint job. With Shiho knocked back, the Shadow turned its attention back to Yu, who had summoned Izanagi to protect him, but even the god was struggling against this opponent. Shiho pulled out her SMG and unloaded a full clip, which also did little. By now, the Shadow had punched Izanagi back, and unleashed a blast of pink orbs at Shiho, who didn't look like she was harmed. But she then turned to Yu, and her eyes turned into pink orbs. She charged at her leader, her weapon at the ready.

"Shiho, what the hell?!" Yu asked as he tried his best to dodge his friend's flail swings.

"She appears to be confused! Be careful Seeker!" Akechi yelled as the Samurai charged at the Trickster. Yu and Shiho's weapons locked, and Yu headbutted her, pushing her back. He grabbed his mask and called forth a Persona he knew could at least put her out of condition.

"Come, JACK FROST!"

The adorable Persona erupted, and quickly launched an ice barrage that Shiho wasn't ready for. She was knocked on her back, and Yu turned to the Shadow, summoning another Persona.

"ELIGOR!"

A red knight on top of a horse materialized and immediately charged at the Shadow, and for awhile, it appeared they were evenly matched, until Yu suddenly felt his strength return as the weakness spell faded. Eligor pushed, breaking the deadlock and stabbing the Shadow in the chest and forcing it to the floor. Yu charged forward and turned to his partner.

"Ace, let's finish this!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

The two jumped forward, performing an All-Out Attack on the defenseless foe. When they were finished, it turned to ash, and Shiho blinked, picking herself off the floor and looking around with a confused look on her face.

"Did we win?" She asked as Yu and Akechi collapsed to the floor.

"Yes." Akechi answered through labored breaths.

"That… was tough." Yu panted as he got up.

"I know. But Carmen could join us at any time, so we should find a Safe Room soon." Akechi said, forcing himself off the floor.

"Alright. Everyone split up, and holler if you find one." Yu said, turning towards the stairs.

"No need. Look straight ahead." Shiho said, pointing straight ahead.

Way back at the Togo residence, after Morgana had successfully gotten inside and picked the lock, she made sure the door was open just as Mitsuyo came up. Hiding behind a corner, she smiled when she heard Mitsuyo gasp and rush into the room. Her job was done, and it was time to leave. Jumping out the window, she landed in a bush and got up to leave, only to come face-to-face with another woman. This one was dressed in a dress with blue, orange, and white diamonds in a checkered pattern, and a red braid in her hair shaped like a four leaf clover. And she did not look happy.

"Who are you, and what were you doing in my house?" She demanded.

Morgana froze like a deer in headlights, unable to say anything. When the woman approached, Morgana did what any scared person would do; run.

"Get back here!" The woman yelled, chasing after the Velvet Room guide.

After running for a dozen minutes, Morgana looked behind her as she approached the news station. That woman with the red braid was still chasing after her. Morgana pulled out her phone, and shook her head. No, she couldn't risk entering the Metaverse with this woman watching. She needed to shake her pursuer and she needed to do it now .

She reached into her pouches and pulled out another one of her tools; a smoke bomb. While she wanted to keep them in reserve in case the Team needed to make a hasty retreat, this was an emergency. Throwing the smoke bomb behind her, Morgana then turned into an alley and hid behind a dumpster. She waited for a few moments, hearing the girl cough, then scream in frustration, then heard fast footsteps, as if she was running. Fortunately, they started to fade, and Morgana smiled as she stepped out of her hiding spot.

"Phew, that was a bit too close for my liking." She said to herself as she stepped out of the alleyway.

"Alright. Time to rejoin the others." She declared, pulling out her phone.

She pulled up the Meta-Nav, but what Morgana didn't know was that not only did Hifumi hear her, but the shogi player also happened to be walking in Morgana's direction when the Trickster stepped out, and immediately raced to the thief the moment she saw her. Morgana heard footsteps the moment her finger touched the button, and by then, Hifumi was in arm's reach as the world began to twist and swirl.