With Sunday finally upon the world, Yu Narukami made his way to the SIU Headquarters to do his second job, but this time, he brought with him the sister of his boss; Makoto Niijima. Of course, Yu made sure that Sae was expecting them, but that didn't stop him from being nervous, since he wasn't quite sure what would happen. Would Sae have Makoto help her with boxing instructions, work, or pile that onto him and Akechi while she spent time with her sibling?

Guess I'll find out soon enough .

And with that, the Wild Card walked in, determined to to see the day through with as few scratches as possible, especially since he planned on scouting out the remainder of the Palace with Hifumi. Makoto and he managed to reach Akechi's desk in no time. The teen detective looked at them with a small smile.

"Hello Makoto-san. Yu told us you'd be here, but I didn't think you'd actually come."

"I made sure everything was clear for today. Where's Sis?" Makoto asked.

"She should be back any moment. She's interrogating someone right now, but I expect him to crack any-"

The elevator doors opened with a DING .

"Ah. There she is now."

Sae looked at the group, and when her eyes settled on Makoto, they widened for the briefest of moments before returning to normal.

"Makoto. Didn't expect you so early."

"Hey Sis. This could be the only time we get to spend time together for awhile, so I wanted to make the most of it."

Appreciation shone in Sae's eyes, and soon, that appreciation showed itself in her smile.

"Me too. In fact, you're just in time. There's some rookies that think the rules don't apply to them. Because of that, the director sent me to teach them some hand-to-hand combat."

Makoto had a look of confusion on her face.

"What will that d-… oh." Makoto replied, having answered her own question.

"Exactly. Care to join us?" Sae asked.

"Me? Are you sure?"

"Of course. The whole point of the training exercise is to knock the new guys down a peg. And if they get their hides handed to them by a girl who's still in highschool, then all the better."

Makoto beamed at Sae's confidence in her. The prosecutor gestured for the group to follow her as she made her way to the elevator. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the training area, and Sae took her sister to the changing rooms while Akechi and Yu found spots to watch the action. The two teenagers took a look at the recruits. Just like Sae said, they each had an air of arrogance about them, like this was all beneath them. When Makoto stepped out in training gear, Yu noticed the guy currently in the ring was eyeing her up and down, and if his face was any indication, he was no doubt imagining what she'd look like naked.

"Alright, first thing's first. This is my younger sister Makoto. Don't feel like you have to go easy on her because she's younger than you and my family. That being said, are you two ready?"

"Ready." Makoto said with a nod, getting into the appropriate stance.

"Always." The man replied, mirroring her stance.

"BEGIN!" Sae yelled, and the two combatants rushed toward each other. The rookie threw a punch, but Yu saw it coming a mile away, and so, it seems, did Makoto. Effortlessly deflecting the blow with a slap of her hand, that same hand balled into a fist and backhanded the guy, making him stagger backwards. To his credit, he took the hit well, spinning backwards and using the momentum to try and hit back using his foot. Makoto was ready for that as well, grabbing the foot and pulling. The trainee didn't move his other leg to keep up, and as a result, the man forced to do the splits. As he howled in pain, Makoto hit the side of his head with her knee, hard. The man was sent to the floor, his hands shooting to his head as he tried to get up. Suddenly, the group heard a loud whistle be blown, and looking at the source of it, they saw Sae, now standing in her own training clothes as well, her silver hair tied up in a ponytail behind her. The woman stepped into the ring, ignoring the leers and cat-calls from the other rookies.

"I'll take it from here Makoto."

"Is something wrong Sis?" Makoto asked, barely above a whisper.

"You're going too easy on them. They're here to learn a lesson in humility. Get changed Makoto, and try to be quick."

Makoto stood for a moment, stunned that she was being removed so soon, and of all the reasons it was because she was being too gentle. Sae raised an eyebrow as if to ask what was taking so long, and Makoto meekly lowered her head and walked off the arena, leaving Sae and a confused opponent.

"Next trainee." Sae ordered, and her tone invited no argument. The man Makoto just thoroughly defeated made his way off the ring, and in his place was a much bigger man, with his training outfit just barely managing to contain his muscles. Sae didn't appear nervous in the slightest, and Yu didn't have a hard time believing that this guy was the one in charge of the group. It was then he knew what Sae was doing; if she proved she could beat the top dog, the others would know better than to mess with her.

"Ready?" Sae asked without fear.

The man gave a small nod, and cracked his knuckles. The two walked in a circle, measuring each other up and neither getting into a fighting stance. Yu could tell this big guy was experienced; he could somehow tell how dangerous Yu's guardian was, and unlike the one before him, he knew better than to underestimate her. Makoto emerged from the training room, and her eyes bulged when she saw who her sister was fighting.

"Ready when you are." Sae stated, and the man gave a curt nod in acknowledgement.

This new opponent finally charged forward without warning, much faster than Yu thought someone his size was capable of moving. He threw a punch with his right hand, but it was a fake-out, his real attack was with a jab to Sae's abdomen. Yu thought the sudden switch would catch Sae off guard, but his guardian not only managed to dodge the blow, but she grabbed his wrist, holding his arm in place, and with a well placed knee strike to his arm, broke it entirely. The man howled in pain, and Sae made sure to back away just as he attempted to grab her.

It would appear the others are starting to pay more attention.

Yu looked, and saw that Izanagi was right. All the other recruits, now that they saw the strongest of them getting hurt, were beginning to take Sae seriously. Gone were the lustful looks, replaced by stares of concern as the fight continued. With his arm now broken, the man switched instead to his legs, launching a flurry of kicks. Sae managed to dodge all of them, and when the final kick came, Sae grabbed hold. At first, Yu thought she was going to perform the same move Makoto did, but instead, Sae did something else instead. With his groin exposed, Sae managed to get a quick, and very powerful, kick to the balls. The man screamed as agony surged throughout his body, and Sae took advantage, knocking him flat on his back with a sweeping kick while still holding on to his leg. Before he had any chance to do anything, Sae pulled on the leg in a way it was never supposed to be pulled, and Yu heard the bone crack as it broke.

Jeez. Akechi wasn't kidding when he said Sae went easy on us.

The man's eyes told Sae that he gave up. Sae's eyes told him she didn't care. Letting go of his now broken leg, she made sure to put a foot on his face as she addressed the crowd.

"You all have been allowed to join the greatest crime fighting unit in Japan. With that, comes an enormous amount of responsibility. Responsibility to uphold the law, responsibility to those you work with, but most importantly, responsibility to get the job done right. And the only way the last one happens is if you do as you are told. Now, I'm going to believe those who recommended you when they say you're competent in CQC. However, if you give me any reason to doubt that, I'll have to evaluate you myself."

Yu saw the nervousness in their faces; sweat was starting to form on their foreheads, and they were shooting glances to the exit. Sae's plan was a success; she had made the fresh blood fear her, and made sure they understood she was the alpha here. The woman stepped off her defeated opponent, and he meekly forced himself up, utterly humiliated.

"Dismissed. All of you. Narukami, Akechi, help him to the clinic." She ordered.

Everyone made their way out as quickly as they could without making themselves look like children. Soon, Makoto and Sae were all that were left.

"You were a little hard, don't you think?" The younger Niijima asked.

"No." The elder replied without hesitation.

"You broke both his arm and his leg. Was that really necessary?"

"Absolutely." Sae answered immediately.

"But-"

"Makoto, when you enter a job like this, you have to ask yourself a question; do you want to be nice, or do you want to be effective?"

Makoto didn't reply, so Sae took it as her cue to continue.

"You may not like it, but that's how this place works; once you start to fall behind, become useless, you get cut off. You may not like my methods, but thanks to breaking both his arm and his leg, the others know their place on the food chain. Do you understand?"

Makoto gave meek nod in response.

"Good. Now, let's do something else. I've asked my boss to have the rest of the day off. Once Narukami and Akechi get here, I'll let them know they can go home."

Makoto looked up in surprise.

"The whole day? I thought we would only have a few hours."

"Well, Akechi convinced me that, since this would be one of the few chances where I could see you, I should ask for the whole day off."

Makoto gave a wide smile.

"Thank you Sis!" She squealed, hugging her sibling, which Sae returned awkwardly.

"Do you happen to have any ideas of what to do?" The eldest Niijima asked.

"The aquarium!"

"That? Are you sure?"

"Yes! You've never seen it, but it's amazing!"

Sae let herself have a small smile, and the doors opened, revealing Akechi and Yu. The prosecutor turned to address her two employees.

"Ah good. Akechi, Narukami, I'm going to be taking the rest of the day off. You two are free to do whatever you want."

The two looked at each other in surprise, then back at Sae. Akechi spoke first.

"Thank you Sae-san. I appreciate it."

"Just don't get used to it."

"I won't. But I didn't have any plans, so I look forward to relaxing."

Makoto's eyes widened as an idea popped into her head.

"Yu-kun do you have any plans?"

"Actually I do, but they aren't until the afternoon."

"Perfect! Sis and I are going to the aquarium, want to tag along?"

Yu put his hand up to his chin, weighing the pros and cons.

I could use that time on other things. And this is supposed to be a thing between sisters.

Before Yu could speak his answer, Sae beat him to it.

"That's an excellent idea Makoto. Narukami, you're coming with us."

She didn't even give me thirty seconds.

She's suspicious of you, remember? She wants you where she can see you.

"I'd be happy to tag along." Yu replied.

"Good. Wait here while I get changed."

The older woman and Akechi left, leaving Yu alone with Makoto his thoughts.

Let's hope that Sae's willing to let us go if we have to leave.

True. She'll also take this opportunity to try and interrogate us.

I know. She won't be upfront about it either. She'll try to be subtle about it.

We'll have to be careful. Especially if she somehow knows about Mitsuyo.

The oldest girl emerged from the changing room in her casual wear, Makoto looking more than a little excited, while Sae seemed to focus her gaze exclusively on him.

"Ready?" Makoto asked.

"For anything." Yu replied.

The three of them arrived at the aquarium, and while Makoto was giddy with excitement, Yu could feel Sae's eyes glancing at him every so often. The younger Niijima turned to Yu as they approached the doors.

"So Yu-kun, have you ever been to an aquarium?"

"Can't say I have. You and Sae?"

"Back when dad was still around, he offered to take the two of us to this one here. I went with him, but Sis turned down the offer."

Makoto let out a small giggle.

"She said 'studying is more important than fish'. You want to know what happened the next day?"

I can guess.

"Was there a test?"

"Yup! A surprise marine biology quiz!" Makoto said as she burst out laughing. Yu even noticed Sae's face crack with a grin.

"I imagine she didn't do so well."

"No. I failed… but so did everyone else." Sae replied as they finally entered the building. Paying the entrance fee, they stepped into what seemed like a whole nother world. There were all kinds of colorful fish everywhere the eye could see, and despite her efforts, Yu could tell that Sae was just as impressed as he was.

Hey, hey Yu!

The Wild Card turned to where his Persona had wandered off, only to see that Izanagi was behind the other side of the glass, making it look like he was in the water. The fish went through him and once he knew he had his master's attention, his eyes went wide with fear.

HELP! HELP ME! I'M DROWNING!

Izanagi then proceeded to clamp his hands around his neck and make it look like he was dying. When he was done, his body went limp, and Yu smiled at his inner self's antics.

"Having fun?" Sae's voice asked from behind.

"I am. You?"

"Not really. I mean, don't get me wrong, the fish are beautiful and all, but I wouldn't call this fun."

"Then what would you consider fun?"

Sae opened her mouth, but slowly closed it, as if she was pondering that question for the first time.

"I'm not sure, anymore."

"That's a total lie."

Both turned to Makoto, who had appeared seemingly out of thin air.

"When Sis was younger, she was into all kinds of stuff. Window shopping, actual shopping, trying on makeup, gossiping about boys, usual girly stuff. And that was just the daytime stuff. Her nightlife was-"

"Woah woah woah, back up. Sae-san gossiped? About boys ?"

Yu saw his guardian… actually panic. She turned to her younger sister, who gleefully continued.

"Oh yes. Turns out, she prefers mature, older men. In fact, she developed a crush on a guy who was in college during her first year in highschool."

Sae sent Makoto a pleading look, and the younger Niijima seemed to enjoy making the prosecutor silently beg. Yu had to satisfy his curiosity, so he made no effort to stop Makoto.

"Oh really? And did he return the feelings?"

"Well…" Makoto started, teasingly putting a finger on her chin.

"Makoto… I'm warning you. You'd better stop or…" Sae said, but her eyes showed her panic. Makoto and Yu both saw it, and Makoto let out a soft giggle at the look.

"Or what Sis?" Makoto asked in mock innocence. Sae clearly wasn't expecting that, and her sister took it as her cue to continue.

It's good to know that Sae Niijima isn't as unshakeable as she wants us to think.

"She spent hours working up the courage to ask him for his number, and when she finally decided to call it, she spent so long pacing back and forth before calling him. When he picked up, Sis asked him on a date."

Whatever shock Sae had at Makoto's defiance, it was gone now. Sae activated her glare, and this time, her target was Makoto. Yu's senpai saw it and clearly didn't care. Or, more likely, she didn't know her sister well enough to recognize the danger.

"He told her that his future husband wouldn't appreciate him going to see someone else."

Yu's jaw dropped into an "O" shape and his eyes widened. The world seemed to stop as Yu processed this information, and before long, he covered his mouth to try and stop the laughter escaping. Sae, however, was less than amused.

"You know Makoto, it's been awhile since I've seen you practice martial arts, and your form today was sloppy. Tomorrow, after school, you're going to meet me and we're going to… practice. Understood?" Sae asked, her tone icy.

"Completely." Makoto replied with a smile.

She just sees this as an opportunity to spend more time with Sae, and she's oblivious to the danger. I'll have to remember to warn her and Akechi later.

The trio stood there in a bit of silence until a nearby news channel seemed to interrupt all their thoughts.

"In other news Risette is scheduled to make an appearance at Togo News Station in three days. The young idol will answer questions from fans, and reveal the release date of her upcoming album. Already the police are making preparations for her arrival."

Sae let out a groan at the last sentence.

"Something wrong Sis? Not excited to meet the number one idol in the country coming to visit?"

"It just means more work for me. That girl has way too many lunatics for fans. I'll have to make sure she has a proper security detail. I might even have to escort her myself."

Sae let out yet another, more drawn out groan.

"And you can bet she'll have the personality of spoiled bimbo. Always finding something to whine about, and the only thing she'll talk about or know is celebrity gossip. It's going to drive me through the roof."

"Actually, she's not like that at all." Yu spoke up.

"Oh?" Sae asked, her voice dripping with disbelief

"Yea. I knew her back in Yasoinaba. True, she can be a bit of a flirt, but she's the most mature highschooler I know. She's also surprisingly thoughtful. Just give her a chance Sae-san, and she may surprise you."

Sae looked at the ground for a few seconds, then back to Yu, giving a nod in response.

"I'll take it under advisement."

Suddenly, Yu's phone went off, the timer reminding him about his other plans. He looked up at the two girls, and Sae gave him another nod, signaling that he was allowed to leave. But he didn't notice Sae narrow her eyes as he left. No matter what, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to something.

Ryuji was on his way back from the grocery store. His mom had forgotten to buy some ingredients for dinner tonight. Rather than go herself, she instead gave the cash to Ryuji and sent him to fetch what he needed. In truth, the track runner didn't mind it all that much; he enjoyed helping his parents in any way he could, and he always enjoyed the exercise. Plus, it allowed him to see the sights of the city. One sight that recently took a more sour meaning was the Togo New Station. Before, he didn't really think much of it, but now he can't help but feel like a knot formed in his gut, not just because of who it belonged to, but also because he couldn't do anything to stop her. So, Ryuji carried on, until he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Ryuji caught sight of her because of her hair ribbon, he stopped in his tracks when he saw who it was. It was Hifumi, alone in an alley. What was she doing here? And why did she keep looking at her phone? Did she have a meeting with her mother, or was he just overthinking things? Ryuji, deciding the groceries could wait, started to walk over to her, try to figure out why she was here, and try to help her. But that plan was cut short when he saw something else; Yu Narukami appeared behind her and started talking to her. Why the hell was he here? And what are they talking about? Hifumi smiled warmly as Yu pulled out his phone and began to talk to her. Ryuji felt a surge of jealousy in his gut. Taking out his phone, he managed to get a picture right before someone bumped into him, causing him to take his eyes off the pair for a split second.

But a split second was all they needed, because when Ryuji looked back, they were gone. He looked at the new photo, and felt uneasy. Ann told him she suspected him of cheating on Shiho, but Ryuji couldn't believe that. Ann also told him that she had a good feeling about Yu, and from Ryuji's own experience with the guy, he was nothing the rumors tried to make him out to be. The delinquent let out a tired sigh.

Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow, he was going to confront Yu about this and get some answers. Ryuji smiled. Yes, once Yu explained what was going on, Ryuji and Ann would realize that they were worried over nothing. And with that thought in mind, he continued on his way home.

As they teleported back into the Metaverse, Hifumi had a determined look in her eye.

"This is it. You ready?"

"No. But I've already decided to commit. I can't back out now."

The two stepped into the room where Kaito was waiting. He gave them a pleasant smile and waved at them as they entered. Hifumi returned the gestures and sat down in front of him, setting up the shogi pieces they collected. Kaito gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

"I see you have assembled your forces. You have proven you are worthy of my full power. But… I must confess to being puzzled. You've bested me already Hifumi. Why do you wish to fight me again?"

"Can we get access to the upper part of the tower without battling you?" Yu asked.

"Ah. In that case no. You've brought the pieces. Shall we begin the game?" Kaito asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Yes. Let us begin."

Yu stood by the entrance door, ready and waiting for any Shadows that might try to interfere. But none came. The room was completely silent, aside from the CLACK s from the pieces as they both tried to outmaneuver each other. After a good couple of minutes, Yu looked over and saw that Hifumi was losing, a bead of sweat forming on her head. Yu wasn't sure what would happen if she lost. Would she be killed? Would she not be allowed to participate again? Would the pieces be scattered and force the Team to start all over? But then he noticed Hifumi smirk.

What's she up to?

Another CLACK , and she looked at her father in triumph.

"Check."

Kaito went wide-eyed as he surveyed the board. Then his surprise melted into humility. He reached into his robes and pulled out an elaborate, golden key. Passing it to Hifumi, he gave a small bow.

"Well done. You have passed the trial. Whatever treasures that await in the vault are all yours. Congratulations."

Hifumi took the key and she walked to the door. It glowed with the same golden aura that surrounded the building that represented her room. A small gap took shape in the form of a keyhole, and Hifumi slid in her prize. The barrier dissolved, and the door opened. Yu smiled.

"Good job Venus. I thought you might lose for a moment there."

Hifumi let out a huff.

"We're lucky mother only played a few rounds of shogi from probably back when she first got to know my father. Had it been the real thing, he would've seen my trap and stopped me."

The two began to ascend, Fu Hao on the lookout for any Shadows. But, much to their surprise, the climb was uneventful. They finally entered a hallway that lead to a pair of incredibly ornate doors. Tucked away was a Safe Room, which the two teenagers entered.

"Well that wasn't too bad. You sure the others know that we're going to try to take the Treasure tomorrow?" Hifumi asked.

"They should. I told Akechi when we were returning from the nurse's office to let everyone else know what I was up to and be ready."

"Just making sure."

The two left, and made their way to the twin doors.

"Let me guess, the Treasure's right behind those doors?"

"Yes. Fu Hao's readings show there's only one room we haven't been in yet."

"Alright. Let's hope the Shadow isn't in there."

The two finished going down the hallway and opened the door.

And were immediately met by a swarm of Shadows. Yu immediately called Izanagi, but that's when he noticed something. The Shadows were facing away from him. Poking one of them in the back, it turned to face him. Yu saw that this one wasn't wearing a mask, and wasn't dressed like a guard. In fact, none of them had either masks for armor instead completely dressed in kimono and turned to someone else. Pushing his way forwards, he started to hear someone.

"Yu, Fu Hao picked up a single Shadow straight ahead."

Then heard the words from the voice started to become clearer.

"I know you've all done fine work making this place presentable. Much as I loathe having that piece of jail-bait Risette here, the simple fact is that whore has a great deal of pull. Because of this, we have to bring her here."

There she was. Shadow Mitsuyo Togo, sitting on a throne, and above her was the gas cloud of the Treasure. The throne itself was in the center of an elevated platform that was surrounded by Shadows on the ground and in balconies. It looked like she was in a play, all things considered. She gave a smirk before continuing.

"After the slut has come and gone, I want my personal quarters prepared. That handsome boy, Yu, should get that infiltrator Dojima out of our affairs soon enough. Once that's done, I'll force him to go there. I have needs that need attending to, and with my husband in the abhorrent state he is, he will not be able to fulfill them. I know some of you will doubt his loyalty, especially after I've made him go against his father. But make no mistake my subjects, that boy will fulfill whatever need I have of him, whether he wants to or not."

Yu grinded his teeth against each other. It was bad enough to hear her degrade Rise like that, but to listen to her talk about raping him so casually made his blood boil. In fact, he had half a mind to summon Izanagi right now and have him smite the arrogant bitch right here, right now. Hifumi put a hand on his shoulder, her face twisted into a grimace.

"Let's get out of here. I can't bear to listen to her any longer."

She's right Yu. We secured our infiltration route. There's no need to be here any more.

Yu gave a nod and the two made their way back to the last Safe Room, happy to hear Shadow Mitsuyo's voice gradually get harder and harder to hear. Once they were back in the real world, Yu spoke to his confidant.

"We have to send the calling card by tomorrow. Do you want to write it, or should I have Akechi do it?"

"I think it should be Akechi. I'll just make it into a ramble and then everyone will be able to tell it was me."

"Alright. I'll make sure he types it up and gets it to you by tomorrow. We'll strike after school gets out."

"Sounds like a plan."

Yu took a moment to text Akechi and the others. After receiving their replies, he looked at Hifumi.

"It's going to be time to face your mother soon. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be. Don't worry Yu. I won't hesitate."

"Good. It's getting a little late, so we should head back. Be ready."

"I will. I promise."